What Will Happen Before the Antichrist Is Revealed?
Before the Antichrist’s identity becomes known, the apostle Paul said two preceding events will occur.Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8, emphasis added).
First, many people will fall away from the faith and reject the Truth before the seven-year Tribulation period. We are beginning to see this departure from sound doctrine today. It happens so often that there is a new term for it. These defectors are no longer evangelicals; they are exvangelicals. While there are examples of apostasy dating back to biblical times (2 Timothy 4:10; Jude 5-11), the trend toward apostasy seems to be accelerating.
Many people will fall away from the faith and reject the Truth before the seven-year Tribulation period. We are beginning to see this departure from sound doctrine today.
Is the Antichrist Alive Today?
After the falling away, the Holy Spirit (“He who now restrains”) will be removed. In the moment of the Rapture, all of God’s people—living and dead—will go to heaven, and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, ever-presence will leave this earth. Right now, those restraining all hell from breaking loose are Spirit-controlled men and women who are standing against the tides of the prevailing culture—saying, “No.” But after the Rapture they’ll be gone, and the Holy Spirit, the Restrainer, will go with them.
Will the Holy Spirit be absent from earth? Not entirely. As in the days of the Old Testament, He will come upon people periodically, but He will no longer restrain evil. With the indwelling Holy Spirit out of the way and widespread apostasy in the Church, the stage will be set for the Antichrist to be revealed.
What Do We Know About the Antichrist?
While Scripture doesn’t tell us who this man is, it does tell us a lot about him. The book of Daniel says his appearance will be “greater than his fellows” (Daniel 7:20). The Antichrist will be extraordinarily handsome and tall. He will stand out in a crowd, much like King Saul, who was more handsome and taller than anyone else in Israel (1 Samuel 9:2).While Scripture doesn’t tell us who this man is, it does tell us a lot about him.
The Bible also tells us that the Antichrist will be a clever man of great intellect. Daniel describes him as somebody who “understands sinister schemes,” for “through his cunning…shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule” (Daniel 8:23, 25). According to Daniel, he will “come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue” (Daniel 11:21). The Antichrist will begin inconspicuously as one of many minor political leaders, but he will gradually grasp more and more power.
Not only will the Antichrist be handsome and intelligent, but he will also speak with tremendous authority and pride. Revelation 13:5-6 says, “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies…. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.” Daniel wrote that he will be boastful and “speak pompous words against the Most High” (Daniel 7:25). The Antichrist will defy Almighty God and start his own religion.
The Antichrist’s power and authority will come directly from Satan, and he will seek to replace Christ by setting himself up as a deity.
The prefix anti not only means “against,” but it also means “instead of.” Both meanings apply to the Antichrist. His power and authority will come directly from Satan, and he will seek to replace Christ by setting himself up as a deity. Consider this comparison chart from my book Agents of the Apocalypse:
The Counterfeit Christ
| Christ | Antichrist |
| Son of God (John 1:34) | Son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3) |
| Holy One (Mark 1:24) | Lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:8) |
| Came down from heaven (John 3:13) | Came up from the bottomless pit (Revelation 11:7) |
How Will the Antichrist Be Defeated?
After deceiving the world for 42 months (Revelation 13:5), the Antichrist will experience total and absolute defeat. He will gather his armies to fight against Jesus Christ in the Battle of Armageddon. Scripture tells us Christ will descend from heaven riding on a white horse with all His followers and the angels watching.The battle will be over before it begins. As the Antichrist and his armies rally, the apostle Paul says, “Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Jesus will defeat the Antichrist supernaturally, “without human means” (Daniel 8:25). In an instant, the Antichrist will be defeated, but he will not be dead. He and his False Prophet will be captured and thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
For all his cunning deceit, the Antichrist will be no match for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
One thousand years later, at the end of the Millennium, the Antichrist and the False Prophet will still be alive and in torment. At that time, Satan will join them. Revelation 20:10 says, “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
While we cannot be sure if the Antichrist is alive today, one thing is certain: For all his cunning deceit, he will be no match for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Dr. David Jerimiah
