The Antichrist according to the Scriptures: cross perspectives from Daniel, Paul and John
The in-depth study of the figure of the Antichrist has already been carried out in appendix ANN122: The spirit of the Antichrist. Here we will merely set out the broad outlines and the main perspectives drawn from that work, without going into the detail of that analysis.
- A figure traditionally identified from Daniel and Paul
The identification of the Antichrist rests most often on the descriptions given by Daniel and Paul. According to these texts, he is a specific person, who must meet well-defined conditions. Daniel, in particular, announces that a man will rise up, embodying all opposition to God: he will be the Antichrist, the central figure of the final revolt against the Lord.
- John's particular contribution: a reality that is both manifold and already present
However, several texts of John seem to contradict this monolithic perspective. John indeed asserts that several antichrists are already at work in the world, and he is speaking of his own time, the first century. This vision broadens our understanding of the Antichrist: it is not only a future, single individual, but a manifold phenomenon and a spirit at work throughout human history.
All the details John gives on this subject are gathered in the note INF266: The Antichrists according to John. We can nevertheless retain here that, according to him, a man will one day rise up to oppose God head-on and will impose himself in this world, drawing behind him a multitude of people into open revolt against the Lord. This figure does not appear suddenly and in isolation: his coming is preceded and prepared by other similar figures and influences.
- The spirit of the Antichrist at work throughout history
Thus, as John says, other antichrists have already acted and made themselves known throughout human history, seeking to turn the greatest possible number of people away from God. We can speak of a genuine "spirit of the Antichrist" that animates various figures and influencers, whose aim is to turn their contemporaries away from the salvation offered in Jesus Christ.
- Reading Revelation 6.1-2: the first horseman
In this perspective, the first horseman of Revelation 6.1-2 does not represent the Antichrist in person, but rather the spirit of the Antichrist described by John. This horseman symbolizes those figures who, through their influence, encourage the rejection of God and physically oppose the people of God, targeting the Jews first of all.