Attributes of the Antichrist
A biblical profile of the notorious "man of sin" destined to kill billions
Phil Maxwell 7/13/2007
"...[the day of the Lord] shall not come, except...that man of sin
[first] be revealed"
(2 Thes 2:3 KJV)
Even though theories about the antichrist's identity are a dime a dozen, it
is no less true that he will be revealed to those who are paying
attention some time before his cronies cause great destruction towards
the end of exalting him. How? By knowing what is said about him in Bible
prophecy and keeping an eye on people fitting the bill in the world. Those
who believe that every word of God will ultimately come true can be assured that
diligent watchfulness will yield certainty of the antichrist's identity before
and as a sure sign of the nearness of the great tribulation slated to envelop
the world at the end of this age.
The following list of attributes focuses on traits related to the antichrist's identity
before he ascends to the pinnacle of his foreordained infamy.
This includes elements that directly relate to his pre-tribulation identity,
like his physique and successful track record, as well as indirect references to
his character, like his arrogant and aggressive tendencies. It constitutes
a useful basis of comparison for potential candidates that are in the public
view, as the real antichrist will be, but nothing will reveal his identity until
he attains some level of notoriety. By design, therefore, the Bible
provides the means to see him and the horrors associated with him coming in
advance, but only within a fairly brief window of time before the world is
enveloped in unprecedented tribulation.
For the sake of full disclosure, I should say that, in my opinion, all evidence
points towards Arnold Schwarzenegger more than
any other individual in the public view at this time, but
this page is only about the biblical profile of the antichrist. (See
The Arnichrist Project for more information.)
Physical Attributes, Name of the Antichrist
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The antichrist will be a man, not a woman.
This is evident throughout the scriptural references to the antichrist.
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The antichrist will have a larger, stronger, more imposing and terrifying
physique than other politicians.
"...look was more stout than his fellows." (KJV); "...larger in appearance
than its associates" (NASB); "...looked more imposing than the others." (NIV) ;
"...was more terrifying than any of the others." (TEV) - Dan 7:20
This is one of the most solid pieces of evidence regarding the
pre-tribulation antichrist's identity. It is self-explanatory and
objectively eliminates most who might otherwise be considered a prospective
antichrists.
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The antichrist will be a man with a stern face or fierce-looking features.
"A king shall arise, having fierce features" (NKJV); "...a king of fierce
countenance" (KJV, AMP); "...stern-faced" (NIV); "...bold countenance" (RSV,
Darby) - Dan 8:23
This could indicate that he will have chiseled features that most would call
stern-faced or a personality marked by unrelenting determination, or both.
I'd guess the latter, which would eliminate any need to devalue such qualities
in an otherwise viable candidate.
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The antichrist's name will numerically tally to 666.
Rev 13:17-18 and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell,
except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of
his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of
the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and
sixty-six.
Since almost anyone's name can be rendered in a way that calculates to 666 in
some way, this antichrist feature hardly merits the kind of fixation many give
it: It is a necessary element -- a key, not a car -- but, at least until the "number of his
name" becomes a focal point of his reign, that is all.
(See
Beast Number Factor for
comprehensive
study of millions of name-number combinations.)
The Antichrist's Resume'
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The antichrist will rise from a sub-national leadership position like a governor
or mayor, which he will hold before the tribulation and his subsequent ascent to
power.
"...another horn [a ruler], a little one, came up among them [ten other rulers]...and out of one of [the 10 horns] came forth a rather small horn which grew
exceedingly great" - Dan 7:8,11; 8:9
Although this may limit the time-frame of when the true antichrist might be
revealed, its a good way to narrow down the field of candidates. He
probably won't be as highly placed as the president's cabinet members, as they
would more aptly be represented by the ten larger "horns," but could be a state
governor, mayor of a large city,
or equivalent mid-level political leader. Anyone who might find their way into
such a position should be considered, but only those already in such a place
meet this criteria.
Note that "horns" symbolically represent political leaders, so
it wouldn't allude to anything like a U.S. congressman, judge, or business or religious leader except to whatever extent
someone holding such a title might attain to such a
position. Neither will he be someone in a top level political position, like a
president, king, prime minister, or secretary general.
-
The antichrist will be an icon of earthly success.
"...he will succeed in whatever he does" - Dan 8:24 NIV
"And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow;
and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering, and to conquer." -
Revelation 6:2
This, also, is self-explanatory. Like other features, it suggests more than
an above average degree of success in more than one notable area.
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The antichrist will have powerful supporters helping him rise to power.
"And his power will be mighty, but not by his own power..." - Dan 8:24
"...the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the
sanctuary." - Daniel 9:26
"And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and
will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up
with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a
common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God
should be fulfilled." - Revelation 17:16-17
The antichrist will have friends in high places well before these ten
political leaders cause great destruction on his behalf. The destruction
these conspirators will cause is obviously the culmination of long-term planning
and preparation, indicating the level of their loyal devotion to this man over a
course of time well in advance of the great tribulation they will spark.
This no doubt has something to do with their master's unbroken pattern of
success, also.
-
The antichrist will be shrewd, cunning, deceitful, and skilled in
intrigue.
"A king will arise insolent and skilled in intrigue." - Daniel 8:24
"Because he is cunning, he will succeed in his deceitful ways." -
Daniel 8:25 TEV
"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the
middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering;" - Daniel
9:27
The indication here is that his remarkable resume will not only be a product
of a lot of behind-the-scene support from his rich and powerful disciples, but
also be underscored by a lot of underhanded dealings. He will be a man who
doesn't play by the rules, but who is shrewd, cunning, deceitful, and
well-connected enough to get away with it. His life will likely show a pattern
of successes attained through non-traditional ways.
-
The antichrist will be generally different or unique amongst politicians.
"...and he will be different from the previous ones" - Dan 7:24
Though non-specific, he will be a new breed, unlike any before and a standout
in the realm of politics.
Personality and Character of the Antichrist
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The antichrist will be extraordinarily proud and boastful, a mega-megalomaniac
who truly believes in his own superiority.
"...this horn [ruler] possessed...a mouth uttering
great boasts...I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which
the horn was speaking...that horn which had...a mouth uttering great boasts"
- Daniel 7:8, 11, 20,
"And he will speak out against the Most High" - Daniel 7:25
"[he] even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host;" -
Daniel 8:11
"...he will magnify himself in his heart...He will even oppose the
Prince of princes," - Daniel 8:25
"…who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship,
so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being
God." – 2 Th 2:4
"...there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies;" -
Revelation 13:5
While this is straightforward enough, what is noteworthy is how effective his
boasting will be: People will be
mesmerized by his grandiose boasts.
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The antichrist will have a contemptuous attitude towards women.
"And he will show no regard for ...the desire of women...for he
will magnify himself above them all." (Dan 11:37 NASB)
Although he really has no regard for anyone else, his contempt for women will
be notable. In modern vernacular, he will likely be a womanizer.
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The antichrist will be a great unifier who effectively appeals to people
across traditional lines of division.
“…the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; “ - Rev 13:3
"And all who dwell on the earth will worship him," - Revelation 13:8
He will have strong charisma and a personality that will appeal to people
more than any differences or exceptions might deter them from supporting him.
One way or another, he will have a way of getting people to do what he wants.
-
The antichrist will be a Christian, at least by appearances.
"I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,
your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to
Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached,
or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different
gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.
"...For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as
apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel
of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise
themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their
deeds".-
2 Cor 11:3-15
Under the guise of being the two witnesses of Revelation 12, the antichrist
and his fake-techno-miracle-working partner, the false prophet, will woo the
world into believing that the God of the Bible is even on their side in their
slaughter of the saints.
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The antichrist will be excessively aggressive and as violent as necessary in
order to accomplish his purposes.
"...a fourth beast [the antichrist's government], dreadful and terrifying and
extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and
trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the
beasts that were before it ...[it] was different from all the others,
exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which
devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet...[it] will be
different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and
tread it down and crush it." - Daniel 7:7,19,23
"...a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land. And it grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down.
...and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary
was thrown down." - Daniel 8:9-11
"And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform his
will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people...he will destroy many
while they are at ease." - Daniel 8:24-25
"...the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the
sanctuary. ...on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate," - Daniel 9:26-27
While these things pertain to future events, it is reasonable to conclude
that the antichrist will have an aggressive, never-take-no-for-an-answer
personality. This, along with his high-level supporters (disciples) help
and a lot of lying and conniving will undoubtedly be the impetus for his
remarkable record of successes in life.
-
The antichrist will be lawless, a true believer that he can rewrite what God
has set forth as absolutely true and right.
"...he will intend to make alterations in times and in law;" - Daniel 7:25
"...and it will fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper."
- Daniel 8:12
This will be a man who believes only in his own rule of law over others.
He won't consider rules to matter beyond the extent of how they might interfere
with attaining his own objectives.
When the Antichrist will be Manifested
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The antichrist will be preceded by an aggressive war-monger who will
forcefully depose two middle eastern governments.
"While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming from the west over
the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a
conspicuous horn between his eyes. And he came up to the ram that had
the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at
him in his mighty wrath. And I saw him come beside the ram, and he was
enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram
had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled
on him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his power.
"...The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media
and Persia. And the shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the
large horn that is between his eyes is the first king." - Daniel 8:5-7, 20-21
When you factor in that the armies from this "kingdom of Greece" come to the
Middle East by air or sea from the far reaches of the globe, it is reasonable to
conclude that it is symbolic of the modern-day unrivaled power of the world, the
United States. This corresponds directly to the great harlot nation
symbolically dubbed 'Babylon' in Revelation 17-18, which describes the sudden
demise of that government, also, only in greater detail. Here, the passage
just says that the horn representing this "first king" is suddenly broken,
giving way to a four-way partition of power, one of which will be headed by the
antichrist himself.
That said, the point here is that there will only be a relatively narrow window
of time between when the antichrist becomes identifiable in the public view and
the beginning of the great tribulation. Therefore, when you see this
war-mongering leader of, I believe, the United States, then you can be sure that
the antichrist is or will soon be in view. Before then, it is doubtful
that sufficient evidence can be found to identify him, even if he is a
well-known figure, but when you see the U.S. conquer two Middle Eastern
countries, well, the antichrist should be easy to find.
-
The antichrist will arise at the twilight of a 490-year renaissance of
Christianity.
"Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to
finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for
iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.
"...it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.
"...and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and
the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will
be war; desolations are determined." - Daniel 9:24-26
Much like the point above, there are a lot of reasons to consider the 490th
anniversary of the Protestant Reformation a significant milestone marking the
nearness of the "appointed time of the end" and, particularly, the great
destruction to be wrought by these "people of the prince." The
intersection of this with the final year of President George W. Bush's
administration multiplies the significance of both points. (See
Reformation Day Deadline - 10/31/07
for more.)
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The antichrist will arise on the heals of a sharp falling away of the
churches-at-large into great apostasy.
(See End Time Apostasy for more.)
-
The antichrist will arise from a great nation with unrivaled wealth and
power like former great empires (i.e. Babylon, Rome, etc.).
(See Red, White, and Blue Babylon
for more)
Sidebar: The Beastly Image of the Antichrist
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Allegorically represented as incomparable metallic beast, of which he is also
the personification; term ‘beast’ applied to both him and his kingdom.
"...a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had
large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with
its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it
had ten horns.
"...Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was
different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and
its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the
remainder with its feet...Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth
kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and
it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it." - Dan 7:7-8,19,
23
This probably wouldn't be included here except for the uncanny resemblance
between the beast Daniel saw and the character Arnold Schwarzenegger found his
fame playing, the 'Terminator'. (See
Beastly Image.) The point
doesn't relate to comparative evaluations between him and others, but does
corroborate the hypothesis that he is the one.
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