Revelation: Anti-Christ Part 2

I’m glad that you’ve stuck with this study on the book of Revelation.  Together we’ve looked at the fact that just as God revealed Himself to John, He will still unveil His plan to us, if we listen to His voice.  I believe the book of Revelation to be God’s gift not just to the first generation that received it, but also to every Christian who comes afterward. Last week we looked at Revelation 13-16.  This week we continue:

Chapters 17-18 tell of another famous character, besides the Antichrist and the false prophet.  Often named The Whore of Babylon, she is described thus:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” ³ And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, ⁵ and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” ⁶ And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. (Rev. 17:1-6)

Again, generations of Christians have tried to identify this woman, who personifies the false religion of the Antichrist, led by the false prophet.  Some have suggested the Catholic Church, citing the seven hills of Rome and the scarlet garments.  Others have put forward radical Islam, along with its penchant for beheadings.  Still others propose the New Age Movement, a revival of ancient paganism mixed with ideas from major world religions.  Personally, I believe that John had the emperor cult in mind—but that, since history repeats itself, Revelation also speaks of a future religion surrounding the Antichrist.

Just as Christians around the world expect the return of Christ, so followers of other world religions expect the advent of an end-time leader.  Hindus anticipate Krishna’s appearance, while Muslims expect the Imam Mahdi.  Jews are still waiting for the Messiah, while Buddhists hope for Buddha Maitreya.  No one religion such as Catholicism is the Whore of Babylon.  Instead, a future world religion will be formed from all these hopes, with the Antichrist as its god and the false prophet as its head.  This is why Jesus said not to look for His return in the desert or on the mountain, but in the sky.  No matter what signs and wonders some “god-on-earth” may perform, he isn’t Jesus unless he returns in the clouds.

So, preterists believe that the Antichrist, false prophet, and the false religion were all in the past.  Futurists look for a literal unfolding of prophetic events in the time to come.  The good news for both is that no matter which way you look at it, Revelation declares that (as my New Testament professor Tommy South put it), “God wins!”  While these nasty characters wage war against the Lamb, He overcomes them “because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” (Rev. 17:14)  After Babylon falls, along with her religion (ch. 18), we read about the doom of the Antichrist and false prophet:

And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone (19:20). 

When preterists and futurists ask me to settle the debate for them, I tell them that they’re both right—about the once and future Antichrist.  Yet they miss the boat entirely if they fail to see Revelation’s application for today.  1 John 2:15-18 warns about not a person called The Antichrist, but a spirit of antichrist:

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

¹⁸ Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

Just as Nero was THE Antichrist that opposed first century Christians, and just as THE Antichrist in the future will torment the church, so many antichrists today stand against the truth of God in the world and the power of God in His people.  Beware anything that would leave its mark in your head (thoughts) or your hand (actions).  Don’t be deceived by the world and its lusts—for it is by these that the spirit of antichrist works against you.  Instead, overcome the world by the blood of the Lamb.  Remember the message and hope of Revelation—God wins!  Be firm and be faithful.

 All scripture quotations are from the NASB.

 See Matthew 24 in its entirety.  Part of this chapter seems to deal with events that would take place soon, and part deals with events that would come to pass in the far future.