Who is The Antichrist?

Dissidents Guide to Revelation, Part 38

As a teenager, I remember sitting through a long presentation on the dispensationalist theology of eschatology, which is a fancy way of saying conservative Christian beliefs about the future. There was a middle-aged man in a brown suit, a beard, and large hair who had spread four or five microphone stands across the stage and was walking back and forth between them and claiming to tell us the future. The things that were going to happen politically, both here in the US and internationally, over the coming decades. But it was the mic stand in the center that he spent the most time on because it represented the Antichrist.

The Antichrist (the figure on the left, with the attributes of a king) by Herrad of Landsberg (about 1180), from the 12th-century Hortus deliciarum

Once he arrived at the topic, I remember his ruminations about who this dark figure might be. He had a list of names displayed on the overhead projector, which identified either or ten different persons who, according to his calculations, might be the Antichrist. Near the bottom of the list were names like Putin, Bill Clinton, and various heads of the Democratic party. But at the very top was a man named Michail Gorbachev, whom the speaker went into great detail proving how this man was the figure written about 2000 years ago and foretold by Pastor John, from his cave, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

My assumption is that the man has changed his mind as Mr. Gorbachev died on August 30th, 2022. But his way of talking about this figure, which we call the antichrist, most certainly is not. The very idea that John was writing about a single figure in history that will rise at the end of the world to wage war against righteousness is, at the moment, the dominant way that evangelicals in America think about the antichrist. It has become a part of their faith tradition to engage in rumination about who the figure might turn out to be. But before the advent of 19th-century Dispensationalism, this is not how the church understood the idea.

A Present Reality

The term “Antichrist” is found four times in the entire Bible, and only in the epistles of John. One instance is 1 John 2:18:

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.”

This verse, and others like it in John’s letters, suggest that the Antichrist is not simply a future figure but a present reality — something already at work in the world.

While much of modern Christian culture has been captivated by the idea of a singular figure — often tied to the end times — John’s writings invite us to see the Antichrist as something more pervasive, more present, and less tied to sensationalist speculation about the future. John emphasizes that “many antichrists” have already come, and he associates them with those who deny that Jesus is the King to whom we owe our allegiance (1 John 2:22). The Antichrist, in this sense, represents opposition to the core truths of the gospel, rather than a single future villain. It is a force that operates subtly in the world today, in the hearts and minds of those who oppose the message of Jesus Christ.

A History of Misinterpretation

Throughout history, the idea of the Antichrist has been applied in many ways, often to influential political leaders or individuals who were seen as particularly corrupt. During the Reformation, Protestants labeled the Pope as the Antichrist, while Catholics returned the accusation toward Protestant leaders. More recently, world leaders like Napoleon, Hitler, and Stalin have been accused of being the Antichrist.

This pattern reveals a human tendency to equate the Antichrist with political power and oppression. While it is true that oppressive regimes can embody the spirit of the Antichrist, reducing it to a singular figure — especially someone we personally oppose — misses the point of what Scripture is trying to tell us. It turns the Antichrist into a kind of scapegoat, a way to place all the blame for evil on one individual, rather than recognizing the deeper spiritual reality at play.

Instead, the gospel calls us to a kind of discernment. Rather than looking for one enemy to defeat, we are invited to recognize that the spirit of the Antichrist can manifest in many ways — not only in others, but also in our own hearts when we stray from the truth of the gospel.

In Matthew 16:23, Jesus famously rebukes Peter when he pushed back against Christs teaching of the necessity of the cross. Jesus replied saying,

“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

In the same way, we can unknowingly become conduits for opposition to God’s plan. Jesus wasn’t calling Peter “Satan” in a literal sense but addressing the spirit of opposition that Peter was exhibiting by prioritizing human power over and above Christ’s cross. This serves as a reminder that the spirit of the Antichrist, like Peter's rebuke, can manifest Babylon subtly— creating a stumbling block for the work of God.

A Healthier Approach

The Antichrist is not a single figure, but a spirit of opposition to Christ that has been at work since the time of the early church. Our task is not to identify one future leader as the Antichrist, but to stay alert to how this spirit of deception can infiltrate our own communities and personal lives.

Fear and division are two of the most effective ways to weaken the body of Christ. Paul tells us that the ministry of God is reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18). Therefore, those using fear and division to gain power over others are, indeed, manifestations of the antichrist that John is talking about. However, we must be cautious because when we focus on labeling others as the Antichrist, we play into that same spirit of division. Instead of cultivating fear and suspicion, Jesus himself warns us in Matthew 24:24,

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

He says that these sorts of characters will arise, but he does not tell us to live in fear of them. Instead, he calls us to remain rooted in his teachings, to live in love and truth, and to rely on the guidance of his Spirit.

The Spirit of the Antichrist in Our Time

In our world today, we see the spirit of the Antichrist in various forms. It shows up whenever the gospel is co-opted for personal gain; whenever we use Jesus’ name to further our own agendas rather than to build up his kingdom, we risk falling into the spirit of the Antichrist. This is why Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 that:

“our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

This means we must be vigilant, not just against external enemies but also against the ways in which this spirit can work within us. Are we being swayed by the idols of power, success, military might, or opulence? Are we compromising the truth of the gospel for the sake of fitting in with the culture around us? These are the questions we should be asking ourselves rather than trying to predict when a single “Antichrist” figure will appear.

Living with Hope and Discernment

So, as we move forward, let us not be consumed by fear or speculation. Let us instead cultivate a spirit of discernment grounded in the truth of Christ's love. Let us commit to living out the gospel in truth, love, and humility.

In a world constantly trying to pull us away from the path of Jesus, let us stand firm, knowing that the victory has already been won. And let us remember that our greatest weapon against the spirit of the Antichrist is not fear or suspicion but the love and truth of Jesus, reconciling us with each other and God.