Many early Christians understood themselves to be living the final chapter of history. Some expected the appearance of a deceptive “anti-Christ” before the real Christ would return to judge and redeem. Others said Antichrists already were beguiling the church and the world.

Last year Ellen and I lingered long before a disturbing painting of Antichrist in a cathedral at Orvieto, Italy. Sixteenth-century artist Luca Signorelli imagines Antichrist preaching before great crowds, with Satan whispering in his ear. People of the world intensely ponder and discuss his message, while Satan’s arm reaches through Antichrist’s garment to become his left hand. Antichrist seems flummoxed. He gestures toward himself as if asking Satan what he can do or say next to hold the attention of the world. Satan has ideas.

The Apostle Paul makes the first New Testament allusion to an Antichrist kind of person, but does not use that term. Instead, 2 Thessalonians 2 speaks of a “lawless one” who appears before Christ returns. We cannot know for certain who Paul had in mind, but Emperor Caligula (AD 37-41) may have been the archetype for this bad actor. Caligula was serious about forcing Jews to install a statue of himself in the Jerusalem temple but died before the statue was finished. Paul says the lawless one “opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God” (2 Thess 2:1-12).

The author of 1 John says, “it is the last hour! . . . now many antichrists have come.” Many! These deceivers declare that Jesus is not really the Son of God (1 John 2:18-25). The “spirit of antichrist” is “already in the world,” the author says. Readers must “test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1-6; see 2 John 1:7-10).

Revelation 13 gives the fullest picture of an Antichrist-type figure, but also does not use the term. This bad actor is a “beast” or “false prophet” who is “given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words.” It wields “authority over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it.” It once had a “mortal wound” but was healed. 

The most likely candidate for this fearful archetype is Emperor Nero (AD 54-68), who presided over the empire when Paul and Peter and other Christians suffered martyrdom at Rome. But pretty much any first-century emperor could have been a stand-in for Antichrist in the eyes of many early Christians. The Roman world worshipped every emperor as divine throughout the New Testament era. 

Given the varied portrayals of Antichrists in the New Testament, we should be cautious about any claims to identify “the” Antichrist. In every case the New Testament seems to describe manifestations of evil in the first-century world. 

I don’t read the Bible looking for predictions about events or people in the modern era. I look for parallels between the biblical world and our world, and ask what the Spirit is saying to the church today. Biblical writers had clear vision to recognize the face of evil in their own generation. Will we have such discernment? 

Drawing insight from passages cited above, we should be wary of any leader or politician who . . .

• “exalts himself”
• “declares himself to be God”
• disregards moral standards to become a “lawless one”
• foments “every kind of wicked deception”
• utters “haughty and blasphemous words”
• gains “authority over every tribe and people and language”
• has “horns like a lamb” but speaks like a dragon
• intimidates others into thinking, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
• expects himself and his image to be worshipped
• manipulates the economy so you “cannot buy or sell” without his mark

In contrast to New Testament authors who lived in a pagan Roman empire, Americans today live in a nation that some call “Christian.” An anti-Christ in our context hardly will make a direct assault on Christianity itself. Instead, it will come as what Jesus called a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” masquerading as Christian while violating core teachings of Jesus. Such an anti-Christ will deceive the church, convincing believers to support racism, greed, cruelty, and military supremacy as God-ordained necessities to protect “Christian civilization.”  

Wake up, followers of Jesus! “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).