This is Part 3 of a three-part series on the Antichrist adapted from my book, The End Times: A Guide to Bible Prophecy and the Last Days. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free.
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how the Antichrist will rise to power. In Part 2, we looked at his personal characteristics. In this article, we look at what the Bible says about the agenda he’ll undertake.
What Will the Antichrist Do?
The Bible says the Antichrist will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
He’ll reside over the most terrible time period in human history (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21).
He’ll succeed in everything he does and cause a shocking amount of destruction (Daniel 8:24).
Yet, despite all of this, a large part of the world will not only follow the Antichrist, they’ll worship him (Revelation 13:4). Why?
One reason is because he’ll be seen as a “political redeemer.” This is how the first century Jewish people envisioned the Messiah.
They weren’t looking for someone to save their souls. They were looking for someone to deliver them from the cruel hands of the Romans. They wanted a new Moses.
This is who His followers thought Jesus would be. They ignored Him when He said He would suffer and die (Matthew 16:21-23). They mourned His death, thinking He had failed (John 16:20; John 20:9).
Only after the resurrection did they realize the true purpose of His coming. Jesus came as a spiritual Savior, not a worldly conqueror.
But what Jesus didn’t do at His First Coming, the Antichrist will. He’ll fulfill the human ideal of “a political redeemer.” He’ll arrive on the world stage as a great political leader.
He’ll be a dazzling orator (Daniel 7:8). He’ll mesmerize the world (Revelation 13:3). He’ll broker treaties, conquer nations, change laws, and reshape the world to fit his vision.
But when? Will the Antichrist simply show up one day and take over the world? How will those who are alive when he appears know who he is?
Fortunately, we don’t have to guess. The Bible tells us.
It says no one will know who he is until he performs a specific act.
The Antichrist Will Sign a Covenant
When he rises to power, the Antichrist will broker a treaty with Israel. This treaty will be for seven years, and its signing will kick off the Tribulation (Daniel 9:27).
The Bible doesn’t provide any details of the treaty (other than its length), nor does it say why Israel enters into the agreement.
But if this treaty is for protection or military support from the Antichrist, it will be like a slap in the face to God. It will show a lack of faith in God’s ability to protect Israel.
Remember, this covenant marks the start of the Tribulation.
Sometime before it’s signed, a Russian-led military alliance will invade Israel (Ezekiel 38:2-6). Does Israel save itself through its own military strength?
No. God saves Israel.
In full view of the world, He destroys the invaders with fire, hail, and friendly-fire (Ezekiel 38:21-22). The world will know without a doubt God was behind Israel’s victory (Ezekiel 38:23).
If Israel then confirms a mutual protection treaty with the Antichrist, it will show a clear lack of faith in God. After all, if God is your protector, why look to anyone else?
He’ll Change the Calendar
The Antichrist will “change the sacred laws and festivals” (Daniel 7:25).
We already know he’ll enter the Temple and declare himself God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). If he’ll commit this blasphemy, it shouldn’t surprise anyone he’ll try to change the Jewish laws and festivals too.
The terrible rule of Antiochus Epiphanes foreshadowed the coming of the Antichrist. Antiochus Epiphanes outlawed Jewish rites and traditions and slaughtered thousands of Jewish people.
As a blasphemer (Revelation 13:6) and a man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3), we should expect the Antichrist to do something similar. His push to change the calendar, the laws, and the festivals shows his general disregard for the law – both God’s law and the authority of human institutions.
He’ll Be a Conqueror
If anything, the Antichrist will be known as a conqueror. His actions will set off World War III. He’ll go out to conquer the world (Revelation 6), and he’ll wield a “mighty sword” (Revelation 6:4).
One-fourth of humanity will die – either by sword, famine, disease, or wild beasts (Revelation 6:8).
His global war of conquest will result in a worldwide famine. Food will be so expensive, a day’s wages will only buy enough food to survive (Revelation 6:5-6).
As for disease, it makes sense for it to run rampant in the midst of World War III. After all, we’ve seen it happen before.
In World War I, the unsanitary conditions of trench warfare and masses of unburied dead spread disease all over the world. The 1918 Spanish Flu alone killed 50 to 100 million people. Six to twelve times more people died from the flu than died in combat.
But while famine and disease take many lives, war will be the leading cause of death in the end times.
The Antichrist will “destroy to an extraordinary degree” (Daniel 8:24). As his war of conquest escalates, another one-fourth of humanity will die (Revelation 8-9).
To put this in perspective, as I write this, the world population is 8.2 billion. If the Antichrist began his war today, one-fourth of the world’s population would be more than 2 billion people. If another one-fourth of the 6.15 billion left also died, it would mean another 1.537 billion people killed. That’s a total of more than 3.5 billion people dead in World War III.
Contrast that figure with World War II – to date, the greatest period of turmoil in human history.
In World War II, 70 million people died. That means at least fifty times as many people will die in World War III as died in World War II. And that’s assuming the world population doesn’t grow between now and the Antichrist’s global power grab.
While it comes at great expense, the Antichrist will succeed in his goal of global conquest.
When the dust settles from World War III, he’s the victor. He’ll rule over every people, tribe, language, and nation (Revelation 13:7). He’ll have undisputed power, and the world will ask, “Who can possibly oppose him? Who can make war against him?” (Revelation 13:4).
He’ll Declare War on the Saints
The Antichrist will wage war on God’s holy people (Revelation 13:7).
What does this mean? Who are God’s holy people?
Anyone who says Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart He rose from the dead (Romans 10:9) is one of God’s holy people.
In other words, the Antichrist’s main target is the Christian community. He’ll launch a devastating campaign of persecution against them (Daniel 8:24). He’ll demand worship (Revelation 13:4) and behead those who don’t comply (Revelation 20:4).
This is one of Satan’s primary goals, and the Antichrist will have the same desire. He’ll declare war on all who keep God’s commandments and give testimony for Jesus (Revelation 12:17).
He’ll Kill Two-Thirds of the Jewish People
The Antichrist’s war against God’s holy people includes the Jewish people. During the Tribulation, Satan will seek to destroy Israel (Revelation 12:13).
The Book of Zechariah says the Antichrist will kill two-thirds of the Jewish people (Zechariah 13:8). But a remnant will escape (Romans 9:27).
God will prepare a place in the wilderness to protect those who survive for the last 3½ years of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:14). And the remaining one-third of the Jewish people will become followers of Jesus (Zechariah 13:8-9).
God says He will “pour out a spirit of grace and prayer” on them, and they will mourn for Jesus as for an only son (Zechariah 12:10).
This will fulfill a prophecy Paul made when he said, “Some of the people of Israel will have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ” (Romans 11:25).
He’ll Wage War Against Jesus
Ultimately, the Antichrist will wage war against the King of kings.
He’ll be more powerful than any dictator or conqueror in human history. He’ll be so powerful he’ll be able to throw angels to the ground and trample them (Daniel 8:10).
It’s difficult to imagine a human being with this type of power, but the Bible says it will happen.
But that’s not all he’ll do.
The Antichrist will attack the Lord’s anointed one – Jesus (Daniel 8:25). He’ll gather the kings of the earth at Armageddon to wage war against God (Revelation 19:19).
Yet as powerful as he is, the Antichrist will be no match for Jesus Christ. Jesus will destroy him with a single breath (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Will the Antichrist Be Resurrected?
One popular belief says the Antichrist will be resurrected. This idea comes from the Book of Revelation.
There, we read, “one of the heads of the beast had a fatal wound and the wound was healed, and the whole world marveled” (Revelation 13:3).
Many people believe this means the Antichrist will receive a fatal head injury, then come back to life. If so, this explains why the world so readily worships him (Revelation 13:4).
After all, imagine if John F. Kennedy had suddenly come back to life at his funeral and jumped out of his casket. Think that would get the world’s attention? You bet.
But will this really happen? No.
Only Jesus has power over death and Hades (Revelation 1:18).
Furthermore, when you study this verse, it refers to the resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire – not the Antichrist. Why do I say that?
First of all, the word “beast” in this context means world empire or human government.
In the Book of Daniel, God described some of these same world empires as “beasts” (Daniel 7). John’s beast has seven “heads” (Revelation 13:1). Each of these heads represents an empire that either had, or one day will, rule over Israel.
John said five have been, one is, and the last is still to come (Revelation 17:9-10). Remember, John recorded Revelation in the first century when the Roman Empire controlled Israel. This explains why he said “five have been” (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece), “one is” (Rome), and “the last is still to come” (the future revived Roman Empire).
How can we be so sure the seventh head is the revived Roman Empire? Because John says the seven heads feature “ten horns” (Revelation 13:1).
These horns represent ten kings.
In both Daniel and Revelation, horns represent kings and royal power (Daniel 7:7; Jeremiah 48:25; Zechariah 1:18-21; Daniel 8:21-22). These ten horns symbolize the ten kings who will give their authority to the Antichrist in the end times (Revelation 17:12-13).
This means the seventh head John describes is a government (the revived Roman Empire), not a person.
This makes sense and fits with the rest of what the Bible says. Daniel says the Roman Empire will come back to life in the end times. The statue Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about featured only four empires.
God said those empires were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (Daniel 2:39-40).
The feet of the statue symbolize the final phase of the Roman Empire, and the ten toes are the ten kingdoms which try to strengthen themselves through an alliance (Daniel 2:41-43).
Ancient Rome never took the form of a ten kingdom alliance, so this vision was of a still future phase of Rome. It isn’t a brand new empire. It’s a revived version of the ancient Roman Empire.
God confirms this once again in Daniel’s vision of four beasts (Daniel 7). These beasts represent Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (Daniel 7:16-26). Again, a new empire is not mentioned.
Rome is the final empire, and the Bible says its “fatal wound” will be healed in the last days.
Who Is the Antichrist?
So who is the Antichrist? Throughout history, his identity has been the subject of great speculation.
The early church suspected Nero, Trajan, or other Roman emperors. In modern times, people accused Napoleon and Hitler, as well as various kings, popes, and presidents of being the Antichrist.
But any attempt to identify the Antichrist ahead of time is pointless.
The Antichrist can’t be revealed until “the restrainer” is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7). The restrainer is the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit resides in the hearts of all believers (1 Corinthians 3:16), the Antichrist can’t be revealed until all Christians are gone.
So it makes no sense for Christians (other than those who become followers of Jesus during the Tribulation) to focus on the coming of the Antichrist. It’s impossible to know who he is ahead of time.
Instead, we should fix our eyes on the coming of the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
When is the Antichrist Coming?
Whether or not Christians are around, how will the world know when the Antichrist has finally appeared? He’ll come in tandem with the start of the Tribulation.
So how do we know when the Tribulation has started? The scriptures say to look for a sign. When you see this sign, you can know the Tribulation is here.
What’s the sign?
As mentioned before, the Antichrist will make a covenant with Israel for “one seven” (Daniel 9:27). This means he’ll sign a seven-year treaty with Israel.
This agreement will kick off the Tribulation.
Once it’s signed, the world will enter a period of time Jesus calls “worse than any time since the world began and worse than any time that will ever come” (Matthew 24:21).
But for those watching for the signs of His return, none of this should come as a surprise. Jesus told us to watch – and He told us what to watch for.
The #1 Sign of the Second Coming
Our generation sees the signs Jesus and the prophets pointed to emerging and converging in our generation. Previous generations of Christians could not say the same. Jesus Himself said this is the #1 sign of His coming and the end of the age:
“So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” Luke 21:28 (NLT)
We can see the signs. Here are just 17 of them. Jesus says the presence of these signs means He’s right at the door (Mark 13:29).
What This Means for You
The Antichrist’s reign will be the most terrible period in human history. Wars, famines, disease, persecution, and deception on a scale the world has never seen.
But here’s what this series about the Antichrist should ultimately drive home – not a fear of the Antichrist, but faith in the One who will defeat him with a single breath.
If Jesus could return at any moment, and the signs indicate the seven-year Tribulation period is drawing close (which Jesus described as a time of “greater anguish than at any time since the world began”), then don’t you think you should be prepared?
You should.
But how do you prepare for these events? You can prepare in any number of ways. But only one method of preparation matters – making sure you have a saving-grace relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” John 14:6 (NLT)
He also said:
“I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NLT)
Make sure you know what these statements mean, and more important, make sure you know Jesus!
Make sure you’ve heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, because you’ll never hear anything more important! You can learn all about the Good News 👉HERE 👈
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This was Part 3 of a three-part series on what the Bible reveals about the Antichrist.
Part 1 and Part 2 covered his rise to power and what he will be like.
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This three-part series revealed a complete biblical portrait of the Antichrist – his rise to power, his character, and his agenda. But understanding the Antichrist is only part of the picture. Every week as a paid subscriber, we track exactly how the conditions for the end times are developing right now – connecting current events to the specific prophecies this series examined.
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I'm not looking for the anti Christ, I'm looking for Jesus Christ 🙏 🙌
Praise JESUS CHRIST!! I have HIS BLESSED HOPE of the RAPTURE OF HIS TRUE FOLLOWERS!!!!! I love this 3rd article. Thanks Britt for sharing this and your commitment to tell people about JESUS!!! Awaiting HIS return!!!✝️🙏🏻✝️🙏🏻❤️✝️🙏🏻✝️🙏🏻❤️