A couple weeks ago I found myself surfing the under-lit pits of online religious threads and against my own better judgment I chose to jump right into the madness knowing full well I was about to journey into another maddening, pointless debate where no one is searching for answers but only desiring to be right.
I stepped in and after a couple posts and replies here and there I was given the label–drum roll please– antichrist. Didn’t take long for those conspiracy theorists to step in and begin shaming and casting judgments like a farmer spreading seeds— in this case fearful, apocalyptic weeds.
Ever hear this phrase casually dropped by someone? Maybe in jest or maybe in seriousness? Ever wonder what it really means?
Maybe a better question would be, if the ideas of End Times ended with the first century people as we’ve become aware via the podcasts at Faithundone, then what and who is this character spoken of in the book of Revelation?
To answer this it’s important to remember that this letter is being written to people who’ve experienced their temple destroyed and are asking the very real question, “Is there life after tragedy? Will our tribe survive this? Where is the Divine?”
So the writers will begin using a very common writing style of that era called apocalyptic writing— which was not a style in which writers made geo-political predictions for the future two thousand years alter but messages of hope and challenge for a present people using imagery known to them during their lifetime.
The writer who is writing to small communities around the Roman empire has the duty is to remind them to hold on to the messages of Jesus — that those are the messages that will bring real life. Real life is not found in violent, beastly empire and warring actions but it’s found in lamblike love, a turn the other cheek kind of kingdom where revenge is replaced with Shalom. And so the writer will spend his time making connections between the way of beastly empire and the way of lamblike, Jesus empire. Every metaphorical image meant something to them THEN. Every dragon, harlot, beast, all had a meaning for the people living during THAT era.
So, what of this Antichrist? Was this some figure that is supposedly going to emerge thousands of years later wearing papal attire who will threaten the world by uniting people against a small remnant group? Short answer — no. Longer answer — strap on your seats belts and join me for an explanation.
The word Antichrist actually only appears in first and second John in which it tells us that “many antichrist have appeared” (1 John 2:18) which tells us the word can refer to more than one person and many have already shown up in their history. If you continue reading you’ll find in verse 19-22 that this term refers to those who were a part of the faith but then began denying that Jesus was the next Daniel, Moses, David, (you fill in the blank with your favorite Jewish leader), Christ that would free his people.
Read deeper into the letter of Paul and others you’ll find there is a real fear that people will turn away from these teachings out of fear or hopelessness. John will verify this by saying in John 4:2-3 that “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is from God; and that every spirit that doesn’t is already of this world.” Notice that — the spirit or teachings that spoke against the message of Jesus were THERE! They aren’t some people who come later on in history — they were present during that time.
For a couple denominations today they have attempted to say that the Antichrist was either the Roman Emperor or even some figure thousands of years later— however— there are many historical theologians who’ve understood this quite differently. For them it is obvious. For them the Antichrist were Jews who had turned away from the message of hope and restoration and chose to fight against their Jewish counterparts by using force and injustice.
We’ll see this image used for anyone using force and violence, injustice and beastly power all through out the new testament but for now please understand the term was a reference toward various Jewish leaders using their power to oppress their neighbors becoming more Roman than Jewish.
Notice there is also a mention of a man of sin/ lawlessness in Second Thessalonians 2. What you’ll read in verses 6-7 is that this man lived THEN (in AD 50’s) and was being restrained from rising to power. Again, not a person to rise later and be deciphered by maps and decoder rings.
In verses 1-2 when speaking of the coming of the Lord when Jerusalem will be judged and later avenged which happens in 70 AD; this figure will be present during the destruction.
In verse 8 it reads that this man would be killed at the coming of the Lord and verse 4 says that he’ll be there at the temple during the time of its destruction.
So with that its only responsible to conclude that this man was Jewish and murdered along with so many other Jews during the temple massacre. This man is not someone who will someday rise up and rule the world harshly and persecute every (enter your tribe here). Rather, he was an influential leader in the generation before the destruction of the temple leading people away from the message of Jesus and toward violent revolt.
And what of this abomination of desolation found in Matthew 24:15 that read, “When you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken through the prophet Daniel, , standing in the Holy Place…?” Notice the writer refers back to Daniel which should cause someone to ask the responsible question, when was Daniel written and why was it written?
Daniel was written after the Greek empire came with Antiochus IV Epiphanies who at that time laid siege to Jerusalem and took his army into the Jewish temple and sacrificed a pig— which was called the “abomination of desolation.” This was one of the most unholy acts one could do. They essentially offered an unclean pig to their God on the Jewish altar. It was a sign of power and absolute affront to the Jewish deity.
So when one reads in 2 Thessalonians and Matthew 24 remember that these people are looking back after THEIR temple has been destroyed in similar fashion, only this time not a brick of their temple is left standing.
See, for those people who’d experienced such deep pain and brokenness they were not pointing forward thousands of years later— what good would that possibly do for them? No, they were using the images of the past to help bring meaning to their PRESENT.
If you;re looking for an Antichrist today you’ll find them– they’re all around whenever power is abused and people are marginalized. Whenever violence is escalated and leaders act only for their own best interest, you’ve seen an Antichrist.
To understand the two beasts, the false prophets and the mark of the beast you’ll need to read the next blog later this week.