“And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the seas, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his head were blasphemous names.” Revelation 13:1
THE RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST
We know that the Antichrist will be the counterfeit Christ – the opposite of Christ in every way. Appearing to be the “savior” of all the world’s problems, he will be the embodiment of evil seeking to promote his own greatness and power. While many powerful and evil individuals have earned headlines, none have been the true Antichrist. So what clues does the Bible provide to help us identify him? Let’s look at the symbolic terminology depicted in Revelations to identify the main players surrounding the rise of the Antichrist.
- The Dragon: The dragon is clearly the devil ( 12:7-9). The Bible refers to the devil as a prominent angel falling from favor with God by leading a rebellion and attempted power grab from God (Rev. 12:4).
- The Sea: The dragon is described as standing on the seashore. Biblically, the sea represents chaos. Sometimes it references the world without God or even man’s restlessness apart from God.
- The Beast: Revelation also describes a beast emerging from the seas – out of the world’s chaos and restlessness. The beast represents the Antichrist who will take the world by storm with his charisma and leadership skills ( 15:12, 16:13). His power will come from the devil.
Remember, it’s always important to read scripture in light of scripture, especially when studying the book of Revelation with all its symbolism. However, one point every serious Bible scholar agrees on is this: Jesus’ second coming will be preceded by a powerful, influential man who will deceive many. This man is the Antichrist. In spite of all this doom and gloom surrounding talk of the Antichrist, followers of Jesus have the unwavering hope of ultimate victory in the person of Jesus Christ. And that good news trumps everything else!
Have more questions about the End Times and recognizing the signs of which Jesus spoke? Key insights to these questions and more are available in Bryant’s latest book, The Stage is Set, available in paperback, Kindle, and CD at www.amazon.com or anywhere books or e-books are sold.
