The Antichrist Myth

by Ellis Skolfield

OUT of the Seven-Year Tribulation position came a host of other imaginative doctrines. Some were contrived whole-cloth, while others were modifications of prior beliefs. Among those ideas was the doctrine of a coming end-time Antichrist who was supposed to do a lot of wicked things at the end of the Christian Era. Unbelievable as it may sound, we are all looking for a mythical end-time ruler who has no biblical support.

Mythical? Impossible. We all know that Antichrist is coming, don’t we? Not really. Most of what we hear about him is one theologian’s theory built upon another’s supposition, and those suppositions go all the way back to the 1st Century. Who and where is he? Isn’t this how we will know the second coming of Jesus is near, when some fiendish creature in human form takes control of the world?

Despite what some people are saying, the appearance of an Antichrist is not a biblical sign of the return of Jesus. To prove it, let’s first look at all we have heard about THE Antichrist. Among other things, Antichrist is supposed to . . .

1.  Appear at the end of the age.
2.  Rule the world for . . .
     3½ years as a good leader.
     3½ years as a monstrously evil leader.
3.  Have the temple rebuilt.
4.  Reinstate temple sacrifices for the first 3½ years.
5.  Turn against the Jews for the second 3½ years.
6.  Stop temple sacrifices in the middle of the 7 years.
7.  Cause all to worship him.
8.  Start the battle of Armageddon.
9.  Persecute the Great Tribulation saints and anyone else he can get his hands on.
10.   Misc. other legends (depending on school of thought) including that as 666, he is Satan incarnate.

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