This is part one 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.
Just a few years after the crucifixion, Rome was aghast at the latest decree from the Emperor.
Caligula vowed to make his favorite horse, Incitatus, a consul.
For those who saw Caligula as a madman, the proposal came as no surprise.
According to the ancient historian Suetonius, the emperor showered Incitatus with lavish gifts. The horse enjoyed a marble stall, an ivory manger, and a jeweled collar. Attendants fed him oats mixed with flakes of gold. Incitatus often hosted Roman dignitaries at dinner parties.
All this was bad enough. But now the emperor wanted to appoint his horse to the position of consul – the highest elected office in ancient Rome.
Some said it proved he was insane. Others said it was all show – a message for his political opponents.
In the end, his reason didn’t matter. As emperor, Caligula ruled Rome. He had complete and total power. No one could stop him.
In the years before Jesus returns, a man like Caligula will rise to power once again. However, this man will be far more powerful. Unlike Caligula, the new emperor won’t simply rule the ancient Roman Empire, he’ll rule the entire world.
The Bible calls him:
The Little Horn (Daniel 7:8)
The Fierce King (Daniel 8:23)
A Master of Intrigue (Daniel 8:23)
The Prince Who is to Come (Daniel 9:26)
The Worthless Shepherd (Zechariah 11:17)
The Man of Lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
The Son of Destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
The Despicable Person (Daniel 11:21)
The Willful King (Daniel 11:36)
The Abomination (Matthew 24:15)
The Beast (Revelation 13:11)
But the name he’s best known for is also his most infamous. This man is known throughout the world as “the Antichrist” (1 John 2:18).
Great mystery surrounds the Antichrist. What will he look like? What will he be like? Where will he come from? What will he do?
Through the centuries, millions have asked these same questions. But we don’t have to guess. The Bible tells us a lot about his background, origins, and personality.
Let’s take a look at what we know, starting with his rise to power.
How Does the Antichrist Come to Power?
In 1789, Napoleon was an artillery officer in the French army. In 1807, he ruled most of Europe.
In 1909, Adolph Hitler was a vagabond, painting watercolors in Vienna. In 1933, he was dictator of Germany. Seven years later, he ruled almost all of continental Europe.
Napoleon, Hitler, and countless others from the pages of history rose from obscurity to positions of immense power. The Antichrist will do the same. He’ll be a military leader and a world conqueror, but he’ll initially come to power through politics. Here’s what we know:
He’ll Come From Among 10 Kings
The Antichrist will emerge from a group of ten kings (Daniel 7:7-8). Who are these kings? They’re the leaders of ten nations who will form an alliance that eventually becomes the revived Roman Empire.
As this new Roman Empire comes to power, the Antichrist will burst onto the scene. He will not be one of the ten kings. However, he will rise in stature among them.
The Bible doesn’t say why, but it says these ten kings will give their power to him (Revelation 17:12-13). They’ll agree to put the Antichrist in charge.
Political Positioning
Once the Antichrist appears among the ten kings, he’ll use politics to seize power. The Bible says he’ll be “skilled in intrigue” (Daniel 8:24-25).
It describes him as a “worker of deceit” (Psalm 52:2), a man of “bloodshed and deceit” (Psalm 5:6), and a “deceitful and unjust” man (Psalm 43:1).
Steeped in ambition and with a lust for power, he’ll use political positioning and backroom deals to get what he wants. He’ll rise through the ranks of the revived Roman Empire and take the power of the ten kings for himself.
We’ve seen this happen before.
Despite what many people believe, Germany never elected Adolph Hitler as Chancellor.
In fact, a majority of the German people rejected Hitler in a high-profile presidential election in 1932. Hitler received only 36.8% of the vote.
The Nazi Party was on the verge of bankruptcy when a small group of German politicians appointed Hitler Chancellor. They thought they could control him. They thought wrong.
We could see the same dynamic play out between these ten kings and the Antichrist.
He’ll Subdue 3 of the 10 Kings
Not all of the ten kings will willingly cede their power. Three will oppose the Antichrist (Daniel 7:8). Unfortunately, they’ll fail to stop him.
He’ll defeat them, remove them from power, and strengthen his grip over the revived Roman Empire. As a man of “bloodshed and deceit,” he’ll take by force what he can’t achieve through flattery and sheer ambition.
What Will He Be Like?
All this gives us insight into how the Antichrist will begin his ascent to power. But once he arrives on the world scene, what will he be like?
What type of power will he wield? What will the nature of his character be like? What will his nationality, ethnicity, and religion?
The Bible gives us insight into these traits as well. Next week, we’ll answer all these questions in Part 2 of the Antichrist series.
This is Part 1 of a three-part series on what the Bible reveals about the Antichrist.
Parts 2 and 3 are coming – covering his character, his agenda, his origins, and when he appears.
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