Who, or what, is the Antichrist?
Evil alliance, or sinister individual? Some say his appearance is still in the future. Others say he appeared long ago in the days of ancient Rome. But the Bible indicates that he is alive today! Do you know who he is? Are you sure? You need to be, for you can't understand last-day events until you understand this power.
Q. As Daniel chapter 7 begins, Daniel sees four beasts coming up out of the sea. What do these beasts and the sea represent?
- "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth" (Daniel 7:23). "The waters ... are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues" (Revelation 17:15).
Please note that God interprets the symbols in Daniel's vision. Daniel saw a vision of four beasts coming up out of the sea. Daniel doesn't have to guess what they mean. They aren't mysterious symbols that cannot be understood by man. God Himself tells Daniel that the “beasts” represent earthly kingdoms, and the “waters” are “peoples, multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Q. In Daniel 7:7, the fourth world kingdom is represented by a horrible monster with iron teeth and 10 horns. What do the horns represent?
The 10 horns represent the 10 kings or kingdoms into which pagan Rome (the fourth kingdom) was eventually split (Daniel 7:24). (These 10 kingdoms are the same as the 10 toes of the image described in Daniel 2:41-44.) Roving barbarian tribes swept in upon the Roman empire and carved out land niches for their people.
- "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things" (Daniel 7:8).
Seven of the 10 tribes developed into the countries of modern Western Europe, while three were uprooted and destroyed (“plucked up”) by a “little horn” that had “eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”
We must identify this "little horn" power carefully, because God takes more space describing it than the other four kingdoms combined. Why? Because the biblical characteristics identify it as the Antichrist of prophecy and history. There must be no mistake in making this identification.
God gives us nine characteristics of Antichrist in Daniel 7 so we can be certain of his identity. They are not some human opinion or speculation. Historians could actually tell you quickly what power is being described.
To see the nine points, please read our
Study Guide, “Who is the Antichrist?”