How Did Daniel and Paul Describe the Antichrist?

The Bible’s most detailed descriptions of the Antichrist are found in the books of Daniel and Revelation. In Daniel 7, we learned the Antichrist would come from Rome when an eleventh horn arose from the head of the Roman beast. In chapter nine, an angel reiterated the Roman origin of the Antichrist when he told Daniel the Second Temple would be destroyed by “the people of the prince that shall come.” When the Romans leveled the Temple during the First Jewish-Roman War in 70 AD, the angel’s prophecy confirmed the Roman origin of the Antichrist.

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The ten horns on the beasts in both Daniel 7 and Revelation 17 represent ten smaller kingdoms that would arise after the Roman Empire’s eventual collapse. In Daniel 7, we also learned that three of these ten kingdoms would be defeated before the Antichrist realized his full power.

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In his description of the apostasy in II Thessalonians 2:4, Paul wrote that the Antichrist would “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God…so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” Paul utilized the phrase “temple of God” in four other verses—I Corinthians 3:16-17, II Corinthians 6:16, and Ephesians 2:21—each time the phrase referenced the church body.[i] In II Thessalonians 2:4, Paul predicts that the Antichrist would sit amongst the followers of Jesus Christ, falsely presenting himself as a Christian.

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Daniel 7:20 also provides further insight into the Antichrist’s character. Daniel predicted he would speak “great things,” indicating he would be brash and boastful. This depiction of the Antichrist as one who would speak great things against God is repeated by Paul in II Thessalonians 2:4 and John in Revelation 13:5-6.

 

Daniel 7:20-21

20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

 

Daniel also wrote that the Antichrist’s appearance would be more stout, or arrogant, than that of his contemporaries. After the first three horns have fallen, Daniel 7:21 predicts he would make “war with the saints” and prevail against them—a reference to the Great Tribulation. Clearly, the Antichrist would be a persecutor of true Christians.

 

II Thessalonians 2:9-12

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

Doctrinally, the Antichrist’s ministry would contradict God. However, for him to speak against God while giving the appearance of being Christian, the Antichrist’s false teachings would need to be devious. Just as Revelation 17:8 indicates non-Christians would admire the Antichrist, II Thessalonians 2:9-12 says his followers would be deceived. This means the followers of the Antichrist are not occultists who intentionally worship Satan. Instead, they have the most honest intentions and even believe they are Christians, but this dishonest teacher within the Christian community dupes them into thinking he provides sound spiritual advice. In following his false teaching, they are fooled into a pagan religion and are condemned to Hell because of it.

 

Daniel 7:25

25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

 

Daniel 7:25 predicts he will also “change the times and laws.” This verse then concludes by providing insight into the length of the Great Tribulation. Biblical scholars almost universally interpret the phrase “a time and times and the dividing of time” as three and a half prophetic years. The word “time” is believed to be a substitute for the word “year,” “times” is interpreted as two years, and a “dividing of time” as a half year. This opinion reinforces the other descriptions of the length of the Great Tribulation found elsewhere in the Bible, where it is written in an equivalent number of months or days.

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After reading Daniel and II Thessalonians, we already know much about the Antichrist. He would originate from the Roman Empire and would not receive his full power until three of the ten kingdoms that developed after the fall of Rome were conquered. He would persecute true Christians and prevail against them for three and a half prophetic years. Also, the Antichrist would misrepresent himself as a Christian and cause many to believe that he is the leader of God’s earthly church, but those who follow his false teachings will be condemned to Hell. He will come from the body of Christian believers and will portray himself as God despite speaking against him. Lastly, this man will also “change the times and laws.”

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The First Beast of Revelation 13

Revelation adds more details that will help us uncover the Antichrist’s identity. In Revelation 13, Satan empowers two different beasts. The first, which symbolizes the Antichrist, is illustrated in the chapter’s first ten verses and is seen rising “out of the sea.” In John’s Mystery Babylon vision, an angel told him waters represented a group of people. Linking that interpretation with Revelation 13:1 and Paul’s word choice for “temple” in II Thessalonians supports the notion that this blasphemous Antichrist would impersonate a member of the Christian community.

 

Revelation 13:1-2

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

 

This Antichrist beast parallels other prophetic beasts in Revelation and Daniel. This sea beast has seven heads and ten horns, just as the dragon in Revelation 12 and the beast in Revelation 17 do. Similarly, the Roman Empire beast in Daniel 7 also had ten horns, though the number of its heads is not included in Daniel’s description.

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The angel in Daniel’s dream told him that the fourth beast’s ten horns represented kings who would benefit from the fall of Rome. Revelation 17 also tells us these ten kingdoms would give their power to the Antichrist. In Revelation 13, the ten horns on the Antichrist’s beast wore crowns, hinting at an identical fulfillment.

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These beasts are all related in many ways and represent the various levels of Satan’s pagan Roman power structure. John is explicitly told the dragon represents Satan himself when an angel names him in Revelation 12:9. The fourth beast of Daniel 7 symbolizes the Roman Empire. The scarlet-colored beast of Revelation 17 represents pagan idolatry, while the beast of the sea in Revelation 13 represents the earthly leader of that religion—the Antichrist.

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The description of the beast in verses one and two combines elements of each of the four beast empires in Daniel 7. The likely reason for this is that the Antichrist’s religious empire would have the combined strength of the four empires from Daniel’s vision and succeed them as the next great pagan power after the fall of ancient Rome.

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Revelation 13:2 also tells us Satan—the red dragon from Revelation 12—would give the Antichrist his seat and “great authority.” If it were not clear from his name, the Antichrist is unquestionably a tool of Satan.

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In Revelation 13, John saw the Antichrist beast with a fatal wound on one of its seven heads. At some time after John’s life, this wound would be healed, causing the entire world to look upon him with wonder, a prophecy reiterated later in Revelation 17:8. When people practice the beast’s pseudo-Christian religion, they are worshipping Satan through him.

 

Revelation 13:3-4

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?

 

The Antichrist’s miraculous recovery from a fatal wound is reminiscent of the three phases of Mystery Babylon’s scarlet beast that “was, and is not, and yet is.” The sea beast’s head was alive, then wounded to death, only to be resurrected later.

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The audacity of the Antichrist reverberates through Revelation 13 just as it did in Daniel 7 and II Thessalonians 2. John confirms seeing him “speaking great things and blasphemies,” echoing the earlier prophecies by Daniel and Paul.[ii] Similarly, the theme of a war between the Antichrist and Christianity continues in Revelation 13:7, which parallels Daniel 7:21’s prophecy that the Antichrist would “make war with the saints.”

 

Revelation 13:5-7

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

 

The expansive power of the Antichrist would reach “all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” This language reinforces the relationship between the Antichrist and Mystery Babylon, which would also have a global impact. In Revelation 17, the many “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” deceived by Mystery Babylon will find that their names are not written in the Book of Life. Revelation 17:8 predicts these same people would look upon the Antichrist beast with wonder, and Revelation 13:8 confirms they would also worship him.

 

Revelation 13:8

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

 

The wording of verse eight is vitally important. The true Christians who eventually make it to Heaven will not worship the Antichrist, as they will see through his deception. Everyone else—the people who will not make it to Heaven—will admire the Antichrist, seeing him as a righteous man of God instead of the instrument of Satan that he is.

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However, the Bible also declares that the Antichrist eventually gets what he deserves. For much of his history, he would kill with the sword—through persecution, violence, and war. The Antichrist is destined to be punished for his violent treatment of Christians—it would just take time. Revelation 13:10 cautioned Christians that they would need patience and strong, unwavering faith to endure the many hardships of the Great Tribulation and avoid falling victim to the Antichrist’s religious deception.

 

Revelation 13:9-10

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

 

Summary​

The Antichrist:

• Would come from Rome

  • He would come from the fourth beast, Rome (Daniel 7:7-8)

  • He would come from the people who would both crucify Jesus and destroy the Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:26)

  • He would come from the city of seven hills (Revelation 17:9)

• Diverse from the other ten kings who arose after Rome (Daniel 7:24)

• Three of the ten kingdoms would collapse before he receives his power (Daniel 7:8, 7:20)

• The Antichrist would “subdue three kings” (Daniel 7:24)

• Satan would give him his “seat,” “great authority,” and power over “all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:2, 13:4-5, 13:7)

• Would “speak great things” (Daniel 7:8, 7:11, 7:25, II Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 13:5)

• Would exalt himself in opposition to God (II Thessalonians 2:4)

• “He as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God”—he would sit among the body of believers (II Thessalonians 2:4)

• Would change the times and laws (Daniel 7:25)

• Would use Satan’s power, signs, and lying wonders to deceive “them that perish”—the people who end up going to Hell (II Thessalonians 2:9-12)

• Would have three stages:

  • One of the beast’s heads would be alive, then wounded to death, and then healed (Revelation 13:3, 13:12, 13:14)

  • There would be three stages of the Antichrist beast: “was,” “is not,” and “yet is” (Revelation 17:8-9)

• Would use violence against Christians

  • Would “make war with the saints” (Revelation 13:7)

  • Has power during the Tribulation (Daniel 7:25, Revelation 13:5)

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[i] Barnes, Albert. 1840. “II Thessalonians Chapter II.” In Notes on the Epistles to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, by Albert Barnes, 103-105. Edinburgh: Gall & Inglis.

[ii] Dan. 7:8, 20, 25 (KJV), II Thess. 2:4 (KJV).