Is the antichrist a person ..?
We sometimes get sidetracked by identifying who the Antichrist is and not focusing on what it represents—a corrupt religious power that attempts to take the place of Christ. Certainly there are passages that speak of him having “eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” The apostle John wrote of this power as having “the number of a man” (Revelation 13:18). Just as Greece was represented by a goat in Daniel 8, with a horn that stood for Alexander the Great, so there will be a figure-leader who is directed by Satan.
But we can be misled when we try to lock on to a specific person, forgetting that it is their position that is against God. It is not so much that this religious leader is evil in and of himself. In fact, his rulership has changed hands many times over the centuries. Neither can we assume that all the members of this false religious church are bad, for God has said, “Come out of her, my people” (Revelation 18:4), which means there are still followers of the Lord within this organization.
The system is called “antichrist” because it has usurped Jesus’ authority and attempted to change His laws. It also teaches that priests can forgive sins, which only God can do (Luke 5:21); it has attempted to change the commandments by dropping the second one (on worshiping images) and splitting the tenth into two parts. But the Bible says God’s law cannot be changed (Matthew 5:18).
It was Satan’s original plan in heaven to take God’s authority. When he was cast out, he continued to discredit God and use other agencies to try to take over His position. In the final days of history, Satan will use this religious power to unite world governments in a final attempt to control the world and destroy God’s people.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
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
