Who or What Is the Antichrist?
1) Direct Answer
The Antichrist is Satan’s religious spirit that opposes and replaces the Word of Jesus Christ. It began as a spirit working among believers, grows into a churchly system, and will finally be embodied in a man—the “man of sin”—who sits in the temple of God and exalts himself as God.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says the antichrist is first a spirit: “Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God… this is that spirit of antichrist” (1 John 4:3). “Even now are there many antichrists” (1 John 2:18).
- It denies the true revelation of Jesus Christ: “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22).
- It will climax in a person: “That man of sin… who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God… so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). “The mystery of iniquity doth already work” (verse 7), and then it appears “after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (verses 9-10).
- It is religious and blasphemous power: the beast “was given… a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies… and it was given unto him to make war with the saints” (Revelation 13:5-7). Another beast looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon (Revelation 13:11)—religious appearance, satanic voice.
- It speaks great words against God, persecutes saints, and thinks to change times and laws (Daniel 7:8,25).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- “Anti” means against and instead-of. So the Antichrist doesn’t just fight Christ; it takes His place—claiming authority over the Word and over the worship of God.
- Notice where it sits: “in the temple of God.” That shows it operates in the realm of worship. If it were merely political or atheistic, why does Scripture place it inside the temple and describe religious signs and wonders?
- John said it was already working in his day (1 John 2:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:7). So it began as a spirit in the church, organizing around teachings that deny Jesus Christ as God manifested in flesh and replacing the Scriptures with human creeds. In time it becomes a powerful system, and in the end it is headed by a man who exalts himself.
- God’s safeguard is the love of the truth and the seal of the Holy Spirit. The true Church stays with the plain Word. Any spirit, system, or leader that adds to it, takes from it, or puts a man in Christ’s place is antichrist.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, it’s not the outside world that deceives the elect—it’s a look-alike, so close it would deceive if possible. Stay with the Scripture: Jesus Christ is God manifested in flesh, and His Word is final. Anything that denies that revelation or substitutes man’s authority for Christ’s is the Antichrist spirit, and it will culminate in the man of sin exactly as the Bible says.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The End Time
54-0307A §43
Now, Cain came and knelt at the gate---not an infidel. Many are thinking of the antichrist being Russia. Get it out of your minds. Never. The antichrist is religious. Jesus said, "The two spirits would be so close, it'd deceive the very elect if possible." Don't worry about Russia; they're just a bunch of atheists. Yes, but the antichrist sits right by you. That's the deceiver. Remember just the time that Jesus Christ come on the scene, the antichrist come on: Judas. About time Jesus revealed Himself as the Son of...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 3:E-50
Now it is easy to get a wrong impression of what we are talking about because I am making this so strong. It could sound to you as though this anti-Word, antichrist spirit, is a complete repudiation of the Word, a denial of the Bible culminating in its rejection. No sir. It is not that. What it is, is Revelation 22:18,19, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 10:E-36
...it of Christ later came back upon the true church, and the spirit of Judas came back upon the false church. It is right there in Rev. 6:1-8, "And I saw, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 10:E-39
Thus at this very moment we are in the complete fulfillment of Matthew 24:24 "insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." And who is it that shall attempt to deceive the very elect? Why, the spirit of antichrist in the "false anointed ones" of this last day. These false ones have already come in "Jesus' Name" claiming that they have been anointed of God for the last day. They are the false Messiahs (anointed ones). They claim that they are prophets. But are they one with the Word? Never....
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 3:E-14
Just to seal this point on the True and false vines mingling and demonstrating the two spirits that are at work, let us look into I John 4:1-4, and Jude 3, 4, 12. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is tha...