The Anti-Christ. Tens of millions of people are on the lookout for him. And for signs of the end-times. Whether believers think he’s here or merely waiting in the wings, they consider the Anti-Christ an agent of unparalleled evil. And he’s seen as a sign of the times. Decoding the Past s2e23: The Anti-Christ: Zero-Hour, History 2006
The Anti-Christ has topped most Wanted Lists for the last two millennia. Prophecy believers have never stopped hunting for this figure – Christ’s evil opponent, Satan’s human representative on Earth. ibid.
What is the origin of the Anti-Christ profile? … rooted in the nineteenth century. ibid.
Ted Haggart: In addition to being the New Life Church’s founder, he heads up the National Association of Evangelicals. ibid.
This influential form of Biblic interpretation is called Dispensationalism … Dispensationalism caught on quickly in America. ibid.
How is the world being prepared for his reign of terror? ibid.
One sign is a perception of the rise of evil. ibid.
Interestingly, this big brother aspect of the Anti-Christ is also present in Islamic culture. ibid.
He has been called by many names. The Lawless One. The Beast. The Arch-Deceiver. But most know him as the Anti-Christ. He is at the crux of an apocalyptic vision of salvation and slaughter that millions of people share. He is the central figure in the world’s most popular doomsday prophecy. And some say they know his profile. Above all he represents a paradox. The Anti-Christ is pure evil. But true believers look for his coming with anticipation. Whether fact or fiction, his role is clear: the Anti-Christ is Satan’s human emissary on Earth. Decoding the Past: The Anti-Christ: Zero Hour II
That begins with a miracle called The Rapture. The Rapture sets the stage for the Anti-Christ who will appear as a saviour, and stabilize a world in turmoil. But ultimately, those left behind will be subject to unimaginable horrors. This agonising transition is known to believers as The Tribulation. It’s part of a system of Biblical interpretation called Dispensationalism, favoured by some evangelicals and fundamentalists. According to this schema there will be a seven-year period that culminates in unspeakable suffering, which will be dominated by Christ’s evil opponent – the Anti-Christ. ibid.
The roots of the Anti-Christ go all the way back to the beginning of recorded religion. ibid.
The Hindu goddess Kali is a particularly stark example of a god with a mixed nature. ibid.
600 B.C. in Persia, modern-day Iran, with the new religion called Zoroastrianism, and it would one day lead to the God versus Satan, Christ vesus Ant-Christ, opposition found in Christanity. ibid.
Zoroaster articulated an end-of-time scenario that’s similar to what would appear in Christanity, a final showdown between good and evil. Ibid.
Some scholars believe Zoroastrianism influenced Judaism, and ultimately Christanity. ibid.
The word Anti-Christ never actually appears in the Book of Daniel, but the Book does refer to a despotic prince who is to come during a time of turmoil. ibid.
The Book of Revelations comes to us across millennia, a text teeming with bizarre images of sea beasts and seven-headed monsters. As in the Book of Daniel, the word Anti-Christ never actually appears in Revelation. In fact, Anti-Christ only shows up five times in the entire Bible. ibid.
Like the Book of Daniel, some of the strongest imagery in Revelation has to do with a Beast. ibid.
Is is believed that Revelation, the last book of the Christian Bible, was written in the first-century reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian. ibid.
Scholars argue that many passeges in Revelation are aslo primarily about Rome. ibid.
The word AntiChrist has been used throughout history to demonize everyone from popes to presidents to pop stars. It has been a rallying cry and a death knell. ibid.
Man, myth, a monster? And what does he want with us? ibid.
The prophecies of Mother Shipton first appeared in print in 1641. But when scholars have tried to track down the original texts they have come up empty-handed. Despite the fame of Mother Shipton, there is no evidence she ever lived. Decoding the Past s3e5: Doomsday 2012 The End of Days, History 2012
The Web-Bot Project: this program scans the world-wide web for hints about the future and reports back with prophecies that are as ambiguous as the oracles of the ancient world. And just as chilling. ibid.
The number 666 may actually be a reference to the Greek name for the Emperor Nero. ibid.