What are the main characteristics of the Anti-Christ and what parts of Revelation talk about the Anti-Christ? Maybe I'm just not reading it right but there doesn't seem to be that much about it, in Revelation. Any helpful verses would be appreciated, either in or outside Revelation.
Read the history of Selucid reign of Antiochus IV.
Also compare the characteristics of Calligula, and Nero.
You get a pretty good idea what John was talking about.
Look up all references to the "beast" in Revelation. The Beast is found mostly in Rev. 13 and 14, but also 16 and 17. There is more than one beast but the one described below seems to be more powerful. He is able to seemingly "perform great signs," that is, miracles.
The number being 666 is a mystery - no one knows for sure what that means. I think it's pretty futile to speculate on it.
Of course, for those who believe in the pre-trib rapture, Chrisitans do not have to worry about encountering the "beast."
From Rev. 13:
11Then (AD)I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had (AE)two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a (AF)dragon.
12He (AG)exercises all the authority of the first beast (AH)in his presence And he makes (AI)the earth and those who dwell in it to (AJ)worship the first beast, whose (AK)fatal wound was healed.
13He (AL)performs great signs, so that he even makes (AM)fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
14And he (AN)deceives (AO)those who dwell on the earth because of (AP)the signs which it was given him to perform (AQ)in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the (AR)wound of the sword and has come to life.
15And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even [c]speak and cause (AS)as many as do not (AT)worship the image of the beast to be killed.
16And he causes all, (AU)the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a (AV)mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
17and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the (AW)mark, either (AX)the name of the beast or (AY)the number of his name.
18(AZ)Here is wisdom Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that (BA)of a man; and his number is [d]six hundred and sixty-six.
I didn't actually say it in my post, but the thought has crossed my mind about Obama in the last few days. I laughed at the idea just a few months ago but there is something almost God like about the way he is being treated by many people around the world and the international media. It's almost like he is being treated as the 'Messiah', when he is just a politician.
Having said that, anybody could be the Anti-Christ, and he may be long off even being born yet. But this topic is still worth discussing so we can look out for signs of the Anti-Christ. Many people (both Christian and non-christian) think the world is going to end in 2012 - I don't really think they're right but if they are then the true Anti-Christ must already be alive and probably in some kind of important office, or about to gain it.
I would like to see a list of all the people who have been called "the Antichrist" since Christ ascended. I expect space would limed it. Maybe we would need 8
or 10 or 100 posts just to list them.
He could be a type of Anti-Christ.
Hitler was a type of Anti-Christ.
Is the US at the begining of it's equivilant of Germany's 1933?
How long before we get our own Führer und Reichskanzler?
Obama already wants a civilian defense force made up of young people.
Can we say brown shirts?
You're right it isn't much fun.
But the speculation if Obama is the Antiochus IV of the US will lead me in this direction.
If he is then you're absolutely right it will be horrible and we might not be far off.
On the other hand, We don't know this for sure but there seems to be some similarities.
Starting early in Christianity thousands have been called the Antichrist and all, according to those accusing them, show characteristics to prove their point.
Let's see, people I remember being identified as the antichrist[and I know I have forgotten many.] are:
Hitler
Stalin
Mao
The Pope ... probably all of them, the latest being the current pope
Kissinger
Nietzsche called himself the Antichrist
Nero was called the Antichrist
I don't know much about Antiochus IV so I'll have to look into it. It's true that many have been accused of being the Antichrist, I guess we won't know for certain at the time but retrospectively we will be able to look back and say ''the signs were there''.