Is the Anti-Christ Among Us?

[Michie]

Fr. Dwight Longenecker​

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Is the Anti-Christ Among Us?​

I was brought up in a fundamentalist Bible church with teaching heavily influenced by Dispensationalism. This peculiar system of Biblical interpretation understood God’s ways of working in the world as being divided into different time periods or “dispensations” The exciting part was that we were living in the “end times”. Jesus was going to come back in the clouds and all the saved people would be “raptured” –literally taken up into heaven–while all the unsaved people would be left behind to endure the coming tribulation in which the anti-Christ would rule the world as Satan’s agent.

The figure of the anti-Christ has been a potent symbol since the Book of Revelation was written. Scholars believe the anti-Christ there with his famous 666 mark of the beast is the Emperor Nero as the numerical signification of his name adds up to the mysterious number. The theory is that the book was written during the Neronian persecutions and the Christians used “666” as code for Nero.

However, there have been many other interpretations down the ages–so for instance, in the USA when social security numbers were first introduced some Christians rejected them as the mark of the beast. Then credit cards were suspected, then bar codes, now surveillance and chip technology are the ways the anti Christ will control the world.

What is common to all the interpretations is that the anti-Christ is the Lord of this World. He is a global leader–one who wishes to gather humanity together in a system of earthly power. Who this is and what he will do in the world remains a mystery. In every age the masters of tyranny, the empire builders, the men of money and war have been named as the anti-Christ. Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin–all the great dictators were anti-Christs, and the New Testament itself says there are many anti-Christs, but St John identifies them as heretics–those who deny Jesus Christ as the Son of God. “Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour.”

Continued below.

Is the Anti-Christ Among Us? | Fr. Dwight Longenecker

I was brought up in a fundamentalist Bible church with teaching heavily influenced by Dispensationalism. This peculiar system of Biblical interpretation understood God's ways of working in the world as being divided into different time periods or "dispensations" The exciting part was that we...

dwightlongenecker.com

 

[timothyu]

The anti-Christ is anyone/thing that puts it's will ahead of the will of the Father, focusing on 'self'. That is in all of us (not just among us) and we create systems based on our ways, not the Father's. Nothing is free from its influence here. This is what we were told to repent of and to follow the counter-culture of the Kingdom. Two commandments were given to set us straight. Its that simple.

 

[Michie]

Fr. Longenecker:

I am a Catholic priest and believe the answers are all there in the fullness of the faith in the Catholic religion. However, I am not optimistic about our ability to communicate these truths to the modern world. I hope and pray for a renewal and revival that can only come about through the radical lives of saints, but our Catholic Church, at the present time, seems incapable of leading that sort of renewal and revival. We are too caught up with pandering to political correctness, mired in corruption and immorality and bogged down with incompetence, ignorance and internal skirmishes.

Meanwhile humanity is looking not for a technological, ideological or economic answer. We are looking for something greater to believe in. The time is ripe as never before for a global master to step on to the stage. What will such an individual look like? First of all, he will be supremely attractive both physically and mentally and spiritually. He will communicate well, be sympathetic and compassionate. On the one hand he will be wealthy and well connected, but he will manage his wealth and power with suave simplicity. In other words he won’t swan about showing off his wealth and power. He will wield it in an aristocratic way–with consummate good taste and with the appearance that his own life is one of simplicity and service. He will be spiritually savvy–perhaps assuming the Christian religion–but it will be a Christian religion that is tolerant, ecumenical and inter-faith friendly. Indeed, while espousing a form of Christianity he will endorse the goodness of all religions as “ways to God”. Most of all he will see all religions as different ways for humanity to reach its full potential.

While I see a European aristocrat –perhaps even a member of an established royal family–fulfilling this role, it could be an American with a similar “blue blood” heritage. He will be adept at handling the political and economic and academic establishment and be a masterful media communicator. While not a religious leader, he will sit at the table and speak of “spirituality” with all the religious leaders.

Will the anti-Christ be a fearsome dictator? I don’t think so–at least not at first. He will come across as eminently sensible, intelligent, wise and compassionate. He will offer solutions so simply and kind and beautiful and practical that to oppose him will seem to be the epitome of madness. Indeed, those in opposition will be painted as hopelessly old fashioned, bigoted, intolerant and hate-filled. The media and educational establishment will make sure the opposition is portrayed as inhumane, judgmental, religious maniacs.

Do I believe such a character is waiting in the wings? I cannot see the future, but I can read the signs of the times. I think the bragging, street smart, thuggish capitalism of Trump will quickly run out of steam and the world will be ready for a new leader. All it will take is for a global crisis to light the fuse.

In the meantime, as Christian believers we have our orders from St Peter himself: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Pt. 5:8)

 

[Bob Crowley]

I extracted this part from Fr. Longenecker's passage, and it's also in Michie's extract, although I think she might have posted the entire passage.

I'm afraid I tend to the "... American with a similar "blue bood" heritage ..." although I don't think he's technically a blue blood as he didn't come from a prominent family, although he knows how to use power and it seems to gravitate towards him.

My opinion is based on a comment by my old Protestant pastor years ago. Obviously it hasn't happened yet, and if it is the person he suspected there's not a lot of time for him (it's a male) to gain control due to his age.

Either way there's not much we can do about it, other than do as St. Peter recommended.

As Fr. Longenecker stated I think it will take "a global crisis to light the fuse."

Before or while that is happening I think God might do something about getting HIS church back in one piece, even if it means banging some ecclesiastical heads together.

It's not our church.

While I see a European aristocrat –perhaps even a member of an established royal family–fulfilling this role, it could be an American with a similar “blue blood” heritage. He will be adept at handling the political and economic and academic establishment and be a masterful media communicator. While not a religious leader, he will sit at the table and speak of “spirituality” with all the religious leaders.

Will the anti-Christ be a fearsome dictator? I don’t think so–at least not at first. He will come across as eminently sensible, intelligent, wise and compassionate. He will offer solutions so simply and kind and beautiful and practical that to oppose him will seem to be the epitome of madness. Indeed, those in opposition will be painted as hopelessly old fashioned, bigoted, intolerant and hate-filled. The media and educational establishment will make sure the opposition is portrayed as inhumane, judgmental, religious maniacs.

Do I believe such a character is waiting in the wings? I cannot see the future, but I can read the signs of the times. I think the bragging, street smart, thuggish capitalism of Trump will quickly run out of steam and the world will be ready for a new leader. All it will take is for a global crisis to light the fuse.