Satan attempts to counterfeit all the good things God has provided, so we should not be surprised that just as there is a Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Enemy has a trinity as well. The players in this evil threesome are Satan (the Dragon), the Beast (the antichrist), and a second beast (the False Prophet). This second beast is a public relations man of sorts who causes the world to worship the Beast and Satan. They are intent on ruling the world, and for a time, it looks as if the devil and his demon-possessed puppets will succeed. But then Jesus Christ returns—and the devil and his motley crew receive everything they deserve.

You will be rewarded and will reign forever with Jesus in a new heaven and a new earth. That’s where we are going, but the going gets extremely rough between now and then.

John saw the antichrist, a world leader who rises to power because of his great oratory skills and his winsome charisma. He will promise people everything they want to hear, but he will ultimately lead them into bondage and death.

That title antichrist means “against Christ” or “instead of Christ.” It was used only four times in the New Testament, all by the apostle John, yet ironically, he did not use the title at all in the book of Revelation. Instead, in Revelation, John referred to the antichrist as “the beast” (13:1).

The antichrist is variously described as a “stern-faced king,” a “master of intrigue” (Daniel 8:23, NIV), a “despicable person” (Daniel 11:21), a “worthless shepherd” (Zechariah 11:16–17), and the “lawless one” (2 Thessalonians 2:8–9). He is not a nice person, but millions of people will see him as a messianic figure.

Although the apostle John called him a beast, the antichrist is definitely a human being, a created being. He is not equal with God, nor is he equal to Jesus. He is not an angel. In fact, he is not a demon, although he may be the most thoroughly demon-possessed person the world has ever seen or ever will see.

With his winsome personality, persuasive oratory, and skillful negotiating, he will be the world’s ultimate problem solver. He will rise to power on a platform of peace and prosperity, especially concerning peace in the Middle East, and for the first three and a half years of his rule, people will think he can do no wrong. But midway through the seven-year period, this world dictator will show himself for who he really is—the antichrist—empowered by Satan himself. The antichrist will be far worse than any dictator the world has ever known. He will be a personification of evil.

The apostle John saw the antichrist—the Beast—“coming up out of the sea” (13:1). We know from our study of Revelation that water is a symbol of people, the more water, the more people. So if the antichrist rises out of the sea, he will rise from a sea of humanity (17:15). Some scholars believe he may be Jewish, while others believe he may be a Gentile.

Coincidentally, one of my Master’s Commission students researched this subject at length. He discovered some interesting correlations among Christians, Muslims, and Jews during these end days:

1. Christians believe the antichrist will come and rule the world. It will be a time of chaos and catastrophes,according to the Word of God, and the antichrist will make war against God’s people.

2. Muslims believe their Imam Mahdi, the Shiites 12th Imam (their savior), will appear and redeem Islam. They believe a “big war” will precede Mahdi, who will kill all infidels (those who oppose Mahdi) and raise the flag of Islam worldwide.

3. Jews believe their Messiah is coming as a great military leader. They, too, believe there will be war and suffering (Ezekiel 38:16) following along the same timeline as that of the antichrist.