Information about the Antichrist from one of Apostle John's future disciples --about 200 AD.
But as time now presses for the consideration of the question immediately in hand, and as what has been already said in the introduction with regard to the
glory of
God, may suffice, it is proper that we take the
Holy Scriptures themselves in hand, and find out from them what, and of what manner, the coming of
Antichrist is; on what occasion and at what time that implores one shall be revealed; and whence and from what I tribe (he shall come); and what his name is, which is indicated by the number in the
Scripture; and how he shall work
error among the people, gathering them from the ends of the earth; and (how) he shall stir up tribulation and
persecution against the
saints; and how he shall glorify himself as
God; and what his end shall be; and how the sudden appearing of the Lord shall be revealed from heaven; and what the conflagration of the whole world shall be; and what the
glorious and heavenly kingdom of the
saints is to be, when they reign together with Christ; and what the punishment of the
wicked by fire.
Now, as
our Lord Jesus Christ, who is also
God, was prophesied of under the figure of a lion, on account of His royalty and
glory, in the same way have the
Scriptures also aforetime spoken of
Antichrist as a lion, on account of his tyranny and
violence. For the deceiver seeks to liken himself in all things to the
Son of God. Christ is a lion, so
Antichrist is also a lion; Christ is a king,
John 18:37 so
Antichrist is also a king. The Saviour was manifested as a lamb;
John 1:29 so he too, in like manner, will appear as a lamb, though within he is a wolf.
The Saviour came into the World in the
circumcision, and he will come in the same manner. The Lord sent
apostles among all the
nations, and he in like manner will send false
apostles. The Saviour gathered together the sheep that were scattered abroad, and he in like manner will bring together a people that is scattered abroad. The Lord gave a seal to those who
believed on Him, and he will give one like manner. The Saviour appeared in the form of
man, and he too will come in the form of a
man. The Saviour raised up and showed His
holy flesh like a temple,
John 2:19 and he will raise a temple of stone in Jerusalem. And his seductive arts we shall exhibit in what follows.
That it is in reality out of the tribe of Dan, then, that that tyrant and king, that dread judge, that son of the
devil, is destined to spring and arise, the
prophet testifies when he says, Dan shall judge his people, as (he is) also one tribe in
Israel.
Genesis 49:16 But some one may say that this refers to
Samson, who sprang from the tribe of Dan, and judged the people twenty years. Well, the
prophecy had its partial fulfilment in
Samson, but its complete fulfilment is reserved for
Antichrist. For Jeremiah also speaks to this effect: From Dan we are to hear the sound of the swiftness of his horses: the whole land trembled
at the sound of the neighing, of the driving of his horses.
Jeremiah 8:16 And another
prophet says: He shall gather together all his strength, from the east even to the west. They whom he calls, and they whom he calls not, shall go with him. He shall make the sea white with the sails of his ships, and the plain black with the shields of his armaments. And whosoever shall oppose him in
war shall fall by the sword. That these things, then, are said of no one else but that tyrant, and shameless one, and adversary of
God, we shall show in what follows.
Then he says: A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible; it had iron teeth and claws of brass. And who are these but the Romans? Which (kingdom) is meant by the iron — the kingdom which is now established; for the legs of that (image) were of iron. And after this, what remains, beloved, but the toes of the feet of the image, in which part is iron and part clay, mixed together? And
mystically by the toes of the feet he meant the kings who are to arise from among them; as Daniel also says (in the words), I considered the beast, and lo there were ten horns behind it, among which shall rise another (horn), an offshoot, and shall pluck up by the roots the three (that were) before it. And under this was signified none other than
Antichrist, who is also himself to raise the kingdom of the
Jews. He says that three horns are plucked up by the root by him, viz., the three kings of
Egypt, and Libya, and
Ethiopia, whom he cuts off in the array of battle. And he, after gaining terrible power over all, being nevertheless a tyrant, shall stir up tribulation and
persecution against men, exalting himself against them. For Daniel says: I considered the horn, and behold that horn made
war with the
saints, and prevailed against them, till the beast was slain and perished, and its body was given to the burning of fire.
For as two advents of our Lord and Saviour are indicated in the
Scriptures, the one being His first advent in the flesh, which took place without
honour by reason of His being set at nought, as Isaiah spoke of Him aforetime, saying, We saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness, but His form was despised (and) rejected (lit. = deficient) above all
men; a man smitten and familiar with bearing infirmity, (for His face was turned away); He was despised, and esteemed not.
Isaiah 53:2-5 But His second advent is announced as
glorious, when He shall come from heaven with the host of
angels, and the
glory of His Father, as the
prophet says, You shall see the King in
glory;
Isaiah 33:17 and, I saw one like the
Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven; and he came to the Ancient of days, and he was brought to Him. And there were given Him dominion, and
honour, and
glory, and the kingdom; all tribes and languages shall serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away
