What is the "antichrist"? Are the things I'm hearing real?

New Life · Junior Member Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 49

I'm not sure what to think about this or whether to believe it or not.

I was talking with someone today and they started talking about "end times" and "antichrist" and that there will be a rapture of all Christians
where they will disappear and just "go to God". They said that a man will become a world leader and will be "possessed by the devil and murder all the Christians. ??????????? They believe this man is probably alive now and that this is all planned by God.

Does this sound pretty "out there" to anyone else?
What is the "antichrist"? Are all the Christians truly going to
disappear? How can you know what to believe and what is just pure fanatacism? This all sounds pretty frightening... does anyone understand this belief? I was told it is found in the bible in the revelations. But I still
find myself skeptical.

Any thoughts?

SAM · Veteran Joined: 03 Mar 2001 Posts: 1889 Location: Chicago

Lots and lots of speculation and discussion and disagreement on this one within the Christian community. Truth be told, only God really knows.
You can even get into debate over pre, mid or post tribuation. Enough to boggle the mind.

My recommendation is to read and study the bible yourself as well as do research to help you become more knowledgable. Taking the word of a friend is not always the best source for my knowledge of the Bible.

The end-time scenario is spread out mainly over the following books and sections: Revelation, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, the Gospels, Zechariah, Zephaniah, Joel, 1 Corinthians , 1 Thessalonians.
The book of Revelation is not your only source in the Bible for understanding the end times.

Here's some specific scripture that speaks about these times and what it may be like.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 [15] According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 [51] Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed -- [52] in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. [53] For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. [54] When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." [55] "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

One of my favorite Christian sites for getting answers to tough questions is http://www.equip.org/ which is part of the Christian Research Institute.
They have some great recommendations on books that cover this topic.

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