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"The Antichrist" -- The Latest Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast Is Ready

Episode Synopsis:

The mere mention of the Antichrist conjures up all kinds of spooky movie images, demonic plot lines, and eerie special effects–all designed to play upon our fears of a satanically inspired, menacing figure doing their master’s bidding. The list is long, but a few examples should help–The Omen (with the brat antichrist child, Damien), and the sequels, then came Rosemary’s Baby, 11-11-11, the Devil’s Advocate, and a host of others fit in this genre.

Throughout the history of the West, there has been no shortage of political leaders, emperors, conquerors, and religious figures who have been identified as antichrist candidates, yet all of whom have come and gone without claiming the title. Of late, this mysterious figure is thought to lurk in the shadows of the deep state, or is a mastermind in the tech world (especially since the rise of AI), or as a villainous super-hero sort of figure who will lead humanity into a post-apocalyptic world with a new reality and radically transformed human existence.

Here is where we bid adieu to this speculation and take a much different course. We will go back to the teaching of Scripture and the church’s reflection upon what is a truly fascinating topic. If Christians in the apostolic age were not sure who or what this meant, the Reformers were absolutely sure–they identified antichrist with the papacy. Many Protestants have agreed, while Rome’s response was to return the favor–it was Protestants who were doing the devil’s work by dividing Christendom. Currently, evangelicals have taken up the quest to figure out just who or what the Antichrist will be, as they wait for the Antichrist to appear as the leader of a revived Roman empire, make a peace-treaty with Israel, and then betray the nation and usher in the final battle–Armageddon.

The best way to deal with all of this wild (on the one hand) and understandable speculation (on the other) is to return to the teaching of Scripture. Ironically, the Bible is the source of much of the speculation just mentioned–many of the speculators and fiction writers know just enough about the Bible to make them dangerous, while others got much of the biblical data right–but it was simply not God’s time for this figure to appear. So, lets go back to the biblical text, see what it actually says about the Antichrist, and then summarize the biblical teaching.

But don’t get your hopes up. Such a study won’t tell us who the antichrist will be, or when he (or she) will appear, but hopefully, it will clear up much or all of the speculation surrounding this figure and get us back to grounding all our future expectations in the Scriptures.

To see the show notes and listen to the episode, follow the link below

Amillennialism, eschatology, End Times NuttinessKim RiddlebargerJune 6, 2023The AntichristComment

"The Man of Sin" (Part One) -- The Latest Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast Is Up As We Tackle 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and the Doctrine of the Antichrist!

Episode Synopsis:

There is little doubt that one of the most interesting, controversial, and a constant source of on-going speculation is the doctrine of the Antichrist.

Indeed, there has been so much written about the Antichrist by Christians–both ancient and modern–and so many references made to the Antichrist in film and popular culture, it is vital that we go back to the biblical accounts of this mysterious and evil figure to separate biblical fact from speculative fiction. What does the Bible actually say about the Antichrist?

Paul tackles the subject head on in his second Thessalonian letter. Soon after completion of his first Thessalonian letter, Paul received news that someone in the Thessalonian congregation was teaching that the day of the Lord had already come. If true, this meant that all of Christ’s promises to his people have already been realized. It also reminds us that Bible prophecy pundits and speculators have been around for a long time.

Paul exhorts the Thessalonians not to listen to such wild speculation because the day of the Lord had not yet come. Two things need to happen first. One is a great apostasy, and only then comes the revelation of a figure whom Paul identifies as “the man of sin.” Either the apostasy creates the conditions necessary for the man of sin to be revealed, or the apostasy is closely connected to the man of sin’s appearance. But Paul is clear that the day of the Lord has not come because these two things have not yet occurred when he writes his second letter.

Paul also tells the Thessalonians that something is preventing the appearance of the man of sin, a mysterious “restrainer” who, at some point, will cease to hold back the revelation of the man of sin (the Antichrist), who then will be destroyed by Jesus when the Lord returns.

Join us then, in this, part one of our discussion of the “man of sin,” as we tackle 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

To read the show notes and/or listen to the episode, follow the link below