Against Heresies: Book V
Chapter 25: The Deceit, Arrogance, and Despotic Rule of the Antichrist, as Described by Daniel and Paul
And not only from the details already mentioned, but also through the events that will occur during the time of Antichrist, it is shown that he, being an apostate and a thief, wants to be worshiped as God, and that, even though he is just a slave, he wishes to be proclaimed as a king. For he (Antichrist), endowed with all the power of the devil, will come, not as a righteous or legitimate king under God, but as an impious, unjust, and lawless one; as an apostate, wicked and murderous; as a thief, concentrating in himself all satanic apostasy, and setting aside idols to convince people that he himself is God, elevating himself as the only idol, having within him the many errors of the other idols.
He does this so that those who now worship the devil through many abominations may serve him through this one idol. The apostle speaks of him in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians: "Unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits in the temple of God, showing himself as if he were God." The apostle therefore clearly points out his apostasy and that he elevates himself above all that is called God or worshiped—that is, above every idol—for these are indeed called so by people but are not truly gods; and that he will try in a tyrannical manner to present himself as God.
Moreover, the apostle has also pointed out, as I have shown in many ways, that the temple in Jerusalem was made by the direction of the true God. The apostle himself, speaking personally, clearly called it the temple of God. I have shown in the third book that no one is called God by the apostles when speaking personally, except Him who truly is God, the Father of our Lord, by whose directions the temple in Jerusalem was constructed for the purposes I have already mentioned; in this temple, the enemy shall sit, attempting to show himself as Christ, as the Lord also declares: “But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; and he who is on the rooftop should not come down to take anything out of his house: for there will be great hardship, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be.”
Daniel also, anticipating the end of the last kingdom, namely the ten last kings, among whom the kingdom will be divided, and upon whom the son of perdition will come, states that ten horns will emerge from the beast, and another small horn will arise among them, and three of the former will be uprooted before it. He says: "And, look, eyes were in this horn like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things, and its appearance was more imposing than its companions.
I was watching, and this horn made war against the saints and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of Days came and granted judgment to the saints of the most high God, and the time came, and the saints took possession of the kingdom." Then, further on, in the interpretation of the vision, it was said to him: "The fourth beast will be the fourth kingdom on earth, which will exceed all other kingdoms, and devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it into pieces.
And its ten horns are ten kings who will arise; and after them, another will arise who will surpass all before him in evil deeds, and will overthrow three kings; and he will speak words against the most high God, and wear out the saints of the most high God, and intend to change times and laws; and everything will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time," that is for three years and six months, during which time he will rule over the earth.
The Apostle Paul also speaks of him, in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians, declaring the reason for his coming, and says: "And then the wicked one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the brightness of His coming; whose coming is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and deceptive wonders, and with all deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth to be saved.
For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion, that they may believe a lie; that all may be judged who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
The Lord also spoke to those who did not believe in Him: “I have come in my Father’s name, and you have not received Me; when another comes in his own name, you will receive him,” referring to the Antichrist as “the other,” because he is separated from the Lord. This is also the unjust judge, whom the Lord mentioned as one “who feared not God, nor regarded people,” to whom the widow turned in her forgetfulness of God—that is, the earthly Jerusalem—to be avenged of her adversary.
He will also do this in the time of his kingdom: he will move his kingdom into that city and will sit in the temple of God, leading those who worship him astray, as if he were Christ. Daniel also says about this: “And he shall desolate the holy place; and sin has been given as a sacrifice, and righteousness cast away on the earth, and he has acted and gone on prosperously.” The angel Gabriel, when explaining this vision, says about this person: “Towards the end of their kingdom, a king of a most fierce appearance shall arise, one understanding dark questions and exceedingly powerful, full of wonders; he shall corrupt, direct, influence, and put strong men down, including the holy people; and his yoke shall be like a wreath around their neck; deceit shall be in his hand, and he shall be proud in his heart: he shall also ruin many by deceit, leading many to destruction, crushing them like eggs in his hand.” He then indicates the duration of his tyranny, during which the saints who offer a pure sacrifice to God shall be persecuted: “And in the middle of the week,” he says, “the sacrifice and offering shall be taken away, and the abomination of desolation shall be brought into the temple: until the end of the time, the desolation shall be complete.” Three years and six months make up the half-week.
From all these passages, it is shown to us not only the details of the apostasy and the actions of the one who embodies every satanic error but also that there is one and the same God the Father, who was declared by the prophets and revealed by Christ. For if what Daniel prophesied about the end has been confirmed by the Lord when He said, "When you shall see the abomination of desolation, which has been spoken of by Daniel the prophet," and the angel Gabriel gave the interpretation of the visions to Daniel and he is the archangel of the Creator, who also announced to Mary the visible coming and incarnation of Christ, then one and the same God is clearly indicated, who sent the prophets, promised the Son, and called us to know Him.