By Nathan Jones
Lamb & Lion Ministries
Lamb & Lion Ministries sought out ten different Bible prophecy experts and asked the question, "Could the Antichrist be alive today?" The following is how they responded.
Ray Gano
The reason that I believe this is because no other time in history are we seeing Bible prophecy come to pass than what we've seen. Over and over again we are seeing Israel as a nation, Israel blossoming, Israel coming together, her people returning aliyah. On May 14, 1948, I imagine God taking a big 'ol huge hourglass and just going "wa-pump!," turning it over and we are seeing the sands of time run out. I believe strongly that the age of the Gentile is slowly coming to a close. In fact, in TV vernacular you have what's called a cross-fade transition. I believe the Church is here and I see Israel here in a cross-fade. At one point both scenes come together — one scene is fading out and one scene is fading in. At one point they both occupy the same time and space and that is called the cross-fade. The Church and Israel right now, I strongly believe we are standing in the cross-fade. Both Israel and the Church are occupying the same time and space. We are coming off stage, Israel is coming on.
So, yes, with all these things taking place today, I believe the man of perdition is around. We don't know him. I don't know he even knows himself. But, I believe he is at least alive and well today.
Ed Hindson
Not necessarily. It all depends on how close we really are to the time of the end. Could the Antichrist be alive today? Yes, certainly. Does he know he is the Antichrist? No. Is he moving in power to try to take over the world right now? No.
Now, I have been in the ministry for 40 years - I have heard it all. That Hitler was the Antichrist, and Mussolini was the Antichrist, and Stalin, and Gorbachev because he had a mark on his forehead so it was the mark of the beast. And before that, people said it was Khrushchev. People even said it was John Kennedy, or it was Ronald Wilson Reagan because he had six letters in each of his three names. It is George Bush and he doesn't know any better. It is Bill Clinton and Hillary is the False Prophet. And of course, now everybody wants to say it is Obama. He came out of nowhere and doesn't even have a birth certificate. Nobody knows where he came from. He has a Muslim connection in his background. He is going to take over the world one day, etc.
It is certainly possible that any individual could potentially become the Antichrist once he is indwelled by Satan. But, I am convinced that 2 Thessalonians 2 makes it clear that until the restrainer is removed, until the Church is raptured out and the spirit-baptized, spirit-empowered Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer here to restrain evil in the world, only then will Satan have the power to indwell someone to become the Antichrist.
The Bible says in the words of Jesus, "That nobody knows the day or the hour of my coming, not even the angels of Heaven." Satan is a fallen angel, therefore Satan doesn't know the date of the Rapture. Satan can read the Bible. Satan can read the newspaper like anybody else. He can sense a crisis is coming in the world and perhaps this is the big one. He may even feel that he has to get a candidate ready potentially to be the Antichrist in every generation, but his hands are tied by the sovereignty of God and he can not move on someone to indwell them and empower them to be the Antichrist until after the Rapture of the Church.
So, I am not looking for the Antichrist, I am looking for Jesus Christ.
Al Gist
I believe that he is alive today because we are so close to the return of Christ. He probably will not be an elderly man when he comes to power, but he will be a adult and probably will have already achieved some political prowess in the international community. And, because I believe we are so close to the Return of Christ and the beginning of the Tribulation, I just believe that he is alive today waiting for his appointment with his political debut.
Nathan Jones
Most definitely! We are so close to Jesus' soon return. He has to be out there somewhere. He may be a minor politician, or religious leader, or something like that. But, as the signs of the times show and Israel struggling so hard to survive — big things are happening right on the horizon. And, he has to be ready to take the reigns and be the savior of the fallen world at the time. So, yes, I believe the Antichrist is alive.
Daymond Duck
Absolutely I do, of course that is just speculation, that is just opinion. Sometimes I tell people opinions are like noses — everybody got one, so I have one. I would say to you that the Antichrist cannot appear for two reasons. First of all, he cannot appear because the Church is still here. I believe he rises to power after the Rapture of the Church. And, the second reason I believe that he cannot appear, I believe in Daniel it teaches that there will be 11 kings, 10 kings will rise first, 10 horns, and then an 11th the little horn which is the Antichrist he will appear. So we don't have these 10 kings yet.
Don McGee
Yes. I believe the Antichrist is alive today. The reason I believe that is because of the days in which we live. I believe that he is living somewhere probably as a minor official of some kind. Who knows, he might not be known even as a minor official today. The critical thing about Antichrist is that events are going to propel him into a situation where the world will demand him and his services. He is somebody, much like Adolf Hitler was, someone people will ask for. If you think about it, Hitler did not impose himself upon the German people as much as the German people demanded his services as the results of the post WWI depredation they were experiencing.
Don Perkins
I do believe the Antichrist is alive today. One reason why I believe that is because of the signs of the time that we see. First of all, the nation of Israel is back in the land. We are witnessing them rebuilding the third temple, or they have plans for rebuilding it. We see so many indicators that are indicators for the last days. As a result of that, I believe that it is so close. I believe that the Rapture again could happen at anytime as a result of that. I believe that when Antichrist comes on the scene it will be a turn-key situation. So, because what we are witnessing today the preparation for the Great Tribulation, I do believe the Antichrist could very well be alive today.
Phillip Goodman
I believe the Antichrist could be alive today, but 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us that he is being restrained. He will be revealed in his time, and his time will not come... that revelation of who the Antichrist actually is will not come until after the Rapture happens. Now the reason, as a matter of fact I will go a little stronger than that. I think that he probably is alive today, because I think the Rapture is so close. The Rapture, of course, has always been imminent, but the signs of the times are pointing to the Second Coming of Jesus. If that is true, how much closer is the Rapture? The Rapture is the curtain that has to be raised before the Antichrist will be revealed. So, if the Rapture occurred today, which it very well could, then the Antichrist is certainly on the scene because he would be revealed very shortly thereafter.
Mark Hitchcock
That is a question that is one of the main questions that gets asked at prophecy conferences... you know, "Is the Antichrist alive today?" Obviously, if we say anyone says for sure that he is alive then that means that the Lord would have to come back within 30 or 40 years because the Antichrist won't live forever. So, what I would say about that question is that no one knows for sure. But, if someone where to ask me, "Do I think he is alive?" I do. I do believe that he is alive somewhere on the Earth today because of the convergence that we see of the signs of the times and the acceleration of these signs. So, if someone where to ask me, I do believe that, but you can't state it categorically. I think that he is alive today. No one knows that for sure, but that is my own view of it.
David Reagan
Yes, I believe the Antichrist is alive today. But, I must add I think that he has always been alive. Let me explain what I mean by that. Satan knows Bible prophecy, but he does not know its timing, so I believe Satan has always had an Antichrist candidate ready to anoint with his power. And, I think he has one ready today, one who is very likely to become the actual Antichrist. But please, don't waste your time trying to guess who that person might be! The book of Revelation teaches that the Antichrist will not be revealed until the Great Tribulation.
Do not live looking for the Antichrist. Live looking instead for Jesus Christ! He is coming soon and the crucial question is, "Are you ready?" I hope so. If not then reach out to Him today, repent of your sins and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Salvation is a free gift of God by grace through faith in Jesus.
You can watch this Q&A at our website on Christ in Prophecy.
