Revelation 13:1-4 describes the personality and character of the Antichrist, who will be the side-kick of the devil. The Bible tells us that the Antichrist will appear when the world is in chaos and everyone is longing for peace.

1. The Antichrist will rise to prominence like his god the devil (Rev 13:1)

The Antichrist will be a human being like us (Rev 13:1: “the sand of the sea,” implies humanity). He is described as “a beast rise up out of the sea” (Rev 13:1), i.e. he is ferocious and mysterious. He is described as “having…ten horns…and ten crowns” (Rev 13:1). Horns and crowns represent authority, power and royalty. He will have power over the whole world, and will be treated like royalty. He will appear to the world as Christ. However, he will blaspheme Christ in his teachings. He will deceive the world into believing that he is Christ who has returned to rule the world.

As children of God, we must be discerning when we listen to sermons preached in our churches today. We must not just accept everything that is preached from the pulpit. We must make sure that the preacher is preaching from the Word of God.

2. The Antichrist will rise to prominence with demonic power (Rev 13:2)

The Antichrist will rise with speed (Rev 13:2: “like unto a leopard”) and will be powerful (Rev 13:2: “the feet of a bear”). He will be ferocious (Rev 13:2: “the mouth of a lion”). He will be raised into a powerful position by “the dragon” (i.e. the devil). And with “great authority” (Rev 13:2), he will control the whole world.

3. The Antichrist will rise to prominence by imitating Christ (Rev 13:3-4)

The Antichrist will die, but he will rise up after his death (Rev 13:3: “wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed”). In rising from the dead, the Antichrist will be imitating Christ. (But Christ came as a suffering Messiah to suffer and die for our sins before He was resurrected.) The people in the world will witness this and be deceived into worshipping the devil.

As children of God, we must not be disheartened by this prophecy. Our God is the sovereign God. He has prophesied, and He will allow these to happen. We must use our knowledge of such future events to live our lives in a God-glorifying manner.