Jesus and the author of the book of 1 John warn us that an antichrist is coming. Read the details below in order to recognize the antichrist.
In Matthew 24 we see Jesus' warnings that false messiahs are coming (see also Mark 13:22). In 1 John 2:18, we see an additional warning that a particular antichrist is coming. Here are 37 facts regarding the antichrist as provided by Scripture; knowing these facts will help the world to recognize the antichrist when he appears; recognizing him is important, because (a) he comes to power at the start of a final, critical 7-year period that was prophesied regarding the descendants of Jacob, and many believe that the Rapture will occur before he comes to power (see our post regarding Scriptural Support for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture for more information), and (b) to avoid eternal condemnation during the period of the Great Tribulation, people will have to refuse to worship the antichrist, and they will have to reject the mark that will be mandated by the antichrist in order to buy or sell anything (see our Letter to the Saints of the time of the Great Tribulation post to learn more):
He is also called “the beast” - Rev. 17:11
He will be a national and/or international leader—like a president or king - Rev. 17:11
He will rule with 7 other leaders (as an 8th king) - Rev. 17:11
He along with the 7 other leaders, will lead a 10 nation union - Rev. 17:12
Curiously, he “was” (presumably, before around 90 AD, when the Book of Revelation was written), “is not” (at around 90 AD), and will come again - Rev. 17:8 (a parallel to Jesus). This curious description causes us to wonder whether he is a resurrected Antiochus IV Epiphanes--the Seleucid emperor, ruling over the areas now known as Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Turkey, who referred to himself as "God Manifest," outlawed the reading of the Torah and sacrificed a pig to desecrate the altar in the temple in Israel? (See https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes.) Or is he a resurrected Nimrod--the "mighty hunter," and founder of the first cities of the area now known as Iraq, who tradition suggests built the Tower of Babel to escape another flood from God? (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimrod.) Or is he a resurrected Nero Ceaser--who ordered the destruction of the temple in Israel and tortured Christians? (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero). Or perhaps the curious reference refers to modern times—to a leader who was in power, lost the power and then regained it. (Revelation 17:11 clarifies that this beast who "was, and is not" is the 8th king).
He is called “the little horn” - Dan. 7:8 (just like “the little horn” in Dan. 8:9 is considered to refer to Antiochus IV Epiphanes).
He will come from “the abyss”—a place that even demons fear - Rev. 17:8, Rev. 11:7, Luke 8:31 [This is indeed a curious statement; the abyss is also referred to in Scripture as the bottomless pit, so it appears that he comes back from the dead such that either (a) he dies and is somehow resurrected, (b) perhaps the antichrist is a person who becomes inhabited by an evil spirit who had previously been locked away in the bottomless pit, or (c) perhaps, more radically and less likely, the DNA of a person at that time dead is infused into another to recreate or bring back from the dead an evil person from the past.]
He will strike down God’s 2 witnesses - Rev. 11:7
He will be given authority to act for 3.5 years - Rev. 13:5
He will speaks arrogantly - Dan. 7:8
He will blaspheme God and those who dwell in heaven - Rev. 13:6, Dan. 7:25
He will be given authority over everyone on earth - Rev. 13:7
He will intend to change religious festivals and laws - Dan. 7:25
He will conquer saints - Rev. 13:7, Dan. 7:25
Everyone except the saints will worship him - Rev. 13:8
He or his false prophet delegate will require that everyone receive a special mark (which Scripture calls the "mark of the beast") on their right hand or forehead in order to buy or sell, and the mark is the name of the beast or his number, which is 666 - Rev. 13:16-18
He is also referred to as “man of lawlessness “ and “son of destruction” - 2 Thes. 2:3
His coming is in accord with the activities of Satan--with deception and wickedness - 2 Thes. 2:9-10
He will sit in the temple and proclaim himself to be God, defiling the temple - 2 Thes. 2:4, Matt. 24:15-16
He will enter into a 7-year covenant and break it after 3.5 years - Dan. 9:27
He will be thrown alive into the Lake of Fire at the arrival of Jesus - Rev. 19:20
He will deny the deity of Jesus – 1 John 2:22-23
He will exalt himself above and boast against all gods, including the God of gods - Dan. 11:36
He will do as he pleases - Dan. 11:36
He will be successful in what he does until the end of his time - Dan. 11:36
He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or any other god - Dan. 11:37
He will show no regard for the desire of women [some translations: the god desired by women] [many scholars believe that the correct interpretation is that he has no sexual interest in women and others that he has no particular regard for women] - Dan. 11:37
He will honor a god of fortresses [possibly a new god that he creates, his own military power, a new incredibly powerful weapon, some war god from the past—such as jupiter or mars, or Satan] with gold, silver, precious stones and treasures - Dan. 11:38
He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god - Dan. 11:39
He will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will make them rulers over the many - Dan. 11:39
He will parcel out land for a price (perhaps rewards for honoring him or advancing his interests) - Dan. 11:39
His kingdom will be attacked by powers from the north and the south, and in responding to their advances, his kingdom will pass through and sack many nations - Dan. 11:40
His kingdom will also enter into Israel, but the area constituting what we know today as Jordan will be rescued from attacks by his kingdom - Dan. 11:41
His kingdom will also attack and conquer many other nations, particularly including Egypt, and he will acquire control over the gold and silver of that nation - Dan. 11:42-43
Other nations in Africa, particularly including Libya and Ethiopia, will endeavor to fight against his kingdom - Dan. 11:43
Threats by nations from the East and the North will prompt him to launch massive attacks that will result in the death of many people - Dan. 11:44
He will establish his kingdom in Israel near Jerusalem, and there he will be destroyed - Dan 11:45
As noted above, it is of eternal importance that people living in the time of the antichrist reject his "mark of the beast" that is required in order to buy or sell (Rev. 13:16-18), because as John writes in Revelation, “[t]hen another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb’” (Revelation 14:9-10). People living in the time of the antichrist must be able to survive in hiding or reject the mark under the penalty of death, and this will require endurance. Indeed, Jesus said, “[b]ut the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:13-14).
So beware and be watchful of the antichrist and his mark.