I.                                                                                                                                                                                              Concerning the person of Antichrist: Some writers, namely Hippolytus and Cyril of Jerusalem, seem to think of Antichrist as an incarnation of Satan himself. The wide majority of the teachings however, is exemplified in that saying of St. Jerome: "Let us not follow the opinion of some commentators and suppose him to be either the Devil or some demon, but rather, one of the human race." St. Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:8,9: "...And then shall that Wicked be revealed...whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders." rather indicates that Satan has used one of the human race as an instrument.

     II.                                                                                                                                                                                              Although it is universally accepted that the Second Coming will be heralded by the two Old Testament prophets; Enoch and Elias the Thisbite, some writers include Saint John the Theologian (the Beloved). Among these, rather uncommon writings, are those of Ephram of Antioch and Hippolytus. The former states that this belief is supported by an ancient ecclesiastical tradition interpreting Christ saying in Johur 21:22 as refering to St. John's role as a forerunner. This view, however, opposes Revelation. 11:3,4 where the number of prophets of the Second Advent was confined to two prophets.

   III.                                                                                                                                                                                              As regarding the name of Antichrist, it is well to be versed in the different possible names put forward by the Fathers. This however, is not without its danger, and the teachings of the Fathers are replete with warnings to this effect. Regarding these, the reader is referred to the text. Suffice it to mention here the following admonition of St. Irenaeus: "We will not, however, incur the risk of pronouncing positively as to the name of Antichrist; for if it were necessary that this name should be distinctly revealed in this present time, it would have been announced by him who beheld the Vision."

The fourth kingdom in the prophesy of Daniel 7:7,23 was generally understood by the early Christian writers to be the Roman Empire, and its dissolution was to be speedly followed by the end of the world. The dissolution of the Roman Empire, however, was not understood in the current secular sense, corresponding to the 5th. century AD., nor to the division of the Empire into East and West after Theodosius I (379-395); but rather after the division of the Empire into ten kingdoms and the subjugation of the tatters to one tyrant: "... Let them await, in the first place, the division of the kingdom into ten; then, in the next place, when these kings are reigning and beginning to set their affair in order and advance their kingdom..." St. Irenaus.

Similarly, St. Hippolytus comments: "These things then are in the future, and the ten toes of the immage are equivalent to so many democracies and "the ten horns of the fourth beast are distributed over ten kingdoms...".

Observe here the amazing reference to "so many democracies" arising out of the Roman Empire.

The careful Orthodox observer will notice in this sober patristic outlook, a marked distinction from the current infatuated interpretations of events and dates. Such interpretations, beside being detrimental, have been marked by frustrated date-fixing and politico economic predictions.

In amassing materials for the present work, the following patristic sources were consulted:

St. Jerome Commentary on Daniel.

St. John Chrysostom Commentaries on the Gospel of Mathew and the Pauline Epistles to the Thessalonians.

St. Hippolytus; "Treatise on Christ and Antichrist", "Fragments from Commentaries" in NPN series, and the so called "Appendix to the Work of Hippolytus."

St. Irenaeus; "Against Heresies".

St. Cyril of Jerusalem's "Lectures."

Frequent allusion to the above sources makes it cumbersome to name them in each instance. However, other sources when invoked, are explicitly named in the body of the text.

The End Of The Year

he end of the year of Martyrs AM., is an occasion during which the Holy Church transports the believer to the end of times. In preparation and warning about the human, social and religious conditions of mankind leading up to the glorious Second Coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we read in the Epistle to the Thessalonians: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." 2 Thess. 2:3

The Church uses the end of each time interval each day, each year as a reminder of the end of the world in general, and of the particular end of each person; both of which, but in particular the latter, is at every moment nigh at hand. The end of each day, the Church teaches, is an image, an icon of both particular and general ends. During the Office of the Twelveth Hour, the Church prays: "Behold I am about to stand before the just Judge, trembling and excedingly afraid on account of my many sins, for a life spent in pleasures deserves condemnation.", and therefore transforms this time of the day to an occasion for remembrance of sins and repentance: "...But repent, O my soul, while "you are dwelling on earth, for the dust in the grave offers no praise." The Office of the Twelveth Hour.

Likewise, the closing two week period of the Year of Martyrs, is an icon of the final consummation. The Church during this time warns us of the signs of the end of the world, announced by our Saviour and recorded in the Gospels according to St. Mark and St. Matthew. The fourth Sunday of Mes~ore (around the end of August), the passage from Mark13:3-37 is read, and the following Sunday, the same theme is read from Matthew 24:3-35. In both of which, the destruction of Jerusalem as a prototype of the end of times is prophesied in answer to two questions from the apostles: "Tell us, when shall these things be ? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world ?" Matthew 24:3. For as the destruction of the city of Jerusalem overshadows the end of the world, so also shall false prophets, which have arisen before the destruction of that city, overshadow the general apostasy from the New Jerusalem (the Church).

Inasmuch as this season in the life of the Church is marked by a solemn preparation for the Second Coming, and by sorrowful watchfulness for the period preceding this Advent, that is, the coming of Antichrist; the following week, during the Feast of Nairouz (commemorating the Christian martyrs and the New Year during the Roman reign), is marked by joyful celebration. While in the one instance the Church participates in grieving over those who have, and will fall away; in the other instance, she rejoices in those martyrs who have become members in the Church Triumphant.

When our Saviour spoke concerning the signs of the end of times saying: "Take heed that no man "deceive you. For many, shall come in my Name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear wars and rumors of wars." Matthew 24:5,6, He was referring to the wars in Jerusalem, and not everywhere else in the world. Surely there were wars in the neighbouring countries in the ancient world; about these He was not concerned, rather about the chosen people, the royal nation, was He prophesing. Likewise, the prophecy concerning His Second Advent: "For there shall rise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch as if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:24, refers to the general apostasy from the New Jerusalem, the Orthodox Church, and does not bear upon others outside this "chosen generation, this royal priesthood, this holy nation, this peculiar people.", for indeed others have fallen away from times immemorial; about those the prophecy does not touch.

In participating in advance in these final events, we are constantly reminded of the Christian prospective of history as an unfolding chain of events, having a "beginning" and running its course as it unveils God's plans in history, and finally reaching its culmination in the last days, in the glorious Advent of Christ. St. Jerome commenting on the Macedonian Empire observes: "...The Empire did not result from Alexander's bravery but from the will of God". As opposed to secular view of history as a rotation, a blind repetition of events: "history repeats itself"; the Christian faith has a beginning: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth", says the Book of Genesis, and also has an end: "...Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the "BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO THIS TIME".

Christianity does not trade in ideas, nor even in ideologies, but is rather rooted in events, for so did the Holy Fathers choose, when formulating the Creed, to state their belief in the one Lord Jesus Christ, as One who was crucified at a point in time, namely, "under Pontius Pilate".

Finally, the theme of the "last days" is also relived in the liturgical prayers of the Church in two other occasions.

First, and of cardinal importance, on the eve of Bright Saturday, when the entire Books of Revelation and Susana are read. On this occasion however, the emphasis is different. The Church, after taking part in the redemptive events of Passion Week culminating in the Crucifixion, after looking into history and seeing the mighty work of God and His redemptive victory being unfolded, is now directing her gaze towards the eschatological events affecting her before His Second Coming. This is the intent of reading these two prophetic Books at this junction of time.

Second, the Ninth Hour of Tuesday of Passion Week, when Daniel 7:9-15 is read, followed by a homily of St. Shenoute: "Brethren it is high time that we should perform the will of God and remember that death tarries not; for we are certain to depart this world. Where are those who preceded us? Behold! They are all asleep in the graves. Let us bring forth fruits worthy of the grace of God which we have received, following after the example of Jesus Christ, the True Light."

Visions Concerning The Rise Of The Antichrist

"I Daniel beheld, and lo, the four winds of heaven blew violently upon the great sea. And there came up four great beasts out of the sea, differing from one another. The first was a lioness, and her wings as an eagle's: I beheld until her wings were plucked, and she was lifted off from the earth, and she stood on human feet, and a man's heart was given to her. And, behold, a second beast like a bear, and it supported itself on one side, and there were three ribs in its mouth between its teeth: and thus they said to it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this one I looked, and behold another wild beast as a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon it: and the wild beast had four heads, and power was given to it. After this one I looked, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly stony, and its teeth were of iron; devouring and crushing to atoms, and it trampled the remainder with its feet: and it was altogether different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I noticed his horns, and, behold, another little horn came up in the midst of them, and before it three of the former horns were rooted out: and, behold, there were eyes as the eyes of a man in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.

"I beheld until the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days sat; and his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as pure wool: his throne was a flame of fire, and his wheels burning fire. A stream of fire rushed forth before him, and ten thousands of myriads attended upon him: the judgment set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which that horn spoke, until the wild beast was slain and destroyed, and his body given to be burnt with fire. And the dominion of the rest of the wild beasts was taken away; but a prolonging of life was given them for certain times.

"I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of days, and was brought near to him. And to him was given the dominion, and the honor, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed." Daniel 7:2-14, Septuagint

"Thou, O king, sanest, and behold an image: that image was great, and the appearance of it excellent, standing before thy face; and the form of it was terrible. It was an image, the head of which was of fine gold, its hands and breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of brass, its legs of iron, its feet, part of iron and part of earthenware (clay). Thou sawest until a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and it smote the image upon its feet of iron and earthenware, and utterly reduced them to powder. Then once for all the earthenware, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold, were ground to powder, and became as chaff from the summer threshingfloors; and the violence of the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them: and the stone which had smitten the image became a great mountain, and filled all the earth." Dan 2:31-35

Now, if we set these two visions; that of Daniel, and that of the king, side by side, we will have an exposition of the circumstances at the end of times, leading to the coming of Antichrist.

"A lioness came up from the sea ..." 7:4
"By this he means the kingdom of the Babylonians in the world. This was also referred to by the golden head of the image." St. Hippolytus

"The kingdom of the Babylonians was not called a lion but a lioness, on account of its brutality, or else because of its lustful manner of life. Writers of natural history of beasts assert that lioness are fiercer than lions, especially if they are nursing their cubs, and constantly are passionate in their desire for sexual relations. And as for the fact that she possessed eagle's wings, this indicates the pride of the all powerful kingdom, the ruler of which declares in Isaiah: 'Above all stars of heaven will I place my throne, and I shall be like unto the most high' Isaiah 14. Therefore he is told: 'Though thou be borne on high like an eagle, thence will I drag thee down' (Ibid)." St. Hippolytus.

"And she stood upon her feet like a human being, and she was given a human heart." 7:4
"We understand this as applying to Nebuchadnazzar, it is very evident that after he lost his kingdom and his power had been taken away from him, and after he was once more restored to his original state, he not only learned to be a man instead of a "lioness" but he also received back the heart which he had lost.

"Note the order followed here; the lioness is equivalent to the golden head of the image, the comparison here, is based on the hardness of the metal." St. Jerome.

"lioness came up from the sea." is meant the kingdom of the Babylonians in the world, which also was the head of gold on the image.

"In saying that "it had wings as of an eagle" he meant that Nebuchadnezzar the king was lifted up and was exalted against God. "the wings therefore were plucked" that is, his glory was destroyed; for he was driven out of his kingdom." St. Hippolytus.

"And behold another beast like a bear." 5:5
"That denotes the Persians. For after the Babylonians, the Persians held the sovereign power." St. Hippolytus.

"The Persian kingdom followed a rigorous and frugal manner. This is the same as that of which we read in the vision of the statue; 'his chest and arms were of silver"(2:32), the comparison here is based on the ferocity of the bear.' St. Jerome.

"As in saying that there were 'three ribs in the mouth of it' he pointed to the kingdoms of the Persisans, and the Medes, and the Babylonians;` which were also represented on the image by the silver after the gold." St. Hippolytus.

"All of these three kingdoms were reduced to a single realm." St. Jerome.

"Stood up on one sides according to St. Jerome, the Hebrews interpret it by saying that the Persians never perpetrated any cruelty against Israel. Hence they are described in the Prophecy of Zachariah also as "white horses" Zechariah 1

"and they said to him: 'Arise and devour flesh in abundance', this refers to an order given, but never attempted, that all the Jews be slaughtered on a single day. Esther 3, thus the Prophecy says not 'He was devouring them', but rather "Thus they spake unto him." St. Jerome.

"After this I beheld, and there was another ..." 7:6
"The third beast refers to the Greeks, for after the Persians, Alexander of Macedon obtained the sovereign power, this is also shown by the brass on the image.

"And in saying that it had 'four Clogs of a fowl.' he taught us most clearly how the kingdom of Alexander was partitioned. For Alexander, when dying, partitioned out his kingdom into four divisions." St. Hippolytus.

"It is compared to a leopard because it is very swift and impetuous. There was never, after all, any victory won more quickly than Alexander's, for he traversed all the way from Illyricum and the Adriatic Sea to the Indian Ocean and the Ganges ,River, not merely fighting battles but winning decisive victories; and in six years he subjugated to his rule a portion of Europe and all of Asia." St. Jerome.

"And power was given to it." St. Jerome says that the Empire did not result from Alexander's bravery but from the will of God.

"After this, I beheld in the night-vision, and behold there was a fourth beast, terrible and wonderful ..." 7:7.
"The fourth empire is the Roman Empire, which now occupies the whole world, and concerning which it was said in connection with the image; "Its lower legs were of iron, and part of its feet of iron, and part of clay."

"It is very strange that he did not compare the Roman realm to any sort of beast. Perhaps in order to render the beast more fearsome indeed that he gave it no name, intending thereby that we should understand the Romans to partake of all more ferocious characteristics we might think of in connection with beasts." St. Jerome.

Devouring and crushing, and everything that was left he stamped to pieces under feet."-"  This signifies that all nations have been slain by the Romans or else have been subjected to tribute and servitude." St. Jerome.

"And who are these but the Romans, which are meant by the iron?, and mystically the toes of the feet of the image mean the kings who are to arise from among them." St. Hippolytus.

"I was looking at the horns, and behold ..." 7:8 "We should concur with the traditional interpretation of all the commentators of the Christian Church, that at the end of the world, "when the Roman Empire is to be destroyed, there shall be ten kings who will partition the Roman world amongst themselves. Then an insignificant eleventh king will arise, who will overcome three of the ten kings, that is, the kings of Egypt, North Africa, and Ethiopia. Then after they have been slain, the seven other kings also will bow their necks to the victor." St. Jerome.

"And under this was signified none other than ANTICHRIST, who is also himself to raise the kingdom of the Jews. He says that three horns are plucked up by the roots by him, viz, the three kings of Egypt, and Libya, and Ethiopia, whom he cuts off in the array of battle. And he, after gaining terrible power over all, being nevertheless a tyrant, shall set up tribulation and persecution against men, exalting himself against them." St. Hippolytus.

"Let us not follow the opinion of some commentators and suppose him to be either the Devil or some demon, but rather, one of the human race, in whom Satan will take up his residence in bodily form. "...and a mouth uttering overweening boasts. For this is'the man of sin', the 'son of perdition', and that too to such a degree that he dares to sit in the temple of God, making himself out to be like God." St. Jerome.

"As these things then are in the future, and as the ten toes of the image are equivalent to so MANY DEMOCRACIES and the ten horns of the fourth beast are distributed over ten kingdoms." St. Hippolytus.

Here also what St John saw on the island of Patmos: ''And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns, like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and he made the earth  and them which dwell therein to warship the first beast, whose deadly wound was  healed. And he did great wonders:, so that  he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, kind  deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had  power to do in the sight of the beast,   saying to them that dwell on the earth  that they should make an image to the  beast which had the wound by a sword and  did live. And he had power to give life  l unto the image of the best, that the image of the beast should both speak and  cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.  And he caused all, both small and great rich and poor, free and bond, to receive  a mark in their right hand or in their forehead; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred threescore and six." Revelation 8:11-18

St. Hippolytus comments on the foregoing passage as follows:
"By the beast, then, coming up out of the earth, he means the kingdom of Antichrist; and by the two horns he means him and the false prophet with him. And in speaking of "the horns being a lamb", he means that he will make himself like the Son of God, and set himself forward as king. And the terms, 'he spake like a dragon', mean that he is a deceiver, and not truthful. And the words, "he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed", signify that, after the manner of the law of Augustus, by whom the empire of Rome was established, he too will rule and govern, sanctioning everything by it, and taking greater glory to himself. For this is the fourth beast whose head was wounded and healed, in its being broken up or divided into four crowns; and he [Antichrist] then shall heal it, and restore it."

Summary of the visions

The golden head of the image and the lioness denote the Babylonians; the shoulders and arms of silver, and the bear, represent the Persians and the Medes; the belly and thighs of brass, and the leopard, mean the Greeks, who held the sovereignty from Alexander's time; the legs of iron, and the beast dreadful and terrible, expressed the Romans, who held the sovereignty for a time; the toes of the feet which were part clay and part iron, and the ten horns, were emblems of the kingdoms that are yet to rise; the other little horn that grows up among them meant the Antichrist in their midst; the stone that smites the earth and brings judgment upon the world was Christ.