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The Man of Sin: Uncovering the Truth about the Antichrist
The doctrine of the Antichrist is one of the most interesting doctrines found in Scripture, says author Kim Riddlebarger. Unfortunately, it's also one which has been subject to far more speculation than sound biblical exegesis. Until now.
Unlike other resources available on the Antichrist, The Man of Sin focuses on Scripture, not contemporary events, to uncover the truth about this mysterious entity. With skilled exegesis Riddlebarger asserts that, contrary to popular speculation, the Antichrist is not a singular individual but a series of beings that will arise to challenge Christ throughout the inter-advental age before culminating in an end-times Antichrist. Backing this claim first in Scripture, Riddlebarger also draws from historical teachings including those of the church fathers, the Reformation, and historic Protestantism, before contrasting this evidence to the sensational interpretations of many contemporary writers.
Pastors, teachers, and study groups wanting to understand the doctrine of the Antichrist
will find The Man of Sin to be a unique and comprehensive study.
Unlike other resources available on the Antichrist, The Man of Sin focuses on Scripture, not contemporary events, to uncover the truth about this mysterious entity. With skilled exegesis Riddlebarger asserts that, contrary to popular speculation, the Antichrist is not a singular individual but a series of beings that will arise to challenge Christ throughout the inter-advental age before culminating in an end-times Antichrist. Backing this claim first in Scripture, Riddlebarger also draws from historical teachings including those of the church fathers, the Reformation, and historic Protestantism, before contrasting this evidence to the sensational interpretations of many contemporary writers.
Pastors, teachers, and study groups wanting to understand the doctrine of the Antichrist
will find The Man of Sin to be a unique and comprehensive study.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Kim Riddlebarger
90 books27 followersDr. Riddlebarger is a minister in the United Reformed Churches of North America and currently pastors Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim, CA. He is also visiting professor of systematic theology at Westminster Seminary California and a frequent contributor to Tabletalk and Modern Reformation. He has written two books on the end times: A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times, and The Man of Sin: Uncovering The Truth About the Antichrist. For free resources on this subject visit his blog, The Riddleblog, where he has a plethora of free charts, manuscripts and audio.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 17, 2020
Riddlebarger advances the thesis that the Scriptures give us a typology of antichrists which will culminate in a future, individual Antichrist, or Man of Sin. This is an accessible read for the lay person. Riddlebarger covers the necessary scholarship, but he never overwhelms the reader. I agree with him on a personal, future Antichrist but demur at points concerning the exegesis of Daniel and Matthew 24. While I think “double-fulfillment” is plausible, I think a stronger case needs to be made for it. To be fair to Riddlebarger, though, that wasn’t his main point.
The drama begins with the two seeds (cities) in the Garden. From there Riddlebarger gives us a line up of OT types of Antichrist:
1) Nimrod
2) Pharaoh. He even has magicians who are able to match Moses and Aaron. This is demonic agency (Rev. 13:11-17).
3) Nebuchadnezzar: The Image of the Beast. Lots of connections with Nimrod. Tower/Golden Image; Both in roughly the same area.
Antichrist and Daniel’s 70th Week.
I am just stating Riddlebarger’s argument. I’m not endorsing or critiquing it. He identifies the “covenant” in verse 27 with “the covenant of grace.”
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog are symbols of all nations who come from the ends of the earth to war upon the saints.
Doctrine of the Antichrist in the New Testament Era
Much of Riddlebarger’s argument depends on “double-fulfillment.” I’m iffy on this. It seems like special pleading. However, it does seem to work with the fall of Jerusalem and the Olivet Discourse. It won’t convince heretical full preterists, but it can blunt some partial preterist arguments.
The Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet
Old Testament Background
He takes a somewhat unique line with Nero. Pace Gentry, he doesn’t see Nero as the Beast. Notwithstanding, Nero is important for revelation, for even on a late date reading, John utilizes (or his readers would have understood) the Nero Redivivus myth.
The section on Puritan eschatology goes through the standard arguments for historicism, which Riddlebarger isn’t buying. While we associate eschatological speculation with dispensationalists, it is the historicists who really own the game. The English Civil war was a ready-made template.
Most historicists date the beginning of the Papacy at 600 AD (for Edwards it was 606). From these calculations Edwards concluded that Antichrist would fall around 1866. Unfortunately, for speculative purposes, Catholicism began to wane. We see a moderating trend in Charles Hodge. Actually, Hodge’s exposition of Antichrist is pretty good.
Figure of the Past or Future Foe?
1) A series of antichrists will arise from within the church and will be tied to a particular heresy.
2) A repeated manifestation of the Beast throughout history.
3) The final manifestation of Antichrist is state-enforced heresy.
Problems with Preterism
Arguments in favor:
1) Rev. 11 seems to mention a physical temple, which would imply it was still standing.
Response: The language in Revelation is symbolic. If it is literal, then we have the odd case of the Gentiles’ occupying the outer court for 3 ½ years but leaving the inner court undefiled.
2) The seven heads and sevens clearly suggest Rome, so we have six kings before AD 70, the last of which is Nero.
Response: With which emperor do you begin counting? If we start with Julius Caesar, then we get Nero. But if we start with the first official emperor, Augustus, we do not get Nero.
3) Some preterists argue that Jerusalem is Babylon, since it was the “city in which our Lord was crucified.”
Response: That same city is also called “Sodom and Egypt,” so we probably aren’t dealing with literal terms.
4) He is coming with the clouds, and the reference in Zechariah clearly refers to the generation who pierced him.
Response: The reference in Zech. is to Israel’s final salvation, not her final judgment.
The drama begins with the two seeds (cities) in the Garden. From there Riddlebarger gives us a line up of OT types of Antichrist:
1) Nimrod
2) Pharaoh. He even has magicians who are able to match Moses and Aaron. This is demonic agency (Rev. 13:11-17).
3) Nebuchadnezzar: The Image of the Beast. Lots of connections with Nimrod. Tower/Golden Image; Both in roughly the same area.
Antichrist and Daniel’s 70th Week.
I am just stating Riddlebarger’s argument. I’m not endorsing or critiquing it. He identifies the “covenant” in verse 27 with “the covenant of grace.”
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog are symbols of all nations who come from the ends of the earth to war upon the saints.
Doctrine of the Antichrist in the New Testament Era
Much of Riddlebarger’s argument depends on “double-fulfillment.” I’m iffy on this. It seems like special pleading. However, it does seem to work with the fall of Jerusalem and the Olivet Discourse. It won’t convince heretical full preterists, but it can blunt some partial preterist arguments.
The Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet
Old Testament Background
He takes a somewhat unique line with Nero. Pace Gentry, he doesn’t see Nero as the Beast. Notwithstanding, Nero is important for revelation, for even on a late date reading, John utilizes (or his readers would have understood) the Nero Redivivus myth.
The section on Puritan eschatology goes through the standard arguments for historicism, which Riddlebarger isn’t buying. While we associate eschatological speculation with dispensationalists, it is the historicists who really own the game. The English Civil war was a ready-made template.
Most historicists date the beginning of the Papacy at 600 AD (for Edwards it was 606). From these calculations Edwards concluded that Antichrist would fall around 1866. Unfortunately, for speculative purposes, Catholicism began to wane. We see a moderating trend in Charles Hodge. Actually, Hodge’s exposition of Antichrist is pretty good.
Figure of the Past or Future Foe?
1) A series of antichrists will arise from within the church and will be tied to a particular heresy.
2) A repeated manifestation of the Beast throughout history.
3) The final manifestation of Antichrist is state-enforced heresy.
Problems with Preterism
Arguments in favor:
1) Rev. 11 seems to mention a physical temple, which would imply it was still standing.
Response: The language in Revelation is symbolic. If it is literal, then we have the odd case of the Gentiles’ occupying the outer court for 3 ½ years but leaving the inner court undefiled.
2) The seven heads and sevens clearly suggest Rome, so we have six kings before AD 70, the last of which is Nero.
Response: With which emperor do you begin counting? If we start with Julius Caesar, then we get Nero. But if we start with the first official emperor, Augustus, we do not get Nero.
3) Some preterists argue that Jerusalem is Babylon, since it was the “city in which our Lord was crucified.”
Response: That same city is also called “Sodom and Egypt,” so we probably aren’t dealing with literal terms.
4) He is coming with the clouds, and the reference in Zechariah clearly refers to the generation who pierced him.
Response: The reference in Zech. is to Israel’s final salvation, not her final judgment.
November 13, 2012
Riddlebarger offers exegetical and responsible guidance on the doctrine of the Antichrist. The benefit of this book is that it is clear and organized--clearly a product of extensive research and reflection. In the first chapter, he chastens contemporary evangelicalism's obsession with eschatology in general and the Antichrist in particular. Second, a survey of OT forerunners of the Antichrist is presented: Cain, Nimrod, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar. Third, preliminary considerations concerning the eschatological nature of the new covenant is established. In chapters 4-6, Riddlebarger looks at John's epistles, the Book of the Revelation, and 2 Thessalonians on the NT's primary teaching on the Antichrist. The book continues with a brief survey of the teaching throughout church history. In his conclusion, Riddlebarger summarizes his main conclusions. The appendix argues for a late date for John's Apocalypse.
December 22, 2021
I was asked recently whether there was a difference between the Antichrist and the Man of Sin. My initial response was yes. The term “Antichrist” is only found in 1 & 2 John and is used as a broad category to refer to anyone who denies that Jesus was sent by God. This is very different from Paul’s description of the “man of sin” as a specific individual in 2 Thessalonians 2. Therefore the two must not be the same. But the more I thought it, the less convinced I was of my original answer especially because the theological category of Antichrist is much larger than the isolated use of the individual term. All this is what lead me to Riddlebarger’s fantastic book.
Riddlebarger begins his book by dispelling several different Antichrist misconceptions in our contemporary culture. He argues that these misconceptions have lead to a morbid curiosity and undue speculation about the identity of the anti-Christ.
Riddlebarger then shifts the focus to the Biblical data. He starts by tracing the doctrine of Antichrist to its Old Testament roots. I found this section to be very informative and enlightening. I often miss the rich connections from the Old Testament which clearly informed the writers of the New. Riddlebarger does a great job helping bring these out.
In shifting to the New Testament, Riddlebarger focuses on three main texts. First he examines Antichrist in 1 & 2 John. He then looks at the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet in the book of Revelation. He finishes by focusing on the Man of Lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians. These three sections are wonderfully compelling but they are theologically dense and I could see how many would find them too challenging.
Riddlebarger follows this by tracing Antichrist speculation throughout Church history. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book. It should be required reading for anyone who wants to engage with this this topic. The vast and varied views on the Antichrist throughout church history should humble us and give us pause before boldly claiming more than Scripture allows.
Riddlebarger finishes the book by synthesizing and summarizing his findings. He concludes that the Antichrist is not just a future reality but a “past, present, and future foe”. The Antichrist shows up throughout history primary through state-enforced heresy and state-sponsored persecution of the church. But these partial fulfillments will culminate in a final climatic manifestation of Antichrist leading up to the second advent of Jesus Christ.
So is there a difference between the the Antichrist and the Man of Sin? I now am much clearer on my answer, but to be honest it still depends on what you mean!
10 Quotes:
1. The final manifestation of Antichrist will amount to an unholy marriage between the bride of heresy and blasphemy against Christ and his kingdom and a groom that takes the form of a satanically energized state (government), which pours out its wrath upon the people of God. The appearance of this individual—commonly called the Antichrist—in whom these two powers merge (heresy and the worship of state) is the supreme and final harbinger of the coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the age to judge the world, raise the dead, and make all things new.
2. While the recently developed dispensational variety of Antichrist speculation dominates our age, we are not the first generation of Christians who lived when “pin the tail on the Antichrist” was a popular Christian pastime.
3. Because we live in an age when Christians are not well-informed about either biblical teaching or the reflection of the church, many professing Christians fear an enemy of which Scripture does not speak (a slick, young world leader, such as a Nicolae Carpathia), and they ignore those enemies of which Scripture repeatedly warns—purveyors of false doctrine within our own churches and tyrannical governments that persecute God’s people.
4. It is my opinion that the resurgence of various forms of preterism is due, in part, to the continual overreaching on the part of dispensationalists.
5. The insertion of a gap of at least two thousand years between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week is a self-contradictory violation of the dispensationalists’ professed literal hermeneutic.
6. It is the failure to acknowledge the obvious covenantal context of the messianic covenant-maker of verse 27, who confirms a covenant with the many, which leads dispensationalists to confuse Christ with Antichrist. A more serious interpretive error is hard to imagine. In fact, many of the differences between the dispensationalist understanding of Antichrist and that of historic Protestants result from the dispensational misidentification of Christ as Antichrist in this passage.
7. Some have advocated that John is correcting an earlier tradition in which antichrist was seen as a supernatural opponent. John’s goal here, it is argued, is to “depersonalize” Antichrist, removing the need for undue speculation.
8. Whenever the people of God remain faithful to God’s covenant promises, the powers that be will inevitably resent the fact that the loyalty of God’s people is nontransferable. The biblical record describes tyrant after tyrant seeking to sever God’s people from union with their covenant Lord—a union grounded in God’s presence with his people through word and sacrament (ceremonies of covenant ratification).
9. The number of man, 666, is “perfectly imperfect” in contrast to the number of perfection—seven. The thrice repeated number “6” implies endless work without rest. The creational pattern was for humans to work for six days and then rest on the seventh as did the Creator. But in this case, those who take the mark of the beast work endlessly and never do enter the hoped-for Sabbath rest.
10. Ladd believes that Paul is describing a pattern of events (of which the Roman Empire is the archetype) in which various states and governments will repeatedly become the persecutor of God’s people. The state will take divine rights and prerogatives unto itself, manifest in the act of worship of the state or its leader.
Riddlebarger begins his book by dispelling several different Antichrist misconceptions in our contemporary culture. He argues that these misconceptions have lead to a morbid curiosity and undue speculation about the identity of the anti-Christ.
Riddlebarger then shifts the focus to the Biblical data. He starts by tracing the doctrine of Antichrist to its Old Testament roots. I found this section to be very informative and enlightening. I often miss the rich connections from the Old Testament which clearly informed the writers of the New. Riddlebarger does a great job helping bring these out.
In shifting to the New Testament, Riddlebarger focuses on three main texts. First he examines Antichrist in 1 & 2 John. He then looks at the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet in the book of Revelation. He finishes by focusing on the Man of Lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians. These three sections are wonderfully compelling but they are theologically dense and I could see how many would find them too challenging.
Riddlebarger follows this by tracing Antichrist speculation throughout Church history. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book. It should be required reading for anyone who wants to engage with this this topic. The vast and varied views on the Antichrist throughout church history should humble us and give us pause before boldly claiming more than Scripture allows.
Riddlebarger finishes the book by synthesizing and summarizing his findings. He concludes that the Antichrist is not just a future reality but a “past, present, and future foe”. The Antichrist shows up throughout history primary through state-enforced heresy and state-sponsored persecution of the church. But these partial fulfillments will culminate in a final climatic manifestation of Antichrist leading up to the second advent of Jesus Christ.
So is there a difference between the the Antichrist and the Man of Sin? I now am much clearer on my answer, but to be honest it still depends on what you mean!
10 Quotes:
1. The final manifestation of Antichrist will amount to an unholy marriage between the bride of heresy and blasphemy against Christ and his kingdom and a groom that takes the form of a satanically energized state (government), which pours out its wrath upon the people of God. The appearance of this individual—commonly called the Antichrist—in whom these two powers merge (heresy and the worship of state) is the supreme and final harbinger of the coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the age to judge the world, raise the dead, and make all things new.
2. While the recently developed dispensational variety of Antichrist speculation dominates our age, we are not the first generation of Christians who lived when “pin the tail on the Antichrist” was a popular Christian pastime.
3. Because we live in an age when Christians are not well-informed about either biblical teaching or the reflection of the church, many professing Christians fear an enemy of which Scripture does not speak (a slick, young world leader, such as a Nicolae Carpathia), and they ignore those enemies of which Scripture repeatedly warns—purveyors of false doctrine within our own churches and tyrannical governments that persecute God’s people.
4. It is my opinion that the resurgence of various forms of preterism is due, in part, to the continual overreaching on the part of dispensationalists.
5. The insertion of a gap of at least two thousand years between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week is a self-contradictory violation of the dispensationalists’ professed literal hermeneutic.
6. It is the failure to acknowledge the obvious covenantal context of the messianic covenant-maker of verse 27, who confirms a covenant with the many, which leads dispensationalists to confuse Christ with Antichrist. A more serious interpretive error is hard to imagine. In fact, many of the differences between the dispensationalist understanding of Antichrist and that of historic Protestants result from the dispensational misidentification of Christ as Antichrist in this passage.
7. Some have advocated that John is correcting an earlier tradition in which antichrist was seen as a supernatural opponent. John’s goal here, it is argued, is to “depersonalize” Antichrist, removing the need for undue speculation.
8. Whenever the people of God remain faithful to God’s covenant promises, the powers that be will inevitably resent the fact that the loyalty of God’s people is nontransferable. The biblical record describes tyrant after tyrant seeking to sever God’s people from union with their covenant Lord—a union grounded in God’s presence with his people through word and sacrament (ceremonies of covenant ratification).
9. The number of man, 666, is “perfectly imperfect” in contrast to the number of perfection—seven. The thrice repeated number “6” implies endless work without rest. The creational pattern was for humans to work for six days and then rest on the seventh as did the Creator. But in this case, those who take the mark of the beast work endlessly and never do enter the hoped-for Sabbath rest.
10. Ladd believes that Paul is describing a pattern of events (of which the Roman Empire is the archetype) in which various states and governments will repeatedly become the persecutor of God’s people. The state will take divine rights and prerogatives unto itself, manifest in the act of worship of the state or its leader.
October 5, 2018
A fair minded summary of a biblical theme
Kim Riddlebarger does an excellent job of summarising the Bible’s teaching on the theme of Antichrist. Written from an amillennial perspective but with a judicious approach to other views, the strength of this text is its insistence on not over-emphasising contemporary applications of this biblical feature, while not so abstracting it that watchfulness and expectancy are quenched. A really helpful book on a controversial but crucial theme.
Kim Riddlebarger does an excellent job of summarising the Bible’s teaching on the theme of Antichrist. Written from an amillennial perspective but with a judicious approach to other views, the strength of this text is its insistence on not over-emphasising contemporary applications of this biblical feature, while not so abstracting it that watchfulness and expectancy are quenched. A really helpful book on a controversial but crucial theme.
November 14, 2013
An excellent exposition of the scriptures relating to Antichrist as seen through an amillennial lens. Riddlebarger doesn't fall into the trap of setting dates and other unbiblical speculation, but goes as far as the scriptures allow and no farther.
January 22, 2023
Biblical and historical amillennial perspective of the doctrine of the Antichrist. Reasonably helpful.
"Our focus should be upon the means by which God restrains the principle of lawlessness—the gospel—and we must not spend our energies upon useless speculation. Our hope as Christians lies not in our powers of prognostication but in the ultimate and final victory of the Lamb."
"Our focus should be upon the means by which God restrains the principle of lawlessness—the gospel—and we must not spend our energies upon useless speculation. Our hope as Christians lies not in our powers of prognostication but in the ultimate and final victory of the Lamb."
May 6, 2025
Riddlebarger does a great job going through passages pertaining to antichristic figures and the various interpretations historically delivered by the church. The misconceptions particularly with the futurist and preterist views are demonstrated clearly, which is pretty helpful considering the radical uprising of those eschatological views within the past couple centuries. Great read!
May 24, 2021
Great book on the doctrine of Antichrist! Mr. Riddlebarger gives a fantastic exposition on the Antichrist both from a Biblical and historical perspective. Plenty of great insight and observations. Sound teaching that avoids the fanatical speculations common from much of evangelicalism.
October 18, 2012
Very helpful on this subject without all the nuttiness that typically comes with this subject.
November 7, 2013
5 stars = Yearly re-read
4 stars = Re-read eventually
3 stars = Very Good
2 stars = OK
1 stars = Pass on this one.
0 stars = Couldn't finish it.
4 stars = Re-read eventually
3 stars = Very Good
2 stars = OK
1 stars = Pass on this one.
0 stars = Couldn't finish it.
November 29, 2015
This book gave more knowledge of eschatology for sure but the heavy amillenialism leaning prevent me from giving it five stars. I'm not positive all the information given is correct.
September 8, 2024
A REFORMED PASTOR (AND AMILLENNIALIST) LOOKS AT THE ANTICHRIST,
Kim Riddlebarger is senior pastor of Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim, and visiting professor at Westminster Seminary California. He is also cohost of the 'White Horse Inn' radio program, and author of 'The Case for Amillennialism.'
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2006 book, "I write this book as a Reformed Christian committed to an amillennial eschatology. I believe that the church has faced a series of antichrists from the time of the apostles and that this series of antichrists will culminate in the appearance of the Antichrist immediately before the return of Jesus Christ at the end of the age." (Pg. 13) He adds, "the Antichrist is (or will be) a figure of history. He is not merely a figment of the Christian imagination. He will have a name and a face, and he will be cast into the lake of fire by none other than Jesus Christ." (Pg. 14)
He observes, "The Reformers and their theological descendants were of one mind on this subject: the Antichrist is the pope---the so-called 'historicist' interpretation. Since the pope claimed to be the Vicar of Christ and promulgated doctrine Protestants did not believe to be biblical, the pope was considered to be the Man of Sin foretold by Paul in [2 Thess 2:3]." (Pg. 10)
He asserts, "According to the New Testament writers, Antichrist is a past, present and future foe. As the supreme mimic of Christ, Antichrist will stage his own death, resurrection, and second coming. The apostles faced him. The martyrs faced him. We must face him. And in one final outburst of satanic evil right before the time of the end, Antichrist will make one last dramatic appearance before going to his doom. Therefore, since Antichrist has already come, remains with us today, and will come again, understanding the tension between the already and the not yet is key to understanding what the doctrine of Antichrist actually entails, and understanding this tension enables us to know how we are to combat him." (Pg. 36)
On the interpretation of Daniel 9:24-27, he comments, "The insertion of a gap of at least two thousand years between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week is a self-contradictory violation of the dispensationalists' professed literal hermeneutic. Where is the gap to be found in the text? The dispensationalists must insert it." (Pg. 52)
Of Revelation 13, he suggests, "John is not predicting some form of technology off in the distant future associated with the beast's tyranny at the end of the age---although the beast may indeed use whatever technology is available to further his purposes. When John was given his vision in the midnineties of the first century, Nero had brutalized God's people twenty years earlier, and then the persecution waned, but it only recently had intensified again under Domitian. It looked like the beast had come back to life." (Pg. 99)
On "666" and the "mark of the beast" he says, "Gematria, or the practice of substituting letters for numbers, may indeed point in the direction of Nero. But even if Nero is referred to, we should be aware of the theological significance of the number. It is more important to understand what the number means than to identify the individual to whom it is referring... Six represents fallen humanity... The triple sixes indicate the beast who, along with the dragon (Satan) and the second beast (or false prophet) mimics the Holy trinity and is condemned to fall short of completeness. The beast can never rise above humanity to deity." (Pg. 174)
This detailed and groundbreaking book (particularly from an amillennialist!) will be of interest to a number of persons studying biblical prophecy---whether they always agree with Riddlebarger, or not.
Kim Riddlebarger is senior pastor of Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim, and visiting professor at Westminster Seminary California. He is also cohost of the 'White Horse Inn' radio program, and author of 'The Case for Amillennialism.'
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2006 book, "I write this book as a Reformed Christian committed to an amillennial eschatology. I believe that the church has faced a series of antichrists from the time of the apostles and that this series of antichrists will culminate in the appearance of the Antichrist immediately before the return of Jesus Christ at the end of the age." (Pg. 13) He adds, "the Antichrist is (or will be) a figure of history. He is not merely a figment of the Christian imagination. He will have a name and a face, and he will be cast into the lake of fire by none other than Jesus Christ." (Pg. 14)
He observes, "The Reformers and their theological descendants were of one mind on this subject: the Antichrist is the pope---the so-called 'historicist' interpretation. Since the pope claimed to be the Vicar of Christ and promulgated doctrine Protestants did not believe to be biblical, the pope was considered to be the Man of Sin foretold by Paul in [2 Thess 2:3]." (Pg. 10)
He asserts, "According to the New Testament writers, Antichrist is a past, present and future foe. As the supreme mimic of Christ, Antichrist will stage his own death, resurrection, and second coming. The apostles faced him. The martyrs faced him. We must face him. And in one final outburst of satanic evil right before the time of the end, Antichrist will make one last dramatic appearance before going to his doom. Therefore, since Antichrist has already come, remains with us today, and will come again, understanding the tension between the already and the not yet is key to understanding what the doctrine of Antichrist actually entails, and understanding this tension enables us to know how we are to combat him." (Pg. 36)
On the interpretation of Daniel 9:24-27, he comments, "The insertion of a gap of at least two thousand years between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week is a self-contradictory violation of the dispensationalists' professed literal hermeneutic. Where is the gap to be found in the text? The dispensationalists must insert it." (Pg. 52)
Of Revelation 13, he suggests, "John is not predicting some form of technology off in the distant future associated with the beast's tyranny at the end of the age---although the beast may indeed use whatever technology is available to further his purposes. When John was given his vision in the midnineties of the first century, Nero had brutalized God's people twenty years earlier, and then the persecution waned, but it only recently had intensified again under Domitian. It looked like the beast had come back to life." (Pg. 99)
On "666" and the "mark of the beast" he says, "Gematria, or the practice of substituting letters for numbers, may indeed point in the direction of Nero. But even if Nero is referred to, we should be aware of the theological significance of the number. It is more important to understand what the number means than to identify the individual to whom it is referring... Six represents fallen humanity... The triple sixes indicate the beast who, along with the dragon (Satan) and the second beast (or false prophet) mimics the Holy trinity and is condemned to fall short of completeness. The beast can never rise above humanity to deity." (Pg. 174)
This detailed and groundbreaking book (particularly from an amillennialist!) will be of interest to a number of persons studying biblical prophecy---whether they always agree with Riddlebarger, or not.
September 7, 2026
An excellent presentation of a Reformed amillennial approach to understanding the Antichrist. Riddlebarger interacts with other views, showing strengths and weaknesses. He exegetes key passages from Old and New Testaments, discussing the relationship between the Antichrist, the Beast and the Man of Lawlessness. He highlights examples of extrabiblical speculation in popular Christian culture, and scrupulously aims to avoid such speculation in his own understanding. Inn his own words, a summary of his view is:
"It is my contention that Christ’s church will face two significant threats associated with Antichrist. The first of these threats is a series of antichrists who arise within the church and are tied to a particular heresy—the denial that Jesus Christ is God in human flesh. This threat has been with us since the days of the apostles and will be present until the time of the end. The second threat is the repeated manifestation of the beast throughout the course of history, taking the form of state-sponsored persecution of Christ’s church, which will finally culminate in an end-times Antichrist. It is likely that these two distinct threats combine into a single threat at the time of the end."
"It is my contention that Christ’s church will face two significant threats associated with Antichrist. The first of these threats is a series of antichrists who arise within the church and are tied to a particular heresy—the denial that Jesus Christ is God in human flesh. This threat has been with us since the days of the apostles and will be present until the time of the end. The second threat is the repeated manifestation of the beast throughout the course of history, taking the form of state-sponsored persecution of Christ’s church, which will finally culminate in an end-times Antichrist. It is likely that these two distinct threats combine into a single threat at the time of the end."
May 24, 2024
I enjoyed this book. I think the author did a really good job of going over the relevant scriptures regarding the antichrist. He also gave us some history of the early church fathers and their beliefs regarding the end times. I may be a little biased in saying how good this book was, but it was just nice to read something that wasn't the stereotypical Hollywood, Left Behind, hogwash. I'm an Amillenialist. I appreciated that the author is an Amillenialist as well. He did a very good job trying to be objective, though. My one issue with the book was the excessive repetition. It felt unnecessary to keep reiterating the same points over and over; however, they say that repetition is the key to memory, and this is definitely a book I won't forget.
April 13, 2024
I do not know if I am 100% convinced of Riddlebarger's view of a future, personal eschatalogical antichrist, but I do see the strength of his arguments. This was very insightful on a topic fraught with speculation and fear-mongering, and lots of ignorance. But I am still going to refer to the Papacy as antichrist ;)
September 30, 2020
The only book I've read on Antichrist. It was messy and confusing, the story bounced around a lot. But it had some great information in it. If Ryan Pitterson writes an Antichrist book, I will definitely read it.
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May 12, 2023The author is supposed to be one of the big names in amillennialism. The book is much less than I expected. He interprets texts from many types of interpretation, on the theory that there are multiple fulfilments, so he is spared from consistency of method.
December 7, 2021
Excellent and easy to read.
It was a good exploration of the theme of antiChrist in scripture and a helpful critique of the dispensational end time understanding.
It was a good exploration of the theme of antiChrist in scripture and a helpful critique of the dispensational end time understanding.
December 28, 2021
An interesting read but not a lot new.
July 28, 2022
Good. This is a level headed book that corrects a lot of the speculation that is common.
April 3, 2015
This was an even handed review of all major, current understandings of the millennium. The author also covers views throughout Church history. It's interesting to see that even the Puritans were susceptible to end times fever. All along, the author does not hide that he is in favor of amillennialism. The take away for me is that religious and secular leaders will persecute the visible Church over the centuries (as we can all witness) until that time (which no one knows but the Father) when the final shattering of the power of the holy ones occurs (Daniel 12:7). Makes me want to be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing [me]; for as long as [I] practice these things, [I]will never stumble (2 Peter 1:10).
May 16, 2015
This book was an excellent scholarly and yet very readable book on a complex topic. Riddlebarger writes with great clarity and succinctness. Riddlebarger holds an amillenial view of Scripture. I found his summative conclusions on pp167ff to be extremely helpful in tying together his case. I would recommend this book highly to anyone with interest in this subject.
August 19, 2012
Great companion for A Case for Amillennialism (his first book). Clears up the Christian pop-culture of Eschatology mistranslations.
November 21, 2012
Excellent read !!
April 20, 2011
Very clearly explains many views. A lot of history about end time beliefs.
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