Who is antichrist and what does the Bible say

The Bible speaks of a mysterious character called the Antichrist, the false Christ, the man of illegality or the beast. The scriptures do not specifically name the Antichrist but provide us with several clues as to how it will be. By looking at the different names of the Antichrist in the Bible, we get a better understanding of the type of person he will be.

Traits of the Antichrist Described in the Bible
Clever: Revelation 13:18; Daniel 7: 8.
Charismatic speaker: Daniel 7: 8 Revelation 13: 5.
Smart politician: Daniel 9:27; Revelation 17:12, 13, 17.
Distinct physical aspect: Daniel 7:20.
Military genius: Revelation 4; 17:14; 19:19.
Economic genius: Daniel 11:38.
Blasphemer: Revelation 13: 6.
Absolutely lawless: 2 Thessalonians 2: 8.
Selfish and ambitious egomaniac: Daniel 11:36, 37; 2 Thessalonians 2: 4.
Greedy Materialists: Daniel 11:38.
Check: Daniel 7:25.
Proud and exhilarating above God and all: Daniel 11:36; 2 Thessalonians. 2: 4.
antichrist
The name "Antichrist" is found only in 1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4: 3 and 2 John 7. The apostle John was the only biblical writer to use the name Antichrist. By studying these verses, we learn that many antichrists (false teachers) will appear between the time of the first and second coming of Christ, but there will be a great antichrist who will rise to power during the final times, or "last hour" as 1 John expresses it. .

The Antichrist will deny that Jesus is the Christ. He will deny both God the Father and God the Son and he will be a liar and a deceiver. First John 4: 1-3 says:

“Beloved, do not believe in all spirits, but test the spirits, be they of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. With this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist , which you have heard coming and which is already in the world now. "(NKJV)
In the end, many will be easily deceived and will embrace the Antichrist because his spirit will already inhabit the world.

Man of Sin
In 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4, the Antichrist is described as "the man of sin" or "son of perdition". Here the apostle Paul, like John, warned believers of the ability of the Antichrist to deceive:

"Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the fall comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that he is called God or he is worshiped, so he sits like God in the temple of God, proving to be God. " (NKJV)
The NIV Bible makes clear that a moment of rebellion will come before the return of Christ and then "the man of illegality, the man condemned to destruction" will be revealed. Eventually, the Antichrist will exalt himself over God to be worshiped in the Temple of the Lord, proclaiming himself God. Verses 9-10 say that the Antichrist will perform counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders to gain a following and deceive many.

The beast
In Revelation 13: 5-8, the Antichrist is referred to as "the beast:"

“So the beast was allowed to pronounce great blasphemies against God. And he was given the authority to do what he wanted for forty-two months. And he uttered terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his home - that is, those who dwell in heaven. And the beast was allowed to wage war on and conquer the holy people of God. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe, people, language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world adored the beast. They are those whose names had not been written in the Book of Life before the world was created: the Book which belongs to the Lamb who was massacred. "(NLT)
We see "the beast" used several times for the Antichrist in the book of Revelation.

The Antichrist will acquire political power and spiritual authority over every nation on earth. He will most likely begin his rise to power as a highly influential, charismatic, political or religious diplomat. It will govern the world government for 42 months. According to many eschatologists, this period of time is included in the last 3,5 years of the tribulation. During this time, the world will experience an unprecedented period of trouble.

A small horn
In Daniel's prophetic vision of the last days, we see "a small horn" described in chapters 7, 8 and 11. In the interpretation of the dream, this small horn is a sovereign or king and speaks of the Antichrist. Daniel 7: 24-25 says:

“The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will rise, different from the previous ones; will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set of times and laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half times. "(NIV)
According to some biblical scholars of the end of time, Daniel's prophecy interpreted together with the verses of the Apocalypse, specifically indicates a future world empire coming from a "revived" or "reborn" Roman empire, just like the one existing at the time of Christ. These scholars predict that the Antichrist will emerge from this Roman race.

Joel Rosenberg, author of fiction books (Dead Heat, The Copper Scroll, Ezekiel Option, The Last Days, The Last Jihad) and non-fiction (Epicenter and Inside the Revolution) on biblical prophecy, bases his conclusions on a large study of the scriptures including Daniel's prophecy, Ezekiel 38-39 and the book of Revelation. He believes that at first the antichrist will not look bad, but rather a charming diplomat. In an interview with CNN in 2008, he said that the Antichrist will be "someone who understands the economy and the global sphere and wins people, a captivating character".

"No business will be done without its approval," said Rosenberg. "He will be ... seen as an economic genius, a genius of foreign policy. And it will come out of Europe. Since chapter 9 of Daniel says, the prince, who is to come, the antichrist, will come from people who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple ... Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. We are looking for someone from a reconstituted Roman empire ... "
False Christ
In the Gospels (Mark 13, Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21), Jesus warned his followers of terrible events and persecutions that will occur before his second coming. Most likely, it is here that the concept of antichrist was first introduced to the disciples, although Jesus did not refer to him in the singular:

"Because false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." (Matthew 24:24, NKJV)
Conclusion
Is the Antichrist alive today? He could be. Will we recognize it? Maybe not at the beginning. However, the best way to avoid being deceived by the spirit of the Antichrist is to get to know Jesus Christ and be ready for his return.