Expert: Dr. Tim Gladu - 11/29/2007

Question
I have read the book of revelation and its full of images and sceneries...
They say it's 10% literal and 90$ symbolical.I just want to know about the antichrist. Some say it's Hitler or Saddam or whoever they say. Some said it is yet to come and others believe he existed before in the early centuries...
What's your view about this?
And about it's mark. They said its tattooed on the forehead and on the right hand and yet in Revelation says 'the whole world wonders after the beast'. If this is literal the no one would possibly let their hand or forehead be marked...
But yet the whole world wondered after the beast...
What is it?

Answer
Ralph,

The Anti-christ is the figure that will bring about the end times. We are almost certain that he will come out of Europe. He will be a great world leader that will be loved by all. He will be able to deceive the world. They will follow him because he will bring about world peace for a short time. The mark in the hand and the forehead is to copy God. God will place a mark in the forehead of the 144,000 Jews who will be appointed by God to spread the Word when the church is raptured. The mark will be required to be able to conduct business so people will take it and not realize what they are doing. The book of Revelation is just part of the end time prophecy. The book of Daniel is also really filled with end times. The 24th chapter of Matthew is another good place to look. Revelation is just the tip of end time prophecy. Satan is the Anti-christ and he will be followed by many false prophets. I would suggest that you look up some commentaries on line and they will help you in learning about these different passages.