Antichrist will be close to the devil as no other person in the history of the world.
He will be a real instrument of satan.
In turn, the false prophet, who is called in the Scriptures the second beast, will be Antichrist's closest ally.
Through Antichrist, satan will give enormous power and authority to the false prophet, who will act with all the authority of the first beast, and
will compel all the earth and all those living upon the earth to bow down before him.
Through the miracles that the beast will grant the false prophet to perform, the latter will deceive many, telling them to make an image to the beast
(13:14): And he will be given power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as
would not worship the image of the beast should all be killed (Rev. 13:11-12, 14-15).
From the second verse of the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation, one can conclude that it is precisely thanks to the false prophet that many
people will accept the mark of the beast. However, three and a half years later the reign of lawlessness will come to an end, for the Lord Jesus
Christ will appear in glory and overwhelm all the enemies of God.
And the devil will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for
ever and ever (Rev. 20:10).
Many people think that the seal of the Antichrist will be something like a stamp or brand, or an electronic chip implanted under the skin.
The basis for such thinking lies in the fantastically rapid development of science and technology in this direction. Most likely, however, this
scientific development is designed to distract mankind's attention from the real mark of Antichrist, which will have nothing to do with the advances
of science, technology or medicine.
At a time when people's suspicions and anxieties are fixed upon some innovation of progress-the implantation of computer chips in humans, for
example-the real seal of Antichrist will be imprinted quietly, without any particular commotion.
In a spiritual sense, this satanic mystery - the imprinting of the mark of Antichrist - will be the antithesis of the Christian Mystery of
Chrismation,
which, we recall, is the placing of the seal of the Holy Spirit, while imitating its external form. Just as in the Mystery of Chrismation, the priest
anoints the newly-illumined on the forehead and hands, so, too, in the placing of the mark of Antichrist, his servants may well anoint people with
some kind of "sacred" oil, which will symbolize the voluntary acceptance of Antichrist and his religion.
The iconographic tradition of the Orthodox Church supports this supposition. In the iconographic sketch, illustrating the pouring out of God's wrath
upon those bearing the mark of the beast - that is, the seal of Antichrist (Rev. 16:1,2) - we see satan wearing a fiery three-horned crown
(symbolizing the trinity of evil); he is signing people on the forehead with the mark of the beast - the seal of Antichrist.
Moreover, he is using a brush, dipping into a vial that he is holding in his other hand (The Illuminated Bible, 1914). Why is it that the illustration
depicts satan himself placing the mark?
Because it symbolizes his spiritual presence among those numerous servants of the religion of Antichrist, who will actually place the mark upon the
peoples of the earth.
Of course, the sign of Antichrist may be placed by means other than a brush - by some other "sacred" instrument or simply by the hand of a servant
of the universal (Antichrist's) religion.
Whatever the actual means, the aim is to induce people to renounce Christ.
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[Edited on 11-4-2003 by helen670]