But just as prior to the Incarnation, when it was anticipated that God would be born of a Virgin, the devil cunningly twisted this truth through the fanciful teachings of idolaters, claiming that false deities are born of mortal women, hoping that such deception would lead them away from belief in the truth, similarly, before the second coming of the true Christ, the adversary, having manipulated the expectations of the populace, particularly the circumcised, will unveil a certain sorcerer, deeply skilled in deceitful and malevolent arts. This individual, seeking to usurp authority over the Roman realm, will falsely proclaim himself to be Christ, thereby misleading the Jews who await the Messiah, and the Gentiles will also be fooled by his illusory sorcery.
The prophesied Antichrist will emerge when the era of the Roman Empire comes to a close, and the end of the world approaches. Ten kings of Rome will arise in concert, ruling simultaneously in various regions. Following them, the eleventh will appear as the Antichrist, claiming dominion over the Roman kingdoms through wicked sorcery. He will overthrow three of the kings who reign before him, while the remaining seven will remain under his control. Initially, he will display the wisdom and compassion associated with a figure of honor and reason; having deceived the Jews, posing as the awaited Christ through signs and wonders and deceitful flattery, he will ultimately exhibit the full spectrum of inhumanity and evil, surpassing all who were unrighteous before him. He will harbor murderous, cruel, and merciless thoughts against all, especially against Christians, revealing himself in various ways. This reign of horror will last for three years and six months; and thereafter, he will be vanquished at the second glorious coming from heaven of the only begotten Son of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus the true Christ, who will destroy the Antichrist ‘by the Spirit of his mouth’ (2 Thess. 2:8) and cast him into the flames of Gehenna.
We derive this understanding not from our imagination, but from the Holy Scriptures proclaimed in the Church, particularly from the recently read prophecy of Daniel; as elucidated by the Archangel Gabriel, who stated: ‘The fourth beast, the fourth kingdom will be upon the earth, and it will surpass all kingdoms’ (Dan. 7:23). Church interpreters hold that this kingdom represents the Roman Empire. The first noted kingdom was Assyrian, the second comprised the Medes and Persians, the third was Macedonian; and the fourth is the presently established Roman kingdom. Furthermore, it asserts that ‘And three kings will be humbled,’ a clear reference from the ten previously mentioned. After the overthrow of three kings from this number, it is evident that the eighth will come to reign. ‘And he shall speak words,’ as it further states, ‘against the Most High’ (Dan. 7:23), as a blasphemer and an offender, seizing the kingdom not from his forebears, but through sorcery.
THEOSIS