A Recent Antichrist Conference

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Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:3, ESV).

Recently, Peter Thiel (founder of PayPal® and a high-tech investor) held a conference entitled …

The Antichrist: A Four-Part Lecture Series

I couldn’t attend … HHHRRRMMMFFF* (means “frustration”) as the conference, held on four consecutive Tuesdays in September and October in San Francisco, sold out in minutes. Those attending were told that the lectures were off the record, with attendees barred from taking photos, videos, or audio recordings. 

And I assume there weren’t social media influencers taking selfies in the lobby, which contributed to the selling out in minutes!!!

There have been lots of conversations lately about the Second Coming, with discussion on the Rapture, what’s holding back the Anti-Christ from coming, pre-millennialism, end times nationalism, ushering in the soon return of Jesus, many speculations, and ensuing debates. Just bringing up the Second Coming and Biblical prophecy fires the starter’s pistol for arguments.

Theil opened his first lecture with this comment …

A basic definition of the antichrist: some people think of it as a type of very bad person. Sometimes it’s used more generally as a spiritual descriptor of the forces of evil. What I will focus on is the most common and most dramatic interpretation of antichrist: an evil king or tyrant or anti-messiah who appears in the end times.

Now you’re thinking, “Pastor Grant, you didn’t attend the conference, and there were no recordings of the conference, how did you get that quote?” I could claim that I attended “in the Spirit,” but I choose to keep my mouth shut.

I confess that I generally agree with Peter PayPal’s (sorry, couldn’t resist the alliteration) opening words.

To ensure that both Peter and I stay on the narrow path, I looked up a description of the antichrist from what I consider to be the most trusted source defining Biblical end-times prophecy, Lamb & Lion Ministries (www.christinprophecy.org) … 

The Bible teaches that in the end times, right before the return of Jesus, the greatest political leader in the history of Mankind will emerge from Europe. After taking over that area by diplomatic cunning and deceit, he will launch a military campaign that will result in his acquiring “authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation” (Revelation 13:7). His empire will be the most extensive in all of history, encompassing the entire world, and his rule will be the most demonic the world has ever experienced.

Again, I agree. And in future editions of Interruptions, I’ll explain why. But I want to end with Peter Thiel’s comment about the antichrist that he gave while closing his lecture series … 

There is a way to think that the antichrist represents the end of philosophy – culmination, termination. He is the individual who gets rid of all individuals; the philosopher who ends all philosophers; the Caesar who ends all rulers; the person who understands all secrets. How is this possible in late modernity, where we don’t believe a philosopher-king, tyrant, or ruler can come to power?**

Again, and again — I agree.

*New OG expression used for the first time in Interruptions.

**Yes, another forbidden quote. My AI Assistant can go anywhere at any time — past, present, or future.