How does the antichrist pave the way for humanity to accept him? And what are the signs of his coming?

Who is the antichrist? He is the adversary of Christ who strives to wipe out Christianity, but he will come to a terrible end: “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thess. 2:8). The work of the enemy of good is to propagate the spirit of hatred between brethren to pave the way for the coming of the antichrist; for the devil creates division amongst people until they are ready to accept what has been foreordained.

Upon this matter, the apostle Paul clearly indicates the coming of the antichrist: “for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thess. 2:3–10).

St. Cyril of Jerusalem says, “Look therefore to yourself, O man, and make safe your soul. The Church now charges you before the Living God; she declares to you the things concerning Antichrist before they arrive. Whether they will happen in your time we know

not, or whether they will happen after you we know not; but it is well that, knowing these things, you should make yourself secure beforehand.”¹²³⁸