the
Fathers of the church, came to be universally, and probably correctly,
referred to the Roman empire. In this then consists the significant turn
given by St Paul in the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians to the whole
conception, namely, in the substitution for the tyrant of the latter
time who should persecute the Jewish people, of a pseudo-Messianic
figure, who, establishing himself in the temple of God, should find
credence and a following precisely among the Jews. And while the
originally Jewish idea led straight to the conception, set forth in
Revelation, of the Roman empire or its ruler as Antichrist, here, on the
contrary, it is probably the Roman empire that is the power which still
retards the reign of Antichrist. With this, the expectation of such an
event at last separates itself from any connexion with historical fact,
and becomes purely ideal. In this process of transformation of the idea,
which has become of importance for the history of the world, is revealed
probably the genius of Paul, or at any rate, that of the young
Christianity which was breaking its ties with Judaism and establishing
itself in the world of the Roman empire.

This version of the figure of Antichrist, who may now really for the
first time be described by this name, appears to have been at once
widely accepted in Christendom. The idea that the Jews would believe in
Antichrist, as punishment for not having believed in the true Christ,
seems to be expressed by the author of the fourth gospel (v. 43). The
conception of Antichrist as a perverter of men, leads naturally to his
connexion with false doctrine (1 John ii. 18, 22; iv. 3; 2 John 7). The
_Teaching of the Apostles_ (xvi. 4) describes his form in the same way
as 2 Thessalonians ([Greek: kai tote phainaesetai o kosmoplanos os uios
theoy kai poiei saemeia kai terata]). In the late Christian Sibylline
fragment (iii. 63 &c.) also, "Beliar" appears above all as a worker of
wonders, this figure having possibly been influenced by that of Simon
Magus. Finally the author of the Apocalypse of St John also has made use
of the new conception of Antichrist as a wonder-worker and seducer, and
has set his figure beside that of the "first" Beast which was for him
the actual embodiment of Antichrist (xiii. II &c.). Since this second
Beast could not appear along with the first as a power demanding worship
and directly playing the part of Antichrist, he made out of him the
false prophet (xvi. 13,