What are the other names of the Antichrist?  Is the long-prophecied
"Imam Mahdi" referenced by the current president of Iran an archetype
of same?

Dear jdvz-ga;

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question. There are dozens, if not hundreds of names for the
anti-Christ, the antithesis of Christ, or antichrist-like entities in
the various cultures, languages and religions of the world. Many
people tend to believe that the anti-Christ will be Satan himself, but
in most mainstream Christian religious interpretation of the Bible
scripture does not support this notion. Here is one way it can be
explained to get a better view of who (or what) the anti-Christ will
be, according to many modern versions of scripture.

?Not only does anti-christ denote the antagonist of Christ, but it
tells of one who is instead of Christ. The word signifies another
Christ, a pro-Christ, an alter christus, a pretender to the name of
Christ. He will seem to be and will set himself up as the true Christ.
He will be the Devil's counterfeit. Just as the Devil is an Anti-theos
- not only the adversary of God, but the usurper of the place and
prerogatives of God, demanding worship; so the Son of Perdition will
be anti-christ - not only the antagonist and opponent of Christ, but
His reval: assuming the very position and prerogatives of Christ;
passing himself off as the rightful claimant to all the rights and
honors of the Son of God.?
THE ANTICHRIST
http://www.biblebelievers.com/Pink/antichrist06.htm

So you see, calling the anti-Christ the same names as Satan or ?the
Devil? (or by names in other languages that means the same or equates
the anti-Christ with an equivalent character) is simply not
scripturally accurate. Suffice it to say that in English speaking
Christian religions the anti-Christ is variously known as:
Anti-Christ
?Man of Sin? ?Son of Perdition" (2 Thess. 2:3)
?The Lawless One? (2 Thess. 2:8)
?The Beast? (Rev. 11:7)
?Bloody and Deceitful Man" (Psa. 5:6)
"The Wicked One? (Psa. 10:2,4)
?The Man of the Earth? (Psa. 10:18)
?O Mighty Man" (Psa. 52:1)
?The Enemy? (Psa. 55:3)
?The Adversary" (Psa. 74:8-10)
?The Head over many countries" (Psa. 110:6)
?The Violent Man" (Ps. 140:1)
?King of Assyria? (Isa. 10:5,12)
?King of Babylon? (Isa. 14:4)
?Son of the Morning? (Isa. 14:12)
?The Spoiler? (Isa. 16:4,5)
?The Nail? (Isa. 22:25)
?The Branch? (Isa. 25:5)
?Prince of Israel? (Ezek. 21:25-27)
The Little Horn (Dan. 7:8) See also Dan. 7:8-11, 21-26; 8:9-12, 23-25
?The Prince? (Dan. 9:26)
?Vile Person? (Dan. 11:21)
?The King? (Dan. 11:36)
?The Idol Shepard? (Zech. 11:16,17)
?The Angel of the bottomless pit? ?Abaddon? ?Apollyon" (Rev. 9:11)

As for your question about Mahdi, the Imam Mahdi is prophesied to be a
descendent of the Prophet Muhammad. The word Mahdi means ?the guided
one? and Imam Mahdi is anticipated as the precusor, or preparer of the
way of Jesus (Hadhrat Isa). According to Hadeeth, Imam Mahdi will
appear first, and Hadhrat Isa will appear during Imam Mahdi's
lifetime.

Here you can read Islamic scripture where the Mahdi is often cited as
a member of the family of Muhammad.

IRSHAD
http://www.irshad.org/islam/prophecy/mahdi.htm

Conversely, in Islam, the anti-Christ is called, Dajjal. What the
Iranian President is actually referring to is really anyone?s guess as
his rhetoric of late is often rife with religious and inflammatory
symbolisms. On the other hand, if he were intending to refer to the
anti-Christ I see no reason why he would not have openly identified
the person as Dajjal if that were indeed whom he was talking about.
Clearing he did not, so the answer is logically NO, Imam Mahdi
referred to by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahamadinejad, is NOT
historically believed to be the Anti-Christ in either Christian or
Islamic theology.

I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher


OTHER INFORMATION SOURCES

IMAM MAHDI
http://www.islam.tc/prophecies/imam.html

SIGNS OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
http://www.islamcan.com/dayofjudgement/index.shtml




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Antichrist

Anti-Christ

Imam

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Hadeeth

Great answer.  Reason I left off the final star:  As Antichrist is a
deceptive counterfeiter, then Imam Mahdi--coming as a man of
peace--might be *another* name with "Dajaal" being the deception--and
therefore, non-existent--with the "peaceful" actually the "Son of
Perdition" with little visibility until too late.

Great Biblican references, and appreciate the response.  Tip for this one...

The ' AntiChrist' is any person or organisation that is NOT doing what
Almighty God, through his son, Jesus Christ, has commanded. For
example, Matthew 28; 19,20, and Matthew 23;9.
ANTICHRIST
This word means ?against (or instead of) Christ.? It occurs a total of
five times, singular and plural, all of them in two of John?s
epistles.
The subject was not new among the Christians when John wrote his
letters (c. 98 C.E.). First John 2:18 states: ?Young children, it is
the last hour, and, just as you have heard that antichrist [Gr.,
an·tiŽkhri·stos] is coming, even now there have come to be many
antichrists; from which fact we gain the knowledge that it is the last
hour.? John?s statement shows that there are many individual
antichrists, though all together they may form a composite person
designated ?the antichrist.? (2Jo 7) The use of the expression ?hour?
as referring to a period of time, either relatively brief or of
undetermined length, is exemplified in other writings of John. (See
Joh 2:4; 4:21-23; 5:25, 28; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27.) He thus did not
restrict the appearance, existence, and activity of such antichrist to
some future time only but showed that the antichrist was then present
and would continue on.?1Jo 4:3.
Identification. Although there has been much effort in the past to
identify ?the antichrist? with an individual, such as Pompey, Nero, or
Muhammad (this latter person being suggested by Pope Innocent III in
1213 C.E.), or with a specific organization, as in the Protestant view
of ?the antichrist? as applying to the papacy, John?s inspired
statements show the term to be broad in its application, embracing all
those who deny that ?Jesus is the Christ,? and who deny that Jesus is
the Son of God who came ?in the flesh.??1Jo 2:22; 4:2, 3; 2Jo 7, NE,
NIV; compare Joh 8:42, 48, 49; 9:22.
Denial of Jesus as the Christ and as the Son of God of necessity
embraces the denial of any or all of the Scriptural teachings
concerning him: his origin, his place in God?s arrangement, his
fulfillment of the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures as the promised
Messiah, his ministry and teachings and prophecies, as well as any
opposition to or efforts to replace him in his position as God?s
appointed High Priest and King. This is evident from other texts,
which, while not using the term ?antichrist,? express essentially the
same idea. Thus, Jesus stated: ?He that is not on my side is against
me, and he that does not gather with me scatters.? (Lu 11:23) Second
John 7 shows that such ones might act as deceivers, and hence the
?antichrist? would include those who are ?false Christs? and ?false
prophets,? as well as those who perform powerful works in Jesus? name
and yet are classed by him as ?workers of lawlessness.??Mt 24:24;
7:15, 22, 23.
In view of Jesus? rule that what is done to his true followers is done
to him (Mt 25:40, 45; Ac 9:5), the term must include those who
persecute such ones, which means it would include the symbolic
?Babylon the Great? and those described as the ?evil slave? in Jesus?
parable.?Lu 21:12; Re 17:5, 6; Mt 24:48-51.
John specifically mentions apostates as among those of the antichrist
by referring to those who ?went out from us,? abandoning the Christian
congregation. (1Jo 2:18, 19) It therefore includes ?the man of
lawlessness? or ?son of destruction? described by Paul, as well as the
?false teachers? Peter denounces for forming destructive sects and who
?disown even the owner that bought them.??2Th 2:3-5; 2Pe 2:1;
Kingdoms, nations, and organizations are similarly shown to be part of
the antichrist in the symbolic description at Revelation 17:8-15;
19:19-21.?Compare Ps 2:1, 2.
In all the above cases those composing the antichrist are shown to be
headed for eventual destruction as a recompense for their opposing
course.

Very well done, tutuzdad! I'd have given this five stars.

Lots of names for this mythical person, but in reality there's no
antichrist (there's no god or gods) and religion is, frankly, nuts.

P

Dear tutuzdad, I must take you to task over your answer. You mentioned
the ' antichrist' as being "the angel of the bottomless pit", Abaddon,
and Apollyon. Revelation 9;11. This is NOT the antichrist, but is
Jesus himself. And I present the proof. Rev. 9;1 states he was a star
fallen from heaven [ Jesus was sent from heaven] to the earth, and the
key of the pit of the abyss was given him. Jesus has been given
authority [ by his Father, Almighty God]
to lock something or someone up. Now by reading Rev. 20; 1-3, where it
states "20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key
of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he seized the
dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound
him for a thousand years. 3 And he hurled him into the abyss and shut
[it] and sealed [it] over him, that he might not mislead the nations
anymore until the thousand years were ended. After these things he
must be let loose for a little while.
It is the same angel, Jesus, who has been given the key to lock Satan
up for a thousand years.
A bit further to this. Verse 11 says that the 'locusts' had men's
faces and lions teeth, and had stings like scorpions. And their king
is the same ' angel of the abyss' the one with the key and the
authority. The same Jesus. These are the ones doing exactly as Jesus
wants.
Do you get the feeling as though you have just been stung.

If I may add (from a Muslim prespective), the Imam Mehdi, the Iranians
are talking about is NOT an Anti-Christ. Muslims however do believe
that there will come a man who will be THE ANTI-CHRIST (a.k.a.
Dajjal). Its like this, according to Islamic faith, when the
anti-Christ will come/appear to the world, Imam Mehdi will already be
here leading the people towards God, he (the Imam) will be a
religious+military+political leader, however the evil of the
anti-Christ will be so great that Imam will be on the verge of loosing
to him (militarily), when to his (Imam's) aid God will send Jesus
Christ from the heavens to fight the imposter (the Anti-Christ [the
Dajjal]). Jesus will eventually win easily; the final battle will have
fought in the ancient land of Palestine/Israel.