How Conspiracy Thinking Is Prepping the World for the Antichrist

The antichrist is a figure in scripture who has loomed ominously in the minds of Christians through the ages. He has been the subject of scary Hollywood movies and countless commentaries. Believers have speculated as to his identity and attached the title of antichrist to political leaders and even popes. Sermons on the antichrist have spread nervousness and dread through Christian congregations, and world events have been seen as bringing about the fulfillment of prophecies of his arrival.

The primary sources for most Christian understanding of the antichrist are Paul’s writings and the book of Revelation. Writing to the saints at Thessalonica, Paul warned of a time when

…that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

This mysterious figure is described as a man of sin, taking to himself the honors and reverence that people normally give to God. Paul adds,

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

With this second description, the focus is on his—and our—relationship with the truth. Paul makes a distinction between those who love the truth and those who are perishing because they don’t. In the case of the antichrist, the people desire delusion. God will give them delusion, and ideally, they will learn (the hard way) from the experience and develop different desires.

The peril of conspiracy thinking

This desire for delusion can take many forms, particularly with complex issues that don’t have obvious culprits or a clear solution. One ominous trend on the horizon is the increase in conspiracy thinking. A notable example in recent memory was during hurricane Helene, which hit the Eastern U.S. during the 2024 presidential election. After Helene hit North Carolina, there was a flood of social media posts asserting that some evil group had created or steered the hurricane for nefarious reasons. One of the posts on X said the following:

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