There was one thing going through my mind when I read this headline: could Hugo Chavez be the Antichrist? Let’s take a look at 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. While it could be the subject of an hour-long sermon (as other quotes I’ve used), we’re going to use it exclusively for the purpose of using it as a rubric to grade Chavez.
1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
So, doing a basic breakdown (being far from thorough, and lacking cross-references), actions will include:
- opposition and exaltation of himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped (v.4a)
- thereby sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (v.4b)
and preceding signs:
- rebellion must occur first. (v.3, unsure of clarifying characteristics)
- will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders (one ref: Egyptian wisemen and sorcerers) and in every sort of evil (v.9)
I think it’s safe to say that, so far, Chavez hasn’t met the criteria for points 1 and 2. It could be said, on the other hand, that as a figurehead of the non-alignment movement, he could be seen as a fulfillment of point 3.
Even so, despite Chavez’s relatively good standing, it’s no prediction of future events. As is usually the case, time can change situations and people for the worse when hearts, minds, strengths, and souls are not turned to God.
In the words of the British historian Lord Acton:
Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely
So, what should we do?
Be on guard! Be alert[a]! You do not know when that time will come.
Chavez Calls Bush ‘Devil,’ Assails US Policies
via NPR news.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez took the podium at the United Nations, where he launched his latest verbal salvo against President Bush and U.S. world influence. Making the sign of the cross, Chavez described Bush as “the devil” and decried Washington’s misuse of its far-reaching power.
President Bush was not present to hear Chavez’s speech to the General Assembly. U.N. Ambassador John Bolton said the remarks don’t warrant a response.
Addressing the U.N. body Tuesday, President Bush spoke of promoting democracy in the Middle East. But other world leaders, like Chavez and Iran’s President President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, used the U.N. podium to challenge America’s influence in the world.
Speaking through an interpreter, Chavez called on nations to rise up against what he called America’s hegemony. He even had some recommended reading for his colleagues: Noam Chomsky’s Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance.
“It’s an excellent book to help us understand what’s been happening in the world throughout the 20th century,” Chavez said, “and what’s happening now.”
Chavez flipped through a transcript of President Bush’s speech from Tuesday as he lambasted the president’s talk of a freedom agenda in the world. The Venezuelan president got plenty of chuckles for making the sign of the cross and calling Bush the devil.
“And it smells of sulfur still today,” Chavez said. “Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum — the president of the United States, the gentleman whom I refer to as ‘the devil’ — came here, talking as if he owned the world.”
The United States had only a junior note-taker in the room to listen to the speech.
Relations between the United States and Venezuela — a key oil supplier — have been frosty for years, with Washington and Caracas often trading insults. Washington is also lobbying hard to keep Venezuela off the U.N. Security Council. Chavez is vying for an open seat on the counc
il to have more clout in the U.N. system.
Technorati: George W. Bush, Jesus, Christian Apologetics, Orthodoxy, Speculation, Revelation, Hugo Chavez, Apocalypse, Politics and Geopolitics, The Antichrist, Thessalonians, Apostle Paul, Pauline Epistles, United Nations, UN
Fundamentalist Christianity 
I cant believe how we americans dont realice what we did,
I still cant believe how we support this president,
he lied, he took advantage of our weakness our fears,
remember the red, orange, yellow all this lies saying that
terrorist were sending letters with antrax that Irak with
Saddam Hussain in power was a thread to our society,
weapons of mass destruction, we killed so much people
there, every month more than 2000 poeple die in Irak all
because of our decisions.
why we let this keep going on, why?? we all so worried
about paying loans, paying our cars we live in the best
Country in the world we are suppose to show an example
and what we do is make people hate us and that hate has
real reasons, what this guy came to say is the truth.
he said what people all around want, for us to stay away
of their homes. we should be spending money on our selfs,
this country has the biggest debt in the world, the Saudis
own 7% of our economy, we dont have Health care,
medicines and health care is soo expensive some people
cant even afford to go to hospitals and im talking about
hospitals not clinics.
i keep asking my self why we are so blind, we need
to realice what this president did, he lied to all the
country, is our fault all that happend, Irak never attack
US soil, 9 of the terrorist that attack on 9/11 were
Saudis, none involvement of the people of Irak???
Asking my self i saw what heppend, yes we did wrong we need to
accept, we aprove at the moment the decision of
invade Irak, but Why? ill tell you why.
because they lied to uss, we believed in this Administration,
and they took advantage of uss, they took advantage for
their own profit, for their own companies and this is all
facts, who are the Share wholders of Hallisburton, we all know
this and still defend them.
I am sorry about uss, i feel sorry about what we do, and i feel
sorry when i see people still being ignorant.
I agree with Patricio. Just who is the Lawless One?
Mike,
I’m working on an answer for that in another post. The idea is to speculate as little as possible and use the passages available as a rubric for evaluation also applying understanding with hermeneutics.
John talks about there being other antichrists as well:
I don’t think he’s around yet. Or, if he is currently on the planet, hasn’t quite taken on the mantle of arrogance against God yet (although a lot of other people have).