2. Mussulmans, as well as Jews and Christians, ex- \< set an Antichrist. They call him Al Dajjal, from a name which signifies an impostor, or a liar; and they hold that their prophet Mohammed taught one of his disciples, whose name was Tamini Al-Dari, every thing relating to Antichrist. On his authority, they tell us that Antichrist must come at the end of the world; that he will make his entry into Jerusalem, like Jesus Christ, riding on an ass; but thai Christ, who is not dead, will conic at his second advent to encounter him ;, and that, after having conquered him, he will then • ]]•■ indeed. That the beast described by John in the Revelation will appear with Antichrist, and make war against the saints; that Imam Mahadi, who remains concealed among the Mussulmans, will then show him- self, join Jesus Christ, and with him engage Dajjal; after which they will unite the Christians ami the Mussulmans, and of the two religions will make but
one (D'Herbelot, Bill. Orient, s. v. Daggial, etc.). — Calmet.
"These Mohammedan traditions are an adapta- tion of Christian prophecy and Jewish legend, with- out any originality or any beauty of their own. They too have their signs which are to precede the final consummation. The}' are divided into the greater and lesser signs. Of the greater signs the first is the rising of the sun from the west (comp. Matt, xxiv, 29). The next is the appearance of a beast from the earth, sixty cubits high, bearing the staff of Moses and the seal of Solomon, with which he will inscribe the word ' Be- liever' on the face of the faithful, and ' Unbeliever' on all who have not accepted Islamism (comp. Rev. xiii). The third sign is the capture of Constantino- ple; while the spoil of which is being divided, news will come of the appearance of Antichrist, and every man will return to his own home. Antichrist will be blind of one eye and deaf of one ear, and will have the name of Unbeliever written on his forehead (Rev. xiii). It is he that the Jews call Messiah Ben-David, and say that he will come in the last times and reign over sea and land, and restore to them the kingdom. He will continue forty days, one of these days being equal to a year, another to a month, another to a week, the rest being days of ordinary length. He will devastate all other places, but will not be allowed to enter Mecca and Medina, which will be guarded by angels. Lastly, he will be killed bj' Jesus at the gate of Lud. For when news is received of the appearance of Antichrist, Jesus will come down to earth, alight- ing on the white tower at the east of Damascus, and will slay him ; Jesus will then embrace the Moham- medan religion, marry a wife, and leave children after him, having reigned in perfect peace and security, after the death of Antichrist, for forty years. (See
', Pococke, Porta Mosis, p. 258, Oxon. 1655 ; and Sale, Koran, Preliminary Biscourse.y, (Smith, s. v.)
VII. Literature. — Besides the writers mentioned in the course of this article, consult the commentators on Daniel, and on the Thessalonians and Apocalypse. Compare the references under Revelation. Special
i dissertations on the text in 2 Thess. ii, 3-13, by Koppe (Gotting. 177G); Beyer (Lips. 1824); Schott (Jen. 1832). For a copious list of works during the contro- versj' on this subject between the Reformers and the Roman Catholics, see Walch, BiUiothvca Theologica, ii, 217 sq. There are works more or less copious on the general subject, among others, by Raban Maurus, Be ortu, vita et moribus Antichrist! ''(1505, 4to) ; Dananis,
| Be Antichristo (Genev. 1577, 175G, 8vo. transl. A Trea- tise touching Antichrist, fol., Lond. 1589); Abbott, Be- fence of the Reformed Catholicke (Lond. 1007); Mal- venda, De Antichristo, fol. (Rom. 1604, Val. 1621); Downame,CoMcerm'n^7 Antichrist (Lond.1603) ; Lessius, De Antichristo (Antw. 1611); Grotius, In locis X T. de Antichristo (Amst. 1640) ; Ness, Person and Period of A ntichrist (Lond. 1679) ; Nisbet, Mysterious Language of Paid, etc. (Canterb. 1808; which makes the "man of sin" refer not to the Church of Rome, but to the times in which Paul wrote); Maitland, The Prophecies concerning Antichrist (Lond. 1830); M'Kenzie, Anti- christ and the Church of Rome identified (Edinburgh, 1835); Cameron, The A ntickrist (Lond. 1844) ; Bonar, Development of Antichrist (Lond. 1853); Harrison, Pro-
\ phetic Outlines (London, 1849); Knight, Lectures on the Prophecies <->>nv< rning Antichrist (London, 1855). Compare also Warburtonian Lecture (1848); Bellar-
| mine, Be Antichristo, quod nihil commune habeat cum Romano pontifice; Opp. i, 709; Mede, Works, ii; Ham- mond, Works, iv, 733; Cocceius, De Antichristo ; Opp. ix; More, Theol. Works, p. 385; Barlow, Remains, p. 190, 224; Calmet, Dissert! . viii, 351; Turretin, Opp. iv ; Priestly, Evidences, ii ; "Williams, Characters of (>. T. p. 349; Cassells, Christ and Antichrist (Phila. Presb. Board, 12mo); Keith, History and Besting of the World and the Church (Lond. 1861, 8vo). See also
ANTICHRISTIANISM
261
ANTILEGOMENA
Eden, Theol. Dirt. ; Watson, Then!. Diet. s. v. ; Todd, Discourses on Antichrist (Dull. 1840, 8vo) ; Benson, On the Man of Sin; Newton, On the Prophecies. See An-
TICHRISTIANISM.
Antichristianism, a term that conveniently des- ignates, in a collective manner, the various forms of hostility which Christianity has met with at differ- ent times. It is equivalent to " the spirit of Anti- christ" (to tov ' AvTixpiaroii) in the apostolic age (1 John iv, 3). See Antichrist. Indeed it exhibit- ed itself against the true religion in the persecutions which the Jews underwent from Antiochus Epiphanes (q. v.), and may be traced in the history of the proto- saint Abel (q. v.). It was this that Enoch (q. v.) and Noah denounced in their preaching (Jude 14; 2 Pet. ii, 5-7) ; that "vexed the righteous soul" of Lot; and that, in fine, has broken forth in all ages as the expres- sion of the world's malignity against the good (comp. John xv, 18-21 ; 2 Tim. iii, 12). Since the days of persecution it has been confined chiefly to intellectual modes of opposition, and has received the names of In- fidelity, Deism, Rationalism, etc. See Apologetics. The Scriptures, however, appear to point to a time when the Antichristian elements shall again array themselves in forms of palpable violence. See Gog. For "the carnal mind" (to fporijiui rrje aapKoc, na- tive will) is no less than ever opposed (i'x^na) to the divine economy and purposes (Rom. viii, 7). It is the same " mystery of iniquity" alreadj' foreseen by Paul as then "working" to successive developments (2 Thess. ii, 7) ; " that cwopia in the hearts and lives, in the speeches and writings of men, which only awaits the removal of the hindering power to issue in that concentrated manifestation of b avofxoe., which shall usher in the times of the end" (Alford, Gr. Test. prol. to vol. iii, p. 68). A stream of Antichristian senti- ment and conduct pervades the whole history of the world. The power of evil which we sec at work calls forth Antichristian formations, now in one shape, now in another ; and so, according to the prophets, it will be until the final triumph of the kingdom of Christ (Olshauscn, Commentary, v, 321 sq., Am. ed.). See Mystery of Iniquity ; Infidelity.