Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot are names which have been bandied about in recent history as likely fitting his description. Various Caesars and especially Nero seemed to fit the bill in bygone days along with a few of the Popes.

But what of this Antichrist and how can we be sure that we know exactly who he is when he eventually shows up?

I intend to have a stab at identifying this person in a series of short articles over the coming weeks. I will attempt to do this task from our primary source for truth, the Bible. Before I begin to delve into this important topic, I need to set the ground rules.

That is, that I firmly believe that we should allow the Word to speak for itself. I believe that most of the Bible is plain and simple and easy to understand and is to be taken literally for the most part. Even parables have a literal interpretation. And where figures of speech are used, we can identify them and seek their literal meaning.

One does not need to be a learned person to understand the Bible. In fact, Jesus told us to beware of the Doctors of the Law and Scribes and other well educated religious people who always like to point out how many Degrees and Doctorates of Theology they possess.

What was Peter’s occupation? That’s right. A fisherman. And Mark? He took care of sheep. And the rest of the apostles? They were "ignorant and unlearned" according to the chief priests and Theologians of the day. Basically they were a bunch of peasants who had little schooling. But I bet they were smart guys. Peter was a top fisherman and you wouldn’t pull the wool over his eyes. Mark was a great shepherd and probably made a decent living from sheep farming. These guys were no mugs. They were street wise and intelligent.

So if you are a person who has spent years in Theology studies and have the letters after your name to prove it, then you might be at a disadvantage when it comes to ferreting out the truths of the Bible. Better we all become like children and allow that we might learn something afresh from Holy Writ. In fact, if we believe that the Bible is the inerrant truth of God, then none of us should be afraid to change our Theology on a subject if the plain truth is staring us in the face. Even if it means giving up believing in something which we held as truth for donkey’s years.

Click on the 'NEXT' arrow for page 2