heads as Roman Emperors. But the context shows that the prophecy concerns events that are still in the future, and most probably the seven kings will not be emperors of Rome. The one who now is" refers not to the time of St. John, but to the time when the prohecy shall be fulfilled.
St. John says there will be many Antichrists; in fact there were many even in his day: Even now there are become many Antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour." [1] Again he writes: " And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus is not of God: and this is Anti-christ of whom you have heard that he cometh and he is now already in the world." [2] According to these words of St. John every teacher of error and every adversary of the Church is an Antichrist.
Nero has ever been considered one of the principal Antichrists. Sts. Peter and Paul were the two witnesses raised up against him. Arius, leader of the first great heresy may well be called an Antichrist with St. Athanasius and St. Hilary as the witnesses opposed to him. Mahomed, Luther, and Voltaire are often enumerated as Antichrists and many others could be added to the list.
These few examples are sufficient to show that Anti-christ will be like the true Messias in having forerunners who typify him in various ways; and since they are
