Thinking Fellows Podcast: "Identifying The Antichrist"

Episode Date: February 10, 2026
Hosts: Caleb Keith, Scott Keith, Adam Francisco, Bruce Hilman
Duration: ~45 minutes

Episode Overview

This episode of the Thinking Fellows tackles a provocative and often sensationalized topic in Christian thought: the Antichrist. Despite referencing the Pope and related discussions in past shows, the hosts admit this is their first focused deep-dive into the biblical and theological meanings behind "the Antichrist"—moving beyond cultural myths, conspiracy theories, and pop-culture interpretations often found in contemporary American Christianity. Their conversation explores scriptural sources, historical interpretations, Lutheran perspectives, and pastoral concerns.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Cultural Myths vs. Biblical Definition

• Opening Thoughts: The hosts reflect on how the Antichrist is commonly tied to every disliked societal trend—from Monster energy drinks and AI to world leaders and vaccines. Caleb notes, “People assign this phrase or word 'Antichrist' to just about anything that they don’t like happening in society.” (03:58)
• Key Point: Much of the pop-Christian and cultural fascination with signs like 666, the “mark of the beast,” and doomsday predictions are disconnected from the specific biblical uses of ‘Antichrist’, which appear only in 1 and 2 John.

Scriptural Sources & Immediate Context

[05:58–09:08]

• Caleb reads all the New Testament verses mentioning ‘Antichrist’:
  • 1 John 2:18 — "Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come."
  • 1 John 2:22 — "Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist."
  • 1 John 4:3 — “Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist...”
  • 2 John 7 — "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is ... the antichrist."
• Immediate Insight: The biblical Antichrist is primarily about the denial of Christ, not esoteric symbols, numbers, or conspiratorial figures.

What (or Who) Is The Antichrist?

[06:27–10:36]

• Scott: “The Antichrist or an antichrist can be anyone who is denying Christ...probably a caveat there that [it's someone] who does that publicly, in a teaching way..." (06:27)
• Caleb: Emphasizes doctrinal denial: “The standout here is that it’s about who Christ is and then his relationship to the Father...you would say the doctrine of the Trinity here is at play.” (07:41)
• Bruce: Antichrists (plural) just means “those who are against the Gospel and against Christ.” He highlights the early Church’s association of the “man of lawlessness” in 2 Thessalonians with the Antichrist figure.
• Adam: Recounts cultural and religious figures historically labeled as Antichrist and references Martin Luther’s views.

Historical Interpretations and Reformation Views

[14:03–18:38]

• Bruce: Introduces the Preterist/Cyclical View—Revelation as describing events and patterns that repeat in history: “So, for example, Nero would be an Antichrist, capital-A maybe...these people that rise up, make themselves out to be God, bring great suffering to the church and to people...then their time ends. That this is part of the cycle of the end until Christ returns.” (14:03)
• Scott: Notes everyone tends to see their own time as the worst (“people’s brains struggle with the fact it has been the end times for 2000 years”). (18:00)
• Adam: Discusses Martin Luther’s conviction that he was living in the last days and relates this to how every age attempts to read Revelation through contemporary events and threats.

Eschatology and Popular Evangelical Culture

[21:26–26:54]

• The group critiques Dispensationalism and the anxiety-inducing culture of end times prediction in parts of American Christianity (TBN, Moody Bible Institute, etc.).
  • Scott: “[Dispensationalism] is becoming an unding in a lot of ways.” (23:35)
• Bruce: Pastoral experience: “All the time with people...they would be watching way too much 24-hour news...Is this the Antichrist? ... prepping in their basement because they thought Covid was the end...” (25:09)
• Scott & Bruce: Note the crossover between Lutheran and Evangelical fears (e.g., fear of missing the rapture).

Watchfulness vs. Fear: A Lutheran Perspective

[28:43–31:54; 33:34–41:26]

• Watchfulness Defined:
  • Bruce: “I don’t know that you can be watchful and not be like, oh, ok, that might be there, that might be the Antichrist...But everybody thinks where they live is the worst time ever.” (28:43)
  • Caleb: “You can totally be watchful, waiting, concerned, without making specific predictions...What does the Antichrist aim to do? He’s trying to get people to deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Father...” (33:34)
• Lutheran 'Chill':
  • Adam, Scott, and Caleb joke about the amillennial Lutheran tendency to be “chilling” on this issue, comfortable in Christ, not given to eschatological panic.

How Should Christians Respond? (Biblical Watchfulness and Fear)

• Criteria for ‘Identifying’ Antichrists:
  • Caleb: “Is this person’s political work, speeches or public influence, an aim to get you to deny Christ? … Then I can probably positively affirm, yeah, this is an Antichrist.” (35:08)
  • He also notes that the denial of Christ happens in several historical and present religious institutions—Judaism post-Christ, the Papacy, prosperity preachers, Islam, Mormonism.
• Scott: “If you take [their doctrines] seriously and they are preaching against Christ and him crucified as the only hope for your salvation, that is the Antichrist.” (37:37)
• TBN as Antichrist?!
  • Caleb (joking/serious): “Funny enough, TBN is the Antichrist. ... get that off, get that off, get that off. Why? Because that’s the Antichrist.” (38:09)

The Book of Revelation: A Pastoral Caution

[38:31–40:28]

• Scott urges caution: see John’s Gospel and Revelation as unified in pointing to Christ, not as a codebook for end-times guessing games:
  • “If you do that, a lot of the things you try to ascribe to it fade away into the teachings that come from the mouth of Jesus and the Gospel of John. ... that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (39:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pop Culture’s Antichrist:
  • Caleb: “Monster energy drinks were...the Hebrew symbol for 666...trying to get the youth to worship the Antichrist by drinking Monster.” (01:55)
  • Adam: “Is ChatGPT the antichrist? ...I’ve heard that one.” (03:31)
• On Watchfulness and Modern Anxiety:
  • Scott: “People’s brains struggle with the fact that it has been the end times for 2000 years.” (18:00)
• On Watchfulness Without Prediction:
  • Caleb: “You can totally be watchful, waiting, concerned, without making specific predictions…” (33:34)
• On 'Fear of the Antichrist':
  • Bruce: “You don’t fear the Antichrist because of the promises you have in Christ... But I think there’s a practical side ... he can do real harm to our neighbor...” (41:26)
  • Scott (quoting hymn lyric): “Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ... all your might has come unraveled, and against your tyranny God, my Lord, unites with me.” (42:36)
• On the Purpose of Revelation:
  • Scott: “These things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. To me, that’s the key.” (39:10)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:19–03:58 – Opening banter, examples of Antichrist in pop culture
• 05:58–09:08 – Direct reading of all biblical “Antichrist” passages
• 09:09–14:03 – Theological exploration: Who/what is the Antichrist?
• 14:03–18:38 – Historical and cyclical interpretations, Reformation insights
• 21:26–26:54 – Evangelical culture, rapture, and end times anxiety
• 28:43–31:54 – Can you be ‘watchful’ without making predictions?
• 33:34–35:08 – Practical, biblical way to spot Antichrist ‘aims’
• 38:31–40:28 – How to read Revelation for faith, not fear
• 41:26–43:31 – Should Christians fear the Antichrist?
• 44:27–45:21 – Lutheran comfort and hymnal trivia: “Have No Fear Little Flock” is hymn 666
• 46:10–48:23 – Pastoral advice: Proclaim the Gospel, not panic

Concluding Insights

• Main Takeaway: The biblical ‘Antichrist’ is not a code or symbol hidden in culture but rather anything or anyone (often teachers) who publicly denies that Jesus is the Christ and undermines faith. Christians are called to vigilance—not panic—and to respond to Antichrist threats, not with fear, but with confidence in Christ’s promise.
• Practical Wisdom:
  • Scott: “If you’re afraid of anything going on in this world ... remind yourself that you are baptized into Christ and even Satan’s power has no power over you.” (43:31)
  • Caleb: “The thing that takes away the fear of the Antichrist for your neighbor is a proclamation of the gospel...and so I don’t know. I think that’s where I’m happy ending this episode.” (47:00)

Episode Mood & Tone

• Casual, humorous, and candid, but with deep confessional insight and care for listeners’ faith and fears. The hosts are serious about Scriptural teaching, but poke fun at cultural paranoia and emphasize Gospel comfort.

Summing Up

If you want to discern “the Antichrist,” don’t look for secret codes or a singular conspiratorial villain. Instead, ask what is being taught about Christ. Watch for denials of the Gospel. And respond, not in fear or anxious speculation, but with robust faith, vigilance, and proclamation of Christ alone—confident that the baptized have nothing ultimately to fear.