The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church

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THE UNHOLY TRINITY
foundation of the world.” (Rev 13:8)
That Antichrist will be worshiped as God is most certain from the
scripture as understood by the Fathers of the Church:
But who is he? Is it then Satan? By no means; but some man, that
admits his fully working in him. For he is a man. ‘And exalteth
himself against all that is called God or is worshiped.’ For he will not
introduce idolatry, but will be a kind of opponent to God; he will
abolish all the gods, and will order men to worship him instead of
God, and he will be seated in the temple of God, not that in
Jerusalem only, but also in every Church. 1
These things, then, shall be in the future, beloved; and when the
three horns are cut off, he will begin to show himself as God, as
Ezekiel has said aforetime: “Because thy heart has been lifted up,
and thou hast said, I am God.” (Ezek 28:2) And to the like effect
Isaiah says: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven: I will be
like the Most High. Yet now thou shall be brought down to hell, to
the foundations of the earth.” (Isa 14:13) In like manner also
Ezekiel: “Wilt thou yet say to those who slay thee, I am God? But
thou (shall be) a man, and no God.” (Ezek 28:9) 2
But, to worship the beast is really worshipping Satan, for this reason
we are told in chapter 12:13, “all the world marvelled after the beast
and they worshipped the dragon that gave power unto the beast.”
This means that people worshipping Antichrist as God will be
worshipping Satan.
For he (Antichrist) being endued with all the power of the devil,
shall come, not as a righteous king, nor as a legitimate king, [i.e.,
one] in subjection to God, but an impious, unjust, and lawless one;
as an apostate, iniquitous and murderous; as a robber, concentrating
in himself [all] satanic apostasy, and setting aside idols to persuade
1 St. John Chrysostom: Homily on II Thessalonians
2 Hippolytus: Treatise on Christ and Antichrist