The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church

THE UNHOLY TRINITY 69
alone as before, but with many, escorted by tens of thousands of Angels;
nor secretly as the dew on the fleece; but shining forth openly as the
lightning. For He hath said Himself, As the lightning cometh out of the
east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son
of Man be; and again, And they shall see the Son of Man coming upon
the clouds with power and great glory, and He shall send forth His
Angels with a great trumpet; and the rest. 1
And the Lord shall come out of heaven, just as the holy apostles beheld
Him going into heaven perfect God and perfect man, with glory and
power, and will destroy the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction,
with the breath of His mouth. Let no one, therefore, look for the Lord to
come from earth, but out of Heaven, as He himself has made sure. 2
Saint Paul once said, “I became all things to all men, that I might by all
means save some.” (I Cor 9:22) In the same manner, Antichrist when he
comes, will become all things to all men, that he might by all means
destroy some! To the Jews he will be their long awaited Messiah. To
Christians who defy the Church’s teaching and believe the heresy of the
Millennial rule of Christ, he will be “Christ” coming to reign on earth.
To Muslims, he will be “Al Mahdy Al Montazar,” a last time Messianic
figure that will make the whole world one religion. To the Buddhists, he
will be a re-incarnation of Buddha. To humanists, he will be the perfect
ruler spreading peace, justice and prosperity in the earth. To the
curious, he will offer the greatest show on earth. And to the rest, a kind,
righteous, miracle worker, that showers worldly goods and honours on
his followers. No wonder the scriptures says concerning him, “He is a
proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell,
and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all
nations, and heapeth unto him all people.” (Hab 2:5) “And power was
given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell
upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the
book of life.” (Rev 13:7-8)
1 Saint Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures
2 Saint John Damascene: Expounding the Orthodox Faith