Is Vladimir Putin the Antichrist?

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, has been the central figure of Russian politics for a long time. Given his position of power in an important country like Russia, it is reasonable to ask if he is the Antichrist. I will address whether Vladimir Putin is the Antichrist in this article.

Why Putin Isn’t the Antichrist

There are a few reasons why I do not believe Putin is the Antichrist.

• The Antichrist is characterized as the “little horn” in Daniel 7:8, which implies he is a leader who arises out of relative obscurity: “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” Putin is a well-known leader throughout the world.
• Antichrist will not desire women (Daniel 11:37): “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.” Putin was married for over 30 years to his first wife and has been seen with another woman since their divorce.
• I do not believe that he is a past leader who has been falsely resurrected. Revelation 17:8 indicates that the Antichrist will be a leader who is falsely risen from the dead.
• He also lacks the charisma that Antichrist is likely to have. Although he speaks fluent German and Russian, he does not have a great command of the English language. It is difficult for a person to gain the support and trust of English-speaking people when he or she lacks the ability to communicate effectively in English.

The 2022 Invasion of Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and much of the world’s reaction to it further demonstrates that he is not the Antichrist.

• The Antichrist will eventually have the world bow down and worship him even after he takes over many parts of the world. In contrast, Putin has been condemned and sanctioned by much of the world after the invasion of Ukraine. The opposition has been so strong that it’s very difficult to envision a scenario where the world will ever come to praise him.
• The Antichrist will be a leader who will defeat the strongest opponents (Daniel 11:39): “Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.” Putin does not appear to have a military that can defeat the combine power of NATO (and I do not believe he is interested in taking them on in battle).

If you want to learn about how to identify the Antichrist, click this link for my article on the topic: Identifying the Antichrist: Some Characteristics to Look For.

If you are worried about the potential for a Gog-Magog War to be imminent, please see my article titled: “Is the Ezekiel 38 War on Israel Imminent?”