The Antichrist will also be clever. Daniel 11 describes the Antichrist as taking control through “intrigue,” and Daniel 8 says he will be a “master of deception.”
This supports the idea of the Antichrist as something akin to a charming, clever psychopath. That calculating cleverness will help bring the Antichrist to global prominence in multiple ways.
One of those ways is as a military tactician.
Verses in both the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel describe the Antichrist as being a powerful military leader, an unrivalled military genius in his time who will develop a tendency to attack when his victims feel secure.
Another is the Antichrist’s ability to avoid what people would see as scandalous behaviour. It is said that he will not “regard…the desire of women,” thus avoiding the common scandal of an affair.
Revelation also says that the Antichrist will be given the authority to “make war.” His actions, violent as they will be, will be supported by not just zealous followers, but by what the average person will recognize as legitimate authority.
