Adso of Montier-en-Der
c. 950 CE
translated by Jason Colavito
2026
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NOTE |
The Letter on the Antichrist (Libellus de Antichristo) by Adso of Montier-en-Der, written around the mid–10th century (c. 950–954), is one of the most influential medieval Latin treatments of apocalyptic expectation. Composed as a response to a request from Gerberga of Saxony, Queen Consort of France, the text synthesizes earlier patristic and Carolingian traditions—especially those of Augustine of Hippo and Jerome—into a clear, linear narrative of the life and career of the Antichrist. Adso presents the Antichrist not as a vague symbol but as a concrete, future individual: born in Babylon of the tribe of Dan, raised in secrecy, and ultimately rising to power through deception, false miracles, and persecution of the faithful, before being defeated by Christ at the end of time. Adso made a major innovation in casting his account not as a didactic analysis of texts but in the form of a hagiography of a saint. This format proved enormously influential: the text circulated widely in manuscript form, with as many as 76 different versions produced, and it shaped medieval expectations about the End Times. Below, I have translated the critical edition produced by Ernst Sackur in 1898, which represents the likely 10th-century original, followed by the longer text provided by J. P. Migne, which represents the elaboration the text received in the later Middle Ages, when later redactors interpolated passages from the Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius and the Tiburtine Sibyl.
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I. THE EARLY TEXT
THE LETTER OF ADSO TO QUEEN GERBERGA
ON THE ORIGIN AND TIME OF THE ANTICHRIST
To the most excellent queen, endowed with royal dignity, beloved of God and dear to all the saints, mother of monks and leader of holy women, my lady Queen Gerberga—Adso, the least of all your servants, wishes glory and everlasting peace.
Since, my lady and mother, I have merited to be a shoot of your mercy, I have always been faithful to you in all things, as though your own servant. And therefore, although the prayers of my supplication are unworthy before the Lord, yet on your behalf and on behalf of your elder lord the king, and also for the safety of your sons, I implore the mercy of our God, that He may deign to preserve for you both your life and the height of your rule in this world, and may cause you, after this life, to reign happily with Him in heaven.
For if the Lord grants prosperity to you and longer life to your sons, we know without doubt and firmly believe that the Church of God will be exalted, and the order of our religion will be multiplied more and more. This I, your faithful servant, desire and long for greatly; for if I had been able to acquire the whole kingdom for you, I would most gladly have done so. But since I am not able to accomplish that, I will pray to the Lord for your salvation and that of your sons, that His grace may always go before you in your works, and His glory follow after you piously and mercifully, so that, intent upon the divine commandments, you may be able to fulfill the good things you desire, and thereby receive the crown of the heavenly kingdom.
Therefore, since you have a devout eagerness to hear the Scriptures and often to speak of our Redeemer, and also to know about the impiety and persecution of Antichrist, and likewise his power and his lineage—as you have deigned to command me, your servant—I wished to write something to you, and to give you a certain account concerning Antichrist in part, although you have no need to hear this from me, who have with you the most prudent pastor, Lord Rorico, a most illustrious mirror of all wisdom and eloquence in this, our very age.
Therefore, since you wish to know about Antichrist, you must first note why he is so called. It is, namely, because he will be contrary to Christ in all things—that is, he will do what is contrary to Christ. Christ came humble; he will come proud. Christ came to raise up the humble and to justify sinners; he, on the contrary, will cast down the humble, will exalt sinners, will lift up the impious, and will always teach vices that are contrary to virtues. He will destroy the law of the Gospel, restore the worship of demons in the world, seek his own glory, and call himself the almighty God.
This Antichrist, therefore, has many ministers of his wickedness, many of whom have already gone before in the world—such as Antiochus, Nero, and Domitian. Even now, in our own time, we know that there are many Antichrists. For whoever—whether layman, canon, or monk—lives contrary to justice, attacks the rule of his order, and blasphemes what is good, is an Antichrist and a minister of Satan.
But now let us consider the beginning of Antichrist. What I say, however, I do not invent from my own imagination or devise from my own sense; rather, by diligently rereading the books, I find all these things written.
Therefore, as our authorities say, Antichrist will be born from the people of the Jews, from the tribe of Dan, according to the prophecy which says: “Let Dan be a serpent in the way, a horned viper in the path.” For just as a serpent he will sit in the road and lie in the path, so that he may strike those who walk along the paths of justice, and kill them with the poison of his malice.
He will be born from the union of father and mother, like other men—not, as some say, from a virgin alone. Yet he will be conceived wholly in sin, generated in sin, and born in sin. And at the very beginning of his conception the devil will enter together into the womb of his mother, and by the devil’s power he will be warmed and nourished, and will be shaped in his mother’s womb, and the devil’s power will always be with him.
And just as the Holy Spirit came into the womb of the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, overshadowed her with His power, and filled her with His divinity, so that she conceived of the Holy Spirit and what was born was divine and holy; so likewise the devil will descend into the mother of Antichrist, and will fill her entirely, surround her entirely, hold her entirely, and possess her wholly, within and without, so that—through the cooperation of a man with the devil—she will conceive, and what is born will be wholly wicked, wholly evil, wholly lost. Hence that man is called the son of perdition, because, as far as he is able, he will destroy the human race, and he himself will be destroyed at the end.
Behold, you have heard how he will be born; hear also the place where he is to be born. For just as our Lord and Redeemer foresaw Bethlehem for Himself, that there He might assume humanity for us and deign to be born, so the devil knows a fitting place for that lost man who is called Antichrist, from which the root of all evils must spring—namely, the city of Babylon. For in this city, which was once renowned and glorious, a city of the Gentiles and the head of the kingdom of the Persians, Antichrist will be born. And in the cities of Bethsaida and Chorazin he is said to be nourished and to dwell—cities which the Lord reproaches in the Gospel, saying: “Woe to you, Bethsaida; woe to you, Chorazin.”
Antichrist will have magicians, sorcerers, diviners, and enchanters, who—being inspired by the devil—will nourish him and teach him in all iniquity, falsehood, and wicked arts. And evil spirits will be his leaders, his companions, and his inseparable associates. Then, coming to Jerusalem, he will slaughter by various torments all Christians whom he cannot convert to himself, and he will establish his seat in the holy temple. He will also restore the destroyed temple which Solomon built for God, rebuilding it to its former state; and he will circumcise himself and falsely claim to be the Son of Almighty God.
He will first convert kings and princes to himself, and then through them the other peoples. The places through which the Lord Jesus Christ walked he too will tread, and he will first destroy what the Lord had glorified; then he will send messengers and his own preachers throughout the whole world. His preaching and his power will extend from sea to sea, from the east to the west, from the north to the farthest regions.
He will also perform many signs, great and unheard‑of miracles. He will make fire come terribly from heaven; he will cause trees suddenly to blossom and to wither; he will cause the sea to be troubled and suddenly calmed; he will change natures into various forms; he will turn the courses of waters and their order; he will stir the air with many winds and disturbances; and he will perform other innumerable and astonishing wonders—even raising the dead in the sight of men—so that, if it were possible, even the elect may be led into error. For when even those who are perfect and elect of God see such great signs, they will hesitate whether he is the Christ who, according to the Scriptures, is to come at the end of the world, or not.
He will also stir up persecution under the whole heaven against Christians and all the elect. Therefore he will rise up against the faithful in three ways—namely, by terror, by gifts, and by miracles. He will give to those who believe in him great quantities of gold and silver. But those whom he cannot corrupt with gifts he will overcome by terror. Those whom he cannot terrify he will attempt to seduce by signs and miracles. And those whom he cannot deceive by signs he will cruelly kill in the sight of all, tortured with a miserable death.
Then there will be such tribulation as has never been upon the earth from the time when nations began to exist until that time. Then those who are in the field will flee to the mountains, saying: “Fall upon us,” and to the hills: “Cover us.” And whoever is upon the housetop will not come down into his house to take anything from it. Then every faithful Christian who is found will either deny God or—if he remains steadfast in the faith—will perish either by the sword, or by the fire of the furnace, or by serpents, or by beasts, or by any other kind of torment whatsoever.
But this terrible and fearful tribulation will last three years and a half in the whole world. Then the days will be shortened for the sake of the elect. For unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved.
The time, indeed, when that same Antichrist shall come, or when the day of judgment shall begin to appear, the Apostle Paul shows in the Epistle to the Thessalonians: “We beseech you by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…” and he makes it clear where he says: “For unless the rebellion comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.”
For we know that after the kingdom of the Greeks, and also after the kingdom of the Persians—each of which in its own time flourished with great glory and great power—last of all, after the other kingdoms, the kingdom of the Romans began, which was the strongest of all the preceding kingdoms and held all the kingdoms of the earth under its dominion, and all the nations of the peoples were subject to the Romans and served them under tribute.
Therefore Paul the Apostle says that Antichrist will not come into the world until the rebellion comes first—that is, until all the kingdoms have first departed from the Roman Empire, to which they had previously been subject. But this time has not yet come, because although we see the kingdom of the Romans destroyed in great part, nevertheless, as long as the kings of the Franks endure—who ought to hold the Roman Empire—the dignity of the Roman Empire will not wholly perish, because it will stand in its kings.
Some of our teachers say that one of the kings of the Franks will hold the Roman Empire in its entirety, who will be in the last time. And he will be the greatest and the last of all kings. After he has happily governed his kingdom, he will at last come to Jerusalem, and on the Mount of Olives he will lay down his scepter and his crown. This will be the end and consummation of the Roman and Christian Empire. And immediately, according to the aforesaid sentence of Paul the Apostle, they say that Antichrist will soon be at hand, and then the man of sin will be revealed—namely, Antichrist—who, although he is a man, will nevertheless be the fountain of all sins; and the son of perdition, that is, the son of the devil, not by nature but by imitation, because in all things he will fulfill the will of the devil. For the fullness of diabolical power and of all evil cunning will dwell bodily in him, in whom all the treasures of malice and iniquity will be hidden.
He “opposes”—that is, he is contrary to Christ God and to all His members—and he “exalts himself,” that is, he rises in pride, above everything that is called a god; that is, above all the gods of the Gentiles—Hercules, Apollo, Jupiter, Mercury—whom the pagans think to be gods. Above all these gods Antichrist will exalt himself, because he will make himself greater and stronger than all of them. And not only above these, but also above everything that is worshipped—that is, above the Holy Trinity, which alone is to be worshipped and adored by all its creatures. He will so exalt himself that he will sit in the temple of God, showing himself as though he were God.
For, as we said above, being born in the city of Babylon, he will come to Jerusalem and will circumcise himself, saying to the Jews: “I am the Christ promised to you, who have come for your salvation, that I may gather and defend you who are scattered.” Then all the Jews will flock to him, thinking they are receiving God, but they will receive the devil. And Antichrist will sit in the temple of God—that is, in the holy Church—making all Christians martyrs; and he will be exalted and magnified, because in him will be the head of all evils, the devil, who is king over all the sons of pride.
But lest Antichrist come suddenly and unexpectedly and deceive and destroy the whole human race at once by his error, before his rising two great prophets will be sent into the world—namely Enoch and Elijah—who will arm the faithful of God with divine weapons against the assault of Antichrist, and will instruct them, strengthen them, and prepare the elect for battle, teaching and preaching for three years and a half. And whatever sons of Israel are found at that time, these two great prophets and teachers will convert them to the grace of faith, and will make them, among the elect, unshakable against the pressure of so great a storm.
Then will be fulfilled what Scripture says: “If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.” But after these two have completed their preaching for three years and a half, the persecution of Antichrist will immediately begin to blaze forth, and Antichrist will first take up his weapons against them and kill them, as it is said in the Apocalypse: “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the abyss will make war against them, and will overcome them, and will kill them.” After these two have been slain, then pursuing the other faithful, he will either make them glorious martyrs or turn them into apostates. And whoever believes in him will receive the mark of his character on his forehead.
But since we have spoken of his beginning, let us say what end he will have. This Antichrist, therefore, the son of the devil and the worst artificer of all malice, when for three years and a half, as has been foretold, he has afflicted the whole world with great persecution and has tortured the people of God with various punishments—after he has killed Elijah and Enoch and crowned the others who remain steadfast in the faith with martyrdom—at last the judgment of God will come upon him, as blessed Paul writes, saying: “Whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth.” Whether the Lord Jesus Himself kills him by the power of His might, or whether the archangel Michael kills him, he will be slain by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, not by the power of any angel or archangel.
Our teachers also hand down that Antichrist will be killed on the Mount of Olives, in his pavilion and on his throne, in that place over against which the Lord ascended into heaven.
You must also know that, after Antichrist has been killed, the day of judgment will not come immediately, nor will the Lord come at once to judgment. Rather, as we understand from the book of Daniel, the Lord will grant forty days to the elect, that they may do penance, because they were deceived by Antichrist. But after they have completed this penance, whatever span of time then follows until the Lord comes to judgment—no one knows; it remains in the disposition of God, who will judge the world at that hour which He appointed before the ages to be the time of judgment.
Behold, my lady queen, I, your faithful servant, have faithfully fulfilled what you commanded; ready to obey in other matters as well, whatever you shall deem worthy to order.
Since, my lady and mother, I have merited to be a shoot of your mercy, I have always been faithful to you in all things, as though your own servant. And therefore, although the prayers of my supplication are unworthy before the Lord, yet on your behalf and on behalf of your elder lord the king, and also for the safety of your sons, I implore the mercy of our God, that He may deign to preserve for you both your life and the height of your rule in this world, and may cause you, after this life, to reign happily with Him in heaven.
For if the Lord grants prosperity to you and longer life to your sons, we know without doubt and firmly believe that the Church of God will be exalted, and the order of our religion will be multiplied more and more. This I, your faithful servant, desire and long for greatly; for if I had been able to acquire the whole kingdom for you, I would most gladly have done so. But since I am not able to accomplish that, I will pray to the Lord for your salvation and that of your sons, that His grace may always go before you in your works, and His glory follow after you piously and mercifully, so that, intent upon the divine commandments, you may be able to fulfill the good things you desire, and thereby receive the crown of the heavenly kingdom.
Therefore, since you have a devout eagerness to hear the Scriptures and often to speak of our Redeemer, and also to know about the impiety and persecution of Antichrist, and likewise his power and his lineage—as you have deigned to command me, your servant—I wished to write something to you, and to give you a certain account concerning Antichrist in part, although you have no need to hear this from me, who have with you the most prudent pastor, Lord Rorico, a most illustrious mirror of all wisdom and eloquence in this, our very age.
Therefore, since you wish to know about Antichrist, you must first note why he is so called. It is, namely, because he will be contrary to Christ in all things—that is, he will do what is contrary to Christ. Christ came humble; he will come proud. Christ came to raise up the humble and to justify sinners; he, on the contrary, will cast down the humble, will exalt sinners, will lift up the impious, and will always teach vices that are contrary to virtues. He will destroy the law of the Gospel, restore the worship of demons in the world, seek his own glory, and call himself the almighty God.
This Antichrist, therefore, has many ministers of his wickedness, many of whom have already gone before in the world—such as Antiochus, Nero, and Domitian. Even now, in our own time, we know that there are many Antichrists. For whoever—whether layman, canon, or monk—lives contrary to justice, attacks the rule of his order, and blasphemes what is good, is an Antichrist and a minister of Satan.
But now let us consider the beginning of Antichrist. What I say, however, I do not invent from my own imagination or devise from my own sense; rather, by diligently rereading the books, I find all these things written.
Therefore, as our authorities say, Antichrist will be born from the people of the Jews, from the tribe of Dan, according to the prophecy which says: “Let Dan be a serpent in the way, a horned viper in the path.” For just as a serpent he will sit in the road and lie in the path, so that he may strike those who walk along the paths of justice, and kill them with the poison of his malice.
He will be born from the union of father and mother, like other men—not, as some say, from a virgin alone. Yet he will be conceived wholly in sin, generated in sin, and born in sin. And at the very beginning of his conception the devil will enter together into the womb of his mother, and by the devil’s power he will be warmed and nourished, and will be shaped in his mother’s womb, and the devil’s power will always be with him.
And just as the Holy Spirit came into the womb of the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, overshadowed her with His power, and filled her with His divinity, so that she conceived of the Holy Spirit and what was born was divine and holy; so likewise the devil will descend into the mother of Antichrist, and will fill her entirely, surround her entirely, hold her entirely, and possess her wholly, within and without, so that—through the cooperation of a man with the devil—she will conceive, and what is born will be wholly wicked, wholly evil, wholly lost. Hence that man is called the son of perdition, because, as far as he is able, he will destroy the human race, and he himself will be destroyed at the end.
Behold, you have heard how he will be born; hear also the place where he is to be born. For just as our Lord and Redeemer foresaw Bethlehem for Himself, that there He might assume humanity for us and deign to be born, so the devil knows a fitting place for that lost man who is called Antichrist, from which the root of all evils must spring—namely, the city of Babylon. For in this city, which was once renowned and glorious, a city of the Gentiles and the head of the kingdom of the Persians, Antichrist will be born. And in the cities of Bethsaida and Chorazin he is said to be nourished and to dwell—cities which the Lord reproaches in the Gospel, saying: “Woe to you, Bethsaida; woe to you, Chorazin.”
Antichrist will have magicians, sorcerers, diviners, and enchanters, who—being inspired by the devil—will nourish him and teach him in all iniquity, falsehood, and wicked arts. And evil spirits will be his leaders, his companions, and his inseparable associates. Then, coming to Jerusalem, he will slaughter by various torments all Christians whom he cannot convert to himself, and he will establish his seat in the holy temple. He will also restore the destroyed temple which Solomon built for God, rebuilding it to its former state; and he will circumcise himself and falsely claim to be the Son of Almighty God.
He will first convert kings and princes to himself, and then through them the other peoples. The places through which the Lord Jesus Christ walked he too will tread, and he will first destroy what the Lord had glorified; then he will send messengers and his own preachers throughout the whole world. His preaching and his power will extend from sea to sea, from the east to the west, from the north to the farthest regions.
He will also perform many signs, great and unheard‑of miracles. He will make fire come terribly from heaven; he will cause trees suddenly to blossom and to wither; he will cause the sea to be troubled and suddenly calmed; he will change natures into various forms; he will turn the courses of waters and their order; he will stir the air with many winds and disturbances; and he will perform other innumerable and astonishing wonders—even raising the dead in the sight of men—so that, if it were possible, even the elect may be led into error. For when even those who are perfect and elect of God see such great signs, they will hesitate whether he is the Christ who, according to the Scriptures, is to come at the end of the world, or not.
He will also stir up persecution under the whole heaven against Christians and all the elect. Therefore he will rise up against the faithful in three ways—namely, by terror, by gifts, and by miracles. He will give to those who believe in him great quantities of gold and silver. But those whom he cannot corrupt with gifts he will overcome by terror. Those whom he cannot terrify he will attempt to seduce by signs and miracles. And those whom he cannot deceive by signs he will cruelly kill in the sight of all, tortured with a miserable death.
Then there will be such tribulation as has never been upon the earth from the time when nations began to exist until that time. Then those who are in the field will flee to the mountains, saying: “Fall upon us,” and to the hills: “Cover us.” And whoever is upon the housetop will not come down into his house to take anything from it. Then every faithful Christian who is found will either deny God or—if he remains steadfast in the faith—will perish either by the sword, or by the fire of the furnace, or by serpents, or by beasts, or by any other kind of torment whatsoever.
But this terrible and fearful tribulation will last three years and a half in the whole world. Then the days will be shortened for the sake of the elect. For unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved.
The time, indeed, when that same Antichrist shall come, or when the day of judgment shall begin to appear, the Apostle Paul shows in the Epistle to the Thessalonians: “We beseech you by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…” and he makes it clear where he says: “For unless the rebellion comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.”
For we know that after the kingdom of the Greeks, and also after the kingdom of the Persians—each of which in its own time flourished with great glory and great power—last of all, after the other kingdoms, the kingdom of the Romans began, which was the strongest of all the preceding kingdoms and held all the kingdoms of the earth under its dominion, and all the nations of the peoples were subject to the Romans and served them under tribute.
Therefore Paul the Apostle says that Antichrist will not come into the world until the rebellion comes first—that is, until all the kingdoms have first departed from the Roman Empire, to which they had previously been subject. But this time has not yet come, because although we see the kingdom of the Romans destroyed in great part, nevertheless, as long as the kings of the Franks endure—who ought to hold the Roman Empire—the dignity of the Roman Empire will not wholly perish, because it will stand in its kings.
Some of our teachers say that one of the kings of the Franks will hold the Roman Empire in its entirety, who will be in the last time. And he will be the greatest and the last of all kings. After he has happily governed his kingdom, he will at last come to Jerusalem, and on the Mount of Olives he will lay down his scepter and his crown. This will be the end and consummation of the Roman and Christian Empire. And immediately, according to the aforesaid sentence of Paul the Apostle, they say that Antichrist will soon be at hand, and then the man of sin will be revealed—namely, Antichrist—who, although he is a man, will nevertheless be the fountain of all sins; and the son of perdition, that is, the son of the devil, not by nature but by imitation, because in all things he will fulfill the will of the devil. For the fullness of diabolical power and of all evil cunning will dwell bodily in him, in whom all the treasures of malice and iniquity will be hidden.
He “opposes”—that is, he is contrary to Christ God and to all His members—and he “exalts himself,” that is, he rises in pride, above everything that is called a god; that is, above all the gods of the Gentiles—Hercules, Apollo, Jupiter, Mercury—whom the pagans think to be gods. Above all these gods Antichrist will exalt himself, because he will make himself greater and stronger than all of them. And not only above these, but also above everything that is worshipped—that is, above the Holy Trinity, which alone is to be worshipped and adored by all its creatures. He will so exalt himself that he will sit in the temple of God, showing himself as though he were God.
For, as we said above, being born in the city of Babylon, he will come to Jerusalem and will circumcise himself, saying to the Jews: “I am the Christ promised to you, who have come for your salvation, that I may gather and defend you who are scattered.” Then all the Jews will flock to him, thinking they are receiving God, but they will receive the devil. And Antichrist will sit in the temple of God—that is, in the holy Church—making all Christians martyrs; and he will be exalted and magnified, because in him will be the head of all evils, the devil, who is king over all the sons of pride.
But lest Antichrist come suddenly and unexpectedly and deceive and destroy the whole human race at once by his error, before his rising two great prophets will be sent into the world—namely Enoch and Elijah—who will arm the faithful of God with divine weapons against the assault of Antichrist, and will instruct them, strengthen them, and prepare the elect for battle, teaching and preaching for three years and a half. And whatever sons of Israel are found at that time, these two great prophets and teachers will convert them to the grace of faith, and will make them, among the elect, unshakable against the pressure of so great a storm.
Then will be fulfilled what Scripture says: “If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.” But after these two have completed their preaching for three years and a half, the persecution of Antichrist will immediately begin to blaze forth, and Antichrist will first take up his weapons against them and kill them, as it is said in the Apocalypse: “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the abyss will make war against them, and will overcome them, and will kill them.” After these two have been slain, then pursuing the other faithful, he will either make them glorious martyrs or turn them into apostates. And whoever believes in him will receive the mark of his character on his forehead.
But since we have spoken of his beginning, let us say what end he will have. This Antichrist, therefore, the son of the devil and the worst artificer of all malice, when for three years and a half, as has been foretold, he has afflicted the whole world with great persecution and has tortured the people of God with various punishments—after he has killed Elijah and Enoch and crowned the others who remain steadfast in the faith with martyrdom—at last the judgment of God will come upon him, as blessed Paul writes, saying: “Whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth.” Whether the Lord Jesus Himself kills him by the power of His might, or whether the archangel Michael kills him, he will be slain by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, not by the power of any angel or archangel.
Our teachers also hand down that Antichrist will be killed on the Mount of Olives, in his pavilion and on his throne, in that place over against which the Lord ascended into heaven.
You must also know that, after Antichrist has been killed, the day of judgment will not come immediately, nor will the Lord come at once to judgment. Rather, as we understand from the book of Daniel, the Lord will grant forty days to the elect, that they may do penance, because they were deceived by Antichrist. But after they have completed this penance, whatever span of time then follows until the Lord comes to judgment—no one knows; it remains in the disposition of God, who will judge the world at that hour which He appointed before the ages to be the time of judgment.
Behold, my lady queen, I, your faithful servant, have faithfully fulfilled what you commanded; ready to obey in other matters as well, whatever you shall deem worthy to order.
translated from Ernst Sackur, Sibyllinische texte und forschungen (Halle: Max Niemeyer, 1898), 104-113.
II. LATE REDACTIONS
A LITTLE LETTER ON THE ANTICHRIST FROM
ADSO, ABBOT OF THE MONASTERY OF DERVENSIS,
TO QUEEN GERBERGA.
To the most excellent queen and powerful in royal dignity, beloved of God and beloved by all the saints, mother of monks and leader of holy women, lady Gerberga, brother Adso, the least of all her servants, sends glory and eternal peace.
Since, my lady and mother, I have merited to be a shoot of your mercy, I have always been faithful to you in all things, as though your own servant. And therefore, although the prayers of my supplication are unworthy before the Lord, yet on your behalf and on behalf of your elder lord the king—indeed, also for the safety of your sons—I implore the mercy of our God, that He may deign to preserve for you both your life and your rule in this world, and may cause you, after this life, to reign happily with Him in heaven. For if the Lord grants prosperity to you and longer life to your sons, we know without doubt and firmly believe that the Church of God will be exalted, and the order of our religion will be multiplied more and more.
This I, your faithful servant, desire and long for greatly; for if I had been able to acquire total royal power for you, I would most gladly have done so. But since I am not able to accomplish that, I will pray to the Lord for your salvation and that of your sons, that His grace may always go before you in your works, and His glory follow after you piously and mercifully, so that, intent upon the divine commandments, you may be able to fulfill the good things you desire, and thereby receive the crown of the heavenly kingdom.
Therefore, since you have a devout eagerness to hear the Scriptures and often to speak of our Redeemer, and also to know about the impiety and persecution of Antichrist, and likewise his power and his lineage—as you have deigned to command me, your servant—I wished to write something to you, and to give you a certain account concerning Antichrist in part, although you have no need to hear this from me, who have with you the most prudent pastor, Lord Rorico, a most illustrious mirror of all wisdom and eloquence in this, our very age [the manuscript adds: “and very necessary”].
First, we must set forth why he is called Antichrist. It is, namely, because in all things he will be contrary to Christ—that is, he will do things contrary to Christ. Christ came humble; he will come proud. Christ came to raise up the humble and justify sinners; he, on the contrary, will cast down the humble, magnify sinners, exalt the impious, and will always teach vices that are contrary to virtues. He will destroy the law of the Gospel, restore the worship of demons in the world, seek his own glory, and call himself the almighty God.
This Antichrist, therefore, has many ministers of his unbelief [another manuscript: “of his malice”], many of whom have already preceded him in the world—such as Nero, Antiochus, and Domitian. Even now, in our own time, we know that there are many Antichrists; for whoever—whether layman, canon, or monk—lives contrary to justice, attacks the rule of his order, and blasphemes what is good, is an Antichrist and a minister of Satan.
But now let us consider the beginning of Antichrist. Yet I adjure you in Christ that what I am about to say I do not invent from my own imagination; rather, by diligently rereading the authoritative books, I find all these things written.
Therefore, as our authorities say, Antichrist will be born from the people of the Jews, from the tribe of Dan, according to the prophecy which says: “Let Dan be a serpent in the way, a horned viper in the path, biting the horse’s heel so that its rider falls backward” (Gen. 49:17). For just as a serpent he will sit in the road and lie in the path, so that he may strike those who walk along the path of justice, and kill them with the poison of his malice. He will be born from the union of father and mother, like other men—not, as some fabulously claim, from a virgin alone [nor from a bishop and a nun, as others madly teach, but from a most unclean prostitute and a most wicked scoundrel]. He will be conceived wholly in sin, generated in sin, and born in sin.
But at the very beginning of his conception the devil will enter simultaneously into the womb of his mother—the head of pride, the master of error, the fullness of malice. For he, though cast down, as blessed Gregory says, does not lose the nature of his power; his strength has not been revealed, nor is it now revealed, because by the might of divine disposition he is held bound in chains. Then he will be loosed and will go forth, and through that vessel of his he will terribly deceive the nations. This is he of whom John says: “I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding in his hand a great chain and the key of the abyss; and he seized the dragon, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and after the thousand years he will be loosed and will go out and deceive the nations” (Rev. 20:1ff). This is the king over all the sons of pride, whose power will always be with him.
And just as the Holy Spirit came into the womb of the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, overshadowed her with His power, and filled her with His divinity so that she conceived of the Holy Spirit, and what was born was divine and holy; so likewise the devil will descend into the mother of Antichrist, and will fill her entirely, surround her entirely, hold her entirely, and possess her wholly, within and without, so that she may conceive with the cooperation of the devil through a man, and what is born will be wholly wicked, wholly evil, wholly lost. Hence that man is called the son of perdition, because, as far as he is able, he will destroy the human race, and he himself will be destroyed at the end.
Behold, having heard the manner of his birth, listen now to the place where he is to be born. For just as our Lord and Redeemer foresaw Bethlehem for Himself, that there He might deign to assume humanity for us and be born; so the devil knows a fitting place for that lost man who is called Antichrist, from which the root of all evils must spring—namely, the city of Babylon. For in this city, which was once renowned and glorious, a city of the Gentiles and the head of the whole kingdom of the Persians, Antichrist will be born. And in the cities of Bethsaida and Chorazin he is said to be nourished and to dwell—cities which the Lord reproaches in the Gospel, saying: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!” (Matt. 11:21; Luke 10:13).
Antichrist will have magicians, soothsayers, sorcerers, enchanters, and diviners, who—being inspired by the devil—will nourish him and teach him, and will train him in all iniquity, falsehood, and wicked arts; and evil spirits will be his leaders, his companions, and his inseparable comrades. Then, coming to Jerusalem, he will slaughter by various torments all Christians whom he cannot convert to himself, and he will establish his throne in the holy temple. He will rebuild the destroyed temple which Solomon prepared for God, restoring it to its former state; and he will circumcise himself, and will falsely claim to be the Son of Almighty God.
He will first convert kings and princes to himself, and then through them the other peoples. The places through which the Lord Jesus Christ walked, he too will walk; but first he will destroy what the Lord had glorified. Then he will send messengers and his own preachers throughout the whole world. His preaching and his power will extend from sea to sea, from the east to the west, and from the north to the farthest regions. He will also perform many signs and great and unheard‑of miracles. He will make fire descend terribly from heaven; he will cause trees suddenly to blossom and grow [or, in another reading, to wither]; he will cause the sea to be troubled and suddenly calmed; he will change natures into various forms; he will turn waters against their natural course and order; he will stir the air with many winds and disturbances; and he will perform other innumerable and astonishing wonders—indeed, he will raise the dead in the sight of men—so that even the elect, if it were possible, may be led into error (Matt. 24:24).
[But these will be lies, alien to the truth; for by magical art and illusion he will deceive men, just as Simon Magus deceived the one who, thinking he killed him, killed a ram in his place.] For when even those who are perfect and elect of God see such great signs, they will hesitate whether he is the Christ who, according to the Scriptures, is to come at the end of the world, or not. [Yet all these miracles will in every way be false, wrought through diabolical enchantments, though to sinners and unbelievers they will appear true.]
He will stir up persecution under the whole heaven against Christians and all the elect. Therefore he will rise up against the faithful in three ways—namely, by terror, by gifts, and by miracles. He will give to those who believe in him great quantities of gold and silver [for in his time all hidden treasures will be revealed]. But those whom he cannot corrupt with gifts he will overcome by terror; and those whom he cannot conquer by terror he will attempt to seduce by signs and miracles; and those whom he cannot deceive by signs he will cruelly kill in the sight of all, tortured with a wondrously dreadful death [another manuscript: “he will attempt to kill them with a miserable death”]. Then there will be such tribulation as has never been upon the earth from the time when nations began to exist until that time. Then those who are in the field will flee to the mountains, saying, “Fall upon us,” and to the hills, “Cover us”; and whoever is upon the housetop will not come down into his house to take anything from it, but will cast himself headlong (Matt. 24:16ff). Then every faithful Christian who is found will either deny God, or—if he remains steadfast in the faith—will perish either by the sword, or by the fire of the furnace, or by serpents, or by beasts, or by any other kind of torment whatsoever.
But this terrible and fearful tribulation will last three years and a half [throughout the whole world]. Then the days will be shortened for the sake of the elect (Matt. 24:22); for unless the Lord had shortened the days, scarcely would any flesh be saved [another manuscript: “no flesh would have been saved”]. The time, indeed, when Antichrist shall come, or when the day of judgment shall begin to appear, the Apostle Paul shows in the Epistle to the Thessalonians, saying: “Unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…” (2 Thess. 2:3).
We know, moreover, that after the kingdom of the Greeks, and also after the kingdom of the Persians—each of which in its own time flourished with great glory and great power—last of all, after the other kingdoms, the kingdom of the Romans began [another manuscript: “will begin”], which was the strongest of all the preceding kingdoms [another manuscript: “will be”], and held all kingdoms under its dominion [another manuscript: “will hold”]; and all the nations of the peoples were subject to Rome and served it [another manuscript: “will be subject to the Romans and will serve them”] under tribute. Therefore the Apostle says that Antichrist will not come into the world until the rebellion comes first—that is, until all the kingdoms of the world have departed from the Roman Empire, to which they had previously been subject.
But this time has not yet come, for although we see the Roman Empire already destroyed in great part, nevertheless, as long as the kings of the Franks endure—who ought to hold the Roman Empire—the dignity of the Roman Empire will not wholly perish, because it will stand in its kings. For our teachers hand down that one of the kings of the Franks will hold the Roman Empire in its entirety, who will be in the last time; and he will be the greatest of all kings and the last. After he has governed his kingdom faithfully [another manuscript: “happily”], he will at last come to Jerusalem, and on the Mount of Olives he will lay down his scepter and his crown. This will be the end and consummation of the Roman and Christian Empire. According to the aforesaid sentence of the Apostle, they say that Antichrist will immediately be at hand, and then that man of sin will be revealed—namely, Antichrist—who, although he is a man, will nevertheless be the fountain of all sins; and the son of perdition, that is, the son of the devil [not by nature, but by imitation], because in all things he will fulfill the will of the devil; for the fullness of diabolical power and of all malicious cunning will dwell in him [another manuscript adds: “bodily”]. In him will be hidden all the treasures of malice and iniquity.
He “opposes,” that is, he is contrary to Christ God and to all His members. And he “exalts himself,” that is, he rises in pride, above all that is called God—that is, [above all the saints, who according to the Psalmist are called gods: “I said, you are gods” (Ps. 82:6); or] above all the gods of the Gentiles—Hercules, Apollo, Jupiter, Mercury—whom the pagans think to be gods. Above all these gods Antichrist will exalt himself, because he will make himself greater and stronger than all; and not only above these, but also above all that is worshipped—that is, above the Holy Trinity, which alone is to be worshipped and adored as Creator by all His creatures. Thus he will exalt himself so that he sits in the temple of God, showing himself as though he were God.
For, as we said above, born in the city of Babylon, coming to Jerusalem he will circumcise himself, saying to the Jews: “I am the Christ promised to you, who have come for your salvation, that I may gather and defend you who are scattered.” Then all the Jews will run to him, and thinking they receive Christ, they will receive the devil, according to what the Lord says in the Gospel to the Jews: “I came in the name of my Father, and you did not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive” (John 5:43).
As we have in the Sibylline verses, in the time of the aforesaid king—whose name will be C., king of the Romans of the whole empire—tall in stature, handsome in appearance, splendid in countenance, and well‑proportioned in every feature of his limbs, there will be great riches, and the earth will give its fruit, so that a measure of wheat will be sold for a single denarius, and likewise wine and oil. Then from the North will arise the most filthy nations whom King Alexander shut up in Gog and Magog. These are twenty‑two [another manuscript: twelve] kingdoms, whose number is like the sand of the sea. When the king of the Romans hears this, he will summon his army, fight them, and strike them down to utter destruction.
He will always keep before his eyes the Scripture which says: “Let the king of the Romans claim for himself the whole kingdom of the earth.” Therefore he will devastate all islands and cities, and destroy all the temples of idols, and summon all pagans to baptism, and in all temples the cross of Christ will be erected; and even the Jews will then be converted to the Lord. “In those days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely” (Jer. 23:6).
And when the one hundred and twelve [another manuscript: “twelve,” omitting “one hundred”] years of his reign have been completed, he will come to Jerusalem, and there, as has been said, laying down his diadem, he will leave the kingdom of the Christians to God the Father and to His Son Jesus Christ, and his tomb will be glorious.
Then two great prophets will be sent into the world—Elijah and Enoch—who will fortify the faithful with divine weapons against the assault of Antichrist, and will instruct them, strengthen them, and prepare the elect for battle. Then will be fulfilled the Scripture which says: “If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved” (Rom. 9:27).
After they have completed their preaching, Antichrist will rise up against them and kill them, as is read in the Apocalypse: “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the abyss will make war against them, and will overcome them, and will kill them…” (Rev. 11:7). But they, being slain, will after three days be raised by the Lord. After this, he will pursue the remaining faithful, delivering them to the sword or making them apostates; and those who believe in him will receive the mark of his character on their forehead.
But since we have spoken of his beginning and his life, let us say what end he will have. For this Antichrist, the son of the devil and the worst artificer of all malice, after he has afflicted the whole world for three years and a half with great persecution, and has tortured the people of God with various punishments, and has crowned with martyrdom those who remained steadfast in the faith—at last the judgment of God will come upon him, as blessed Paul the Apostle writes, saying: “Whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth, and will destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thess. 2:8). For so great will be the majesty of the splendor of Christ’s coming that, overwhelmed by the radiance of the divine light, he will perish in terror, defiled as the filth of his belly is expelled in excess.
Our teachers also hand down, as Pope Gregory says, that Michael the Archangel will slay him on the Mount of Olives, in his pavilion and on his throne, in that very place from which the Lord ascended into heaven. Both things can be true: for if Michael, going before the face of God coming to judgment, kills him, it will not be by his own power but by the power and command of God.
We must also firmly believe that when Antichrist has been killed, the day of judgment will not come immediately, nor will the Lord come at once to judgment; but, as we understand from the book of Daniel, the Lord will grant forty days of repentance to those who have been enchanted and marked, because they were deceived by Antichrist. After they have completed this repentance, whatever span of time follows—although I think there is no one who knows—it remains in the dispensation of God, who will judge the world by fire at the hour which He has appointed before the ages to be the time of judgment. Yet Augustine, in his exposition of We do not want you to be ignorant concerning those who sleep, explains many things about this most clearly; and Jerome, in his exposition of the seven trumpets to Evervinus, gives us teachings of great knowledge on this matter.
Behold, my lady queen, I, your faithful servant, have faithfully fulfilled what you commanded; ready to obey in other matters as well, whatever you shall deem worthy to order.
Since, my lady and mother, I have merited to be a shoot of your mercy, I have always been faithful to you in all things, as though your own servant. And therefore, although the prayers of my supplication are unworthy before the Lord, yet on your behalf and on behalf of your elder lord the king—indeed, also for the safety of your sons—I implore the mercy of our God, that He may deign to preserve for you both your life and your rule in this world, and may cause you, after this life, to reign happily with Him in heaven. For if the Lord grants prosperity to you and longer life to your sons, we know without doubt and firmly believe that the Church of God will be exalted, and the order of our religion will be multiplied more and more.
This I, your faithful servant, desire and long for greatly; for if I had been able to acquire total royal power for you, I would most gladly have done so. But since I am not able to accomplish that, I will pray to the Lord for your salvation and that of your sons, that His grace may always go before you in your works, and His glory follow after you piously and mercifully, so that, intent upon the divine commandments, you may be able to fulfill the good things you desire, and thereby receive the crown of the heavenly kingdom.
Therefore, since you have a devout eagerness to hear the Scriptures and often to speak of our Redeemer, and also to know about the impiety and persecution of Antichrist, and likewise his power and his lineage—as you have deigned to command me, your servant—I wished to write something to you, and to give you a certain account concerning Antichrist in part, although you have no need to hear this from me, who have with you the most prudent pastor, Lord Rorico, a most illustrious mirror of all wisdom and eloquence in this, our very age [the manuscript adds: “and very necessary”].
First, we must set forth why he is called Antichrist. It is, namely, because in all things he will be contrary to Christ—that is, he will do things contrary to Christ. Christ came humble; he will come proud. Christ came to raise up the humble and justify sinners; he, on the contrary, will cast down the humble, magnify sinners, exalt the impious, and will always teach vices that are contrary to virtues. He will destroy the law of the Gospel, restore the worship of demons in the world, seek his own glory, and call himself the almighty God.
This Antichrist, therefore, has many ministers of his unbelief [another manuscript: “of his malice”], many of whom have already preceded him in the world—such as Nero, Antiochus, and Domitian. Even now, in our own time, we know that there are many Antichrists; for whoever—whether layman, canon, or monk—lives contrary to justice, attacks the rule of his order, and blasphemes what is good, is an Antichrist and a minister of Satan.
But now let us consider the beginning of Antichrist. Yet I adjure you in Christ that what I am about to say I do not invent from my own imagination; rather, by diligently rereading the authoritative books, I find all these things written.
Therefore, as our authorities say, Antichrist will be born from the people of the Jews, from the tribe of Dan, according to the prophecy which says: “Let Dan be a serpent in the way, a horned viper in the path, biting the horse’s heel so that its rider falls backward” (Gen. 49:17). For just as a serpent he will sit in the road and lie in the path, so that he may strike those who walk along the path of justice, and kill them with the poison of his malice. He will be born from the union of father and mother, like other men—not, as some fabulously claim, from a virgin alone [nor from a bishop and a nun, as others madly teach, but from a most unclean prostitute and a most wicked scoundrel]. He will be conceived wholly in sin, generated in sin, and born in sin.
But at the very beginning of his conception the devil will enter simultaneously into the womb of his mother—the head of pride, the master of error, the fullness of malice. For he, though cast down, as blessed Gregory says, does not lose the nature of his power; his strength has not been revealed, nor is it now revealed, because by the might of divine disposition he is held bound in chains. Then he will be loosed and will go forth, and through that vessel of his he will terribly deceive the nations. This is he of whom John says: “I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding in his hand a great chain and the key of the abyss; and he seized the dragon, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and after the thousand years he will be loosed and will go out and deceive the nations” (Rev. 20:1ff). This is the king over all the sons of pride, whose power will always be with him.
And just as the Holy Spirit came into the womb of the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, overshadowed her with His power, and filled her with His divinity so that she conceived of the Holy Spirit, and what was born was divine and holy; so likewise the devil will descend into the mother of Antichrist, and will fill her entirely, surround her entirely, hold her entirely, and possess her wholly, within and without, so that she may conceive with the cooperation of the devil through a man, and what is born will be wholly wicked, wholly evil, wholly lost. Hence that man is called the son of perdition, because, as far as he is able, he will destroy the human race, and he himself will be destroyed at the end.
Behold, having heard the manner of his birth, listen now to the place where he is to be born. For just as our Lord and Redeemer foresaw Bethlehem for Himself, that there He might deign to assume humanity for us and be born; so the devil knows a fitting place for that lost man who is called Antichrist, from which the root of all evils must spring—namely, the city of Babylon. For in this city, which was once renowned and glorious, a city of the Gentiles and the head of the whole kingdom of the Persians, Antichrist will be born. And in the cities of Bethsaida and Chorazin he is said to be nourished and to dwell—cities which the Lord reproaches in the Gospel, saying: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!” (Matt. 11:21; Luke 10:13).
Antichrist will have magicians, soothsayers, sorcerers, enchanters, and diviners, who—being inspired by the devil—will nourish him and teach him, and will train him in all iniquity, falsehood, and wicked arts; and evil spirits will be his leaders, his companions, and his inseparable comrades. Then, coming to Jerusalem, he will slaughter by various torments all Christians whom he cannot convert to himself, and he will establish his throne in the holy temple. He will rebuild the destroyed temple which Solomon prepared for God, restoring it to its former state; and he will circumcise himself, and will falsely claim to be the Son of Almighty God.
He will first convert kings and princes to himself, and then through them the other peoples. The places through which the Lord Jesus Christ walked, he too will walk; but first he will destroy what the Lord had glorified. Then he will send messengers and his own preachers throughout the whole world. His preaching and his power will extend from sea to sea, from the east to the west, and from the north to the farthest regions. He will also perform many signs and great and unheard‑of miracles. He will make fire descend terribly from heaven; he will cause trees suddenly to blossom and grow [or, in another reading, to wither]; he will cause the sea to be troubled and suddenly calmed; he will change natures into various forms; he will turn waters against their natural course and order; he will stir the air with many winds and disturbances; and he will perform other innumerable and astonishing wonders—indeed, he will raise the dead in the sight of men—so that even the elect, if it were possible, may be led into error (Matt. 24:24).
[But these will be lies, alien to the truth; for by magical art and illusion he will deceive men, just as Simon Magus deceived the one who, thinking he killed him, killed a ram in his place.] For when even those who are perfect and elect of God see such great signs, they will hesitate whether he is the Christ who, according to the Scriptures, is to come at the end of the world, or not. [Yet all these miracles will in every way be false, wrought through diabolical enchantments, though to sinners and unbelievers they will appear true.]
He will stir up persecution under the whole heaven against Christians and all the elect. Therefore he will rise up against the faithful in three ways—namely, by terror, by gifts, and by miracles. He will give to those who believe in him great quantities of gold and silver [for in his time all hidden treasures will be revealed]. But those whom he cannot corrupt with gifts he will overcome by terror; and those whom he cannot conquer by terror he will attempt to seduce by signs and miracles; and those whom he cannot deceive by signs he will cruelly kill in the sight of all, tortured with a wondrously dreadful death [another manuscript: “he will attempt to kill them with a miserable death”]. Then there will be such tribulation as has never been upon the earth from the time when nations began to exist until that time. Then those who are in the field will flee to the mountains, saying, “Fall upon us,” and to the hills, “Cover us”; and whoever is upon the housetop will not come down into his house to take anything from it, but will cast himself headlong (Matt. 24:16ff). Then every faithful Christian who is found will either deny God, or—if he remains steadfast in the faith—will perish either by the sword, or by the fire of the furnace, or by serpents, or by beasts, or by any other kind of torment whatsoever.
But this terrible and fearful tribulation will last three years and a half [throughout the whole world]. Then the days will be shortened for the sake of the elect (Matt. 24:22); for unless the Lord had shortened the days, scarcely would any flesh be saved [another manuscript: “no flesh would have been saved”]. The time, indeed, when Antichrist shall come, or when the day of judgment shall begin to appear, the Apostle Paul shows in the Epistle to the Thessalonians, saying: “Unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…” (2 Thess. 2:3).
We know, moreover, that after the kingdom of the Greeks, and also after the kingdom of the Persians—each of which in its own time flourished with great glory and great power—last of all, after the other kingdoms, the kingdom of the Romans began [another manuscript: “will begin”], which was the strongest of all the preceding kingdoms [another manuscript: “will be”], and held all kingdoms under its dominion [another manuscript: “will hold”]; and all the nations of the peoples were subject to Rome and served it [another manuscript: “will be subject to the Romans and will serve them”] under tribute. Therefore the Apostle says that Antichrist will not come into the world until the rebellion comes first—that is, until all the kingdoms of the world have departed from the Roman Empire, to which they had previously been subject.
But this time has not yet come, for although we see the Roman Empire already destroyed in great part, nevertheless, as long as the kings of the Franks endure—who ought to hold the Roman Empire—the dignity of the Roman Empire will not wholly perish, because it will stand in its kings. For our teachers hand down that one of the kings of the Franks will hold the Roman Empire in its entirety, who will be in the last time; and he will be the greatest of all kings and the last. After he has governed his kingdom faithfully [another manuscript: “happily”], he will at last come to Jerusalem, and on the Mount of Olives he will lay down his scepter and his crown. This will be the end and consummation of the Roman and Christian Empire. According to the aforesaid sentence of the Apostle, they say that Antichrist will immediately be at hand, and then that man of sin will be revealed—namely, Antichrist—who, although he is a man, will nevertheless be the fountain of all sins; and the son of perdition, that is, the son of the devil [not by nature, but by imitation], because in all things he will fulfill the will of the devil; for the fullness of diabolical power and of all malicious cunning will dwell in him [another manuscript adds: “bodily”]. In him will be hidden all the treasures of malice and iniquity.
He “opposes,” that is, he is contrary to Christ God and to all His members. And he “exalts himself,” that is, he rises in pride, above all that is called God—that is, [above all the saints, who according to the Psalmist are called gods: “I said, you are gods” (Ps. 82:6); or] above all the gods of the Gentiles—Hercules, Apollo, Jupiter, Mercury—whom the pagans think to be gods. Above all these gods Antichrist will exalt himself, because he will make himself greater and stronger than all; and not only above these, but also above all that is worshipped—that is, above the Holy Trinity, which alone is to be worshipped and adored as Creator by all His creatures. Thus he will exalt himself so that he sits in the temple of God, showing himself as though he were God.
For, as we said above, born in the city of Babylon, coming to Jerusalem he will circumcise himself, saying to the Jews: “I am the Christ promised to you, who have come for your salvation, that I may gather and defend you who are scattered.” Then all the Jews will run to him, and thinking they receive Christ, they will receive the devil, according to what the Lord says in the Gospel to the Jews: “I came in the name of my Father, and you did not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive” (John 5:43).
As we have in the Sibylline verses, in the time of the aforesaid king—whose name will be C., king of the Romans of the whole empire—tall in stature, handsome in appearance, splendid in countenance, and well‑proportioned in every feature of his limbs, there will be great riches, and the earth will give its fruit, so that a measure of wheat will be sold for a single denarius, and likewise wine and oil. Then from the North will arise the most filthy nations whom King Alexander shut up in Gog and Magog. These are twenty‑two [another manuscript: twelve] kingdoms, whose number is like the sand of the sea. When the king of the Romans hears this, he will summon his army, fight them, and strike them down to utter destruction.
He will always keep before his eyes the Scripture which says: “Let the king of the Romans claim for himself the whole kingdom of the earth.” Therefore he will devastate all islands and cities, and destroy all the temples of idols, and summon all pagans to baptism, and in all temples the cross of Christ will be erected; and even the Jews will then be converted to the Lord. “In those days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely” (Jer. 23:6).
And when the one hundred and twelve [another manuscript: “twelve,” omitting “one hundred”] years of his reign have been completed, he will come to Jerusalem, and there, as has been said, laying down his diadem, he will leave the kingdom of the Christians to God the Father and to His Son Jesus Christ, and his tomb will be glorious.
Then two great prophets will be sent into the world—Elijah and Enoch—who will fortify the faithful with divine weapons against the assault of Antichrist, and will instruct them, strengthen them, and prepare the elect for battle. Then will be fulfilled the Scripture which says: “If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved” (Rom. 9:27).
After they have completed their preaching, Antichrist will rise up against them and kill them, as is read in the Apocalypse: “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the abyss will make war against them, and will overcome them, and will kill them…” (Rev. 11:7). But they, being slain, will after three days be raised by the Lord. After this, he will pursue the remaining faithful, delivering them to the sword or making them apostates; and those who believe in him will receive the mark of his character on their forehead.
But since we have spoken of his beginning and his life, let us say what end he will have. For this Antichrist, the son of the devil and the worst artificer of all malice, after he has afflicted the whole world for three years and a half with great persecution, and has tortured the people of God with various punishments, and has crowned with martyrdom those who remained steadfast in the faith—at last the judgment of God will come upon him, as blessed Paul the Apostle writes, saying: “Whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth, and will destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thess. 2:8). For so great will be the majesty of the splendor of Christ’s coming that, overwhelmed by the radiance of the divine light, he will perish in terror, defiled as the filth of his belly is expelled in excess.
Our teachers also hand down, as Pope Gregory says, that Michael the Archangel will slay him on the Mount of Olives, in his pavilion and on his throne, in that very place from which the Lord ascended into heaven. Both things can be true: for if Michael, going before the face of God coming to judgment, kills him, it will not be by his own power but by the power and command of God.
We must also firmly believe that when Antichrist has been killed, the day of judgment will not come immediately, nor will the Lord come at once to judgment; but, as we understand from the book of Daniel, the Lord will grant forty days of repentance to those who have been enchanted and marked, because they were deceived by Antichrist. After they have completed this repentance, whatever span of time follows—although I think there is no one who knows—it remains in the dispensation of God, who will judge the world by fire at the hour which He has appointed before the ages to be the time of judgment. Yet Augustine, in his exposition of We do not want you to be ignorant concerning those who sleep, explains many things about this most clearly; and Jerome, in his exposition of the seven trumpets to Evervinus, gives us teachings of great knowledge on this matter.
Behold, my lady queen, I, your faithful servant, have faithfully fulfilled what you commanded; ready to obey in other matters as well, whatever you shall deem worthy to order.
translated from Migne, Patrologia Latina, Tomus 101.
