The Lamb with the Dragon’s Voice: How the Church Will Elect & Crown the Antichrist

What if the greatest end-times deception is not the secularization of the Church by ultra-liberal ideologies, but the complete politicization of Christianity by forces that appear friendly? Few Christians have ever paused to seriously consider this possibility.

But here is the more unsettling question: what if the true danger is not opposition to the faith, but Christian nationalism itself?

Scripture issues a sobering warning the Church has largely ignored: the Antichrist will not arise in hostile opposition to Christianity, but will emerge from within the Church itself—elected, legitimized, and ultimately crowned by professing Christians who believe they are advancing the cause of God.

This article argues that while voting and political engagement are not explicitly condemned as sin in Scripture, they are ultimately futile—and more dangerously, a means by which sincere Christians may unknowingly elect and crown the very power Scripture warns will deceive the world.

To understand why this danger exists, we must first recover a biblical understanding of who Christians are—and where their true citizenship lies.

NO LONGER CITIZENS OF THIS WORLD

Conversion is not merely a change of belief — it is a change of allegiance. When a man is born again, he is transferred from one kingdom to another. Scripture does not describe Believers as reformers of the world, but as spiritual soldiers, pilgrims, and ambassadors — men and women stationed in foreign territory, awaiting their King.

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life.” (2 Tim 2:4)“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.” (Col 3:1)“For our citizenship is in heaven.” (Php 3:20)

The paradox of salvation is this: we cease being strangers in God’s Kingdom, and become strangers in the world. Peter calls Believers “strangers scattered” and “pilgrims” (1 Pet 1:1; 2:11). Jesus Himself insisted that His people are in the world, but not of it (Jn 15:18–19). Our elevation in Christ (Eph 2:6) demands a corresponding detachment from earthly systems.

This includes politics.

WHY SCRIPTURE NEVER CALLS CHRISTIANS INTO POLITICS

The New Testament is conspicuously silent about political engagement — and that silence is instructive. The early Church lived under successive brutal and unjust regimes. Yet the apostles never urged voting, campaigning, political movements, or the capture of state power. Their focus was inward transformation through the gospel, not outward control through legislation.

Several realities make political involvement incompatible with the Christian calling:

• The political world is openly hostile to biblical truth and grounded in humanistic philosophy.

  
  

• Scripture never instructs believers to influence society through political mechanisms.

  
  

• Pursuit of power exposes Christians to corruption and worldly thinking (2 Tim 2:4).

  
  

• Democracy itself rests on moral relativism — the rule of majority opinion rather than absolute truth.

  
  

• Paul claimed Roman legal protections, yet never participated politically nor taught others to do so (Acts 22).

  
  

• Christians are ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20). An ambassador does not interfere in the internal politics of the nation in which he temporarily resides. His loyalty lies elsewhere.

  Abstention, therefore, is not apathy. It is testimony.

GOD — NOT YOUR VOTE — ESTABLISHES RULERS

Scripture repeatedly contradicts the modern assumption that nations choose their leaders.

“He removeth kings, and setteth up kings. …the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will…” (Dan 2:21; 4:17)

Rulers rise and fall according to God’s purposes and a nation’s spiritual condition—the accumulated sin or righteousness of its people—not ballots (Prov 14:34; Isa 3:4–5, 12; Judg 2:14–16). Every righteous leader in Scripture was appointed, not elected. Voting is never presented as a spiritual mechanism for shaping God’s will, but prayer is. If God alone governs history, then political participation does not increase Christian influence — it merely creates the illusion of control.

WORLD GOVERNMENTS ARE BEAST SYSTEMS

The Bible is unambiguous about the nature of world governments. They operate under Satan, the “god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4). In Daniel’s vision, successive world empires are portrayed as beasts (Dan 7), until Christ alone, appearing as a Man, destroys the final beast and establishes an everlasting Kingdom.

To better understand the beast-like nature of the world’s political systems, we can turn to the well-known poem “The Snake” by Oscar Brown Jr. This poem tells of a tender-hearted woman who encounters a cold, wounded snake. Mesmerized by its beauty and moved by compassion, she takes it into her home and nurses it back to health. Yet once restored, the snake turns and viciously bites her. The woman cries out in dismay: "I saved you, and you've bitten me, but why? And you know your bite is poisonous and now I'm gonna die." With an evil grin, the reptile hisses back: "Oh shut up, silly woman. You knew d*** well I was a snake before you took me in."

The lesson is unmistakable: emotion without discernment is a recipe for destruction. Ironically, Donald Trump himself has repeatedly quoted this poem throughout his presidency in defense of his immigration policies. Yet the warning applies far more broadly—and far more uncomfortably—to politicians like himself. When Christians take political figures at face value—believing flattering rhetoric, religious language, and promises of protection—they repeat the woman’s mistake. Power has a nature. Political systems have a nature. And when the Church ignores that nature, she should not be surprised when she is bitten.

This exact observation is echoed by Jiang Xueqin, a prominent Chinese professor. In a widely circulated video, Jiang argues that modern political systems tend to elevate the most morally compromised individuals to positions of power. He contends that extreme corruption—including sexual exploitation (such as pedophilia) and ritualized abuse—has historically functioned as a means of control and leverage within elite ruling circles. Interestingly, Jiang also highlights the close relationship between Donald Trump and Roy Cohn— the “Jeffrey Epstein of his day” and a central influence on Trump.

Note: Professor Jiang Xueqin is no small voice of dissent. He is a Yale graduate with honors, a former journalist, and a former UN official. He is also a prominent educator and public intellectual associated with global institutions such as WISE and Harvard. Jiang has appeared on major media outlets including CNN, BBC, and PBS, and has written for leading international publications such as The New York Times.

Whether one accepts this reality or not, Jiang’s analysis reinforces a consistent biblical theme: worldly political systems are not neutral instruments, but are beast-like powers—driven NOT by righteousness, but by corruption, coercion, and moral decay. In this light, the biblical call for the Church to remain separate from such systems appears not only wise, but urgent.

THE CHURCH THRIVES UNDER PERSECUTION — NOT PROTECTION

Many Christians justify political involvement by appealing to the need for protection from political dominance. They claim they are not seeking power, only leaders who will “protect religious freedom” and allow the Church to exist in peace.

But history reveals that the Church has never thrived under political favor. She has always thrived under persecution. In pagan Rome, Christianity exploded while being hunted, imprisoned, and executed. But once Constantine legalized and favored the Church, spiritual compromise followed. Bishops gained influence, doctrinal error arose, and the faith was institutionalized. Persecution purified the Church; power corrupted it.

The same pattern repeated under Soviet rule. State-approved churches survived — but only by surrendering truth. Faithful Believers were driven underground, and it was there, not in the sanctioned institutions, that real Christianity endured.

In China today, government-controlled churches exist openly — stripped of the gospel. Meanwhile, the underground Church grows rapidly under surveillance, raids, and imprisonment. Once again, persecution produces faithfulness; protection produces compromise and apostasy.

Even during the Reformation, when Protestant states gained power, persecution did not end — it merely changed hands. Anabaptists were hunted, drowned, and executed by both Catholic and Protestant authorities alike. Wherever the Church grasped the sword of the state, she turned it against dissenters.

The lesson is unmistakable: Political protection weakens the Church. Persecution strengthens her. Jesus never promised safety — He promised suffering.The gospel does not advance by tolerance, but by truth.

The most dangerous moment for the Church is not when she is oppressed, but when she is embraced by political power. That is when discernment dulls, compromise begins, and counterfeit saviors are welcomed. The Antichrist will not rise by outlawing mainstream Christianity. He will rise by protecting it. And a Church trained to seek security through the state will be the first to applaud him.

TRUE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

Christians must remember that Christianity was not first corrupted by secularism. It was corrupted when the Church married the State.

That fatal union began in the fourth century, when Constantine fused Christianity with imperial power. What emerged was not merely a church with cultural influence, but a centralized political–religious empire—the Roman papal system—that would dominate Europe for centuries. The Church no longer proclaimed Christ alone; it wielded the sword of the state. Scripture was subordinated to institutional authority. Dissent was criminalized. Faith was no longer persuaded—it was enforced. These were not isolated abuses. They were systemic evils. The result was inquisitions, crusades, censorship, torture, executions, and the eradication of entire communities whose only crime was a desire to return to biblical Christianity.

Once baptized with political power, the institutional Church became an authoritarian force. And it took the shockwave of the Protestant Reformation to fracture its grip. Yet much of the modern Church has forgotten this history. There is a dangerous amnesia—an inability to remember how violent, corrupt, and blasphemous a “Christian” institution can become once it gains earthly power. The assumption that Christianity automatically sanctifies the state is not biblical; it is historical revisionism. And this forgetfulness matters—especially now.

Scripture does not warn that the final deception will arrive clothed in atheism. It warns that it will arrive clothed in faith. History confirms the pattern. Whenever the Church aligns herself with the state, the result is persecution, coercion, and corruption. Rome persecuted Protestants. Protestant states persecuted Anabaptists. Every church–state merger eventually becomes the very beast it once opposed. For this reason, the Church must remain separate from the state—and true separation does not mean neutral cooperation. It means total refusal.

Christians are commanded to pray for rulers, obey laws, pay tribute, and live peaceably (Rom 13; 1 Tim 2). But nowhere are believers instructed to vote, rule, enforce justice, or wield the sword. Those functions belong to governments—not to saints.

MERCY, NOT JUDGMENT — THE DISTINCT CALLING OF THE SAINTS

Government exists to execute justice (Rom 13:4).The Church exists to dispense mercy.

Jesus did not come to enforce the law — He came to save sinners. Had He aligned Himself with judicial power, the tax collectors, harlots, and outcasts would never have drawn near.

Christians are not called to be moral police, soldiers of the state, or enforcers of secular justice. We wrestle not against flesh and blood (Eph 6:12). Spiritual evil cannot be defeated by political force. The Church confronts sin at its root, not its symptoms.

HOW CHRISTIANS ARE MEANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Not through ballots. Not through offices. Not through coercion. But through:

Prayer — aligning with God’s will (1 Tim 2:1–2)

Evangelism — rescuing souls from the world, not managing the world (Mat 28:19)

Submission & Obedience — living quietly, honorably, and distinct (Rom 13:1–7)

This is not retreat. This is fidelity.

THE GREAT LAST-DAYS DECEPTION

The true danger of the end times is not merely that the Antichrist will gain political power.

It is that professing Christians will help place him there—convinced they are advancing the kingdom of God.

The Bible is explicit: the final deception will look Christian, sound Christian, and appeal to Christians—not to atheists. That is precisely why the political weaponization of Christianity is not a side issue. It is the very environment Scripture says the Antichrist will exploit.

THE ANTICHRIST DOES NOT ARISE FROM ATHEISM

Scripture could not be clearer:

“He had two horns like a lamb, but spoke as a dragon.” (Rev 13:11)

This lamb-like appearance signals Christlikeness. The dragon’s voice reveals Satan’s agenda. The Antichrist does not present himself as an enemy of faith, but as its champion. Jesus Himself warned:

“Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am Christ,’ and shall deceive many.” (Mat 24:5)

They come in His name—using Christian language, Christian symbolism, and Christian identity. Satan does not deceive crudely. He masquerades as light. His ministers appear as ministers of righteousness (2 Cor 11:13–15). The deception is so refined that, if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived (Mat 24:24). That means the danger is not obvious evil. It is evil wearing the appearance of light.

WHY NOT THE POLITICAL LEFT? WHY THE RIGHT?

Some argue that Antichrist deception could come from the political left just as easily as the right. But that ignores a fundamental reality. The left openly rejects Scripture. The right claims to defend it. Which one can more easily deceive Christians? Hardly the one the Church already recognizes as godless—but the one it is tempted to trust.

Satan does not deceive by offering what the Church hates. He deceives by offering what the Church desires: influence, power, national restoration, and political victory. Therefore, the greatest threat to the Church is not the enemy outside. It is the enemy on the inside, disguised as a brother. Atheists do not deceive the elect. False brethren do.

JESUS REJECTED POLITICAL POWER

It is worth noting that Jesus rejected political dominion outright:

“My kingdom is not of this world.” (Jn 18:36)

Even when Satan offered Him the kingdoms of the world, Jesus refused (Lk 4:5–7). The Church is commanded to remain distinct, separate, and unentangled (2 Cor 6:17). False religion, however, always merges with the state. That is why Revelation depicts Babylon as a religious system riding political power (Rev 17).

The Antichrist does not emerge as a secular tyrant. He emerges as a national savior—a restorer, a unifier, and a defender of “Christian values.” That is why Jesus warned:

“Many will come in My name…”

The deception is religious—not secular.

THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS ALREADY IN PLACE

The question, now, is not if this deception will happen. It is who Christians will rally behind when they believe God is “restoring the nation.” That is the trap. When the Church confuses national revival with spiritual revival, it becomes willing to crown power rather than carry a cross. When faith becomes a political tool, the Church stops discerning spirits and starts counting victories.

THE APOSTOLIC POSITION HAS NEVER CHANGED

The apostles did not vote. The early Church did not seek political leverage. Believers were never instructed to redeem the state. Instead, Scripture says:

“Come out from among them and be separate.” (2 Cor 6:17)“Our citizenship is in heaven.” (Phil 3:20)“The whole world lies under the power of the wicked one.” (1 Jn 5:19)

Refusing political engagement is not about choosing the “lesser evil.” It is about rejecting the entire system—because the entire system already lies under Satan’s dominion and is moving toward the consolidation of power under the Beast.

CONCLUSION

Yes—false Christianity already exists.Yes—the Antichrist arises from within that corruption. Yes—the union of Church and State is the prophetic vehicle of the final deception and that is why Christians must abstain from political power, not pursue it.

The greatest danger is not the political left, but a Christianized state power the Church believes God has endorsed. That is the lamb with the dragon’s voice. We are not claiming that voting is explicitly condemned as sin in Scripture. The Bible does not command, “Thou shalt not vote.”  But silence does not equal endorsement. When the full witness of Scripture is considered, voting proves to be, at best, futile—and at worst, a means by which sincere Christians may unknowingly legitimize the very power Scripture warns will deceive the world.

If God alone raises and removes rulers, if the world system lies under the wicked one, and if all governments will ultimately yield to the Beast, then political participation does not protect the Church—it endangers her discernment.

No election will stop prophecy. No ruler will prevent what God has decreed.

But the Church can refuse to crown the Antichrist by refusing political power altogether.

Our allegiance is heavenly, not national. Our influence is spiritual, not civic. Our King is coming—and He will not share His throne. Until then, the Church must remain what she was always meant to be: a pilgrim people, a separate nation, and a kingdom not of this world.