Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been on the hearts and minds of everyone worldwide. People wonder what’s going on in Vladimir Putin’s mind and why he’s continuing this assault on Ukrainian people. Now, some are comparing him to the antichrist. A recent proclamation from a Ukrainian Orthodox Church official that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the “anti-Christ of our current time” has added yet another layer of intrigue to the mounting eschatological questions surrounding Putin’s Ukraine invasion.

Some people may wonder who the antichrist is and what it means to be like it. These are just some of the questions emerging after Yevstratiy Zoria, spokesman for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, told BBC reporter Harry Farley he believes Putin is the “anti-Christ because … what he does now, is totally against Gospel, against God’s law.”

Author and end-times expert Jeff Kinley explained that the word “antichrist” occurs five times in Scripture. While there are many perspectives on the rapture, tribulation, and everything in between, Kinley broke down his take on the antichrist’s placement in the end-times paradigm. He says, “He’s depicted as an end-times figure who will arrive in the last days and who will be in prominence during the last seven years of earth’s history,” he said. “He’ll basically be a global leader. He’ll be the global leader of the planet.”

Kinley also says he finds speculation about whether Putin is the antichrist quite intriguing, especially considering what he argues the Bible contends. According to him, the antichrist arrives “through a peace platform” and not through war or invasion. This definition would make Putin, a man using violence, an unsuited candidate, at least for now. This is especially true as most of the world decries Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Kinley said, “Revelation 6:1 makes that clear that he comes with a bow but no arrows. And Daniel 9:27 says he really kind of launches his career based on a peace covenant that he makes with the Jewish people.” Going back to Zoria’s words, it’s important to note that the spokesman said Putin is the “antichrist of our current time,” not the one definitive antichrist figure in which many Christians believe.

Several Scriptures discuss the concept of the “spirit of the antichrist,” and GotQuestions defines the term as “against Christ.” Among the Scriptures that do discuss this term is 1 John 2:18, which reads, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” The idea here is that many have had the spirit, the anti-Jesus stature, of the antichrist.

Kinley acknowledged not everyone agrees with his take on the antichrist, as numerous differing theological ideas have emerged to help explain the complexities in the literature. The author said he understands the pushback but believes in the power of taking a literal approach to these Scriptures. At this juncture, it’s hard to say whether Putin is the antichrist or not. However, we know that his attack on Ukraine is an unnecessary assault that prayerfully comes to an end soon.