The Holy Land is once more in flames, and some say this might the beginning of yet another endless conquest, or perhaps something bigger. The world is divided into factions and many can list the name of the great powers who appear to fit neatly in two opposing camps. Saint Thomas says that a just war has three parts. First it must be waged by the supreme authority. Second it must be for a just cause. And third it must be for a good intention (ST, II-II, q. 40 a. 1). Whether or not the current crisis meets these requirements is debated, but most sane people would say that it does not.

St. Thomas cites Augustine: “apud veros Dei cultores etiam illa bella pacata sunt quae non cupiditate aut crudelitate“. A just war should not be born out of self aggrandizement or cruelty. Self aggrandizement in particular seems to be the cornerstone of this clash and the others that have preceded it. The fact that these wars concern the holy places cannot go unnoticed, and means we must apply a supernatural filter.

Many church fathers taught that the antichrist would rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and proclaim himself to be god. If this interpretation were correct it would mean that at the time of the antichrist the holy land would be a global superpower, or more properly, the global superpower. Whether we are living in the runup to that time is unknown to anyone but God, yet the possibility remains. Regardless, we are living in very interesting and some might say biblical times.

Much like Christ is the Head of the Church, the antichrist is said to be the head of the wicked. He is head of the wicked due to the perfection of his wickedness. To proclaim oneself to be god is the height of wickedness (ST, III, q. 8, a. 8). We cannot say how far away this mystery of iniquity is from the present day, but we can observe the signs and seasons and make some key observations.

First, we must flee all wickedness as if fleeing the antichrist himself. The antichrist is the head of wickedness due to the perfection of said wickedness. It is not that the devil assumes the humanity of the antichrist, but that the devil infuses his evil into him more than with any other. In this sense St. Thomas says that all the wicked which have gone before foreshadow the antichrist. We might think here of Nero or Napoleon, but in truth any person who is wicked foreshadows this mysterious figure. In some sense when we sin we imitate the antichrist insofar as we succumb to the suggestions and temptations of the devil.

Second, we must not fixate on temporal events and especially an accidental interpretation of them. Keeping up with the news is not bad in itself, but fixating on these events can be a temptation which degrades our hope and trust in God. Further, the events as reported are often twisted, contrived, and fabricated, especially in the age of AI. An accidental view of such events is the belief, held earnestly by many, that such events happen spontaneously, for no reason other than complex geo-political reasons. There is very little reason to believe the official narrative, and therefore we must fix our gaze on things eternal and not submit ourselves to delusions and carefully crafted fantasy.

Third, we must cling closely to our Head, the son of justice, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God, and He is with us always, even to the consummation of the world (Matthew 28:20). This story which unfold before us is not ours, and the antichrist and those preparing his way are not the protagonists. Our focus must always be on Jesus Christ, who will come to judge shortly after the short reign of the antichrist fizzles out.