»Neo as ... the Antichrist?«

Much has been written about the messianic nature of the character Neo (savior of humanity, etc.). Certainly Neo fits this role. But what I find fascinating is the way Neo and the Zionites (great name for a rock band) fit into the story of Satan. Consider: the Zionites tempt inhabitants of the Matrix by offering them a taste of knowledge/understanding. Once they have knowledge, they see they are naked. They are expelled from the Matrix -- which is paradise, at least compared to the real world. The Zionites live deep below the earth in hell. They work to capture new souls and bring down the paradise world from which they were expelled. Neo is the key to bringing about the end of the world, when all of humanity will either be saved or damned. That would make him the Antichrist, yes? Add to this interpretation the presentation of the Architect as a God figure (in his white beard and robes, and the creator who created the Matrix for humans to live contentedly in).
I do not believe this is the "right" way to understand the movies; there are a lot of holes in this approach. But I do believe that there are multiple levels of meaning built into the movie, and multiple ways to understand the movie. And what's so troubling about seeing Neo, our protagonist, as the Antichrist? After all, Satan was the protagonist in Paradise Lost. Actually, I think I'll pull out my copy of Paradise Lost and reread it, comparing it to the Matrix.
Anyway, I think Neo can be compared to both Christ and the Antichrist. Does anyone have any thoughts on this.

The duality between Neo and the Architect are very interesting. But, one could argue that the Machines are the instruments of God's wrath for darkening the sky and ruining His Creation. The Animatrix' Second Renaissance did say, 'Forgive Man for his Sins' in pursuing Operation DarkSky. Zion doesn't have the resources to cleanse the planet, and the machines certainly have no interest in doing it. For beauty to return to the Earth, Man and Machine must work together for that purification.

If Zion is yoor Hell and its inhabitants are tempting humans out of paradise and into it (so forth and so forth), then, because the Matrix is not real is Paradise/Heaven is unreal?

thraxZero wrote:

If Zion is yoor Hell and its inhabitants are tempting humans out of paradise and into it (so forth and so forth), then, because the Matrix is not real is Paradise/Heaven is unreal?

Maybe the Matrix is an even "heller" hell. It blinds you from the real hell.

What is worse than being blind? Being blind and thinking one can see.

The Architect is probably the Masonic/Hermetic "Great Architect"(represented by the G in the square and compass).
One symbolic layer to this Trilogy could be the "redemption of lucifer."
The Masons top tiers of illumination concern the worship of Lucifer the Light Bringer, who drops knowledge on man. Trinity is the name of god. ("I always thought you were a guy." "Most men do..."M1) 6 is sometimes the sign of man, some times the sign of lucifer. This One chose the love of Trinty(god) over the love of the masses(only to have that unconditional love save EVERYONE in the end). But wait, isn't the Architect god? The kabbalists/Masons/Hermeticists believe in the dual aspect nature of god(male AND female-Larry?). Trinity the Mother?(and if you don't like it, you can go to hell!-M1)