There are many themes in Dracula ranging from natural being unnatural to religion. I am not sure if Bram Stoker wanted there to be these ranging themes, but it is evident that Dracula has them, especially the theme of Dracula being the Anti-Christ. Stoker describes Dracula, throughout much of the novel, as the Anti-Christ through the use of biblical quotes or references to show that something as “pure” as Jesus Christ or God can be manipulated into something evil.

Religion in most western societies is viewed as pure and obviously riotous. It is interesting that Stoker decides to use the bible and multiple religious aspects in this book that makes Dracula appear to be the Anti-Christ. It’s a form of manipulation. Stoker makes Dracula practically Jesus Christ. Without even using direct or indirect references to the bible, Dracula has powers that only a God or Jesus could have. For example Dracula is able to control animals, create storms, has disciples (Lucy and Renfeild) has an absurdly long life, and unnatural strength. It’s impressive that Stoker would attempt to drive home the notion that religion can be manipulated considering that England is a Protestant country and many people back then were fairly religious. For most of the book however it is rather obvious that Dracula is the Anti-Christ.

Dracula in chapter 7 is aboard the Demeter, a ship traveling to England. The Demeter in ancient Greek is the goddess of the earth or harvest. While the ship is sailing there is a terrible storm that according to the journal entry on page 82, “Rough weather last three days” . The number three in Christianity is a significant number representing the holy trinity between, the Father (God), Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Further down on page 82, the journal entry describes another horrible storm, but this storm was stronger than the last. The captain writes, “Four days in hell.” It is to my understanding that Dracula is the sole cause of this. Like how Jesus was able to calm the storms as mentioned in Mark 4: 35-41 , Dracula does the exact opposite. Instead he causes horrible winds and storms.

Stoker on pages 96 to 97 uses multiple biblical references that infer that Dracula is the Second Coming and can be viewed as the Passover. The Second Coming is referred to as the end of the world and the Passover is a Jewish tradition which celebrates God freeing the Israelites from the Egyptians. The first reference on page can be viewed as both the Second Coming and the Passover celebrated by Jesus with his disciples; “I don’t want to talk to you, the Master is hand.” The Second Coming as mentioned in Revelations 19:11-16 describes a character much to that of Dracula. It states;“His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.”

This biblical character is one that describes Dracula, Dracula is mentioned as having blazing red eyes, very sharp long teeth like a sword, and having a craving for blood. The biblical reference that Renfield gives can also be a reference to the Passover. In Mathew 26:18 it is written, “And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.” This passage is a strikingly similar reference to what Renfield said. There is another reference to Dracula and Jesus on the bottom on page 96 to the top of page 97. Stoker writes, “The bride-maidens rejoice the eyes that wait the coming of the bride; but when the bride draweth nigh, then the maidens shine not to the eyes that are filled.” This passage is a reference to Revelations 21.2. The endnote on the bottom of page 97 makes this connection but also mentions that “Renfields biblical-sounding rhapsody equates Dracula’s advent with the coming of the Messiah, but its imagery is unorthodox.” I believe Stoker does this to drive home his notion that Dracula is the opposite of Jesus. Jesus is seen as the “bridegroom”. What Renfeild says is that Dracula is like the bridegroom, the exact opposite of Jesus being the bride, connected through marriage, but two completely different roles in the ceremony of marriage.

Stoker again on page 206 connects Jesus and Dracula, but this time through communion. Renfeild on this page is defending his motives of why he attacked Seward and Seward actually connects this attack and what Renfield said to, “For the blood is life.” Jesus in the Last Supper according to Luke 22: 7-38 says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” In the Catholic Church, the belief of Jesus’s blood is transubstantiated from the wine blood is transubstantiated to Jesus blood. By doing this one is gaining immortal life in heaven. Dracula has been living for ages. Instead of giving his blood to the masses of people, he is taking blood and life away from others to have immortality.
Dracula portrayed as God is slightly different. As a Catholic, we believe that if are to see God himself, we would not be able to handle the magnificence of God. According to my Catholic teacher in high school, we has humans would combust. In the King James Bible, the bible used in England it states, “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” On page 85, Mr. Swales neck is broken because “Perhaps he had seen Death with his dying eyes” This correlates with seeing God and dying because he is so grand, except in the case with Dracula, Swales is found dead because he saw Dracula.

In Mina Harker’s journal, there is another reference as Dracula being very similar to God. She writes, “It got thicker and thicker, till it seemed as if it became concentrated into a sort of pillar.” This reference is connecting Dracula with God as described in Exodus 13.21-22. The footnote at the bottom of the page makes this connection; “And the Lord went before the by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people” (Exodus 13.21-22). Like Renfield, Mina perceives Dracula in the imagery of biblical revelation.”
It is interesting that both Renfield and Mina, both refer to the Bible to understand what they experienced. It is like they are worshiping Dracula.

I plan on using two more quotes to connect Dracula and God.

References:
Pg. 82 “Rough weather last three days, and all hands busy with sails-no time to be frightened. Men seem to have forgotten their dread. Mate cheerful again, and all on good terms. Praised men for work in bad weather. Passed Gibraltar and out through the Straits. All well.”
Mark 4:35-41 “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Page. 96 “I don’t want to talk to you the master is at hand.”
Revelations 19:11-16 ““His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.”
Mathew 26:18 “And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”
Page 97 “Renfield’s biblical-sounding rhapsody equates Dracula’s advent with the coming of the Messiah, but its imagery is unorthodox The New Testament never refers to Jesus as a bride, though he is occasionally a bridegroom. In the book of Revelation 21.2, however, the new heaven and the new earth generate a bridal city: “And I john saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Renfeidld exalts not so much the coming of Dracula as the glorious new dispensation Dracula promises.”
Page 206: “I tried to kill him for the purpose of strengthening my vital powers by the assimilation with my own body of his life through the medium of his blood-relying, of course, upon the Scriptural phrase “For blood is the life.”
Luke 22: 7-38: ““This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you”
Exodus 33:20 “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”
Page 85 “Perhaps he had seen Death with his dying eyes”
Page 227: “It got thicker and thicker, till it seemed as if it became concentrated into a sort of pillar.”
Page 227 “And the Lord went before the by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people” (Exodus 13.21-22). Like Renfield, Mina perceives Dracula in the imagery of biblical revelation.”