Who Is the Antichrist?
All manner of speculation has come down to us by Christians through the ages about the Antichrist. But, guess what, Christian. It is clear from the Bible that the Antichrist is not someone in the 21st century. Here is what we know about the antichrist:
“Little children, it IS THE LAST HOUR; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the LAST HOUR. . . . Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is NOW ALREADY IN THE WORLD. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 2:18, 4:1-4)
John refers to multiple antichrists which had already come. This reference may mean anyone who had opposed Christ. But the antichrist—or at least his spirit—was already in the world! This too fits the time frame of a first-century fulfillment. JOHN AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES WERE IN THE LAST HOUR—NOT US TODAY! The imminency of the message precludes a yet-future fulfillment. To say that a bogeyman antichrist is still in our future is simply not biblical. John’s epistles are the only place in the Bible that the antichrist is mentioned. It is best to simply rely on John’s description of the antichrist, which is altogether different from the modern image. John’s antichrist is:
- false believers who went out from the church (1 John 2:19)
- anyone who “denies Jesus is the Christ” (1 John 2:22)
- anyone who “denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:23)“every spirit that does not confess Jesus” (1 John 4:3)
- “deceivers who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the flesh” (2 John 7)
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This is an excerpt from my book CHRISTIAN HOPE THROUGH FULFILLED PROPHECY: IS YOUR CHURCH TEACHING ERROR ABOUT THE LAST DAYS AND SECOND COMING?
You are invited to see reviews and details of my book at Amazon.com.