Would you give me your thoughts about who might be the antichrist?
The word antichrist from the Greek word antichristos means “against Christ” or “instead of Christ” in the sense of someone or some power who opposes the work of Christ, signifying a person or power who ‘takes the place of Christ’, or is a ‘counterfeit of Christ’. It appears three times in the Scriptures. Let us look at them and see what we can learn from them.
1. 1 John 2:18-21
“Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.”
Here are some pointers about the antichrist from this text.
a. There have many antichrists in the past.
b. The many antichrists in the past were counterfeit Christians who had split away from the body of true believers. They were liars who denied the Messiahship of Jesus (see 1 John 4:2-3).
c. “In the lat hour” or in other words at the end of times “the” antichrist will come.
d. The Holy Spirit will guide you to all truth, and avoid being misled by the antichrist.
2. 1 John 4:2-3
“This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”
The antichrist will not acknowledge Jesus as our Savior in opposition to the Holy Spirit who convinces us of Jesus as our Savior.
3. 2 John 7-11
“Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.”
a. The antichrist, like all other antichrists do not acknowledge Jesus as our Savior.
b. He won’t be preaching according the teaching of Christ, as written in the Holy Bible.
c. He will try to lure the Christians out of their salvation.
Many other texts allure to the antichrist. Here are a few that will help us avoid following the antichrist.
* 2 Cor 11:4, 13-15
“For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
a. Antichrists are not atheists.
b. They are individuals preaching a gospel which is not the true gospel.
* Matt 24:23-27, 30-31
“At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!’ or, `There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. “So if anyone tells you, `There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, `Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
a. There will be many false Christs.
b. They will perform great signs and miracles with the purpose of deceiving the followers of Christ.
c. Jesus encourages us to never go out to them.
d. Jesus’ coming will not happen secretly, but will be seen by every eye.
e. Jesus is coming not to perform great signs or miracles, but to gather His children from around the world and bring them home.
* 2 Thess 2:1-4
“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
a. Don’t be alarmed by some prophecy that is not Biblical, or by rumors.
b. Christ’s return will not happen until “the man of lawlessness is revealed. The antichrist is referred here as “the man of lawlessness”, or in other words he does not believe or follow the laws of God (See Exodus 20).
c. The antichrist will oppose to anyone who believe in God.
d. He will want to take the place of God here on earth, proclaiming to be God.
* 2 Thess 2:8-12
“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”
a. Jesus will destroy the antichrist when He will return to bring His children home.
b. The antichrist will perform “all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders”
c. He will be able to deceive “those who are perishing (or the non true Christians)” without any problems.
d. Everyone will have to choose between following Christ or the antichrist. If you don’t make a decision before the antichrist appears, it will be hard for you to resist him, as he will be so convincing of being the true Messiah.
I would recommend that we don’t make a decision yet of who or what the antichrist will be, otherwise we may fall in the same category of the Jews who expected the Messiah 2000 years ago, but because they were expecting a different Messiah (one who would free them from the Roman oppression) they missed to welcome the true Messiah: Jesus Christ. It is easy to make conclusions before the fact, but is it the right conclusion? We need to depend on God for direction. We have enough information here to avoid being deceived by the antichrist. Let us depend on God through His promised Holy Spirit, to recognize the evil one.
Also, we should worry about this. Jesus promised us:
Matt 28:20
“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus will always be with us. He promised it. In Him we can trust!
Rob Chaffart
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Introduction:
Antichrist is the opponent of Christ, and a false claimant to be Christ. This is mentioned only in John’s letters although the idea is more widespread. John does not deny that such an evil being will come at the end of this age. This word occurs a total of five times, singular and plural, all of them in two of John’s epistles.
The subject was not new among the Christians when John wrote his letter. 1John 2:18 states:
“Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many anti-Christ’s have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us”
These are backsliders. Those who have held genuine faith before. They have now gone to error. They have refused to come to the faith, which they seemed to hold before. Their practices seemed to resemble that of the Christian but they are not. You would know them by their fruit.
Denials of Trinity:
1 John 2:22-23
Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist – he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
2 John 7:
“Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully”.
John’s Inspired writing statements show the term to be broad in its application, embracing all those who deny that Jesus is the Christ and who deny that Jesus is the Son of God who came in the flesh.
Claimants of Godhead but owes power to Satan but will be defeated by Jesus Christ.
Those teaching things that undermines the foundations of Christian belief
2 Thes. 2:3-5 “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is reveal, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
Today we have a lot of people who have been set up by the devil claiming to Perfect Man. They can do the works of “miracles” but by the power of the devil. These are antichrists. Many times they hide under the influence of religion but denying the power thereof. No wonder the scriptures emphatically says that from such we should run away. There are so many tantalizing words from men today to seduce people from coming to their congregation. If one is not careful even the elect can easily be deceived.
However, if one pays close attention to the foundational belief of Christianity, one will be saved from error. You go to them with the solution to have headache cured, they give you stomach pain in replacement. The devil does not have the original. Antichrist goes about with counterfeit.
Miracle seekers at the expense of the total gospel are likely to be victims of antichrist. Miracles are good. But what is the foundation of that miracle? Is it according to the scriptures? Many of the miracles we read from the scriptures are still happening today. In Hebrews 13:8 the Word says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”.
What Jesus did in the bible times through the Apostles is still possible today. Only simple faith will bring it to bear. He is the God of all flesh. With Him nothing shall be impossible – Luke 1:37. You should therefore shun every gathering where “miracles” that are not valid are being propagated. I am saying this because people are curious of how their problems will go.
This is the ministry of antichrist – to deceive people. Kingdoms, nations, and organizations are similarly known to be part of the antichrist in the symbolic description at Revelation 17:8-15; 19:19-21 – Compare Ps 2:1, 2.
In all the above cases those composing the antichrist are shown to be headed for eventual destruction as a recompense for their opposing course.
2 Thessalonians 4:16 end “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words”.
Before it is too late, if you have not accepted Christ, today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may be too late. To avoid eventual destruction by the beast and its demons you need Christ. Your name should be in the book of life. Christ will come and judge antichrist. If you have not believed the gospel and accepted Christ into your heart you may be there. Satan will reign for a thousand years after the ratpure (the taking away of the saints to heaven) in this earth. The unbelievers will form his government. He would place a mark “666” on as many as have not believed the gospel. This mark would be used to buy and sell and anyone who would not use the mark would be tormented. You cannot cope with the reign of terror of the devil.
Those who would not use the mark will be tortured by the devil. The Lord would save those who may endure the devil’s torture when he comes to judge the devil and put an end his reign of terror on the earth. You cannot endure such a torture. You need Christ today Repent and be save! You must be born again! – John 3:7
Rev Debo Adeyemo
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This question seems to be the question on everyone’s mind these days, including the lost of this world with their attempt to glorify and deify antichrist/Lucifer in songs, movies and other media. Because God’s Word is parabolic and hidden in “dark sayings” He has deliberately and purposefully hidden the Truth from men. And except God the Holy Spirit reveals His Truth in the Scriptures to us, no man may open the mysteries of God’s Word by their own understanding or efforts, even if they spend night and day on trying to discover it.
Unfortunately, Satan has, as always, twisted and perverted the Scriptures, and brought his deception into the church and into the world. The result, a multiple dollar industry of fiction, fleecing the church and the world by fable writers who base their deceitful propaganda on a grotesque misinterpretation of the Scriptures (albeit all part of God’s plan in the last days).
As in the days when Jesus came to redeem His people, the “religious” people who thought they had the Scriptures down pat, “knew” who the Messiah would be and look like and how He would appear and what would transpire, etc, etc. These modern day newspaper tabloid “end-times” prophets, who purportedly speak for God (this has been going on for several decades now) and try to tie today’s headlines into Scripture interpretation (i.e. remember the Soviet Union? Remember Adolf Hitler? etc).
A great way to make money, but very misleading and delusional. The spiritual leaders “representing the God of Israel,” of course, crucified Him because they were right in their own doctrine and interpretations. They, of course, could not understand nor comprehend God’s Word because it was hidden from their eyes, even though they read it all their lives, “taught God’s Word,” and attempted to live out God’s Word.
How can a people who are so sincere and so committed to “the faith” be so perverted and eternally lost and in gross error? Jesus answers this harsh question and the reality of God’s total “fearful” Sovereignty in Matthew 13:9-17. “Freewill?” Yeah, right.
The very thought that God is absolute total Sovereign over our salvation and life and death is too frightening for most people — so we must have some sense of control and power over our own destiny and salvation, hence, “free-will” and our own power over our judgment. Again, all part of the delusion. Remember, “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.” (Heb. 10:31) And, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10; Prov. 1:7). The “secret” of the Lord is with them that fear Him. (Psalm 25:14).
Now onto the main question. Who is “AntiChrist” and why doesn’t the church recognize or see him now? As to the latter, the church does not see nor recognize the man of sin in the Temple of God because of the delusion that God Himself has sent into the world that they would believe a lie (II Thes. 2:11-12; See also Romans 1:18-32).
In order to understand who antichrist is and how he operates, you must understand God’s kingdom and language. First, what (or Who) is the Temple of the Living God? How is that being defiled by antichrist setting up the abomination which makes desolate the Temple of God, taking away the daily sacrifices? What are the “daily sacrifices” that the Lord demands and accepts from His People? Who are His people? Is there more than one way to salvation? One for the gentile, and another or alternative way for the Jew? Can you defile and desecrate something that is an abomination to God Himself (i.e. the Levitical animal sacrifices)?
As you answer these questions by the Scriptures, you will begin to unravel and deconstruct the lies and delusion now sweeping through the Body of Christ, particularly the deception about eschatology and the “chain of events” leading up to the Day of Judgment. As you examine the lies of the enemy, you will begin to find a common ageless truth about Satan’s workings.
1. He always leads man away from fearing the Lord and holding Him in true reverent fear.
2. There is the dethroning or diminishing of the Deity of Jesus Christ and the shifting of focus from Jesus and the Cross and atoning blood, to “the Spirit,” to angels and signs, wonders and miracles, and to men claiming to be “God’s anointed” speaking with the mouth of God (all demonic) 3. There is always an escape or putting off of God’s Day of judgment (i.e My lord delays his coming, peace, peace; peace and safety with God; we cannot know the day nor hour so stop looking for His coming and get back to sleep).
In the present deception, Jesus comes “secretly” (See Rev. 1:7; I Thes. 4:16-18; Joel 2:11) and take people away, leaving others to work out their “second chance round” for a shot at salvation, by enduring some gauntlet of both “antichrist” and God’s own judgments upon the earth. Now, if a person still doesn’t “choose” to become saved and accept salvation, well then God has an additional “bonus round”: That’s right, contestants, when Jesus comes, for the third time, he will make war with the earth and execute judgment on the earth; yet, he will leave “a remnant” of unregenerate people to remain on the earth whom “the saints” will rule over and judge for “the Thousand years reign.” (I had this story explained to me by some “brother” just as I’ve presented it here).
(Note: If anyone has any clue about the physics of God’s entity (i.e holiness, purity, all consuming fire, Righteous Judge) you quickly realize that no man in his sin and flesh can stand for a moment in His glorified presence and live! Like Gasoline and a match, our sin and flesh would consume away while we stand on our feet before Him — THAT’S A FACT! When Jesus comes this time, (and only once — The Great and Terrible Day of God)
He is coming as a consuming fire to execute total judgment on all creation in His eternal glory and every eye shall see Him (Rev. 1:7), and the heavens and the earth and the heavens shall melt with fervent heat and shall pass away. (II Peter 3:10) There shall be no escape on the day when Christ returns, no “second chance” bonus rounds for the unsaved, and no man will stand in his sin before God and live. Only the life that is under the blood of the Cross of Jesus will live and survive that dreadful day of God.
Now, who is “antiChrist”? Jesus said of him, “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (matt. 24:24) AntiChrist is a spirit that dwells in and inhabits unregenerate lost man (666, the number of MAN — no “a” is present nor assumed in the Greek). Can you, child of God, see the workings of Satan in the “Temple of God” now? What of the lying signs and wonders and false worship of “the Spirit” and the false prophetic utterances claimed to be “by the Holy Spirit” that deny the deity of Jesus, and exalt man and the spirit of antichrist, demanding and receiving worship in the Temple of God now?
What of his workings all around us in the world? Is this not as in the days of Noah? Or the state of Sodom and Gomorrah? Antichrist is here, now– in the church bringing in heresies, demanding worship, bringing in perversions such as practicing and continuing in sin, such as homosexuality, adultery, fornication, lying, gossip, and every other form of defiling evil. There is no longer any shame, nor do the children even blush over such defilement and sin within the congregations (Jer. 8:4-22).
Look around you and see his workings in the Body of Christ and in the world. Praise God, though, his time is very short and he knows it; therefore, he has come down to the inhabitants of the earth and is frightened and fearful that his end is coming — to deceive and lead his people into captivity and judgment.
This red herring that has deceived so many, causing people to look for “a man” in the world as “antichrist” have caused many in the Church to not recognize him by his spirit working in the Body. Remember, those of this world are already lost, as is this world and the kingdoms of this world. God is concerned with only one thing: His people and His kingdom. This world was lost and condemned from the beginning. Jesus came to save HIS PEOPLE, the elect from among the nations of the earth, only a remnant of humanity.
If you are caught up in the present delusion of the fable writers, I encourage you to become sober and awaken to God’s Truth, that you may recognize the enemy and warn others that the terrible and dreadful day of God is approaching; and no one shall escape from Him except they be found under the blood of Jesus. Antichrist is no one to fear — it is God’s coming and presence that will be frightening and terrifying to man. Are you following the Truth of God’s Word, understanding God’s parabolic language and walking carefully before Him? Or have you also succumbed to the lies and tares the enemy has sown into the Master’s field?
As the harlot spreads the lie, “my lord delays His coming” and “no harm shall come to thee,” spreading a lie of “peace and safety” with God, when in fact they are at enmity and war with God, the true Church, God’s faithful people must bring the true message to warn all of their need for the Cross to escape the damnation and judgment of God that is coming. That is the very message and purpose of the Cross and death of God’s Son, to save us from that approaching day. Antichrist is alive and working among us — how can it be that you do not see and recognize him? Perhaps because, like the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ coming, they were lead to believe a false interpretation of “the plain text” of God’s Word; But Jesus clearly pointed out, “they cannot hear nor understand my speech, nor my Father’s Word, for it is not given to them to know or understand that they might be saved.” As Jesus declared this truth, “you are of YOUR FATHER, THE DEVIL.” That wasn’t some slap-in-the-face insult, but God’s declaration of a truth — those that are not God’s people are of the devil — there is no other camp to belong.
Antichrist, therefore, is unregenerate man as a collective, or .666 (2/3’s of all humanity) — see how God uses fractional representations and numbers in His language.
For those with discernment, can you not see those who already bear the markings of antichrist on their forehead (their mind and will) and their right hand (a sign of allegiance and works). Do you not ever recognize your own brethren among people, even when you don’t know them, perhaps cannot even speak the same language, but you sense the Holy Spirit within them, and your spirit and their spirit are kindred. It all comes down to Spiritual insight and discernment — For these things are spiritual, not temporal. If the world and those falsely representing Christ are all singing the same mantra regarding “the antichrist,” isn’t that a pretty good clue that their story and interpretation is not God’s Truth? Make sense? To those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
Mark Lowenstein
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In 1John chapter 2 verse 18 It says that first there will be antichrists with an S meaning more than one before the true antichrist is revealed. Verse 18: Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. Also in verse 22: Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Also in Chapter 4 verse 3: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that sprit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
In St. John 14 chapter and verse 26 the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. Jesus answered, He it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Verse 27: And after the sop Satan ENTERED into HIM. Then St. John Chapter 17 Verse 12: While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but THE SON OF PERDITION; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Concerning the day of the Lord: II Thessalonians chapter 2 Verse 3: Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall Not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, The Son of Perdition.
Verse 4: Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Geneva Atwell