The Truth About the Antichrist Revealed

What is the antichrist? Who is the antichrist? What will he do? When is he, or it, coming? Will it hurt me?

Here comes the answers.

INTRO

To begin with, we need to let you know of some of the ideas that are circulating about the antichrist. Remember, these are what people think. And that is always dangerous. God said, Isaiah 55:8-9  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.  (9)  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Here is a disclaimer: We are not attaching any particular religious group. We are simply laying before you several of the popular ideas that MEN have concerning the antichrist.

One has been called the “historic premillennial”. It says that a personal antichrist will appear before Christ returns, and only believers may see him. He will be destroyed with Jesus returns.

A second concept is that before Christ returns, the Church will face a final deception involving a religious pseudo-messiah called the Antichrist. But God triumphs at the Last Judgment.

There is a third, and maybe the most popular view, of a future singular political or religious ruler. He will be a charismatic individual who will rise to global power. He will be present for the last seven years, which some call “the Tribulation”. This is just before Christ’s second coming. His appearance signals the final 7-year period of God’s judgment, before Jesus reigns on earth for 1000 years.

A fourth view is called the “Preterist View”. Many influential scholars think this is the correct view. It says that many of the prophecies about the antichrist were fulfilled in the first century with Rome or Nero, not a future single individual.

There are so many views. Lastly, is the “Symbolic” view. It is built on the language surrounding the antichrist as being symbolic of the ongoing cosmic or evil forces. This view also notes the repeated patterns throughout history, referring to not just one person or one period of time.

These are 5 distinct views. There are more, but this is not intended to be an exhaustive study of the antichrist.

The word antichrist is only used five times in scripture. John, the apostle of love, is the only New Testament writer to use the word.

So, instead of taking one of the many human ideas about the antichrist, why not, instead, look at the 4 occurrences. Why not let the Bible explain itself to us? And let us take the only view that will count – God’s view. So, pause the video and go get your Bible. Let’s read together.

If you don’t have a Bible and would like one to read for yourself, we would be glad to send you a free one, without any obligation. Just call the number on the screen, or text it. Give us your name, a complete mailing address, and we will get one in the mail. It’s that simple.

What does the word “antichrist” mean in the original Greek language? It comes from the Greek word, ἀντίχριστος, antichristos. Strong, who is a Greek scholar, says it means: “an opponent of the Messiah”. Thayer, another well-known Greek scholar, says, “the adversary of the Messiah.” So, by definition, it can be something or someone who is against Christ or the Messiah.

1 John 2:18-19 is the first AND second time it is used. It says, “1 John 2:18-19  Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.  (19)  They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”

John said it was the last hour. John is in the last period of time. It had begun before John was writing this scripture. How do you know? He said, “it is”. That is the present tense.

John referred his readers of his time period to something they had already been hearing. They were hearing that the antichrist was present. He added that they have already arrived. So, the antichrist is not some future event, person, or ideology. That is not something that will happen during the last days of earth, like a time period before a so-called “tribulation”. Verse 18 makes it clear. It, or they, were already present, 2000+ years ago.

And verse 19 tells us it was not an event, idea, or a movement, either political or religious. Movements are spoken of in the 3rd person – an “it”. But John did not say, “it”. He said, “they”. This simple word implies it is human.

Both verses 18 and 19 use words like “many”. “Many is more than one — a plurality. “They” is not a single individual. It too is plural.

John tells his readers that these people, who oppose Jesus, are proof that it’s the last time. So the readers, and you, can know where they stand with God. They needed to be preparing for His return. And so do you and I.

The 3rd time it is used is just verses later. Let’s read 1 John 2:22. “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 

Denial of Jesus being the Christ, either verbally or in what they do, will make anyone an opponent of Jesus. John says any religious teacher who says Jesus is not the Christ makes them a liar. John himself had witnessed the miracles. He saw the signs and wonders that attested to Jesus being God’s anointed, the Messiah, the Christ. He certainly would know the difference between denial and someone who confesses Jesus to be the Christ, God’s son. He would also easily recognize anyone who lives a lifestyle that opposes Jesus. And all his readers, both then and now, are able to recognize the difference.

In this verse is a double definition. The word “antichrist” itself, as mentioned above, is against Jesus. And, the second definition is anyone who rejects God the Father and his Son, Jesus.

These rejections were present during the first century. The rejections have continued from John’s day until today. How do I know? Timeless Talks on Facebook is constantly being bombarded with comments from people trying to disprove God’s word and Jesus as God’s son. Antichrists still exist.

The third scripture to use the word is 1 John 4:3. 1 John 4:3  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

Is this another definition? Yes. The “spirit” spoken of here refers to people, humans. Anyone, especially religious people, who do not acknowledge Jesus as being from God, specifically as God’s Son, they are against Jesus. They are the antichrist.

John is making a clear distinction between his Christian readers, who have publicly acknowledged Jesus as God’s son, and anyone who enters their assembly that has not, or will not, publicly say Jesus is from God.

The apostle of love reminds his readers how they had heard these kinds of people were coming. But he makes it clearer by saying that they are already here, right now. His readers could see and hear for themselves people being against Christ. It was present tense to them. It was crucial to them to recognize people in their assemblies who were NOT like them from the inside out.

The final time “antichrist” is used is in 2 John 1:7. “ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

How many deceivers had gone into their society? John used the word “many”. It is the Greek word πολύς, or πολλός, polus, or polos. It means “much”, “many”, or “large”. People who teach today that it is one specific individual must not be reading what you are reading. It is plural. Which will you believe? What people teach today, or what John the apostle said?

The definition is repeated. They are deceivers. These individuals do not acknowledge that Jesus came in the flesh. They do not confess that he came in bodily form. And John labels them as people who oppose the truth about Jesus.

Those he calls “deceivers”. Strong said the Greek word means, “roving (as a tramp), that is, (by implication) an impostor or misleader: – deceiver, seducing”. Their purpose was not to help other Christians, but to guide them into error. They pretend to be Christian, but are seducing believers.

Now let’s compare what we have noted from scripture with what people say about the antichrist.

Those who sa the antichrist is a “historic premillennial” can’t be telling you the truth. Why? The antichrist was current back and was seen by the Christians of John’s day.

There has been nothing about a “final deception” of the church. The only thing John said was that some people back then would try to deceive the people of that day. People are still doing that today.

The antichrist is not a single charismatic individual rising to a global power. Did you read anything that said it was just one person? Or that he was charismatic? And some global power? There is no literal Tribulation mentioned in connection with the antichrist. This is not what you read from John.

The “Preterist View” we mentioned earlier spoke of prophecies being fulfilled by Rome or Nero. In these 3 scriptures, that you read with me, where did it say anything about prophesy, Rome, or any caesar like Nero? Which will you believe? What you have been hearing or what you have been reading from God?

And the “Symbolic view”, well, John did not use any symbolism in what you read with me. And the cosmic forces? And there is no reference to repeated patterns in history.

People have been opposing Jesus from Jesus’ own day. What did he tell his disciples just a few hours before the religious leaders found a way to get him crucified? John 15:19-20  “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.  (20)  “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

What did people do to Peter and John? Did the Jews relish the beheading of James? Did Herod plan to behead Peter? Did Paul spend much of his last years in prison, because he was a promoter of Jesus?

And today, people are still acting as enemies of Jesus. Read these verses seen here for yourself, from your own Bible. Don’t be misled or misguided by what your pastor or preacher says. Read for yourself.

If you would like more information on this topic, or any Bible idea, please call or text the number on the screen. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.

Until we can visit again, goodbye for now.