Thoughts on the End Times [17]: Antichrist
Let’s talk a little bit about “the antichrist”. I would note first of all that the Greek preposition anti has two meanings: in opposition to (or against) AND in place of. So an antichrist either opposes Christ or tries to take the place of Christ (a counterfeit). And an antichrist could be both at once!
There are only five occurrences of “antichrist” in the Bible, all in the short epistles of John. I’ll build this blog around the first occurrence: Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour (1 John 2.18).
John says that his time – the first century – was already the last hour. Any perspective on the end times must affirm that we’ve been in the last days since the first century.
John doesn’t say the antichrist is coming, but “as you have heard that antichrist is coming”. People were teaching that an antichrist was coming. John doesn’t say this is false, but his wording is exact. He says, not that THE antichrist (one figure) is coming, but “antichrist is coming”. But John treats the term “antichrist” as something other than a single person. Indeed, he says, MANY antichrists have now come! The apostle’s concern is not one villainous political figure, but a spirit of antichrist – a way of thinking. He says this explicitly two chapters later: the spirit of antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already (1 John 4.3).
John identifies the “many antichrists” that had already come: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (1 John 2.19)
These antichrists are those who had abandoned the Jesus known and preached by the apostles. They had made up their own “Christ” – quite different from the Jesus John knew and loved. John calls their misrepresentation “a lie” (1 John 2.21) and its proponents ‘liars’, deniers of Jesus Christ (1 John 2.22 cf. 2 John 7) and ‘false prophets’ (1 John 4.1-3). If you deny the Jesus that we preach (God come in the flesh), says John, you don’t have the true Christ – and you don’t have the true God either, despite your claims (1 John 2.22-23)!
Throughout the centuries people have studied prophetic passages hoping to figure out the mystery of the identity of THE antichrist. Perhaps there will be one world leader who will play that role someday, completely embodying the spirit of antichrist. If and when he does arrive, the call to Christians of that day will be no different from the call John gave in the first century and the call that goes to all Christians of all ages. True believers must stand against any spirit that opposes or counterfeits the Christ. We must expose any lie that leads people astray from the true Christ, Jesus, who became man to die for our sins, be raised from the dead, and lifted up to God’s throne as our Lord and Savior.
There are only five occurrences of “antichrist” in the Bible, all in the short epistles of John. I’ll build this blog around the first occurrence: Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour (1 John 2.18).
John says that his time – the first century – was already the last hour. Any perspective on the end times must affirm that we’ve been in the last days since the first century.
John doesn’t say the antichrist is coming, but “as you have heard that antichrist is coming”. People were teaching that an antichrist was coming. John doesn’t say this is false, but his wording is exact. He says, not that THE antichrist (one figure) is coming, but “antichrist is coming”. But John treats the term “antichrist” as something other than a single person. Indeed, he says, MANY antichrists have now come! The apostle’s concern is not one villainous political figure, but a spirit of antichrist – a way of thinking. He says this explicitly two chapters later: the spirit of antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already (1 John 4.3).
John identifies the “many antichrists” that had already come: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (1 John 2.19)
These antichrists are those who had abandoned the Jesus known and preached by the apostles. They had made up their own “Christ” – quite different from the Jesus John knew and loved. John calls their misrepresentation “a lie” (1 John 2.21) and its proponents ‘liars’, deniers of Jesus Christ (1 John 2.22 cf. 2 John 7) and ‘false prophets’ (1 John 4.1-3). If you deny the Jesus that we preach (God come in the flesh), says John, you don’t have the true Christ – and you don’t have the true God either, despite your claims (1 John 2.22-23)!
Throughout the centuries people have studied prophetic passages hoping to figure out the mystery of the identity of THE antichrist. Perhaps there will be one world leader who will play that role someday, completely embodying the spirit of antichrist. If and when he does arrive, the call to Christians of that day will be no different from the call John gave in the first century and the call that goes to all Christians of all ages. True believers must stand against any spirit that opposes or counterfeits the Christ. We must expose any lie that leads people astray from the true Christ, Jesus, who became man to die for our sins, be raised from the dead, and lifted up to God’s throne as our Lord and Savior.