The Antichrist
INTRODUCTION.
A. Could you give an answer to the question as to what or who is the antichrist? There are different ideas within the religious world as to who or what the antichrist. Consider the following quote from the Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary:
1. ANTICHRIST, THE — a false prophet and evil being who will set himself up against Christ and the people of God in the last days before the Second Coming. The term is used only in the writings of John in the New Testament. It refers to one who stands in opposition to all that Jesus Christ represents (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7). John wrote that several antichrists existed already in his day—false teachers who denied the deity and the incarnation of Christ—but that the supreme Antichrist of history would appear at some future time.
2. The Antichrist's primary work is deception, which also characterizes Satan in his attempts to undermine the work of God in the world. Satan's deception began in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and will continue until the end of time. The Dragon (or serpent) of Revelation 12 is Satan, the Serpent mentioned in Genesis 3. Thus the thread of Satan's deceptive work may be traced from Genesis through Revelation. That work reaches its climax in the Antichrist, who receives his authority and power from the dragon, Satan (Rev. 13:4).
3. The work of Satan through the Antichrist is clearly rooted in the prophecies of Daniel. Daniel spoke of a dreadful beast with ten horns and one little horn (Dan. 7:7–8). The Ancient of Days will kill the beast and throw it in the fire (Dan. 7:11). Then, according to Daniel, one like the Son of Man will receive the everlasting kingdom (Dan. 7:13–14).
4. The Antichrist will be the sum total of the beasts referred to in Daniel 7 (Rev. 13:1–4). He will speak arrogant, boastful words; and he will be aided by a False Prophet, who will make the entire earth worship him (Rev. 13:11–12) and receive his mark (Rev. 13:16–17). The number of the beast, says John, is 666—a mysterious code name.
5. Those who worship the Antichrist will experience certain doom through the wrath of God (Rev. 14:9–11). The Antichrist makes war against Christ and His army, but he is captured and is "cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Rev. 19:20). He is later joined by the Devil; together they "will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:10). The devil, the Beast (or Antichrist), and the false prophet form a kind of unholy trinity, counterfeiting Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. After much wickedness and suffering has been loosed against Christ and His people, the satanic rebellion will be crushed by the power of God.
B. With this lesson, we will examine the three passages in the New Testament which contain a direct reference to the “antichrist.”
I. REFERRED TO BY THE APOSTLE JOHN.
A. 1 John 2:18-27
1. “and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come” (v 18a, KJV)
a. John is the only New Testament writer to use the term “antichrist.”
b. John told the brethren that they had heard that “antichrist shall come.”
c. Note different translations:
(1) KJV - “heard that antichrist shall come”
(2) ASV - “heard that antichrist cometh”
(3) ESV - “heard that antichrist is coming”
(4) NKJV - “heard that the Antichrist is coming”
(5) The NKJV is least preferred because its rendering lends to the notion that there will be a single Antichrist. The KJV, ASV, and ESV do not create a proper noun out of the word antichrist.
2. “even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour” (v 18b)
a. John explains that in all actuality, many antichrists have already come, signifying that they (and we) are in the “last hour.”
b. The answer as to who these antichrists were (and are) will be revealed later in the text.
3. “They went out from us, but they were not of us;” (v 19)
a. These “many antichrists” had apparently been within the church, or at least among the disciples.
b. Their error was revealed or “made manifest.”
4. “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?” (v 22a)
a. John is not teaching that a liar is a person who denies that Jesus is the Christ. If that was the case, we would have to conclude that every person who tells a lie is denying that Jesus is the Christ.
b. Within the context of this chapter, John is saying that the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ is a liar.
c. This fact is clearly seen when we keep in mind that “many antichrists . . . went out from us, but they were not of us.”
d. The person who has heard the truth of Jesus and denies Jesus is a liar.
5. “He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.” (v 22b)
a. Who is antichrist? One is antichrist if he denies the Father and the Son.
b. John goes on to say that whoever denies the Son does not have the Father. (v 23)
6. “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.” (v 26)
a. John warned the brethren of antichrist or of those who would deny that Jesus is the Christ.
b. The antichrists would try to deceive the faithful Christians.
B. 1 John 4:1-6
1. “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.” (v 1)
a. John continues his admonition of warning the saints against those who would deceive them.
b. The brethren where to “test the spirits” to see whether or not they were of God. The reason for their caution: “because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
2. “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,” (v 2)
a. John presents a way for the brethren to determine who was from God. If a person confessed that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh, then that person was “of God.”
b. The test would help protect the brethren from those who would attempt to deceive them.
3. “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” (v 3a)
4. “and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (v 3b, KJV)
a. The “spirit of the antichrist” was the “spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.”
b. The brethren had heard that such deniers of Christ would come. John said that even now they were already in the world.
c. Note: Again, the NKJV verse renders “antichrist” as “Antichrist.”
5. “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (v 6)
a. The “spirit of truth” will teach that Jesus is the Christ has come in the flesh and he will receive the truth of God’s word.
b. The “spirit of error” will deny that Jesus has come in the flesh and he will not receive the truth of God’s word.
C. 2 John 1:7-11
1. “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” (v 7)
a. Again, not every deceiver refuses to confess “Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.” However, those who do not “confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh are deceivers.”
b. John calls the person who does not “confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” a deceiver and an antichrist.
2. “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” (v 9)
a. Within the context, the man who does not abide in the “doctrine of Christ” does not have God. In other words, then man who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, does not have God.
b. Likes, the man who “abides in the doctrine of Christ” or is willing to confess that Jesus has come in the flesh “has both the Father and the Son.”
3. “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.” (vs 10-11)
a. The person who “does not bring this doctrine” is the one who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This person is teaching this “antichrist” doctrine. (This is seen in verse one where John wrote, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world . . .”)
b. The saints were not to take in such a teacher and give him aid and comfort.
II. FACTS REGARDING ANTICHRISTS.
A. In summary, here is what we have learned about “antichrists.”
1. One who is “antichrist” is one who denies that Jesus is the Son of God, having come in the flesh.
a. “He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22b)
b. “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” (2 John 1:7)
2. There were many “antichrists” then and now. There were many who did not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh.
a. “even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18b)
b. “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (1 John 4:3, KJV)
3. These “antichrists” had their beginnings within the church, they had learned the Truth. The intent of the “antichrists” was to deceive the sound brethren within the church.
a. “They went out from us, but they were not of us;” (1 John 2:19)
b. “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.” (1 John 2:26)
CONCLUSION.
A. While the Bible contents warnings about “false teachers” and “false prophets,” John is the only writer to use the word “antichrist.”
B. John was not warning the brethren about some future individual who would be a great threat to the church. John was warning the brethren about those who refused to confess that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh. These “antichrists” would attempt to deceive the brethren, thereby drawing some of the faithful away from the Lord.
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The Antichrist -- May 1, 2005 -- File # 1741 - Antichrist
by John M. Duvall -- Lawton, OK