The Antichrist

The Antichrist

In the last few years the Christian community has been flooded with books and

movies depicting the last days before the coming of Jesus and the years following his
appearing. For the most part these fictional renderings depict a sudden and quiet exit
of the church from earth before a horrible seven year tribulation period and the
entrance of a powerful man known as the antichrist. Those unfortunate people who
are “left behind” after the “great escape” of the church are given another opportunity to
serve God and reject this powerful political figure who will then rule the world.
Debates have been waged over the years as to the identity of this antichrist. Some
people have even gone so far as putting a name with the title. For instance: in the
1980s it was speculated that Ronald Wilson Reagan was the antichrist because all of
his names had six letters, thus the number of the man was 666. But, what does the
bible teach us about this “antichrist?” Is it really one man? Does he really come to
power after the church is “raptured?” Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians wrote
this:
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering
together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit
or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one
deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes
first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts
himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NKJV
Let’s recap the sequence of events found in verse three. First, there is the falling
away and the man of sin, the son of perdition is revealed. Next, the saints are gathered
to Jesus. Paul really couldn’t have made it any clearer to his readers. The gathering of
the saints to Jesus will not occur until the man of sin, the son of perdition (who most
believe to be the antichrist) has been revealed. If you have believed the stories
portrayed in the recent end times books and movies then you have fallen victim to the
very thing Paul was warning the Thessalonians against when he said, Let no man
deceive you.
The Greek word translated antichrist is antichristos which means an opponent of
the Messiah. Antichrist(s) is found five times in four verses in the bible; all in the
books of First and Second John.
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.
1 John 2:18 KJV
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that
denieth the Father and the Son.
1 John 2:22 KJV
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
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2 John 7 KJV
Here are the characteristics John gives of antichrist:
1. Is coming and many have already come
2. Is a liar
3. Denies that Jesus is the Christ.
4. Denies the Father and the Son
5. Is now already in the world
6. Does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
7. Is a deceiver
John conveys that not only is an antichrist coming but in fact many have already
come which meant that in his day they were living in the last hour. This certainly
contradicts today’s popular teaching that the antichrist will appear only after the
church has been removed from the earth. Unless of course the Apostle John missed
the rapture. He further says that the antichrist was already in the world. If the
antichrist is a man and was alive in John’s day then he would be a very old man by
now. But, as we have just listed, antichrist is anything that denies Jesus Christ as the
Messiah and that he has come into the world. No doubt John had in mind the many
Jewish religious leaders, among others, who refused to believe that Jesus was the
Messiah.
John also wrote this speaking of the “many” antichrists, These people left our
churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed
with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. (1 John 2:19 NLT)
John clearly states that antichrist comes from within the Christian church; not from
the political arena after the church is gone. In fact, John is so certain that antichrist
had come in his day that he exhorts the church to stand against it (2 John 7-11) and
encourages the church that they already have victory over antichrist because greater
is he that is them than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
In our opening scripture, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Paul gives the description of a
man that many believe to be the antichrist. This person is known as “the man of sin”
and the “son of perdition.” Is this speaking of a single man? In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Paul
uses the phrase “the man of God.” Also, in Romans 13:4 he uses the phrase “the
minister of God.” Are we to believe that there is only one man of God or one minister of
God? Obviously Paul was speaking of many men who would fit those descriptions
down through history.
Furthermore, in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 Paul states speaking of the “man of sin,” that
this “mystery of lawlessness” is already at work. And he goes on to say in verse eight
that he will continue to work until the Lord returns and consumes him with the
brightness of his coming. If Paul was speaking of one single man this man would be
somewhere around 2000 years old.
The phrase “son of perdition” is found two times in scripture. Once in 2
Thessalonians 2:3 and the other in John 17:12. In John 17:12 the reference to the son
of perdition is made concerning Judas who betrayed Jesus. From all indications Judas
was a follower of Jesus. He did everything the other disciples did and even confessed
Jesus as his master. Yet, in time he became an instrument of Satan by betraying
Jesus with a kiss. Judas became the ultimate deceiver which perfectly fits the
definition of antichrist. He came out from them because, even though he looked like
them, he was not of them. Thus, this “man of sin” and “son of perdition” will arise, not
from the realm of government, but from within in the Christian church.
The question remains about “the beast” we read about in the Book of the
Revelation of Jesus Christ. Many end times teachers have equated this beast as the
one single antichrist. First of all the word antichrist is not found in the Revelation. The
beast does have the characteristics of antichrist, but to suggest it is a man is simply
irresponsible exegesis. In scripture a “beast” represents a kingdom. This can be found
in Daniel 7 where Daniel records a dream given to him by God concerning the end
times. Since a beast represents a kingdom it stands to reason that the beast in the
Revelation is a kingdom and not a single man.
Don’t be deceived by the books and the movies. Let the Word of God speak for
itself. Antichrist has always been among us. But, greater is he that is in us than he
that is in the world.

Voice of the Gospel Christian Radio - Radio Stimme des Evangeliums

Freitag, 22. Juni 2012

The Antichrist

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