Thursday, October 4, 2012

Antichrist

The word "antichrist" is found in only four verses of the Bible. Here they are:

"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

"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

"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

"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 1:7

You have just read every reference to "antichrist" in the Bible. No mention is made of "the Antichrist" as a singular title. And to speak of "the Antichrist of Revelation" is incorrect, because the book of Revelation never uses the term. Notice that there are actually "many antichrists." What seems to distinguish "an antichrist" more than anything else is doctrinal error regarding the Father and the Son. The "spirit of antichrist" is identified with an erroneous teaching about Jesus.

If applied to anyone in particular, the word "antichrist" must describe Satan, for he is the great adversary of Jesus. The popular notion of the rise of an individual human in the last days identified as "the Antichrist" is an innovation not found in the Bible. The warning here is that we not be deceived by false doctrine.

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