John explained in his epistles more about who the Antichrist will be. This devotional reading looks at how the Antichrist is associated with the end of the age, a liar, and a deceiver.
Nuggets
- The Antichrist is associated with the end of the age.
- The end of the age is also termed as the last hour.
- Because there are many antichrists, an antichrist might be here now.
- The Antichrist is going to originally be associated with the Church.
- The Antichrist won’t just oppose Christ in that he will deceive people to believe that he is the Christ.
- The Antichrist will actively try to pull disciples away from Christ.
One problem with the Book of Revelation is that John doesn’t come out and just identify the Antichrist. He does in other places.
Let’s take a look at John’s Epistles to see what he says about the Antichrist there. This is the only place in God’s Word where the term is used.
Let's Put It into Context #1
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Devotions in The Beasts series
Let's Put It into Context #2
The word Antichrist means adversary of the Messiah. The concept comes from several Old Testament verses.
- “He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time” (Dan. 7: 25 ESV).
- “By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken — but by no human hand” (Dan. 8: 25 ESV).
- “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done” (Dan. 11: 36 ESV).
The Antichrist in the Last Hour
“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. 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” (I Jn. 2: 18-19 ESV)
The Antichrist is associated with the end of the age.
Last Hour
The end of the age is also termed as the last hour.
Way back in Revelation 1, we talked about how John, Paul, and probably a lot of other people thought Jesus’ return was going to happen any day.
But how could the beginning of the early church be seen as the last hours?
How many times haven’t we thought that ourselves? We can’ see it getting any worse than it is at that moment, so we think it is the end.
Look at it this way. In how many verses so far did we think John was talking about the actual Day of the Lord and more trumpets and bowls were discussed after that?
It isn’t going to be clear cut.
We just have to accept that soon is relevant. Last hour may occur way longer than an hour.
Finlayson had a great observation. He wrote, “The solemnity of the end is fitted to have a salutary impression; and it is kept dark, that we may always have the feeling of its being the last hour.”
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That is logical. We always think of the build-up to the end. Jesus’ Second Coming should be built up.
But then, the Antichrist is also getting a build up.
Coming and Have Come
Because there are many antichrists, an antichrist might be here now.
I know. It is a kick that antichrist is plural.
Isn’t it bad enough that we have to deal with one?
Jesus warned us we were going to have to deal with more than one antichrist. “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Mt. 24: 24 ESV).
False christs is plural.
We tend to think that the Antichrist is something that will only appear at the end of the age. That is going to be bad enough.
This verse says otherwise. It said for a fact that antichrists were present in John’s day.
Well, if Satan is trying to mimic God and the Antichrist, Jesus, wouldn’t it be logical that they have their own version of John the Baptist? They wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to have someone – or someones – to prepare the way.
Then again, we’ll have a lot from which to choose.
Bradford had an interesting take on have come. He argued the presence was in spirit, not physically.
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Can’t we see it evident in today’s world? We said that one function of the Antichrist was to eliminate God’s laws and commandments.
If you don’t see that happening in today’s society, you are turning a blind eye.
When the one true Antichrist gets here, our choice in whether we will serve God or Satan will be eradicated.
I don’t think worldview people understand what that will mean.
- No holiday from work.
- No holiday parties.
- No family get togethers.
- No decorations.
- No exchanging gifts.
Why would Satan and the Antichrist allow us to continue to “celebrate” the birthday of their rival – even if it is a watered-down version?
Yes, the spirit of the Antichrist is in the world now, and we are allowed to continue celebrating Christmas – and Easter. Yes, today’s society is moving away from celebrating those holidays.
That doesn’t mean it will always stay that way. Once Satan believes he has control, why would he allow what he has worked so hard to overthrow to continue status quo?
But does that only mean antichrists will only be spiritual until one last physical Antichrist? Personally, I wouldn’t bet money on it – especially as we get closer to the end game.
Plural antichrists, according to Finlayson, may mean the physical changes while the spiritual remains the same. He will always be the offshoot of Satan.
Went Out from Us
The Antichrist is going to originally be associated with the Church.
This may be one of the most disturbing phrases in all of God’s Word. The Antichrist goes out from the Church.
How? How can that be???????
Well, the pat answer is that there are goats masquerading as sheep in today’s church. This answer is just a little different than my usual one.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mt. 7: 15 ESV).
It is logical to think nothing much is going to change before the end of the age.
I guess the first question we have to ask is how they got in the Church in the first place? Did they think they were making a genuine profession of faith, or did they know they were lying about their conversion?
Finlayson got us to think a little bit deeper. There are times that we are truly looking for Christ.
We may not always find Christ because the goats masquerading as sheep are pointing us to more of a worldview doctrine.
Back in Paul’s day, we identified these false teachers as Jewish people who were wanting Jewish religion not to change. They wanted the same old traditions and teachings.
That won’t work these days in most places.
This substitution of a worldview doctrine for the true biblical doctrine may be evident when churches rush to implement programs to help disciple new converts. They may think they know the materials they are using.
Those materials may get some right but not all. Those materials may be covering a deeply hidden doctrine. (You know, get us hooked before they spring their true beliefs.)
Satan and the antichrists have an easy go of it. Too many people are willing to “give up” certain aspects of their lives but not others. They don’t want to fully submit to God’s laws and commandments.
So, Satan and the antichrists rewrite God’s Word to lure those people in. Just as in Satan’s fall from Heaven, the Antichrist wants to take as many saints with him as he can.
One thing we shouldn’t be sad about is the Antichrist will eventually be out of the Church. His duplicity and false teachings will be shown for what they are – false.
All antichrists have some things in common.
- They work closely with Satan.
- They pervert the truth.
- Those oppose everything true about Jesus.
Disciples must work hard to ensure that we can identify an antichrist.
The Antichrist as a Liar
“Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also” (I Jn. 2: 22-23 ESV)
The Antichrist won’t just oppose Christ in that he will deceive people to believe that he is the Christ.
The foundation of the Antichrist’s teaching is that he is the true Christ, not Jesus. That is a boldfaced lie.
Think about it. A major characteristic of Satan is that he is a liar. “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn. 8: 44 ESV).
Satan’s fall from grace occurred because of his pride and jealousy. He wanted to be God.
So, Satan and the Antichrist pretend they are God and the Christ.
Let’s try to connect things this way. Let’s connect the Antichrist who comes out of the Church with the Antichrist the liar.
An antichrist who opposed God’s truth was the Jewish belief in a military Messiah. Finlayson helped with this. What did the Jews expect from the Messiah?
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- “The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things’” (Jn. 4: 25 ESV emphasis added).
- “Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’” (Jn. 1: 49 ESV).
- “They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world” (Jn. 4: 42 ESV emphasis added).
- “So the crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’” (Jn. 7: 27 ESV emphasis added).
The one thing Finlayson said that I didn’t agree with was that the Jews thought the Messiah would meet all of their spiritual needs. If he would have said physical needs, I would have agreed wholeheartedly.
I do not believe that the Jews were looking for a spiritual Messiah. When Jesus talked to Nicodemus about spirit and water, Nic didn’t understand what He was talking about.
“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God’” (Jn. 3: 4 ESV).
Jews weren’t looking for righteousness. They were looking for physical.
They weren’t looking for the Son of God. They were looking for a General.
Instead of accepting Jesus as the Messiah, the Jews worked to have Him crucified.
The Antichrist as Deceiver
“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist” (II Jn. 1: 7 ESV)
The Antichrist will actively try to pull disciples away from Christ.
Okay, how is deceiver different from liar? A liar uses words to make mislead you. A deceiver can lie but can also cheat and trick you into believing something that is not true.
To me, this is very important to remember when Satan is trying to tempt us to go against God’s Will. It gets down more to the core of what it means to be a disciple.
Disciples are called to walk in the Spirit. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5: 16 ESV).
It is imperative that we walk with the Spirit. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5: 25 ESV).
Satan wants us to be anywhere but in step with God.
What does Satan want us to believe? He wants us to believe that Jesus is not God’s Son.
Satan would be wrong.
- “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Heb. 2’ 14-15 ESV).
- “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2: 17 ESV).
- “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2: 5-7 ESV).
In other words, Satan wants to undermine our faith so that we take our focus off God and allow Him to corrupt our hearts and minds. He didn’t stop this assault when the Church switched from being called the early Church to just the Church.
Satan is still trying to erode our faith. He continues to chop away at us.
We do not believe in Jesus if we do not believe He is God’s Son. Jones told us how those false beliefs undermine our faith.
- Negates atonement and redemption.
- Makes Jesus’ mediation for us ineffective.
- Eliminates the impact of His example.
- Crushes His sympathy for us.
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We have to dig deep into anything someone is trying to teach us. No one is going to get everything exactly right, but all teachings we study should be able to be supported by scriptures in God’s Word.
Making the Connections
“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thess. 2: 8-12 ESV)
How does John’s Antichrist differ from Paul’s man of lawlessness? No.
Paul’s lawless one will contend that he is above God’s laws. He believes that he can judge us.
The lawless one will show himself through signs and wonders, trying to mimic God and His Son. He is trying to take the focus off God and put it on himself.
Because of this, the lawless one is trying to get us to buy into his lies. He is a deceiver just as Satan is — just as the Antichrist is.
The same destruction awaits the lawless one as does the Antichrist. God will be victorious in defeating them.
The interesting part is where Benson believed this is going to be a gradual conquest. He equated it to the rising sun dispelling darkness.
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I can see that. In a way, we can say the sun has been rising ever since Paul and John penned these words about the Antichrist/lawless one. Every battle fought and won by Jesus on the battlefields of our hearts is a victory of the rising Son.
How Do We Apply This?
- Remember that God did not design the Plan of Salvation and the redemption it offers as an afterthought.
- Abide in the true Christ.
- Understand that antichrists will prepare the way for the Antichrist.
- Walk with Christ daily and truly believe He is God’s Son.
- Accept that God does not allow us to believe anything differently from His Word.
- Eliminate any connection to Satan and his beliefs.
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Father God. We do not want to be deceived by Satan and the Antichrist. We want to be instep with You. Help us to study Your Word so that we can grow closer to You. Amen.
What do you think?
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