Who or what is the antichrist?
The term antichrist is only found in the epistles of
John (1 John 2:18,22;
4:3;
2 John 7). The antichrist is the
one who opposes Christ and thus God. The antichrist is an
eschatological (end times) person who will appear and deceive
countless people near the time of Christ's return. The
antichrist is associated with Satan and will be aided by demonic
forces in his unholy movement against God and in his attempt to rule
the nations of the world. Most scholars agree that the
antichrist will claim to be God and will rule many nations in Europe and bring the world to
the brink of destruction.
Paul does not use the term "antichrist." Instead, he
uses the term "man of lawlessness" in 2 Thess. 2:3 to describe an
evil person who will stand in great opposition to God and His
people. Paul speaks regarding the Day of the Lord...
"Let no one in any
way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes
first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of
destruction, 4who opposes and exalts himself above every
so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the
temple of God, displaying himself as being God," (2 Thess. 2:3).
There are Old Testament references to the antichrist, though the terms
"antichrist" and "man of lawlessness" are not used. Instead, "the
little horn" and "worthless shepherd" are used as they prophecy his
arrival.
-
Dan.7:8,22, "While
I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one,
came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by
the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the
eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts...22 I
kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and
overpowering them."
-
Zech. 11:17, “Woe
to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! A sword will be on
his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally
withered, and his right eye will be blind.”
From the Zechariah passage and the one found in Rev. 13:2-3, some theologians believe that the
antichrist will suffer a head wound that will be fatal. But, like
the devil who imitates the truth in order to deceive, the antichrist
will rise from the dead. His resurrection will be assisted by
Satan. However, he will retain his wounds. His right arm
will be withered and he will be blind in his right eye.
"And the beast
which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a
bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave
him his power and his throne and great authority. 3 And I
saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound
was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the
beast," (Rev. 13:2-3).
The Spirit of
Antichrist
The term "antichrist" is also used to describe a spiritual condition.
In other words, it is descriptive of those people who oppose the true
God. "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that
antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this
we know that it is the last hour...22 Who is the liar but the
one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one
who denies the Father and the Son," (1 John 2:18,22). In
1 John 4:3 John says that all who do not confess Jesus are of the spirit
of the antichrist, "and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is
not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you
have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world."
The cults such as Mormonism,
the Jehovah's Witnesses, the
Christadelphians, the
Christian Scientists, etc., are
all of the Spirit of the antichrist since they deny the true Lord and
Savior, Jesus.
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