When the modern rapturist speaks of antichrist, he is talking about a "charismatic man" who will rise to power after the rapture and rule the earth. Modern prophets write best selling books on this subject and even make blockbuster movies.
Is this how scripture truly depicts the antichrist?
Many might be surprised just how simple the answer is to this question and perhaps even more surprised at how far more complex (at the same time). It's a riddle.
Their depiction of "antichrist" is nothing more than a fable, a fairy tale and has absolutely no basis in any reality of scripture. Their false prophecies on this subject are the direct result of thousands of years of error, culminating in one big lie.
The true identity of this "antichrist" predicted to come upon the world in scripture may startle and enrage. They cannot receive the truth on this matter and for this reason have surrounded themselves with false prophets and follow them blindly. False prophets who have been (wittingly or unwittingly) weaving their witchcraft for years and many have been led astray but their days of false prophecy are coming to a close.
The Antichrist A Trinity Of Hate
That the antichrist in scripture is a “spirit” no one can honestly deny, not without completely denying the writings of the Apostles.
St. John had the clearest writings on the coming antichrist. He stated emphatically that not only is the antichrist a spirit but that spirit was already in the world at the time he wrote his first letter.
1 John 2: 18
"Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time."
We shall go right to the heart of the matter here by relying on these words of John. First note that he identifies a single antichrist spirit which "inhabits" many people, thus creating "many antichrists." It is critical to understand this when trying to understand “antichrist.” We have to keep our study rooted in the context.
John wrote his first letter for the express purpose of identifying the “sin that is unto death” and “the sin that is not unto death,” and revealing “them that seduce you” in these matters. He wanted to teach them how to recognize “the spirit of truth” and how to know the difference between truth and “the spirit of error.” This he did so that those to whom he was writing would “sin not.”
John, inevitably then, turned to revealing the seducing antichrist influence. He made some prophetic statements of his own, predicting that a group of apostates (fallen believers) were going to finally “blaspheme the Holy Spirit" and follow after an "antichirst spirit" instead.
1 John 2:
“19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. “
A few short verses after he declares that there are "many antichrists" already in the world he says the following:
"26 These things have I written to you concerning them that seduce
you.
27 But the anointing which you have received from him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him."
Before we go any further we must cross reference the above verses with what Paul taught about the “New Covenant in Christ's blood.”
1 John 2:27
“... and you need not that any man teach you...” Compare that with:
Hebrews 8: 11
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
John repeats a common core in this first letter. That theme is twofold:
1. That there are many deceivers who have come in among the believers and 2. They have wrong spirit and seek to thwart the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
In 1 John 2, verse 27, he reminds them that the "anointing" (which is the Holy Spirit or Christ in you) will keep them from being seduced and from being deceived by the antichrist spirit. (That's the same anointing that the cessationists now say is “vanished away” because we have the Bible). So, the Bible which can be rewritten, mistranslated, misquoted,
misinterpreted is now supposed to “keep them” from being seduced. It's laughable isn't it? It is a simple concept, that the antichrist spirit is the spirit which fights directly against the Holy Spirit ministry working in the believers! Paul referred to those who follow after this wrong spirit as “the children of disobedience.”
Colossians 3:
“6 For which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience:”
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ephesians 2:
“Whereas in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: “
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ephesians 5:
“Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. “
This antichrist spirit is manifest in disobedience. 1 John 3:
righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”
The antichrist spirit therefore is a spirit of disobedience. It's the opposite of the spirit of love. It's a spirit of hate. They who follow it become the children of the devil and are cursed. Just as the Holy Spirit dwells within the body of Christ (the congregation) the antichrist spirit dwells within the body of the unbelievers, the body of the antichrist. As strongly as the Spirit of Christ is held by the children of "obedience,” the spirit of antichrist is held by the children of "disobedience."
Therefore, the antichrist spirit is a mirror image of the true, mirror as in when you look at the image in the mirror everything is reversed. Whereas the Holy Spirit leads one to obey the Father, the antichrist spirit brings nothing but disobedience to the Father, in fact the antichrist spirit teaches openly that obedience to the Father is completely unnecessary. In fact it
teaches that obedience to the Father is sin and “insults Grace.” That spirit goes even further and teaches that those who preach obedience are the liars. The father of lies is the devil, so that makes them that preach righteousness the “children of the devil,” according to the antichrists. The antichrist spirit speaks evil of obedience.
The Sons Of The Devil
So, we have Satan, otherwise known as the Devil and he has an unholy spirit (antichrist spirit) which was demonstrated by disobedience to the Father from Satan's very beginnings. This unholy spirit now dwells in the body of the Devil's first begotten son (the son of perdition). The antichrist spirit, the Devil, and the son of perdition make up an unholy trinity.
So, who is this “first begotten son of the devil? “ This, “son of perdition?” Christ called Judas Iscariot, (a follower of Christ who had evil intent) “the son of perdition.”
What was Judas Iscariot's sin, which made him “the son of perdition” among the disciples? He walked in open disobedience and betrayed the Lord, and supposed he was doing God service at the time. All those who follow in Judas Iscariot's footsteps and commit the error of intentional and willful betrayal of our Lord and Savior through disobedience are following after Judas Iscariot's spirit.
When they walk in disobedience, betraying the Lord who bought them, they follow after the son of perdition. They all become “one spirit” and “cursed children.” In the same way those who walk in obedience through the Holy Spirit become “one with the Father, even as he (Christ) is one with the Father.”
In 1 John 2:19, John states that the antichrists "came out from the BODY OF CHRIST!" This cross references back to what Christ says about the wheat and the tares:
"...let both grow together until the time of the harvest..." (Matthew 13:24-30)
It also cross references to what the Apostles said about the “curse children.” "… these are spots and blemishes..."
Who
"...feast with you."
(2 peter 2:13 and Jude 1:12)
John also identifies them as those who change the nature of who Christ is: 1 John 2: 22
"Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son."
Paul also spoke of them in the same way: Galatians 1:
“6 I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”
One might ask, at this point, can it really be that simple The antichrist is simply the one who openly denies that Jesus is the Christ? Well, actually, John's statement is not so simple. He quantifies the denial continually in his letter by explaining that they claim to "abide in Christ" but their lives of disobedience demonstrate that they are really children of the Devil. Those who follow the antichrist spirit commit the sin that is "unto death!"
In the above text John puts it this way:
The antichrist "denies the Father and the Son."
We do know that Christ himself stated that he who has the Son has the Father also and he who denies the Son does not have the Father. So why did John feel it was so important to state that the antichrist spirit denies both the Father and the Son? Denial of the Son is denial of the Father and refusing to obey the Son is refusal to obey the Father. He who refuses to walk in love denies the Son and no longer has the Father. We have to keep reading in the first letter of John to truly understand how they deny the Son and thus “lose” the Father.
John warns the believers to “let that which you have heard from the beginning abide in you."
1 John 2: 24-25
“24 Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life."
Notice John urges us to “let” Christ “remain” in us and promises that if we allow it he "shall remain in you." He repeats this phrase “in you” and "in us" throughout his letter. It is central to his message as we shall soon see. In verses 26 through 29 he draws the conclusion that if you allow this "anointing" which you have received (the Holy Spirit) to abide in you, and if you in turn abide in this anointing, then you shall remain in the Son and in the Father also.
Later in his letter he says that not only must the Son of God "abide in us" but that we must "abide in him" and if we abide in him we do not commit sin!
1 John 2: 28-29
"28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that every one that does righteousness is born of him."
According to John, abiding in the Son results in abiding in the Father because abiding in the Son leads us to do righteousness. It leads to obedience. Furthermore, doing
righteousness is the proof that we are born of him (born of the Father) and are now sons of God ourselves. That was the very subject and the context, the only purpose for his
mentioning the antichrists (seducing teachers) to begin with. It's why he starts out chapter 2 with the following:
"My little children, these things write I to you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
John clearly teaches throughout his letter that those who "abide in the Son" and who have the son "abiding in them" (the anointing) will not sin. They will do righteousness. He warns them that any spirit teaching otherwise is antichrist! For Christ came to destroy the works of the devil and any spirit that teaches we can't stop sinning is anti Christ.
John states openly that if you do righteousness you are "born of God” (children of God). He also states that the converse is true. If you don't do righteousness you are born of the Devil (children of the Devil), you are antichrist. The antichrist (and his followers) do not do righteousness according to John.
1 John 3: 1-8
"1 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
Those who continue in their sin, while at the same time claiming to be righteous by declaration only and that God no longer sees their sin, those who teach they cannot stop
sinning, according to John, are "denying Son." The Son of God has commanded them to walk in love and they refuse. How is this not denying the Son? The Son of God died on a cross to send the the Holy Spirit with the express purpose of making them perfect. They are refusing to do what the Lord has commanded, denying it's possible. The Lord has commanded and they deny him.
They are denying that Christ has power over their flesh as well as their soul. Such a person is saying that Christ cannot empower them to cease from sin, or they are saying that it is Christ's will they continue in sin so that his grace will abound. This is denial of the Son and of the Father! They are calling both the son and the Father liars!
“Antichrist” really is that simple, yet it's far more complex than what is taught about antichrist by modern popular teachers.
Those who say they abide in Christ but are living lives in their sinful flesh are liars and they are denying that Jesus is the Christ over their flesh. If Jesus is truly were their Christ and their Lord (over their mind, body, soul and spirit) how could they ever wifully sin? At the time they sin, Christ is not calling the shots I assure you.
As Christ said to the multitudes "why do you call me Lord, Lord, but don't do what I say?" Whenever we sin we are denying his Lordship over our bodies. When we sin we are not abiding in Christ! Anyone who says they "abide in Christ" and have made him Lord over their lives but then willfully sins are liars. John makes this clear. He says "be not deceived he that does righteousness is righteous!"
John foresaw a day when the antichrist spirit would take over and they would pervert the truth of Christ and would say that they are righteous even though their deeds are sinful and evil! This was "that spirit of antichrist" that had come into the world already while he was still alive! He taught that the easy way to tell the children of God from the antichrist was by their behavior.
1 John 3: 22-24
“22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keeps his commandments dwells in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us."
The "anointing" which we have received is the Holy Spirit and according to John abides in us. All that is left is for us to abide in him (Christ, the anointing) and we shall not sin. The anointing is love and when we love we keep his commandments of love and he truly becomes our Lord and Master.
If you are sinning it means you are not abiding in his love. This was the message of Christ, it was the message of John and of all the Apostles. By abiding in the Holy Spirit of love we can and do obey the Father and keep the commandments of his son to “love one another.”
If you are sinning against your brother you are not loving your brother, you are "hating." If you are loving you are “doing righteousness.” It has nothing at all to do with memorizing some written law and following it! The spirit of antichrist, therefore is nothing but the spirit of hatred. It truly is that simple. It's the opposite of the spirit of love (the Holy Spirit). Christ is love and