Jump to content

Anti Christ


RETIREDFAN1

Recommended Posts

The Anti-Christ

 

We’ve been studying about Judgement Day the past few lessons. We’ve seen how men have perverted the simple Truth of God to make things fit some narrative about a literal 1000 year reign on a literal throne here on Earth by Jesus following their imaginary rapture and some made up tribulation period. We should expect things like this. Today, we want to look at another man made idea about the so called “end times”. 

 

A good mystery thrills many people. It stirs the imagination. It gives many folks puzzles to work on.  Mysteries in the writings contained in the Bible are popular with false teachers because they can use them as the launching point of all sorts of fanciful ideas. Take the man made idea of the AntiChrist. 

 

These false teachers, such as Barry Gritters in his work The Antichrist says, “Scripture teaches Antichrist to be a political, religious individual, yet to come in the future (as of this writing), who is opposed to God and God's Christ and God's church.”





 

Another false teacher, Arthur W. Pink, in his work called The Antichrist, says “The appearing of the Antichrist is a most appalling and momentous subject, and in the past, many well-meaning writers have deprived this impending event of much of its terror and meaning, by confusing some of the antichrists that have already appeared at various intervals on the stage of human history, with that mysterious being who will tower high above all the sons of Belial, being no less than Satan’’s counterfeit and opposer of the Christ of God, who is infinitely exalted above all the sons of God. It promotes the interests of Satan to keep the world in ignorance of the coming Super-man, and there can be no doubt that he is the one who is responsible for the general neglect in the study of this subject, and the author, too, of the conflicting testimony which is being given out by those who speak and write concerning it.” II.        

 

So where do they get these false ideas from. Who is the antichrist?

 

The word antichrist comes from a Greek word that means either “against Christ” or “substitute Christ”.  One dictionary describes it as a person who either claims to be Christ or is opposed to Christ. Jesus used a similar word which is translated as “false Christs” in Mark 13:21-23 in discussing the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem.

Mark 13:21-23

 

The Holy Spirit, speaking through John, shows that antiChrist is not a single individual, but a classification of many individuals.

I John 2:18-19

 

This passage also shows that the antichrists were already arriving, and even already there when John wrote this letter. This  matches perfectly with Jesus warning about the rise of false Christs who would come before the destruction of Jerusalem.

 

Any person who is not with Christ is against Him.

Matthew 12:30

 

The apostles represent Christ.

Luke 10:16

 

One test to give to someone who is claiming some divine revelation or who claims to speak for Christ, is to see whether the person listens to the teachings of Christ.

I John 4:1, 6

 

Only by keeping His commandments can we know Christ.

I John 2:3-6



 

Anyone who loves this world is against God.

James 4:4

 

So how do we spot the antiChrist? He is anyone who denies that Jesus is the Messiah.

I John 2:22-23

 

It is a 100%  fact that God made Jesus the Messiah.

Acts 2:36

 

Salvation can be found in no other name.

Acts 4:12

 

Unless we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, we will die in our sins.

John 8:24

 

An AntiChrist denies that Jesus is the Son of God. They deny that Jesus is Deity.

 

Jesus was born of God.

Luke 1:31-35




 

Many testified to this fact.

Matthew 16:16-17

Matthew 27:54

John 1:49

John 20:28

 

One day everyone will acknowledge this fact.

Philippians 2:8-11

 

An AntiChrist denies that Jesus came in the flesh.

I John 4:1-3

II John 7

Philippians 2:5-8

 

God took on the form of man to die for man

 

John 1:14

God dwelt among us.

 

This fact was denied because some people thought that anything connected with this world was sinful and God could not take on the aspect of sin. However, it was necessary for Him to do this to bring about the rescue of mankind from sin.

 Hebrews 2:14-18

So where do these people get such fanciful ideas about this evil superhuman? They get some of them from the Old Testament, from prophecies that were fulfilled completely. 

 

Daniel 7:7-8, 11-12

The fourth beast is the Roman empire – not some yet to be future empire.

Daniel 7:23

 

Horns represent rulers and here we have a small ruler who gains the appearance of greatness by its great boasts.

Daniel 7:24

 

This king will persecute the church, but will eventually be destroyed.

Daniel 7:25-27

 

Basically this is a prophecy about the fall of the Roman Empire which would occur after it persecuted the church. While you can say that the king is an antichrist, we are talking about a past event, not a future one.





 

Then they cite II Thessalonians 2:3-10.

 

Here Paul talks about a religious leader who exalts himself above every idol.

II Thessalonians 2:4

 

One who sits in the temple of God, pretending to be God. Paul doesn’t tell them this is some even in the far future. He tells them that it had already started.

II Thessalonians 2:7

 

Many see this fulfilled in the Catholic popes, but I know of nothing that calls the Vatican the temple of God. The Roman emperors set themselves up as gods and demanded the people worship them. The signs of the persecution was already beginning in Paul’s day. In fact, Paul died in the first wave of persecution conducted by Nero. It was the Roman emperors who defiled the temple and destroyed Jerusalem. Again, these men would be antichrists, but we are still talking about a past event even with them.

 

They will also cite Revelation 13 and the Beast. However, in this chapter there are actually two beasts being described. One is the political arm of the Roman Empire. The other is the religious arm that supported the politics of Rome.


 

Revelation was prophesying something that would soon happen, not something coming thousands of years in their future.

Revelation 1:1-3

Revelation 22:6-7

 

What does all this mean for us?

 

There have been antichrists since the foundation of Christianity. They will remain until Christ returns to put an end to all lawlessness. Will you be persuaded by such men? Do you love the truth?

 

Don’t fall for all the man made lies and false doctrine about the “end times”. We have been living in the “last days” since Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Kingdom was established. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...