Today we hear much about a supposed "antiChrist" that is to appear on the world stage and soon.  Some of the talk of this supposed evil one has led to much speculation. I seen this one movie titled, Desecration.  In this movie actor Michael York plays Nicolae Carpathia, who is the AntiChrist.  He enters the temple in Jerusalem  and declares himself God, and is eventually destroyed.  I considered the movie just a bunch of foolishness.  Some of this same genre is found in the "Left Behind" series.  Its more akin to science fiction than Biblical Eschatology.  With this in mind, what is actually found in the Bible about this subject?  Well the word, "Antichrist(s)" is found 5 times in the New Testament and these are in the books 1st and 2nd John. Here is what we find:

1 John 2:18, "The early Christians had heard that Antichrist is coming".

1 John 2:18, "Even know there are many Antichrists". (v. 19, they went out from among us)

1 John 2:22, "Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is antichrist."

1 John 2:26, "These antichrists are trying to seduce us away from Jesus.."

1 John 4:3, "this is a spirit of antichrist." 

1 John 4:3, "..Antichrist denies that Christ came in the flesh.."

1 John 4:3, "antichrist already in the World.."

1 John 4:4, "Christians must overcome all forms of the Antichrist."

1 John 4:6, "Antichrist is the spirit of error."

2 John 7, "many deceivers and antichrists are in the world."

2 John 9, "....to overcome the antichrists, Christians must abide in the doctrine of Christ."

Looking at the several verses above it is clear that they are many and were already in existence in Apostolic times.  John's little Epistles are generally dated late compared to other New Testament documents but are still before 100 AD. We see that that each "antichrist" has certain characteristics.  Each denies Christ as the Son of God, which came in the flesh and they are associated with the Church! Note that none of the above quotes actually point to a single, final personality such as seen in a movie like, Desecration.  Instead down through time such individuals will exist. Lets now examine some related things...

            &nb sp;    The Son of Perdition...

The "Son of Perdition" is found twice in the Bible.  In the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verse 12, Jesus applies this title to Judas Iscariot, the Betrayer!  Judas was one of the inner circle of disciples but was never really a true follower of Jesus.  He was against Christ and full of deception, in other words, he was also an antichrist!!!  Various "Sons of Perdition" have existed too!  Take notice of how each seems associated with the Church. In 2nd Thessalonians 2:3/4, Paul speaks of the Son of Perdition, who sits in the temple of God sort of pretending to be God, or a God.  Paul says that such a personage won't appear til an Apostasy first occurs.  Can we identify some of these individuals down through time?  Some of the great Reformers seemed to have little doubt. They applied it to certain worldly popes that even asked to be worshipped.  And they often sat upon a throne decked in Jewels!  The Westminister Confession (1647) even equates the Roman Popes with "antichrist" and "Son of Perdition".  There are several arguments that the Protestant Reformers used to back up their views and one can hardly disagree with the fact that some popes were evil.  Even most Catholics will agree.  In this blog I have not mentioned Revelation 13 and the special number "666".  Instead I will leave that for the future, but at this point I don't really believe that it can be applied to the Roman Emperor Nero.

Pastor SteveZ.

Tags: Endtimes Christ Antichrist Sin Evil

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