Revealing The Antichrist?

Is The Antichrist A Biblical Fact?

We are living in unprecedented times. The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are converging and many of the signs are being ignored because of our vast increase of knowledge or simply because we are being distracted.  The cauldron of hate is constantly being stirred, setting the stage for the fulfillment of Revelation 13.  Biblical symbology define beast as a nation and the sea signify a multitude of confused people.  This new nation “beast”, an ungodly beast “nation”, rising up out a “sea” of confused people, will it be ruled by the antichrist?  Will the antichrist be revealed soon?  Is “the antichrist” a biblical fact or are we being distracted?

The divisions of most major religions who holds different views on the subject are being amplified as they await and anticipating the appearance of their “savior”, called, “Messiah,” “Jesus Christ,” “the Twelfth Mahdi,” “the Fifth Buddha,” or “the Tenth Avatar.”  There is a growing awareness among religions that one single man might actually fulfill all these religions’ expectations. The ecumenical concept promotes the ideology that a one-size-fits-all messiah would bring the entire world’s religions and governments together forming a New World Order.  World leaders and religious leaders seem to be auditioning for the part. Is the antichrist a person or is it just a word meaning false teachers?

One of the most commonly held positions by many premillennial Christians today concerning the interpretation of the prophecy pertaining to the antichrist is as follows:  2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 tells us that the Day of Christ will not come until “the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.”  This person is said to be identified in 1^st John 2:18-19 as “the antichrist”.  The Temple of God will be rebuilt and the antichrist will sit in the Temple in Jerusalem and demand to be worshipped as God. In Revelation 13:1 the antichrist is called “the beast,” which will rise up and rule the world.  In Daniel 9, he will establish a peace pact with many nations, but after three and one-half years this peace pack will fail.  This tyrannical world dictator, empowered by Satan and the embodiment of all that is evil, will be defeated by Christ at His Second Coming (II Thessalonians 2:8).  All of this sound fine, but are we guilty of ignoring Bible symbology?  Where is the solid Biblical basis for this view?  Maybe we are guilty of creative interpretative assumptions.

The story of the antichrist has inflamed and influenced Christian theology and indoctrination, for as long as most can remember.  As a child, I was introduced to the ideology that “the antichrist” was coming, and like many, my indoctrinated responses were, “I don’t want to be here when he come.”  The antichrist is coming created the same level of fear as being told, judgment day is coming.  Yet, for me to subconsciously acknowledge that I would rather be dead than face the “the antichrist”.  This created a sense of dread as I contemplated the frailty of my mortal existence.  The antichrist was the bogeyman of Christianity and the crowning point of many speakers elucidations was to place a face on this godless wonder.  For some reason unknown to many, without a face the antichrist was scarier than the devil.  

Studying the scripture and researching the antichrist, I came across a lot of speculations about the antichrist, who he is or who he might be.  The most popular names to come up were Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and the Pope.  Since the antichrist has long been used as a label for everything from presidents to movies; it is only natural to ask: Who is the antichrist?  Does this term have anything to do with us today? The logical place to begin when searching for the identity of the antichrist is in the Bible.  Do Revelation 13:18 identify the beast as the antichrist as a man whose number is 6-6-6?   Again, we must be careful that we do not become guilty of creative interpretations filled with assumptions.  As I studied the scripture and other postings I became acutely aware of the attempt to put a face on the antichrist, yet the scripture did not speak of “the antichrist” as a person. 

The fault that stood out in our creative interpretative assumptions is that we change the word from “antichrist” to “the antichrist”, doing so we changed it from an adjective to a noun, thereby changing its meaning.  The terminology used in the scripture is “antichrist" not "the antichrist" and it is only found in 1^st John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3, and 2^nd John 7.  The term “antichrist” appears five times in the writing of John.  The antichrist is primarily a concept based on interpretation of passages in the New Testament, in which the term "antichrist" occurs five times in 1^st John and 2^nd John, once in plural form and four times in the singular.  If the Apostle John was the only Bible writer to use the word antichrist; we must look to John, not Paul or Revelation to tell us its meaning.  If we study the writing of Apostle John carefully, we will learn what antichrist is, not who is the antichrist.

1^st John 2:18-19, little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 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. 

There is no need to engage in a long and confusing discussion, John is not talking about one person who will come in the name of Jesus, sit in the temple and declare himself God as many have proposed. John is speaking of the spiritual embodiment of Satan that invades the heart of many men.  The key points of John’s elucidation are;   ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are  many antichrists.  They went out from us, but they were not of us.  Antichrist is best defined as an adjective that describes the condition of humanity’s heart.  Adding the word “The” to antichrist changes the word to a noun that signifies a person. There are many today even as it was in John’s day that is filled with the antichrist spirit.  As the word "anti" infers it is the opposite of being filled with God's spirit.  Simply put, John said, “He is antichrist (against Christ) that denieth the Father and the Son.” He further stated in 2^nd John 1:7, for many deceivers, are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.  He is an antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.   Isn’t it true John is speaking of false teachers?

A common fault of creative interpretation is scriptures from different segment of the Bible are mixed together without regard to who is talking, what is being talked about and who is being spoken to.  We dump this into the pot of our personal opinion; add a touch of emotionalism and what emerges is a polluted mess that is neither supported by the Word of God or even common sense.  It is justified as secondary doctrines the same as Christian denominations.  Now, if we read the following verses without a preconceive notion that Paul is talking about “the antichrist” rather than “antichrist” it is possible that our views of the entire subject will be different.  2^nd Thessalonians 2:3-4, Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.  If we use this scripture to draw the face of the antichrist, we have been distracted.  Paul began his elucidations to the Thessalonians by warning them not to be deceived by false teachers.   In the final days of Paul’s ministry, he warned the church of these people who would come among then, distract them and led them astray.   Jesus and John among others warned the sheep of those who preached not the Gospel of the Kingdom.  The came in some other way and their intent was and is to lead the sheep astray.  Jesus said you are for me or you are against me, the Apostle John said, those who were antichrist were against Christ.