WHO WERE THE ANTICHRISTS?
by Tuese Ahkiong
When I teach on eschatology, I regularly give a quiz and ask people what book contains the most occurrences of the word “antichrist?” They usually say “The Book of Revelation.” It does not appear once in Revelation. They then say 1 or 2 Thessalonians. It does not appear once in these books either. It’s amazing that these Christians also come across so sure about this antichrist who is about to come, but over 80% cannot even identify the only 2 books that contain the word, “antichrist.” I say this because before one can speak about a biblical topic, they should at least know where it is located in the Bible and how the Bible defines “antichrist.” Many futurists have mistakenly defined antichrist as a world dictator who will rise to power in controlling and regulating commerce by marking people with a microchip. These mislead Christians also say that this supposed Antichrist will make a 7 year covenant with the Jews, which Antichrist will break in the middle. If you heard this before and believe it, then you have been DUPED by dispensationalism. No where in the New Testament will you find this. Dispensationalists create this using Daniel 9:24-27
In this passage they call The Anointed One the Antichrist. Where the heck do they get this? Their faulty system must, create a future antichrist dude, but is this how the Bible defines antichrist(s)???? NOPE!!!
The word antichrist or antichrists appear only in 5 places in the Bible, 1 John 2:18, 22, 4:3; 2 John 1:7.
These passages define the antichrist(s) as:
- 1 John 2:22 denies that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah
- 1 John 2:22 denies the Father and the Son
- 1 John 4:3 every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God
- 2 John 1:7 those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh
- 1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour and as you have heard that antichrist is coming now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
John knows that it is THE LAST HOUR because ANTICHRIST ARE PRESENT just as Jesus said false Christ would arise in "THIS GENERATION (1st century) Matt 24.34."
1 John 2
15 Do not love THE WORLD or the things in THE WORLD. If anyone loves THE WORLD, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in THE WORLD— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from THE WORLD. 17And THE WORLD IS PASSING AWAY along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
****1 John 2:18
Children, it is the last hour and as you have heard that antichrist is coming now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
****1 John 2:22
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into THE WORLD. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
****1 John 4:3
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and NOW is in THE WORLD already.
4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in THE WORLD. 5 They are from THE WORLD; therefore they speak from THE WORLD, and THE WORLD listens to them. 6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
****2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
In 1 John 2:18, John says “it is the last hour” as oppose to “last days.” He says this in connection with the fall to the Jewish world/covenant is now closer. John also states that NOW MANY ANTICHRIST HAVE COME, present tense. He is basically saying that he and his 1st century audience are so close to judgment day as Jesus stated because the false Christs Jesus predicted are NOW PRESENT ON THE GROUND.
Matthew 24
4And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.
23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it.24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25See, I have told you beforehand. 26So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.
***In Matthew 24, Yeshua is describing the destruction of the temple. He states that false christs will be present before the destruction of the temple. v4,24
1 John 2
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even NOW many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
***Notice how John states that he and those to whom he is addressing are in the last hour. In John's earlier writings, he mentions that Jesus spoke of the last days. John is NOW speaking of a shorter span of time, the last hour. Here he states that NOW MANY antichrists (plural) have come and that this is an indicator of the closeness of the judgment upon Jerusalem.
In the following verses, the "they," and "them" refer to (the antichristS.)
19 They (the antichrists) went out from us, but they (the antichrists) were not of us; for if they (the antichrist) had been of us, they (the antichrists) would have continued with us; but they (the antichrists) went out that they (antichrists) might be made manifest, that none of them (the antichrists) were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
The Unregenerate Jews of the 1st century who denied Jesus and the Father were the antichrists. John calls them the synagogue of satan.
In 1 John 4:3, John says that the spirit of the antichrist is NOW (1st Century) in the world ALREADY.
ANTICHRIST(S) ARE THE JEWS of The 1st Century WHO
- DENIED JESUS IS THE CHRIST or Messiah.
- DENIED THE FATHER AND THE SON
- DOES NOT CONFESS JESUS
- DID NOT CONFESS JESUS AS COMING IN THE FLESH.
- WERE NOW PRESENT WHEN JOHN WROTE.
John 5:22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
HOMEWORK:
All throughout The Gospels we see the Jews dishonoring Jesus.
By letting Scripture interpret Scripture, please identify a passage(s) that describe how the 1st Century Jews were the antichrists in fulfilling the definition of antichrist(s).
The Jews…
... did not recognize the time of their visitation. Luke 19.42
... called Jesus a bastard: John 8.41
... said Jesus was possessed by demons and Satan. They said His power was from Satan. Jn 10.20, Lk 11.15
... several times plotted to kill Jesus. Matt 12.14, 26.4, Mark 3.6
... said they have no king but Caesar. John 19.15
... asked for a murderer instead of Jesus. Matt 27.20
... rejected Jesus. John 1.11
... demanded that Jesus be crucified as they cried out, “Crucify Him!” Matt 27.23-24
... crucified Jesus. They killed the Son of God. Acts 2.36, 4.10
... shed innocent blood. Matt 27.24
... called down a generational curse, “Let his blood be on us and our children” Matt 27.25