Antichrist -- Is Everyone At Time an Antichrist?

[Crabtownboy]

Where did the belief that there will be only one BIG antichrist come from? I believe that is a commonly held belief and I believe it is an error.

The word "antichrist" appears only in John's letters and John very plainly states there are many antichrists. (I will bold that in the scripture.) That set me to thinking ... and I am still mulling over these passages. It seems to me that all of us who call ourselves Christian are antichrist at times and not at other times. How can this be? I that that anytime we act contrary to Christ's teachings, anytime we do not follow the message of the gospel; any time we put ourselves ahead of Christ for any reason, we are antichrist.

What do you say. And where does the idea of only one antichrist come from?

I ask this as a discussion question, not an argument question. It is one I am currently thinking about.

1 John 2:18
[ Warnings Against Denying the Son ] Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
1 John 2:17-19 (in Context) 1 John 2 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
1 John 2:22
Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.
1 John 2:21-23 (in Context) 1 John 2 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
1 John 4:3
but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
1 John 4:2-4 (in Context) 1 John 4 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
2 John 1:7
I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
2 John 1:6-8 (in Context) 2 John 1 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations

http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=antichrist&qs_version=NIV

 

[savedbymercy]

Antichrist merely means against Christ. All teachings that deprive Christ of His Saving Death which He accomplished solely by His Death, is Antichrist !

All such teachings are inspired by the devil himself, no matter how much they appear to give Jesus Christ the Glory for all of Salvation ! All false doctrines pertaining to the Person and or Work of Jesus Christ is Antichrist.

It seems to me that all of us who call ourselves Christian are Antichrist at times and not at other times.

Yes, True believers were as Antichrist people are now, because by nature even the elect promoted false doctrines against Christ, but they are always going to be delivered from that by Jesus Christ Himself ! Once converted, the Elect or True believer does not revert back into Antichrist doctrines. 1 Jn 2:18-20

18 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.

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.

20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

This does not mean they become omniscience, but that they become rooted in the fundamental doctrines of the Faith that keeps them from gross false doctrines that err from the Truth. Remember this applies to People who have now been born of God ! So they keep themselves 1 Jn 5:18


We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Saved, thanks for you reply. I appreciate it very much. From your understanding where did the idea of a single antichrist, during the end times, come about. It seems that just about everyone of importance around the world has been identified as THE ANTICHRIST by one or more people/groups. To me this seems an error in understanding of the concept of antichrist.

Antichrist merely means against Christ. All teachings that deprive Christ of His Saving Death which He accomplished solely by His Death, is Antichrist !

I agree.

All such teachings are inspired by the devil himself, no matter how much they appear to give Jesus Christ the Glory for all of Salvation ! All false doctrines pertaining to the Person and or Work of Jesus Christ is Antichrist.

I agree.

Yes, True believers were as Antichrist people are now, because by nature even the elect promoted false doctrines against Christ, but they are always going to be delivered from that by Jesus Christ Himself ! Once converted, the Elect or True believer does not revert back into Antichrist doctrines. 1 Jn 2:18-20

18 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.

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.

20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

This does not mean they become omniscience, but that they become rooted in the fundamental doctrines of the Faith that keeps them from gross false doctrines that err from the Truth. Remember this applies to People who have now been born of God ! So they keep themselves 1 Jn 5:18

I agree.

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

I am not sure what you mean with this statement. We all continue to sin, fall short, even after we are saved. But we are forgiven. So I can see how we could say we sin but because of the grace of God are sinless....that is forgiven.

 

[Scarlett O.]

Where did the notion of one single AntiChrist come from?

Possibly from people "hearing" (and not reading themselves) about the beast in Revelation and that coupled with too many horror movies from the '60's and '70's about "the" Antichrist with 666 tattooed on his scalp.

Too many people get their science, history, and religon "facts" from sources that are no more factual than a comic book.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Where did the notion of one single AntiChrist come from?

Possibly from people "hearing" (and not reading themselves) about the beast in Revelation and that coupled with too many horror movies from the '60's and '70's about "the" Antichrist with 666 tattooed on his scalp.

Too many people get their science, history, and religon "facts" from sources that are no more factual than a comic book.

What you say may well be true for folks living now. I remember as a kid in the 1940's, 50's people calling various world know people the antichrist. Hitler, Stalin, etc. I believe the idea of a super only one antichrist has been around for a long time. This idea that it has been around for a long time seems very plausible in that the Old Believers in Russia charged Peter the Great as being the Antichrist. During the Reformation there were charges by various protestants that the pope is the Antichrist.

The concept of a super antichrist is held in Islamic beliefs also. Mormonism also believes in an antichrist.

[Scratching my head over whole concept.]

 

[The Biblicist]

What you say may well be true for folks living now. I remember as a kid in the 1940's, 50's people calling various world know people the antichrist. Hitler, Stalin, etc. I believe the idea of a super only one antichrist has been around for a long time. This idea that it has been around for a long time seems very plausible in that the Old Believers in Russia charged Peter the Great as being the Antichrist. During the Reformation there were charges by various protestants that the pope is the Antichrist.

The concept of a super antichrist is held in Islamic beliefs also. Mormonism also believes in an antichrist.

[Scratching my head over whole concept.]

2 Thessalonians 2:3-9 "the man of sin be revealed"
1 Jn. 2:18 - "that Antichrist will come"

 

[Amy.G]

2 Thess 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

 

[Crabtownboy]

2 Thess 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Thanks for the references. I have searched through some commentaries and I do not think we can ever come to a definite answer.

In response to II Thess. 2:3 the following have been identified by differing groups as the antichrist:

Judas Iscariot
Titus and the Flavian house
the Gnostics
the Jewish nation before Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 ad
Caius Caesar or Caligula
Muhammed
the pope
the Protestants
Napoleon Bonaparte

there are many more of course.

It seems futile to me to even speculate.

Perhaps the best course for we who call ourselves Christian is to live out the gospel message, to follow Christ as closely as we can and not be, at least not too often, one of the antichrists that John writes about in his letters.

 

[The Biblicist]

Thanks for the references. I have searched through some commentaries and I do not think we can ever come to a definite answer.

In response to II Thess. 2:3 the following have been identified by differing groups as the antichrist:

Judas Iscariot
Titus and the Flavian house
the Gnostics
the Jewish nation before Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 ad
Caius Caesar or Caligula
Muhammed
the pope
the Protestants
Napoleon Bonaparte

there are many more of course.

It seems futile to me to even speculate.

it is defined by the context! The destruction of this person is at the coming of Christ and not before - vv. 8-9 as he destroys him with the "brightness of his coming."

Judas had already died before he ascended
He did not destroy Rome in A.D. 70

The context explicitly warns not to be deceived by anyone that His coming will not occur until there comes a great apostasy first, followed by the revelation of the man of sin.

You are making all these guesses for one precise reason! He has not yet been REVEALED because when he is REVEALED you won't have to guess. So he is yet future at the end of this age living at the coming of Christ.

 

[Crabtownboy]

He did not destroy Rome in A.D. 70

Titus was the emperor of the Roman empire in A.D. 70 and that is why some identify him as the Antichrist.

I do think it is futile to try to identify the one mentioned in II Thessalonians.

That leaves us with concern that we are not antichrist, at least too often, as understood in John's letters. He definitely puts antichrist in the plural as antichrists? What is your understanding of John's writings on this?

 

[savedbymercy]

crab

I am not sure what you mean with this statement. We all continue to sin, fall short, even after we are saved

Yes, that which is born of the flesh does, for that man is always with the saved, but that man born of God cannot sin, unless you deny scripture ! 1 Jn 3:9

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

And again 1 Jn 5:18

18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

 

[The Biblicist]

Titus was the emperor of the Roman empire in A.D. 70 and that is why some identify him as the Antichrist.

Titus was not destroyed in A.D. 70. However, the man of sin will be destroyed at the coming of Christ (2 Thes. 2:8).

I do think it is futile to try to identify the one mentioned in II Thessalonians.

You as an uninspired man can think what you like. However, Paul as an inspired man repudiates your agnosticism about the man of sin. He clearly and explicitly places him future from his own day and alive and well at the Second Coming of Christ because he says Christ destroys him at his coming. John also agrees with Paul that he is yet future (1 Jn. 2:18) and John wrote well after A.D. 70.

 

[Yeshua1]

What you say may well be true for folks living now. I remember as a kid in the 1940's, 50's people calling various world know people the antichrist. Hitler, Stalin, etc. I believe the idea of a super only one antichrist has been around for a long time. This idea that it has been around for a long time seems very plausible in that the Old Believers in Russia charged Peter the Great as being the Antichrist. During the Reformation there were charges by various protestants that the pope is the Antichrist.

The concept of a super antichrist is held in Islamic beliefs also. Mormonism also believes in an antichrist.

[Scratching my head over whole concept.]

John said that there is the spirit of antichrist in the world , even inn his times, and that there are antichrists, but paulsays there will be THE antichrist, man of Sin, and John calls him the beast!

 

[Crabtownboy]

John said that there is the spirit of antichrist in the world , even inn his times, and that there are antichrists, but paulsays there will be THE antichrist, man of Sin, and John calls him the beast!

How do you reconcile that John uses the plural, antichrists, and Paul the singular, antichrist?

 

[Yeshua1]

How do you reconcile that John uses the plural, antichrists, and Paul the singular, antichrist?

John spoke of the false messaih/teachers that were about even in his day, and will be throughout history, paul referenced THE one to come at end of this age!

 

[33ad]

Oppha whinfrey is the anarchist
Has any one listened to her craziness

 

[The Biblicist]

Oppha whinfrey is the anarchist
Has any one listened to her craziness

Scripture makes it very clear that the Antichrist is a Post-Apostolic Personage (2 Thes. 2:3) that is destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (2 Thes. 2:7-8) and that he is a "MAN" not a woman like Oprah.

 

[Yeshua1]

Scripture makes it very clear that the Antichrist is a Post-Apostolic Personage (2 Thes. 2:3) that is destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (2 Thes. 2:7-8) and that he is a "MAN" not a woman like Oprah.

And that he will be like satan speaking thru him by proxy!