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7Many 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 1:718Dear 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 2:18With these scriptures in mind…it seems there are many antichrists, but one is signified. Is there to be one global antichrist?
Your thoughts please!
I find no reason in scripture anywhere to support the popular belief that there is one very powerful anitchrist. As you say, the Bible speaks of many antichrists. An antichrist, is basically anyone that is anti-Christ. So, there are of course many.
But this idea of one great antichrist, I'm not sure where that idea comes from. I don't think it's from the Bible.Quote (david @ Feb. 26 2007,09:17) I find no reason in scripture anywhere to support the popular belief that there is one very powerful anitchrist. As you say, the Bible speaks of many antichrists. An antichrist, is basically anyone that is anti-Christ. So, there are of course many.
But this idea of one great antichrist, I'm not sure where that idea comes from. I don't think it's from the Bible.
the disciples of John and Paul believed their teachers taught about the Antichrist and antichrists. It's not either or it's both.so they disagree with you.
2 John 7: “MANY DECEIVERS have gone forth into the world, PERSONS not confessing Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. THIS IS THE deceiver and the ANTICHRIST.”
“Antichrist” means “against (or instead of) Christ.” So in its broadest sense, the term refers to all who oppose or lyingly claim to be the Christ or his representatives. Jesus himself said: “He that is not on my side is against me [or is antichrist], and he that does not gather with me scatters.”—Luke 11:23.
Of course, John wrote about the antichrist over 60 years after Jesus died and was resurrected to heaven. Hence, the antichrist’s activities must be understood in the light of how they affect Jesus’ loyal followers on earth.—Matthew 25:40, 45.
The Antichrist Is Anti-Christian
Jesus warned his followers that the world in general would hate them. He said: “People will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. And many false prophets will arise and mislead many.”—Matthew 24:9, 11.
Because Jesus’ disciples are persecuted “on account of [Jesus’] name,” the persecutors are clearly antichrist, against Christ. The “false prophets,” some of whom were once Christians, are also in that category. (2 John 7) These “many antichrists,” wrote John, “went out from us, but they were not of our sort; for if they had been of our sort, they would have remained with us.”—1 John 2:18, 19.
The words of both Jesus and John plainly indicate that the antichrist is not a single person but is made up of many individual antichrists. Moreover, because they are false prophets, one of their main objectives is religious deception. What are some of their devices?
Spreading Religious Lies
The apostle Paul warned his fellow worker Timothy to beware of the teachings of apostates, such as Hymenaeus and Philetus, whose “word will spread like gangrene.” Paul added: “These very men have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred; and they are subverting the faith of some.” (2 Timothy 2:16-18) Apparently, Hymenaeus and Philetus taught that the resurrection was a symbolic one and that Christians had already been resurrected in a spiritual sense. Granted, becoming a genuine disciple of Jesus brings one to life from God’s standpoint, which Paul himself plainly stated. (Ephesians 2:1-5) Nevertheless, the teaching of Hymenaeus and Philetus disregarded Jesus’ promise of a literal resurrection of the dead under God’s Kingdom rule.—John 5:28, 29.
Ideas of a purely symbolic resurrection were later developed by a group called Gnostics. Believing that knowledge (gno′sis in Greek) could be derived in a mystical way, Gnostics combined apostate Christianity with Greek philosophy and Oriental mysticism. For instance, they held that all physical matter is evil, and for that reason, Jesus did not come in the flesh but only seemed to have a human body—a belief called Docetism. As we have seen, this is precisely what the apostle John had warned against.—1 John 4:2, 3; 2 John 7.
Another fabrication, concocted centuries later, is the doctrine of the so-called holy Trinity, which makes the assertion that Jesus is both Almighty God and the Son of God. In his book The Church of the First Three Centuries, Dr. Alvan Lamson states that the doctrine of the Trinity “had its origin in a source entirely foreign from that of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures; that it grew up, and was ingrafted on Christianity, through the hands of the Platonizing Fathers.” Who were these “Platonizing Fathers”? They were apostate clerics who were infatuated with the teachings of pagan Greek philosopher Plato.
The engrafting of the Trinity was a masterstroke of the antichrist, for this doctrine shrouded God in mystery and blurred his relationship with the Son. (John 14:28; 15:10; Colossians 1:15) Just think, how can one “draw close to God,” as encouraged by the Scriptures, if God is a mystery?—James 4:8.
Adding to the confusion, many Bible translators have taken God’s name, Jehovah, out of their translations, even though it occurs over 7,000 times in the original text! Clearly, attempting to turn the Almighty into not just a mystery but a nameless mystery is an act of gross disrespect for our Creator and his inspired Word. (Revelation 22:18, 19) Furthermore, replacing the divine name with such titles as Lord and God is a violation of Jesus’ model prayer, which says in part: “Thy name be hallowed [or, made holy].”—Matthew 6:9, The New English Bible.
Antichrists Reject God’s Kingdom
Antichrists have become particularly active during “the last days,” the time in which we now live. (2 Timothy 3:1) A key objective of these modern-day deceivers is to mislead people in regard to Jesus’ role as King of God’s Kingdom, a heavenly government that will soon rule over the entire earth.—Daniel 7:13, 14; Revelation 11:15.
For example, some religious leaders preach that God’s Kingdom is a condition in the heart of men, a view that finds no basis in the Scriptures. (Daniel 2:44) Others claim that Christ works through human governments and institutions. Yet, Jesus stated: “My kingdom is no part of this world.” (John 18:36) Indeed, Satan, not Christ, is “the ruler of the world” and “the god of this system of things.” (John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4) This explains why Jesus will soon eliminate all human governments and become earth’s sole Ruler. (Psalm 2:2, 6-9; Revelation 19:11-21) People pray for this outcome when they recite the Lord’s Prayer, saying: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth.”—Matthew 6:10, King James Version.
Because they support the political systems of the world, many religious leaders have opposed, even persecuted, those who proclaim the truth about God’s Kingdom. Interestingly, the Bible book of Revelation mentions a symbolic harlot—“Babylon the Great”—who is “drunk with the blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.” (Revelation 17:4-6) She also practices spiritual harlotry by lending her support to earth’s “kings,” or political rulers, receiving favors in return. This symbolic woman is none other than the false religions of the world. She is a major part of the antichrist.—Revelation 18:2, 3; James 4:4.
The Antichrist ‘Tickles Ears’
Besides rejecting Bible truth, many so-called Christians have renounced Bible standards of conduct in favor of popular morality. God’s Word foretold this development, saying: “There will be a period of time when they [people professing to serve God] will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled.” (2 Timothy 4:3) These religious frauds are also described as “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.” The Bible goes on to say: “Their end shall be according to their works.”—2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
Their works include “loose conduct,” which is a brazen disregard for high moral principles. (2 Peter 2:1-3, 12-14) Do we not see an increasing number of religious leaders and their followers adopting—or at least condoning—unchristian practices, such as homosexuality and sex outside of marriage? Please take a moment to compare these widely accepted views and lifestyles with what the Bible states at Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26, 27; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Hebrews 13:4; and Jude 7.
“Test the Inspired Expressions”
In view of the foregoing, we should heed the apostle John’s words not to take our religious beliefs lightly or for granted. “Do not believe every inspired expression,” he warns, “but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God, because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.”—1 John 4:1.
Consider the g
ood example of certain “noble-minded” people who lived in the city of Beroea in the first century. They “received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things [spoken by Paul and Silas] were so.” (Acts 17:10, 11) Yes, while eager to learn, the Beroeans made sure that what they heard and accepted was firmly rooted in the Scriptures.Today, too, genuine Christians are not influenced by the ebb and flow of popular views but cling firmly to Bible truth. Wrote the apostle Paul: “This is what I continue praying, that your love may abound yet more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment.”—Philippians 1:9.
If you have not already done so, make it your aim to acquire “accurate knowledge and full discernment” by learning what the Bible really teaches. Those who imitate the Beroeans are not deceived by the “counterfeit words” of antichrists. (2 Peter 2:3) Instead, they are set free by the spiritual truth of the real Christ and his true followers.—John 8:32, 36.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE ANTICHRIST
“Young children, it is the last hour [evidently the end of the apostolic period], and, just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now there have come to be many antichrists.”—1 John 2:18.
“Who is the liar if it is not the one that denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one that denies the Father and the Son.”—1 John 2:22.
“Every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate with God. Furthermore, this is the antichrist’s inspired expression which you have heard was coming, and now it is already in the world.”—1 John 4:3.
“Many deceivers have gone forth into the world, persons not confessing Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.”—2 John 7.–Watchtower, 06, 12/1, 4
My understanding on Antichrist is, he is not some one that hates Christ or is against Christ. Quite the contrary, he believes Jesus is the son of God, and that he came in the flesh, but instead of teaching the gospel, he promotes his own. Why do you think we have so many denominations, they can't all be right; if we were to believe the bible, we would find out who is wrong. But who can admit that?
Hi IM,
Number 500
Transliteration:
antichristos {an-tee'-khris-tos}
Word Origin:
from 473 and 5547
TDNT:
9:493,1322
Part of Speech:
noun masculine
Usage in the KJV:
antichrist 5Total: 5
Definition:
the adversary of the Messiah“anti”–
“against, opposite or opposing, and contrary.” “not in favor of.” “opposed to something.”Hi IM4,
While agreeing that there are many who do not teach the truth and that these are anti-Christ's in that they teach “against” what Jesus taught, I believe the word “anti” suggests that these ones are “against” Christ in some way.
YOu stated:Quote My understanding on Antichrist is, he is not some one that hates Christ or is against Christ. Quite the contrary, he believes Jesus is the son of God
Anti-Christ seems to suggest “against Christ.” Yet,this doesn't mean that everyone who is an anti-Christ goes around saying: “I'm against Christ.”
There would be many who would say “Lord Lord” and would think believe in Jesus, yet, he will tell them they are really workers of lawlessness. (Mat 7)I also strongly disagree that there is one massive bad guy who is THE antichrist.
Back in the apostles day there were “antichrists.”
The antichrist's “inspired expression” was “already in the world” in their time.Hi All:
1Jo 2:18
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.1Jo 2:22
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is * the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.I believe that the below scripture is describes what I believe is commonly thought to be the AntiChrist although it doesn't use that specific term.
2 Thes. 2:3
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;
2:4
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.
2:5
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2:6
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2:7
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2:8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2:9
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2:10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2:11
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2:12
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.And the following scripture I believe refers to the same person:
Re 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.God Bless
Quote nd the following scripture I believe refers to the same person: “even now are there many antichrists.”
So, the antichrist isn't one person, but can be anyone or any group that opposes Christ.
Quote (IM4Truth @ June 08 2007,06:40) My understanding on Antichrist is, he is not some one that hates Christ or is against Christ. Quite the contrary, he believes Jesus is the son of God, and that he came in the flesh, but instead of teaching the gospel, he promotes his own.
Are you talking about Tim2?
Quote (david @ June 08 2007,13:06) Quote nd the following scripture I believe refers to the same person: “even now are there many antichrists.”
So, the antichrist isn't one person, but can be anyone or any group that opposes Christ.
Hi David:That there are many AntiChrists as 1 John states then and I believe that it is true today, but if my understanding is correct there is one individual at the end of time who will be THE ANTICHRIST based on the following scripture:
2 Thes. 2:3
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;God Bless
Quote 2 Thes. 2:3
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;Yes, the man of lawlessness or the “son of perdition” is certainly an antichrist, because he is against Christ.
But I consider this man of lawlessness to be a class of people.“Let no one seduce you in any manner, because [Jehovah’s day] will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed.” (2 Thessalonians 2:2-4)
I believe it is the clergy class that exalted itself into a ruling position over the “Christian” congregation.
The apostasy started in the apostle Paul’s day.
It accelerated once the apostles died and their restraining influence disappeared. It would be marked, said Paul, by
by “the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents and with every unrighteous deception.” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-12)
I believe this accurately describes the activities of so many religious leaders throughout history.Paul stated in 2 Thess 2: “The mystery of this lawlessness is already at work.”
So in the first century, this lawless one had begun to manifest himself.
Satan is the father and sustainer of the man of lawlessness. And just as Satan is opposed to Jehovah, His purposes, and His people, so is the man of lawlessness, whether he realizes it or not.
“The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with . . . and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8) That time for the destruction of the man of lawlessness and his supporters (“those who are perishing”) will come shortly “at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction.”—2 Thessalonians 1:6-9.
Paul further describes this lawless one, saying:
“He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called ‘god’ or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
Because he sets himself in opposition, he certainly is an anti-Christ.
Paul warns that Satan would raise up a lawless one, a false object of reverence, who would even put himself above God’s law.Identifying the Lawless One
Was Paul speaking of a single individual? No, for he states that this “man” was evident in Paul’s day and would continue in existence until Jehovah destroyed him at this system’s end.Thus, he has existed for many centuries. Obviously, no literal man has lived that long. So the expression “man of lawlessness” must stand for a body, or class, of people.
Who are they? The evidence shows that they are the body of proud, ambitious clergymen of Christendom, who over the centuries have set themselves up as a law unto themselves. This can be seen by the fact that there are thousands of different religions and sects in Christendom, each with its clergy, yet each conflicting with the others in some aspect of doctrine or practice. This divided state is a clear evidence that they do not follow God’s law. They cannot be from God. (Compare Micah 2:12; Mark 3:24; Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 1:10.) What all these religions have in common is that they do not hold fast to the Bible’s teachings, having violated the rule: “Do not go beyond the things that are written.”
—1 Corinthians 4:6; see also Matthew 15:3, 9, 14.this lawless one is a composite person: the religious clergy of Christendom. All of them, whether popes, priests, patriarchs, or Protestant preachers, share responsibility for the religious sins of Christendom. They have exchanged the truths of God for pagan lies, teaching such unscriptural doctrines as immortality of the human soul, hellfire, purgatory, and Trinity. They are like the religious leaders to whom Jesus said:“You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. . . . He is a liar and the father of the lie.” (John 8:44)
Their practices also expose them as lawless, for they participate in activities that violate God’s laws. To such ones Jesus says: “Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.”—Matthew 7:21-23.Elevating Themselves
History shows that those in this man of lawlessness class have displayed such pride and arrogance that they have actually dictated to rulers of the world. Under the pretext of the doctrine of ‘the divine right of kings,’ the clergy have claimed to be the essential intermediary between the rulers and God. They have crowned and dethroned kings and emperors and have been able to turn the masses for or against rulers. In effect, they have said, as did the Jewish chief priests who rejected Jesus: “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15) Yet, Jesus clearly taught: “My kingdom is no part of this world.”—John 18:36.To elevate themselves even more above the common people, this lawless class has adopted different garb, usually black. Further, they have adorned themselves with all kinds of imposing regalia, together with crowns, crosses, and miters. (Compare Matthew 23:5, 6.) But Jesus and his followers had no such garb; they dressed as did the common people. The clergy have also taken to themselves titles such as “Father,” “Holy Father,” “Reverend,” “Most Reverend,” “His Excellency,” and “His Eminence,” which add to their ‘lifting themselves over everyone.’ Yet, Jesus taught regarding religious titles: “Do not call anyone your father on earth.” (Matthew 23:9) Similarly, Elihu, in rebutting Job’s hypocritical comforters, said: “Let me not, please, show partiality to a man; and on an earthling man I shall not bestow a title.”—Job 32:21.
When Paul back in his day stated that the man of lawlessness had already begun his activity, he also said concerning those who reflect that one’s lawless attitude: “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light. It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness. But their end shall be according to their works.”—2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
Rebellion Against True Worship
At 2 Thessalonians 2:6, Paul wrote, regarding his day, about “the thing that acts as a restraint” on the lawless one. What was that? It was the restraining force of the apostles. Their presence, with their powerful gifts bestowed by holy spirit, prevented apostasy from then becoming an epidemic. (Acts 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12:28) But when the apostles had died, by about the end of the first century, the restraining brakes were removed.Unscriptural Clergy Class Develops
The congregation that Jesus established developed during the first century under the guidance of elders (overseers) and ministerial servants. (Matthew 20:25-27; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) These were drawn from the congregation. They were capable spiritual men with no special theological training, just as Jesus had no such training. Indeed, his opponents wondered: “How does this man have a knowledge of letters, when he has not studied at the schools?” (John 7:15) And concerning the apostles, the religious rulers observed the same:: “Now when they beheld the outspokenness of Peter and John, and perc
eived that they were men unlettered and ordinary, they got to wondering. And they began to recognize about them that they used to be with Jesus.”—Acts 4:13.
However, the apostasy brought in concepts derived from the Jewish clergy and eventually from pagan Rome’s religious setup. As time went by and the turning away from true faith took place, an unscriptural clergy class developed. A crowned pope began ruling over a college of cardinals, who in turn were drawn from hundreds of bishops and archbishops, who in turn were promoted from seminary-trained priests. Thus, not long after the first century, a mystic clergy class took over in Christendom. This class was not patterned after the first-century Christian elders and ministerial servants but was patterned after pagan religious systems.As early as the third century C.E., ordinary believers had been relegated to the second-class status of laity. The apostate man of lawlessness gradually assumed the reins of power. This power was solidified during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine, especially after the Council of Nicaea in 325 C.E. Then Church and State became welded together. Thus, the man of lawlessness—the clergy of Christendom—became a centuries-long line of apostates in revolt against the true God, Jehovah. The laws and arrangements that they have followed are their own and not God’s.
Paul did not exaggerate when he said that the man of lawlessness class would glorify itself and elevate itself to a godlike position.
An example of such glorification is that of the papacy of Rome. An ecclesiastical dictionary by Lucio Ferraris, published in Italy, describes the pope as “of such dignity and highness that he is not simply a man but, as it were, God, and the Vicar of God.” His crown is a triple crown “as king of heaven, of earth and of hell.” The same dictionary continues: “The pope is, as it were, God on earth, the only prince of the faithful of Christ, the greatest king of all kings.” It adds: “The pope can sometimes counteract the divine law.” Also, The New Catholic Dictionary states of the pope: “His ambassadors have precedence over other members of the diplomatic body.”Unlike the disciples of Jesus, the pope often wears very elaborate garb and welcomes the adulation of humans. The pope allows people to bow to him, kiss his ring, and carry him on their shoulders in a special chair. What vanity popes have displayed over the centuries! A contrast indeed to the humble simplicity of Peter, who said to Cornelius, the Roman army officer who knelt at Peter’s feet to do obeisance to him: “Stand up, . . . I am only a man after all”! (Acts 10:25, 26, the Catholic Jerusalem Bible) And what a contrast to the angel who gave the apostle John the Revelation! John tried to bow down worshipfully to that angel, but the angel declared: “Be careful! Do not do that! All I am is a fellow slave of you and of your brothers who are prophets and of those who are observing the words of this scroll. Worship God.”—Revelation 22:8, 9.
Quote Hi 94,
David cannot agree there is an antichrist because his masters say there is not.
As I have said about 18 times in this very thread, there are “many antichrists” as THE BIBLE says. The Bible.
sO I do believe there is “an” antichrist, and there are many of these, and there have been for centuries.
But people seem to have this wierd idea (created by movies I suspect) that there is going to be one powerful political person who is the antichrist, a kind of hitler type person.
NOWHERE IN THE BIBLE DOES IT SAY ANYTHING LIKE THIS, NICK.We have to look at all the scriptures that deal with this.
Looking to 2 thess for a second:
“Let no one seduce you in any manner, because [Jehovah’s day] will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed.” (2 Thessalonians 2:2-4)
Here, it talks about the man of lawlessness. You could conclude from this that this is one person, a man.
Yet, the mystery of this lawlessness was 'already at work' when this was written. So, this man's influence has been felt for quite some time. Therefore, it is not an actual man.Similarly, it speaks of the antichrist. This language does not necessitate that there be one antichrist. And we know there have been “many.”
Many antichrist-many Popes-who are lawless because they changed the law-who have set themselves in the heart of men~the temple of God~Ummmmm.
Quote (Not3in1 @ June 09 2007,09:10) Sorry, Tim2. Just a little tit-for-tat coming at 'cha. OK, I'll let it go now. Ha!
Lets face it does Tim2 believe that Jesus came in the flesh, or does he believe that God came in the flesh?Quote (david @ June 09 2007,10:33) Yes, the man of lawlessness or the “son of perdition” is certainly an antichrist, because he is against Christ.
But I consider this man of lawlessness to be a class of people.
1 John 2:18
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.Many then THE.
2 Thessalonians 2:3
Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
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