There Is No Such Thing As A Future The Antichrist.
By JAG
October 5, 2021
(1) Intelligent extraterrestrials have visited Earth. (2) There will be a future The Antichrist. (1) and (2) are in the same category. Both are bald assertions without a shred of credible evidence in support. Its impossible to produce even one (1) Bible verse that says there will be a future The Antichrist. There were/are antichrists (little a, plural) in the world, but there is no such thing as an evil political world ruler, in our future, to be known as The Antichrist ~ try to find a Bible verse that says that.
So where did the notion of a future evil world political ruler come from? It came from unrestrained human imaginations and speculations. By the way, various people who have predicted a future antichrist, are on record in the public square, identifying The Antichrist as being: Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachev, Saddam Hussein, Pope John Paul ll, and Yasser Arafat ~ to name just a few of their many proven-wrong prophecies. Further identifications of The Antichrist by these folks have been microchips, bar codes, and zip codes.
Questions: Does the fact that they have been wrong every time they have publicly identified The Antichrist stop them from continuing to make more public identifications? No. And does their long history of being proven wrong cause their students to stop taking them seriously? No. It is difficult to break free from addiction to end times sensational exciting scary fear fiction ~ believing it, stimulates the blood, and stirs up the imagination and large numbers of humans are drawn to that kind of excitement.
Some have speculated that Daniel 7:8's "little horn", and Rev.13:1's "beast", and 2 Thess. 2:3's "man of lawlessness" is somehow connected to John's antichrists (little a, plural). But there is not one (1) single Bible verse in Daniel or in Revelation or in Paul's epistles that is connected in any way whatsoever with John's antichrists. Any alleged connection is nothing more than emotion-based end times dramatic sensational speculation.
The first century was plagued with false teachers. Jesus warned His disciples that "many will come in My name . . . and will deceive many." Matt. 24:5. Jesus also said, "many false prophets will arise and mislead many" Matt. 24:11. And He warned that, "false Christs and false prophets will appear" Matthew 24:24. WHEN did Jesus say ALL this would take place? He said it would ALL take place in the first century. "Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until ALL these things have happened." Matt. 24:34. And it was in this context that John's antichrists were mentioned.
1 John 2:18 - 26
"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. 19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him."
Interpretative Analysis Of 1 John 2:18 -26
John's first century readers had heard that antichrists were coming in their time of the first century. John says, "even now many antichrists have come" 1 John 2:18.
John says these first century antichrists "went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us, but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." John's antichrists were first century Christian apostates that were at one time with John and the other Christians of the first century, but who turned against John and against Christ and became antichrists. There is no future evil political world ruler that will come to be known as The Antichrist anywhere in John's epistles or anywhere else in the Holy Bible.
These first century Christian apostates had denied that Jesus was the Christ and John says "such a person is the antichrist." John is writing this to first century Christians to warn them about these first century antichrists "who are trying to lead you astray." The antichrists (little a, plural) of the first century was an evil false-doctrinal movement and not an individual. "even now many antichrists have come." 1 John 2:18 And this movement was made up of "many deceivers" 2 John 7
1 John 4:1-6
"1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but 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.
4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood."
Interpretative Analysis Of 1 John 4:1-6
John says "many false prophets have gone out into the world" (of the first century). John identifies these false prophets as "the spirit of antichrist" and says even now they are "already in the world" (of the first century.) Then John says to those first century Christians (who are reading 1 John) that they (there in the first century) have "already overcome" these antichrists because the one who is in them is greater than the one who is in the world. So? So there is no evil political world ruler in our future that will come to be known as The Antichrist ~ a notion that is imaginative speculation unsupported by any credible evidence.
2 John 4 -11
"4It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
7I 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. 8Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work."
Interpretative Analysis of 2 John 4 - 11
John writes to his first century readers that they are to walk in love and he says "I say this because many deceivers . . . have gone out into the world" (of the first century). John says "any such person" is the deceiver and the antichrist. John then tells his first century readers not to welcome these antichrists into their homes. So? So John's antichrists (little a, plural) were first century Christian apostates. The Bible the word of God nowhere says there will be a future evil political world ruler that will become known as The Antichrist, and the notion that there will be such a person is pure fiction with no credible Biblical evidence in support.
___________________
Regarding The Antichrist:
The word antichrist appears only five times in the entire word of God ~ Genesis to Revelation. And none of these verses say a single word about an end time evil political world ruler that will come to be known as The Antichrist ~ we're dealing here with pure imaginative speculation. Here are the five verses: 1 John 2:18,22 (see 1 John 2:18-26 for context) . . . 1 John 4:3 (see 1 john 4:1-6 for context) . . . 2 John 4:3 (see 2 John 4-11 for context.
John's antichrists are:
(1) not in our future, but in our past (the first century some 2000 years ago)
(2) not one individual, but a multitude (of antichrists-false-teachers who denied that Jesus was the Christ)
(3) not a person but a heresy ~ ( a false-doctrine movement that was active in the first century.)
Many modern end times prophets believe The Antichrist is alive today. One of them in an interview said, "In my personal opinion, he's alive somewhere right now." Compare Tertullian's assertion over 1700 years ago that The Antichrist "is close at hand."
Many modern day prophets have wildly speculated that Paul's "the man of lawlessness" (2Thess.2:1-12) is a reference to The Antichrist. However, there is not a shred of credible evidence in 2 Thess.2:1-12 that connects "the man of lawlessness" to John's "antichrists" (little a, plural). Paul's "the man of lawlessness" is the first century's evil-insane Nero Caesar, who is also John's "the beast" of Revelation 13. For a vigorous argument defending this view, see Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry's He Shall Have Dominion, pages 386-394 on "the man of lawlessness." See the Subject Index "beast of Revelation" regarding Nero Caesar as Revelation 13's "the beast."
The far fetched speculation that there is to be, in our future, an evil political world ruler that will come to be known as The Antichrist, is one element in a larger defeatist system of end times eschatological teaching that the Lord Jesus and His Christian Church FAILS to be successful in carrying out The Great Commission to "go and make disciples of all nations." You've heard of JESUS SAVES, well this defeatist eschatological system teaches that JESUS FAILS ~ that the Lord Jesus' command to His Christian Church to "go and make disciples of all nations" FAILS to be successfully carried out, even though Jesus boldly says, "ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. THEREFORE go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:16-20) JESUS FAILS (His Great Commission fails) sends the message of pessimism and defeatism to both the whole world and worse, to the Christian Church who becomes evangelistically paralyzed when repeatedly told we will FAIL in our God assigned task to evangelize the world. Can you imagine an NFL coach spending several hours before the upcoming football game repeatedly telling his team that there is no possible way they can win. This defeatist pessimistic eschatological system repeatedly tells the Christian Church that we will FAIL to successfully carry out her Lord's Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. So? So this far fetched speculation built around The Antichrist has far reaching ramifications of pessimism and defeatism for the Christian Church. This defeatist eschatological system teaches that the Christian Church will NOT grow to become a worldwide good influence on people and nations before Jesus returns, and that human history will eventually collapse into worldwide chaos before Jesus returns, and that therefore there is no need to labor to achieve Great Commission victory worldwide for all men and all nations before Jesus returns
So? So the far fetched imaginative speculation that there will be a future evil political world ruler that will come to be known as The Antichrist ~ is a notion that is not in the best interest of the Christian church.
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By JAG
October 5, 2021
(1) Intelligent extraterrestrials have visited Earth. (2) There will be a future The Antichrist. (1) and (2) are in the same category. Both are bald assertions without a shred of credible evidence in support. Its impossible to produce even one (1) Bible verse that says there will be a future The Antichrist. There were/are antichrists (little a, plural) in the world, but there is no such thing as an evil political world ruler, in our future, to be known as The Antichrist ~ try to find a Bible verse that says that.
So where did the notion of a future evil world political ruler come from? It came from unrestrained human imaginations and speculations. By the way, various people who have predicted a future antichrist, are on record in the public square, identifying The Antichrist as being: Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachev, Saddam Hussein, Pope John Paul ll, and Yasser Arafat ~ to name just a few of their many proven-wrong prophecies. Further identifications of The Antichrist by these folks have been microchips, bar codes, and zip codes.
Questions: Does the fact that they have been wrong every time they have publicly identified The Antichrist stop them from continuing to make more public identifications? No. And does their long history of being proven wrong cause their students to stop taking them seriously? No. It is difficult to break free from addiction to end times sensational exciting scary fear fiction ~ believing it, stimulates the blood, and stirs up the imagination and large numbers of humans are drawn to that kind of excitement.
Some have speculated that Daniel 7:8's "little horn", and Rev.13:1's "beast", and 2 Thess. 2:3's "man of lawlessness" is somehow connected to John's antichrists (little a, plural). But there is not one (1) single Bible verse in Daniel or in Revelation or in Paul's epistles that is connected in any way whatsoever with John's antichrists. Any alleged connection is nothing more than emotion-based end times dramatic sensational speculation.
The first century was plagued with false teachers. Jesus warned His disciples that "many will come in My name . . . and will deceive many." Matt. 24:5. Jesus also said, "many false prophets will arise and mislead many" Matt. 24:11. And He warned that, "false Christs and false prophets will appear" Matthew 24:24. WHEN did Jesus say ALL this would take place? He said it would ALL take place in the first century. "Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until ALL these things have happened." Matt. 24:34. And it was in this context that John's antichrists were mentioned.
1 John 2:18 - 26
"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. 19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him."
Interpretative Analysis Of 1 John 2:18 -26
John's first century readers had heard that antichrists were coming in their time of the first century. John says, "even now many antichrists have come" 1 John 2:18.
John says these first century antichrists "went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us, but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." John's antichrists were first century Christian apostates that were at one time with John and the other Christians of the first century, but who turned against John and against Christ and became antichrists. There is no future evil political world ruler that will come to be known as The Antichrist anywhere in John's epistles or anywhere else in the Holy Bible.
These first century Christian apostates had denied that Jesus was the Christ and John says "such a person is the antichrist." John is writing this to first century Christians to warn them about these first century antichrists "who are trying to lead you astray." The antichrists (little a, plural) of the first century was an evil false-doctrinal movement and not an individual. "even now many antichrists have come." 1 John 2:18 And this movement was made up of "many deceivers" 2 John 7
1 John 4:1-6
"1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but 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.
4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood."
Interpretative Analysis Of 1 John 4:1-6
John says "many false prophets have gone out into the world" (of the first century). John identifies these false prophets as "the spirit of antichrist" and says even now they are "already in the world" (of the first century.) Then John says to those first century Christians (who are reading 1 John) that they (there in the first century) have "already overcome" these antichrists because the one who is in them is greater than the one who is in the world. So? So there is no evil political world ruler in our future that will come to be known as The Antichrist ~ a notion that is imaginative speculation unsupported by any credible evidence.
2 John 4 -11
"4It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
7I 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. 8Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work."
Interpretative Analysis of 2 John 4 - 11
John writes to his first century readers that they are to walk in love and he says "I say this because many deceivers . . . have gone out into the world" (of the first century). John says "any such person" is the deceiver and the antichrist. John then tells his first century readers not to welcome these antichrists into their homes. So? So John's antichrists (little a, plural) were first century Christian apostates. The Bible the word of God nowhere says there will be a future evil political world ruler that will become known as The Antichrist, and the notion that there will be such a person is pure fiction with no credible Biblical evidence in support.
___________________
Regarding The Antichrist:
The word antichrist appears only five times in the entire word of God ~ Genesis to Revelation. And none of these verses say a single word about an end time evil political world ruler that will come to be known as The Antichrist ~ we're dealing here with pure imaginative speculation. Here are the five verses: 1 John 2:18,22 (see 1 John 2:18-26 for context) . . . 1 John 4:3 (see 1 john 4:1-6 for context) . . . 2 John 4:3 (see 2 John 4-11 for context.
John's antichrists are:
(1) not in our future, but in our past (the first century some 2000 years ago)
(2) not one individual, but a multitude (of antichrists-false-teachers who denied that Jesus was the Christ)
(3) not a person but a heresy ~ ( a false-doctrine movement that was active in the first century.)
Many modern end times prophets believe The Antichrist is alive today. One of them in an interview said, "In my personal opinion, he's alive somewhere right now." Compare Tertullian's assertion over 1700 years ago that The Antichrist "is close at hand."
Many modern day prophets have wildly speculated that Paul's "the man of lawlessness" (2Thess.2:1-12) is a reference to The Antichrist. However, there is not a shred of credible evidence in 2 Thess.2:1-12 that connects "the man of lawlessness" to John's "antichrists" (little a, plural). Paul's "the man of lawlessness" is the first century's evil-insane Nero Caesar, who is also John's "the beast" of Revelation 13. For a vigorous argument defending this view, see Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry's He Shall Have Dominion, pages 386-394 on "the man of lawlessness." See the Subject Index "beast of Revelation" regarding Nero Caesar as Revelation 13's "the beast."
The far fetched speculation that there is to be, in our future, an evil political world ruler that will come to be known as The Antichrist, is one element in a larger defeatist system of end times eschatological teaching that the Lord Jesus and His Christian Church FAILS to be successful in carrying out The Great Commission to "go and make disciples of all nations." You've heard of JESUS SAVES, well this defeatist eschatological system teaches that JESUS FAILS ~ that the Lord Jesus' command to His Christian Church to "go and make disciples of all nations" FAILS to be successfully carried out, even though Jesus boldly says, "ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. THEREFORE go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:16-20) JESUS FAILS (His Great Commission fails) sends the message of pessimism and defeatism to both the whole world and worse, to the Christian Church who becomes evangelistically paralyzed when repeatedly told we will FAIL in our God assigned task to evangelize the world. Can you imagine an NFL coach spending several hours before the upcoming football game repeatedly telling his team that there is no possible way they can win. This defeatist pessimistic eschatological system repeatedly tells the Christian Church that we will FAIL to successfully carry out her Lord's Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. So? So this far fetched speculation built around The Antichrist has far reaching ramifications of pessimism and defeatism for the Christian Church. This defeatist eschatological system teaches that the Christian Church will NOT grow to become a worldwide good influence on people and nations before Jesus returns, and that human history will eventually collapse into worldwide chaos before Jesus returns, and that therefore there is no need to labor to achieve Great Commission victory worldwide for all men and all nations before Jesus returns
So? So the far fetched imaginative speculation that there will be a future evil political world ruler that will come to be known as The Antichrist ~ is a notion that is not in the best interest of the Christian church.
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