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ANTICHRIST
According to 1 John, anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the unique Son of God, or that he has come in the flesh. The biblical term, however, principally refers to a particular person in whom that denial reaches its consummate expression and who will play a key role in the final stage of history.
The word “antichrist” occurs only four times, all in John’s epistles (1 Jn 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 Jn 1:7). First John 2:18 refers also to “many antichrists.” John assumed that his Christian readers knew about the Antichrist and had been taught to expect his coming (1 Jn 2:18-27). The presence of many antichrists, in fact, indicated that the end times had arrived. But John warned that a final Antichrist who, like the others, would deny that Jesus is the Christ, would yet make an appearance.
Other Names for the Antichrist
The concept of antichrist undoubtedly comes from the teaching of Jesus in the Gospels. A lengthy passage (Mk 13, paralleled in Mt 24–25, and Lk 21) records the instruction Jesus gave his disciples about the tragic events and persecution that they could expect before his return as the glorious Son of Man. His coming would be preceded by the appearance of many “deceivers” and “false Christs.” The term “false Christs” is used only twice (Mt 24:24; Mk 13:22). Although it has obvious similarities to John’s “antichrist,” the Gospel passages do not refer to “a deceiver” or “false Christ” in the singular as do John’s and Paul’s writings.
In the book of Revelation, John’s symbol for the Antichrist is probably “the beast” (Rv 13:1-18; 17:3, 7-17). The Beast is described, not only as an opposer of Christ, but more specifically as a satanically inspired Christ-counterfeit. Although the Beast (Antichrist) is clearly distinguishable from the Lamb (Christ), he receives worship from everyone except God’s elect.
Another probable reference to the Antichrist is “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thes 2:3). The passage is difficult to interpret, but the person described seems to be the same person later designated by John as the Beast. Both the apostles Paul and John saw present events as leading up to the events of the future. Instructing the church at Thessalonica about the second coming of Christ (2 Thes 2:1-12), Paul stressed that the appearance and rebellion of the man of lawlessness must occur beforehand. That man would oppose the worship of any gods or God and even proclaim himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). He would subsequently be destroyed by Christ at his return (2 Thes 2:8)—an indication that those events are set in the final days of history.
John further described any person or message that did not “confess Jesus” as being of the spirit of the antichrist (1 Jn 4:3). In his brief Second Epistle, John referred to “many deceivers” who would not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh (2 Jn 1:7). Such a person, he wrote, was “the deceiver and the antichrist.”
See also False Christs, False Messiahs; Mark of the Beast; Prophets, False; Beast; Revelation, Book of.