Anti-Christ
The Greek term has a twofold meaning. It refers to that which is anti, or opposed to, Christ. It may also refer to a false Christ, one in the place of Christ. All people, organizations, or groups that falsely claim to represent Christ or claim to be the Messiah or that oppose Christ and his disciples can properly be called antichrists.
(1John 2:22) This word means “against (or instead of) Christ.” It occurs a total of five times, singular and plural, all of them in two of John’s epistles.
The subject was not new among the Christians when John wrote his letters (c. 98 C.E.). First John 2:18 states: “Young children, it is the last hour, and, just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now there have come to be many antichrists; from which fact we gain the knowledge that it is the last hour.” John’s statement shows that there are many individual antichrists, though all together they may form a composite person designated “the antichrist.” (2John 7) The use of the expression “hour” as referring to a period of time, either relatively brief or of undetermined length, is exemplified in other writings of John. (See John 2:4; 4:21-23; 5:25, 28; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27.) He thus did not restrict the appearance, existence, and activity of such antichrist to some future time only but showed that the antichrist was then present and would continue on.(1John 4:3)
Although there has been much effort in the past to identify “the antichrist” with an individual, such as Pompey, Nero, or Muhammad (this latter person being suggested by Pope Innocent III in 1213 C.E.), or with a specific organization, as in the Protestant view of “the antichrist” as applying to the papacy, John’s inspired statements show the term to be broad in its application, embracing all those who deny that “Jesus is the Christ,” and who deny that Jesus is the Son of God who came “in the flesh.”(1John 2:22; 4:2, 3; 2Jo 7; compare John 8:42, 48, 49; 9:22)
Denial of Jesus as the Christ and as the Son of God of necessity embraces the denial of any or all of the Scriptural teachings concerning him: his origin, his place in God’s arrangement, his fulfillment of the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures as the promised Messiah, his ministry and teachings and prophecies, as well as any opposition to or efforts to replace him in his position as God’s appointed High Priest and King. This is evident from other texts, which, while not using the term “antichrist,” express essentially the same idea. Thus, Jesus stated: “He that is not on my side is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:23) 2 John 7 shows that such ones might act as deceivers, and hence the “antichrist” would include those who are “false Christs” and “false prophets,” as well as those who perform powerful works in Jesus’ name and yet are classed by him as “workers of lawlessness.”(Matthew 24:24; 7:15, 22, 23)
In view of Jesus’ rule that what is done to his true followers is done to him (Matthew 25:40, 45; Acts 9:5), the term must include those who persecute such ones, which means it would include the symbolic “Babylon the Great.”(Luke 21:12; Revelation 17:5, 6)
John specifically mentions apostates as among those of the antichrist by referring to those who “went out from us,” abandoning the Christian congregation. (1John 2:18, 19) It therefore includes “the man of lawlessness” or “son of destruction” described by Paul, as well as the “false teachers” Peter denounces for forming destructive sects and who “disown even the owner that bought them.”(2Thessalonians 2:3-5; 2Peter 2:1)
Kingdoms, nations, and organizations are similarly shown to be part of the antichrist in the symbolic description at Revelation 17:8-15; 19:19-21; Compare Psalm 2:1, 2)
So the term “antichrist,” which comes from a Greek word meaning “against (or instead of) Christ,” refers to anyone who does the following:
(1) Denies that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) or denies that he is the Son of God.(1 John 2:22)
(2) Opposes the Christ, God’s Anointed One.(Psalm 2:1, 2; Luke 11:23)
(3) Pretends to be the Christ.(Matthew 24:24)
(4) Persecutes the followers of Christ, since Jesus views what is done to them as being done to him.(Acts 9:5)
(5)Falsely claims to be a Christian while practicing lawlessness or deception.(Matthew 7:22, 23; 2 Corinthians 11:13)
Antichrists reject what Jesus said about how God’s Kingdom operates. For instance, some religious leaders say that Christ works through human governments. Yet, I believe this teaching contradicts Jesus, who said: “My Kingdom is no part of this world.”(John 18:36)
They say that Jesus is their Lord, but many do not obey his commands, including the one to preach the good news of the Kingdom.(Matthew 28:19, 20; Luke 6:46; Acts 10:42)
The Greek term has a twofold meaning. It refers to that which is anti, or opposed to, Christ. It may also refer to a false Christ, one in the place of Christ. All people, organizations, or groups that falsely claim to represent Christ or claim to be the Messiah or that oppose Christ and his disciples can properly be called antichrists.
(1John 2:22) This word means “against (or instead of) Christ.” It occurs a total of five times, singular and plural, all of them in two of John’s epistles.
The subject was not new among the Christians when John wrote his letters (c. 98 C.E.). First John 2:18 states: “Young children, it is the last hour, and, just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now there have come to be many antichrists; from which fact we gain the knowledge that it is the last hour.” John’s statement shows that there are many individual antichrists, though all together they may form a composite person designated “the antichrist.” (2John 7) The use of the expression “hour” as referring to a period of time, either relatively brief or of undetermined length, is exemplified in other writings of John. (See John 2:4; 4:21-23; 5:25, 28; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27.) He thus did not restrict the appearance, existence, and activity of such antichrist to some future time only but showed that the antichrist was then present and would continue on.(1John 4:3)
Although there has been much effort in the past to identify “the antichrist” with an individual, such as Pompey, Nero, or Muhammad (this latter person being suggested by Pope Innocent III in 1213 C.E.), or with a specific organization, as in the Protestant view of “the antichrist” as applying to the papacy, John’s inspired statements show the term to be broad in its application, embracing all those who deny that “Jesus is the Christ,” and who deny that Jesus is the Son of God who came “in the flesh.”(1John 2:22; 4:2, 3; 2Jo 7; compare John 8:42, 48, 49; 9:22)
Denial of Jesus as the Christ and as the Son of God of necessity embraces the denial of any or all of the Scriptural teachings concerning him: his origin, his place in God’s arrangement, his fulfillment of the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures as the promised Messiah, his ministry and teachings and prophecies, as well as any opposition to or efforts to replace him in his position as God’s appointed High Priest and King. This is evident from other texts, which, while not using the term “antichrist,” express essentially the same idea. Thus, Jesus stated: “He that is not on my side is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:23) 2 John 7 shows that such ones might act as deceivers, and hence the “antichrist” would include those who are “false Christs” and “false prophets,” as well as those who perform powerful works in Jesus’ name and yet are classed by him as “workers of lawlessness.”(Matthew 24:24; 7:15, 22, 23)
In view of Jesus’ rule that what is done to his true followers is done to him (Matthew 25:40, 45; Acts 9:5), the term must include those who persecute such ones, which means it would include the symbolic “Babylon the Great.”(Luke 21:12; Revelation 17:5, 6)
John specifically mentions apostates as among those of the antichrist by referring to those who “went out from us,” abandoning the Christian congregation. (1John 2:18, 19) It therefore includes “the man of lawlessness” or “son of destruction” described by Paul, as well as the “false teachers” Peter denounces for forming destructive sects and who “disown even the owner that bought them.”(2Thessalonians 2:3-5; 2Peter 2:1)
Kingdoms, nations, and organizations are similarly shown to be part of the antichrist in the symbolic description at Revelation 17:8-15; 19:19-21; Compare Psalm 2:1, 2)
So the term “antichrist,” which comes from a Greek word meaning “against (or instead of) Christ,” refers to anyone who does the following:
(1) Denies that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) or denies that he is the Son of God.(1 John 2:22)
(2) Opposes the Christ, God’s Anointed One.(Psalm 2:1, 2; Luke 11:23)
(3) Pretends to be the Christ.(Matthew 24:24)
(4) Persecutes the followers of Christ, since Jesus views what is done to them as being done to him.(Acts 9:5)
(5)Falsely claims to be a Christian while practicing lawlessness or deception.(Matthew 7:22, 23; 2 Corinthians 11:13)
Antichrists reject what Jesus said about how God’s Kingdom operates. For instance, some religious leaders say that Christ works through human governments. Yet, I believe this teaching contradicts Jesus, who said: “My Kingdom is no part of this world.”(John 18:36)
They say that Jesus is their Lord, but many do not obey his commands, including the one to preach the good news of the Kingdom.(Matthew 28:19, 20; Luke 6:46; Acts 10:42)