Few Commentators realize John’s description of the Antichrist and his followers (1 Jn. 2:18-23; 4:1-6; 2 Jn. 1:7-11) is how they will appear “in the last hour”, and not what they were at the beginning of the End Time Week revealed in the book of Revelation that is seven years long. At first the Antichrist will claim to be Jesus Christ saying, “I am He.”4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”
5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you.
6 “For many will come in My name, saying, `I am He,’ and will deceive many. (Mk. 13:4-6 NKJ)
When Antichrist rises he speaks like the lion of the tribe of Judah. After 42 months the lion’s mouth is replaced by one speaking “great things and blasphemies”:And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Rev. 6:2 NKJ)
This is confirmed by the prophet Daniel when he reveals the Desolator (Antichrist) is friendly to religion only the first half of the week:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority…
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. (Rev. 13:1-2, 5-7 NKJ)
By giving the Antichrist two different titles Paul implies there are two phases of Antichrist, first as the “man of sin” and then he morphs into the “son of destruction” seed of Satan (Gen. 3:15)And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Dan. 9:27 RSV)
We can deduce the miracle working False Christ will be a “man who condones sin”, whose signs and wonders teach lies against the truth of the Bible:Give no belief to false words: because there will first be a falling away from the faith, and the revelation of the man of sin, the son of destruction, (2 Thess. 2:3 BBE)
Christians present a stark contrast to those Antichrists and that reveals what John meant when he said “they went out from us but were not of us” (1 John 2:19)9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess. 2:9-12 NKJ)
Unlike Christians “sanctified by the Spirit and belief in the truth the Bible”, Antichrist’s are filled with the “mystery of lawlessness” and do not love the truth of the Bible. Although they are false prophets, the signs and wonders they do mimic Christians:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. (2 Thess. 2:13-15 NKJ)
The signs and wonders they do are by the energy of Satan (2 Th. 2:9) because Christ’s Spirit “never knew them”. Antichrists are TARES sown among the WHEAT, children of the devil disguised as children of God:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me,`Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 “Many will say to Me in that day,`Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 “And then I will declare to them,`I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matt. 7:15-23 NKJ)
They false prophesy and are slaves to greed and lust, foolishly disrespecting God by speaking evil of Satan and his demons who have divine permission to sift us like wheat:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38 “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
39 “The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
40 “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
41 “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
42 “and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43 NKJ)
See also (2 Pet. 2:9-22)4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. Jude 1:4-16 NKJ)
That is what they are the first half of the end time week. When the “man of sin” false Christ morphs into the Beast “son of Destruction’, they completely discard all trappings of Christianity to embrace the Antichrist denial of the Father and the Son:
On Judgment Day these apostates claim to know Jesus personally citing the signs and wonders they once did as proof. Jesus replies He “never knew” them:
22 “Many will say to Me in that day,`Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 “And then I will declare to them,`I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matt. 7:22-23 NKJ)
The Two Phases of Antichrist: Man of Sin and Son of Destruction | End Time News, Today - Rapture Ready News
The Two Phases of The Antichrist: Man of Sin and Son of Destruction Give no belief to false words: because there will first be a falling away from the faith, and the revelation of the man of sin (266 ἁμαρτία hamartia), the son of destruction (684 ἀπώλεια apoleia), (2 Thess. 2:3 BBE) "Man of sin"
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