DavidT
Member
Did you know brethren in Christ that the early Church fathers understood that the coming Antichrist at the end of this world is come from among the Jews? That is what several of the early Church fathers understood. Where did they get that idea of the Antichrist being presented as one of the Jews? Here is one place in Scripture where they got that idea...
Matt 24:23-26
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, "Lo, here is Christ, or there"; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, "Behold, He is in the desert"; go not forth: "behold, He is in the secret chambers"; believe it not.
KJV
It should be obvious per Lord Jesus there in those 23rd and 26th verses that He was pointing specifically to a singular false one that others will claim is Christ. This is no doubt why Dr. James Strong in his Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defined that "false Christs" phrase as being 'a spurious Messiah' (Strong's no.5580).
Was Dr. Strong taking too much liberty in defining that Greek pseudochristos ("false Christs") word to be about a 'singular' false one? I don't think so, I believe he was right. And that because that above Scripture also aligns with the idea of a 'singular' false one coming to work those "great signs and wonders" per the 2 Thessalonians 2 Scripture, and the Revelation 13:11-14 Scripture. That also per Apostle Paul's warning about the "another Jesus" in 2 Corinthians 11 and that false one's ministers disguised as the ministers of righteousness.
Here is the meaning of Apostle John's 1 John 2:18 mention of the word "antichrist".
1 John 2:18
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.
KJV
Some will just mention that "antichrist" word in passing about their tradition of men ideas, some applying that word to be about the wicked in general, while disregarding any idea of a singular Antichrist figure. And others, like the old Protestant Reformers, will use the Antichrist term to label a pope. Yet Apostle John made a distinction between those two above phrases, one in red, and the other in purple.
The phrase above in red is particularly interesting, because shows those he was speaking to 'already' had heard that antichrist shall come. Just where... did they first hear about that idea? Not from John here, because he is simply reminding them they had already heard about antichrist's coming, meaning a singular antichrist. Only with John's latter phrase in purple was he giving them new information that did not yet know about, with the idea of "many antichrists" already being here at work.
Where did they first hear that the singular "antichrist" shall come? I believe it was here, by Lord Jesus' Own warning:
John 14:29-30
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.
KJV
Lord Jesus was speaking that to His disciples before being delivered up to die on the cross. He was preparing them for His leaving. Notice He said, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing Me." Did He simply mean the devil was getting ready to work through Judas and Pilate to deliver Him up? I don't think so. I believe He was warning that after His departure, the devil was coming to our world. Lord Jesus did reveal the devil would be cast out:
John 12:31
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
KJV
Lord Jesus also said that above just prior to His being delivered up to be crucified. Many believe He meant that in the sense of the devil being judged at the point of Christ's death on the cross, and proclaiming victory to the spirits in prison. But notice He said, "Now is the judgment of this world". We know that Satan has already been judged and sentenced to perish in the future "lake of fire", but has this present world been judged yet? No, not yet, not if you believe the battle of Armageddon on the last day when Jesus returns has already happened (and yet some believe that very falsehood that Jesus' 2nd coming was past history, called Full Preterism).
How then did our Lord Jesus mean that, "now shall the prince of this world be cast out"? What is that, and when is that?
Lord Jesus actually showed us in the Revelation 12:7-17 Scripture, about the war in Heaven between Archangel Michael and his angels vs. Satan and his angels. We are then shown when that happens, there will be no more place found in Heaven for Satan and his angels. And that means there is only one other place they can be cast to, and that is in our earthly dimension. Thus what Lord Jesus revealed about the prince of this world cometh, is that the devil himself is coming to our earthly dimension for the last days leading up to Christ's future return.
In my next post, I will give Scripture proof that God's Word does indeed reveal that Satan himself, in person, is coming to earth in our presence, and will be seen with the image of man.
Matt 24:23-26
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, "Lo, here is Christ, or there"; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, "Behold, He is in the desert"; go not forth: "behold, He is in the secret chambers"; believe it not.
KJV
It should be obvious per Lord Jesus there in those 23rd and 26th verses that He was pointing specifically to a singular false one that others will claim is Christ. This is no doubt why Dr. James Strong in his Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defined that "false Christs" phrase as being 'a spurious Messiah' (Strong's no.5580).
Was Dr. Strong taking too much liberty in defining that Greek pseudochristos ("false Christs") word to be about a 'singular' false one? I don't think so, I believe he was right. And that because that above Scripture also aligns with the idea of a 'singular' false one coming to work those "great signs and wonders" per the 2 Thessalonians 2 Scripture, and the Revelation 13:11-14 Scripture. That also per Apostle Paul's warning about the "another Jesus" in 2 Corinthians 11 and that false one's ministers disguised as the ministers of righteousness.
Here is the meaning of Apostle John's 1 John 2:18 mention of the word "antichrist".
1 John 2:18
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.
KJV
Some will just mention that "antichrist" word in passing about their tradition of men ideas, some applying that word to be about the wicked in general, while disregarding any idea of a singular Antichrist figure. And others, like the old Protestant Reformers, will use the Antichrist term to label a pope. Yet Apostle John made a distinction between those two above phrases, one in red, and the other in purple.
The phrase above in red is particularly interesting, because shows those he was speaking to 'already' had heard that antichrist shall come. Just where... did they first hear about that idea? Not from John here, because he is simply reminding them they had already heard about antichrist's coming, meaning a singular antichrist. Only with John's latter phrase in purple was he giving them new information that did not yet know about, with the idea of "many antichrists" already being here at work.
Where did they first hear that the singular "antichrist" shall come? I believe it was here, by Lord Jesus' Own warning:
John 14:29-30
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.
KJV
Lord Jesus was speaking that to His disciples before being delivered up to die on the cross. He was preparing them for His leaving. Notice He said, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing Me." Did He simply mean the devil was getting ready to work through Judas and Pilate to deliver Him up? I don't think so. I believe He was warning that after His departure, the devil was coming to our world. Lord Jesus did reveal the devil would be cast out:
John 12:31
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
KJV
Lord Jesus also said that above just prior to His being delivered up to be crucified. Many believe He meant that in the sense of the devil being judged at the point of Christ's death on the cross, and proclaiming victory to the spirits in prison. But notice He said, "Now is the judgment of this world". We know that Satan has already been judged and sentenced to perish in the future "lake of fire", but has this present world been judged yet? No, not yet, not if you believe the battle of Armageddon on the last day when Jesus returns has already happened (and yet some believe that very falsehood that Jesus' 2nd coming was past history, called Full Preterism).
How then did our Lord Jesus mean that, "now shall the prince of this world be cast out"? What is that, and when is that?
Lord Jesus actually showed us in the Revelation 12:7-17 Scripture, about the war in Heaven between Archangel Michael and his angels vs. Satan and his angels. We are then shown when that happens, there will be no more place found in Heaven for Satan and his angels. And that means there is only one other place they can be cast to, and that is in our earthly dimension. Thus what Lord Jesus revealed about the prince of this world cometh, is that the devil himself is coming to our earthly dimension for the last days leading up to Christ's future return.
In my next post, I will give Scripture proof that God's Word does indeed reveal that Satan himself, in person, is coming to earth in our presence, and will be seen with the image of man.