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| Spirit of Antichrist? |
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| Question: What does the bible mean when it says "spirit of antichrist" in 1John 4:3? Is it speaking of THE Antichrist? 1John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 1John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Answer: The answer is found in 1John 2:22. The word "Anti" can mean "against Christ" or it can also mean "in place of Christ", meaning a substitute for Christ. The word "Christ"-- derived from the Greek word, "Christos"-- means "Messiah" or "Anointed One". The Holy Spirit emphasizes the point that those who deny the Deity of Christ and His Messiahship are antichrist...or against Christ. They are also of the "spirit of Antichrist". Most people today would not deny that Jesus existed. Most would not deny that He died upon the cross. What they do deny is that Jesus is the Savior-- the Christ/Messiah. They deny that He is God come in the flesh. They deny His virgin birth, His sinless life and they reject that His death upon the cross was sufficient payment for our sins. They reject His triumphant Resurrection! They scoff at the idea of His Second Coming. 2Peter 3:3-4 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers [mockers], walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. Even professing Christians can be "antichrist" Even so-called "Christians" who tell you that you must work for your salvation are of the "spirit of antichrist" for they deny the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the debt for our sins. The bible tells us that we are not saved by our own good works or merit but we are redeemed because of what Jesus did for us at the cross of Calvary. Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. The Bible tells us that Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity became flesh, lived a sinless, spotless life and willingly died upon the cross-- shedding His precious blood for our sins and was buried and arose from the dead on the third day, according to the Old Testament Scriptures or the Tanakh. Jesus purchased our redemption and is risen and is seated at the Right Hand of the Heavenly Father. The bible plainly states that those that would deny this fact have the spirit of antichrist. The Antichrist will be a Deceiver Remember the Antichrist that shall come in the Seven Year Tribulation Period will come in the "likeness" of Christ but the Antichrist is an imposter. Satan's goal will be to convince the world that the Antichrist is the true messiah... the "answer to the world's problems". The devil will work through the Antichrist and the False Prophet to fulfill this purpose. Remember that the devil comes as an "angel of light" and therefore to assume that the Antichrist will appear on the scene as a raging tyrant is to grossly mistake the devil's persona. He comes in peace...a "man of the hour". Remember that the world will worship the Beast, whose names are not written in the Book of Life. They will worship him because they will be smitten by him. They will be deceived because lying signs and wonders that will follow the Antichrist. 2Thess 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God... Those who REJECT the Lord Jesus, as Messiah, will ACCEPT the Antichrist as their "messiah." The Lord Jesus came to earth to redeem us by dying on the cross for our sins. He arose three days later and He offers eternal life to whosoever believes in Him. The Antichrist will offer a "physical" or material pseudo-salvation: a promise of peace, prosperity, and good fortune-- material things that feed the flesh-- the worldly man. The spirit of Antichrist denies the words of Jesus when He said, "Ye must be born again..." The spirit of Antichrist screams, "You are fine just the way you are..." The Lord Jesus offers a spiritual redemption to every sinner who receives Him as their Messiah and promises eternal life with Him forever. John 11:25 says: Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" The spirit of Antichrist offers, "Life is short...Eat, drink and be merry...You can find your own path to God... Live for the now..." Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world..." The spirit of Antichrist says, "We are the world. We are looking for utopia here on earth and believe that it can be achieved with the right man leading us." Even years ago, in Europe, an influential man named, Paul Henri Spaak of Belgium made a profound statement. He was one of the organizational leaders of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications. In addressing the United European Community, in 1957, he said, "What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, and whether he be god or devil, we will receive him." Jesus said, "I am the light of the world..." The spirit of Antichrist says, "We are beings of light. We are spiritually enlightened beings destined to become gods..." Jesus said in John 3:17-18, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." The spirit of Antichrist tells us that, "All religions lead to God. There cannot possibly be just one way..." Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life..." The spirit of Antichrist preaches, "Create your own truth...perception is reality...whatever you feel is right...find your own path...everything rests upon your feelings...all is relative..." SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST ALREADY AT WORK One must understand that since the time of the Early Church up until now, the spirit of Antichrist has already been at work, preparing the way for the Antichrist to take center stage, during the Seven Year Tribulation Period. The future world leader-- the Antichrist will be the exact opposite of what people have expected the future Antichrist to be. He, most likely, will be a person whom the world has already known for quite some time. He will come in peace initially and will have the "answers" to the world's dilemmas. The Antichrist will be a humanitarian and will gain the confidence of the world with his great efforts. The bible tells us that he will come in the likeness of Christ...meaning the persona of being the "savior of the world" but he will have a hidden agenda. Signs and wonders will follow the Antichrist. He will then proclaim himself as "God". People will worship him. The bible says that the people of the world will believe "a lie" or "falsehood" and it will happen some time in our future. No one knows when but as one looks upon the world scene, the stage is being set for him to appear: religiously, economically, morally and socially. THE ANTICHRIST AND THE PEACE TREATY The way one can easily identify the Antichrist is by the seven-year peace treaty he will sign with Israel. This is foretold in the Book of Daniel. The Antichrist will allow the Jews to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem. (We know there will be a Temple because the Apostle John is told to measure the Temple in the Book of Revelation.) The Jews (for a short period of time) will believe the Antichrist is their long-awaited messiah for he will fulfill their expectations. The coming prince or Antichrist will seek to accomplish what they expect their messiah "should do", which is a physical deliverance from their physical enemies. The Jewish Temple will be rebuilt during the first three-and-one-half years of the reign of Antichrist. The bible then records that the Antichrist, in the middle of the seven-year treaty with Israel, will break his covenant with them and will sit in the Temple proclaiming himself to be "God". The Antichrist will make an abomination in the Temple just as Antiochus Epiphany did-- most likely slaying a pig on the altar. Jesus predicted this will happen in the End Times and instructed the Jews in Mark 13:14, But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many [meaning Israel and her enemies-- establishing peace] for one week: [seven years] and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Remember that the bible is history already written. God, knowing what man would do of their own free will, recorded their actions for us to know ahead of time. We are persuaded by the Scriptures to believe that all believers in Christ will be raptured before the Seven Year Tribulation Period. (See our link below) The spirit of Antichrist is very much at work in our public schools, entertainment, media, religions, and even in many professing "Christian" churches. Gal 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. The religious leaders of Jesus' day wanted Jesus to give them a sign. They wanted Him to show what He could do. Jesus healed people and delivered them to bring the Heavenly Father glory. In John 5:43, Jesus told the Jews, "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." This He spoke of the coming Antichrist who will come in his own name. Jesus told the Jews that, "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign..." The Antichrist will offer the world a "by sight" religion. The coming Antichrist and the false prophet will offer the world a "new order, a new religion, a new age" confirmed by deceiving signs and wonders. 2Thess 2:8-12 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Christ Jesus said, "Salvation is of the Jews." Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, came to His own people and many rejected Him. The nation of Israel will come to KNOW Jesus is their Messiah during the Tribulation Period. They will cry out for God to save them and the Lord Jesus shall return as He prophesied in Luke 13:35: Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Zechariah 12, Revelation 1:7, Joel 3:14-16) YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN Christ Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." The people of this world reject their need of the Savior. They say, "All one needs is a bit of self-help and rehabilitation..." The world denies the Lord Jesus Christ, the words He spoke and the sacrifice that He made upon the cross for their sins. The worldly man claims that things can be changed for the better, apart from Jesus the Christ. They deny the sin nature of man. They deny the finished work of Christ. Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ are part of the spirit of antichrist. 2John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Those who refuse to believe the Scriptures-- that Jesus is the Messiah-- the Savior-- Who came in the flesh, are setting themselves up for the ULTIMATE DECEPTION that will come upon the World Stage very soon. Matt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Copyright © 2005 Cobblestone Road Ministries All Rights Reserved Further Reading: The Antichrist and the DaVinci Code Iraq IN Bible Prophecy? Will Ancient Babylon Be Rebuilt? Babel- The Center of Unity The Two Witnesses in Revelation 11 Why Are The Jews Called God's Chosen People? The Pre-Tribulational Rapture |
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