The Who and What of the AntiChrist
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
I rarely will preach on anything end-times related unless the text explicitly calls for it. Primarily because of two reasons, 1) I’m very ignorant on the details of the end times because of my lack of study into it, and 2) everyone gets so worked up on the different things they believe that they miss the important thing. Jesus wins. And what’s gonna happen is gonna happen whether you believe it or not.
You may believe that the rapture happens pre-tribulation. Or you may believe that it happens post-trib. Either way, one or both will be wrong when the time comes and there’s nothing you can do about it.
The title of the sermon today is “The Who and What of the AntiChrist.” Now as stated I’m not a huge eschatology guy. But the next section of 1 John addresses it, so here we are.
Overview of the AntiChrist
Overview of the AntiChrist
By show of hands, who believes the antichrist to be one person? And who believes it to be a nation or kingdom?
Both are reasonable beliefs and widely shared beliefs. Lets look at what all scripture says regarding the antichrist.
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Daniel 7:23–27 (ESV)
“Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.
He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.
But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
One thing is clear, John and Daniel both saw the same beast rise up and take over the nations. Many have attempted to speculate the identity of this beast. Was this beast Nero, the Pope, a president, Hitler, or someone else who has yet to come?
There have been arguments made that the beast was referring to the Roman Empire because it was the fourth kingdom that conquered the known world. Babylon, Persian, Greek, and then Roman. In my opinion, this is the strongest argument for the antichrist being a nation/kingdom. In Revelation, John makes numerous mentions to Babylon and the following empires, so he very well could have been referring to the days in which he was living. John had seen the rise of numerous emperors who were anti-Christ including Nero, the guy who killed the apostle Paul and used the burning bodies of Christians to light his courtyard. And John was a direct recipient of Domition’s anti-Christ persecution, even though scholars believe there wasn’t much more than John. So of course John could have been writing poetically about what he was seeing around him.
There is another school of thought that John was seeing an individual, empowered by Satan and the powers of evil, rise up to influence nations and lead them astray. Speculations range from someone rising to leadership in a country and conquering all the way to someone turning into a massive beast and being a literal beast with multiple heads and horns and all.
However, as I read these texts, I can’t help but think about how difficult it would be for one nation to conquer all, much less how difficult it would be for an individual to rise to the level of being able to lead that many people astray. Even the most influential Individuals of our time have those who oppose them. For example, president Trump has been able to influence millions of people to follow him blindly. But there are still millions, even billions, who can’t stand the guy. The pope is influencing millions, if not billions, of Catholics worldwide, but there’s still billions who can’t stand the guy. So I find it hard to believe that the antichrist will be one guy.
However, looking at John’s epistles, we can see that the antichrist is not necessarily one particular person.
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
John wrote that there were many antichrists. Many who have already come. Notice in that first passage that John does not say THE antichrist but just antichrist. Perhaps the antichrist that we are looking for is not a person, not a nation or kingdom, but a belief system or movement.
An individual’s influence rarely crosses ethnic lines, a nation’s influence can only get into conquered nations, but a movement that spreads through individual’s beliefs can break through any geopolitical boundaries. Perhaps the beast that John and Daniel both saw was not referencing a nation or king, but a movement. Looking at the various options today, that movement would be the post-truth and self-elevating movement.
“Truth is relative to the beholder.” “Everyone can create their own way to heaven” “Live your best life now”
“Truth is relative to the beholder.” “Everyone can create their own way to heaven” “Live your best life now”
But Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life” This movement is a clear ANTI-Christ movement! Anti means to oppose. So I would say that it definitely opposes Christ. This movement and belief system is leading masses astray, from those who have never been in church to entire churches.
What are we to do about this?
Know the Truth
Know the Truth
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
Remember, John is writing to churches here, so believers, Christians, Jesus people. So he’s reminding them that the time to focus on the truth is now. Reminding them and us that the truth is within us through the Holy Spirit.
The truth that we know is that Jesus saved us and he’s coming back to get us. Regardless of what happens between now and then, the truth is that Jesus wins! And therefore, we win!
But to focus on the truth, you’ve gotta have the truth. And the truth only comes through Jesus’ salvation. So let me ask each and everyone of you, do you know the truth? Do you know that Jesus came and saved you. Gospel Presentation
Whether the antichrist is a huge mythical beast or a movement against Christ, we can rest assured that Jesus has already claimed victory over it.
So in the meantime, we can’t sit arguing and debating over whether the AC is Elon Musk or Steve Harvey. We are called to more than that.
Abide in Him
Abide in Him
No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
We are called and commanded to abide in Him. That means “to continue in a daily personal relationship characterized by trust, prayer, obedience, and joy.”
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Remember earlier in 1 John 2:6 “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” For us to abide in Christ means to not only be reading scripture and praying, but also be living like Jesus. “Walking in the same way in which he walked” is a strong phrase because Jesus not only lived a perfect life, but he also walked right up to his death for mankind. We must be so devoted to our calling in the Lord that we are also that faithful.
Closing
Closing
Are you abiding in Him? Is the truth in your life?
You can know today. Bring your focus back to Jesus.