John,
I thought you and those at Five Doves might enjoy
the following studies done in response to a member at Wonderful One. The
question arose regarding who the anti-Christ is. It is four parts so I will
send them in four seperate e-mails. I hope it blesses.
YBIC,
Michael deKruif
#1
Who Isn't The "Antichrist?"
I penned this response to a question regarding the so named entity known as the "antichrist" in an attempt to understand it is not a singular human entity, as many profess. It is a spirit that deceives people into believing Jesus is not the true Christ, not a human entity.
Gayle,
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
2 Thes. 2:4; 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.
It is simply a generalization that reiterates what Lucifer had said of himself and Isaiah related in Isaiah 14:13-14;
13: For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Also you are placing a value on the antichrist that requires it to be a seperate individual and Scripture is clear it is a spirit of antichrist, not a human being. Antichrist is mentioned only four times and it is spoken to as a spirit that was alive and well when Jesus was here. 1 John 2:18, 22, 4:3 and 2 John 1:7.
2 Thessalonians 2:7 makes that perfectly clear.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work : only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Revelation 19:20 states quite clearly that the beast and the false prophet are tossed into the lake of fire.
19:20; And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Then Satan, who is the head of the beast, is bound and tossed into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. Revelation 20:2 & 3.
2: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3: And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Two different places and three different entities. The beast, Satan and the false prophet.
Then Revelation 20:10 sees these three being in the lake of fire as the devil (Satan) is tossed in.
20:10; And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
So where is this "antichrist" person?
I am saying there is no physical entity people have so falsely claimed is the antichrist. It is a spirit that drives anyone that denies Jesus as the true Christ, not some singular individual. Read the passages from 1 and 2 John quoted above.
The singular human entity that causes people to worship the dragon and the beast (the spiritual entity that is the power behind the false prophet) is the false prophet. Just as Scripture states.
As stated in Revelation 20:10, only Satan remains to be tossed into the lake after the 1,000 years have expired and the beast and false prophet are the only ones mentioned as being there, along with the souls of those who followed the beast, or "antichrist spirit", that denied Jesus and took the mark.
Nowhere is this so-called "antichrist" human entity ever mentioned in the Bible. It is the figment of someones overactive imagination. That is what all of these modern day "merchandisers" have sold the body of believers. And it is false.
People like Frank Perreti, Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins etal, have written wonderful non Biblical fiction that people have decided to somehow blend into Scripture because they like the scenario (2 Tim.4:3). It might make a great story, the problem is, just as the Bible warns, they are fables, not Biblical fact. 2 Timothy 4:4;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
We cannot just make stuff up that sounds good and fits a fabricated notion. If it is not Biblical then toss it out. And the notion the antichrist is some singular individual is nothing more than a fable. It is a spirit that denies Jesus as the true Christ.
Just as it's opposite, embodied in the Holy Spirit, speaks only truth, this evil "antichrist spirit" speaks only lies.
I penned this response to a question regarding the so named entity known as the "antichrist" in an attempt to understand it is not a singular human entity, as many profess. It is a spirit that deceives people into believing Jesus is not the true Christ, not a human entity.
Gayle,
Quote:One major problem with your statement is that nowhere does 2 Thessalonians 2:4 remotely allude to a date. To follow what you are saying it requires dating the statement. It is a general statement about who he is and what he does. It does not even remotely suggest timing , it is a blanket statement about this entity. This entity who opposeth God is Satan. The human that will be unveiled is simply the false prophet. The son of destruction (apoleia) is Satan. He is seen in Revelation 9:11 and takes the name Apollyon.
Many people who are pretribe believe that the church will be with the Lord when the antichrist takes his seat.
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
2 Thes. 2:4; 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.
It is simply a generalization that reiterates what Lucifer had said of himself and Isaiah related in Isaiah 14:13-14;
13: For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Also you are placing a value on the antichrist that requires it to be a seperate individual and Scripture is clear it is a spirit of antichrist, not a human being. Antichrist is mentioned only four times and it is spoken to as a spirit that was alive and well when Jesus was here. 1 John 2:18, 22, 4:3 and 2 John 1:7.
2 Thessalonians 2:7 makes that perfectly clear.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work : only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Revelation 19:20 states quite clearly that the beast and the false prophet are tossed into the lake of fire.
19:20; And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Then Satan, who is the head of the beast, is bound and tossed into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. Revelation 20:2 & 3.
2: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3: And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Two different places and three different entities. The beast, Satan and the false prophet.
Then Revelation 20:10 sees these three being in the lake of fire as the devil (Satan) is tossed in.
20:10; And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
So where is this "antichrist" person?
I am saying there is no physical entity people have so falsely claimed is the antichrist. It is a spirit that drives anyone that denies Jesus as the true Christ, not some singular individual. Read the passages from 1 and 2 John quoted above.
The singular human entity that causes people to worship the dragon and the beast (the spiritual entity that is the power behind the false prophet) is the false prophet. Just as Scripture states.
Quote:What is controversial is trying to attach values to Biblical entities that God Himself has not. If, as you claim, there is a singular entity called the "antichrist", then where is this entity when the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire?
Very controversial beliefs.
As stated in Revelation 20:10, only Satan remains to be tossed into the lake after the 1,000 years have expired and the beast and false prophet are the only ones mentioned as being there, along with the souls of those who followed the beast, or "antichrist spirit", that denied Jesus and took the mark.
Nowhere is this so-called "antichrist" human entity ever mentioned in the Bible. It is the figment of someones overactive imagination. That is what all of these modern day "merchandisers" have sold the body of believers. And it is false.
People like Frank Perreti, Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins etal, have written wonderful non Biblical fiction that people have decided to somehow blend into Scripture because they like the scenario (2 Tim.4:3). It might make a great story, the problem is, just as the Bible warns, they are fables, not Biblical fact. 2 Timothy 4:4;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
We cannot just make stuff up that sounds good and fits a fabricated notion. If it is not Biblical then toss it out. And the notion the antichrist is some singular individual is nothing more than a fable. It is a spirit that denies Jesus as the true Christ.
Just as it's opposite, embodied in the Holy Spirit, speaks only truth, this evil "antichrist spirit" speaks only lies.
Remember Always, "Speak the Truth"
Your Brother in Christ,
Michael