The Spirit of Antichrist

The Antichrist Spirit works to destroy the church from within, especially through deception spread by false teachers and other deceivers – 1 John 2:18-22.

In popular preaching, the Antichrist is a political tyrant bent on world domination. However, Jesus and his Apostles expressed more concerns about the deceivers who would spread false teachings in the Church than about political powers. The New Testament applies ‘Antichrist’ and related terms to false teachers infiltrating the Body of Christ and distorting the Apostolic Teachings.

The “Antichrist Spirit” is manifested in deceivers and their activities inside the Church of Jesus Christ. The only New Testament author who employs the term is John in two of his letters. He warned his congregations: “It is the last hour; and just as you heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come.”

[Abandoned Church - Photo by Luc Constantin on Unsplash]

John did not deny that an individual final “antichrist” is coming, but in the meantime, many “antichrists” already have infiltrated the Church. Among other things, they deny the genuine humanity of Jesus - (“With this know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God” - 1 John 2:18-22, 4:1-6).

The Greek term translated as “antichrist” is a compound formed with the noun ‘christos’ (“anointed”) and the preposition ‘anti’. The latter denotes “instead of” rather than “against.” An “antichrist” is someone who attempts to counterfeit the Son of God and replace him with a false Christ.

The “antichrists,” plural, to whom John refers are false teachers who “went out from us, but they were not of us <…> But they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us.” The deceivers in John’s congregations were not pagan philosophers or Ceasar’s representatives, but members of the Church.

John admonished his congregations to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” He warned of “the Spirit of the Antichrist of which you heard that it is coming, and now, it is already in the world.” These “antichrists” are false teachers disrupting the Church, not national, military, or political leaders of the larger world - (2 John 7).

Similarly, the Apostle Paul warns of the coming “Man of Lawlessness.” He describes an individual who will deceive believers. This figure will use “signs and wonders” and clever lies to cause many to abandon the Faith. He will be revealed when he “seats himself in the Sanctuary of God,” a description more religious than political.

Elsewhere, Paul uses the term “Sanctuary of God” or ‘naos theou’ (ναος θεου) metaphorically for the Church, and not for any building in old Jerusalem - (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16).

Paul links this “Lawless One” to the final “Apostasy,” the great “departure” from the Faith. When this man is revealed, his activities will be “in accord with those of Satan,” including his “lying signs and wonders” intended to deceive as many believers as possible:

• “The Spirit says expressly, that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons” – (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, 1 Timothy 4:1).

BEASTS AND DECEIVERS

In the Book of Revelation, after his failed attempt to destroy the Messianic “Son,” the “Great Red Dragon” departed to “wage war against those who have the Testimony of Jesus Christ,” namely, the followers of the Son - (Revelation 12:17).

Likewise, the “Beast from the Sea” is authorized to wage “war” against the “saints and to overcome them.” In both images, Satan persecutes the saints, and his chosen earthly agent, the “Beast,” is his instrument for doing so, along with the “False Prophet.” His purpose is to destroy the “saints,” those who “follow the Lamb wherever he goes” and have the “testimony of Jesus,” not to start wars between nation-states or destroy the modern State of Israel - (Revelation 12:17, 13:7-10).

In the Seven Letters to the “Assemblies of Asia,” Satan attacks these congregations with persecution but more often he uses deceivers, the “false apostles,” the “Nicolaitans,” the “doctrines of Balaam,” and the “Prophetess, Jezebel” to mislead the Assemblies - (Revelation 2:10, 2:18-29).

In his 'Olivet Discourse,' Jesus began with a dire warning about coming deceivers hellbent on deceiving the “Elect of God”:

• “Beware lest anyone deceive you, for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and deceive many <…> and many will fall away <…> and many false prophets will arise and deceive many <…> False anointed ones and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect” - (Matthew 24:4-23).

The stress is on the term “many.” Deceivers will come, and alas, they will succeed by deceiving many of the elect.

False prophets, “false anointed ones,” and deceivers strive to hoodwink us, the disciples of Jesus, and not the already deceived world. They are driven by the “Spirit of Antichrist” to mislead and otherwise fool us. The “Man of Lawlessness” will appear before the return of Jesus, but the “Mystery of Lawlessness” is working even now to prepare the way for this figure’s unveiling – (2 Thessalonians 2:3-9).

The “Antichrist” may prove to be a global political leader in the end.  However, considering the New Testament warnings, we should not be surprised if this creature appears first in the Church where he will deceive many and cause them to abandon the Apostolic Faith.

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SEE ALSO:

• Disinformation - (Rumors about the Day of the Lord caused alarm and confusion in the Thessalonian congregation – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

• Howling Imposters - (The New Testament warns repeatedly of coming deceivers and false prophets who will cause many to depart from the faith)

• The Apostasy - (Paul warned the Thessalonians of a future apostasy and linked it to the unveiling of the Man of Lawlessness, the Son of Destruction)

• The Last Hour - Antichrist - (The presence of false teachers in the Church demonstrates that the period known as the Last Days is underway)