What/who is the Anti-christ?

I've moved your thread out of the Prayer Forum to Eschatology --a more appropriate forum for this discussion.

While some people believe in a "Mr. AntiChrist" fella, nowhere in scripture can "antichrist" be found  used to describe "one single" human being. Nowhere.

 It is a SPIRIT and only 1st and 2nd John give us ANY information about this SPIRIT and who it affects -- a quick study of the passages shows us EXACTLY what is meant. Study these closely


2 John 1:7
For MANY DECEIVERS have gone out into the world, those who don't confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is THE deceiver and THE Antichrist.

This short passage sums up everything else the bible says concerning ANTICHRIST:

(#1)"For MANY DECEIVERS have gone out into the world" -- that is, they were once in the Church, but they had left the one true apostolic Church. The AntiChrist is not one, but is MANY deceivers (1 John 2:18) who left the apostolic Church on behalf of a SPECIFIC heresy in St. John's time. They are ones who "went out" (1 John 2:19) and separated themselves from the true apostolic Church of John's and Judes' day (3 John 1:9/Jude 1:19)

(#2)"those who don't confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh." -- that is, they became proto-gnostics denying that Jesus ever occupied a flesh body. This was their heresy that they taught. They also taught Jesus was not necessary to know the Father (1 John 2:23)

(#3) "This is THE deceiver and THE Antichrist." -- That is, #1 plus #2 IS the very definition of ANTICHRIST.


The rest of John's passages on ANTICHRIST confirm this:

1 John 2:18-19,
Children, it is the last hour!; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour!. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.


1 John 2:22-23
Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.


We're almost to the end of our EXHAUSTIVE study on ANTICHRIST according to the scriptures. After we look at 1 John 4:1-3 we will be entirely done with everything the bible has to say about ANTICHRIST.

Now, Study that 1 John 2:18-19,22-23 passage. St. John announces the final hour, and does so because the sign he was told to look for had come upon him! (see also 1 John 4:3) Those many antichrists that denied Christ came in the flesh and denied his oneness with the Father had manifested IN THE CHURCH, and then they left the true apostolic church and "went out from among them" proving they were "not truly of them."

Furthermore, we see again that these Christian pretenders of John's day denied Jesus was ever manifested as a true flesh being, and they deny His oneness with the Father.


Here we go to the final passage in the bible on ANTICHRIST:

1 John 4:1-3
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because 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, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world!


SUMMARY ON ANTICHRIST
We have now read and analyzed EVERYTHING the scriptures say about "antichrist." St. John, during his later ministry, points to the appearance of these antichrist-deceivers as proof positive that the last hour had come upon them. As they had heard would happen, the antichrists went out from among the true apostolic Church with a heresy that Jesus never came in the flesh and that He was not equal with the Father. While they initially started as CHURCH MEMBERS, they had left that behind and grasped onto their heresy, leading many back to d*mnation.

The important thing to remember about "antichrist" is that he is not one, but many. Evil, by its very nature, cannot be incarnate in a single entity. By contrast, Truth is singularly incarnate in the One Lord Jesus Christ.

Here are some verses from bible gateway on the word Antichrist .

http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/...page=0&search=antichrist&version=NKJV

It is anybody who denies Jesus Christ .

If you are refering to the Beast in revelations , then yes , he also is anti-christ not pro-christ .

Exactly who this dude is , nobody knows yet , as the end time has not yet come  . 

Tho' I have a very good guess, it is only that, and therefore will not reveal who I think it is. However, none of us will know exactly who the apitamy of evil is until the time has come. So the question is highly speculative.

Originally posted by Brian45

It is anybody who denies Jesus Christ .

Exactly who this dude is , nobody knows yet , as the end time has not yet come  . 

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You are contradicting yourself...

"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." (1 John 2:18)

"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 have heard was coming, and now is in the world already." (1 John 4:2-3)

John wrote these words nearly 2,000 years ago! At that time, "many antichrists" had already come and "the spirit of the antichrist" was "in the world already." Doubtless, many more "antichrists" have come since then. In fact, hardly a day goes by when we are not faced, in one way or another, with the choice between following Christ or the many forces in the world which are opposed to Christ ("antichrist"). It is a dangerous thing indeed to get distracted into thinking "the antichrist" has to be some major world leader. Look around you. He may very well be the person sitting next to you in church!

I don't have much time left tonight, but I believe that it is both, the spirit of non-believers and it is also referring to a specific man to come. Flip the coin, and then you can see how this will work.

On the other side you have Christ the person, but there are also many who have the spirit that is Christ like.

The anti-christ spirit is the opposite of the Holy Spirit and the anti-christ man that will be revealed in the tribulation is the opposite of the Christ. Christ has already defeated Satan spiritually and in the tribulation He will defeat him physically at the second coming.

Originally posted by rollinTHUNDER
I don't have much time left tonight, but I believe that it is both, the spirit of non-believers and it is also referring to a specific man to come. 

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I know of 4 scripture passages that support the notion that "antichrist" is used to refer to the "spirit" of non believers, but I don't know of any scripture supporting the use of "antichrist" to describe a specific man to come.

Is there any particular scripture passage that leads you to the conclusion that "antichrist" is used to refer to a specific individual, or is it simply because the idea  sounds plausable to you?

Originally posted by Frank
You are contradicting yourself...

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How  ?

This is easy, anti-christ is definitely going to be a real singular person. Here is one passage: 2 Thes. 3-4.

Originally posted by ladylove
This is easy, anti-christ is definitely going to be a real singular person. Here is one passage: 2 Thes. 3-4.

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I'm sorry Ladylove, perhaps I didn't make myself clear.

I was looking for any passage in the bible where the term "antichrist" is used to refer to a single person.

2 Thess 3-4 does not qualify, for there is no mention of "antichrist" in that passage.

I do appriciate the effort however

Are you familiar with the book of Daniel? There is much to be said about his visions, although the word "antichrist" is not mentioned in his writings. But his visions go hand in hand with the book of Revelation, great insight to be found there. Take the time and try and understand his work; it is well worth it.
The fourth kingdom (which is yet in a future tense to all of us), is in regard to the final antichrist. Daniel 7 is the vision, and 8:23>> future tense. He also speaks of the abomination of desolation, which Jesus specifically told us to watch for; Daniel 11:29>>>future tense. Hope this helps.

Wildfire

Last dazed you make your request to narrow. If you look you can see it plainly in the passage that I gave you as the person of anti christ. Too bad. You see only what you want to see, not what is there.

All though the word Antichrist is not used , the majority of christians understand what that word means and who it applies to :




Eastons Bible Dictionary
Return to Easton's Main Index Nave's - Antichrist

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Antichrist


Antichrist - against Christ, or an opposition Christ, a rival Christ. The word is used only by the apostle John. Referring to false teachers, he says (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7), "Even now are there many antichrists."


(1.) This name has been applied to the "little horn" of the "king of fierce countenance" (Dan. 7:24, 25; 8:23-25).


(2.) It has been applied also to the "false Christs" spoken of by our Lord (Matt. 24:5, 23, 24).


(3.) To the "man of sin" described by Paul (2 Thess. 2:3, 4, 8-10).


(4.) And to the "beast from the sea" (Rev. 13:1; 17:1-18).

Nave's Topical Index
Return to Nave's Main Index Easton's - Antichrist

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Antichrist


ANTICHRIST ;

General scriptures concerning - Mt 24:5,23,24,26; Mr 13:6,21,22; Lu 21:8; 2Th 2:3-12; 1Jo 2:18,22; 4:3; 2Jo 1:7

To be destroyed - Re 19:20; 20:10,15

Home > Dictionaries > Smith's Bible Dictionary > Antichrist
Smith's Bible Dictionary

An’tichrist. [N] [T] [E] [H]

This term is employed by the apostle John alone, and is defined by him in a manner which leaves no doubt as to its intrinsic meaning. With regard to its application there is less certainty. In the first passage-- (1 John 2:18) --in which it occurs, the apostle makes direct reference to the false Christs whose coming, it had been fore-told, should mark the last days. In v. 22 we find, "he is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son;" and still more positively, "every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of antichrist." Comp. (2 John 1:7) From these emphatic and repeated definitions it has been supposed that the object of the apostle in his first epistle was to combat the errors of Cerinthus, the Docetae and the Gnostics on the subject of the Incarnation. (They denied the union of the divine and human in Christ.) The coming of Antichrist was (believed to be foretold in the "vile person" of Daniel’s prophecy, (Daniel 11:21) which received its first accomplishment in Antiochus Epiphanes but of which the complete fulfillment was reserved for the last times. He is identified with "the man of sin, the son of perdition." (2 Thessalonians 2:3) This interpretation brings Antichrist into close connection with the gigantic power of evil, symbolized by the "beast," (Revelation 13:1) ... who received his power from the dragon (i.e. the devil, the serpent of Genesis), continued for forty and two months, and was invested with the kingdom of the ten kings who destroyed the harlot Babylon, (Revelation 17:12,17) the city of seven hills. The destruction of Babylon is to be followed by the rule of Antichrist for a short period, (Revelation 17:10) to be in his turn overthrown in "the battle of that great day of God Almighty," (Revelation 16:14) with the false prophet and all his followers. Rev. 19. The personality of Antichrist is to be inferred as well from the personality of his historical precursor as from that of him to whom he stands opposed. Such an interpretation is to be preferred to that which regards Antichrist as the embodiment and personification of all powers and agencies inimical to Christ, or of the Antichristian might of the world.

So LastDazed, with all this mounting scriptural evidence, why the tunnel vision, hm?

I have some doubts as well...John specifically defines antichrist in his letters...no mention of any particular person...Revelations, written by the same John, makes no mention of THE ANTICHRIST...no mention of the term at all...I would just think if we as Christians should be looking for the antichrist, I would expect John to have mentioned it...

But honestly, this whole arguement is moot, because there is a character in Revelations that is against Christ and God...but I know I was surprised when I was told "antichrist" is not in Revelations...I always just assumed it was...even after reading it quite a few times...made me wonder how much of the Bible am I reading with my experience filters on...by that I mean how much do I allow things that I have always been told are true to effect how I read the Bible...
I tell you, when I started disregarding all that I had supposedly learned in classes, church, etc. and read the Bible for what it is...it has been the biggest eye opening experience...