John, in 1John2:18 doesn't refer to the person as a false Christ.
false Christs to arise are persons claiming to be Jesus. Jose Miranda, Visarion, John Miller, to name a few.
No, not according to context:
Matthew 24:4-5
- "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
- For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
MANY shall come "In Christ’s name." That's the key. They come not as Jesus Christ Himself, but
in Christ's name! In other words, they claim they are Christian by claiming to be representative of Christ. And their deception
obviously is their false teachings made to appear to be the words of Christ, in whose name they come. You see, Satan has never come in any "one" way, because he is a subtle, crafty and sly spirit. So he comes teaching man looking just like he was Christ. A antichrist is a SPIRIT feigning having salvation! But it is a Church with a spirit that is not Christ, but a Pseudo Christ. Selah!
2nd Corinthians 11:13-15
- "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
- And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
- Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
Satan works through the deceit of men, not by osmosis. Satan works through the man of sin,
not through the mentally ill man claiming he literally is Christ Himself. Satan comes as a messenger of light, subtly appearing like Christ, through men! Through the lawless man ruling in the Temple "as if" he was God. For example, man forsaking the laws of God, while claiming to be of God. That's the false Christ that "WILL" deceive many, not a lunatic literally claiming to be Christ. That's what makes it such a strong deceiving and so difficult to discern for many who are not elect. Because Satan doesn't come with a fish hook tail, a pitch fork and two horns on his head, like most professing Christians surmise. They erroneously think they can readily recognize Satan in the Church.
Not so. Because false christs and false prophets come
quoting scripture,
explaining away doctrines with crafty speeches,
preaching peace and love, playing on humanistic emotionalism and
saying God bless you. That's how Satan comes! And that is
why it is such
strong delusion, even the Elect. A lunatic claiming to be Christ Himself won't deceive many.
So the context of this passage is of a time where the faithful Christians are hated for their strict views, persecuted and reviled as legalistic, and the Church has become apostatized where false Christs and prophets abound. Here is when people are telling them that Christ is here and there among them, even though they can't or don't see Him. Then don't go forth. Much like today where people will tell you that their Churches are filled with the Holy Spirit and
though the Word is not faithfully kept there, Christ is there concealed
because that's His Church. Christ is saying, don't believe it.
Matthew 24:23-25
- "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
- For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
- Behold, I have told you before."
Most people, like you, think Matthew 24:26 is telling them that there will be a time when a bunch of people will claim to actually be Christ himself
and deceive many. Many false Christs doesn't mean many people claiming to actually be Christ. That "should be" ridiculous to serious Christians,
because some lunatics claiming that they are Christ are not going to deceive many. At best a few gullible folk. But Christ is speaking of
a much more dastardly, insidious and effective deception. A time when false Christians full of deceit and transforming themselves so that people will "believe" that they are the apostles of Christ (2Co 11:13-15), tell them theirs is Christ's Church. His body. They believe that Christ is among them, even though "you" clearly cannot see Him. Well, Christ is
warning us in cryptic language, if they claim he is in the desert, we are not to believe them. For the desert is a dry and thirsty ground without water. In other words, the church is where you can see that she is not nurtured with Gospel water - a desert! If they claim he is in the secret chambers or (in other words) is concealed among them,
believe it not! For if Christ is hidden, He is hidden to them that believe not. Christ is saying if you don't see Him there, He isn't there, for Christ is not hidden to you. If you see lawlessness, that's what's there. If you see abomination stand in the Holy Place where Christ should stand, then flee to the Mountain Retreat which is
The Kingdom Refuge found only in God's holy Spiritual mountain. His people are secured in that refuge, while the unfaithful will remain in unfaithful church, not aware that they are under judgement of God. The judgment of Babylon the Great where the True Elect mourned for her fall from afar off!
And you are incorrect to think that the "false christs" are only those who claim to be Jesus Christ himself. Rather the false christs are the pastors, deacons, leaders, who claim to be Christian or have knowledge of the Gospel, but their doctrines is of the devil. For example, a pastor who told the congregation that God loves gay people and that we should welcome them, even promote them as pastors! Or tell them that divorce is a necessarily evil because God only wants to see you happy. Or telling them that God sees woman as equal to man that she should be able to be pastor to her church. Or telling them that if they don't pay tithes, they will not be blessed financially, or learn how to built wealth, etc. They are the false christs and prophets that can deceive very many people with lyings signs and wonders (false doctrines).
