The word is found only in Johns epistles, (a) of the many antichrists who are forerunners of the Antichrist himself,
I found this very interesting. Many years ago I had belonged to a cult for three years where they believed that the leader of that time was the second Prophet to the second coming of Christ. His name was William Branham. He taught this and his followers also believed this. When he had died in a car accident in 1965 his followers believed that he would raise from the dead. And they continued on with his false teachings.
He started out well, however somewhere along the way he had a nervous breakdown and then when he had recovered from that he was not the same, his teachings began to change.
The term that the followers today use is Branham was the Forerunner for the second coming of Christ. Just like John the Baptist was the forerunner for the first coming of Christ. They try to use verses found in the last chapter of Malachi and also in the NT where John the Baptist is mentioned.
Now we all know that this is not the case and never will be the case. I would consider Branham as a false prophet for his time period and even for this time. Yes he was also very charismatic. His followers to this day is also very charismatic.
He taught against the trinity, denied the Deity of Jesus Christ, called the Holy Spirit an IT, instead of referring the Holy Spirit to a person as a HE, Him, etc.
Women had to dress a certain way, with long dresses and long hair, with no make up. If they did then Branham would call then harlots or Jezebels. However his own daughters and wife trimmed their hair and wore pants in the home.
He taught that all the denominations were the harlots of the mother harlot of the Roman Catholic church. He also taught the book of Revelations wrong and with many false teachings.
This cult still exists to this day and there is the cult here in my city that I live in as we speak. I was part of that group.
The photos that were shown of Branham was also very questionable. However one would wonder what spirit was hovering over him. In one photo it literally looked like demons with fire around him. Which I saw this on a building once, the exact same structure, etc.
Branham always referred to his angel that he states he had around him. He never mentioned the Holy Spirit that was with him, always the angel. What angel? He never tested the spirits.
I could go on with this. As I mentioned earlier he started out well in in the right teaching and doctrines of the bible. But after the nervous breakdown, he was never the same after that.
Moriah Ruth