THE ANTICHRIST

1 John 2:18

Morning Meditation 11/9/14

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrists shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time."

John says as an old man, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, "Little children, it is the last time:" and he gives as the reason, "and as ye have heard that antichrists shall come." Then he has something to say that should claim our attention, "even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." John says that the fact that there are many antichrists on the scene that this was a definite indication that it was the last time. Some have a problem believing that the apostles believed in the imminent return of Christ. Well, if the above verse does not convince them, I'm not sure they have enough brains to be accountable.

1 John 2:22, "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."

John identifies what to look for in antichrist. There will be many antichrist's before THE Antichrist. But the little one's help to identify the main one and the one that will come in these last days. John says anyone who denies that Jesus in the Christ is an antichrist. He also call him a liar. He says that he is an antichrist that denies the Father and the Son.

1 John 2:23, "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." This means that there are a host of professing Christians who are not saved. This is what John says and I'm going to have to take John's side since he wrote by the inspiration of God.

1 John 4:3, "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

So John identifies the "spirit" of antichrist as being in the world in his day. He says, "and even now already is in the world." It would be safe to say that Satan has been working to produce the man of sin or the antichrist ever since the Church began.

I want us to look at the antichrist especially in the Book of 2 Thessalonians. Let's look first at,

THE RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST

It will be after the saints are gathered together unto Christ: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand."

This letter was written by Paul to correct a misunderstand about the coming of Christ. They were looking for His imminent return, but Paul corrects this by:

1. Making an appeal based to the rapture, called "the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him." We have not been gathered together unto Him yet.

2. Urging them not to allow those who are making false claims to disturb their minds. The words, "shaken in mind" translates, "saleuo," and means, "to shake thoroughly, of a measure filled by shaking its contents together, to cast down from one's (secure and happy) state." These people were in a tranquil state of continual revival looking for the soon coming of Christ. These false teachers were trying to take away their tranquility and claim that they at the moment in the tribulation period.

3. Paul warns them about accepting any so-call quotes from him making such a claim, or any spurious letters teaching false doctrine wherein it was claimed that Paul wrote saying the day of the Lord is at hand.

4. What Paul wrote under the inspiration of God was absolutely perfect. It is what we call the infallible, inerrant, verbally inspired Word of God that has been forever settled in heaven; Psalms 119:89, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Is it difficult to see in this verse that God's Word is in concrete and will never be changed on this earth or in heaven? When Paul told this church about the rapture of the church in 1 Thessalonians nothing needed to be repeated because God does not change.

5. Tozer says, "In this world where men forget us, change their attitude toward us as their private interests dictate, and revise their opinion of us for the slightest cause, is it not a source of wondrous strength to know that the God with whom we have to do changes not? That His attitude toward us now is the same as it was in eternity past and will be in eternity to come?"

Fountain of being! Source of Good!

Immutable Thou dost remain!

Nor can the shadow of a change

Obscure the glories of Thy reign.

Earth may with all her powers dissolve,

If such the great Creator will;

But Thou for ever art the same,

I AM is Thy memorial still

--From Walker's Collection

The condition of the church was revealed by Paul:

THERE WILL BE A GREAT APOSTASY

2 Thessalonians 2:3, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"

1. When Paul says, "for that day shall not come" he is definitely speaking of the rapture of the saints. He speaks of this also in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. He says in verse 18, "Wherefore comfort with these words." It wouldn't be much comfort to think of the rapture if it came after the rise of antichrist and the things brought on this earth by the wrath of God.

2. Then he adds, "except there come a falling away first." There are some who believe that the word "apostasia" translated "falling away" is speaking of the rapture. But the context is completely out of keeping with such an interpretation. This age will end with a violent rebellion against God and His Word. This is taking place today. Some of the apostasy is seen in the confusion of the modern translations of the Bible. There is so much difference in the meaning of these translations that a person would be as confused as a termite in a yo yo if he tried to find the truth. God gave us the right translation of the Bible in the King James Version because it is translated from the right Greek text. Your translation can be no better than the text from which it is translated.

3.. The first things is the falling away, then the man of sin will be revealed. He is called by John "the son of perdition." There is only two places where this phrase is used. Jesus said in John 17:12, "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." Then Paul says in our text: 2 Thessalonians 2:3, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" Some people believe this is the return of Judas. I do not believe that at all. I do believe that antichrist will be like Judas in that he will hate Christ and His people and will destroy them.

Note next,

THE BLASPHEME OF ANTICHRIST

2 Thessalonians 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."

1. Antichrist will oppose God. The word "oppose" translates, "antikeimai" and means, "to oppose, be adverse to, withstand." There is no fear of God before this man's eyes.. Romans 3:18 says in describing what man is by nature, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Now he has to believe that there is a God to directly oppose Him.

2. He will exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped." To a person who is saved, it is the most fearsome thing that one could possibly do to do what is described in this text. But I remind you that this is a man possessed. He is possessed by Lucificer i.e., Satan who attempted this in the first creation.

Ezekiel 28:13-18, "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee."

Isaiah 14:12-17, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 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: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?"

Antichrist has nothing to lose to blaspheme God. He is on his way from ancient days to his final place of punishment. He is taking a host of God's creation with him. Matthew 25:41, "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" Hell wasn't made for man. Man goes to hell as an intruder. Isaiah 5:14 says, "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it." Next,

THE SUDDEN DESTRUCTION OF ANTICHRIST

2 Thessalonians 2:8, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:"

Jesus only has to speak the word and the antichrist who seemed so powerful to man will literally disintegrate. The brightness of the glory of God will be like the flash of the atomic bomb. When the atomic bomb went off in Japan, many were so completely destroyed that only a shadow was left of them on the concrete where they stood.

THE DIABOLICAL WORD OF ANTICHRIST BEFORE HE IS DESTROYED

He will have power to work miracles and by this he will convince most that he is god. Don't underestimate the power of Satan in that day. He has power today but nothing like the power he will exert at that time.

He will have special powers to deceive. He will not deceive the saved but he will deceive the unsaved. All the saved will be raptured out before he is revealed. But the two witnesses will win the 144,000 out of the twelve tribes of Israel who are mentioned in Revelation 7 and they will have one of the greatest revivals that has ever been. But they will not be those who had a chance to be saved before the rapture. And many of them will die for their testimony of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Antichrist will make the claim of being god. 2 Thessalonians 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." This is nothing short of blaspheme.

THE POWER OF ANTICHRIST TO DECEIVE HIS FOLLOWERS

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

1. He will have the power to completely deceive those who perish (a word that describes the unsaved).

2. God will send them a strong delusion that they might believe the lie. The word "delusion" translates "plane" and means, "error, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion."

3. This strong delusion will seal the doom of those who accept antichrist as the Christ. One can step across a line beyond which there is no return. This is exactly what these have done. Proverbs 29:1, "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

4. God drew a line in Noah's day. When the line was crossed no one was saved. Genesis 6:3, "And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts. We need to win the lost while there is time.

In Christ

Bro. White