The Preaching of the Antichrist (1500-1504) – fresco at Chapel of San Brizio in Orvieto Catheral in Umbria, Italy by Luca Signorell
Antichrist,
or Anti-Christ, is a person prophesied by the Bible to oppose Christ.
Etymology
Antichrist
is translated from the combination of two ancient Greek words ἀντί + Χριστός (anti + Christos). "Ἀντί"
means not only anti in the sense of "against" and "opposite of",
but also "in place of".
Misconception
The
name itself often misled us to think that the character was depicted in the
Book of Revealation, as it seems best fit in the Apocalyptic scene.
Antichrist in Bible
In
fact, the use of the term “antichrist” occurs
only in the Johannine epistles. It is
only found used 5 times in the Bible : 4 times in the First Epistle of John,
and 1 time in the Second Epistle of John.
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18 Dear
children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists
have come. NIV 1
John 2:18
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22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is
the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying
the Father and the Son. NIV
1 John 2:22
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2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God:
Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is
not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,
which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. NIV
1 John 4:2-3
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7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not
acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the
world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. NIV
2 John 1:7
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Similar Character in Bible
Consequently, attention for an
individual Antichrist figure focuses on the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians,
but the term "antichrist" is never used in this passages.
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1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and
our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not
to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from
us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the
day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you
in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man
of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He
will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is
worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to
be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 |
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7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at
work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is
taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed,
whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy
by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one
will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays
of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all
the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish
because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
2 Thessalonians 2:7-10 |
Pseudochrist in Bible
Similar
word “pseudochrist”, which means “false messiah” is often used by Jesus. But both words were never used interchangeably.
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For false messiahs and false prophets will
appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. NIV Matthew 24:24 & Mark 15:22 |
FACTS about Antichrist
1.
the antichrist has already appeared. (NIV 1 John 2:18 & 1 John 4:2-3)
2.
there are many antichrists (NIV 1 John 2:18)
3.
Antichrist denies the Father and The Son (NIV 1 John 2:22)
4.
Antichrist denies that Jesus Christ does not come in the flesh is from God (NIV 1 John 4:2-3 & 2 John 1:7)
5. in wider sense, Antichrist is the Deceiver of Truth (NIV 2 John 1:7), Liar (NIV 1 John 2:22),. Thus to deny Truth or lie about Truth (presenting half-Truth), itself is antichrist.
See also : False Prophets
