There is a system of belief that is held by many today, that the prince spoken of in Daniel, the he of Thessalonians and the beast of Revelation is the antichrist.  This topic has become an obsession for the Church. Every time you turn around there is a book written, a message preached, and a movie shown about this dark and fearsome future dictator. Unfortunately such terms as "antichrist, rapture and second coming are assumed". Men have coined and created words to describe certain prophetic views, each with its own set of religious baggage. We want to bring to light one of these views, antichrist, man or myth.  This is a sacred cow to most of Christendom and it hinges on everything they believe. There are only five places the word, antichrist is found in the bible, the book of Revelation, Daniel and Thessalonians are not among them.

 

The word antichrist is found exclusively in Johns epistles, 1 John 2:18 twice, verse 22, 1 John 4:3 and 2 john 1:7. The word antichrist is transliterated from anticristos and made up of two words, anti meaning instead of and cristos meaning anointed. Vines adds that anticristos means instead of Christ or one who assumes the identity of Christ. Sounds more like a mistake in identity to me. The confusion arises because of 2 misconceptions. .(a) treating every biblical references as it refers to the same person, thereby creating a composite figure that is not found in the word of God and (b) mistaking the time period in which these  fearsome figures are to appear.  Untold millions of Christians live in fear, bound by what has been preached to them as truth. They live in fear hoping to be raptured out of here before this fearsome creature takes over and unleashes hell on earth. This type of fear tactic and interpretation has not added anything to our spiritual understanding and growth in God.

 

When I was a young Christian, a book was written called, the late great planet earth. The author wrote this in 1970 and repeated himself in 1977,  it was his personal opinion that the antichrist is alive somewhere now. We have heard such names as Nero, Henry Kissinger, Mussolini, John F Kennedy and the Pope; the list could go on and on. All of these individuals had one thing in common; they were all labeled with the fear inspiring title of antichrist. When that so called leader dies and moves on from the scene, they choose someone else as a probable candidate. Why do so many today warn of the antichrist, yet misunderstand who or what this person is? Everything about this man predicted by so many is a myth, and has no biblical truth.  This is all formed by the carnal mind of man who does not understand the things of the spirit.

 

 

1 John 2:18 says, Little children, it is the last time and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists, wherefore we know that it is the last time. When John wrote these words, the coming of antichrist herald the last time.  Since there were at that time many antichrists, this proved he himself was living then in the last time. From this verse we see the last days or last time had already began in the days of John. The spirit of antichrist was already in the world. This is important to the spiritual mind since John who defines antichrist for us in his first two letters is the same John who wrote the book of revelation. It is remarkable that a word so characteristic of the school of John DOES NOT APPEAR in the book of Revelation.

 

This is very interesting, 2 John 1:7 says, For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and antichrist. The word for deceiver is planos and means roving, imposter and misleader. We know an imposter is one who assumes the identity of another. Jesus said all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers. We need to understand it is the old man identity that robs us of life, peace and joy. It is the deceiver (the thought process) that leads us astray to believe that our identity lies in the flesh and not the spirit, that we are human beings separate from God. The spirit of antichrist is the old identity which opposes the Christ consciousness in us,  usurping that place which rightly belongs to the Christ. This spirit of antichrist or old identity was in Johns day and it is still in the world today, leading astray and blinding creation to their true identity.

 

Johns knowledge of coming antichrists was taken from Matthew 24:29.  Jesus was bringing to light what has already been. When John wrote this epistle he was speaking to little children. So he transposes antichrist from the future to the present.  We can conclude that it is unscriptural to use the term antichrist for a present day or future political ruler. The man of sin is not the man we are told shall appear in some distant future but one that continually rises up against the Christ consciousness seeking to deny its reality and existence.

 

In closing Jesus said, when the spirit of truth is come, he will lead us into all truth, and to those who deny the Christ themselves or substitute some outward form or identity for the inward anointed one and does not allow the life of the unveiling Christ to be their all in all are such as watch the sepulcher of Christ the temple of the living God for signs and are afraid that Christ should arise and give them light (understanding). This beloved is the spirit of antichrist. This is what mans traditions, beliefs and doctrines have done, it has robbed the people of God of their very life and existence.  When Jesus declared it is finished, all things being now fulfilled, we must see that all things have been accomplished, that there is no power where we are but the power of God and the Christ consciousness functioning in us as us. This can only come to us by the Christ mind ruling and reigning in us.

 

May your eyes turn inward where Christ is seated and watch daily as he arises to fill all our earth.

 

Namaste,

 

Winston & Sarah