Antichrists- Part 1

First John 2:18-27 contrasts Christians with Antichrists. Verse 18 says, "Ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists, by which we know that it is the last time."

That verse introduces a term that is very familiar to Christians: Antichrists. This is the first time it appears in the Bible. The only writer to use the word is John, and then only in his epistles.

It appears again in verse 22: "He is Antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son." First John 4:3 says, "This is that spirit of Antichrist, of which ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world." And 2 John 7 says, "This is a deceiver and an Antichrist."

The Spirit of the Antichrist

The Bible teaches that when the Antichrist comes in the end times, he will try to be the Christ that men are looking for. I believe he will take advantage of the turbulent times in which we are living and bring about a false sense of peace. Later he will turn against Christ.

Then the Bible also speaks of a “spirit of Antichrist.” The spirit of Antichrist has always been in the world. It has manifested itself both in open opposition to Christ and in subtle attempts to replace Christ.

* The spirit of Antichrist was in the Garden when Eden was deceived into disobeying God and eating of the forbidden fruit.

* The spirit of Antichrist was in Egypt when the Egyptians made the Israelites slaves and attempted to kill all the male children of Israel.

* The spirit of Antichrist was in Persia when Haman was filled with wrath as he saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage. It was the spirit of Antichrist that moved Haman to destroy all the Jews.

* The spirit of Antichrist was in Judea when Herod sought to kill Jesus by putting to death all the male children two years old and under who were in Bethlehem.

* The spirit of Antichrist was in Germany when Hitler sought to exterminate the Jews by killing millions of them in what we know as the Holocaust.

* The spirit of Antichrist is still prevalent in places like Indonesia and other Islamic countries where Christians and Jews are being murdered at an alarming rate.

* The spirit of Antichrist is still prevalent in our own country where the Bible and Christians symbols are being removed from our courts and parks and schools and books and flags and seals in an attempt to erase from history the biblical and Christian roots of our nation and society.

* The spirit of Antichrist is still alive and active. John writes in verse 18 of our text, "Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour."

Mankind has always sensed there is a power in the universe that is against God. Apart from the Bible's teaching on Satan, men know there is good and evil in the universe.

Hollywood has often illustrated the struggle of good against evil in the movies and on television.

* The westerns have both lawmen and the outlaws.

* Dramas have cops and robbers

* The popular Star Wars series depicts a good force and a dark side of the force.

* There is the Agent Smith of the movie The Matrix

* The Power Puff Girls are constantly battling with MoJo-JoJo

Hollywood has often illustrated one’s struggle to obey God or go against him by depicting a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.

But the spirit of Antichrist was present long before Hollywood’s depictions.

1. The Babylonian legend

One of the earliest written records of conflict between good and evil comes from Babylonian history. The Babylonians believed that the earth was created. This legend held that there was a god named Marduk who conquered an evil sea monster named Tiamat. But Marduk did not kill Tiamat.

The Babylonians taught that a final battle would occur in the end times when Tiamat would wake up and fight against Marduk. That legend gives credence to the human understanding that good and evil continue to co-exist and will engage in ultimate conflict.

2. The Old Testament acknowledgment

The Old Testament acknowledges the existence of such legends by its use of similar imagery.

a) Isaiah 51:9--In referring to the arm of the Lord, Isaiah said God wounded a sea-monster (KJV, "dragon"). To make his point, Isaiah was borrowing from the pagan belief that a monster represented evil in the world.

b) Isaiah 27:1--"The Lord with his hard and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan, the piercing serpent, even leviathan, that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the sea- monster that is in the sea."