Who Is the Antichrist? Part 1    03.2008

Part 1

"Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 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 Th 2:3-4)

All of you have probably heard as many suggestions as we have of who the antichrist might be. The speculations are almost endless. Here are just a few possible candidates that have been suggested over the past decades: Henry Kissinger, Michail Gorbatjev, Hitler (coming back to life), Prince Charles, Tony Blair, George Bush Jr and Javier Solana.

In a series of articles, we will try to see if it is possible to find out from the Scriptures who the antichrist is. What does the Bible actually say about him? We will discover that God has given us a lot of information about the antichrist in the Scriptures that can help us to know who he is.

The Bible explains that before the Messiah is revealed from heaven in power and great glory, the antichrist must appear first. One of the objects of this teaching is to show that we might very well be near the revelation of the antichrist and we must be alert and watch in prayer. This is a very serious issue.

In order to understand who the antichrist is, we first of all want to point out that the word "anti" does not only mean "against" but also "instead of" or "in place of." The antichrist is in other words not just an enemy of the Messiah, but he is someone who wants to take the place of the Messiah, or replace the Messiah. The antichrist will be a false copy of the true Messiah, and he will try to copy the real as much as possible.

Aramaic is a Semitic language, almost identical to the language of Yeshua and all the apostles. The Aramaic New Testament uses the expression "false messiah" instead of the word antichrist. This confirms that antichrist is primarily referring to a false messiah. This is the predominant meaning of the word antichrist. As a counterfeit the antichrist will try to look as much like the real one as possible.

 

Since the destiny of the Messiah is to one day rule the nations from the Temple Mount (Ez 43:6-7, Ps 132:13-14, Lk 1:31-33, and Ac 13:34), the antichrist will try to do the same. Yeshua confirms this in several passages. "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." (Mt 24:15-16) This prophecy was partially fulfilled in 70 CE when the Roman legions in an act of worship placed their signs in the Temple before it was destroyed. But there will also be a final end time fulfillment because Yeshua spoke primarily about the signs preceding his return and the end of the age. Notice that he says, "let the reader understand". He was not just speaking to those who were listening to him.

We must also bear in mind that the Bible does not talk just about one antichrist, but many. "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." (1 Jn 2:18) One common characteristic of all antichrist figures is that they in one way or another are connected with Jerusalem and/or the Jewish people. Specifically we need to keep our eyes on the Temple Mount.

Someone Close to Yeshua

The following verse in John's first epistle shows us another important aspect. The Apostle John writes about the antichrists, "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." (1 Jn 2:19) This means that the antichrist will come out from the context of those who believe in Yeshua. He will not be a stranger to the gospel.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the antichrist is also called "the man doomed to destruction." There are only two persons in the Bible with that title, the antichrist and Judas Iscariot. In John 17:12 Yeshua prayed, "While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled."

Judas Iscariot is in other words one of the pictures of the antichrist in the Bible. Judas was one of the apostles closest to Yeshua, evidenced by the fact that he sat next to him during the last Passover. Judas Iscariot was the only one of the apostles who did not come from the despised area of Galilee. He was from Judah and probably of priestly lineage, which is why he held the honored seat at the table. He was also trusted with the treasury and was highly respected among the apostles. In the end, however, he betrayed Yeshua with a kiss.

Psalm 55:12-14 says about Judas,

"If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God."

The one who betrayed Yeshua and who is a pattern for the coming antichrist was a close, trusted, covenant partner to Yeshua. How sobering this is to think about. How great the potential will be, even for Christians, to be fooled by the antichrist! We are warned in Scripture that the antichrist will be a master deceiver who will fool all who refuse to love the truth. He is in fact called "the liar" and "the deceiver." "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." (2 Jn v. 7) See also 1 Jn 2:22.

Paul wrote:

"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie." (2 Th 2:9-11)

Matthew 24:24-25 says, "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect — if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." Yeshua prayed to the Father, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." (Jn 17:17) It is only by loving the truth of God's Word, by studying it and obeying it that we can escape the deception of the antichrist because he will so closely resemble the real Messiah!

The Jewish people had to choose between a Savior and a murderer. "So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, 'Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?'" (Mt 24:17) Early Syrian manuscripts of this text calls Barabbas "Jesus Barabbas." The name Barabbas means "Son of the Father." This means that the Jewish people had to choose between "Jesus, Son of the Father" and "Jesus who is called Christ." That is how closely their names matched! In the end times it is Christianity's turn to choose between the Messiah and a false one who will attempt to resemble the real one as much as possible. It will be a choice between the Lamb and someone who look like a lamb but will speak like a dragon (Rev 13:11) – a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The Man of Lawlessness

We have so far seen that the antichrist will be a deceiver who will look as much as possible like the real Messiah. He will be a false Messiah. He will emerge from a Biblical or Christian context and environment. He will be a master deceiver that will fool all who do not love the truth, in order to take the place of the real Messiah.

The next feature of the antichrist that we want to look at is described in Dan 7:25 about "the little horn", another title of the antichrist in the Scriptures. "He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time."

The antichrist will look very much like the real Messiah, but he will rebel against Moses. He will hate the Torah, God's Law, and will change the "set times," which is referring to God's appointed Feasts, and he will change God's commandments. Paul confirms this by calling the antichrist "the lawless one" and also "the man of lawlessness." We can call him "the man without Moses." Paul is very clearly referring to Daniel 7:25 when he makes a very similar description of the antichrist,

"Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 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. …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. And then the lawless one will be revealed." (2 Th 2:3-4,7-8)

Notice that Paul talks about the rebellion, in Greek apostasia, as a specific rebellion with a definite article. Since Biblical times the Jewish people have, based partly on Dan 7:25, spoken about an "antimessiah," who will rebel against Moses and change God's laws. This was the reason for the serious problem facing Paul in Jerusalem. "Then they said to Paul: 'You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away [Gr. apostasia] from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.'" (Ac 21:20-21)

The leaders in Jerusalem proceeded to tell Paul what to do in order to stop the false rumors, saying that he was in essence an antimessiah preaching apostasia from Moses. Paul listened to this advice and proved that he had not turned away from Moses but lived in obedience to the Law.

The Greek word apostasia, translated also as "falling away" or "apostasy," only occurs twice in the New Testament, in Acts 21 and 2 Thessalonians 2. In both instances it has to do with rebelling or falling away from Moses. Paul speaks about the mystery of lawlessness that will prepare the way for the antichrist, the lawless one.

Please remember that it is the antichrist that will rebel against Moses and do away with the Law. The real Messiah is the complete opposite. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Mt 5:17) Let us not be fooled!

Anti Semitism

The Bible does not only talk about the antichrist, but also about the “spirit of the antichrist”. The Apostle John wrote,

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." (1 Jn 4:1-3 NKJV)

Please note here that the spirit of the antichrist denies the human side of Yeshua. The Apostle John explains that "every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist." The Gnostics believed that the Messiah is a spirit or spirit being, and that this spirit could come on many people, not just on one. The human person does not matter. Only the spirit is important. This spirit that denies that the human side of Yeshua is the Messiah is the spirit of the antichrist.

Paul explains the most important feature about the human side of Messiah in Romans 1:1-4

"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." (NKJV)

That the Messiah has come in the flesh according to the Scriptures as the seed of David is not recognized by the spirit of the antichrist. It is however a very important part of the gospel. Look how central this was in the preaching of Paul on his first missionary journey with Barnabas.

"After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. …The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.'" (Acts 13:22-23,34)

Paul wrote in 2 Tim 2:8, "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel."

Notice also Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost,

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay." (Acts 2:29-31)

The significance of Yeshua being the son of David is that he is a Jew. He is the King of Israel destined to take up the throne of his father David in Jerusalem. The spirit of the antichrist has no problem with the spiritual, divine side of the Messiah, but it does not recognize who he is in the flesh. The antichrist will be an anti-Semite who will hate the Jewish people. In order to usurp the place of the real Messiah he will set out to destroy the Jewish people.

In the next article we will look further into the subject of who the antichrist is. It is an extremely serious issue facing every believer in these days.

Read: "Who Is the Antichrist? Part 2"

 

"Prepare the Way for the LORD"