2 JOHN 7–11
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 John 7).
There are all kinds of theories about the Antichrist. Some say that there is no such thing as the Antichrist, since the only time the word antichrist appears is in 1 and 2 John, where it is used of anyone who opposes Christ and seeks to seduce us from Him.
Others, of course, argue that there is a person who either will or has already appeared on the scene of history, in whom the principle of antichrist is concentrated and who is to be the Antichrist. Some identify this Antichrist with the “Man of Sin” Paul mentions in 2 Thessalonians 2, or with the “beast” of Revelation 13, or with the “Little Horn” of Daniel, or with all of these and more.
Some hold that these predictions were fulfilled in the pivotal history of the first century. Early Roman emperors, such as Nero and Domitian, have been put forward as candidates, while others focus on the high priest and rulers of the Jews in Jerusalem who persecuted the early Christians before the destruction of that city. Others have looked for a personal Antichrist to appear at the end of history, just before Christ returns. At various times, certain figures have been identified as this “last days Antichrist,” including various popes and political monsters like Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin.
This list of candidates points out another difference in approach, which is that some see the Antichrist as a religious figure, arising out of first century Judaism or out of the church at the end of history. Others see him as a political figure, such as Nero or a future world emperor.
We will not settle this dispute today. Perhaps there is a sense in which the answer is “all of the above,” because as John tells us, there is always a principle of antichrist operating in the world and in the church.
CORAM DEO
Ezekiel 7–9
Hebrews 10
By telling us to be on the alert, the Bible goes against a false piety that ignores the reality of antichrists in the church and society. Who are some antichrists that your Christian community is facing today? What qualifies them as antichrists? What are you doing about them? Use Psalms 58 and 109 as your prayer as you confront the antichrists of today.
For further study: 1 John 2:18–27; The Last Days series
thursday
november