Amen
Randy, I would be interested in knowing what verses support a future reign of "a" anti-Christ.
Here are the verses that talk about an AC.
1 John 2:22
Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:3
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
1 John 2:18
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh This is the deceiver and the antichrist
Here is what I see.
The anti-Christ was first century.
I believe these verses refer to the Jews of the first century. I do not believe theses verse refer to Nero or Titus.
The word Antichrist is only found 4 times in all of Scripture. It is not found in the Book of Revelation. It is not the same as the Beast.
I sincerely believe John (an apostle to the Jews according to Gal. 2) wrote it in a veiled way to condemn the unbelieving Jews he was ministering to in Jerusalem:
1. Denies the Father and the Son. (they deny the Trinity and that the Father and Son are One)
2. Does not confess Jesus is from God
3. Who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. In other words they deny the Incarnation, God becoming man in the flesh. (They acknowledge that Jesus came and existed but that he was a demon who led Israel astray.)
Reason it out from the 4 passages!
The anti-Christ Is not a single individual but ANYONE (apostate Jews and all) who denies the deity of Christ, the oneness of Christ with the Father (ie. the Trinity) and deny that Christ the Messiah was incarnate/ came in the flesh. All Muslims are anti-Christ; all unbelievers are anti-Christ; all Jews who deny that Jesus is the Messiah are anti-Christ.
It is not to be associated with the Beast exclusively, though he himself was antichrist as well!
Notice also John says they are living in the "last hour!" when he wrote 1 John in the 60's AD! He says it twice in 1 John 2: 18.
The last hour of WHAT? He knows the end is near when he wrote this in the 60's AD!
70 AD was coming for the Jews!
Food for thought anyway...
Regards,
Blue
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