Season: 10 Episode: 150
Listen to episode 146 in Spanish:
Summary:
In today’s episode, we’re diving into a topic that stopped me in my tracks during my study of 1 John: “Many antichrists have come.” What does that even mean? And how does it connect to the Antichrist we hear about in end-times prophecy?
Here’s what we’re unpacking:
- What does the term “antichrist” actually mean?
- Who are the antichrists John talks about—and are they in the church today?
- What does Scripture really say about the coming Antichrist?
- And how should we respond when we recognize antichrist attitudes or teachings in the body of Christ?
Grab your Bible, maybe a journal, and let’s talk about the spirit of antichrist—and how to stand firm in the last days.
Welcome back to another episode of the Her Faith Inspires podcast where we take cultural issues and examine them through the lens of biblical truth. In today’s episode I’m going to share with you something I’ve been studying in 1 John. It’s not necessarily about the end times, but I guess we’ll end up getting to that in this episode because when you talk about the anti-Christ that’s typically were people’s minds go – to that one figure who sets himself up against God in the final days before Christ’s coming. We’ll get to it soon.
Between The Lines
First, we have to get to our Between The Lines segment where I share some behind the scenes life stuff that you won’t hear in my regular content. But as I’ve been thinking on this lately, I want to make it (when I can) something I’ve learned or am learning that might be helpful for you. I have a mentee and she’s 25 and I see the value in the mentorship of older women teaching the younger women. It’s an example from Titus 2. I’d like to do an episode on that soon and why it’s so important you find a mentor yourself and then find a mentee you can mentor. We all need someone who’s been through the seasons we’re in to help us out. I don’t know why this is a lost thing within the church. Make mentorship great again!
So, I have big news for this one. My middle son is engaged. He’s 19. He’ll be 20 in July, and the reason I’ve been melancholy lately is because I knew he was proposing this week. He told me about a month ago and then he told his dad right after. It’s so weird because I’m so excited and happy. It’s hard to explain. And It’s that thing about most women that most guys don’t understand. Like, how can you be so happy yet also sad at the same time? I think the word for it is bitter-sweet.
Boy Mom
Like I said a few weeks ago, moms mourn the loss of their child needing them like they’ve always needed them. And I wrote a bible study called Boy Mom in 2018 or 2019 and I wrote then that I knew one day I was going to have to let my boys leave me and cleave to their wives. They will start a new family with the one God brings to them and makes them one with. I have to be ok with that. I have to encourage and support that because if I don’t I am going against God’s design for marriage and the family. And my future DIL is not hard to love. She has set the bar for the other girls who will come into this family in the future.
So I am so excited.
In fact, over the last 8 months she and I workout together 4 days a week and I make her breakfast after. Me, and her mom, and her talk long walks on the trail each Thursday and we eat at a coffee shop in town. Her mom reached out and set that up last fall. So the Lord is good. And I am really excited for what the future holds. I’m just a little sad that my boy grew up so fast.
My SIL from Cali and I were texting back and forth last week and I told her that I don’t know that any amount of time would be enough for me. I think we always want more of the good things, right? When someone passes away, don’t you want one more hug or one more conversation? But even if you got one more it wouldn’t be enough. I think what we have to remember is that all we get is the moment we’re in. And that goes for anything in life.
I always ask myself, “If you never see that person again, will you have any regrets for how you treated them or the time you didn’t spend?” I never want to have regrets over not seeing my parents, or at least doing what I can do to make things work with the people in my life who want to be in it. I think we have to be mindful of that in marriage, in parenting, and in any relationship we want to invest in and make work.
Do Both
The thing I’m learning from all of this (because like I said a few weeks ago, it’s hard to find moms who can say we can do both – grieve and understand this is God’s design) is we cannot let our kids see us cry. This is what I mean. When my son came to me (and I am honored he told me first) I accidentally cried. And when I cry, he cries. He’s the only one of my boys who cries when I cry. So I wiped my tears and told him I wasn’t sad. He didn’t believe me. But I tried. I’ve really been good lately but it’s hard.
In my study BoyMom, I knew those words would come back to haunt me one day. And in reality, they haunt all of us. God calls moms to link hearts with their kids and then their kids link hearts with someone else – boy or girl. I can’t see beyond this moment because I’ve never been past it. I assume gets a little easier with each child. But I do know that can be sad and we can go into our rooms and tell the Lord we need a minute because it’s hard to let go.
But don’t you dare walk out of that room without wiping your tears. Don’t more for the blessings God is bestowing upon your kids and your family. Don’t mourn when God is answering the prayers you’ve prayed for years. And don’t make your kids feel bad about God’s blessings in their lives. That’s my burden to bear, not my kids. And really, is it a burden?
So that’s what I’m learning and thinking on lately. I hope it helps you when you get sad about your kids growing up. I think it’s a mama thing.
The Anti-Christ
Here’s what we’re going to talk about today:
- What does Anti-Christ mean and who are anti-Christs?
- What does the Bible say about the Anti-Christ and his appearance?
- What should we do about those who are anti-christ in the church?
Anti-Christs
1 John is a wonderful book to study. I’ve been studying with the Life Change Bible Series but wanted more so I got the John MacArthur Bible Study and he adds more Greek words and commentary. I just want to study and know it so deeply. One of the things I came across the other day as when John said, “Many anti-Christs have come.” It intrigued me and when I’m intrigued I like to talk about it and that’s where you come in.
Let me read you the passage and then we’ll go from there. As always, I encourage you to read the entire chapter – or even the book – for full context. I’m going to read Ch 2:18-27. And once I read it I’m going to recap a few things of the overall book and theme of 1 John and then we’ll get into the anti-Christs and Anti-Christ.
15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[c]—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Warning Concerning Antichrists
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.[d] 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father.
Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us[e]—eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”
John mentions many anti-christ have already come here. Before I expand on what that means, let me tell you about John’s purpose in writing this letter. John was addressing Jesus Christ’s deity and the fact that He came to earth in bodily form.
The heresy coming from false teachers in the church made two clams that John had to address:
- That Jesus’ physical body was not real but seems physical. This is known as Docetism. John opened his epistle by reassuring the church that he is a servant of Jesus Christ – an eyewitness to His ministry on earth and death and resurrection. John said he and the other apostles, “have heard, seen with our eyes, and looked upon, and handled with their hands.”
John was making clear that Jesus Christ – the Son of God came in the flesh. Don’t forget that he also wrote the gospel of John, which is not a synoptic gospel, and he opened by calling Jesus Logos. Similarly, that gospel and this apostle refer to Christ being from the “beginning.”
2. The other form of heresy was that Christ’s spirit descended on the human Jesus at His baptism but left Him before HIs crucifixion. All of these heresies are denials of Christ. John MacArthur says that they destroy not only the true humanity of Jesus, but also the atonement (Christ’s reparation for our sin). Christ must have been fully God and fully man in order to be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.
These are what John is addressing in this epistle and those who deny Christ’s deity or humanity are anti-Christs.
But we’re still not quite there. I want to talk more about the anti-christ soon.
One more thing about John: he adds the tests of a true Christian in this epistle. Jesus referred to John and his brother James as boanerges – or sons of thunder. They were bold truth speakers. John is the same here. He is very black and white, either-or. John uses a lot of contrasts – you’re either walking in light or in darkness, If you say you love God but hate you’re brother you’re a liar and the truth is not in you. I mean, he pulls no punches. I appreciate that kind of communcation because nothing is left to the imagination.
The tests of faith John talks about are:
The doctrinal test: true believers will hold to the doctrines of Christ and sin. I was speaking to children’s ministry leaders the other day and I told them that the culture will change but the doctrines of Christianity do not. To deny the core doctrines of Christianity is to deny Christ. That makes you anti-Christ.
The is the moral test: True believers will obey the commands of Christ and love the brethren.
When we think of anti-christ our minds tend to go to the one man who will show up at the end of time and set himself up against God during the tribulation. But anti-Christ literally means “against Christ.”John is saying that false teachers who deny the Christian faith, and deceive those in the church, and leave the fellowship of true believers is anti-Christ. So false teachers and those who claim to be Christian but deny Christ or disobey His commands are anti-Christ. That’s a pretty serious judgment but I think we need to hold false teachers and those who call themselves Christ followers but are not to the standard John sets in this epistle. Now, I’m not talking about disputable matters or secondary or tertiary issues that don’t challenge Christian doctrine. I’m talking about what John is talking about – those who deny Christ by denying the fundamentals of the faith.
So, to recap this first section about anti-Christs – if you deny the deity of Christ or any of the core principles of His atonement, death, resurrection, deity, etc – you are anti-Christ.
What does the Bible say about the Anti-Christ?
When we talk about the Anti-Christ, we’re getting into eschatology – what will take place in the end times. Daniel talks about him. Paul calls him the man of lawlessness in Thessalonians. Daniel refers to him as the abomination of desolation and Jesus refers to this in Mark. John references him again in Revelation as the beast from the sea who receives his power from Satan.
This man will deceive many and Jesus said he would also deceive the elect if it were possible. He will perform miracles or what seem to be miracles but his power comes from Satan so they’re not really miraculous in the sense of coming from God. Think back to when Pharaohs magicians were able to mimic some of the plagues Moses received power from God to do. It will, from what I gather, be something like that but on a greater scale.
He will be a false Messiah who, it seems, receives world domination so that He can destroy Israel and all followers of Christ.
So who is the Antic-Christ? People have claimed lots of people were the anti-Christ. When I was growing up people thought it was Bill Clinton. There are those who thought Hitler was the Anti-Christ. The Bible doesn’t tell us where he comes from, although some speculate he will come out of Israel in order for Jews to follow him as the Messiah. The truth is, we just don’t know. This is what 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 says, “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
This is what Got Questions says, “It is likely that most people who are alive when the Antichrist is revealed will be very surprised at his identity. The Antichrist may or may not be alive today. Martin Luther was convinced that the pope in his time was the Antichrist. During the 1940s, many believed Adolph Hitler was the Antichrist. Others who have lived in the past few hundred years have been equally sure as to the identity of the Antichrist.
So far, they have all been incorrect.
We should put the speculations behind us and focus on what the Bible actually says about the Antichrist. Revelation 13:5-8 declares, “The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.”
Anti-Christ in the Church
When we encounter false teaching, we must do something about it. But we can’t do anything if we don’t recognize it. The only way to do that is to sit with Jesus and be in the word. Those who do not read and study the Bible will not know how to identify false teaching when they hear it so how can they call it out?
There are those who get upset when Christians call out false teachers. That’s just silly. However, like anything else, we have to pick our battles, right? We don’t want to call out things that are disputable matters – like I said before. For example, if someone believes in a young earth and you’re an old earther, that’s not worth arguing about. But when it comes to Christian doctrines and the essentials, if we do not correct that then we allow anti-Christs, or false teachers, to remain in positions of teachers and leaders and it’s not healthy for the church.
When it comes to the Anti-Christ, we can’t worry about it. We do not know the times and events God has ordained so we must trust that He knows and He will get us through whatever time He wants us to live in. I pray that there is a rapture and that it takes place before the rise of the Anti-Christ, but if I’m honest, I don’t know exactly how it will all play out. But I do know God gives us enough information so that we know how to stay alert and awake to the times but not so much information that it doesn’t require we trust Him. That’s how the good Lord knows to keep us holding onto Him.
Close:
In closing, I want to reiterate that when it comes to the anti-christ there are two ways to look at it: those who are against Christ and deny either His deity, His humanity, or the core doctrines of Christianity. And then there is the Anti-Christ who is the son of perdition. The one who will, for a time, have world domination and set himself up as Christ. Either way, we prepare ourselves by being watchful and alert. That means we are in prayer and reading the Bible so that God gives us eyes to see and we are not deceived.
If you enjoy this podcast, please leave a 5 star rating and review as that helps get the podcast into the earbuds of others. If you havre any questions for me, email me at hello@shandafulbright.com and I’ll catch you on the next one.
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