A BIBLICAL VIEW OF THE ANTICHRIST By Joshua

A BIBLICAL VIEW OF THE ANTICHRIST By: Joshua Wu Kai-Ming

Who are some of the people who have been accused of being the antichrist?

BARRACK OBAMA

POPE BENEDICT XVI

TAYYIP ERDOGAN

KING ABDULLAH II

JUSTIN TRUDEAU

JAVIER SOLANA

JARED KUSHNER

EMMANUEL MARCON

ALEXIS TSIPRAS

ABU BAKR AL-BAGHDADI

A BIBLICAL APPROACH • Preliminaries • Explicit Texts • Implicit Texts • Application

1) PRELIMINARIES A) Origin ἀντίχριστος (Strong’s G 500) q Transliteration: Antichristos q Pronounciation: än-tē'-khrē-stos q Root word (Etymology): From ἀντί (G 473) and Χριστός (G 5547)

1) PRELIMINARIES B) Meaning q“the adversary of the Messiah” (Thayer and Smith) q“an opponent of the Messiah. ” (James Strong) q“against Christ, or an opposition Christ, a rival Christ” (M. G. Easton)

2) EXPLICIT TEXTS A) 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) EXPLICIT TEXTS B) 1 John 2: 22 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.

What does the antichrist do? i) What we know for sure • Deny Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2: 22) • Deny the Father and the Son (1 John 2: 22)

• Jews in general, except Messianic Jews ØThe message Jesus brought was a good one, but he could not be the Jewish messiah because he did not shepherd in the redemption of the world that Judaism expects will occur in the messianic era [Rabbi Greenberg]

• Ebionism [2 nd – 4 th century AD] Ø “. . . they were said to have emphasized their monotheistic belief in only one God to such an extreme that they denied, as a consequence, Jesus' own divinity. ” [Bart D. Ehrman] • Cerinthianism [early 2 nd century AD] Ø The Christ descended into Jesus at his baptism and left him again before the Passion. [Columbia Encyclopedia]

§ Christian Science [19 th century] Ø Founded by Mary Baker Eddy (1821 – 1910) Ø “. . . saw Jesus as a Christian Scientist, a "Wayshower" between humanity and God, and distinguished between Jesus the man and the concept of Christ, the latter a synonym for Truth and Jesus the first person fully to manifest it. ” [Bryan R. Wilson; Rodney Stark]

§ Jehovah’s Witnesses [19 th century] Ø “He [Jehovah] is the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. . . ” Ø “. . . we have learned from the Bible that Jesus is not Almighty God and that there is no Scriptural basis for the Trinity doctrine. ” [https: //www. jw. org/en/jehovahswitnesses/faq/jehovah-witness-beliefs/]

• Marcionism [2 nd century AD] Ø Rejects the Old Testament God, claiming that Jesus represented the true sovereign God who was different from the God of the Hebrew people [Theopedia] • Sabellianism [3 rd century AD] Ø “. . . the Persons of the Trinity are roles that a single divine being plays either simultaneously or successively. ” [H. E. Baber]

2) EXPLICIT TEXTS C) 1 John 4: 3 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 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.

What does the antichrist do? i) What we know for sure • Deny Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2: 22) • Deny the Father and the Son (1 John 2: 22) • Does not confess Jesus (1 John 4: 3)

§ Mandeanism [1 st / 2 nd century AD] ØStresses salvation of the soul through esoteric knowledge (gnosis) of its divine origin. ØViewed Jesus as a false messiah. [Encyclopædia Britannica]

2) EXPLICIT TEXTS D) 2 John 7 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.

What does the antichrist do? i) What we know for sure • • Deny Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2: 22) Deny the Father and the Son (1 John 2: 22) Does not confess Jesus (1 John 4: 3) Does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh (2 John 7)

§ Docetism Ø The phenomenon of Christ, historical and bodily existence, and above all the human form of Jesus, was mere semblance without any true reality. (Brox; Schneemelcher & Maurer)

§ Jesus Mythicism Ø “. . . various biblical characters such as Adam and Eve, Satan, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, King David, Solomon and Jesus Christ, among other entities, in reality represent mythological figures along the same lines as the Egyptian, Sumerian, Phoenician, Indian, Greek, Roman and other godmen, who are all presently accepted as myths, rather than historical figures. ” (Acharya S)

Ø“It is quite likely. . . that the central figure of the gospels is not based on any historical individual. Put simply, not only is theological "Christ of faith" a synthetic construct of theologians, a symbolic "Uncle Sam" figure, but if you could travel. . . back to First-Century Nazareth, you would not find a Jesus living there. ” (Robert M. Price)

§ Summary Heresy Beliefs Ebionism Jesus not divine Cerinthianism Jesus and Christ = different persons Marcionism Rejects the Father Sabellianism The Father = The Son Mandeanism Jesus = false Messiah Docetism Jesus not human

§ Summary Heresy Beliefs Jesus Mythicism Jesus never existed as a human Christian Science Jesus not divine Jehovah’s Witness Jesus not divine

3) IMPLICIT TEXTS A) Matt 24: 23 -25 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ, ’ or ‘There He is, ’ do not believe him. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance.

What does the antichrist do? i) What we know for sure • Deny Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2: 22) • Deny the Father and the Son (1 John 2: 22) • Does not confess Jesus (1 John 4: 3) • Does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh (2 John 7) ii) What may be • Show great signs & wonders so as to mislead (Matt 24: 24)

3) IMPLICIT TEXTS B) 2 Thessalonians 2: 3 -4 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every socalled god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

What does the antichrist do? i) What we know for sure • Deny Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2: 22) • Deny the Father and the Son (1 John 2: 22) • Does not confess Jesus (1 John 4: 3) • Does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh (2 John 7) ii) What may be • Show great signs & wonders so as to mislead (Matt 24: 24) • Oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship (2 Thes 2: 4) • Take his seat in the temple of God (2 Thes 2: 4)

3) IMPLICIT TEXTS C) Revelation 13: 1 -8 1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3 I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;

4 they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him? ” 5 There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act forty-two months was given to him. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

§ “The dragon is used twelve times in Revelation and designates the devil and Satan and the enemy of God's Messiah. ” (Walter A. Elwell) Question: If the dragon is Satan, who is the beast?

What does the antichrist do? i) What we know for sure • Deny Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2: 22) • Deny the Father and the Son (1 John 2: 22) • Does not confess Jesus (1 John 4: 3) • Does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh (2 John 7)

What does the antichrist do? ii) What may be • Show great signs & wonders so as to mislead (Matt 24: 24) • Oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship (2 Thes 2: 4) • Take his seat in the temple of God (2 Thes 2: 4) • Speak arrogant words and blasphemies (Rev 13: 5) • Make war with the saints (Rev 13: 7) • Overcome the saints (Rev 13: 7) • Have authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation (Rev 13: 7)

4) APPLICATION A) We know what to anticipate q Based on what we’ve discovered (i) for sure will be done and (ii) what may be done by the Antichrist

4) APPLICATION q According to C. I Scofield, in his Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition), the order of events is: (1) The working of the mystery of lawlessness under divine restraint which had already begun in the apostle's time (2 Thessalonians 2: 7) (2) the apostasy of the professing church (2 Thessalonians 1: 3; Luke 18: 8; 2 Timothy 3: 1 -8) (3) the removal of that which restrains the mystery of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2: 6; 2 Thessalonians 2: 7).

4) APPLICATION (4) the manifestation of the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2: 8 -10; Daniel 7: 8; Daniel 9: 27; Matthew 24: 15; Revelation 13: 2 -10) (5) the coming of Christ in glory and the destruction of the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2: 8; Revelation 19: 11 -21) (6) the day of Jehovah (2 Thessalonians 2: 9 -12; Isaiah 2: 12)

4) APPLICATION B) We know what to do q Test all things Ø 1 Thessalonians 5: 21 – But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good Ø 1 John 4: 1 – Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world

4) APPLICATION q Hold fast to what is taught Ø 2 Thessalonians 2: 1 -2 – 1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come Ø 2 Thessalonians 2: 15 - So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

4) APPLICATION Ø 1 John 2: 24 – As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

4) APPLICATION C) We have a message of hope q 2 Thessalonians 2: 8 – Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.

4) APPLICATION q Revelation 19: 20 -21 – 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. q“The last battle will be won by God and the beneficiaries will be God's people. ” (Walter A. Elwell)