“Antichrist”
In our world today, we can identify several strong leaders of nations: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, Narendra Modi, Donald Trump.
Among this list we find one or two who are probably too “strong.”
Vladimir Putin certainly thinks of himself as being strong, even to the point of making war on Ukraine because he wants to compel the Ukrainians to hook up with mother russia, as it had been in the old days before Ukraine broke free.
Donald Trump cetainly thinks of himself as being strong, even to the point of sending a mob of rebels to attack our Capitol on January 6, 2021, and then pardoning them as if they had taken a stroll in the park behind the white house. But I digress.
Also in our world today, we find millions of Christians. I am one of them.
In our Christian Bible we find historical texts, prophetic texts, poetry, historical testimonies and letters.
In our prophetic texts we can identify several ancient prophets: Among them we find Moses, Samuel, Ezra, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and many others.
In our New Testament, we Christians find more prophets. The chief among them is Jesus Christ, who was not only prophet, but much more than a prohet — the Messiah, the greatest prophet all and Saviour of all men and women who are willing to believe in Him.
In our New Testament we find newer prophets. Every one of them spoke and wrote for the purpose of revealing our Messiah, Jesus, to all men and women everywhere.
Most Christians consider Isaiah to have been the greatest (the most revelatory) prophet of the Old Testament. We also believe that, among our New Testament prophets, John was the greatest, in the sense that he wrote the most revealing account of the life, death, resurrection and final, post-resurrection Revelation of Jesus Christ.
In world history, we find multitudes of references to Jesus, including much speculation about who was he, what was he up to and the significance oh his life and legacy.
Among those disciples and prophets who later wrote about Jesus, the most influential — you might say the “greatest” — was Jesus’ close companion, the apostle John.
John wrote the book of Revelation, the last book of our Bible. John also wrote one of the gospels about the life and work of Jesus when he was incarnated as a man walking on the earth, like us.
Among his letters, the apostle John made mention of a historical phenomenon that was developing while he was still alive; it is the presence in this world of something called “antichrist”.
Here are the several mentions from the Apostle John in his letters:
a). . . “just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many
antichrists have appeared. . .”
b) “This is the antichrist, the one (anyone) who denies the Father and the Son.”
c). . . every spirit that does not confess Jesus (as the Son of God). . .this is the spirit of antichrist.”
d) “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.”
So when properly understood, we Christians recognize an antichrist spirit in this world, which is spiritual. “Antichrist” is not any unique person.
I am writing this point of clarification now in order to correct the false nation that “the antichrist” is any particular world leader or demagogue.
Some of my Christian brethren have lately attempted to label certain world leaders as “the” antichrist. These mistaken critics are, it seems to me confusing the antichrist identity with three individual (perhaps human) characters mentioned in the book of Revelation.
To clarify, we find that in Revelation 13:1, “ Then I saw a beast — a dragon — coming out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. . .”
Also, we find in Revelation 13:11: “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. . .”
It may be that these prophetic images, while representing empires, nations, or other human institution, are, in fact, lead by men who embody the antichrist spirit. But that does mean that either one is “the” antichrist.
Antichrist could be among us right now, and we wouldn’t even know it, unless we compare the actions of powerful leaders to corrupt human institutions that once stood for decency, liberty and/or human virtue.
But there is no one person who is the antichrist. In fact, there are probably many who fit that category.
