Antichrist Isn't What We Think

 

I am going to write about something that I think is important, though others may not.  It is the error in most people's thinking of the Antichrist.

There are two concepts put forth in the Bible that get confused.  I believe it is largely because the folks in my generation continue to read the Bible through their 'Hal Lindsey' spectacles.  I mean no disrespect to Hal Lindsey.  After all, his book, The Late Great Planet Earth, was instrumental in my coming to Christ.  I spent many years studying the Bible through the pre-tribulation mindset that he did such a good job of putting forth.

Somewhere along the line, I started seeing inconsistencies.  I couldn't square up the doctrine I held dear, with the Bible that I held dearer.  I decided, and it was a gradual process, to start reading the Bible with preconceived doctrine out of my mind.  

I should say right here that putting preconceived doctrine out of my mind doesn't mean I discard all doctrine, and I will never abandon the creedal beliefs.  I have never read anything in the Bible that would lead me to think that the standard Christian beliefs about God, Jesus, salvation, Heaven, etc. are incorrect.  It is just that my views about the end times, and a few other things, were a little off. 

I think that the idea of the Antichrist is one of those concepts that help us fall into error concerning last days teachings or eschatology to use the proper term.  I am going to attempt to explain what I mean in the following paragraphs. 

The word 'antichrist' is only used four times in the Bible.  They are as follows:

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 1 John 2:18

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?  He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:22

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 1 John 4:3

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.  This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 2 John 1:7 

That's it, Folks. These are only four verses that contain the word antichrist in the entire Bible.  Notice what these verses do not describe.  They do not describe the Beast that rises up out of the sea in Revelation 13.  That chapter tells of a savage beast with seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns.  Each head had names that blasphemed God.

We have confused antichrist with the Beast system.  Notice how the King James Bible doesn't capitalize any of the uses of the word antichrist.  Some other translations capitalize the word in the first verse and/or the last verse, but even if the word is supposed to be capitalized, as in, "You have heard that the Antichrist shall come...", based on the other uses wouldn't it be better to conclude that the spirit of the Antichrist is deception?  

All uses of this word in 1st and 2nd John are in the context of lying deceivers and false teachers in the Church.  It seems to me that if we are going to apply the term 'Antichrist' to anyone, it should be the one we commonly call the False Prophet who deceives the people into worshipping the Beast with signs and lying wonders.

Daniel chapter 7 speaks of four beasts that come up out of the sea, just like the beast in Revelation 13 rises from the sea.  Daniel's fourth beast was terrifying, dreadful, and very strong.  That beast had horns which represent power.  Three of the horns were uprooted by a 'little horn'.  The little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth speaking great things.  There, my friends, is your Antichrist figure, the Little Horn.  He is part of the 'terrible beast' which is the 'Beast system of the end times world.

Most Evangelicals today believe that the Little Horn, or Antichrist as most know him, will come as a messiah figure to the Jews because they are looking for a false Christ.  The Bible tells us that false Christs have been around since John's time.  What we should be looking for is a dreadful, terrifying, oppressive figure wielding power and comes representing the Beast System of the world.

The Old Testament refers to the Antichrist figure as the Assyrian over ten times.  The Assyrian was not a false messiah, but a tyrannical oppressor.  The Assyrians came against Jerusalem under King Hezekiah.  He had just seen the Assyrians overthrow the northern kingdom of Israel, so he tried to pay them off.  The Bible says that King Hezekiah even stripped the gold off the doors of the Temple to appease King Sennacherib of Assyria.  It didn't work.

King Sennacherib sent his representatives to the wall of Jerusalem.  They mocked God, told the Jews that they were worshipping God all wrong, and that the God of the Jews had sent them, the Assyrians, to bring judgment.  

The representatives of King Hezekiah asked the Assyrians to please speak to them in Aramaic.  They understood Aramaic but the others on the wall didn't and they didn't want the others to understand what the Assyrians were saying.  This is what the Assyrians answered:

Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master?  He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you.  They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine... Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! This is what the King says, "Don't let Hezekiah deceive you.  He will never be able to rescue you from my power.  Don't let him fool you into trusting in the LORD by saying, 'The LORD will surely rescue us.  This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!'" Don't listen to Hezekiah!  These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me-open the gates and come out.  Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. 2 Kings 18:27-31

Let's compare what it says just one book back in 1 Kings 4:25:

And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 1 Kings 4:25

In the first passage, the Assyrians make all kinds of promises.  Remember, Assyria was one of the most brutal regimes to ever exist.  They were extreme even by ancient standards of cruelty.  Yet, here they are, promising prosperity and safety for the Jews even as they were the invading army at the walls; whereas under King Solomon, peace and prosperity was made apparent by everyone actually having their own vine and fig tree.  

The other thing that caught my eye is that the Assyrian king was trying to 'one-up' the God of Judah.  He included wells of water in the promise.  This made me stop and wonder, why?

The Assyrian was offering salvation.  Not just surface salvation, but all-encompassing.  It is something on a spiritual level.  God promised us living water in passage after passage in the Old Testament.  Jesus says that He gives living water in John.

The point of the story is that what we know as the Antichrist is actually the Little Horn on the head of the Beast system.  He will likely make promises of salvation, but it will be as he is standing at the gate with his his terrifying army.  The promises will sound good and will tickle the ears of the people.  Just remember one thing, the enemy king is a liar.