A Richer Walk

1 John 2:18–22 (KJV 1900)
¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. ²⁰ But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. ²¹ I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. ²² Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

The Last Hour [or Time]

John considered his time the last time or hour. It is likely that he marked this time out in this way because the advent of Jesus signaled the final dispensation of God’s mercy upon sinful man prior to the beginning of judgment. Jesus is the Eschatological Man, the Last Adam; his coming is the beginning of the end of God’s dealings with sin and evil.

“The last hour (ἐσχάτη ὥρα). The phrase only here in the New Testament. On John’s use of ὥρα hour, as marking a critical season, see John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 16:2, 4, 25, 32. The dominant sense of the expression last days, in the New Testament, is that of a period of suffering and struggle preceding a divine victory. See Acts 2:17; Jas. 5:3; 1 Pet. 1:20. Hence the phrase here does not refer to the end of the world, but to the period preceding a crisis in the advance of Christ’s kingdom, a changeful and troublous period, marked by the appearance of “many antichrists.” [Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 2 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 337.

This critical season was in progress at the time of writing. John acknowledges that they had entered the final season of God’s dealings with sinful mankind. This season was marked off, in this text, by the appearance of “many antichrists.”

It is the incarnation of Jesus which generally serves as the demarcation of the last days. There cannot be “many antichrists” until first there is manifested the true Christ. It is the supernatural birth, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ [The “Mystery of Godliness” 1Tim 3.16] to which the devil is responding by the release of these antichrists into the world.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to the woman Eve [Gen 3.15], the Seed of his covenant with Abraham [Gal 3.16], the prophet, like unto Moses [Dt 18.18], the Suffering Servant proclaimed by Isaiah [Isa 53], Messiah the Prince, mathematically predicted by Daniel [Dan 9.25], the King that John the Baptist preached would baptize the world with the Holy Ghost or with Fire [Mt 3.11]. As such he is the Pivot upon which all history turns.

John himself recognized that the entrance of Jesus into history was a strategic event with reference to the future of evil and its champion, the devil.

1 John 3:8 (KJV 1900)
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,  that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Hebrews 2:14 (KJV 1900)
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

In this, the last hour, Jesus is not seeking to compromise or to dialogue with the devil, but to destroy both him and his works.

In view of this latest advance of Christ’s program and the fact that it signifies the coming terminus of God’s dealings with the devil, it is not surprising that Satan would launch his greatest offensive at this time. In this last hour, Lucifer has flooded the world with antichrists. John says that this multitude of antichrists in itself corroborates the testimony of God in Christ that these are the last days.

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Definition of Antichrist [capital “A”]

Before we can go further, we need to define the term Antichrist.

53.83 ἀντίχριστος, ου m: one who is opposed to Christ, in the sense of usurping the role of Christ—‘antichrist.’[i]

532 ἀντίχριστος (antichristos), ου (ou), ὁ (ho): n.masc.; ≡ Str 500; TDNT 9.493—LN 53.83 antichrist, one who opposes Christ, implying the usurping of Christ and his position 1Jn 2:18(2×), 22; 4:3; 2Jn 7+[ii]

473 ἀντί [anti /an·tee/] prep. A primary particle; TDNT 1:372; TDNTA 61; GK 505; 22 occurrences; AV translates as “for” 15 times, “because + 3639” four times, “for … cause” once, “therefore + 3639” once, and “in the room of” once. 1 over against, opposite to, before. 2 for, instead of, in place of (something). 2A instead of. 2B for. 2C for that, because. 2D wherefore, for this cause.[iii]

53.82 Χριστός a, οῦ m; Μεσσίας, ου m: (literally ‘one who has been anointed’) in the NT, titles for Jesus as the Messiah—‘Christ, Messiah’ (but in many contexts, and especially without an article, Χριστός becomes a part of the name of Jesus; see 93.387)[iv]

 Anti means “against” but it also means “instead of.” Christ is the prophesied Messiah [Isa 53; Dan 9.25-26] who is the God-Man sent from the Father to redeem mankind [Isa 53.6; 1Pet 3.18]. Therefore, the Antichrist is one who is both opposed to Christ as well as one who seeks to usurp Christ’s place.[v] The word Antichrist appears only in 1 and 2 John, but this person is identified both directly and by allusion and type throughout the Old and New Testaments.

• In Daniel he is the little “horn” (Dan 7:8); “the prince who is to come” (9:26); the willful king (11:36).
• Paul refers to the Antichrist as the Man of Sin and the Son of Perdition (2 Th 2).
• John names him as Antichrist, and the beast (1 Jn 2; 2 Jn 7, Rev 13).

The Antichrist is a person who will appear at the end of the age, prior to the second coming of Christ.

We will demonstrate in the coming chapters that, in addition to other activities, the Antichrist will stir up the hope of the Jews that he could be their Messiah [Jn 5.42-43] and he will consolidate worldwide political power [Dan 9.21-27; 2 Th 2; Rev 6.1-2]. Having achieved power and the trust of the world, he will reveal his true character, his commitment to Lucifer and his desire to receive worship from men on behalf of the Devil. He will then rapidly proceed to establish a spiritual and political kingdom upon the earth, based upon overtly Luciferian principles.

His intent to unseat Christ [Isa 14:12-14][vi] will ultimately necessitate the genocide of the Jews,[vii] so that God cannot fulfill his unconditional promises made to Abraham[viii] and to David.[ix]

What is the Doctrine of the Antichrist?

1 John 2:22 (KJV 1900)
²² Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

John says that an antichrist is a liar because he denies that Jesus is the Christ.

If the individual in question simply was mistaken regarding Christ, he would be ignorant, he would be incorrect, but he would not be a liar. In order to be a liar, the person would have to know the truth but tell a falsehood instead. Liar [G:5583] “a liar, one who has broken faith, a false and faithless man.” The devil, who is the God of the antichrist, certainly broke faith when he became the adversary of God [Jn 8.44].

If the antichrist is a liar, it means that it is his aim to intentionally deceive. This is important to remember. An antichrist is attempting to deceive others to believe something about Christ that is not true. He will attempt to gain trust by appearing to be something that he is not

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 (KJV 1900)
¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

An antichrist promotes a lie. That lie is the basis for all of his philosophies and doctrines by which Satan controls the world. It was the central lie of all the lies told to man in the Garden of Eden. That lie is that Jesus is not God.

The devil is willing to admit that Jesus is a lot of things, but God is not one of them. We are not saying that the devil does not know that there is a God, or that he does not understand, as much as is possible with creatures, what God is. The devil will lie to man and to other angels regarding the identity of God, he will misrepresent what God says about Himself in scripture, and this is what makes both he and the antichrists whom he has spawned to be liars.

Although this lie appears to have been introduced in eternity past by Satan to the angelic hosts [Eze 28.11-18], it was first communicated by him to mankind in the Garden of Eden. Satan suggested to Eve that God had lied to her regarding the Tree of Knowledge and the consequences of eating of it. In so doing, he implied that God was not the Holy Being that He represented Himself as being.

Genesis 3:1–5 (KJV 1900)
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

1 John 4:1–3 (KJV 1900)
¹ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. ² Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: ³ 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.

The spirit of antichrist includes many lies and deceptions. For example, this spirit creates versions of Christianity which are at odds with the scripture but are sought out and desired by the world and by carnal believers. The foundation and core of all these lies is the denial of Christ’s identity as the holy, almighty and only God.

What is Meant by “Many Deceivers/Antichrists?”

2 John 7 (KJV 1900)
⁷ 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.

Deceiver [NT:4108] means “imposter, misleader, deceiver, seducing“. This word is also found in 2Tim 4.1

1 Timothy 4:1 (KJV 1900)
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Here the word refers to the demonic spirit that animates the army of false teachers that will characterize the “latter days”. Therefore, we see a correspondence between the legions of antichrists [“many deceivers” 2 Jn 7] that are already present in John’s day and the demonized false teachers that Paul predicted. Both groups are unsaved, both practice deception to advance demonic doctrines, both groups pass themselves off as legitimate believers and they are all antichrists

The word deceiver means that one who represents himself as something that he is not in order to accomplish a hidden agenda. If the agenda was not hidden, then he wouldn’t be a deceiver.

So, there is an Antichrist, an individual who will appear in the final days before the return of Christ. This is the individual who will seek to implement the long planned New World Order. In the meanwhile, in the centuries before the appearing of this man, there are many junior-grade antichrists who share his doctrine and promote his program by means of seduction and deceit.

1 John 2:18 (KJV 1900)
¹⁸ 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.

[Adapted from the manuscript “The Antichrist and the New World Order,” Richard. G. Walker Sr.© 2020]

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[i] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 542.

[ii] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[iii] James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995).

[iv] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 542.

[v] 500 ἀντίχριστος [antichristos /an·tee·khris·tos/] n m. From 473 and 5547; TDNT 9:493; TDNTA 1322; GK 532; Five occurrences; AV translates as “antichrist” five times. 1 the adversary of the Messiah.  James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995).

[vi] The Antichrist will identify and be indwelt by Lucifer. They will share the same aims.

[vii] Day of the Lord Jer 30.7; Da 12.1; Zech 14.2-3; Mt 24.9-21

[viii] Abrahamic Covenant Gen 12.1-3; 13.14-17; 15.1-20; 17.1-10

[ix] Davidic Covenant 2Sam 7.11-17