Antichrist and the Last time Deception in 1st John

1 John 2.18 Little children, it is the last time; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many anti-christs have come, by which 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 have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 

 

1 John 4.1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of 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 of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that[a] Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 

 

 

The writer John here talks about some who were among them, who would leave them and teach other things. John was safe guarding the believers from these anti-christs who went out from them. It is easy for us to think that John was talking about other beliefs and other religions when thinking about this anti-christ spirit that was then and expected to grow. But it was from among them that the falsehood would come. They use the scriptures.

 

As part of his safe guard John coined some  phrases, and these phrases are relevant to the message about those trying to deceive them and you. And if they were aware that this falsehood was coming they needed to certainly be aware that it already was. If it was small then to get bigger, what is it today? 

 

Well let’s unlock that by associating it with Johns newly termed phrases.  Two of them are related to time. “that which was from the beginning” and “the last time”  which  means “end times”.  These terms were for our safe guarding as well as a 3rd term “anti-christs” being those who “went out who manifest a new spirit or teaching that violated the truth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Those who deny  this, who came out from them, believe something different but similar enough to deceive. 

If it was not similar it would be no threat but this threat that now 2000 years later has become the threat of all threats to violate the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.

This threat ignores the true message “from the beginning” and teaches another “last time” or end times, for John to have to clarify “last time”. That message that is anti-christ that came out of them that is a counterfeit to the truth that obscures that which is from the beginning. Their new gospel message obscures “Him who has come in the flesh” who brought salvation. They teach another end time and another coming one to save.

That is right. The message preached from end timers speak of another Jesus to come again on the world scene to save His people and bring salvation to planet earth. Yes. another Jesus to appear on the human stage.

 

Johns point in us needing to believe that Jesus the Son of God has come, is that what end time seekers expect Jesus to do at a 2nd coming, is what He already did. We already have what they expect to get. We have overcome the world.

Look what John said about this.. 1 John 5.4 “and what is the victory that overcomes the world? Even our faith!” Now this discredits a 2nd coming Jesus to overcome the world, for it is not an end time or another day event. And these anti-christs are those who teach another end time with another Jesus for delivering us from this world. They call it end times and a 2nd coming Jesus.

 

This is scary stuff if you are mixed up in it. Is it the message of the 2nd coming? Or that which is from the beginning” that John teaches and affirms? John felt it important enough to address this by letter. Is it the message of the cross? Or a tribulation a rapture and a future resurrection that overcomes the world and saves you? So when Jesus came to save, deliver and redeem, did He do that then? Or just give you a promissory note?

Is He King of Kings now or must He become that at a 2nd coming? Is He in full Glory now or must He come here to claim a victory later? Did He defeat satan sin and death or does He do that later? If you are not sure I am afraid for you for you know Him not.

 

Jesus said in John 12.31 “Now is the judgment of this world! Now the ruler of this world is cast out!” Was this a prophesy of a future event? I think not if you have faith in the one who said it “from the beginning” for He cannot lie. Every word He ever spoke was accomplished the moment He said it as evidenced by Him speaking forth creation. He who said “Let there be light”? He said “arise and walk”.

 

Another end time teaching of another deliverer to save you keeps you from the gift of God that is “In Christ” now. You cannot receive this reward because you are closed off thinking it is later. You have faith in a fairy tale of fallen fairies. You shouldn’t just ponder this message but you should flee. I mean if John equates another last time, end times with “anti-christ”? It is anti-christ because it rejects the truth that he has saved, delivered, redeemed, and atoned. He put away transgression, made reconciliation for inequity, He brought us everlasting righteousness, He sealed up vision and prophesy and was anointed Most Holy as Jesus said “Now the Son of man is Glorified. And if God is Glorified in Him God will also Glorify Him immediately.” Now there is the Father and Son I know.

Who is this 2nd coming deliverer? That message is anti-christ, as is the whole message of another coming one clearly has not accepted that Christ already came in the flesh of whom 2 Peter 1.4 says that we are partakers of the divine nature having (already) escaped the corruption that is in the world” 

Who is your deliverer?  The Christ who is? Or a 2nd coming Jesus?

 

That which we have seen we have heard we have handled”. Not what you will see hear and handle at a 2nd coming, but “that from the beginning”.

The Kingdom of God is at hand.