Within the millennial teaching is the belief that someone will arise and become “The Antichrist” who will demand to be worshiped. Some in the past have imagined this to be Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini–all now dead and gone. Each passing generation continues in the same search for this phantom character.
So who is the antichrist? Adam Clarke stated it well: “Any person, thing, doctrine, system of religion, polity, etc., which is opposed to Christ, and to the spirit and spread of His gospel, is antichrist. We need not look for this imaginary being in any of the above exclusively. Even Protestantism may have its antichrist as well as Popery.
Every man who opposes the spirit of the gospel, and every teacher and writer who endeavors to lower the gospel standard to the spirit and taste of the world, is a genuine antichrist, no matter where or among whom he is found. The heresies which sprang up in the days of St. John were the antichrist of that time.
As there has been a succession of oppositions to Christianity in its spirit and spread through every age since its promulgation in the world, so there has been a succession of antichrists. We may bring this matter much lower–every enemy of Christ, every one who opposes His reign in the world, in others, or in himself, is an antichrist,
and consequently every wicked man is an antichrist. But the name has been generally applied to whatever person or thing systematically opposes Christ and His religion.”
Whatever you may think the antichrist is, the Apostle John declared that it was already in the world in his day.
“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.
“Ye have heard that it should come.” It is not a man, nor a woman, but a spirit that works through people.
He also said that there were many antichrists in his day.
“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.
He mentions that in his time it was “the last time,” meaning that the Gospel Day is the last dispensation of mercy wherein people can find salvation.
There is no age or opportunity, and no thousand year earthly reign that will follow. The Apostle Paul, speaking similarly, says “the ends of the world are come” 1 Cor. 10:11.
“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.
“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 [inferring others] antichrist.”
1 John 1:7.
