Antichrist
Introduction
What is antichrist? In these last days, this ought to be a burning question. Who is the antichrist? How can a lover of Christ identify him? What will he look like? How will he behave? Where will his headquarters be located? You will not find here an identification of a man or men who are antichrist. If you are expecting a prediction as to how many years before antichrist arises, you will not find it here. Besides, a desire to identify the antichrist has often sidetracked the church from the important present calling.
General description
Scripture teaches antichrist to be a political, religious, individual, yet to come in the future, who is opposed to God and God's Christ and God's church. Although the only places in Scripture the name antichrist is used are I and II John ( I John 2:18, 22, 4:3, II John 7), the Bible is abundant with instruction regarding the reality we call antichrist. The key passages are Daniel 7, 8, 11; Matthew 24; II Thessalonians 2; and Revelation 13, 17 and 18 -- where antichrist is referred to as a beast, a little horn, a false Christ, that wicked one, and the man of sin. Antichrist the person Although there is difference of opinion among Reformed students of Scripture regarding the person of the antichrist, it is not difficult to see why many believe that antichrist will be one man. Reformed belief is: (1. Centered on God, 2. Based on God's Word alone, 3. Committed to faith alone, 4. Devoted to Jesus Christ and 5. Structured by three covenants (redemption, works and grace) Antichrist: a political power Revelation 13 gives further instruction about antichrist, teaching that his kingdom will be both a political and an ecclesiastical empire. The vision of Revelation 13 must be read in the light of Revelation 12, where the dragon cast out of heaven, identified as the devil and Satan, pursues the woman (who represents the church of Christ) in the new dispensation ( an appointment, arrangement, or favor, as by God.). Antichrist’s purpose The antichrist's purpose is to destroy the saints, God's elect. And here we get to the heart of the matter. The man antichrist, indwelt by Satan's spirit, is opposed to God and opposed to Jesus His Christ. With a hatred that can be traced back to the fall of the angels prior to Genesis 3, he despises God and God's cause in Jesus. But he cannot touch God because God cast him out of heaven, according to Revelation 12; and he cannot touch God's Christ, because Jesus was caught up into heaven. So the only thing that remains for him to do is to breathe his fire on the seed of the woman, the Church of Christ. Revelation 12 describes this church as the "remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." In Matthew 24 they are described as the "elect" of God. (A portion taken from Rev. Barry Gritters) The manner of opposition We do not oppose him with guns and tanks and bombs. We do not try to prevent his coming or overthrow it when it comes by political power plays. We oppose him in a spiritual manner, in the same way Jesus Christ opposed him during His ministry, and in the way Jesus taught His disciples to oppose him in theirs -- by faith and the powerful Word of the gospel. We oppose all that opposes Jesus Christ. We oppose humanism that exalts man and promotes the cause of man and man alone. This is why Reformed believers from the beginning have maintained that it is necessary for them to maintain good, Christian schools in which their children are educated. The world inculcates its young with humanistic values and humanistic goals, and we must have no part of that mis-education. We oppose humanism from the pulpits of our churches, and put out those ministers and elders who would preach and teach this kind of a gospel. In this way we oppose Antichrist today.
The antichrist’s faith is against “everything” that Jesus “God the Son”, stands for and teaches us. He could be from any nation. However, many have said he will come out of Europe, thus his skin color may be light. He may come from the Middle East and be dark skinned. No one knows, he may come from Asia, Africa, India, etc.
