1 John 2:18-29
Antichrists Now
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. 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. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 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. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. -1 John 2:18-27
Introduction
Whereas the writing styles of Paul and Peter are more linear, flowing in a logical progression, John writes in a more cyclical pattern; he often repeats himself, or re-emphasizes certain points at later times that he’s already mentioned. For that reason, rather than take this passage verse by verse, I’ll emphasize the main points. John has told us about true Christianity in opposition to Gnostic heresy and false conversion up to this point. He has given tests of experience and morality, contrasting light from darkness, truth from lies, love of the world from the love of the Father, love for self from love for the Church. Now, he transitions to doctrinal tests with a brief emphasis on end times theology. It matters not that our lives are reformed to a certain set of outward behavior, if the object of our faith is not the God of the Bible, the true Christ. According to this text, to live in opposition to Christ is to be an antichrist. Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit, abiding in Jesus and His Word, or hopefully awaiting His return, we will find ourselves ashamed at the last day. Being that John walked with Jesus and wrote the Gospel bearing his name; being that John has seen the age to come and wrote the book of Revelation, I think he is as good of an authority there is concerning the subject at hand. Let us heed the Apostle’s words, that we may be ready for the day of Christ’s return.
Antichrist and the Last Hour
Verses 18-19 speak of a transitional set of events between two “ages” (distinct periods of time). John means for Christians to have an assured understanding of where they are on God’s timetable, along with where we are headed. He does this so that no one will be shocked at the horrors and tragic circumstances which are bound to take place in this life. The time we are currently in is called “the last hour.” This is synonymous with the “last days” spoken of throughout the New Testament (Hebrews 1:2, 2 Timothy 3:1, etc.). These “last days” cover all the days spanning from the ascension of Christ into heaven after He rose from the dead to the final day He returns. These “last days” are also called “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). As Christians, we are to have our hope set on a kingdom that is not of this world, a time when all things are placed under the feet of King Jesus, and evil subjected to the perfect Justice of God. That time is called “the age to come” or the “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:1). However, before this age arrives, certain events must unfold here.
First, the Antichrist will come. In verse 18, some of the modern Bible translations rightly differentiate between the singular Antichrist with a capital “A” from the plural antichrists in the lower case. John expects his readers to know (“as you have heard”) that an individual is coming who will lead the world into the end time tribulation. This is the only passage in Scripture where this person is called “the Antichrist,” so how could the church have already heard about him? They would have known about this man from the prophecies of Daniel as well as the book of 2 Thessalonians, which was likely written about forty years prior to this. Paul says to the Thessalonian church:
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
The church at the time was troubled beyond belief obsessing over the end times. They were living in such a way that some of them stopped working in anticipation of Christ’s return. Paul sent this letter to give them a clear chronology of events that must take place before Christ returns so that they would still live urgently, but wisely.
The man of sin/the son of perdition (the Antichrist) will set himself over the nations, claiming to be God, and establish a one world religion. Prior to his arrival, there will be a great “falling away.” Many multitudes will leave the visible Church in the worship of self, the beast, and the false prophet. There are many speculations as to who the Antichrist might be. We don’t know for sure, only that the nations will likely be in such turmoil that they will be desperate for a messianic figure to deliver them. Once the Antichrist secures his place of power, he will enter the temple (we believe a third temple will be built in Jerusalem prior to this) and commit the abomination of desolation. Once that takes place, run for your life, because he will begin his slaughter. Some think the Antichrist could be an Islamic leader; if the middle east was united again with a central leader as they were in the days of the Ottoman Empire, their world conquest could likely be accomplished. Others believe this man could be a Pope of Rome; as the Catholics increasingly embrace other faiths as acceptable to God, it’s easy to see how the Pope could lead a one world religion. All in all, we don’t know. Only that there will be a mass falling away prior to his arrival, and the second coming will proceed his arrival.
Second, before the Antichrist comes and the great falling away takes place, there will be many “antichrists” falling away from many local churches here and now. John mentions this as a sign of the times, as well as a theological litmus test of true conversion. An antichrist is anyone who opposes, denies, or places themselves in the place of Jesus as the absolute authority. Any person who once claimed to be a disciple but now denies Him, Biblically, is an antichrist. Every pseudo-Christian cult with heretical teachings about Jesus is an antichrist system; false converts, false teachers, false religions, these are the essence of antichrist. This is a spirit conquering and reigning over the souls of those without God’s grace in a fallen world.
Consider how no one uses the name of Hitler or Muhammad as cuss words; only the name of Jesus Christ is blasphemed among the nations. When liberals of every stripe legislate sin of every kind, it’s a battle just to get people to care. But when a Christian takes office and quotes Bible verses about morality, chaos ensues! This is because we live in an age ruled by the spirit of antichrists. The Psalmist was absolutely right when he said, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed [Christ]” (Psalm 2:2). As antichrists increase, we know the Antichrist is soon to arrive. We will be nearing the last minutes of the last hour as previously professing Christians apostacize, and the world grows in their hatred of Christianity.
Because of the lies spreading through the early church, John mentions this to put his finger on the false converts and teachings in his day. In light of this, we all must ask ourselves, “Am I a Christian or an antichrist?” Thankfully we are not left in the dark, as John tells exactly how to spot such a distinction. The first mark of an antichrist is apostasy and backsliding. John says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us.” As has been previously stated, every person who is reconciled to God is also reconciled to His people. Because God never fails to complete the work He begins, all true Christians will be preserved and persevere to the end. I’m not saying a person can repeat a sinner's prayer, and then go off and live however they want and still go to heaven when they die. I’m saying that if a person is truly saved, God will not let them go off and live however they want. They may struggle and fall, even for significant periods of time, but He will discipline them eventually. He won’t let them get away forever. He will do all it takes to keep them in the fellowship of a sound local church. If a person does fall away from the faith permanently, and hardens themself in that condition until death, it proves that they were never truly a part of the family of God. Are you persevering in the faith with a Biblically solid local church?
After this, there are several doctrinal tests for identifying antichrists. Some people say, “I don’t need all that theology stuff! I just need Jesus!” I understand the sentiment behind that mindset, but it is very naive. In Matthew 16:13-17, Jesus asks the disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” Any answer to this question other than Peter’s proclamation “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” is a wrong answer! The thing we forget is that it takes the grace of God and good theology to answer this. Theology is just the study of God, doctrine is a set of beliefs that guide us in the study of God. Who is the living God? Who and what is Christ? What does it mean that God has a Son? If we have bad theology we will always answer these questions wrong and possibly prove ourselves to be antichrists.
Antichrists deny that Jesus is the Christ (v. 22). In John’s day, there was a heresy that separated “Christ” from Jesus. They believed Christ was a form of deity or consciousness that ascended upon the man Jesus at His baptism, and left when He was on the cross. The idea behind such a teaching is that anyone who lives like Jesus can be Christ themselves. This is heresy. Christ is an English transliteration for the Greek word Christos, meaning “anointing/anointed one.” Just as David and Saul were anointed and set apart to be kings over Israel, Jesus was anointed to be the King of kings; He was set apart for the purpose of reconciling the world. Jesus is not a Christ, He is the Christ. Do you believe this?
Antichrists deny the Trinity, and the deity of Jesus (v. 22-24). If the Son is denied, so is the Father. If the Father is denied, so is the Son. Christians have a simple yet profound mystery to which we hold, we believe our God is one being eternally existing in three persons. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Father, the Holy Spirit is not the Son or the Father, yet the Father, Son, and Spirit are all one God. This is what Scripture teaches. This is the confession of the universal Church. The Jehovah’s witness and mormon missionary, as well intentioned and moral as they may be, are outside the Christian faith for this reason. If one were to deny this reality as T.D. Jakes and Steven Furtick do with the heresy of modalism, they would be worshipping an idol of their imagination. God did not begin as the Father, change to the Son, and change again to the Holy Spirit; He has always existed as one being in three persons. Every cult begins with an attack on some doctrine of Christ, and thus reveals themselves to be antichrists.
Dear believer, you must be compassionate and kind, patient and loving to all who you encounter in this world. But you cannot accept every group who claims the name of Christ as your brother or sister in the Lord. Christianity is a doctrinal religion just as much as it is an experiential and relational one. There are certain things you must believe about Jesus if you want to be saved. Your faith must attach to the correct object, otherwise you lay hold of hell. You need to be discerning, wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove (Matthew 10:16). How do we protect ourselves from the multitude of false teachings of this world? With so much danger around every corner, how can we ensure that we persevere to the end and not apostacize and become antichrists? John provides three points of assurance: we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we abide in Christ’s Word, and we confidently await His return.
Anointing, v. 20, 27
The old King James uses the word “unction” here, this is the same as “anointing.” We who are in Christ have been anointed by the Holy Spirit, giving us knowledge, such that we have no need of a teacher. An entire book can be written on this subject, and without a proper understanding, much harm can come of this teaching. Hyper-Charismatics spend their lives in pursuit of “the anointing,” which they believe to be a mystic experience with the Holy Spirit giving them supernatural power and insight. Faith healers are believed to possess “an anointing” which they earned by prayer and fasting, setting them apart from lesser believers. They claim that if you speak against them it would be to “strike God’s anointed” and bring curses upon yourself. The Scriptures know nothing of such a spiritual caste system.
While I believe it is appropriate to pray for the Holy Spirit to anoint us for powerful ministry at certain times, John says all believers already have the anointing. When a person is born again, they are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a down-payment of their glorification which is yet to come (Ephesians 1:13-14); this is the anointing. Because we have the Holy Spirit, we are led by the Spirit, as Paul says, “As many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). As the Holy Spirit leads us, He convicts us of right and wrong, truth and error. When someone tells a true Christian a lie about Jesus, a believer convicted of it’s wrong, even if they can’t articulate or answer why. John is not saying we have no need for the guidance of pastors and ministers, otherwise this book and the rest of the New Testament would be nullified. John essentially says here that before he wrote this epistle, the Spirit-filled believers there already were uneasy about the Gnostic heresies in their midst; he was just reaffirming them. Dear Christian, listen to your conscience and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Abiding
In verses 24 and 28, John calls us to Abide in Christ and His Word. Abide means to remain, continue, or stay faithful. In the old days of sailing, a storm could easily take out an entire crew. One man would be called upon to cling to the wheel of the ship in such times as the waves pushed the boat from side to side. If that man let go of the wheel, the ship and it’s crew would be lost in mere moments. It was normal in those days for such a sailor to tattoo the words “HOLD FAST” on his knuckles as a reminder in the storm that his brothers would perish if he let go.
Along these lines, the writer of Hebrews calls upon us:
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25).
In storms of suffering and difficulty, we cannot let go of our faith; we cannot abandon our brothers and sister, or forsake the public gathering of the church. As we see the last day approaching, which I do, we are to exhort one another and gather even more! I think it’s also helpful to remember that we are only able to hold fast to Christ, because He holds fast to us. When we fear our faith will fail, when the tempter would prevail, Christ will hold us fast. Let us trust Him and His sufficient Word.
Awaiting, v. 28-29
Lastly, John tells us that if we have the anointing and abide in Christ, we should have confidence as we await His return. What a tragedy it would be for a professing Christian to shrink back in shame when Jesus returns! Whether a person holds to pre-mil, post-mil, or a-mil eschatology; whether a person holds to a mid-trib, post-trib, or pre-trib view of the rapture, we can all agree on one thing: Jesus is coming back. Does this thought fill you with joy and confidence? Or does the thought of this fill you with fear and dread?
The most anxious four months of my entire life probably came during the time of my engagement. It would have been one thing to merely have to wait for my wedding day, but Sarah and I were living in different states during our engagement! The only thought that filled my mind day in and day out was how much I loved and longed to be with my future bride. Just the other day, Sarah and I sat on our couch reminiscing about how incredible it is that we made it though that waiting period without going insane. When that waiting period came to an end, and the wedding day arrived, it was worth it; and the times have only grown sweeter as the days go by.
Christian, there’s another wedding day we’re waiting for! By the blood of the cross, and the promise of eternal life, Jesus will not return to damn you if your faith is in Him. Born again believers are part of the Bride of Christ, He is returning to complete our salvation and free us from the presence of sin. The cry of our hearts should be, “Maranatha! Return, Lord Jesus!” Follow the ministry of the Holy Spirit, abide in Christ and His Word, and you will have no cause to shrink back in shame on the day of His appearance.
