02.28.06
End Times: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
I wanted to make a quick post regarding something that I have found interesting in my recent studies with my younger brother and sister. It seems that so many people are terrified regarding issues with the end times that are falsified by dispensationalists such as Hall Lindsey, Pat Robertson, and Tim LaHaye. I want to make two quick points regarding the end times that I know many people are afraid of.
First, the antichrist. We see covers of books from the Left Behind series that have dark menacing covers with the word “ANTICHRIST” in dark, blood red. We have allowed such people to construct a completely false image of the antichrist though. What does the bible say about the coming of the antichrist?
1 John 2:18-20:
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
1 John 2:22-24:
Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.2 John 1:7:
Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
1 John 4:3
but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.So, who is the antichrist? It is anyone who denies that Jesus the Christ is truly the Lord and Messiah over all. These people are “deceivers and the antichrist” as is stated in 2 John. And as there are people who deny Jesus even today back to the time He walked this very earth we know that we are in the last days now since 1 John 2:18 tells us that the last hours have the coming of many antichrists who have already come with many more to come throughout the ages until the last day.Second, what is the end time? We have established that we are in the end times right now but what will be the final time. We are in the last hours but there has to come a last, final, hour. Surely this must be a terrifying thing with four horsemen storming from the clouds and flaming wild demons roaming the earth. But, again, what the bible say?
Matthew 24:14
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
If we truly love God and desire to spread His gospel then why should we think that there is anything to fear? We come together every day and say we want to spread the gospel so we should rejoice at the idea of the end of this age because every nation will have heard of Jesus the Christ.
Chris Said:
February 28, 2006 at 8:12 pm
Nice! Very nice!
Scott Said:
June 1, 2007 at 6:33 pm
But what does the Bible say? I always like it when a person asks that question…because when it comes down to it, that’s all that matters, what does the Bible say? I’ve noticed from reading some of your other posts, that you like to slam those who hold differing views on the endtimes than yourself. There are essentials of the faith and then there is everything else. It is essential to believe Jesus is coming again. But I don’t think I’d run folks in the ground who hold to a different view from myself on how His 2nd Coming may come about. Even Paul used the term “mystery” when talking about His return. I get the impression from your comments and use of the above texts that perhaps you don’t feel the Bible teaches that there will be an “AntiChrist” in the last days. Interestingly, we only find the use of the term in John’s letters. In 2:18, the first mention of “antichrist” is singular, whereas the next use is plural. Therefore, one must conclude that the singular use refers to the coming final world ruler who will be empowered by Satan and who will strive to replace and oppose the true Messiah. The 2nd occurrence is plural and would certainly refer to many or more than one individual and his point, I believe, is to identify and charaterize false teachers who were teaching falsehood, false doctrine and the like. And of course, the phrase concerning the “last hour” would indeed refer to the whole period between Christ 1st Advent and His 2nd Coming. However, we must realize that although we are living in the last hour or last days (that whole period between the 1st and 2nd Comings), there will be a last of the last days or a last of the last hour. We can safely conclude what that is by considering the whole counsel of Scripture, from Daniel’s 70 weeks, to Christ’s Olivet Discourse, to Paul’s comments concerning “the mystery” in 1 Cor. 15, his letters to the Thessalonian believers, the passages you refer to above, the Book of Revelation and many others. And yes, you are right, “this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world and then the end shall come.” And although it has been preached in the whole world, so far as worldwide is concerned, every ethno-linguistic people group has not heard…but that will happen, and then the end will come. It will happen in the last of the last days!
Perry Said:
June 5, 2007 at 3:33 pm
@Scott - I do certainly believe in the Antichrist as he is spoken on clearly in the Bible. As you said, the scriptures speaks of two types of Antichrists. First, there are many Antichrists who have come and many who live today who are defined as being an Antichrist by denying Christ (1 John 2:18, 22). Also, it is clear from scripture that there will be one final Antichrist who is the culmination of all evil (2 Thess 2:1-12). So it seems that your assumption was incorrect. I do in fact believe in these clear biblical teachings.
I would agree that we are living in the final days [or last hours] (Micah 4:1) while will end at the last day [the final hour] at Christ’s return (John 6:39-44).
The point of this blog post was to focus on the glory of Christ. I was discouraged to see how many people were terrified by the end of time by being focused solely on the coming on the Antichrist and not on the great accomplishment of Christ bringing his Gospel to the very ends of the earth. My intention was to encourage believers to set their eyes not on the man of sin but instead on the reaching of all nations with the Gospel which will usher in the completion of the end. And while the man of sin is certainly a concern for the Church, the victory has already been won and Christ will reign supreme unhindered by any Antichrists or by the final Antichrist as indicated by the reaching the nations with the Gospel.
Scott Said:
June 5, 2007 at 7:43 pm
I will definitely agree with you there, far too many people focus on the man of sin rather than Jesus, Who defeated send and Who will return in glory…even so, come Lord Jesus.