Daily Devotional Thursday 9th July 2020
by William Moody
1 John 2:18–27
Warning Concerning Antichrists
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 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 it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.1 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us2—eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
(ESV)
The Antichrist (v18, 22-23) who John speaks about is this evil character who comes at the end of time. This idea was prevalent in Jewish thinking from the days of Daniel (Daniel 11 v31-32; 12 v11). This was partially fulfilled in the evil Greek leader Antiochus Epiphanes who conquered Jerusalem in 168 BC.
Jesus spoke of many false Christs and false prophets who would appear (Mark 13 v22-23). Paul spoke of the man of sin who would appear to take upon himself honour due to God alone (2 Thess. 2 v3-4). John though is the only writer who uses the term ‘antichrist’ (1 John 2 v18 & 22; 4 v3; 2 John v7).
Antichrist literally means some who ‘is the opposite of’ or who stands ‘instead of’ Christ. This person opposes Christ by taking upon himself honour and status which is due to God alone. The antichrist particularly opposes Jesus (v22-23) and denies His divinity.
John also speaks of the Antichrists plural (v19, 26). They left the church (v19) which said more about them than it did the church. The problem is that before they left they could have done a lot of harm with their false teaching.
Within the church we always have to be careful of being deceived by false teaching (v26). False teachers often present themselves as being more clever and more spiritual than others in the church. Pray that those who teach God’s word are faithful to it, and that they draw you closer to Christ.
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