Anti-Christ

Jonathan Ledbetter

Question & Answer • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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We Received a Question that Deals with MDR…

And I was Planning on Covering it this Morning

But I’m Going to Need More Time to Study on it

MDR is a Much More Convoluted Subject…

Than We Like to Make it Out to Be

Especially When Looking at it From an OT Perspective

If You’d Like to Look into the Exact Text, it’s:

Deuteronomy 24:1-4

We May or May Not Cover it Next Week

Who/What is the Anti-Christ?

Are These Things Considered Anti-Christ Today:

Islamic Terrorism?

False Teachers?

Immorality?

Homosexuality?

Abortion Rights?

If You were to Go Searching for Information on the Internet About the Antichrist…

You’d Run into All Sorts of Beliefs

But a Big One You’ll Hear Today and See in Hollywood Movies is:

The Antichrist will Be an Evil World Leader…

Who will Come Before the Return of Jesus…

To Lead the World in Persecution of the Church

I Want to Read a Short Article Called “What is the Antichrist?”

It’s From a Popular Christian Website Called GotQuestions.org

First John 2:18 speaks of the Antichrist: “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.” The specific term antichrist is used five times in Scripture, twice here in 1 John 2:18 and once in 1 John 2:22; 4:3; and 2 John 1:7. So, what is this Antichrist that the apostle John refers to?

The meaning of the term antichrist is simply “against Christ.” As the apostle John records in First and Second John, an antichrist denies the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22), does not acknowledge Jesus (1 John 4:3), and denies that Jesus came in the flesh (2 John 1:7). There have been many “antichrists,” as 1 John 2:18 states. But there is also coming the Antichrist.

Most Bible prophecy/eschatology experts believe the Antichrist will be the ultimate embodiment of what it means to be against Christ. In the end times/last hour, a man will arise to oppose Christ and His followers more than anyone else in history. Likely claiming to be the true Messiah, the Antichrist will seek world domination and will attempt to destroy all followers of Jesus Christ and the nation of Israel. Other biblical references to the Antichrist include the following: The imposing, boastful king of Daniel 7 who oppresses the Jews and tries to “change the set times and the laws” (verse 25). The leader who establishes a 7-year covenant with Israel and then breaks it in Daniel 9. The king who sets up the abomination of desolation in Mark 13:14 (cf. Daniel 9:27). The man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12. The rider on a white horse (representing his claim to be a man of peace) in Revelation 6:2. The first beast—the one from the sea—in Revelation 13. This beast receives power from the dragon (Satan) and speaks “proud words and blasphemies” (verse 5) and wages war against the saints (verse 7). Thankfully, the Antichrist/beast, along with his false prophet, will be thrown into the lake of fire, where they will spend all eternity in torment (Revelation 19:20; 20:10). What is the Antichrist? In summary, the Antichrist is the end-times false messiah who seeks, and likely achieves, world domination so that he can destroy Israel and all followers of Jesus Christ.

That Gives a Pretty Basic Idea…

Of What Many in the Religious World Think About…

When They Think About the Antichrist

But Most of the Information They Gave About the Antichrist…

Came From Passages that Don’t Even Mention the Antichrist

There’s Absolutely No Reason for Us to Believe that:

Any Evil Leader From Daniel is Referring to the Antichrist

The Man of Lawlessness From 2 Thessalonians is the Antichrist

The Rider on the White Horse or the Beast From Revelation is Referring to the Antichrist

The Only Times the Antichrist is Mentioned is 5 Times in the Letters of 1 & 2 John

And in Those 4 Verses Where the Antichrist is Mentioned…

John Tells Us Exactly What/Who it is

1 John 2:18 (NASB95)

18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

1 John 2:22 (NASB95)

22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

1 John 4:3 (NASB95)

3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

2 John 7 (NASB95)

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

From These Verses We Learn that the Antichrist is:

Someone Who is Coming

Many People Who are Already in the World in John’s Day

A Liar

Someone Who Says Jesus isn’t the Messiah

Someone Who Denies/Rejects God the Father and God the Son

Someone Who Does Not Confess Allegiance to Jesus

A Deceiver

Someone Who Denies that Jesus Became Human

According to Scripture, is the Antichrist Some Future, Satanic World Leader?

The Antichrist is Anyone Who is “Anti-Messiah”

Anyone Who Believes and Teaches Against the Gospel of Jesus

Anyone Who Deceives and Lies, Saying:

“Jesus isn’t Really Human/Have a Physical Body”

“Jesus isn’t the Anointed King”

These are Major Tenets of the Gospel

Therefore, an Antichrist is Someone Who Believes and Teaches Against the Gospel

But the Context of These Verses Gives Us a Little More Detail

For Instance:

1 John 2:18–19 (NASB95)

18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

The Antichrists that John was Talking About…

Didn’t Come From Outside the Church…

But From Within

They were “So-Called” Believers Who Began Teaching Lies in Order to Deceive Other Christians

So, the Original Question was:

Who/What is the Antichrist?

The Scriptural Answer is:

False Christians Who Seek to Deceive the Church…

By Teaching Against the Gospel of Jesus

The Sub-Question was:

Are These Things Considered Anti-Christ Today:

Islamic Terrorism?

False Teachers?

Immorality?

Homosexuality?

Abortion Rights?

According to John, False Teachers would Be

But as for the Others, Not So Much

But if We Took a More General Meaning of the Word “Antichrist”…

Then I Suppose They All would Be Antichrist

Antichrist is Literally “Opponent of Christ”

Is Terrorism of Any Kind Opposed to the Way of Christ?

Yes

Is Immorality of Any Kind Opposed to the Way of Christ?

Yes

Is Homosexuality or Any Other Illicit Sexual Acts Opposed to the Way of Christ?

Yes

Is Abortion (The Killing of Babies) Opposed to the Way of Christ?

Yes

King Jesus is Against All of These Things

Those Who Promote Such Things are Promoting Things that Our King Opposes

Therefore, These Practices and Those Who Promote Them are Anti-Christ

Is Judah a Shadow of Jesus in Genesis 37:26 & Genesis 44:33?

This Question is About Typology in the Scriptures

Typology has to Do with Prophetic Symbolism

Symbols that are Foreshadows of Something that will Happen in the Future

Like Standing Beside the Corner of a Building…

And Seeing a Shadow Coming From Around the Other Corner

You Know Something is Coming, But You Don’t Yet See the Real Substance of it

We See Shadows/Types in the OT that Give Us Hints of the Real Substance that is to Come

Jesus is the Substance

After His Resurrection, He was Walking with 2 of His Disciples

As They are Walking and Talking, We Read this:

Luke 24:27 (NASB95)

27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

The Law and Prophets were All Pointing to Him

They were Full of Shadows and Types of Jesus

Let’s Look at a Couple Examples that the NT Confirms for Us

Romans 5:12–15 (NASB95)

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

What Adam, God’s Son, Did Affected the Entire World

What Jesus, God’s Son, Did Affected the Entire World

Adam’s Bringing Sin to the Entire World…

Foreshadowed Jesus Bringing Grace to the Entire World

1 Peter 3:20–21 (NKJV)

20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

The Flood Waters that Washed Away the Sin of the World…

Was a Foreshadow of the Waters of Baptism into Jesus that Washes Away the Sins of the World

The Book of Hebrews is Full of Typology

Moses was a Shadow of the True Lawgiver and Leader of God’s People

The Sacrifices and Passover Lamb were Shadows of Jesus’ Sacrifice to Save God’s People

Melchizedek the Royal Priest of Jerusalem…

Was a Shadow of the True Royal Priest of Jerusalem

We could Go All Day with Typology Pointing to Jesus in the OT

But Our Specific Question was:

Is Judah a Shadow/Type of Jesus in Genesis 37:26 & Genesis 44:33?

Judah, in Both of These Passages was Seeking to Protect His Younger Brother

He was Trying to Protect Joseph From Death

Genesis 37:26 (NASB95)

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood?

He Kept Joseph From Being Killed…

But I Don’t Really Believe Judah was Concerned Joseph’s Health

I Believe He was Concerned with Making a Prophet Off Him

“We could Kill Him and Get Nothing Out of it…”

“Or We could Sell Him and Make Some Money”

Genesis 44:33 (NASB95)

33 “Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.

In the Last Passage, Judah was Only Concerned with Himself

But in this Passage, Judah is Concerned for Others

He is Asking to Take His Brother Benjamin’s Place as a Slave in Egypt

First, He Sold His Brother into Slavery

Now, He’s Willing to Become the Slave so His Brother Doesn’t have to

I Don’t have the Authority to Say Whether Something is a Type or Not…

But that Sure Does Look like One

Judah, Jesus’ Great, Great, Great Grandpa…

Foreshadowed Jesus in Sacrificing Himself for Those He Loves

Judah wasn’t Always a Very Good Man

But this was a Very Good Moment for Him

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