Eschatology: Part 4- Anti-Christ(s) & The Man of Lawlessness

The question we need to ask is whether there is an actual single Anti-Christ figure in the end or is this a system similar to the sea/land beasts in Rev 13 and dan 7. In General anti christ in early church history simply meant against the following of Christ and his teaching. The non-canonical Ascension of Isaiah presents a detailed exposition of the Antichrist as Belial and Nero. Where do we get this end time anti-Christ figure from? the Antichrist to dispensationalist is “the king of Babylon” (Isa. 14:4), “Lucifer” (Isa. 14:12 KJV), “the son of destruction” (2 Thess. 2:3), “the prince who is to come” (Dan. 9:26), “the little horn” (Dan. 7:8; 8:9), “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thess. 2:3), “the beast” (Rev. 13), and several other biblical characters all rolled into one. Anti-Christ Anti- Christ is actually only mentioned 3 times in the Bible all in the epistles of John. John’s Antichrist is • anyone “who denies that Jesus is the Christ” (1 John 2:22). • anyone who “denies” the Father and Son (1 John 2:23). • “every spirit that does not confess Jesus” (1 John 4:3). 1.) Jesus emphatically said that his prediction of the false christs (antichrists), would be fulfilled in his generation. 2.) Paul said the man of sin was already at work, and already being restrained. He was already alive. 3.) John said the prophesied and predicted antichrists were present. 4.) John also said that his prophecy of the beast was to be fulfilled shortly, “for the time is at hand.” There is therefore, no justification for saying that “the antichrist is alive somewhere in Europe today” or similar statements and claims. These claims are in outright denial of the inspired scriptures so far as I can determine. • Anti-Christ is anyone who denies Jesus. It is also a collective spirit and not an individual person. • We are not looking for an end times anti-Christ • 2 Thes 2:1-8 speaks of current events in the time of Paul and not a future Anti-Christ.