Beware the Spirit of Anti-Christ

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Editor, Wisconsin Christian News:

March  2023

   The anti-christ — for many, the term conjures up images of some horrific beast; but is that really what the Bible teaches? The Greek word from which our English is derived only occurs five times in the texts and never in the book of Revelation, rather it is in John’s epistles. I’ll begin with II John 1:7 and work back, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” (I John 4:3), “And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is not of GOD, this is the antichrist which you heard is coming, and even now is already in the world.”    (I John 2:22), “Who is a liar, but he that denies Jesus is the Christ?; this is the antichrist that denies the Father and the Son.” And lastly I John 2:18, “Children it is the last hour, and as you heard that the antichrist is coming; even now many antichrists have come.” What?  There is not just one antichrist? But “many deceivers?” These aren’t some terrifying beasts, rather those which deny that the Jesus of the Bible, born to the virgin Mary, anointed by the FATHER, rejected by the world, crucified and buried; resurrected and witnessed by many is and always will be The Christ, The True King.

   Now, don’t get me wrong, many other Bible verses tell about a “last time” antichrist. Such as II Thessalonians 2:3,4, “Let no-one deceive you in anyway, for unless comes an apostasy first: and is revealed the man of sin, the son of perdition; who sets himself up instead of and exalts himself above GOD ...”. I encourage you to carefully study, not just that verse, but pretty much all of that chapter as Paul “begs” you in v. 1, to do. He is really just relating that the “end” will be similar to the “beginning”; when the “nachash,” satan, that old serpent tempted Adam and Eve. Not as some terrifying figure from which people would flee, but as a shining imposter, claiming to know more than GOD, implying they had been deceived. Identity theft?, yes the first recorded case was right there in Eden. Take heed lest you will be deceived by a coming “fake jesus,” a phony savior, who the Bible warns us will come, an imposter king, the antichrist. 

   Now, you probably know that the last part of that word, “christ,” from the Greek “christos” means “anointed.” Just as David was anointed King over Israel. However, the first part doesn’t necessarily mean “against” or “opposed to” as we think of it. In modern terms, if you are “pro,” you are for something, “anti” and you are against it. However, please, go to Matthew 2:22, “But hearing that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, ...”. In that verse is the first occurrence of the Greek word “anti.”  Can you guess where it is?  The KJV has, “in the room of,” Bullinger’s marginal note for that phrase has “= instead of. Gr. anti.” In that case it was not even an imposter, but a son ascending to the throne of his father as with Charles III taking over for Elizabeth II, recently.

    People have eagerly, ever since Adam and Eve, been deceived by antichrists. Pretenders to the throne, GOD has set for HIS Anointed. Genesis 3:15 offers the first prophecy of HIS coming, note the comparison between, “... thy seed and her SEED ...”  The latter can’t refer to Abel, her posterity or even the Israelites, because all failed in causing any real harm to satan. GOD is not talking to a literal snake, when HE says “thy seed,” but referring to the spawn of the devil that old dragon, satan. Behind them all has been their father, that first spreader of “misinformation,” “When he speaks a lie, he speaks out of himself; for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44). 

   Are we in the last days, that last “hour” in GOD’s time? Many GOD revering people have believed so throughout many former days. Forty years ago, I didn’t see how things could get any worse, but boy, was I wrong! Fortunately, GOD led me into studying HIS WORD, about that time as well. Over those years, every time some politician was hailed as a “savior,” I wondered — is it them? However, the antichrist won’t just fool the Biblically illiterate in America, but the world. He will also fool many phony believers — “antichristians.” As things just seem to keep getting worse, in spite of our so-called leaders’ flowery promises to do something; the world is more and more being primed for such a figure to appear. Will he deceive you?  Or have you “searched the Scriptures” as The TRULY ANOINTED KING urged?

   An afterthought: if you’ve read thus far, likely you do search the Scriptures. Perhaps you are a regular reader of WCN as well, but are you a supporter? I thank GOD, that some few years ago, I picked up a “free” copy. Here was a media outlet for the WORD of GOD. Allow me to explain; of course WCN is not the Bible, but it is an entryway to the Scriptures. As in this letter, almost every article has Bible references.  Readers, I hope, will turn there. To paraphrase the late Pastor Arnold Murray (Shepherd’s Chapel), “Don’t take my word for it, check it out, open your Bible!”  When you read an article in WCN, with a Bible reference, check it out. If as myself, you then learn from GOD’s WORD, please consider supporting this newspaper.

-Bill Behringer,
Oshkosh, Wisconsin

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