Encyclopedia entry
Antichrist
Disambiguation
The source enumerates 4 distinct subjects under Antichrist. Jump to one below, or read in order.
Against Christ, or an opposition Christ, a rival Christ. The word is used only by the apostle John. Referring to false teachers, he says (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7), “Even now are there many antichrists.”
Antichrist (1)
#This name has been applied to the “little horn” of the “king of fierce countenance” (Dan. 7:24, 25; 8:23-25).
Antichrist (2)
#It has been applied also to the “false Christs” spoken of by our Lord (Matt. 24:5, 23, 24).
Antichrist (3)
#To the “man of sin” described by Paul (2 Thess. 2:3, 4, 8-10).
Antichrist (4)
#And to the “beast from the sea” (Rev. 13:1; 17:1-18).
Also from Smith's (1884) +−
This term is employed by the apostle John alone, and is defined by him in a manner which leaves no doubt as to its intrinsic meaning. With regard to its application there is less certainty. In the first passage— (1 John 2:18)—in which it occurs, the apostle makes direct reference to the false Christs whose coming, it had been fore-told, should mark the last days. In v. 22 we find, “he is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son;” and still more positively, “every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of antichrist.” Comp. (2 John 1:7) From these emphatic and repeated definitions it has been supposed that the object of the apostle in his first epistle was to combat the errors of Cerinthus, the Docetae and the Gnostics on the subject of the Incarnation. (They denied the union of the divine and human in Christ.) The coming of Antichrist was (believed to be foretold in the “vile person” of Daniel’s prophecy, (Daniel 11:21) which received its first accomplishment in Antiochus Epiphanes but of which the complete fulfillment was reserved for the last times. He is identified with “the man of sin, the son of perdition.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3) This interpretation brings Antichrist into close connection with the gigantic power of evil, symbolized by the “beast,” (Revelation 13:1) ... who received his power from the dragon (i.e. the devil, the serpent of Genesis), continued for forty and two months, and was invested with the kingdom of the ten kings who destroyed the harlot Babylon, (Revelation 17:12,17) the city of seven hills. The destruction of Babylon is to be followed by the rule of Antichrist for a short period, (Revelation 17:10) to be in his turn overthrown in “the battle of that great day of God Almighty,” (Revelation 16:14) with the false prophet and all his followers. Rev. 19. The personality of Antichrist is to be inferred as well from the personality of his historical precursor as from that of him to whom he stands opposed. Such an interpretation is to be preferred to that which regards Antichrist as the embodiment and personification of all powers and agencies inimical to Christ, or of the Antichristian might of the world.
In the Bible
4
Verses where Antichrist is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 John 2:18
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.
- 1 John 2:22
Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.
- 1 John 4:3
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.
- 2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Scripture on Antichrist
11
Entries that reference Antichrist
2
Antichrist references
15
Voices on Antichrist
24
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
Sources · Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869) · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.