by knight40 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
What is the Jehovah Witness point of view on the antichrist?
Is there only one antichrist? or many? has he or it already come? or is he or it to come in the future? If he is to come in the future what will be the signs of his coming? Or if he is already present what were the signs when he came? and when did he come? Is the antichrist a person? kingdom? nation? group? ...etc?
Welcome tp the board!
The Bible’s Viewpoint Who Is the Antichrist? "YOU HAVE HEARD THAT ANTICHRIST IS COMING."—1 JOHN 2:18.
IF YOU were warned that a dangerous criminal was seen heading toward your neighborhood, what would you do? You would likely search out accurate details about his appearance and methods. You would be on the alert.
A similar situation exists today. We have been warned by the apostle John’s words: "Every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate with God. Furthermore, this is the antichrist’s inspired expression which you have heard was coming, and now it is already in the world." (1 John 4:3) Is there such an antichrist, an enemy of God and deceiver of men, now threatening the well-being of all humanity?
John used the term "antichrist" five times in two of his epistles. It refers to an entity that opposes what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ and includes impostors who present themselves as Christ (The JW's)or as sent by him. The Bible gives reliable information about the antichrist. But as sometimes happens with felons, unfounded reports regarding this enigmatic entity have received more notice than the truth.
A Case of Mistaken IdentitySince the days of the apostle John, men have claimed that John’s words about an antichrist designate one specific individual. People have proposed various candidates. Centuries ago many thought that Roman Emperor Nero was the antichrist. Later, the flood of hatred and terror let loose by Adolf Hitler convinced many that he was the antichrist. The term was even applied to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Yet others believe that the antichrist is still to come and that he will appear as a shrewd, ruthless politician who is out to rule the world. They believe that the wild beast of Revelation chapter 13 is a specific reference to the antichrist mentioned by John. They say that its mark of 666 will somehow identify this future champion of wickedness.
Those promoting these ideas assume that John pointed to just one antichrist. But what do his words show? Consider 1 John 2:18: "Just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now there have come to be many antichrists." Yes, "many antichrists," not one, were responsible for the spiritually troubled situation back in the first century. Today there are, not one, but many antichrists who form the antichrist class. Collectively, they have heaped spiritual ruin upon mankind. (2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13) Who make up the antichrist?
Let us look at the wild beast of Revelation chapter 13 as a possibility. The apostle John wrote: "The wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion’s mouth." (Revelation 13:2) What do these elements signify?
Bible scholars have noted a connection between Revelation chapter 13 and Daniel chapter 7. God gave Daniel a vision of figurative beasts, including a leopard, a bear, and a lion. (Daniel 7:2-6) What meaning did God’s prophet assign to them? He wrote that those wild animals symbolized earthly kings, or governments. (Daniel 7:17) So we can logically conclude that the wild beast of Revelation represents human governments. Since these governments oppose God’s Kingdom, they constitute a part of the antichrist.
Who Else Make Up the Antichrist?When the Christ, the Son of God, walked the earth, he had many enemies. Although he is now beyond physical reach, he has modern-day opponents. Note who are included among them.
The apostle John stated: "Who is the liar if it is not the one that denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one that denies the Father and the Son." (1 John 2:22) Apostates() and leaders of false worship twist the clear teachings of Jesus into knots of religious deceit (There is NOBODY better at twisting the scriptures then the duds!). Such ones reject Bible truth and spread lies in the name of God and Christ. They deny the true relationship of the Father and the Son by their Trinity doctrine. Therefore, they too are a part of the antichrist.
Jesus forewarned his disciples at Luke 21:12: "People will lay their hands upon you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons . . . for the sake of my name." Since the first century, true Christians have endured savage persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12) Fomenters of such treatment work against Christ. They too are a component of the antichrist.
"He that is not on my side is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters." (Luke 11:23) Here Jesus proclaims that all who oppose him and the divine purposes he supports fall into the category of the antichrist. What end awaits these?
By the 'Witchtowers' own standards...LOL...they THEMSELVES are an Antichrist!
In the late 80's my parents thougt Tony Hawk was the antichrist...
They teach that there is no eschatological Antichrist person who will unleash persecution and apostasy; rather, the "Antichrist" is an abstract composite of all people, organizations, and forces that oppose Christ and his kingdom. Thus, apostates, Catholics, the UN, communism, the military, etc. etc. are all the "Antichrist"...
LOL, I'll bet they did OFG! Now he's like a respected elder.
Thus, apostates, Catholics, the UN, communism, the military, etc. etc. are all the "Antichrist"...
I knew they'd find a way to include me.
W
Who is the liar if it is not the one that denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one that denies the Father and the Son.. 1 John 2:22By that standard I am happy to be called an antichrist. Nic'
Hi knight40, welcome to the forum!
Hi, Knight 40, welcome to the forum.
There is a sense in which you are right on both counts. The first mention of Antichrist is at 1Jo 2:18 and it is interesting to note that here, at this text, which provides the norm for the doctrine, we have TWO, not just one, contextual reference.
Jo tells is readers "You heard AN Antichrist is COMING" [The anarthrous noun may be a name, hence Antichrist without the "an"] but note
1 The singular, 2 The singular is in some way FUTURE 3 One of the things that we DONT know is where his readers had "heard" of the coming of this individual. Several commentators have speculated that they might have heard sermons preached on the subject by several evangelists, like the Apostle Paul, or even Apollos
But Jo also said: "So also NOW there are many antichrists"
These were already at work, evidently undermining the Christian heritage in the various churches.
From the above we can gather that John seems to anticipate an individual [who he did not identify] who is specifically a person who would assume the identity of a notorious opponent of Jesus Christ. Whatever this person would do in the unspecified future, was already being done in a more limited way by a collective group of opponents to the Faith.
It is interesting to see what the WTS has done with this teaching. In the "[human] Reasoning" book, pg 32 rather than taking BOTH usages of the word "Antichrist" equally literally, they have chosen to accept only the latter part as literal, ie that "Antichrist" is a collective group. The first usage is now applied symbolically: The individual "antichrist" is actually also a collective group, an "Antichrist Class" Evidently anyone, who like us, actively oppose the WTS
Makes ya proud to be part of a prophecy huh? You and us were included in the "coming" AC.
Maybe, John's readers had heard a sermon preached by Paul that went something like this: "In the 21st Cent there is gunna be these apostates who will oppose the GB on summat called the innernet yep, thems the coming AC"
Cheers
Only the verses quoted from the letters of John specifically use the term "antichrist," but the early Church Fathers saw this Antichrist as a fitting designation for figures which are identified by other terms - such as the "man of sin [lawlessness - NWT]," the "abomination of desolation," the "beast," etc. The JWs take these figures to refer to other entities - such as the clergy, the worldwide political system, etc. They are not considered to be predictions of a specific, personal Antichrist. But as Leo has stated, they could be considered in JW thinking to be a collective antichrist.
