We go back to Johns definition of antichrist: Those that deny Jesus was Christ and made flesh.
Psacramento,
I always took it that John’s words applied to those teaching at the time about the more recent and also future appearances of Christ, namely after His death and resurrection, rather than the times that involved his birth and human life prior to His sacrifice. There were no significant arguments about the humanity or the flesh of Jesus prior to His death at least not among anyone claiming fellowship with Christ. Joh 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. But after His sacrifice and resurrection, even the Apostles had problems with our Lord’s humanity, and this would be a problem for many converts from then on including the Watchtower to this very day. Lu 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. This human reality, such human existence both then and in the future is what John meant. Therefore he said: 1Jo 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Such spirits or disciples made up alternate doctrines about Christ’s resurrection like going to someplace else the way He did to be in a future Kingdom and living like non-humans instead of being resurrected to live here on earth as demonstrated and promised by Christ. This involved failure to understand the Jewish meanings of words like heaven which word simply substituted for the word God to them. They did not correct their thinking the way the Apostles did and they existed with other disciples at the time John lived so John said: 2Jo 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. They did not grasp the words of John or Luke and avoided the reality of a real Kingdom of Israel here on earth that was intended for them all including so called holy ones or annointed ones present when Luke wrote: Acts 1: 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. This is the situation we are in now where so many teach they will go to heaven to live when the scriptures show that Christ will come in like manner in the flesh to live and establish the promised kingdom as testified to by the men in white robes.
Joseph