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“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.”

1 John 2:18

Perhaps one of the most controversial topics in the Bible is the doctrine of the antichrist. Throughout the ages, people have tried to identify this character but none of them was successful. Who is the antichrist and what does the term mean, anyway?

In today’s verse, John addresses his Christian readers and uses two terms worth discussing: “the last hour” and “antichrist.” Let’s define the first phrase. The term “the last hour” refers to the end times. It is the time between the first and second comings of Christ. With that definition, we can conclude that we are in the last hour—so was John, who wrote this about two thousand years ago.

The second term, “antichrist” is used only by John and is found only in his epistles. The prefix “anti” can mean two things: “against” or “instead of.” Therefore, this term means “against Christ” or “instead of Christ.” It is a spirit that rejects Christ. False teachers possess this kind of spirit. In the Book of Revelation, the Antichrist is a reference to a person who will lead the final rebellion against God.

One of the most important duties of a pastor like me is to guard the church against false teachings, especially those who deny the truths about Christ. Unfortunately, not everyone seems to be interested in these matters. But there are no shortcuts to overcoming antichrists—one has to know the real thing in order to detect the fraud.

It doesn’t matter how sincere you are in believing what you believe. Sincerity doesn’t make something true. Truth is truth because it can be proven. Truth is what matches facts. Jesus is the Christ because the Bible proves it.

How about you? How is your knowledge about Christ? What do you believe about Him?

Pursue the Savior today!