The Anti-christ
The idea of the Anti-Christ brings fear to so many. The assumption among Pretrib believers is that the Anti-Christ will be revealed during the seven years of tribulation and will come from among the world powers as a political head bring in the One World Order in a world of confusion as to what happened in the mysterious time men will face. This idea is a repeat of what happened during the post-diluvian period when Nimrod rose in power and ordered the construction of the tower. According to Josephus part of the reason Nimrod ordered this construction was to avoid another flood that destroyed the people. Could this be a similar case? Before we take a look at this lets consider some things about understanding the Bible.
What does the Scriptures reveal? A general rule of thumb when dealing with biblical prophecy is to not take things too literal, learn and understand the biblical author's world view, literary context, and study history. Far too often when people today study the Scriptures they view the text through the lenses of their world view. The problem with this is our world view today is alien to the world view of the biblical authors and visa versa. The audience of the biblical authors were the people of their time. Take Revelation for example, John was ordered to write to seven churches. Though these seven churches were living in the world of Rome they each possessed different views of the world around them and dealt with various issues. Though sin doesn't change over time, language, traditions, customs, culture, technology and world relations do and have changed. Their world is very alien to us and ours to them.
What if I were to tell you the anti-Christ is here and has been for over 1600 years? Many will disagree because much of what the Bible says about him does not line up with what many have interpreted the Scriptures to mean.
In Paul's second letter to the church of Thessalonians he tells them before the Lord returns two things must happen first. One is the great rebellion or turning away from the faith. This is the first time Paul states this happening where in the end many will turn away from the faith. He repeats this in 1 Timothy chapter 4 that in the end many will depart the faith to follow after false teachings. The second event to happen is "The man of lawlessness is revealed." He will be the "man of lawlessness," "the son of destruction," who will oppose and "exalt himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." (2 Thessalonians 2) Paul had to remind them that he spoke to them about these things when he was last with them. He reminds them of who it is who is restraining him till his time comes to be revealed.
For many they believe the restrainer is the Holy Spirit. The problem with this interpretation is Paul has used the name of the Holy Spirit 16 other times in his letters, once to this very church. If the restrainer is the Holy Spirit Paul would not have any problem saying so, he didn't need to keep that news a secret. Paul didn't want that news revealed to just anyone in case that letter fell into the wrong hands.
So who could the restrainer be and where does the anit-Christ come from?
During the first century the church was faced with two enemy fronts, first the Jews and then the Romans. We find in Scripture that Paul, a Jew and a Pharisee, was zealous to killing the church. Then upon Paul's conversion he had to face attacks from the Jews as he traveled around the Roman Empire. History reveals to us how much trouble the Apostles faced from the Jews as well. Paul also faced persecution from Rome as well. If Paul had not been imprisoned for causing trouble with the Jews we would not have had the letters that make up the majority of the New Testament. History tells us that Paul eventually ends up in prison in Rome and was beheaded by the Romans.
Then Jews persecution came to an end closer to 70 A.D. when the City of Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans. After then we continue to see more persecution from Rome, mainly starting with Nero who blamed the burning of Rome on the Christians.
What does the Scriptures reveal? A general rule of thumb when dealing with biblical prophecy is to not take things too literal, learn and understand the biblical author's world view, literary context, and study history. Far too often when people today study the Scriptures they view the text through the lenses of their world view. The problem with this is our world view today is alien to the world view of the biblical authors and visa versa. The audience of the biblical authors were the people of their time. Take Revelation for example, John was ordered to write to seven churches. Though these seven churches were living in the world of Rome they each possessed different views of the world around them and dealt with various issues. Though sin doesn't change over time, language, traditions, customs, culture, technology and world relations do and have changed. Their world is very alien to us and ours to them.
What if I were to tell you the anti-Christ is here and has been for over 1600 years? Many will disagree because much of what the Bible says about him does not line up with what many have interpreted the Scriptures to mean.
In Paul's second letter to the church of Thessalonians he tells them before the Lord returns two things must happen first. One is the great rebellion or turning away from the faith. This is the first time Paul states this happening where in the end many will turn away from the faith. He repeats this in 1 Timothy chapter 4 that in the end many will depart the faith to follow after false teachings. The second event to happen is "The man of lawlessness is revealed." He will be the "man of lawlessness," "the son of destruction," who will oppose and "exalt himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." (2 Thessalonians 2) Paul had to remind them that he spoke to them about these things when he was last with them. He reminds them of who it is who is restraining him till his time comes to be revealed.
For many they believe the restrainer is the Holy Spirit. The problem with this interpretation is Paul has used the name of the Holy Spirit 16 other times in his letters, once to this very church. If the restrainer is the Holy Spirit Paul would not have any problem saying so, he didn't need to keep that news a secret. Paul didn't want that news revealed to just anyone in case that letter fell into the wrong hands.
So who could the restrainer be and where does the anit-Christ come from?
During the first century the church was faced with two enemy fronts, first the Jews and then the Romans. We find in Scripture that Paul, a Jew and a Pharisee, was zealous to killing the church. Then upon Paul's conversion he had to face attacks from the Jews as he traveled around the Roman Empire. History reveals to us how much trouble the Apostles faced from the Jews as well. Paul also faced persecution from Rome as well. If Paul had not been imprisoned for causing trouble with the Jews we would not have had the letters that make up the majority of the New Testament. History tells us that Paul eventually ends up in prison in Rome and was beheaded by the Romans.
Then Jews persecution came to an end closer to 70 A.D. when the City of Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans. After then we continue to see more persecution from Rome, mainly starting with Nero who blamed the burning of Rome on the Christians.
