Serpents in the Assembly
The popular expectation is that the Antichrist will be a political tyrant bent on dominating the world. Whether this proves to be true, the New Testament expresses more concern about the deceivers who ply their trade in the church, “making merchandise” out of God’s sheep. The few passages that use the term Antichrist apply it to false teachers who are infiltrating the church and distorting the apostolic teachings.
In Galatia, Paul found himself engaged in deadly combat with deceivers
in his congregations, “false brethren who
SLITHERED IN STEALTHILY to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus,
that they might enslave us.” Fortunately,
for the Galatians, Paul did not give even an inch to such men.
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| [Snake - Photo by Bofu Shaw on Unsplash] |
The “spirit of Antichrist” is inextricably linked with false teachings and lies, and it manifests itself in deceivers, serpents, and false prophets that peddle deceptions to the unsuspecting and the biblically ignorant.
The only New Testament author to employ the term “antichrist”
is John in his first two letters. In them, he warns that “it is the last
hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many
antichrists have come.”
John does not deny that an individual and final “antichrist”
will come, but in the meantime, many “antichrists” already are penetrating
the church and deceiving followers of Jesus - (1 John 2:18-22).
THE TERM ANTICHRIST
The Greek term commonly translated as “antichrist” is a
compound formed with the noun christos (“anointed”) and the
preposition anti. The latter denotes “instead of” rather than “against.”
Thus, an “antichrist” is someone or something that attempts to replace or
counterfeit the true Christ. And the “antichrists,” plural, to whom John refers are
those who, “went
out from us, but they were not of us… But they went out that it might be plain
that they all are not of us.”
Moreover, he admonishes his churches to “test the spirits to
see whether they are from God,” and he warns of “the spirit of the antichrist of
which you heard that it is coming, and now, it is already in the world.”
The “antichrists” of immediate concern in the Letter are false teachers in John’s congregations, NOT national, military, or political leaders of the larger world- (2 John 7).
Similarly, the Apostle Paul warned of the coming “Man of Lawlessness.” His
concern was about a future individual with the ability to deceive Christians, including the use of “signs and wonders,” and thereby cause their “apostasy.”
THE LAWLESSNESS ONE
Thus, Paul warns the church in Thessalonica to “let no one in
any way deceive you.” He then pinpoints the event when this figure will
be unveiled for who and what he is – When he “seats himself in the Sanctuary
of God,” a description that is more religious in tone than political.
Elsewhere in his letters, Paul uses the term “Sanctuary” or
naos metaphorically for the Body of Christ, the church - (2 Thessalonians
2:1-12, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16).
Furthermore, he links the “Man of Lawlessness” to the final
“Apostasy.” When he is revealed, his activities will be
“in accord with those of Satan,” and this will include “lying signs
and wonders” intended to deceive believers--:
“…With all power and signs and false wonders,
and with all the deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because
they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this
reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe
what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the
truth but took pleasure in wickedness” -(2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
SERPENTS AND BEASTS
In the Book of Revelation, after his failed attempt to
destroy the messianic “Son,” the “Great Red Dragon” departed to “wage
war against those who have the
testimony of Jesus Christ” - (Revelation 12:17).
Likewise, the “Beast from the Sea” was authorized to wage “war”
against the “saints and to overcome them.” In both images, Satan
persecutes the saints, and his earthly agent, the “Beast,” is the
instrument for doing so - (Revelation 13:6-10).
Whether this “Beast” is a world leader or not, the Devil’s purpose is to use him to destroy the church, not to foment wars between nation-states - (Revelation 12:17, 13:7).
In the seven letters to the “churches of Asia,” Satan
attacks the congregations with persecution AND deception, in fact,
far more often with the latter. Consistently, the Devil and his servants conduct
warfare against the “Lamb” by attacking anyone who follows him - (Revelation
2:10, 2:18-29).
In his 'Olivet Discourse,' Jesus began with a dire warning about
coming deceivers who would be intent on deceiving the very “elect of God”:
- “Beware lest anyone deceive you. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and deceive many … and many will fall away… and many false prophets will arise and deceive many… False anointed ones and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect” - (Matthew 24:4-23).
Like snakes, false prophets and deceivers slither their way into the
church to hoodwink disciples of Jesus, not to deceive an already deceived world
that lies “in the lap of the Wicked One.” Furthermore, warnings against
coming deceivers are common enough in the pages of the New Testament - (1
Timothy 4:1-2, 2 Peter 2:1-2).
In the end, the “Antichrist” may prove to be a global
political leader. However, considering the warnings in the New
Testament, we should not be surprised if this creature appears first in the
Church where he and his minions will work tirelessly to deceive the “elect.”
