How To Avoid Being Deceived
But false teachings and scams are not new. They were a problem even in Biblical times. The apostle Paul warns us to not become cynical, but to “test” all ideas to see if they are really true and good:
15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is Gods will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.
Fortunately, we have at least four ways to test ideas and distinguish what is good and true from what is evil and false:
How Can We Be Aware Of The Antichrist Or False Prophets
The Bible warns us that many false prophets and antichrists will come, before the False Prophet and the Antichrist step onto the scene. So how can we recognize these types of people?
According to this Crosswalk article, a false prophet will not consult the Bible first, “True teachers will reach for the Bible first, second, and always. They may use other sources of information to help explain what Scripture reveals, but the foundation of their message is always built upon Thus says the Lord. If you start hearing more from other sources than Gods Word, you may need to hit the door.”
Secondly, even if they do read the Bible, they may cherry-pick. They may mention Jesus or the Gospel as a sprinkled-in flavor on occasion, but they twist the words of Scripture to fit an eisegetical standpoint they want to make. If someone plucks certain verses but throws out the rest, you’ve likely found a false prophet.
Thirdly, a true teacher will seek after God. No pastor or Christian influencer can claim perfection. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. But does this person appear to be puffed up with pride. Instead of love, joy, peace, patience, etc., do they choose hate, anger, division, etc.?
Finally, do they encourage you to live in sin, indulge in it? A true teacher consults Scripture first and shuns evil. A person of darkness, on the other hand, will delight in evil works and will tell you to “do you.” Even when “doing you” is contrary to what Scripture says.
What Does The Bible Say About The Antichrist
DEA / A. DAGLI ORTI / Getty Images
- General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center
The Bible speaks of a mysterious character called the Antichrist, the false Christ, the man of lawlessness, or the beast. Scripture doesn’t specifically name the Antichrist but does give us several clues as to what he will be like. By looking at the different names for the Antichrist in the Bible, we gain a better understanding of the kind of person he will be.
Also Check: What Does The Bible Say About Adultery And Forgiveness
Take A Look At This Related Article:
- Edward
-
The Antichrist is a political leader, the false prophet is a religious leader that the pope fits the description, also the Antichrist comes up into power with little fan care from obscurity. The pope is all ready famous and world know. The Antichrist is not, he moves to a position of fame, the pope will help him and the Antichrist will eventually kill him as he does not want to shar power with the pope
- edward emmell
- Nahshon Pani
-
Dear sister in Christ, greetings in Lord Jesus! I like your opinion. myself live in JAGDALPUR and serve the Lord full time although my wife suffering from diabetes and arthritis she and son also cooperate me in ministry. we conduct meetings in a rental house where we reside too. so, please pray for our ministry that we build a church building and win the souls for Jesus Christ. please send an email separately through my mentioned email id. May God bless you.
John And The Revelation
Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3 I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast 4 they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast?
The seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 look like what Peter, Paul, and John wrote of the early church. The Book of Revelation, however, steps into the last moments of the church on earth. The many false teachers retreat behind the scenes and join the other worshipers of the Beastno doubt the Antichrist. The dragon stands on the seashore, evidently, instrumental in raising the Beast from the sea with all the power of the earth, wearing ten crowns and matched with great, unsurpassed earthly powers. The dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
Regardless of ones eschatological bent, we ought to agree that a world figure, empowered by the devil, will have a voracious appetite for our devoted worship. The believers reluctance to worship will be the reason for him to make them his prey.
You May Like: What Book Of The Bible Is The Ten Commandments In
Will The Antichrist Arise In Europe
This page is currently under construction.In the meantime, the sermon outline for this message is available to download and print. Click the link below for your free copy.
This page is currently under construction. The YouTube video will be published soon.In the meantime, the sermon outline and transcript for this message is available to download and print. Click the links below for your free copies.
Bible prophecy reveals much concerning the end of the age. The “secret things” remain hidden, but it is our responsibility to study and to act on the “revealed things.” This assures our preservation and ultimate victory.
The Wolf In Shepherds Clothing
However, that is not all. Another major text that emphasizes the deception occurring in the end times is 2 Thessalonians 2. Here the apostle Paul addresses the issue of the Day of the Lord, which some saw as already fulfilled . The apostle calms our spirits, stating that there are certain essential conditions that will be present when Jesus really appears .
The two conditions are apostasya word describing the rejection of Christ by Christians and the revelation of the lawless one . Although the mystery of lawlessness was already unfolding in Pauls time , there was something or someone standing in its way and limiting its development . When these restrictions are removed, the lawless oneor the antichristwould appear.
When it comes to the time and manner of the Second Coming, Paul compares the event to a thief sneaking in at night . In light of this, Paul encourages the members of the Christian church not to be caught in speculation, while also acknowledging that there are still false Christs, who may imitate him that must be avoided.
Paul says that the wicked one will be revealed , but Jesus will destroy him by the splendour of his coming . Then, right at the beginning of verse 9, Paul states that the coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. Here the author talks about the climax of the imitation of Christ by the antichrist.
Don’t Miss: Is Atlantis In The Bible
The Antichrist Is Coming
Although Muslim and other sources mention Antichrist, our chief focus is on what Gods Word says about the Antichrist. Some individuals are skeptical about one chief Antichrist because the Bible does not speak about an Antichrist but antichrists, or because conflicting eschatological schemes minimize the appearance of an Antichrist.
We applaud those who pull out their Bible concordances and see that the Bible only uses this word antichrist four times. Really! But dont stop reading because the development of the antichrist theme in the scriptures does bring a much-needed warning. Just as we trace the usage of the term anointed, Christ, and Messiah , there is also a development of antichrist.
The Antichrist theme starts with Satan and ends up in Revelation describing the unholy trinity . The devil empowers these world-renown kings, only sometimes mentioned in the Bible. We can safely conclude Antichrist is an embodiment of the evil one who tries to steal the position and glory of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate God Himself.
Moreover, the Bible hints and prophesies about a coming leader who will attempt to conquer the world and eradicate all vestiges of truthalong with the Gospel, bringing much persecution against Gods people. Further descriptions will come to light as we briefly study several critical Biblical passages.
What Is An Anti
The word anti means to be opposed to or to be the opposite of. You could say that anything that has the prefix anti on it is against what it is attached to. The word anti literally means to be opposed too. Like the word antibacterial means that the substance attacks bacteria or is against bacteria. So the anti-Christ attacks anything about Christ His message, His person, His character. There are many anti-Christs out there today and there always have been since the time of Christ on earth. This is nothing new today. The fact that there are anti-Christs, lower-case a, has nothing to do with the Anti-Christ, upper-case A. There are many anti-Christs but there is only one Anti-Christ.
Read Also: Why Do We Worry Bible
There Will Always Be False Teachers
False teachers have plagued the church since the very beginning.
Acts 20:29 states, “I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock.”
We will not escape the grasp of false teachers infiltrating the church until Jesus comes again. But we can make sure to ready ourselves as much as possible whether we combat false teachers or the Antichrist himself.
In addition to consulting the Scripture, I suggest going to the Lord in prayer. I also suggest consulting Christians who may have the spiritual gift of discernment. This gift allows someone to differentiate between false teaching and one that aligns with Scripture. But make sure to do this step after prioritizing Scripture and prayer, as even those with discernment may be prone to error.
According to this Bible Study Tools article, we do have even more ways of diagnosing a false teacher, “Paul provides us with some diagnostic tools to recognize false teaching. He instructs us to observe their character, their tactics , and their motivation .”
As believers, we must always be watchful and vigilant, placing our trust in the Lord rather than our trust in men. We cannot tolerate false teaching in the church and must do our best to turn to what the Gospel says.
Related articles
What Will Happen To The Antichrist As He Leads The Battle Of Armageddon
During the Battle of Armageddon, the world will become increasingly discontented with the leadership of this global dictator who will have gone back on every promise he made. Major segments of the world will begin to assemble their own military forces and rebel against him.
The king of the South and his armies will be the first to come after the Antichrist, followed by the armies of the North. At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him: and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships .
During the Battle of Armageddon, the world will become increasingly discontented with the leadership of this global dictator who will have gone back on every promise he made.
The Antichrist will put down some of these first attempts at rebellion against him. But before he can move toward his goal of destroying Israel and Jerusalem, something happens: But news from the east and the north shall trouble him therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many . The Bible leaves no doubt as to the source of the news that so enrages the Antichrist: Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared .
With the disappearance of the Euphrates, the Antichrist will be vulnerable to attack by the kings of the east. Their arrival will mark the beginning of the greatest war of all history.
Recommended Reading: Where In The Bible Does It Say Pray Without Ceasing
He Claims To Be God And Is Worshiped
A strong characteristic is that the Anti-Christ will seek to be worshpped like God is as Paul writes, Dont let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in Gods temple, proclaiming himself to be God . This Anti-Christ is identified as the man of lawlessness and will not appear until the rebellion occurs . This man is supposed to come to power during the Tribulation and he will set in the temple of God to proclaim himself as God.
Peter And The Antichrist
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves .
Peter, in his letters, does not speak of one Antichrist but many false prophets. John called false prophets antichrists, but Peter is content to speak of them as false teachers and prophets , focusing on the immediate challenge he and the church faced. As John mentioned, they would introduce heresies, denying Jesus Christ, but their end will be sure judgment, which we see John conclusively articulating in the Book of Revelation.
Also Check: How To Study The Bible Effectively
Who Is The Antichrist
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. They went out from us, but they were not of us for if they had been of us, they would have continued with usThis is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2|1823
every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of theantichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.1 John 4|3
The antichrist was in the past, is here, and is coming. RC Sproul correctly notes, We can conclude from this that during the period between the apostolic age and the return of Christ there are to be many manifestations of the antichrist, at least in spirit and power.
Some scholars believe that after looking at Jesus words in the Olivet Discourse and the events that took place with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, that Nero was a type of the antichrist. There are some theologians who say he was the final fulfillment of the antichrist as well.
Past Popes Have Been Accused
As the English religious radical John Wycliffe put it,
the Pope may obviously be the Antichrist, and yet not just that sole single individual but rather the multitude of popes holding that position along with the cardinals and bishops of the church.
This was the position on the Antichrist adopted by Protestants at the time of the 16th century Reformation. was convinced that he was living in the last days. For him, the Pope fitted all the criteria for the Antichrist. The Pope, he declared, is the true end times Antichrist who has raised himself over and set himself against Christ.
Read more:Apocalypse Now: why the movies want the world to end every year
Recommended Reading: Do Not Be Afraid Bible Verse Isaiah
False Prophets False Teachers
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
15Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will know them by their fruits.
A good fruit tree bears good fruit. In the same way, a good person will act and speak in ways consistent with Jesus’ teachings. A thorny bush may have pretty flowers, but it produces thorns that can pierce and tear skin. In the same way, an evil person may put on the appearance of holiness, but he or she will speak and act in ways opposed to the things Jesus taught. These evil people are like wolves who disguise themselves as harmless sheep to deceive and exploit unwary victims.
False Teachers