1 John 2:18 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.
 
How’s that for a topic?! Before you turn away believing this to be end-times mumbo jumbo, you might want to listen for a moment. I am not the least bit interested in telling you who, where or what he is. I am very interested in explaining what our author John means by saying, “…many antichrists have come.”
 
I believe this will surprise you and even convict us to be very careful how we honor Jesus today, and in the days ahead.
 
The first thing that we need to do is analyze the word “antichrist.” At first glance we would assume that word means: anti (against) and christ (Christ). So, we assume the Antichrist is the one who will stand up against Jesus and try to defeat him.
 
In the Greek, the prefix “anti” doesn’t necessarily mean “against”, a better rendering is “in place of.” Another way of saying it would be pseudochrist. Here are a few other words that might help with your understanding that come directly from reliable Greek exegesis: copy or representation.
 
I know that we are drilling down a bit deep here, but I want to shift our Hollywoodized and modernized idea of antichrist and place the understanding firmly in our lap the way that our author John was doing.
 
Try this on for a moment.
 
We are looking for a world leader to rise up and overthrow everyone, throwing the world into utter chaos. He will upset our way of life and take away all that we hold dear.
 
This person will hate the Jesus we love and do everything in his power to stomp out the name of Jesus Christ from the earth.
 
He will war against the church in the world and persecute and torture Christians. He will ruin everything.  
 
Every bit of this is true. However, it is not going to start this way. This is precisely what I want to draw your attention to in these few devotionals. When you read and imagine what the world will be like during that time, what you are imagining is the end of a very deep and progressive infection.
 
We often think that the church will be gone when the infection happens. Here is where we have to slow down and take notice.
 
John says that it is the last hour, the antichrist is coming, and many antichrists have come and that is how you know it is the last hour. His next phrase ties the church to the infection in a way that you may not expect.
 
1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
 
Here is what I believe that John is saying, you guys are looking for the big guy who ruins everything to show up and destroy the world, when inside the church there are those who are cut from the same cloth as him. Just as the big guy tries to take the place of Christ, so there are many who come and go in the church who take the place of Christ on a daily basis.
 
Now, I am not suggesting that once a person joins the vision of a church that they must remain for life. Nope, people must be sent out, and being sent is a blessing. Those who leave for the wrong reason though, do so for selfish reasons. I know that is hard to hear – but that is what John is saying.
 
The reason for the leaving of the fellowship God sent you into is very significant and should be approached with extreme caution. We are going to explore the core of our leaving fellowship. Because John calls it “antichrist.” WHAT!? That sounds so absurd, doesn’t it?
 
Well, strap on your seatbelts everybody – we are going to ride through the lands of delusion and selfishness. Hopefully, we will all arrive at the heart of Christ for his church.
 
Listen, I have no one in mind in writing this. Actually, this has been percolating for many years. I have been watching delusion increase in the body of Christ, I have been watching as love for one another has been growing cold. The thing about delusion is that in most cases the deluded person thinks that they are operating perfectly.
 
Father, we humbly ask that the delusion of this world which is increasing would not infiltrate the churches we attend. Help us to see and hear you clearly. Lord, we want nothing but you to lead and guide our lives. Jesus, we know that you would not have us deceived, so we listen to you and your word. Thank you for making possible our hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.
 
Blessings,
Pastor D