We read in the account of the Maccabees how Antiochus Epiphanes came against God and His people.
Antiochus Epiphanes:
- forbid burnt offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary
- removed all of the furniture and utensils from the temple that God had prescribed for worship. i.e. the golden altar, the menorah and all its utensils, the table of Shewbread, the cups for the drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decorations on the front of the temple.
- took the silver, the gold and the costly vessels and also all of the hidden treasures that he found. He stripped it all out of the temple.
He commanded Israel to:
- profane the Sabbath and the Feasts of God
- defile the sanctuary and the holy ones
- build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols
- sacrifice pigs and other unclean animals to idols
- remove the marks of circumcision
- follow the customs of the nations
- abandon the Holy Covenant of God
- make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane so that they would forget the law and change all of the ordinances
Under his orders:
- Altars were built in the surrounding towns of Judah and incense was offered at the doors of the houses and in the streets
- any books of the law that they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire
- anyone found possessing the book of the covenant or anyone who adhered to the law was condemned to death
- a desolating sacrilege was erected upon the altar of burnt offering
- On the twenty-fifth day of the month they offered sacrifice on the altar that was erected on top of the altar of burnt offering
- they put to death the women who had their children circumcised and their families and those who circumcised them, and they hung the infants from their mothers’ necks
Antiochus Epiphanes’ officers enforced the apostasy against God under the threat of death. Antiochus Epiphanes was a type of antichrist.
John is the only writer in the Bible that mentions the word “antichrist”.
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
John warns that they are in the last time and as they have heard antichrist will come. Notice that he does not say that THE antichrist will come but he says that there are many antichrists and that is how they are to know that they were in the last time. The antichrists came out of them or the church, but they were not of them. They didn’t believe or teach the same things that they did. If they were of them, they would have stayed with them but they went out so that it would be obvious that they were not a part of the church.
So what is an antichrist?
1 John 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
No lie is of the Truth. Liars, or those who deny the Truth are antichrist. They deny the Father and Jesus because they deny the Truth.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
John warns not to believe every spirit but to try the spirit whether they are of God or not because many false prophets have gone out into the world. We will know if they have the Spirit of God by whether they confess that Jesus has come in the flesh. If they don’t, they have the spirit of antichrist.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Many deceivers are in the world. They don’t confess that Jesus has come in the flesh. They are a deceiver and an antichrist.
We need to go back to the beginning of 1 John to get the full context of what John is talking about.
1 John 1
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
John is reminding the reader who Jesus is. He is echoing a lot of what He said in the book of John.
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John bare witness about Jesus. Jesus is the Word of God and the Word is God. His word was from the beginning and all things were made by it. The Word of God/Jesus/God is the light, there is no darkness or lies at all. The darkness cannot comprehend the Word of God/Jesus/God.
If we walk in light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. The Word is eternal life. Jesus made the world and was in the world, yet the world did not know Him. The Word of God became flesh, Jesus, and was full of grace and Truth. He came to His own and they did not receive Him. If we receive Him, the Word of God, we get the power to become His children.
1 John 2
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
We’ve had the Word of God from the beginning. John is writing because he doesn’t want us to sin. If we do sin, we have an atonement of our sins through Jesus. That atonement is not only for our sins but it is also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
We know that we know God when we keep His commandments. If we say that we know God or Jesus but we don’t keep His commandments then we are a liar and the Truth is not in us.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
Whoever keeps His Word, His commandments, the love of God is perfected in them and we know that we are in Him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
If we say that we abide in Him, we should be walking how He walked. We know that He was the spotless, sinless lamb. We should strive to not sin.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
John isn’t writing a new commandment to us but is writing the same commandment that we had from the beginning, the word of God.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
It is a new commandment which is true in Him and in us because the darkness is going away and the true light is now shining. The commandments had been hidden by disobedience but they have now come to light. Anyone who says that he is in the light but yet hates someone, is still in darkness.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
One that loves his brother abides in the light or the word of God and there is no cause for stumbling.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
But one that hates his brother is not walking in the light or Word of God. He is walking in darkness or lies and doesn’t know where he is going because the hate has blinded his eyes.
12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
Our sins have been forgiven for His Name’s sake.
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
We have known the Word from the beginning. We know God and we have overcome the wicked one. The wicked one is full of lies that go against the father/ Word of God. We are strong and the Word of God abides in us so we have overcome the wicked one.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
We cannot love the world or the things that are in the world. Everything that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are not of the Father. The world will pass away and everything in it. But when we do the Words of God, we will abide forever.
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
We are in the last time and many antichrists have come. They went out from the church but they were not of the church. They did not abide in the Word of God. If they had, they would have continued on with them. They went out from among them so that it would be known that they were not all of them.
20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
They know the Truth, the Word of God. Because they know the Truth, the Word of God, they know that no lie is of the Truth.
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
We have to know the Word of God. We have to let it abide in us so that we can continue in the Son and in the Father. If we don’t abide in the Word of God, we don’t have Jesus and we don’t have God. We cannot separate Jesus from God or from His Word. If we do, we don’t have the Truth. We are a liar if we deny the Word of God that He has spoken from the beginning.
25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
If we abide in His Word, we have the promise of eternal life.
26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
He is writing these things down because people are trying to seduce them away from the Word of God.
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
But the Spirit of God abides in us and it teaches us all things and is Truth. What the Spirit teaches us will allow us to abide in Him. If we abide in Him/ His Word, we will have confidence and not be ashamed before Him when He returns. If we know that He (Jesus/ God/ The Word of God) is righteous, we know that everyone that does righteousness has been born of Him.
To know the Spirit of God, we must know the purpose of the Spirit of God.
Jeremiah 31:31-37
31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers… 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Ezekiel 11:19-21
19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.
Ezekiel 36:26, 27
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
The Spirit of God teaches us who God is. The Spirit of Truth writes God’s Law on our heart. If we aren’t walking in His commandments, we have let the deceiver lead us away from God.
1 John 3
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
God loves us so much that He calls us His children. Because we are His children the world does not know us as they don’t know God. We are now the children of God and we don’t yet see what we will be. When He returns, we will be like Him, an immortal body. If we have hope in Him, we purify ourself as He is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Sin is the transgression of God’s Law. If we sin, we transgress God’s Law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
He came in the flesh to take away our sins. In Him there is no sin. If we abide in Him, we don’t sin but whoever sins hasn’t seen or known Him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Don’t let anyone deceive you. If you do righteousness, you are righteous, even as He is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
The devil has been sinning from the beginning. Anyone that commits sin is of the devil. Because of this, Jesus, the Word of God was made flesh, that He would destroy the works (disobedience) of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
If we are children of God we do not sin because His Spirit is in us and we cannot sin because we have been born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Whoever does not do the Word of God is not born of God. You can tell who the children of God are versus the children of the devil. The children of God are doing the Word of God while the children of the devil are not. Those that don’t love their brother are not of God either.
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
God’s message from the beginning is that we love one another.
1 John 4
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
We cannot believe everyone that says that they are of God because there are many false prophets in this world. Many people are carrying the spirit of antichrist. We must try their spirit. If they deny the Word of God, they are not of God. God warned us about this back in Deuteronomy-
13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; 7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: 9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you. 12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, 13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
God warns us that if a prophet rises from within and tries to lead us away from God’s commandments or to serve (worship) other gods, we need to cut them off. God will prove us to know whether or not we love Him with all of our heart and with all of our soul.
He will know if we love Him with all of our heart and with all of our soul if we are keeping His commandments and serving/ worshiping Him how He asked us to. God gave us a way to worship Him so that we would not fall prey to the snare of the nations around us. God doesn’t accept worship that has originated in customs and traditions from the false gods of the nations.
1 John 4
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
We have overcome the false prophets because the Spirit of God in us is greater than those that are in the world. Those that speak of the world are of the world and the world hears them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
We are of God and so we speak the things of God. Those that know God, hear us but those that don’t know God, don’t hear us. Because of that we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.
1 John 5
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Jesus Christ was born of God. We know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His Commandments. If we don’t keep the Commandments of God, we don’t love Jesus, His son. Keeping His Commandments is how we show God that we love Him, His Commandments are not grievous.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
When we are born of God, we have overcome the world. The victory that overcomes the world is our faith. He that believes that Jesus is the Son of God, by keeping the Commandments of God, has overcome the world.
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
The Spirit of God is Truth and if we remember back, the purpose of the Spirit of God is to write His Laws on our heart. God’s witness of His Word is greater than anything else. The Spirit testifies to Jesus.
10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Those that don’t believe God, that His Word came to life in the form of Jesus, make God a liar. Eternal life is in Jesus, the Word of God. If we have that Word, we have life. If we don’t have His Word, we don’t have life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
If we ask anything according to God’s Will, His Word, He hears us and will deliver.
16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
The Word of God is righteousness. All unrighteousness is sin. The world is in wickedness.
20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
The Word, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, is the true God and eternal life. When we realize this, we are in Christ and He is in us. We must keep ourselves from idols.
We can get a good idea of what an antichrist looks like by looking above at the list of things that Antiochus Epiphanes did to the Jews during the time of the Maccabees.
John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God made into flesh. The Word of God is God. So anyone that comes against the Word of God or tries to turn you away from the Word of God is a false prophet and antichrist. We cannot separate Jesus from the Word of God. We cannot separate Jesus from God. If we do, we have a false Jesus.
John was battling false prophets and antichrists almost 2000 years ago, how much worse is it today? It is more important than ever to get back to the Word of God and to walk in it so that we too are not antichrist.