Today’s reading is 1 John 2:1-3:24.

The antichrist is a big money maker today. No, I don’t mean the antichrist is someone alive today making lots of money. I mean writing a book, making a movie, preaching a series about the antichrist is making other people lots of money. However, the very sad part about this is folks are spending all this money to find out about the antichrist from fictional series like Left Behind, but they aren’t actually reading their Bibles to find out about antichrist.

The word “antichrist” is found only four times in the whole New Testament, two of which are in today’s reading: 1 John 2:18, 22. The other two are also found in John’s letters: 1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7.

What I can’t help but notice is that the text said the antichrist was already there when John wrote his letter. Further, I can’t help but notice he didn’t really speak of a single antichrist. He spoke of many. Further, I can’t help but notice that he didn’t speak of the antichrist as a world ruler who unified the world and then led them to follow the devil. Antichrist is anyone who denies Jesus and God. 

John was actually dealing with the Gnostic heresy that claimed the flesh was bad so God hadn’t come in the flesh. They denied Jesus was the Savior or they denied that He actually died. In any event, John says “antichrist” is not a world leader but anyone who denies Jesus in one way or another.

The “so what” of the matter is we need to get rid of the sensationalism surrounding “antichrist” and start realizing antichrist could be anyone of us who decides to deny Jesus in some way. That is true even if we are still religious. The Gnostics were still religious. They were simply wrong. 

***Question: What do you do to stay pro-Christ?

Keep the faith and keep reading?

ELC

As I’ve pointed out throughout all of this blogging on Revelation, the tough part is each chapter, each image has the same message: Sometimes it looks like God is losing, but in the end God wins. Revelation 17-18 is no exception. “Babylon” makes war on God and His people. But in the end, the harlot is judged. Her own kings turn on her and she is left desolate and naked. The angels rejoice over her demise. Her kings wail and moan in torment. She is defeated and Jesus Christ is victorious.

However, in this picture, one phrase caught my attention. 

“And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”–Revelation 17:16-17

Until the words of God are fulfilled.

While these two verses are talking about the judgment of the harlot, this judgment is still coming about through the beast and his kings. Even as the beast and his kings work against God, they are only accomplishing what God wants. That is how powerful our God is.

But what really gets me is that while the beast and his kings are working, God is still in control. The point of Revelation is not that the enemy has some power and God can’t seem to get it under control but don’t worry He is more powerful so He’ll eventually get it together and overcome. No. The point is that God is always in control. The only reason the beast and his kings accomplish anything is because God allows it. 

I certainly don’t have the wisdom or infinite insight to know exactly why God allows that to happen. I’m sure it is for our testing and our perfecting. I have no doubt it is to prepare us for whatever He has planned for us in eternity. But the comfort for me is not in knowing why God does this, it is simply in knowing that God is still in control. When the beast and his kings are making headway, it is not because of their power. It is because of God’s. Therefore, I can be assured that before the story is over, God will win.

I need to be on His side no matter what.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

We often make one of two mistakes about Revelation. 1) We believe it is a prophecy of some future events. We don’t when they’ll take place but it is not right now, so we don’t have to worry about it too much. Besides, we’ll get raptured out anyway. 2) To combat that first one we say, this was all about Rome or Jerusalem. We don’t really have to know what all it was about, just that it says God wins.

I certainly disagree with option 1 (Sorry to all you fans of Left Behind. But option 2 doesn’t work either. If God revealed this book simply for that time period, then why would He make sure it got into the Bible. I am a firm believer all the books that made it into the Bible did so because God wanted them there and because we need them today even if they aren’t written directly about our times.

Revelation 13 is a great example of how this book fits for our time. Yes, I believe the Revelation was primarily written for the Christians enduring persecution from Rome. The victory it describes is the victory of Christ’s church over its Roman oppressors (though I do concede there is a possibility that it was dealing with persecution from Jewish and then prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem). However, that doesn’t mean there is nothing in this book for modern Christians.

Revelation 13 describes two beasts. They represented the greatest enemies Satan was using against Christ’s church in the first and second centuries. The first beast that rose out of the sea represents opposing government. The early Christians were repeatedly faced with a pagan government that oppressed them and openly persecuted them. The second beast that causes people to worship the first, represents the false religion that persecutes Christians because they won’t line up with the majority. How many Christians in those first centuries were imprisoned or even killed because they refused to call Caesar Lord? How many lost their livelihoods because they would no longer pay homage to their patron gods?

Certainly, these very specifically referred to enemies of the Christians in that first century. Does that mean this chapter means nothing to us today? Of course not. To the degree we have those same enemies today, we know God is with us and will defeat our enemies. Thankfully, our American government is not outright opposed to our religion. We even have certain safeguards programmed into our Constitution. However, that could change at any time. Further, we all recognize that Christianity is often stigmatized even by the government as it seems everyone is allowed their free speech even if it derides our faith while we must constantly walk on eggshells to share our faith and it be considered okay.

Further, there are false religions, even false religions that parade around under the pretense of Christianity. Some well known evangelists who act as if salvation can possibly come from somewhere other than Jesus. They are praised as ecumenical and loving. The rest of us who believe salvation comes through Jesus and no other are derided as judgmental and hateful all because we want folks to be saved. 

Anyway, the point is, while we do not face the specific manifestations of these enemies to which John was speaking, we do face the same enemies. To whatever degree that we face the same enemies as Revelation describes, we can gain the same hope it gives. Whatever these enemies may do, Jesus, in the end, will win. The beasts may have authority over us for a time. They may make war on us for a time. They may seem like they are winning for a time. But, in the end, Jesus will win. And as Revelation 14 points out, everyone who succumbs to the false beasts will be judged. We need to wear our Father’s name, marked by Jesus and sealed by the Spirit. Only then will we win. But, never doubt, we will win.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC