Antichrist Shall Come
by Tom Stewart
Preface
The certainty and hope of these Last Days is that the LORD Jesus Christ is returning soon. "And, behold, I come quickly; and My Reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be" (Revelation 22:12). No man is a fool who lives his life in constant anticipation of the LORD Jesus' soon return. "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.
Amen. Even so, come, LORD Jesus" (22:20). But, while the True Saints anticipate the LORD's promised return, the "mystery of iniquity doth already work" (2Thessalonians 2:7).
In fact, a cardinal tenet of the understanding of the Early Church, was that they had already entered the Last Time, because of the presence of "many antichrists". "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" (1John 2:18).
Yes, Antichrist shall come-- to a deceived and unbelieving world-- but "unto them that look for [the LORD] shall [Jesus] appear the Second Time without sin unto Salvation" (Hebrews 9:28).
And, how exactly did the situation arise that "many antichrists" (1John 2:18) could already be present in this world 1,900 years ago? To understand that answer we must turn our attention to the Original Rebellion. "What saith the Scripture?" (Romans 4:3).