In the past, much effort has been made to identify “The Antichrist” as being one prominent individual, such as Pompey, Nero, Mohammed, or the Papacy. Today, many preachers and denominations say there is going to appear on the world scene in the future, just before the end, a very charismatic world leader and deceiver that the Bible calls ‘THE ANTICHRIST.”  Such Biblical prognosticators even use scriptures from Daniel about the “little horn,” and Revelation about “a beast coming up out of the sea,” to “prove” their point. They have developed quite an elaborate story about what “The Antichrist” is “predicted” to do in the future.

However, the word “antichrist” occurs in the Bible only five times, and only in 1 and 2 John. The prophecies in Daniel, and Revelation say nothing about an antichrist. These commentators have imagined “antichrist” right into the texts. So, who really is this “antichrist” according to the Bible? Is it possibly a historical figure who is already dead? Is it possibly someone who is living on earth today? Or, is it someone who is yet to be born? Or, is it possible that there is more than one “antichrist”? Let’s examine the Bible to find out. The apostle John gives us some information to help us. John said, that, even in the first century, there had already been many antichrists.

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come”—1 John 2:18 ESV

Under inspiration, the apostle John said, “many antichrists have come,” past tense, so John is not restricting the definition, the appearance, the existence, and the activity, of “antichrist” to some future dynamic individual, Many people, not just one person, today, and throughout history, deny, and have denied, both the Father and the Son. So “antichrist” is not, and cannot be, just one person. Thus, the Biblical application of the term “antichrist” is quite broad.

“Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist”—1 John 2:22 NAB

“Who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist”—1 John 2:22 NLT

One definition of “antichrist” is given the verse above, “Anyone who denies the Father and the Son.” This would include denying the Biblically described, or defined, relationship between the Father and the Son. These individuals, groups, or organizations deny “that Jesus is the Christ,” and deny that Jesus is “the Son” of God.

“Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world”—1 John 4:2,3 NASB

“Every spirit” here obviously is talking about any and all people who deny Jesus, so “many” are included here as being “antichrists.” John here also refers to “the spirit of the antichrist,” which may refer to all individual antichrists as one collective, or composite, “antichrist.” They deny “that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.”

“Many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. The is a deceiver and an antichrist”—2 John 7 NKJV

Notice that the scripture says, each one of the “many deceivers” is “an antichrist.” Or, in other words, “Any such person is . . . the antichrist” (2 John 7 NIV). Clearly, this points to many different people all throughout the centuries as being “an antichrist,” or “the antichrist.”  Denial of Jesus as the Christ, and as the Son of God, of necessity, includes denial of any or all of the scriptural “teaching” (John 8:31; 14:23; 2 John 9,10) by, or about, Jesus. These would be things like his “origin” (Micah 5:2 NRSV; NAB; CSB), his position “at the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33; 7:56; Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 10:12), his fulfillment of hundreds of Old Testament prophecies as God’s Messiah (Luke 24:44), his positions as God’s “High Priest” (Hebrews 4:14 NLT; NKJV) and “King” (Matthew 25:34,40 NKJV; NLT).

These are the only verses in the Bible where the antichrist is named or mentioned. The Bible clearly and vividly tells us that many individuals have been, in the apostle John’s day, and continuing until our day, “antichrists.” We are warned not only to beware of them, but also not to become one ourselves.

But one main thing to keep in mind is that “the antichrist,” or “an antichrist,” is not just one person who is foretold to come in the future, just before the end of the world, especially not just one charismatic, deceiving, global leader who takes over, or attempts to take over, the world.