The Wolves Within


Matthew 7
15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Antichrists and their false doctrines have been around since the time of John.

1 John 4
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.

flesh from the Greek
4561 sarx sarx probably from the base of 4563; flesh (as stripped of the skin), i.e. (strictly) the meat of an animal (as food), or (by extension) the body (as opposed to the soul (or spirit), or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or (by implication) human nature (with its frailties (physically or morally) and passions), or (specially), a human being (as such):--carnal(-ly, + -ly minded), flesh(-ly).
1) flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts
2) the body
a) the body of a man
b) used of natural or physical origin, generation or relationship
1) born of natural generation
c) the sensuous nature of man, "the animal nature"
1) without any suggestion of depravity
2) the animal nature with cravings which incite to sin
3) the physical nature of man as subject to suffering
3) a living creature (because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast
 4) the flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God




There is nothing to indicate that 'flesh' is anything but, 100 percent flesh and blood, fully human.


 The word 'flesh' can and is translated elsewhere to indicate the carnal, or carnally minded.
1 John 4
2   Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (100% fully human, flesh and blood) is of God:
3   And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (100% fully human, flesh and blood) 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.

antichrist from the Greek
500 antichristos an-tee'-khris-tos from 473 and 5547; an opponent of the Messiah:--antichrist.
1) the adversary of the Messiah



anti from the Greek
473 anti an-tee' a primary particle; opposite, i.e. instead or because of (rarely in addition to):--for, in the room of. Often used in composition to denote contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence, etc.
1) over against, opposite to, before
 2) for, instead of, in place of (something)
a) instead of
b) for
c) for that, because
d) wherefore, for this cause


The antichrist is an:

  1. adversary of Messiah
  2. usurper of Messiah
  3. instead of Messiah
  4. opposite to Messiah
  5. in place of Messiah

Messiah from the Hebrew
4899 mashiyach maw-shee'-akh from the root of 4886;
anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest , or saint;
specifically, the Messiah:--anointed, Messiah.
1) anointed, anointed one
a) of the Messiah, Messianic prince
b) of the king of Israel
c) of the high priest of Israel
d) of Cyrus
e) of the patriarchs as anointed kings

Now, Christ from the Greek
5547 Christos khris-tos' from the root 5548;
anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:--Christ.
Christ = "anointed"
1) Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God
2) anointed

Notice what IS MISSING?  In the Greek, there are no other options given.  

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.

The antichrist and other antichrists were already around when John wrote his epistle.

John makes perfectly clear that MANY antichrists had gone out FROM THEM (early believers) teaching false doctrine regarding Yehoshua.  These "antichrists," or usurpers of the true Messiah, were promoting doctrines that presented a Christ that was in place of or instead of the TRUE Messiah.  They were teaching a "replacement" Messiah.  

John was a Hebrew; therefore, it is probable that the "us" John refers to in 1 John 2:19 is likely his brethren that followed Yehoshua.

1 John 4
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.

The "spirit of antichrist" is equated to a "spirit of error".  CLEARLY, antichrist represents an error - false teaching - that was (and IS) being spread.
Antichrist = erroneous doctrine.  Antichrist primarily represents a set of false teachings, not simply some future possible world religious/political figure, or something inserted under the skin.  Those accepting the error promoted by the "spirit of error" or "spirit of antichrist" are unintentional victims of the spirit of antichrist.

So, the "antichrist" was (and is) a doctrine or set of doctrines that oppose the truth concerning The Messiah. This set of doctrines was already being spread in the latter part of the first century as false teachers betrayed the truth and went out promoting teachings that were (and are) in opposition to the TRUE Messiah.
2 John 1
7   For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (100% fully human, flesh and blood). This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

John warns us to beware of those that do not acknowledge that Yehoshua (Jesus Christ) is 100 percent, human flesh and blood.