Apparently someone hacked into the Planet Preterist web site and directed users to Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind web site. The front page of LaHaye’s site informs viewers that a prequel to the Left Behind series–"Before They Were Left Behind–will hit stores on March 1, 2004. The title of the new volume is The Rising: Antichrist is Born. LaHaye and company are milking millions of uninformed Christians of their hard-earned dollars on one of the most ridiculous religious scams of the century.
But before there was LaHaye, there was Lindsey. Hal Lindsey wrote in 1970 that he believed that the antichrist was alive somewhere in the world. He repeated this belief in 1977 when he wrote that it was his "personal opinion" that "he’s alive somewhere now. But he’s not going to become this awesome figure that we nickname the Anti-Christ until Satan possesses him, and I don’t believe that will occur until there is this "mortal wound" from which he’s raised up."[1] In 1980 he restated this conviction by claiming that "this man [antichrist] is alive today–alive and waiting to come forth."[2] What was false thirty-four years ago is equally false today.
Not to be outdone, Dave Hunt voiced a similar opinion in 1990: "Somewhere, at this very moment, on planet Earth, the antichrist is almost certainly alive–biding his time, awaiting his cue. Banal sensationalism? Far from it! That likelihood is based upon a sober evaluation of current events in relation to Bible prophecy. Already a mature man, he is probably active in politics, perhaps even an admired world leader whose name is almost daily on everyone’s lips."[3] Like Lindsey before him and LaHaye after him, Dave Hunt is confused.
Modern antichrist hunters are pursuing a figure who no longer exists. Let’s look at the biblical evidence. The word "antichrist" appears only in John’s epistles (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7). "What is taught in these passages constitutes the whole New Testament doctrine of Antichrist."[4] You will search in vain to find the word anywhere mentioned in Revelation or any part of the Old Testament. John’s antichrist is defined in the following ways, none of which fits the modern definition:
Anyone "who denies that Jesus is the Christ" (1 John 2:22).
Anyone who "denies the Father and Son" (1 John 2:23).
“Every spirit that does not confess Jesus" (1 John 4:3).
"Those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist" (2 John 7).
Could the Bible be any more clear? According to the Bible, antichrist is not a single individual, a world-wide political manipulator of the religious masses.
John wrote, "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18). Notice the "when" of antichrist. Whether there was to be only one or many antichrists, John made it clear that "it is the last hour" for those who first read his letters (1 John 2:18). How do we know this? John said, "Even now many antichrists have arisen." And in case you did not get his point, he repeated it: "From this we know that it is the last hour." John was not describing a period of time thousands of years in the future. It was the "last hour" for those living in the first century. They had heard that "the spirit of antichrist" was coming. For them, "now it is already in the world" (1 John 4:3). Antichrists had arisen in John’s day.
An antichrist, therefore, is anyone who "denies that Jesus is the Christ" and anyone "who denies the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22). "Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of antichrist" (1 John 4:3). "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist" (2 John 7). The antichrist is a religious figure, probably related to those Jews in the first century who denied that Jesus was the Messiah. John was not far off when he used the phrase "synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9; 3:9).
Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series is a fraud, more fiction than fact. You will do better by writing to Tyndale and asking them to abandon the series and thereby quit deceiving millions of uninformed but eager religious seekers.
[1] The Great Cosmic Countdown: Hal Lindsey on the Future," Eternity (January 1977), 80.
[2] Hal Lindsey, The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon (King of Prussia, PA: Westgate Press, 1980), 15.
[3] Dave Hunt, Global Peace and the Rise of Antichrist (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1990), 5.
[4] Benjamin B. Warfield, "Antichrist," in Selected Shorter Writings of Benjamin B. Warfield, ed. John E. Meeter (Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1970), 1:356.
Gary is a graduate of Western Michigan University (1973) and earned his M.Div. at Reformed Theological Seminary in 1979. Author of countless essays, news articles, and more than 27 book titles, he also hosts The Gary DeMar Show, and History Unwrapped—both broadcasted and podcasted. Gary has lived in the Atlanta area since 1979 with his wife, Carol. They have two married sons and are enjoying being grandparents to their grandsons, Calvin and Paul. Gary and Carol are members of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA).
Thanks Gary! This was excellent! It’s going in my antichrist file.
Sometimes it seems to me that you equate too many things. Belief in a future Antichrist is not peculiar to dispensationalism. Actually, belief in a past and long time gone away Antichrist is peculiar only to a preterist view.
Now, just because John says Antichrist and Paul says “a man of sin”, it doesn’t mean that those are two seperate personages. Also, just because John tells us a part of the demonic doctrine in the 1st century, it doesn’t mean that the spirit of antichrist cannot have different set of beliefs contra to the Bible in the 21st century.
Now, I don’t agree with the understanding of some dispensationalists that believe that the Antichrist is right behind the corner (like we can know it), but I also think that you are reading your theology into the Bible when you say that the last hour can only mean “1st century”. Last hour lasts from the time Jesus was risen until He comes back in glory!
What about anti/in stead of ….referring to the office of the pope of the Roman catholic church? He speaks in place of God, forgives in place of God, etc (makes me nauseous thinking about it!). The Roman Catholic Church began the dispensational movement late-Reformation to deflect and distract from the accusations that the pope was antiChrist. I can not think of a better fit than the men who claim to be in place of Christ here on earth.
As usual, very concise & thought-provoking! I read all these, along with the Power in Praise from Currothers & that husband/wife pair that I can’t remember right now… Anyway, I read as fiction, but did have several friends through the years argue the point that they were “Biblically based” so therefore, we had to pay attention to them… Then when Lucado’s stuff came out… WOW… I kinda got in trouble with our homeschooling group as I confronted the kids (dialectic level) and asked them to make the points they were spouting using Bible Scripture and teachings from the Church Fathers… Had a LOT of guff from parents about that one!!! Ah well… Almost as “hot” as discussing different aspects of Creation!!!