The word “antichrist” appears in John’s letters: he writes that the Antichrist will come and that many antichrists have already appeared; an antichrist is someone who denies that Jesus is the Christ and denies the Father and the Son. The “spirit of the antichrist” is a spirit that does not confess Jesus. The descriptions of the “man of sin” in 2 Thessalonians 2, the beast in Revelation 13, and the horn in Daniel 7 are sometimes associated with the Antichrist, but the texts themselves do not make this identification.
What the Bible Says About This
- 1 John 2:18: John writes that it is the last hour; just as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared, and by this we know that it is the last hour.
- 1 John 2:22–23: The one who denies that Jesus is the Christ is called a liar; this is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever does not acknowledge the Son does not have the Father either, but whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
- 1 John 4:1–3: John advises us not to believe every spirit, but to test them, because many false prophets have gone out into the world; the spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but the one that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God: this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is already in the world.
- 2 John 1:7: Many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such a person is called a deceiver and an antichrist.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12 speaks of the “man of sin, the son of destruction,” who opposes God and exalts himself; his appearance is connected with the activity of Satan, and the Lord will destroy him at His coming. The word “antichrist” does not appear here.
- Revelation 13:1–8 describes a beast that receives power from the dragon and is blasphemous and worshiped; in Daniel 7:7–8, another small horn grows among the horns of the fourth beast, and its mouth speaks arrogantly. These texts also do not call him the Antichrist.
- Conclusion: In John’s letters, the antichrist is one who denies Jesus as the Christ and the Son, and such deceivers are already in the world. Associating the “man of sin,” the beast, and the small horn with him is an interpretive framework; the texts themselves contain no direct identification, nor do they provide a name, date, or reference to a specific person, state, or organization.
The brief answer was prepared by the editorial team; the verse texts are from the Father’s Blessing Bible.
Key Scripture Passages
7 Scripture passages · Father’s Blessing Bible
1 John 2:18
Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; by this we know that it is the last hour.
1 John 2:22–23
22 Who is the liar except the one who denies that Jesus Christ is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
1 John 4:1–3
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have appeared in the world. 2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus [Christ, who has come in the flesh] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, about which you have heard that it is coming and is already in the world.
2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2 Thessalonians 2:3–12
3 Let no one deceive you in any way: for that day will not come until the rebellion comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sits in the temple of God as God, presenting himself as God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord [Jesus] will kill with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the appearance of His coming, 9 whose coming is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and false wonders, 10 and with every unrighteous deception among those who are perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth for their salvation. 11 And for this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, so that they will believe the lie, 12 so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.
Revelation 13:1–8
1 And he stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads were blasphemous names. 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like those of a bear, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave it his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of its heads as though it had been mortally wounded, but its mortal wound was healed. And the whole earth marveled, watching the beast; 4 and they worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?” 5 And it was given a mouth speaking great and blasphemous things, and it was given authority to act for forty-two months. 6 And it opened its mouth to blaspheme against God, to blaspheme His name and His dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 And it was allowed to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship it, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.
Daniel 7:7–8
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong; it had great iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled the remainder with its feet. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and behold, another little horn came up among them, and three of the former horns were uprooted before it. And behold, this horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth speaking boastfully.
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