Anti Christ Revealed?

A friend asked me about a new YOUTUBE video that has gone kind of viral...he asked for my thoughts.

Here's a link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlT9SYR6jq4&feature=share

Here are "my thoughts":

Over the course of my lifetime there have been claims that a prominent personality, generally disliked by conservatives, is the Anti-Christ. John Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, even Ronald Wilson Reagan ("6 letter per name = 666 - obviously it's him!"). I had a pastor when I was a kid who showed us a book that he kept in his office - the title was "100 Reasons why Mussolini is the Anti Christ!" He kept it there because it reminded him of how we can get distracted from the important teaching about the end times when we get focused on the minutia and major on the minors.

There are two things about the end that we need to be concerned about:

1. Be prepared.  Jesus makes it clear that we are to be ready for His return, period.  That means living a life that is faithful.  We are to abide in Him, love God with all our heart, and obey His teachings.
2. Prepare others.  Our orders are clear:  "Go, teach, baptize."  Our focus is to be spreading the gospel to as many as we can, and allow God to open their eyes to see His glory in the face of Christ.

That being said, the Bible uses the word “antichrist” only four times, with one instance in the plural, in the following verses:

• 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. (1 John 2:18)
• Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)
• 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. (1 John 4:3)
• For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7)

As you can see, much of the direct references are to an attitude, or spirit of antichrist, which has certainly been displayed and personified many times in human history.

Paul talks about the "Man of Lawlessness," who is often associated with THE AntiChrist of end times teachings, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (as is "The Dragon," "The Beast," "The False Prophet," and "The Whore of Babylon," all in Revelation). I think it is clear from Paul's teaching that his identity is not revealed until the end; that the Holy Spirit will hold his power in check until He is removed; then the AC will burst force onto the world scene - until Jesus overthrows and destroys him.

Paul concludes his discussion of that material by saying,

"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter."

• The identity of the AntiChrist is not revealed. 
• The Holy Spirit holds AC at back until He is removed. 
• Jesus defeats AC. 
• We have been chosen and saved by God. 
• We are to focus on standing firm on the Word of God.

That's the bottom line. Those are "my thoughts..."

This kind of stuff (the YouTube post) is always fascinating, but usually questionable in its reliability. You've got a guy translating material from one language to another to another to another. Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek then English. Believe me, there is a lot of room for error just translating from one language to another, let alone 4 times!

As I said, fascinating, but probably not all that reliable. Best to stand firm on the Word that we DO know, than to be distracted by a stretched translation of what MIGHT be possible.