The Anti-Christ meaning is changed.

The anti-Christ is thought to mean the opposite of Christ or even instead of Christ, but what the original text means refers only to the falling away:

Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition

When we see the term anti, we immediately think of the opposite, and some say the original Greek text meant "instead of", but the definition of the Greek "ante" means exactly what you'd think it means; before or pre.

So when this verse references the falling away, it is speaking regarding the ante-Christ.

This creates a new situation, because no longer are we looking for the anti-Christ as an individual or group in time ever again, but look solely for the Christ within ourselves.

When the ante-Christ is gone within you, then all that exists is the Christ.

That would indeed make much more sense.

This stuff with the Anti-Christ has always seemed illogical to me... isnt the evil mankind is doing enough? Do we need a Anti-Christ to do even more evil? Probably not.


[edit on 9-11-2007 by Copernicus]

Originally posted by ben91069
The anti-Christ is thought to mean the opposite of Christ or even instead of Christ, but what the original text means refers only to the falling away:

Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition

When we see the term anti, we immediately think of the opposite, and some say the original Greek text meant "instead of", but the definition of the Greek "ante" means exactly what you'd think it means; before or pre.

So when this verse references the falling away, it is speaking regarding the ante-Christ.

This creates a new situation, because no longer are we looking for the anti-Christ as an individual or group in time ever again, but look solely for the Christ within ourselves.

When the ante-Christ is gone within you, then all that exists is the Christ.

What do you call the son of perdition then? Ante Christ?

Originally posted by amitheone
What do you call the son of perdition then? Ante Christ?

Yes. The Gospel tells us Christ will return. So what this is saying is that we are the perdition, the falling away. We come before the Christ, the second coming. The Christ story is amazing as it is deemed to have happened once, yet Jesus states it will happen again. He says that the same way he ascended he shall return. He is not talking about his body, but the Christ spirit. This spirit is what we are to look inwardly towards. Do not ever look outward to find it, for Jesus said you will find false prophets and many will say he is there or there.

Look at the ante (the before Christ and find it welling within you). When you see it being defeated you shall know the end is near.

Originally posted by ben91069

Originally posted by amitheone
What do you call the son of perdition then? Ante Christ?

Yes. The Gospel tells us Christ will return. So what this is saying is that we are the perdition, the falling away. We come before the Christ, the second coming. The Christ story is amazing as it is deemed to have happened once, yet Jesus states it will happen again. He says that the same way he ascended he shall return. He is not talking about his body, but the Christ spirit. This spirit is what we are to look inwardly towards. Do not ever look outward to find it, for Jesus said you will find false prophets and many will say he is there or there.

Look at the ante (the before Christ and find it welling within you). When you see it being defeated you shall know the end is near.

The meaning of anti is against. The meaning of ante is prior or before. The meaning of perdition is damnation, the future state of the wicked.

What dictionary are you holding? Is English your second language?

In 1 John 2:18 we read,

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

John's statement seems to indicate that, yes, there are many antichrists, but that there is a specific one coming in the last hour. He explains in verse 22 what an anti-Christ is, which is good, since it does remove question regarding the meaning of the Greek words translated to English:

Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.

It's also important to note that, in the section of 2 Thessalonians you quote, the tense is singular, as it is in the above quote from the Epistle of John. There is a distinction that there is a specific antichrist, not just many, though John uses this understanding to draw parallels to those who work against Christ as being antichrists as well. That there is a distinction, though, indicates that it is not a spiritual condition but an actual individual.

That there is a distinction, though, indicates that it is not a spiritual condition but an actual individual.


Very well stated! He is an actual individual and he will be here to deceive as many as he can and the Bible tells us that will be many. "The whole world will wonder after him."


He is the "instead-of-christ".....he is Satan playing the roll of the instead-of-christ.


.........Whirlwind

Correct. The anti-christ will be a person. I believe he is a religious leader. It's all about religion and deception to control and deceive as many as he can for his time is short.

Isn't this like the "many God's" debate where people claim there is one God, yet Genesis mentions a plurality as God mentions "we".

It is obvious that in spiritual warfare, many spirits can all be one and of the same branch.

Think of it like a tree. The branches all represent individual people yet they all sprout from the same trunk. This is why I say the anti-Christ is one spirit infested in many people. You are looking for the wrong thing, just as people look for Christ in the wrong place. He stated that one should not seek him "here or there". It is obvious it is talking about something unseen. But what can I say to you? It is my opinion only and I am sure you will stick to yours.

reply to post by ben91069


You are right about there being many antichrists. That is in First John. A lot of people confuse the antichrist with the image of the beast, that is written of in the Book of Revelation. There is a lot of mythology about the antichrist that come from a lot of people's imagination, IMO.
As far as there being more than one God, meaning The One True God, forget about that. God does have a council, and that is what is refered to in the creation story, when God says Let Us...

[edit on 9-1-2008 by jmdewey60]

Using a Greek-English Bible, the prefix "ante" is not used. Neither is "anti" in II Thessalonians 2:3. See here for the transliterated Greek of this verse.

"Apostasia" is translated as a falling away, rebellion, or departure. The most obvious literal translation means there will be a spiritual falling away around this time. Some think this refers to a pretribulation rapture with the translation of "departure." To me, means exactly what it says: There will be spiritual apostasy in the last days. This is happening now. Then the Antichrist will appear.

Here is the original transliterated Greek for the Antichrist. The word is antichristos and not antechristos.

But if you want to say the Antichrist is supposed to appear before Jesus appears, this is also true. He is supposed to be the world leader for seven years prior to Christ's return. But we know this due to other reasons telling us so- not from the use of the prefix ante.

Read Revelation 1:7 Closely:

Look, he (Jesus) is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

EVERY EYE will SEE Him. Don't be fooled that his coming will be in some spirit form enlightening your innner self.

Originally posted by jdposey
Read Revelation 1:7 Closely:

Look, he (Jesus) is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

EVERY EYE will SEE Him. Don't be fooled that his coming will be in some spirit form enlightening your innner self.

Well that's if it really means what you think it does, because when Jesus said they he who has ears let him hear doesn't mean just hearing with your ears.

[edit on 9-1-2008 by Shawn B.]

Its specifically mentioned in the bible that there will be many antichrists, an antichrist is anyone who is contrary to Christ. The antichrist only appears in the book of Revelations if you follow Jesuit Futurism, otherwise the beast are not antichrists, but rather world empires. There is the “Little Horn” mentioned in Daniel who is an antichrist, but not the only one, and he rules over the forth world empire of Daniel, which corresponds with the first beast in Revelations. The “Man of Perdition” mentioned later in the bible more likely corresponds with this style of person:

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

This is the type of person that will appear during the final days, and the falling away period. These people will most likely be antichrists, but not a singular antichrist.