Is antichrist a spirit or a human being?

[MennoSota]

I grew up as a pre-trib, dispensationalist, being taught that the antichrist was an evil dictator during the 7 years of tribulation. The more I have studied scripture, the more I move away from that model. I wonder if antichrist is not really a specific person, but is instead an evil spirit that has always been working to have humans deny Jesus is Messiah, God the Redeemer. This means that we, the church, suffer tribulation until the day of the Lord comes and Jesus comes to rule.

1 John 4:1-6 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

 

[Lamb]

https://www.lcms.org/about/beliefs/doctrine/brief-statement-of-lcms-doctrinal-position

Of the Antichrist

As to the Antichrist we teach that the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2:3-12; 1 John 2:18, have been fulfilled in the Pope of Rome and his dominion. All the features of the Antichrist as drawn in these prophecies, including the most abominable and horrible ones, for example, that the Antichrist "as God sitteth in the temple of God," 2 Thess. 2:4; that he anathematizes the very heart of the Gospel of Christ, that is, the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins by grace alone, for Christ's sake alone, through faith alone, without any merit or worthiness in man (Rom. 3:20-28; Gal. 2:16); that he recognizes only those as members of the Christian Church who bow to his authority; and that, like a deluge, he had inundated the whole Church with his antichristian doctrines till God revealed him through the Reformation — these very features are the outstanding characteristics of the Papacy. (Cf. Smalcald Articles, Triglot, p. 515, Paragraphs 39-41; p. 401, Paragraph 45; M. pp. 336, 258.) Hence we subscribe to the statement of our Confessions that the Pope is "the very Antichrist." (Smalcald Articles, Triglot, p. 475, Paragraph 10; M., p. 308.)

Lutherans believe the office of the Pope is the Antichrist.

 

[MennoSota]

https://www.lcms.org/about/beliefs/doctrine/brief-statement-of-lcms-doctrinal-position

Of the Antichrist

As to the Antichrist we teach that the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2:3-12; 1 John 2:18, have been fulfilled in the Pope of Rome and his dominion. All the features of the Antichrist as drawn in these prophecies, including the most abominable and horrible ones, for example, that the Antichrist "as God sitteth in the temple of God," 2 Thess. 2:4; that he anathematizes the very heart of the Gospel of Christ, that is, the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins by grace alone, for Christ's sake alone, through faith alone, without any merit or worthiness in man (Rom. 3:20-28; Gal. 2:16); that he recognizes only those as members of the Christian Church who bow to his authority; and that, like a deluge, he had inundated the whole Church with his antichristian doctrines till God revealed him through the Reformation — these very features are the outstanding characteristics of the Papacy. (Cf. Smalcald Articles, Triglot, p. 515, Paragraphs 39-41; p. 401, Paragraph 45; M. pp. 336, 258.) Hence we subscribe to the statement of our Confessions that the Pope is "the very Antichrist." (Smalcald Articles, Triglot, p. 475, Paragraph 10; M., p. 308.)

Lutherans believe the office of the Pope is the Antichrist.

So, not a spirit, but a human?
Or is the spirit, known as antichrist, possessing the papal office?
What do you do with all the other ideologies that have their own messiah and deny Jesus as God and King?

 

[Andrew]

So, not a spirit, but a human?
Or is the spirit, known as antichrist, possessing the papal office?
What do you do with all the other ideologies that have their own messiah and deny Jesus as God and King?

The Papal office fits the description of the anti Christ, I'm sure in the time of the apostles it was obvious that Rome due to it's historical nature, would hijack the faith and paganise Christianity. Imo, this was bait for the devil that Christ set up, we can see the enemy in clear site and we can see his hypocrisy... now let's just imagine if the reformation didn't come to pass, would we even know the Word of God? What if John Wycliffe never helped bring the bible to the common people?
I certainly believe the Papacy is the perpetual antichrist spirit.

 

[MennoSota]

If the antichrist is a spirit and not a man, then why wouldn't that spirit exist in a variety of ideologies, both intra-biblical and extra-biblical?

1 John 4:3
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

 

[psalms 91]

Both the sp[irit of antichrist was alive and well even at the time of the apostles and is still rpesent and the antichrist will be a man as foretold in revelation and other places

 

[Andrew]

If the antichrist is a spirit and not a man, then why wouldn't that spirit exist in a variety of ideologies, both intra-biblical and extra-biblical?

1 John 4:3
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

There is definitely a Spirit of Antichrist. My guess is that if the pre tribulation rapture is true (and I believe it is) I'm not sure we would ever witness the manifestation of the "man"

 

[Arsenios]

The Anti-Christ means the "instead of Christ", or "in the place of Christ"...

So whatever one elevates over Christ is the anti-Christ...

Self is perhaps the most common...


Arsenios