1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
The last hour has come. The word “hour” in the Bible can refer to a period of time, not just sixty minutes as we might think today. The last times began when Jesus ascended. We know this partially because the Devil is working double hard now to cause problems for the people of God. The devil’s fate is sealed and so “he” (rather “it”) is out to deceive as many people as possible.
Some people will be deceived, especially ensnared by the desires of this world (see v. 17). They associate themselves with the way of the devil and fight the way of Christ and those who represent Christ. These people become “anti” Christ, against the ways of Christ. Whether there will be one specific antiChrist to deceive the world is not a matter solved by this verse, although other Bible passages made shed some light on this (see 2 Thessalonians 1). But this verse serves as a warning for believers of any time or location. There are people all around us who love the world and would rather serve self and Satan, directly or indirectly, consciously or unconsciously.
That we even have this problem helps us realize that there is power in Jesus name. Have you ever wondered why the world seems to hate Christians so much? This verse gives us a clue: we know there is truth in the gospel when the world hates us. We know the truth of Christ when we see antiChrist’s around us. So, we best be prepared!
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