* I John 2 There are many antichrists in the churches, not just one antichrist.

18 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.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

***

In the days of John and Paul, there were already "many antichrists" in the church groups.

They sat among the early church.  But they could not take over and present perverse teachings with John and Paul in charge.  So they left the church group.

Today, we have all manner of churches set up by doctrines of men at the will of the humans in that group.

This is what Paul said would happen.

In speaking to the elders in Ephesus, Paul warned:

Acts 20

25  And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which HE hath purchased with His own blood.

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

When Paul was gone, they would be able to move into the churches and set up their own doctrines, speaking perverse things.

Thus we see all these different denominations of church groups today.

And Paul knew church groups would fall away from scripture and antichrist would come in to the groups before the day of the Lord.

Paul said:

II Thessalonians 2

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

4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

In 1982, God said to me:

"The falling away are not people leaving the churches.  The falling away are churches leaving the scriptures."

II Thessalonians 2  (NASB)

6  And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

I said to God, "What restrains antichrist?"  

And I realized instantly this truth:  "The scripture was the restraint keeping antichrist out of the churches and as soon as the churches fell away from specific scriptures, antichrist would come in and set up his own doctrine in the churches."

***

For those individuals who choose to remain in churches where doctrine is different from the doctrine of the Bible, we read:

II Thessalonians 2:10-12

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The Word of God is just not important enough to them.  They are deluded into thinking the doctrine doesn't matter.  And their delusion is from God because they did not love the truth more than their own pleasures.

*****