Shalom, everyone. I would like to continue today in the study of the letter that Yohanan wrote, the epistle of 1 John. So please open your Bibles to the fourth chapter, 1 John, chapter 4 and we're going to read today the first six verses of this chapter those six verses of 1st John chapter 4 are very important verses because in these six verses Yohanan John pausing for a moment you might say in his writing to the believers about the importance of loving one another, and he's giving them a very important warning about false teaching that were already existed in the first century, some 2,000 years ago. So John is pausing and he takes those short moments, short verses, and he presents before his readers a passage that he's very very important the danger of false prophets and false teachers that rose already in first century and so listen to these verses first John chapter 4 verses 1 to 6 and i am reading please follow me beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because.

Many false prophets are gone out into the world hereby know ye the Spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Yeshua the Messiah is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesses not that Yeshua the Messiah is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof we have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world they are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them we are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error I'm stopping here with the first six verses of 1 John chapter 4 now really brothers and sisters the passage here in 1 John 4 verses 1 to 6 is a very important passage for all of us to understand.

I don't have to tell you but we live actually in the days of Laodicea in the last days of the church age soon Yeshua the Messiah is coming first of all for the church for the called out ones for believers who believe in Yeshua the Messiah secondly he's going to come at the end of the tribulation to judge this world and to restore his people Israel so in light of the order of events which word of God teaches us we really live in the last days of the assembly of the church of the ecclesia and it wouldn't take too long we do not know when really we cannot set up dates but the Messiah is soon going to come and when we listen to all sort of opinions in the world in which we live in we find ourselves oftentimes hearing different messages many opinions many views about the person of our Lord Jesus Christ Yeshua HaMashiach many many opinions you hear all sort of things that man is saying.

About Yeshua the Messiah some says he was a very nice rabbi or rabbi others says he was a great prophets others says he was a good man who really wanted to please God others say that he was maybe one of the prophets like Elijah or Yirmiyahu Jeremiah all sort of opinion people have about Yeshua Jesus the Messiah and here we learn that already in first century they were rising then imagine two thousand years ago we are not talking about now of course it is even worse now but already at the foundation of the assembly of the ecclesia of the church there were things that were being taught by men by false prophets concerning the person of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and here Yohanan as a father to those children or to those people to whom he was writing he's out of care and out of love for them he write them a warning and you notice he began by the word beloved first John 4 verse 1 he called them loved ones you know John is actually.

The Hebrew apostle that oftentimes used the word i am the apostle um Yeshua Jesus loved he never claimed to love the Messiah though i'm sure and we know from the word of God that he loved him but he always claimed that he was the one whom Yeshua loved whom Jesus loved you read it in the gospel again and again in the gospel of John i am the disciple whom Jesus whom Yeshua loved and so he's now writing in chapter four and he gives warning to those people to whom he wrote in these six verses that we have read in 1st John chapter 4 he is warning against false prophets he is giving you might say a really important warning to the brothers and sisters who believe in Yeshua the Messiah warning them that they need to be very careful whom they listen to and what they listened to because already at that time there were false teaching presented in the world in which we live in and so notice this brothers and sisters he now stopped to speak.

About love he's going to continue from verse 7 on and he's now beginning to give that warning and he began first of all in verse 1 and you notice that he says to them beloved in Hebrew is ahuvai those that i love so much believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because and look at the reason because many false prophets are gone out into the world he's warning the believers and he says to them listen don't be fooled don't be persuaded by something and someone else don't be careless in your walk with the Lord but i'm telling you because i love you and i'm giving you a warning do not believe every spirit but test and try the spirits to see whether they are of God or whether they are not and you know this expression here believe not every spirit but try that spirit oftentimes in the Bible in the word of God God always warn his people to test and to prove whether someone really ministered and teach and preach and share and say.

Whether it is really indeed found in the word of God and the word here for try in other verses in Scripture sometimes it used the word to discern it's the same word in the Greek the word is dokimazo d-o-k-i-m-a-z-o it simply means to discern whether something is of God or not in other words for that is to examine to test and the word that we use here in this chapter 4 and verse 1 to try to see if it is indeed that which is from the Lord or that which is not from the Lord because he's saying here in this verse 1 don't believe every spirit but test the spirit why because many false prophets have already gone into the world now can you imagine it is the foundation of the ecclesia of the church everything just began you might say of course John is writing it about ad 90 he was an old man by that time and of course the church was born you remember after.

Yeshua the Messiah died at about 30 33 ad and he died about 60 years it is the assembly the church the ecclesia is in its infancy very young already at that time there were those that has a better idea they probably thought that they know better than what God said in his word and as far as they were concerned the word of God has not final authority and therefore they had their own ideas who God is and who Yeshua is and they introduced all sort of things concerning the person of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and so he's telling them listen don't believe every spirit and try the spirit whether they be of God or whether they would be not of God because many and notice the word many false prophets are gone into the world in Hebrew the word false prophet is nevi a shekel a prophet is a person who not only telling false telling or what's going to happen in the future but the prophet is also telling forth he's sharing God's word he's teaching the word of God he's.

Telling us what God says in his word a prophet is not only someone who speak about some future day but someone who speak to the people of God and teach the word of God now let me tell you that the false prophets did not begin at the church age there were already false prophets among our people Israel our Jewish people in our history that God have warned our own people Israel from those that were false prophets and I want you just for a moment to turn with me to the prophet Jeremiah for a moment in Hebrew his name is Yirmiyahu Jeremiah chapter 14 and verse 14 and 15 Jeremiah warned God speak through Jeremiah to the people of Israel in chapter 14 and verse 14 then the Lord said unto me Jehovah is speaking to Jeremiah to Yirmiyahu and he said the prophet prophesy lies in my name i send them not neither have i commended them neither spake i unto them they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination and a thing of not and the deceit.

Of their hearts you see God already said to our people of all the people of Israel listen Jeremiah, Yirmiya would tell the people of Israel that those false prophets were really not speaking my word, but they were speaking lies. They were commanding the people of Israel to do certain things, but they prophesy deceit that came out of their hearts. And he's saying this already a long time ago, 600 years BC, through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Israel. Jeremiah Yirmiyahu chapter 23 verse 21. I have not sent these prophets yet they ran. I have not spoken unto them yet they prophesy. If they had stood in my counsel and it caused my people to hear my words then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings am i a God at hand says the Lord and not a God afar off then notice verse 25 i have heard what the prophet said that prophesy lies in my name saying i have dream i have dream how long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lie yet they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart so beloved brothers and sisters false prophets is not something new false teachers and prophets was something that have existed in the history of our nation Israel and God gave warning through the prophet Yirmiyahu to the nation of Israel he says listen Israel watch it those prophets will teach you things that are unbiblical and be careful test to see.

Whether what they say is indeed the word of God and so Yohanan also a Hebrew like Jeremiah he's writing now to the assembly to the church at large to the mishpacha remember he's writing to the family of God to all believers everywhere and he's saying listen I love you and because I love you I'm going to give you this warning he's saying to them listen don't believe everything that somebody he's saying about God you have to really see whether it is valid whether it is found in the word of God whether it is indeed the word of God and he says test it now brothers and sisters I don't know about you but the Bible teaches us that we really have what you call the spirit realm the unseen world we are really today as believers in Yeshua the Messiah we might not see the spirit realm the angelic beings that existing that God have created and yet we know very well that there is the spirit realm in which many things many events are going on we don't see the angels per.

Se the spirits but yet we know that there is that spirit realm and the angels you might say whom God have created for himself some of them of course fell and follow after Satan the good angels we might call them are serving God serving the people of God but the demons or the angelic activity the evil angelic activity is constantly seeking to destroy the testimony of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah Paul said it of course if you remember the passage in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 12 Shaul Paul he said we are not wrestling against flesh and blood Ephesians 6 and verse 12 but we wrestle against principalities against powers against the rulers of darkness of this world against here's the word spiritual wickedness in high places and you see what's happening really because Satan is opposing God and opposing the people of God Satan is using false preachers false prophets to tell the people of God things that will sway them out from the truth the narrow.

Path that God had given for the people of God. And you know what was the problem in first century? The biggest problem that was in first century is the problem of denying the humanity of Yeshua, the Messiah. Some of those teachers who believed in what you call that Yeshua was like a phantom. What is a phantom? I took a note here, the description or definition of a phantom. They say that it is someone who was seen, who was heard, and had been even sensed, yet having no physical reality. They were saying about Yeshua, the Messiah, that he was like a phantom. He was seen, he was handled, he was touched, he was even sensed, but really there is no spiritual reality to the humanity of the Lord Yeshua from Nazareth.

They didn't recognize. In fact, this was the gnostics they did not believe in the clear message of the word of God about the humanity of the Messiah and so they believed this high knowledge they thought that they know much more than everybody else and they have kind of diverted themselves from the simplicity of the word of God and therefore they began to teach false teaching and John giving warning against it and he's saying believe not every spirit but tested why because many false prophets nevi a sheker in Hebrew have already gone out into this world they will teach four things let me show you a couple more verses for a moment in the Scripture look at second Peter just go.

A couple of pages back second Peter chapter two Peter gave the same warning Shimon petos gave the very same warning to whom he wrote and he says in verse 1 of 2nd Peter chapter 2 he said but there were false prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you who will privately shall bring indemnable heresies even denying listen to this beloved brothers and sisters denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction and many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be even spoken of and through covetousness shall they with feign words make merchandise of you whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not Shimon petros like Yohanan gave warnings that's now we are talking about the beginning of the church age of the ecclesia giving these warnings to those that belong to Yeshua the Messiah you see he's writing to the beloved one to the family of God to the mishpachat Elohim to the children of God he's writing you be.

Careful don't allow yourself to be influenced by false prophet you make sure that you test it that you check it out, that you make sure that you not allow yourself to be saturated with that which is not Bible, that it's not simply clearly the Word of God. And I don't have to tell you, brothers and sisters, you listen to the news, you watch the television, you look at the newspaper, you watch on the internet, and you find out so many views about the things of God. Many deny the truth of the word of God and that it was divinely inspired and that's why Paul also said to Timothy Timothy study the word of God to be yourself a man that is proving the truth concerning the word of God a man that know such the Scripture make sure that you learn the word that you find out what is true and what is false because many false prophets have entered into this world be careful John Yohanan is saying to these beloved brothers and sisters to whom he wrote, there will be false.

Prophets that will be influenced by demonic spirit, you might say, by Satan and its views, and they will seek to teach you things that are not found in the word of God. Study to show yourself a prove unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth Paul said to this younger brother by the name of Timothy make sure that you learn it from the word of God rather than to allow somebody to tell you what he or she feel like to say that is not found in Scripture so he gave them this warning and he said to them make sure that you test the spirits because many false prophets have entered into this world and now he's directing in the next verse verses two three and four he's pointing to the Mark of false teachers how do we know when somebody is a false teacher in light of the context here he's emphasizing the humanity of the Messiah there are many other passages in the Bible can help us to understand.

How to detect a false teacher or a false prophet but in the context of this chapter chapter four or a first John, John pointing out, Yohanan pointing out to the Mark of the false prophet. Now let me tell you what John is emphasizing here. He says, you want to know how to find out if a person is really a false prophet? He says, a false prophet deny that Yeshua, the Messiah, came in the flesh. You want to know a false prophet? You don't need to be a theologian, John is really saying. You know very well yourself who Yeshua was. He says, all what you have to know to detect if someone is a false prophet is when someone denies the humanity of Yeshua the Messiah and teach it and force it and entice others by this teaching, he is a false teacher and a false prophet.

And Yohanan now unfolded before us. Look what he says in verse 2. In verse 2, he's saying, confessing the humanity of Yeshua is of God. Look at this, it says here in verse 2, Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Yeshua, the Messiah, is come in the flesh is of God. Now, brothers and sisters, listen to this. This is very important. You see, today, many people have a problem with the deity of Yeshua. I had a problem with this when I first was exposed to Yeshua, to Jesus. I had a problem. I said to myself, I don't know, I'm Jewish, you see. We learn in our own home that there is only one God.

And now you come and you're telling me that this man that died on the cross some 2,000 years ago is God? I had a lot of problem with it. And somehow, God, I mean, so gracious to unfold the Word of God, to open the Scripture to me by the Holy Spirit of God, because you and I cannot do it on our own. And somehow, by the grace of God, I recognized that Yeshua is this God, the eternal Son of God. I want you to turn with me to Isaiah for a moment, the verses that we just read earlier. Isaiah chapter 6, chapter 9, and chapter 7, those chapters that we have read today in the prophet Isaiah.

Just look at that for a second with me. Isaiah chapter 7, first of all, the Lord is speaking to this man by the name of Ahaz. Ahaz was the one that was the king of Judah, the king of the tribe of Yehudah. And the Lord spoke to him, it says in verse 10, and moreover, the Lord spoke again unto Ahaz, and he said to him, Ahaz, ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, ask it either in the depth or in the height above. So Ahaz said, I'm not going to ask for a sign, neither will I tempt the Lord. So he said, hear ye now, O house of David.

Now God went beyond Ahaz, and he was not talking only to Ahaz, but he was talking to the whole house of David, actually to the whole tribe of Judah. And he was saying to the house of David, to the whole tribe of Judah, he said is it a small thing for you to weary man but will he weary my God also and he said in verse 14 therefore the Lord himself shall give you the word for you is plural the Lord will give you a sign behold the virgin shall conceive and she will bear a son and she will call his name. Immanuel. God said to Ahaz, Ahaz, listen, you ask a sign for me.

And Ahaz did not want to ask a sign from the Lord. So God is going beyond him and he's speaking to the whole family of David, the king of Israel that have already passed by, but the family of David and the house of David. And he's saying to this family, to these people of Israel at that time, to the tribe of Judah, he says, listen, I'm going to give you a sign. And what is this sign going to be? He says, listen, he says, the virgin is going to conceive and she shall bear a son and you will call his name and listen to this he says the word Emmanuel is two Hebrew words Emanu means with us El means God and Jehovah is saying to the house of David he's saying listen I'm going to show you I'm going to give you a sign in a future day in a certain point of time in Jewish history the history of the people of Israel.

Well, I'm going to show you a miraculous thing that is going to happen. A woman that is virgin, Alma in Hebrew, going to bring forth a son. And his son, because she was a virgin, he will be a child that will be born into this world, that will be not a descendant of Adam's nature, but by the Holy Spirit of God, he will enter into this world, and he is going to be called God with us. He was prophesied a long time by the prophet of Israel, the prophet Isaiah, in chapter 7 and verse 14. Look at chapter 9 and verse 6. It was also read for us today.

Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. And a government shall be upon his shoulder, singular. And his name shall be called Wonderful. That's Pele, Counselor. That's Yoetz, Mighty God. That's El Gibor. Then it says, Father of Eternity. That's Aviad in Hebrew. And then finally, the Prince of Peace in Hebrew, Sar Shalom. Listen, he's saying that a child will be born, a son will be given. And I want you to pause with me for a moment. Notice, when it's come to his humanity, he was born. When it's come to his divine nature, he was given. You see, he's saying, unto us a child is born, but when it's come to a son, he was given.

Why he was given? Because he pre-existed. You see, the child that was born already had a pre-existence. He was the eternal Son of God, and as the eternal Son of God, he was given. But as a child, he had to be born and to enter into humanity through the Virgin Miriam. And you see, like I mentioned earlier, I personally had a problem in the beginning with the divine nature of the Messiah, Because I couldn't grasp how could men be also at the same time God. And yet the Bible teaches us that God would enter humanity through the virgin Miriam. And he will become a human being.

Yet without sin. So while we have the problem today to recognize that Jesus is divine. That he is God. That Yeshua is God. Many years ago, there was another problem. The problem that they had, that John is warning against here in verses 2, 3, and 4, is not so much the divine nature of Yeshua, but is the humanity of Yeshua. Notice again, back to 1 John, chapter 4, verse 2, Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Yeshua, the Messiah, have come in the flesh, is of God. In other words, every one of us that recognize that Yeshua came in the flesh, he became literally a man, a human being, a man that would live here in this world.

You see, at that time, 2,000 years ago, in a time of John that he wrote to the family of God, to the Mishpacha, already then those Gnostics did not believe in the humanity of the Messiah. Now listen to this, brothers and sisters. Yeshua is not half God and half man. Yeshua is completely, entirely, totally the eternal son of God. And when he entered humanity, he became completely, entirely a human being, a man. He had spirit, soul, and body just like you and I. The only difference between him and you and I is that he was sinless and you and I are sinners. He never had a beginning as the eternal son of God you and I have had a beginning because we have been created and so we have to understand he was totally eternal son of God and he became totally a human being and why is it so important you see why is it so important to believe that Yeshua came in the flesh the Hebrew word for flesh is basar you know there is oftentimes an expression that we use you see John was a Hebrew and he knew those expressions that the Jewish people oftentimes use even up till today when we talk about a human being he says oh you are only flesh and blood basar vadam flesh and blood we say what do you know this is an expression that we use when we want to talk about a human being we say you are only a flesh and blood basar vadam so when we want to express someone who is the human being who is a person we say you are.

Flesh and blood and John is wanting to emphasize this to his readers and he's saying listen how do we know that a person is truly confessing what God says he believed that Yeshua the Messiah came in flesh he have entered into this world in order to become a human being just like you and I and now the question is why you see why brothers and sisters you see God could never save sinners by simply not dealing with the problem that sinners have God could never say listen I am God i can brush your sins aside i can put everything aside and i'm just because i'm God is love you see i love you so much and i'll bring you into my presence i will restore a relationship with you and not deal with sin he couldn't do so because he's holy you remember first John chapter one in verse 5 we read God is light and in him there is no darkness at all so if God is going to deal.

With darkness with sin he had to do something about it well what would he do what could he do well the only thing for God to do is to enter humanity and to become a man yet never cease from being God and yet at the same time he himself will take the punishment that we deserve upon himself as men that's why it was so important for the humanity of Yeshua the Messiah he could never save mankind unless he became as mankind turn with me to Hebrews chapter 2 let me show you this verse i think this is one of the most important verses to understand the humanity of the Messiah and the reason why Yeshua became a man why God became a man Hebrews chapter 2 verses 14 15 and 16 and you notice the writer to the Hebrew was a Hebrew believer who wrote to his Hebrew brethren about some things that they knew from history and he said to them in verse 14 for as much that the children are partakers of flesh and blood notice this expression basar of Adam in.

This is a hebraic expression for as much of the children are partakers of the flesh and blood he this is the Messiah God the son he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil you see if God is going to save the human race he had to become a human being without sin and that he himself as man now could go to the altar and to be punished on behalf of the human race that's why the writer says he took part of the same because the children are partakers of flesh and blood all of us have flesh and blood all of us are human beings well he also took of the same in order that through death when he suffered for us on the tree on the cross and he died as the lamb of God for our sins he destroyed totally the one that had power over death that is the devil Satan had power over those sinners that were away from God.

And so God decided to come down to this world and take humanity and so notice in verse 15 and 16 and he delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage verse 16 for verily he took not of himself the nature of angels but he took upon himself the seed of Abraham you see when God entered humanity or when God wanted to save man he didn't take upon himself the nature of angel God the son didn't become an angel but he became a man because he was not going to save angels he was going to save the human race and he became a man and a man and you notice which descendants he took upon himself not the nature of angels but he took upon himself the seed of Abraham he became a Jewish man a Hebrew man in view of all what the Hebrew prophets spoke about that when the Messiah will come to this world he will become a descendant.

Of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through the tribe of Judah and the family of David. And so he didn't take upon himself the nature of angels. Now, can you imagine if God would become an angel, for example? What would it help you and I? Angel cannot die for your sins and for mine. Good person, unless he is divine, could not die for your sins of mine. You and I cannot die for the sin of another because we are sinners angels cannot save sinners angels are ministering spirits they are serving God's people but they cannot save us they cannot forgive our sins and so Yeshua this is God the son took upon himself humanity and brothers and sisters what is human being spirit soul and body, human spirit, human soul, human body.

When Yeshua entered into this world, he became a human being, spirit, soul, and body. And yet he was sinless because he was not an offspring of a relationship between Yosef and Miriam, but he was born of the Holy Spirit of God, the seed that had. Been placed in the womb of Miriam therefore he was the holy one not the innocent one but the holy one the sinless one the undefiled the one that was separate from sinners and so John giving this warning and he's saying and I'm back now in first John chapter 4 and verse 2 that he's pointing out confessing the humanity of Yeshua the Messiah is really of God confessing that he came in the flesh is really of God now when someone tell you according to this text that Yeshua is not human being spirit soul and body that he's a phantom immediately you know that this person is not of God he's teaching false teaching some of those gnostics already taught these things in first century others teaching this today they're teaching the very same thing that he's not really fully God he's not really a human being he's like a phantom you know by the way you for example the Jehovah witness today you read the gospel of John it says in the beginning was the word.

And the word was with God and the word was God but you know what they say in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was a God in other words he had been created as far as they were concerned they don't realize that they don't confess the truth that he was literally equal with the father the God and man in one if he was only a creature he could never deal with your sins and with mine no creature can deal with the sin of this sinful world in which we live in with my sins and with yours that's why it is so fundamental brothers and sisters to confess the fact that Yeshua the Messiah has come in the flesh let me read you one more verse in first Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16 without controversy great is the mystery of godliness listen to this, God was manifest in flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentile, believed on in the world, and received up into glory.

It is a mystery, but it's a great mystery, and God does not want your opinion and my opinion, he wants us to simply accept what he said in his word even though we cannot fathom that but it is found in the Scripture and it's truly indeed something that we cannot quite grasp but we accept it because the Spirit of God revealed this to us from the word of God now listen to this brothers and sisters as he continues and i'm back in first John chapter 4 and now verse 3 after he established the truth concerning Yeshua coming in the flesh he became a man and that which is of God the spirit that is of God is recognizing that Yeshua came in the flesh then he says in verse 3 look at the opposite not confessing the humanity of Yeshua is not of God not confessing or rejecting the humanity of Yeshua is totally not of God verse 3 every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ Yeshua ha-Mashiach is come in the.

Flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world now two things he's saying here in verse 3 the first thing of course he's saying that not confessing that Yeshua became that Jesus Christ Yeshua the Messiah anti-humanity became flesh and blood not confessing it is really not being of God if somebody's going to come to you and i'm going to say listen i don't believe that Yeshua is a real man spirit soul and body sin apart well if somebody does not confess this and rejected this person have to question his salvation this person have to ask himself or herself whether they even belong to the Lord because why if they reject the perfect humanity of the Messiah what they're really saying that someone else have died for their sins that another human being but a sinner have died for them and that is wrong that is not what the Bible teaches.

Us and so he's clearly telling them that anyone that confesses not that Yeshua the Messiah has come in the flesh is not of God but then notice what he's adding here in the second part of verse three he say rejecting the humanity of Yeshua is really out of the spirit of the Antichrist the word for Antichrist here it is Antichristos in the Greek in the Hebrew it is Soten Hamashiach the one who is against God but this expression Antichrist can be used in twofold ways anti is not always against many times we use this word anti against when somebody is anti he is against so anti-Mashiach is again the Messiah but there is another way to look at it in the Greek language that the word for anti also speaks of being like or replacing the Messiah or seeking to take the place of the Messiah instead of the Messiah now beloved brothers and sisters listen to this the only time we find in the Bible the word Antichrist is in the letters that Yohanan wrote.

In the epistles of John you don't find this expression anti-Christ or anti-christos anywhere else in the Scriptures in the Hebrew Scriptures for some reason Yohanan is the only one who uses this terminology in fact he uses this word Antichrist five times in his epistles four times in the first epistle one time in the second epistle and every time you can see how he developed that word Antichrist counterfeit Messiah which is against the Messiah the first time he uses it just turn back to chapter 2 first John 2 18a then is the first time that he has a reference to the Antichrist in the epistle of John in the letter of Yohanan he says little children this is the first part of verse 18 little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come this first time that he is using this expression that expression about the Antichrist has to do specifically about a single person that is called here anti-Christ against the Messiah.

But also instead of the Messiah. Apparently, what he has a reference here to some man that is going to come in a future day, who will be the one who will seek to take the place of the true Messiah of Israel and the Savior of this world. I mentioned to you already in our previous study of 1 John chapter 2 that this man has various names and titles in the Scripture he has all sort of titles that we have them in the word of God for example in Daniel chapter 7 and verse 8 he is called the little horn and we talked about it already in our previous meeting together in Daniel chapter 9 and verse 26 he is called the prince that shall come this is an individual he's not only that he is against the Messiah but he is a count of it in a sense that he want to take the place of the true Mashiach we read of him also in Daniel chapter 11 and verse 36 he is called the willful king.

This man will be willfully seeking to take the place of God the place of the Messiah in the messianic kingdom of course he will not be there but in the tribulation period he will seek to take that place of the Messiah he's called a willful king in Daniel 11 and verse 36 we read about him in the gospel of John and i already made a reference to that in John chapter 5 and verse 43 he's called he who come in his own name he will come in his own name not in God the father's name but in his own name he will claim to be the one that is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of this world and he will seek to take that place Paul wrote about him in second thessalonian chapter 2 and verse 3 he called him the man of sin Paul said about him in second thessalonian 2 verse 8 he was the lawless one he said also he's called the son of perdition in second.

Thessalonian chapter 2 and verse 3 and John called him in Revelation chapter 13 the beast chaya like an animal and so beloved brothers and sisters there is a man that is actually seeking to take the place of the Messiah that's why in first John chapter 2 and verse 18 the first part he's saying you know we already told you that the Antichrist shall come little children it is the last time as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come and you know what brothers and sisters you see you and i are not going to be here we are going to be taken out of here before the tribulation will begin but this single individual who is called sotten ha-Mashiach Antichrist the false Messiah he will be prominent during the tribulation period he will seek to take the place of the Messiah and according to Revelation chapter 13 he will seek worship he will be actually sitting standing in the holy of holies in the temple in Jerusalem claiming to be God claiming to be the Messiah and he will seek worship this is the false.

Messiah who will seek to take the place of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah the true Mashiach i want you also to notice that in first John chapter 2 and verse 18 this time b there is not only one single one who will come but according to verse 18 of the very same first John 2 it says here in verse 2 and there many antichrists are now already whereby we know that it is the last time apparently there was not only one single one that will come in the future yes but in additional to that there are many already at that time who were really against the Messiah but also seeking to take the place of the Messiah and so the warning has been given to the people of God in first John chapter 2 and verse 18 a and 18b there is a single false Messiah sotena Mashiach one who is an Antichrist but there were many already that will pretend as if they would be that leader this.

Messiah that is going to come look at first John chapter 2 and verse 22 here he's leading on he says anyone who denies that Yeshua is the Messiah look and he's an Antichrist against the Messiah first John chapter 2 verse 22 who is a liar but he that denies the Yeshua the Jesus is the Messiah he is Antichrist that denies the father and the son anyone that denied the humanity of the Messiah anyone that denied the triunity of the Godhead he's really against the Messiah against Christ he's really the one that is against the truth of the word of God and finally i want you to turn to second John second John chapter 1 and verse 7 here's the final time the fifth time that the Antichrist expression is being mentioned by John he says in second John chapter 1 verse 7 for many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ that Yeshua the Messiah is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an Antichrist a false teachers those that.

Against the Mashiach neged ha-Mashiach and so brothers and sisters here is the lesson that John is warning the believers and he tell him listen you better get a hold of this truth someone who confesses that Yeshua came in the flesh he is a literally human being but he was the eternal son of God and went to the tree died from our sins he's of God but those who deny the humanity of the Messiah they deny that he took flesh and blood they are really against the Messiah they are following the spirit of the one that is in the future going to come who will deny Jesus the Messiah and will seek to take his place so verse three is a very very important verse for us to understand and to watch against because today you and i can see that in various views of those who so-called teach and influence others concerning the things of Jesus the Messiah so let's move on so we can head on towards the conclusion here now that he finished in verse 2.

And 3 to present before them what is of God and what is not of God then he is telling them but you now he's speaking to the believers in verse 4 and he's saying in first John chapter 4 and verse 4 he says but you are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you that is he that is in the world now what is he saying here he's writing obviously to believers and he's saying to those believers he called them by the way little children it is a terminology that Yohanan often used in his epistle applying to all believers born ones those that have been born again and he's saying you are of God because you have been born again you have become children of God how did you become children of God because you have accepted the truth that Yeshua the Messiah came in the flesh you have acknowledged your sins you have acknowledged that he paid for your sins when he died for you on the tree you became sons and daughters of the.

Father you are the children of God and then he's saying listen you have overcome them how do we overcome the unbelievers in this world how do we overcome those who teach false teachings how do we overcome them we are going back to the Bible we are going back to the truth of the word of God and how do we handle the word of God how do we understand the word of God brothers and sisters we cannot understand the word of God on our own we have to have illumination we have to have inspiration we cannot understand you know before you became a believer you didn't understand the word of God neither have i because Paul said in first Corinthians 2 14 the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God why because there are foolishness unto him you know as far we were concerned the word of God the Tanakh the brit hachadasha it's foolish it's not for me i'm not religious you see it's for those religious people i don't believe in the Bible the word of.

God is not really just a book you know we used to say but you see now when we became believers in Yeshua the Messiah the word of God became precious it is the truth upon which we stand you see our eternal destiny depend upon whether this book is right or wrong if we believe it what God says in his word we have eternal relationship with him if we reject what God says in his word man is eternally separated from him so we believe but how did we believe well we needed to get some help and so notice that he says in first John chapter 4 and verse 4 he says listen you are of God little children you have overcome them this is the unbelieving world and these false teachers who came to teach us false teaching and then he says why how come because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world greater is he that is in you this is the Spirit of God.

The holy Spirit of God which indwells every believer he is greater than what they possess. Notice the word he is mentioned twice. The first he applied to the Holy Spirit of God. The second he applies really to Satan and his followers and his fallen angels, those demons who teach false teaching. Greater is he that is in us, in the believer, than he that is in the world because we have the holy Spirit of God that instruct us he teaches us John chapter 14 verse 16 and 17 Yeshua said before he died on the cross and i will pray the father and he will give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it sears him not neither knoweth him but you have known him for he dwelleth with you listen to this and he shall be in you he shall be in you you see what Yeshua said before he died on the tree says listen I'm going to leave you soon I'm going to die on the tree and I'm going to pay for the price of sin and I'm going to be resurrected from the grave.

And ascended to heaven but once I've gone I'm going to send the Ruach HaKodesh the Holy Spirit of God he is called the Spirit of truth he is the one that the world cannot receive because the world doesn't even know him and he will dwell with you and he will actually be in you you know brothers and sisters the truth of the present day dispensation of the assembly of the church age that every one of us that is a believer today we have a divine person indwelling right here in us and we are born again born from above and he helps us to understand the truth he helps us to sort things out to sieve things out to set that which is not from the Lord not from the Scripture aside and to embrace that which is from the word of God and so greater is he that is in us in you in the believer than he that is in the world and so he concluding brothers and sisters when he gave them this warning he concluding in.

These last verses verses five and six by showing them that false teachers are marked by the world view and not by God's view that's what really happened with false teachers they are really having a worldly views not a divine view and so he's concluding and he's saying to them they are of the world verse 5 therefore they speak they of the world and the world heareth them we are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error how do we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error we discern it on the basis of the word of God and we can see if the world listening you know but this is incredible, that according to this verse, they are of the world because the world listened to them.

And what is the world? Is this system, the word cosmos, is a system that is headed. Up by Satan, and these views are accepted by the world. Jesus is only a phantom. He is not divine. There is no triunity in the Godhead. He is half God and half man. He's only a good man. He's only a good prophet this is the world's view about Yeshua the Messiah but the believer's view he is this eternal son of God who loved us so much and was willing to become human being a man and because he was born to the virgin Miriam through this power of the holy Spirit there was not sin in him and in love for us he went all the way to the altar where he was judged the just one for the unjust so he will bring us to God this is the way the word of God is teaching us and therefore we as he says are of God and we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error so beloved brothers and sisters in conclusion may the Lord help us to discern that somebody teaches us something that is not found in the word of God let us question that let us be careful to study the word of God.

To rightly divide the word of truth and this is fundamental this is not something that we can play with this is serious business in concerning the truth that God had given us in his word concerning the person of his son and God is going to challenge man on that because when we're going to have to stand before him the question will be what think ye of the Messiah and if we had wrong thoughts about him we will ultimately find ourselves separated from God eternally lost but if we have the right view that God had concerning his son we are eternally related to him eternal salvation never to be separated from this wonderful person namely our Lord Yeshua the Messiah well may the Lord bless his word and keep this warning in your mind so we can choose to be instructed by the sincere word of God