THE SEED WAR - PART 11

WBS.251

THE SEED WAR

PART 11

1 John 2:18  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.

Today, I want to look more closely at “the seed of the serpent.”  In traditional Christian theology, we know him as “the antichrist.”  That term has been so overused for the past two generations that the proper term “anti-Messiah,” almost sounds awkward to speak.  Would it surprise you, with all the emphasis on this coming “antichrist,” that this term is used only four times in all of the Scripture, and not even once is it found in the book of Revelation?  All four usages are found in the epistles of the apostle John:  1 John 2:18; 1 John 2:22; 1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7.

We need to understand that there is no “christ.”  The term “christ” is meaningless to the Hebrew.  The children of Israel were not promised a “christ.” They were promised a “Messiah.”  Let me assure you, these two terms do not represent the same thing to a child of Abraham.  The Scriptures reveal the coming of Messiah, the son of David, the King of Israel, the ruler of the world, the son of IAUE.  A studious Jew would be wary of bending his/her knee to a Greek counterfeit.  For millennia, the nations around them have bowed their knees to demigods, the fallen Watchers and the Nephilim offspring they produced.  [It is interesting to note here that the name “Jesus,” in the Greek, is “Iesous,” which is a combining of the name of “Ieso” (a Greek healing deity) and “Zeus” (the king of the gods in the Greek pantheon of deities…i.e., Nephilim demigods).  It is little wonder why so few Jews convert to Christianity. It should also be interesting to note that no one on Earth called the Messiah, “Jesus” until more than 1,500 years after his resurrection.]

So, let’s look at what the Scripture says about this “anti-Messiah.”

1 John 2:18  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.

John says, “Yes, there is ONE anti-Messiah who is coming; but there are also MANY, now, who are anti-Messiahs.

1 John 2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Yahushua is the Messiah? He is anti-Messiah, that denieth the Father and the Son.

Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).  The truth is not in him.  His children are just like him.

1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Yahushua Messiah is come in the flesh is not of Elohim: and this is that spirit of anti-Messiah, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Yahushua Messiah is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-Messiah.

Notice, in both of these references, the anti-Messiah is one who denies that Messiah has come in the flesh; and these deniers are deceivers who are motivated by the spirit of anti-Messiah.

Now, what we have done, above, is we have excised these verses from their context and addressed them as though they can stand alone and mean something to us that is accurate and reliable.  The fact is, the context is what provides the only way to understand these verses properly.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushua Messiah the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of Elohim perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

The entire epistle of 1 John is dedicated to explaining that the ones who are of Messiah are no longer of the world, no longer pursuing their own selfish aims, no longer walking in sin.  Their focus and the internal drive of their life is to do the will of IAUE and to walk in the light. Whoever has Yahushua in his/her life cannot entertain sin lightly; and if found in disobedience, races back to the safety of the light through confession, forgiveness and cleansing of the unrighteousness of their disobedience. If this does not typify the experience in one’s life, then they are not of Messiah.  John understands “the seed war.” He understands the separation that is required from the world, for the whole world is founded upon evil (1 John 5:19).  He also understands that the only way to be separated from the world is to abide in Messiah.

1 John 2: 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Have you ever wondered about this passage of Scripture?  It is the next few verses in this chapter that set the context for the first appearance of the term “anti-Messiah” in the Scripture.  In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-22), Messiah equates hating one’s brother with murder. Both Messiah’s sermon and this passage are direct references to Cain hating his brother Abel. (It is an important and foundational truth to the Hebrews that they descended from Seth and not from Cain.) John explains this connection a few verses later in the next chapter.

1 John 3:6  Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of Elohim was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of Elohim doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of Elohim.

10 In this the children of Elohim are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of Elohim, neither he that loveth not his brother.

11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

There is a theology believed by some, today, that Cain was the literal offspring of Satan and Eve; that in that evil copulation, Cain was literally the “seed of the serpent.”  This notion is dispelled by the Scripture.

Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from IAUE.

The apostle Paul explains how Cain was “of that wicked one.”

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

John lays down the final qualifications for those who say they are of Messiah, for those who presume to be the children of Elohim.

1 John 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

In the context of the whole chapter, John has made a case for the disciple of Messiah being one who is wholly separated unto IAUE, to do His will and to obey His commandments.  Here is the final litmus test:  We do not love the world.  We already referenced 1 John 5:19 where John tells us the whole world is intrinsically evil.  The devil is the god of this world…this “kosmos,” this world order.  You will remember what Messiah told Pilate before he was impaled.  His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36).  Every aspect of this world’s systems of arts, science, music, finances, government, etc., is orchestrated by evil at its root.  We must be in the world but not of the world; and we certainly must not have affection for anything that is a part of this world.  Any such affection will entrap us and pull us away from a pure and undefiled service to IAUE.

That brings us, finally, to the first time the word “anti-Messiah” is used in the Scripture.

1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of Elohim abideth for ever.

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.

The disciples, indeed, had heard that the singular anti-Messiah, the culmination of the devil’s effort to win the seed war, will most certainly come; but he will not appear before he has populated his kingdom.  His spirit, the spirit of anti-Messiah, has long been in the world, cultivating the world’s systems to draw the hearts and minds of men to love the world, so they will love him when he appears.  His devotees are called anti-Messiahs, for they oppose righteousness, the love of IAUE and obedience to His will and His commandments.  They oppose His son, Yahushua. The devil has made a world that draws the affection of men to it; and thereby he enlists his army for the coming final war.

John 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the word, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

We will continue on this thought next week.