How does 1 John 2:18 warn us about the "last hour" today? The verse at the center “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.” – 1 John 2:18 What “last hour” means • John speaks in the present tense, showing the end–times clock began in the apostolic era and is still ticking. • Scripture presents time as moving toward a climactic return of Christ (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 22:12). • The phrase signals urgency: believers must live alertly because fulfillment can arrive at any moment. The warning’s two parts 1. “The antichrist is coming” – a single, future, personal figure (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:1-8). 2. “Many antichrists have appeared” – present-day forerunners who share the same denying spirit (1 John 2:22; 4:3). Why the warning matters today • The presence of multiple antichrists proves the last-hour environment still surrounds us. • Cultural shifts, false doctrines, and moral compromise echo John’s day, confirming the reliability of his prophecy. • Knowing the era sharpens watchfulness and steadies hope; complacency would contradict the plain sense of the text. Marks of the modern antichrist spirit (drawn from 1 John) • Denies Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God come in flesh (2:22; 4:2-3). • Departs from apostolic fellowship and teaching (2:19; Acts 2:42). • Lies about the character of God and distorts the gospel (2 Peter 2:1-3). • Lures hearts toward the world’s lusts and pride (2:16). How to respond in the last hour • Abide in the truth you heard from the beginning (1 John 2:24). • Test every spirit against Scripture’s clear teaching (1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11). • Rely on the anointing of the Holy Spirit to discern error (1 John 2:20, 27). • Hold fast to sound doctrine; guard the deposit entrusted to you (2 Timothy 1:13-14). • Walk in love and righteousness, traits antichrist cannot counterfeit (1 John 3:10-11). Encouragement for the faithful • The same passage that warns also assures: “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth” (1 John 2:20). • Remaining steadfast guarantees confidence “so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him” (1 John 2:28). • Our vigilance rests on a certain promise: “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). |
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