Talk given at the SE Conference held in St. Augustine Fla. On Dec 10, 1999

Identifying the Antichrist

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, no one questioned his humanity.

He was recognized and accepted as a man, a Nazarene and even the unclean spirits acknowledged this fact.

But after his execution and resurrection all this changed.

Even his disciples did not come to accept him as a man of flesh until he appeared to them physically to demonstrate his flesh to them.

An example of this is found in the 24^th chapter of Luke when the women returned from the tomb and told the eleven apostles along with others with them of his resurrection.

But what kind of response did they get from them?

Luke 24:11 NAS But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.

You see the eleven apostles and the disciples with them did not believe.

And others would continue to disbelieve just as many still do today. Some even teaching that our Lord could not take back the body that was sacrificed in our behalf.

By teaching such things they imply that the past can be altered somehow by such future use.

The question then must be asked, can it?

Would such future use alter the past or the value of such a sacrifice in some way?

Our Lord's own testimony gives us the answer. For Jesus said to the apostles and later to Thomas.

Luke 24:39 NAS "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

This flesh was not only real it was the very same flesh that was executed and now risen.

When Thomas experienced this and acknowledged Jesus' authority over his life our Lord said:

John 20:29 NIV "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

This is a root teaching of scripture intended for us and this is what we are to believe as well.

The fact is that Jesus did come in the flesh after his death and resurrection and anyone that teaches otherwise is rejecting the true human nature that the Christ still has.

Such ones we will learn are called antichrist by the apostle John.

He appeared to his disciples as a human for a witness that he still had this human nature and they were to convey this fact to the entire world.

We now know from this event and from other teachings of our Lord that he will return in this very same manner when he comes again to administer his kingdom here on earth.

And this human, this man of flesh was immortal at the very time that he appeared to his disciples. We know this for the apostle Paul said concerning him:

1 Timothy 6:16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

[This passage speaks of Jesus the Man. The verses 14 and 15 just prior to this introduce him. This verse is specific in dealing with the man Jesus himself. This king of kings and Lord of lords is verified in Rev 17:14, and 19:16. ]

Of all human nature Christ alone possesses immortality. And no man, that is no other man or no one with a mortal nature, can approach that light or see it. Christ is the only exception. But in time even this will change.

2 Timothy 1:10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

This appearing of His proved that death, human death, will be abolished and life, human life with immortality now shines upon all men through the gospel.

He alone out of all mankind that ever lived has obtained this immortality for human flesh.

It was an immortality that Adam could have had if he remained faithful and ate from the tree of life.

Our concept of where our home will be and where this kingdom will be is confirmed by His coming in the flesh after his execution.

And the meaning of and application of certain words such as heaven, flesh and immortality along with some others would forever be altered by this event.

Here in a physical human form we see the difference between the First and Last Adam.

This is why John penned such strong words with a warning concerning his flesh.

To those that have a doctrine that embraces a non-human resurrection of the dead,

and to those that do not believe that our Lord actually returned in the flesh after his own death the apostle John said:

2 John 7 NIV Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

Identifying the antichrist is a simple matter as it never was a mystery. We should all be able to identify such antichrists easily. But who was teaching the opposite of this, and why did they come to other conclusions? Was there something about our Lord that was not human that everyone knew about? Did our Lord himself say anything that would indicate to them that his humanity would someday end and he would be a non-human or divine being? What is hidden in scripture that makes something so simple, nearly impossible to accept for so many?

Anthony Buzzard in his manuscript "The Doctrine of the Trinity" on page 142 stated: The decision at Nicea in 325AD, and later at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, was to declare Jesus both "very God of very God" and completely man at the same time. The technical term for this combination of natures was the "hypostatic union," the doctrine of the union of the divine and human natures in Christ, the two natures consisting a single person.

Except for what I now recognize as a failure to understand the term God and its proper use by trinitarians, along with a historical error as to when such a "hypostatic union" took place, such reasoning was essentially correct and in harmony with scripture.

Jesus became the very Logos of the very God and completely Adam at the same time. This is a more appropriate description of hypostasis then the one given in most dictionaries.

Christ does now have two natures, one human and the other divine. And this explains why there is so much confusion concerning Him.

This union first began historically when he raised his own flesh after his resurrection by God to the glory he had before the world was. In prophetic prayer our Lord said:

NAS95 John 17:5 "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

When this prayerful prophecy was fulfilled and the Logos was once again restored by God he could as the creator of human life the world of mankind, restore the life to his own human flesh and use it to further the interests of the kingdom of God.

He also has the right to use whichever nature he chooses. He used elements of his divine nature when he appeared to Saul, but identified himself as a man, a Nazarene when he spoke to him. The combined natures therefore can be used in any combination without contradiction.

Acts 22: 8 "And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' 9 "And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

In this way Paul was touched and anointed to be a chosen vessel the 12 apostle. The unique way in which this hypostatic union was used however prevented any application of this anointing of Paul to the second coming.

Thus we can be assured that he will use his human nature, his Nazarene identity once again as promised to administer his kingdom here on earth at least for the thousand symbolic years allocated for it.

For such reasons it is quite correct to continue to call our Lord "the man" and appeal to his human or Nazarene nature in the role of Apostle, Mediator, King and High Priest.

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There was a time however when such a "hypostatic union" did not exist.

There was a time when our Lord existed only as a divine or non-human being identified as the Word or Logos, the very one who created us in the first place.

From scripture we learn that God created the heavens and the earth alone.

Our Lord did not create such massive objects as we see in the universe. Before John ever wrote his gospel this was a well-known fact and John did not alter such truth.

Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone, [Also Ne 9:6]

What our Lord did create and what John recorded was life, human beings, the world of mankind over which the Word had authority, the very ones to whom John wrote his gospel and the very ones over which this Word was God.

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This pre-human nature of Christ is documented in scripture like this:

John 1;1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This God was not some impersonal personification of God but a real divine being.

This Word was not only God to us but he was also the Son of the God that he was with. He received his instructions from this God, who he called His Father.

This term God is used in this verse in two different ways in the same sentence. But proper context is established by the following verses so that our application should be like this:

:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

This is a repetitive statement inserted for clarity. The same, or houtos, also translated he, shows that only one use of God should be understood as a reference to the Supreme Being in verse 1. The houtos use to identify the Word here prepares the reader for the Godly work that the Word existing as a Being in his own right would perform for the God that he was with.

:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

All things do not mean everything. In fact such things are restricted to living things, or mankind in John's gospel, for this is the specific context in which this "all things" is used. But our Lord was more than just the creator of us.

:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Yes, this life consisted of more than simple creation. It included the ability to justify us with God, which is far more important to us than simple resurrection and this he will do once again like this:

John 6:33 NAS "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, always give us this bread."

35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

This life, this 2222 Dzo-ay in such verses was the ability to justify mankind with God and restore the relationship which Adam lost for himself and for his offspring.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: [justification not Messianic title but someone without sin]

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 17:24 NAS "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

This is the theme of John's gospel. He detailed this life that existed before the foundation of the world. We learn from him that this life created us, was made flesh as Jesus Christ but in time it would combine in glory with the life that existed before, as the one the Father loved. It would then be much more than the grace and truth they already witnessed for it would be a hypostatic union permitted by his Father and this they also witnessed when our Lord's prayer was answered after his resurrection.

The apostle Paul confirms what John wrote and supports this pre-human existence of our creator like this:

Col 1:15 NAS He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Every element of mans creation described here by Paul is human.

This consisted of the higher powers or heavenly ruling elements nearby and visible or far away and invisible such as the ones in Rome right down to earth's common man ruled by them.

The Nation of Israel as well as the Roman Empire fits this description, as does all such authority that ever lived. This will all be his when he restores them to life once again in His kingdom.

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Further pre-existence is taught by our Lord himself.

John 3:13 WEY There is no one who has gone up to Heaven, but there is One who has come down from Heaven, namely the Son of Man whose home is in Heaven.

13 AV And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

13 NAS "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

This verse does more than contradict those that support an immortal soul.

It teaches that our Lord existed prior to his human birth. He came down from Heaven to save us. The person that came down is the same. Only his nature changed.

John 3:16 NAS "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

The Word or Logos that was with God in the beginning was also His Son. Not some impersonal quality of God but a divine person that made up a divine Being in his own right. His only begotten.

John 6:62 NAS "What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?

63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

 The doctrine of Christ is therefore established that he existed somewhere else before becoming a man and will return again to that place as Son of Man. This is the spirit the life giving words that we are to covey to the world.

This proof or our Lord's continued humanity does not deny his hypostasis.

What it does do is confirm his continued human existence at that same place where He once existed only as a divine person prior to this union.

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At one time these two natures existed only separately:

John 8:58 KJV Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

John 8:58 NAS Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."

Before Abraham was born this nature was divine.

At the time this statement was made this nature was human.

But the person the "I" was the same person in both instances regardless of nature.

Historically they were distinctly different by nature, but historically the person was the same.

Our Lord had to go from non-human or divine nature to true human nature through a process that required human birth. This is not creation but a process more like incarnation although every definition given for incarnation may not be appropriate.

Therefore such natures were maintained separately and remained distinct up to this point in time.

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However our Lord was authorized by God to raise his own body and combine both natures:

John 10:17 NAS "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."

The faithfullness required to perform such a task by this human is not altered by future use of this same nature when this life is restored. And our Lord had the authority to restore it. However we will learn that this would require the combining of two natures at that time one human and the other divine.

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And also we have this hypostatic union in prophecy:

John 2:18 NAS The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

I will raise it up, not God, our Lord stated in prophecy. And raise it up he did.

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What was actually raised by God then was the divine nature, the creative nature of Christ:

Acts 3:26 NAS "For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways."

Acts 10:40 NAS "God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

Here we see in more detail what took place. Resurrection with permission to become visible by joining with his human nature and appearing publicly to witnesses.

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Paul deals with the person not the specific nature of the one raised, as do most texts.

It is this person that God raised, without regard to the hypostatic nature that resulted since this was already authorized by Him and intended as an integral feature of this resurrection.

The human nature of Christ therefore will return:

Acts 1:11 NAS The men in white robes whose teaching is not open to question said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

Thus our Lord's return will be highly visible in the flesh as a human without the blinding light that injured Saul when he experience our Lord's presence.

Luke 22:29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

This is what they expected to do as human beings then, and when he comes again they will not be disappointed.

Matthew 26:29 "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." (the kingdom of God. Mark 14:25)

Fruit of the vine, human nourishment, prepared here on earth, this is what they will enjoy and this is where they will enjoy it. Perhaps now we can understand why there is so much confusion regarding the manner of the coming of Christ and the hope for all mankind. Because the focus shifted somehow from the human nature of Christ to His divine nature as our hope.

Perhaps now we can understand why the human identity and nature of our Lord is so important to us all. Doctrines that deny our Lord coming in the flesh conceal this identity and are antichrist.

The trinity doctrine also distorts the true identity and hypostasis nature that our Lord now has and is also antichrist as it's focus is on the divine nature.

Note: In fact it distorts his divine nature in claiming that he is the same God as the God that he is with. It also belittles the risks taken when the Word agreed to become flesh and redeem us.

1 John 2:22 NAS Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

Jesus the Christ is human and the Son of the Father. They are both God to us for different reasons and individual Beings with their own unique natures which cannot be denied. They are not one Being as some teach. They are not equal in power or authority. The Son obtains his authority and instructions from his Father and is faithful to Him.

We must stay with the doctrine of Christ. We cannot deny his human nature that reflected the same image and confidence God had in him for we shall have a body like his.

[Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, [confidence <5287>hupostasis {hoop-os'-tas-is}] and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;]

We cannot deny his divine nature and role as creator for this is the nature that will resurrect us.

And such hypostasis is not limited to just life. Our faith itself is like that.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance (hypostasis) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith itself is a hypostatic union of many things that function as one.

We should not go beyond such things that are written but accept them all if we are to be saved.

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