La Guía de Encuestas

In Chapter 13 we learned that the antichrist is a trinity of evil. We have the Devil, the Son of Perdition, and the antichrist spirit. We know that Judas Iscariot was called the Son of Perdition by Christ:

John 17: 12

"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name: those that you gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of

perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled."

We have already discussed how Judas Iscariot was the archetype of all who would walk in disobedience while claiming to “follow Christ.” This, however does not make Judas Iscariot the second member of the unholy trinity. There is another, a false Christ who was to come. We are warned about him by Paul in the 2 letter to the Thessalonians:

2 Thessalonians 2:

“Now we urge you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2 That you be not soon shaken in mind, nor be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter supposedly from us saying that the day of Christ is at hand.

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

4 (The man) who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God.”

Clearly the above scriptures are not talking about Judas Iscariot. He had come and gone by the time those verses were written. Plus, this son of perdition is created as a result of a “great falling away” (or apostasy). It's no surprise then that the revealing of the antichrist is preceded by a "great falling away."

One must merely ask oneself: falling away from what? The answer is simple. It's a great falling away from the righteousness that comes by abiding in Christ, by abiding in the Holy Spirit of love. That is why the son of perdition is called, "that man of sin” or “the lawless one." He it is who sets up residency in the body of Christ (the temple of God) but instead of

encouraging righteousness, he is a “man of sin” and encourages only lawlessness. This man of sin is known by one major trait. He openly declares that he is God incarnate. A man

claiming to be God himself come to earth in fleshly form.

He “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or worshiped.” This means that he himself is “Lord of his own flesh” and the is his own creator.

This should all be sounding quite familiar!

The apostles saw a great deluding religion that would come and literally preach that it's okay to "continue in sin." They would replace the Christ who preached holiness,

righteousness and obedience with a Christ who “does away with the law” and allows wickedness.

The apostles knew there was coming a day when they would say that you can't be

sins rather than eradicates them. A Christ who openly claims to be God himself.

Paul writes to the Thessalonians and predicts that this deluding influence, those who took part in this apostasy, would “all be condemned." Why? Because they didn't love the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness instead.

The apostates follow after a God/Man. They take away the Lordship of Jesus over their flesh and put in his place a Lord who doesn't demand they obey him. In this way, they too declare themselves to be Gods of their own flesh. Free to do with their bodies as they see fit! Paul also forewarned of the coming antichrists elsewhere in scripture. Those who would "pervert the Gospel" of Christ and create "another Jesus."

Galatians 1:

“6 I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ to another gospel:

7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel to you than that you have received, let him be accursed.”

The coming antichrist apostate creates "another" Jesus (based upon the true) who is more amenable to his sin. A Jesus that does not command them to love one another and does not "see" their sins at all. A Jesus who actually died so that they could "continue their lives of sin" and still go to Heaven in a pre-tribulation rapture!

This Paul called it “the mystery of iniquity,” because they who preach this other Jesus have one motivating force behind it. The force of hatred, which is the opposite of walking in the Holy Spirit. Their goal is to continue in the flesh until the Lord comes and gives them new bodies free of sin. It puts the responsibility of their sin on Jesus.

That darned Jesus, when is he going to come and give me a new body so we can eradicate sin? Lazy bum, where is he?

Just as the true gospel is “the mystery of Godliness” because God is manifest in his children by their obedience to the Holy Spirit, the false antichrist doctrine is “the mystery of iniquity,” because the Devil is manifest through his children by their disobedience.