In I John 2:18 we are warned that at the close of the age there would be anti-Christs, culminating with "The Anti-Christ," the man of sin. The title of Antichrist in the original Greek not only refers to a person who opposes Christ, but also pertains to a person who puts himself in place of Christ.
Volumes have been written on the countless number of individuals and organizations that have demonstrated their anti-Christ spirit and new books are produced every year revealing the ever growing number of their ranks.
To give a small example we will share information on only four individuals.
Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson made the news as the Nov. 25, æ04 edition of the Denver Post reported that, "Manson surprised students in a Temple University Art and Society class Monday with an hour-long guest lecture...Manson - in an all-black suit with chrome-tipped platform shoes, dark lipstick and sunglasses - responded to questions about art, politics and religion.
"I'm not someone who doesn't respect religion, but I don't care for the way religion is used to manipulate people," the 35-year-old singer said." "We create our own gods. We create our own devils."
MTV's college network, mtvU, filmed Manson's classroom appearance for a segment of the "Stand In" series scheduled to air Dec. 6."
Manson is an example of one who blatantly opposes Jesus Christ. From the article we just quoted, the ill-informed might assume this statement is an exaggeration. Indeed, it even seems to be a bid for understanding and acceptance, but a review of Mr. Manson's idea of entertainment quickly dispels any doubts.
The Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph had an article in its Jan. 12, 1997 edition titled, "Manson's shock rock gets under skin" which gave a ringside seat of Manson's so-called respect for religion. The "heavy-metal-gothic-shock rock" group [as described in the article] goes by the name of Marilyn Manson"...named after Marilyn Monroe and convicted murderer Charles Manson. Besides screaming out expletives while stripping in front of a gothic church-style backdrop complete with stained glass windows the group's main singer called "the Reverend" rips pages out of a Bible and throws them at the audience. Teenagers are exposed to lyrics and chants which declare, "...we will no longer be oppressed by Christian morality...and we hate love, we love hate" which whips the audience into a frenzy. Then "Manson" belts out a rendition of one of their songs called "Angel with the Scabbed Wings." During the program the backdrop changes to an almost Nazi-like appearance with a 30-foot replica of Manson's CD logo which proclaims "Antichrist Superstar."
Our second example of an anti-Christ is the self-exalted Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. His technique of rebellion against Christ is unique in the fact that he does not openly oppose Christ like Manson, nor does he expressly present himself as Christ. Rather, he portrays Jesus Christ as one who failed to accomplish His mission.
While feigning sympathy for what he declares was Jesus' defeated attempt to achieve individual perfection, Moon then with bold blaspheme claims for himself Christ's titles of Savior and Lord of the Second Coming.
Moon maintains that by his own personal victory over his mind and body, he alone has achieved perfection and that only those who follow him can achieve this same perfection.
Quoting excerpts from Moon's full page fine print ad that was placed in the October 20, æ04 Rocky Mountain News we read, "I would like to convey a portion of a new understanding given by heaven for this age, titled "God's Providence to Establish the world Transcending Religions and Nations Based upon the Absolute Values of True Love"...This message is not only for you and for the people of America; it is the new decree of heaven - the absolute, unavoidable truth - to be declared to all six billion people of the world and even throughout the spirit world...
Dear guests, do you know the dividing line between Heaven and hell? Is it in the air? Is it in a church sanctuary? Is it in a national government? No, the dividing line between Heaven and hell is found in your sexual organ. This is where the greatest tragedy in human history occurred, which turned heaven and earth upside-down...
Now the time has come to call people of all faiths to receive the holy blessing. That is why ten years ago I closed down the Unification Church and raised instead the banner of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification...
Dear guests, what kind of place is heaven? According to the principle by which God created the universe, heaven must first be perfected on earth...Our task, then, is to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth...
Yet, heaven is not created in an instant. Just because the age has changed and heavenly fortune is with us does not mean that heaven will fall from the sky and appear before our eyes. We first must become people of character who can create heavenly families. In other words, we must achieve individual maturity.
The path to becoming people of character, to achieving individual maturity, lies in perfecting the harmony between our mind and body...
No one in history has ever achieved mind-body unity during his or her life on earth. Despite the steady progress of God's providence of restoration and His determination to save humanity, not a single person has been liberated from the struggle between the mind and body and achieved individual perfection...
No one has known the method to win the unrelenting, internal war...
Two thousand years ago, Jesus came to the earth as Savior, Messiah and True Parent. As God's only begotten Son, Jesus had the mission to complete the providence of Heaven and end forever the struggle between the mind and body. But when Jesus died on the cross due to the failure of certain crucial religious and political leaders in Israel to recognize him, he was no longer in a position to bring an end to the struggle between mind and body. And even though Jesus took every opportunity to call on people to love their enemies, his teachings could not bring an end to the struggle between mind and body.
Heaven can wait no longer. Heaven is now revealing all its secrets based on my foundation of victory. I have successfully completed the mission of the Lord of the Second Advent, Savior and true Parent. Now I am revealing this truth, bringing to a conclusion the final stage of the providence for humankind's salvation...Those who follow my teachings will achieve individual perfection and participate in the construction of the ideal of Heaven on earth...
In the stage of mind-body unity, your conscience and body enter a realm of resonance. Referring to this dimension of the mind, the Buddha said, "Throughout heaven and earth, I am my own lord..."
Ask your mind if God is dwelling in you, and it will tell you. You will reach a state in harmony with nature, able to communicate freely with animals and plants. You will be able to converse freely with the beings of the spirit world. You will thoroughly prepare yourself for eternal life...
But in order to attain this state of perfection, as descendants of the Fall, we must first shed our fallen nature. How can we do this?
First, we must resemble God...
Your good ancestors and even the great religious leaders in the heavenly world will assemble to guide your way...
Second, although through no fault of our own, we are descendants of the Fall and have inherited fallen nature from birth. Therefore, it is each person's urgent task to carry out three great revolutions in his or her life. These are the revolution through making atonement, the revolution of conscience, and the revolution of heart...
The conscience knows everything about you - your every move and your every thought. It knows them before your teacher does. It knows them before your parents do. It knows them before God does...Therefore, you must work in a revolutionary way to suppress your physical mind and accept the guidance of your conscience. Then you will become a clear, unblemished and clean soul, ready for the day when you make your way forward into the presence of God...
Third, you must scrutinize your own lives every moment of every day...
Ladies and gentlemen, today humanity has entered the Age After the Coming of Heaven...
When I suddenly received Heaven's call as a young man of fifteen, I began an eighty-year course of blood, sweat and tears to bring true liberation and complete freedom to God and save humanity from Satan's yoke. Now you also must go forward, determined to offer your lives in order to accomplish God's exalted will for the liberation and complete establishment of the world transcending religions and nations...
The darkness that has covered this earth for tens of thousands of years has now been dispelled."
In Part II of this message we will share more on Mr. Moon's great revelation of attaining perfection in connection with his mention of his human sexual organ.
Additionally, we will examine the types of anti-Christs who have no reservation in portraying the gospel record of Christ as a lie and even to be so bold as to in fact declare themselves without reservation to be Christ.
These are the final days before the return of Jesus Christ. He is surely coming to remove every true believer to be with Him in the heavens at any time as He has promised.
This very moment you can be prepared to meet Him, holy and pure, by simply trusting in Him for the forgiveness of your sins. He will hear your prayer.
In Mark 13:21-22, Jesus warned of these last days false christs and false prophets who, if not for God's divine protection, would even deceive the Lord's elect.
In verses 23 & 37, Jesus left us with these words of warning and entreatment to watch for His return, "But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand...And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"