It also passed into the New Testament. At first it designated the already definite time of the first appearance on earth of the God-man Jesus Christ; Heb 1:2; 1 Pet 1:20. Then it designated His second coming and the age to come; Mk 10:30; Lk 20:34-35; Eph 1:21.
It was also used to indicate only the future second coming of Christ and His manifestation at the end of the world; cf. Jas 5:3; 1 Pet 1:5; 2 Tim 3:1 and parallels. In this sense it indicates the nearness of that coming.
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself also spoke in a veiled manner about the last times, or the last hour, in this sense; cf. Mt 24:42-44; Mt 25:1-12, 29, with parallels in Mark and Luke.
This nearness must not be measured by the temporal distance of the second coming of Christ from the first. Rather, it must be understood as follows. With Christ’s first coming, the final epoch of God’s divine economy for the salvation of the human race began.
By this epoch the world in its present form must come to an end, whenever this is pleasing to God. But neither Christ Himself nor the apostles indicated precisely when this would be. They only indicated signs, and these were not completely determinate.
It may be near, but when it will be is unknown; cf. the notes on Jas 5:7-9 and parallels.
“And as you have heard,” and so forth: for clarity, this somewhat compressed discourse is better set forth more fully. Then it will be more definite. The final epoch of the divine economy of human salvation has begun.
It will end with the second coming of Jesus Christ for the universal and worldwide judgment. Exactly when this will be has not been revealed. One must be watchful and attentive, because it may be soon and sudden.
Signs of such nearness already exist. For example, you have already heard, from the Lord Himself in veiled form, and from us plainly according to His words, that before His coming the Antichrist will come, the terrible enemy of Him and of His Church.
And now you see that many antichrists have already appeared. This is a sign, or one of the signs, that it is the last time.
“You have heard that Antichrist is coming.” You heard this partly from the Gospel of Christ, but more clearly and definitely from apostolic teaching, especially from the Apostle Paul, and above all from John himself.
The Lord told the Jews that He had come in His Father’s name and they did not receive Him, but if another came in his own name, they would receive him (Jn 5:43; cf. note).
By this other, according to some Fathers of the Church, for example Chrysostom in his commentary on Jn 5:43, the Lord meant the Antichrist in a veiled manner. He signified him as one person, as one man.
In another place (Mt 24:24 and parallels; cf. note), He speaks of false Christs. In a certain sense they too are opponents of Christ, or antichrists. He speaks of them in the plural, as if distinguishing them from one special person.
The holy Apostle Paul gives a detailed portrayal of the Antichrist, though he does not call him precisely by this word (2 Thess 2:2-10). He portrays him as a particular, separate person, as one man.
He does not portray him as a general concept, a collective person, a general anti-Christian spirit, or an anti-Christian tendency. This is clear from the very structure of the discourse.
The holy John the Theologian calls him by this precise and definite name, Antichrist, in the passage under consideration and further on; verse 22; 1 Jn 4:3 and parallels.
In the Apocalypse, Saint John gives a detailed portrayal of him and his actions under the image of the beast (Rev 13:2, 4, 8, 10 and parallels). He distinguishes him as a particular person from similar opponents of Christ.
In the Greek original, in the passage under consideration, the name Antichrist stands with the definite article. This completely separates the name as that of a known, definite person.
The other antichrists, besides the chief one, do not stand with the definite article. Therefore, as many and as a general concept, they are distinguished from him.
Thus, in the passage under consideration, the apostle distinguishes between the Antichrist and antichrists. The first will come before the second coming of Christ for the last judgment.
The others, as his forerunners, began to appear already in the time of the apostles. Of course, they will appear in all times of Christianity as representatives of the anti-Christian spirit or tendency.
These are false teachers who have always appeared, do appear, and will appear in the Christian Church and outside it. In them the anti-Christian spirit is, as it were, always embodied.
Such in the early Church were, for example, Simon Magus, Cerinthus, the Nicolaitans, and others. They, and those like them in other times, are as it were instruments of the Antichrist, permeated with his spirit and tendency.
This spirit acted and acts in all times, but the Antichrist himself will appear in the last times. The Antichrist is as it were the chief leader of all Christ’s opponents. All the other opponents of Christ, or antichrists, form as it were his army.
Against them the militant Church of Christ on earth struggles under her invisible Head, Christ. The army of the Antichrist stands under the invisible headship of the Antichrist who is to come. Until his manifestation it is only animated by his spirit.
In the last time both Christ and the Antichrist will openly clash with their armies, and Christ will slay the Antichrist with the breath of His mouth (2 Thess 2:8).
Since, according to the apostle’s view or foresight, many such antichrists had already appeared in his time, one may conclude that their head too may appear. His army is appearing, so one must expect the leader.
From this we know that it is the last time. Yet of that day and hour no one knows, not even the Angels of heaven, but the heavenly Father alone (Mt 24:36; cf. note).
THEOSIS