In Yochanan's first epistle we are told that there is an antichrist to come and is even now in the world as we speak. This word in the Greek is antichristos. The word 'anti' is a word that has several meanings but has come to be understood in our culture as something that opposes or is the opposite of. However, that is not the biblical use of this word as it pertains to this entity that supposedly 'opposes' the Messiah. The word also means 'instead of' or 'because of', as well. The word comes from the Hebrew word tachat.

In the Tanakh the equivilent phrase for 'antichrist' is Mashiach tachat, or the anti-Messiah. The word tachat means instead of or under. As we have proven so many times, the first occurrence of a word sets the pattern for it's physical and symbolic meaning throughout the rest of scripture. One of the first occurrences is in B'reshiyt 2:21:

"And YHVH 'Elohiym caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof."

YHVH replaces the gap left from removing the rib for Chavah with his flesh. Another appropriate definition of this word is found in B'reshiyt 4:25:

"And Adam knew his wife again; and she bore a son, and called his name Seth. For 'Elohiym hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."

The word acher, or another, further defines the meaning of tachat here. The idea is that Seth replaced Abel. The other definition of under is also seen in our concept of an understudy. This is one who stands ready to take the place of a lead actor in a play. It is important to see this subtle difference between the idea of being the opposite of the Messiah and setting himself up to be like the Messiah or to replace the Messiah. This is the nature of hasatan from the beginning (Yesha'yahu 14:14). The consistent warning and testimony from scripture is that the true Messiah will have the testimony of His Father and will be a prophet like unto Mosheh. However, the followers of the 'antichrist' will be identified by the fact that they worship a 'christ' but they are lawless (2Thessalonians 3:6 cp Mattityahu 7:23). Yeshua makes another subtle comment about this Mashiach tachat in His so-called Olivet discourse in Mattityahu 24:4-5. Here, Yeshua comments that many shall come in His name and will confess that He is christ (speaking of Himself) but will deceive many. These people will confess that 'Jesus is the christ' but they are deceiving many for they are lawless (Torahless) because their so-called christ is lawless. Yeshua is not speaking here of people who claim to be the Messiah, but rather those who claim that Jesus is the christ. This anti-Messiah spirit, according to Yochanan, was already in the world. It might be worth considering that if you belong to a religious system that denies the laws of the God of Israel, that perhaps you are denying the Son as well. The Messiah was sinless, for sin is transgression of Torah, and Messiah kept Torah. It is this same Messiah who said:

Mattityahu 16:24
"Then said Yeshua unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me."

That is one thing that the antichrist will not do.

Shalom Alecheim!