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requirements of the prophecy. The time, times, and dividing of time -- three and a half years or
1260 days -- during which the little horn would "wear out the saints," was understood by many ex-
positors on the year-for-a-day principle; that is, 1260 years. In actual fact, the Papacy did wear out
the saints century after century during the period of history known as the Dark Ages -- during
which over 50 million people were tortured and killed.

The Antichrist in John's Prophecy

Let's turn now to the books of the apostle John, the only Biblical writer who actually uses
the term "Antichrist." Writing at a time when many new doctrines were appearing and the "truth
once delivered to the saints" was rapidly being watered down and corrupted, the burden of John's
message was for Christians to hold fast to the original faith as taught in the beginning --

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard [from Christ]...declare we unto
you....This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you" (1 John 1:1-5).
John speaks of the instruction they "had from the beginning" and the word which they had "heard
from the beginning" (2:7). "Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the begin-
ning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue
in the Son, and in the Father" (2:24); "the message that you heard from the beginning" (3:11). He
mentions "that which we had from the beginning" (2 John 5) and "as you have heard from the be-
ginning, you should walk in it" (verse 6).

The reason that John placed such strong emphasis on that which was taught "at the begin-
ning," was because many had departed from the original faith into false doctrines. These who had
departed he termed "antichrists."

"Little children...you have heard that ANTICHRIST shall come, even now are there many
antichrists....They went out from us..." (1 John 2:18-19).

These "antichrists" -- a type of the Antichrist that was to come -- were not atheists! They
were people who professed to be Christians. Scofield was correct when he said: "'Went out from
us,' that is, doctrinally. Doubtless then, as now, the deniers of the Son still called themselves
Christians" (Scofield, op. cit., p. 1322). Logically, then, if the ones that John used as a type of the
Antichrist to come were professing Christians -- ones who had departed into erroneous doctrines
-- WHY should we look for the Antichrist somewhere outside the realm of professing Christianity?
Even Scofield, in at lest one note, said: "The 'little horn' is an apostate...from Christianity, not Ju-
daism" (ibid., p. 918).

The next "Antichrist" passage is 1 John 2:22-26 --

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is ANTICHRIST, that
denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the
Father....Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that
which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in
the Son and in the Father....These things have I written unto you concerning them that se-
duce you" (1 John 2:22-26).

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