Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the end times.
and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists: These Christians had heard that "antichrist" is coming. They now know that it is the "last hour" because that prophecy has been fulfilled. Who is "antichrist?" Many varying answers have been given by Bible students in every age since John wrote these words. People have called evil men of every generation the "antichrist," and some are still looking for such a person to appear on the scene. Much of this speculation has come as the result of a failure to consider the context. John tells who antichrist is and gives some graphic descriptions of him. Verse 18 indicates that antichrist is already present, just as these readers had "heard." He states that "even now are there many antichrists." Notice John’s description of "antichrist" in verse 22: "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." John identifies him as the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ and, in doing so, denies the Father, also. In verse 26, he continues with his identification of antichrist by saying, "These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you." "Antichrist" is "them," or people, who "seduce" and lead people astray with the false doctrine that Jesus is not the Messiah. MacKnight observes: "When the apostle mentions these false teachers collectively, he calls them the antichrist, in the singular number...but when John speaks of these teachers as individuals, he calls them many antichrists in the plural number" (658). John further identifies "antichrist" in chapter four, verses 1-3: