The antichrist is not merely one individual person or entity, for the Bible says that there are “many antichrists.” (1 John 2:​18) Rather, the term “antichrist,” which comes from a Greek word meaning “against (or instead of) Christ,” refers to anyone who does the following:

Denies that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) or denies that he is the Son of God.​—1 John 2:​22. Opposes the Christ, God’s Anointed One.​—Psalm 2:​1, 2; Luke 11:23. Pretends to be the Christ.​—Matthew 24:24. Persecutes the followers of Christ, since Jesus views what is done to them as being done to him.​—Acts 9:5. Falsely claims to be a Christian while practicing lawlessness or deception.​—Matthew 7:​22, 23; 2 Corinthians 11:13.

Besides speaking of individuals who take such actions as being antichrists, the Bible also refers to them collectively as “the antichrist.” (2 John 7)** The antichrist first appeared in the time of the apostles and has been active ever since. **Bible prophecy foretold just such a development.​—1 John 4:3.

How to identify antichrists They say that Jesus is their Lord, but they do not obey his commands