There were those in Old Testament days who anticipated and experienced the coming of the Christ. Certainly Moses felt, in an extraordinary, practical way, the action of Christ when his flesh turned from health to leprosy and then back to health (see Exodus 4:6, 7). Elijah was transformed by the Christ when his fleshly body disappeared and then he later reappeared as spiritual on the mount of transfiguration (see II Kings, chap. 2; and Matthew, chap. 17).
Jesus insisted that the Christ existed long before his human selfhood. He said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Jesus was helping us understand that the Christly individuality, or spiritual sonship, is timeless. And he saw man’s unending relationship to God as true about every individual. Certainly he saw it expressed when he visited with Elijah. And he promised, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). Yes, the Christ is “the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). The Christ has always been coming—always coming to light in human consciousness.
And of course, in New Testament days, many began to see and acknowledge irrefutable and tangible evidence of Christ’s coming. But the Bible also refers to a supposed opposition to the appearing of God’s practical, saving truth—an opposition which the Bible terms antichrist. The antichrist is not a real power or mind but is a baseless claim that the Christ brings no real and consistent healing effect to the flesh. It would say, “What? You’re praying? You can’t just pray! You’ve got to do something!” It insists the Christ is just a type of religious theory, not making an actual difference to the flesh. But Jesus’ actions—in fact, his very life—were powerful evidence that the Christ comes to light in human experience and casts out error—wiping away material limitations and discordant conditions.
