Christs, False

Christs, False (ψευδόχριστοι, Mr 13:22). No fewer than twenty-four different persons have appearance making pretensions to be the Christ. In the maintenance of their claims to the Messiahship there has been a great expenditure of blood and treasure. They have appeared at different times, from an early date in the second century till 1682. The first was called Caziba, or Barcocheba (q.v.); and the Jews admit that, in the defense of this false Messiah, they lost between five and six hundred thousand souls. The last that gained any considerable number of converts was Mordecai, a Jew, of Germany, who lived in 1682. Our Lord warned his followers that such else Christs should make their appearance (Mt 20:24). SEE ANTICHRIST.

⇒See also the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.