Questioning Amillennialism

Questioning Amillennialism

One Lutheran Woman's Search For Truth

Back to Part 1 - The Conversion of Israel

Back to Part 2 - The Restoration of Israel and the Earthly Reign of Messiah

Part 3 - Questions about the Antichrist - Already fully fulfilled in the Papacy?

The Lutheran information on the Papacy is the Antichrist is pretty thorough. You can read the Wisconsin synod version of it here: http://www.wels.net/sab/frm-bel.html

The full article at the link includes all mention of antichrist in the Lutheran Confessions. Here are excerpts from the WELS web site:

STATEMENT ON THE ANTICHRIST

As Martin Luther grew in his appreciation of the gospel, he also grew in his recognition that the Papacy is the Antichrist. A 1954 WELS pamphlet entitled Antichrist put it this way: "It was because Luther cherished the Gospel so dearly that his faith instinctively recoiled and protested in unmistakable terms when the Pope put himself in the place of Christ and declared His work insufficient and in vain. That is the use to which Luther’s faith put the prophecy of Scripture. For him the tenet that the Pope is the Antichrist was an article of faith."

In the centuries after Luther’s death, Lutherans accepted this confessional statement without reservation or qualification. In the 1860s, however, doubts about this confessional statement were raised within Lutheranism. They arose from the Iowa Synod, which refused to grant doctrinal status to the teaching that the Papacy is the Antichrist. They listed this teaching under the category of "open questions." The Missouri Synod took the lead, at that time, in defending the view of the Lutheran Confessions that the prophecies of Antichrist have been fulfilled in the Papacy.

The Iowa Synod, however, in a 1904 document continued to teach the view that it is a "human application" of the teaching of Scripture to declare the Papacy to be the Antichrist. The Iowa Synod became part of the American Lutheran Church, and its teaching on the Antichrist persisted in the new union. Since 1930 the ALC taught that it is only a "historical judgment" that the Papacy is the Antichrist. In 1938 this view was officially sanctioned in the ALC "Sandusky Declaration." It stated:

. . . we accept the historical judgment of Luther in the Smalcald Articles . . . that the Pope is the Antichrist . . . because among all the antichristian manifestations in the history of the world and the Church that lie behind us in the past there is none that fits the description given in 2 Thess. 2 better than the Papacy . . .

The answer to the question whether in the future that is still before us, prior to the return of Christ, a special unfolding and a personal concentration of the antichristian power already present now, and thus a still more comprehensive fulfillment of 2 Thess. 2 may occur, we leave to the Lord and Ruler of Church and world history (VI, B, 1).

In its "Brief Statement" of 1932 the Missouri Synod repudiated the teaching that the identification of the Papacy as the Antichrist is only a historical judgment. It declared, "The prophecies of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Antichrist . . . have been fulfilled in the Pope of Rome and his dominion." It subscribed "to the statement of our Confessions that the Pope is ‘the very Antichrist.’" It declared that the doctrine of Antichrist is "not to be included in the number of open questions" (43, 44).

As time went on, however, the Missouri Synod began to retreat from its previous position. In 1951, the Report of the Advisory Committee on Doctrine and Practice of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod stated:

Scripture does not teach that the Pope is the Antichrist. It teaches that there will be an Antichrist (prophecy). We identify the Antichrist as the Papacy. This is an historical judgment based on Scripture. The early Christians could not have identified the Antichrist as we do. If there were a clearly expressed teaching of Scripture, they must have been able to do so. Therefore the quotation from Lehre und Wehre [in 1904 by Dr. Stoeckhardt which identifies the Papacy as Antichrist] goes too far.

In conclusion, we quote a statement from an essay written in 1957 which puts this doctrine into proper perspective:

This teaching that the Papacy is the Antichrist is not a fundamental article of faith. . . . It is not an article on which saving faith rests, with which Christianity stands or falls. We cannot and do not deny the Christianity of a person who cannot see the truth that the Pope is the Antichrist.

Yet it is an important article and should not be side-stepped or slighted. It is clearly revealed in the divine word, and there is nothing needless and useless in the Bible; God wants us to know about the Antichrist. . . . This article is clearly expressed in the Lutheran Confessions; whoever denies it does not stand in one faith with his fathers; he is not a confessional Lutheran. A Lutheran preacher should know, believe, and teach this article or frankly confess that he no longer subscribes to the Confessions of the Lutheran Church. If we value the saving doctrine of the vicarious atonement through the blood of Jesus Christ, the God-man, in these latter days of the world, we shall do well to keep the facts concerning the Antichrist well in mind ("The Scriptural Doctrine of the Antichrist," Our Great Heritage, Vol. 3, pp. 601,602).

We reject the idea that the teaching that the Papacy is the Antichrist rests on a merely human interpretation of history or is an open question. We hold rather that this teaching rests on the revelation of God in Scripture which finds its fulfillment in history. The Holy Spirit reveals this fulfillment to the eyes of faith (cf. The Abiding Word, Vol. 2, p. 764). Since Scripture teaches that the Antichrist would be revealed and gives the marks by which the Antichrist is to be recognized (2 Th 2:6,8), and since this prophecy has been clearly fulfilled in the history and development of the Roman Papacy, it is Scripture which reveals that the Papacy is the Antichrist.

The information above and on the link boils down to "The papacy is the antichrist." The web site also gives this summary:

We reject the teaching that Christians should look for one individual to arise in the end times as the great Antichrist. The characteristics of the Antichrist as presented in Scripture have been and are being fulfilled in the institution of the papacy (2 Thessalonians 2:4-10). We reject the opinion that the identification of the papacy with the Antichrist was merely a historical judgment valid only at the time of the Reformation.

I am surely not going to deny that much about the Catholic church and the papacy fits the description of some of the antichrist prophecies. I also think it’s possible that a future Pope might fulfill all of them. However, this seems to be going too far. The statement from the Iowa synod actually seems much more balanced. How can we say with certainty that the Papacy completely fulfills ALL the prophecies? To me, reading those, there seem to be prophecies of the antichrist that the Papacy DOESN’T fulfill, at least not yet.

For example, something that Jesus said seems to be a big problem with being so dogmatic about the Pope being the antichrist:

Jhn 5:43 "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

The Jews rejected Jesus as being their long-awaited Messiah. This verse is stating that another will come that they WILL accept. Throughout its long history, no one from the Roman Catholic church has EVER been accepted by the Jews as their Messiah. That doesn’t mean it still couldn’t happen, but if you recall our Lutheran doctrine, we are not to look for a future individual. You could write a book on that subject alone, but I’ll leave it at that.

I also have questions with the very verses that Lutherans claim as being definitive of the Pope being the antichrist:

2Th 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
2Th 2:2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
2Th 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
2Th 2:5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things ?
2Th 2:6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
2Th 2:9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
2Th 2:11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
2Th 2:12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

As I’ve been saying, I think God says what He means and means what He says. I don’t think He says the man when he means the men. Or the son when he means the sons. That lawless one and the one whose coming…are also references to a singular person, not a series of people. All through the Bible (because this is just one section of many), the verses about THE Antichrist ALL speak of A guy, one man. The only exception is when it speaks of the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth (the false prophet) in Revelation. The "spirit of antichrist" is different, and the Bible says in that regard that "many antichrists have gone out into the world."

This reference is also confusing to me if this is supposed to be the Pope: who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. For one thing, this was written before the destruction of the Temple. The Thessalonian readers are going to think Paul means THE TEMPLE – the one on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. That would also be consistent with other scripture as well. (Remember the Abomination of Desolation verses?) And what about this "being God" thing? In a sense, by saying that he is infallible and by denying that Christ’s work on the cross was enough, he is kind of "being God." But, in that case, a host of other people would also fill the bill. This Antichrist fellow seems to be actually CALLING himself God and being blatant about it. That makes sense, too. Would Satan stop at anything short of outright worship of himself as God? No Pope has ever said he was literally GOD.

The antichrist is the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders. The Jews should have recognized Jesus because of his many miracles that he did. When Antichrist comes, Satan is going to make him seem like he HAS to be the Messiah. He’s going to pull out all the supernatural stops. This guy is going to be amazing in what he can do. The whole world will wonder after the beast! (Rev. 13) Think about it. Would Satan do any less than that? He’s going to have "signs" all over the place. Now, I’m sure there’s been more than one miracle attributed to the various Popes, but you can’t say that ANY of them had all power and signs and false wonders. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen with a future Pope, but it hasn’t happened yet. Look what Jesus had to say:

Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Jesus isn’t even talking about THE antichrist. He’s talking about men (plural) who show such convincing signs that all but the very elect are deceived.

Here are some other "antichrist" verses:

Dan 8:8 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly . But as soon as he was mighty , the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
Dan 8:9 Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.
Dan 8:10 It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down.
Dan 8:11 It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down.
Dan 8:12 And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper .
Dan 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, "How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled ?"
Dan 8:14 He said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored."

This was "sort of" fulfilled in history through the atrocities of Antiochus Epiphanes. (He was the one who did that Abomination of Desolation thing in 165 BC.) However, you can tell that he didn’t completely fulfill this. Yes, he removed the regular sacrifice, but can we say that he grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down? That sounds more like Satan. Also, what about this: For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored. According to the historical Book of Maccabees (that’s the Jewish book that was written about this exact event & includes the history of the beginning of Hannukah – where oil good for one day actually burned for eight), the Temple was cleansed exactly 1,080 days after its desecration. So, if you take this for just what it says, this is looking toward an even greater fulfillment – the one Jesus was talking about in Matthew 24:15: when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel and that I talked about already.

The Bible is full of "types" of the antichrist, just like it is full of "types" of Christ. The very first was Nimrod, known as the Hunter, who was "king" at the time of the Tower of Babel.

Gen 10:8 Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became, a mighty one on the earth.
Gen 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD."
Gen 10:10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh , in the land of Shinar.

Gen 11:2 It came about as they journeyed east , that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
Gen 11:3 They said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar .
Gen 11:4 They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city , and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."

The land of Shinar was where Babylon would come to be. It’s been said that the roots of all false religions can be traced back to Nimrod and/or Babylon. For example, the Masons think very highly of Nimrod. This is from one of their web sites:

The legend of Nimrod

The universal sentiment of the Freemasons of the present day is to confer upon Solomon, the King of Israel, the honor of being their first Grand Master. But the legend of the Craft had long before, though there was a tradition of the Temple in existence, given, at least by suggestion, that title to Nimrod, the King of Babylonia and Assyria. It had credited the first organization of the fraternity of craftsmen to him, in saying that he gave a charge to the workmen whom he sent to assist the King of Nineveh in building his cities.

Much might be said of the noble art,

A craft that's worth esteeming in each part,

Sundry nations' nobles and their kings also -

Oh, how they sought its worth to know !

Nimrod, and Solomon the wisest of men,

Reason saw to love this science then.

I'll say no more, lest by my shallow verses I,

Endeavouring to praise, should blemish Masonrie.

Verse composed c.1600 by an unknown Yorkshire brother

There are many, many legends of Nimrod. A common theme of them is that he thought himself a god. His building project in the land of Shinar was the first "national" stand against God recorded in the Bible. (God had commanded men to "spread out" after the flood) After Nimrod came Pharoah, another "god." The plagues brought against Pharoah were a "type" of Tribulation. After Pharoah is "The Assyrian," mentioned by many of the prophets. The Assyrian empire covered that whole Middle Eastern territory. The Assyrian king was a real guy from history, but the Bible also seems to connect him to the end judgment.

Isa 14:24 The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, "Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand,
Isa 14:25 to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder.
Isa 14:26 "This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations.

Next is the "King of Babylon" and especially Nebuchadnezzar. There are many, many echoes of antichrist in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, but the Bible also hooks "The King of Babylon" to antichrist/Satan, as in Isaiah 14:

Isa 14:1 When the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.
Isa 14:2 The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the LORD as male servants and female servants ; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors.
Isa 14:3 And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved,
Isa 14:4 that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased , And how fury has ceased !
Isa 14:5 "The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of rulers
Isa 14:6 Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution. (Tribulation – see how this is equating "king of Babylon" with the antichrist?)
Isa 14:7 "The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; They break forth into shouts of joy. (After Tribulation)
Isa 14:8 "Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, 'Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.'
Isa 14:9 "Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.
Isa 14:10 "They will all respond and say to you, 'Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us.
Isa 14:11 'Your pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you And worms are your covering.'
Isa 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn ! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!
Isa 14:13 "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.
Isa 14:14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High .' Calling himself God.
Isa 14:15 "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit .
Isa 14:16 "Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,
Isa 14:17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities , Who did not allow his prisoners to go home ?'

God sees all the rulers of the world empires as "beasts." You can see that most clearly in Daniel. There, several antichrist "types" are shown in rapid succession. After Babylon comes Persia, then Greece and finally Rome, which took "king as God" to a fine art with its Caesar worship.

The following is long, but informative:

Dan 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it.
Dan 7:2 Daniel said , "I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
Dan 7:3 "And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. The Bible consistently contrasts the "sea" – Gentile nations, with the "land" – Israel.
Dan 7:4 "The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. (Babylon)
Dan 7:5 "And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, 'Arise, devour much meat !' (The Medes & Persians)
Dan 7:6 "After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. (Alexander the Great – Greece, and his four generals who split the kingdom upon Alexander’s death)
Dan 7:7 "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. (Rome) It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
Dan 7:8 "While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.
Dan 7:9 "I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire.
Dan 7:10 "A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened.
Dan 7:11 "Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire.
Dan 7:12 "As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.

Just a quick thought here. Please note that AFTER the "beast" that was making "great boasts" (obviously antichrist) is thrown into the fire, there is still a period of time where there are nations.
Dan 7:13 "I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.
Dan 7:14 "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.
Dan 7:15 "As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.
Dan 7:16 "I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:
Dan 7:17 'These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.
Dan 7:18 'But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.'
Dan 7:19 "Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet,
Dan 7:20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and which was larger in appearance than its associates.
Dan 7:21 "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them
Dan 7:22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.
Dan 7:23 "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.
Dan 7:24 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.
Dan 7:25 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.
Dan 7:26 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.
Dan 7:27 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.'
Dan 7:28 "At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself."

Do you see the common denominator of all these antichrist "types?" Every one of them are rulers of "world" kingdoms, and they are all military leaders. The Popes have gained land through deceit. They have also persuaded "kings" to do things their way or get excommunicated, but they have never been seen as the ruler of a world empire. That is not to say that they haven’t had influence over millions of people. They may have "sort of" been military leaders during the Crusades, but they haven’t been anything like that for centuries. Yet, you can see that that is one of the main features of the antichrist, just as it says in Revelation:

Rev 6:1 Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come."
Rev 6:2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

Some of the Lutheran commentaries say that this is Jesus, but if that’s true, he’s certainly riding in bad company, when you look at the rest of the horses.

Here are some more "antichrist" verses:

Dan 8:19 He said, "Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.
Dan 8:20 "The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.
Dan 8:21 "The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Dan 8:22 "The broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power .
Dan 8:23 "In the latter period of their rule, When the transgressors have run their course, A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue.
Dan 8:24 "His power will be mighty , but not by his own power , And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people .
Dan 8:25 "And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, And he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency.
Dan 8:26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future."

Dan 11:21 "In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue.

Dan 11:31 "Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
Dan 11:32 "By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action .

Dan 11:36 "Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done .
Dan 11:37 "He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all.
Dan 11:38 "But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures .

Dan 11:39 "He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.

The Popes have done lots of things, certainly under the influence of Satan, but so far at least, they haven’t openly introduced a new God. Nor have they ever openly spoken monstrous blasphemies against God. Granted, they have said that the work of the cross was not enough, but so have lots of other people. This verses seem to be referring to open, blatant blasphemy.

Dan 11:41 "He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom , Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. (Nor has this happened yet)
Dan 11:42 "Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape.
Dan 11:43 "But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels.
Dan 11:44 "But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many .
Dan 11:45 "He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

Isa 27:1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that [is] in the sea.

Rev 13:1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
Rev 13:3 I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; (Much as he would probably like to, the Pope doesn’t have this yet)
Rev 13:4 they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" This is obviously not fulfilled in the Popes.
Rev 13:5 There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. (The Popes would not have been Popes very long if they had done this)
Rev 13:7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. The pope doesn’t have this yet.
Rev 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
Rev 13:9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.
Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
Rev 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
Rev 13:15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Rev 13:16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
Rev 13:17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six .

Personally, I can't read these verses and come to the conclusion that they have been fully fulfilled in the Papacy. Taken together with many, many other passages in scripture, you’d have to allegorize whole segments of the Bible in order to make it fit. There is a place in scripture where the Papacy does seem to fit, however – the great harlot, the woman who rides the beast:

Rev 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
Rev 17:2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality."
Rev 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,
Rev 17:5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly .
Rev 17:7 And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder ? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
Rev 17:8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come .
Rev 17:9 "Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, Rome has often been identified as the city of seven hills.
Rev 17:10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.
Rev 17:11 "The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
Rev 17:12 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
Rev 17:13 "These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
Rev 17:14 "These will wage war against the Lamb , and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."
Rev 17:15 And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
Rev 17:16 "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
Rev 17:17 "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.
Rev 17:18 "The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."

Rev 18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.
Rev 18:2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great ! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.
Rev 18:3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."
Rev 18:4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;
Rev 18:5 for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6 "Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.
Rev 18:7 "To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'
Rev 18:8 "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.
Rev 18:9 "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning,

Rev 18:15 "The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
Rev 18:16 saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls;
Rev 18:17 for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste !' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance,
Rev 18:18 and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city ?'
Rev 18:19 "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste !'
Rev 18:20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her."
Rev 18:21 Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.
Rev 18:22 "And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer;
Rev 18:23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.
Rev 18:24 "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."

The beast and the woman/harlot are not symbols for the same thing. You can see that here: And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. Yet, it is certainly the beast who is the antichrist. I surely don’t know how all this will come together in the end. It will be interesting to see. Could a future Pope actually fill the role? I don’t know. This verse here doesn’t fit that idea, but there is likely more to this than we can understand right now. All I can say for sure is that throughout its history, the Papacy hasn’t fulfilled ALL of these scriptures, not if you take them for just what they say.

Here is an interesting list someone put together on the Antichrist:

- Ruler during the tribulation who controls the entire world ( dan 7:2-7; 24-27; 8:4; 11:36; rev 13:1-18; 17:11-17)

- An incredibly wicked person, a "man of lawlessness" and sin (dan 9:27; 2 thes 2:3; rev 13:12)

- Described as a beast (rev 13:1-18; 17:3,8,16; 19:19-20; 20:10)
- Will set up an image of himself in the temple and will demand worship (dan 7:8,25; 11:31,36; mt 24:15: 2 thes 2:3-4; rev 13:4,8,12,14-15; 14:9; 16:2)

- Will exercise miracles through the power of satan (mt 24:24; 2 thes 2:9-10; rev 13:3, 12-14; 16:14; 17:8)

- Will have ability to deceive the nations (1 thes 2:9-10; rev 20:3)

- Will be assisted by the false prophet ( the beast of the earth) (rev 13:11-17; 16:13; 19:20; 20:10)

- Will kill the two witnesses who proclaim the gospel (rev 11:7-10)

- Will attempt to kill all who do not have the mark of the beast (rev 6:9; 13:15-17; 14:12-13)

- Will eventually destroy the religious system with which he was aligned (rev 17:16-17)

- Will be defeated by Christ when Christ returns to earth to establish His kingdom (2 thes 2:8; rev 16:16; 19:15-21)

Circumstantial Evidence for THE Antichrist being more than the Papacy

Again, Biblical evidence is all that is needed, but there are some extra-biblical things to consider. Even they are based on scripture, though. Consider some of the things that you read: the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast and they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" In Rev. 13:7, it says authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him and in 13:8, All who dwell on the earth will worship him. There are also these verses:

Rev 13:16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
Rev 13:17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

These verses make it clear to me that the Antichrist will be seen as the "Messiah" for the whole world – everyone – not just Catholics, not just "Christians." And that is exactly what is unfolding all around us, actually. It’s not just the Jews who are waiting for "Messiah." Nearly every religion is, including Islam. This isn’t the place to go into all that in any depth, but I’ve read extensively on that subject. I have books upon books that document the move towards a world government and a world religion. It’s called "The Plan" by some people, including Mikhail Gorbachev. Here is just one of literally hundreds of thousands of articles on that subject:

http://www.shareintl.org/maitreya/Ma_main.htm

A quote from that web site:

He has been expected for generations by all of the major religions. Christians know him as the Christ, and expect his imminent return. Jews await him as the Messiah; Hindus look for the coming of Krishna; Buddhists expect him as Maitreya Buddha; and Muslims anticipate the Imam Mahdi or Messiah.

Here is another one, written by a secular Jew:

'THE PLAN' AS PUBLISHED BY NEW AGE

Consider reading that whole article. It's on a Christian web site, but the man who wrote it is not Christian. There are thousands more sites. Just type in "World Messiah" or "Cosmic Christ" or "Maitreya" into a search engine. The point is not whether it is true, but if the people who say these things THINK it is true.

More and more of the deceived world is looking for a Messiah – a world leader – a planetary savior – the return of the christ consciousness. To this point, none of the Popes have filled that role.

Here are some writings from church fathers. You can tell that they interpreted the scriptures about the Antichrist literally. They expected AN individual who would perform signs and wonders. They expected him to go into an actual temple in earthly Jerusalem. And, in the case of Irenaeus and Hippolytus, they specifically expected him to be in power for 3-1/2 years, not several centuries.

Didache: (1st Century)
For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increaseth, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning [Didache, XVI]

Irenaeus (AD120-202)
"In a still clearer light has John, in the Apocalypse, indicated to the Lord’s disciples what shall happen in the last times, and concerning [/b]the ten kings who shall then arise,[/b] among whom the empire which now rules [the earth] shall be partitioned. ... And they shall lay Babylon waste, and burn her with fire, and shall give their kingdom to the beast, and put the Church to flight. After that they shall be destroyed by the coming of our Lord." [Against Heresies, Book V, XXVI]

"This he does, in order that they who do [now] worship the devil by means of many abominations, may serve himself by this one idol, of whom the apostle thus speaks in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians: "Unless there shall come a failing away first, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself as if he were God." The apostle therefore clearly points out his apostasy, and that he is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped — that is, above every idol — for these are indeed so called by men, but are not [really] gods; and that he will endeavor in a tyrannical manner to set himself forth as God. Moreover, he (the apostle) has also pointed out this which I have shown in many ways, that the temple in Jerusalem was made by the direction of the true God. For the apostle himself, speaking in his own person, distinctly called it the temple of God. Now I have shown in the third book, that no one is termed God by the apostles when speaking for themselves, except Him who truly is God, the Father of our Lord, by whose directions the temple which is at Jerusalem was constructed for those purposes which I have already mentioned; in which [temple] the enemy shall sit, endeavoring to show himself as Christ, as the Lord also declares: "But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, which has been spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand), then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains; and he who is upon the house-top, let him not come down to take anything out of his house: for there shall then be great hardship, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be."" [Against Heresies, Book V, XXV,1&2]

"This is also the unjust judge, whom the Lord mentioned as one "who feared not God, neither regarded man," to whom the widow fled in her forgetfulness of God, — that is, the earthly Jerusalem, — to be avenged of her adversary. Which also he shall do in the time of his kingdom: he shall remove his kingdom into that city, and shall sit in the temple of God, leading astray those who worship him, as if he were Christ. To this purpose Daniel says again : "And he shall desolate the holy place; and sin has been given for a sacrifice, and righteousness been cast away in the earth, and he has been active (fecit), and gone on prosperously." ... And then he points out the time that his tyranny shall last, during which the saints shall be put to flight, they who offer a pure sacrifice unto God: And in the midst of the week, he says, the sacrifice and the libation shall be taken away, and the abomination of desolation shall be brought into the temple: even unto the consummation of the time shall the desolation be complete. Now three years and six months constitute the half-week." [Against Heresies, Book V, XXV, 2]

"But when this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day; and restoring to Abraham the promised inheritance, in which kingdom the Lord declared, that "many coming from the east and from the west should sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."" [Against Heresies, V, XXX, 4]

Hippolytus: (AD. 170-236)
"As these things, then, are in the future, and as the ten toes of the image are equivalent to (so many) democracies, and the ten horns of the fourth beast are distributed over ten kingdoms, let us look at the subject a little more closely, and consider these matters as in the clear light of a personal survey. The golden head of the image and the lioness denoted the Babylonians; the shoulders and arms of silver, and the bear, represented the Persians and Medes; the belly and thighs of brass, and the leopard, meant the Greeks, who held the sovereignty from Alexander’s time; the legs of iron, and the beast dreadful and terrible, expressed the Romans, who hold the sovereignty at present; the toes of the feet which were part clay and part iron, and the ten horns, were emblems of the kingdoms that are yet to rise; the other little horn that grows up among them meant the Antichrist in their midst; the stone that smites the earth and brings judgment upon the world was Christ." [Treatise on Christ and Antichrist, 27,28]

"When the times are fulfilled, and the ten horns spring from the beast in the last (times), then Antichrist will appear among them. When he makes war against the saints, and persecutes them, then may we expect the manifestation of the Lord from heaven." [Hippolytus, On Daniel, II, 7]

"For when the threescore and two weeks are fulfilled, and Christ is come, and the Gospel is preached in every place, the times being then accomplished, there will remain only one week, the last, in which Elias will appear, and Enoch, and in the midst of it the abomination of desolation will be manifested, viz., Antichrist, announcing desolation to the world...." [Hippolytus, On Daniel, II, 22]

"Thus, then, does the prophet set forth these things concerning the Antichrist, who shall be shameless, a war-maker, and despot, who, exalting himself above all kings and above every God, shall build the city of Jerusalem, and restore the sanctuary. Him the impious will worship as God, and will bend to him the knee, thinking him to be the Christ. He shall cut off the two witnesses and forerunners of Christ, who proclaim His glorious kingdom from heaven, as it is said: "And I will give (power) unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days,[ clothed in sackcloth." As also it was announced to Daniel: "And one week shall confirm a covenant with many; and in the midst of the week it shall be that the sacrifice and oblation shall be removed" — that the one week might be shown to be divided into two. The two witnesses, then, shall preach three years and a half; and Antichrist shall make war upon the saints during the rest of the week, and desolate the world, that what is written may be fulfilled: "And they shall make the abomination of desolation for a thousand two hundred and ninety days." [Hippolytus, On Daniel, II, 39]

If you had to pick an individual from recent history that fit the bill as a type of Antichrist, who leaps to mind? Someone who hated both Jews and true Christians? Does Hitler come to mind? Thanks to him, 1/3 of the world’s Jews were killed (2/3 will die in the real Tribulation). To me, Hitler seems a better "type" than any current Pope.

The war for world domination will be fought entirely between us and the Jews. All else is façade and illusion.

Adolf Hitler

Hitler replaced the Lord’s Prayer with this "prayer":

Adolf Hitler, you are our great leader! Thy name makes the enemy tremble! Thy Reich comes, thy will alone is law upon the earth! Let us hear daily thy voice and order us by thy leadership, for we will obey to the end even with our lives! We praise thee! Heil, Hitler!

And this was table "grace":

Fuhrer, my Fuhrer, sent to me from God, protect and maintain me throughout my life. Thou has saved Germany from the deepest need, I thank thee today for my daily bread. Remain at my side and never leave me, Fuhrer, my Fuhrer, my faith, my light. Heil mein Fuhrer! Heil mein Fuhrer!

I think it’s important to recognize these "types." God declares in the Bible that that is one way He teaches us:

Hsa 12:10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.

Rom 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Many Jewish commentators believe that their history is actually a spiral, going upwards, repeating and repeating, getting a little worse each time, until the final drama unfolds in its completeness. It’s interesting in that regard, how many similar events all happened on the same day. For example, both the first and second Temples were destroyed on the 9^th of Av. Every major Jewish expulsion has also happened on the 9^th of Av. For that reason, it’s very hard for me to understand the mindset of preterism (that’s the idea that all prophecy has been fulfilled, including Revelation, mostly during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD). Just because something happened that fulfilled part of a prophecy is no reason to discount a future, complete fulfillment.

The Sages tell us to study history carefully. For what happened to our forebears is bound to happen again to us.

Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (Nachmanides), 12^th Century Commentary on the Torah

Solomon said the same thing earlier:

Ecc 1:9 That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.

There are so many things that the Papacy has NOT fulfilled. To me, it seems like I either have to ignore or allegorize scripture in order for the doctrine of "The Pope is the antichrist" to be true. I believe that the Bible teaches that a "Messiah" is coming that the world will accept, but who comes from Satan himself. While there have been "types" in the past, the full fulfillment is yet to come.

Continue to Part 4 - The Tribulation - A specific time period?

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Back to Part 1 - Conversion of the Jews

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