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The modern popular view of the Antichrist says, “The antichrist will actually be a person who appears at the beginning of a seven-year period according to Daniel 9:25-27. We call this period the tribulation. The tribulation starts with peace between Israel and its neighbors. ” (from https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/how-can-we-know-who-is-the-antichrist/)

This is not what most Bible-believing followers of Jesus Christ believed until the 20th century! The doctrine of a final 7-year reign of Antichrist in the Endtime was made popular by C.I. Scofield in his Scofield Reference Bible and promoted by the Dallas Theological Seminary. Scofield got this doctrine from John Nelson Darby in the 19th century, and Darby picked it up from Edward Irving who picked it up from Roman Catholic Jesuit priest Manuel de Lacunza’s book of prophecy entitled The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty written in 1790. And Lacunza was influenced by another Jesuit priest, Italian Jesuit scholar, Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) of Rome who helped popularize and propagate the futuristic interpretation of biblical prophecy. Bellarmine got that interpretation from another Jesuit priest, Spanish theologian Francisco Ribera, who, circa 1585, identified the Antichrist with a man, or super-man, who has not yet appeared in history, and who will not appear until near the very end of this age. Notice Ribera taught that approximately 60 some years after the start of the Protestant Reformation? The purpose of the Jesuits is to undo the Protestant Reformation which was fueled by two main doctrines:

1. Salvation by faith in Scripture alone, through grace alone through Christ alone.
2. The popes of Rome, the office of the papacy, is the fulfillment of prophecies about the Antichrist, the man of sin.

And why did Jesuit Francesco Ribera teach that Antichrist would not appear till the very end of the Christian era? To deflect blame away from Rome and the popes as being the Antichrist!

Another Jesuit priest, Alcazar, in 1614, comes out with the view that the prophecies of Antichrist were all fulfilled in the emperors of Rome who persecuted the Christians. And why? For the same reason as Ribera’s: To deflect blame away from Rome and the popes as being the Antichrist! And in spite the fact that Ribera’s and Alcazar’s writings contradict each other, the Pope gives his imprimatur on both of them! An imprimatur is an official approval or license by the Pope to print or publish a document.

Whether you believe that or not, this is what most born-again Bible-believing Christians used to believe! And why do most Christians not see the popes of Rome as Antichrist today? Jesuit infiltration into Protestant denominations! According to former Catholic Priest Peter J. Doeswyck, it only takes one Jesuit to subvert an entire Protestant denomination!

In this Bible class, I will attempt to cover the main prophecies of the Antichrist and show how they were fulfilled throughout history.

Prophecies of Antichrist attacking the Saints

Daniel 7:21  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Daniel 7:25b  …and shall wear out the saints of the most High,

Revelation 13:7a  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:

Fulfillment

Just ask yourself: Why would you think these prophecies are talking only about the final 7 years of end time persecution of the saints, the true Church, the Body of Christ, Christians, even though history tells us the Church has faced persecutions from 2000 years ago stating with the stoning of Stephen the martyr? Persecution continued through the emperors of Rome until Constantine in 313 and was resumed by the Popes of Rome who acted just like the former evil emperors of Rome. Daniel 7:22 shows this persecution will end only with the return of Jesus Christ.

In 1940, French statesman Baron DePonnat stated, “Roman Catholicism was born in blood, has wallowed in blood, and has quenched its thirst in blood, and it is in letters of blood that its true history is written.” Indeed, the history of papal Rome has been one of brutal torture, slaughter, and mass murder. (Source: https://amazingdiscoveries.org/timeline-of-bloody-history-of-papal-rome-oppression-of-protestants#)

The Popes of Rome killed or sought to kill anyone who opposed them, both Christians and non-Christians alike. In this article, I will talk about the papal persecutions of the true Church, Christians, the saints of God.

• 1208 – 1226 The Albigensian Crusades in southern France. Roman Catholic crusaders slaughter approximately 20,000 citizens of Beziers, France, on July 22, 1209. Albigensian Christians and Catholics were slain. By the time the Roman Catholic armies finished their “crusade,” almost the entire population of southern France (mostly Albigensian Christians) has been exterminated. During the six centuries of papal Inquisition that began in the 13th century, up to 50 million people were killed. Read what J. A. Wylie’s The History of Protestantism has to say about the Crusades against the Abigenses.
• 1540 – 1570 Roman Catholic armies butcher at least 900,000 Waldensian Christians of all ages during this 30-year period. More about that on Persecution of the Waldenses in France
• 1550 – 1560 Roman Catholic troops slaughter at least 250,000 Dutch Protestants via torture, hanging, and burning during this ten-year period.
• 1553 – 1558 Roman Catholic Queen Mary I of England (aka “bloody Mary”) attempts to bring England back under the yoke of papal tyranny. During her reign, approximately 200 men and women are burned to death at the sake. Her victims include bishops, scholars, and other Protestant leaders.
• 1572 St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. French Roman Catholic soldiers begin killing Protestants in Paris on the night of August 24, 1572. The soldiers kill at least 10,000 Protestants during the first three days. At least 8000 more Protestants are killed as the slaughter spreads to the countryside.
• 1618 – 1648 The Thirty Years’ War. This bloody, religious war is planned, instigated, and orchestrated by the Roman Catholic Jesuit order and its agents in an attempt to exterminate all the Protestants in Europe. Many countries in central Europe lose up to half their population.
• 1641 – 1649 Eight years of Jesuit-instigated Roman Catholic butchery of Irish Protestants claims the lives of at least 100,000 Protestants.
• 1685 French Roman Catholic soldiers slaughter approximately 500,000 French Protestant Huguenots on the orders of Roman Catholic King Louis 14 of France.
• 1941 – 1945 The Roman Catholic Ustashi in the fascist state of Croatia butcher up to one million Serbian Orthodox Christians. Roman Catholic killer squads are often led by Franciscan priests, monks, and friars. This genocide is choreographed by two Jesuit prelates: Aloysius Stepinac and Ivan Saric.
• 1994 The Rwanda genocide of more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis by Catholic Hutus. The Catholic church admitted complicity!

How the Bible defines Antichrist

1 John 2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1 John 2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 John 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The Apostle John defined antichrist as many people, anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ.

There is only one true Christ! Therefore, anyone who claims to be Christ is denying that Jesus is Christ! This is exactly what the Popes of Rome proclaim themselves to be! They call themselves Christ on earth, the vicar of Christ!

Prophecy of the man of sin

2 Thessalonians 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Many modern evangelicals interpret the “temple of God” in 2 Tessalonians 2:4 as being a rebuilt Temple of Solomon in the Endtime. Is that what the Bible teaches? NO! There is no prophecy in the Bible that the Jewish Temple will ever be rebuilt again! God’s Word teaches us the only Temple of God today is the Church, the Body of Christ, the believers and followers of Jesus Christ!

1 Corinthians 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

2 Corinthians 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

In the light of these Scriptures, the early Protestants and Baptists taught that the man of sin who sits in the Temple of God are the Popes of Rome who claim to be the head of the Church!

Characterists of the Antichrist

Daniel 11:37  Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

The popes of Rome set themselves up higher than than ruler on earth. They don’t marry in spite of the fact the Bible says that Peter, the man they claim apostolic succession from, had a wife. Popes do not ostensibly desire women, but secretly many of them have had women.

Daniel 11:38  But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

The Pope depicts the Creator of Heaven and Earth as a wafer made with flour! This is the god whom his fathers knew not. And not only that, the Pope puts his wafer god in what is called a monstrance which is made of gold and silver and precious stones! How more obvious can the interpretation of Daniel 11:38 be than for it to be fulfilled with the Pope’s wafer god and the monstrance?

Just click on the above picture to enlarge it and you will see the monstrance is made of gold, silver, and has a precious stone.

Notice the monstrance appears to have rays coming out of the center. This is based on sun-worship, one of the religions of pagan Rome.

Revelation 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

If you think the Roman Catholic church doesn’t have power over the nations, think again. My country, the USA, supposedly the most powerful nation on earth, is controlled by the Vatican. POTUS, the majority of the Supreme Court, the heads of the CIA, FBI, and many government agencies are either Catholics or are members of secret societies controlled by Catholics. There’s lots of information from insiders on this website that confirms that.

Daniel 7:25  And he shall speak great words against the most High,

Every time a Pope makes a statement that is contrary to the Word of God in the Bible he is speaking great words against the most High! Examples from Pope Francis:

• Even atheists can go to heaven.
• Mary is not only the bridge joining us to God; she is more. She is the road that God travelled to reach us, and the road that we must travel in order to reach him.
• There are those who believe they can maintain a personal, direct, and immediate relationship with Jesus Christ outside the communion and the mediation of the Church. These are dangerous and harmful temptations.

Need I show from Scripture how wrong these statements are? In the last statement, the “Church” Pope Francis is referring to, is of course his church, the Roman Catholic Church which is an ecclesiastical body, an institution run by priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals and the Pope. This is not the biblical definition of Church which is the Body of Christ on earth, the believers and followers of Jesus Christ.

What the Popes say about themselves

• Cardinal Sarto, who became Pope Pius X (1903-1914): “The Pope represents Jesus Christ Himself.”
• Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303): “Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”
• Pope Leo XIII (1873-1903): Our thoughts went out towards the immense multitude of those who are strangers to the gladness that filled all Catholic hearts: some because they lie in absolute ignorance of the Gospel; others because they dissent from the Catholic belief, though they bear the name of Christians. This thought has been, and is, a source of deep concern to Us; for it is impossible to think of such a large portion of mankind deviating, as it were, from the right path, as they move away from Us, and not experience a sentiment of innermost grief. But since We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires, together with a perfect accord in the one faith, complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself.
• Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) wrote: “For the Pope holdeth place on earth, not simply of a man but of the true God.” (1 Book of Gregory 9 Decret. c. 3)
• Pope Nicholas (858-867) said of himself: “I am in all and above all, so that God Himself and I, the vicar of God, hath both one consistory, and I am able to do almost all that God can do… wherefore, if those things that I do be said not to be done of man, but of God, what do you make of me but God? Again, if prelates of the Church be called of Constantine for gods, I then being above all prelates, seem by this reason to be above all gods. Wherefore, no marvel, if it be in my power to dispense with all things, yea with the precepts of Christ.” (Decret. par. Distinct 96 ch. 7 edit. Lugo 1661)
• Pope Nicholas I (858-867) declared that “the appellation of God had been confirmed by Constantine on the Pope, who being God, cannot be judged by man.” (Labb IX Dist.: 96 Can 7 Satis Evidentur Decret Gratian Primer Para)

We know from the Word of God that the Devil is the god of this world.

Matthew 4:8  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

2 Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan from the very beginning has sought men and women to worship him! Jesus said to the Pharisees:

John 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.

If the god of this world is a god of lust, do you think Satan is patiently waiting to have his last 7-year fling on earth? NO! He’s ruling the world right now! He wants people to worship him right now! Lust cannot wait to get. Satan has been developing his plan for complete conquest of the world through the centuries. If you want to know what Satan’s plans are for the world, just read what the World Economic Forum has planned for you!

People die, but Satan lives on. Satan rules the earth through the most powerful man available until that man dies, and then continues to rule the earth through the most powerful man’s predecessor. When the Lord was talking about the prince of Tyrus, it sounds like He’s talking to Satan himself!

Ezekiel 28:2  Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

The meaning of the word “anti”

The prefix “anti” comes from Greek and has several meanings.

Strong’s Concordance defines it thus:

anti: over against, opposite, hence instead of, in comp. denotes contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence

The Latin word for anti is vicar. When the Pope calls himself the Vicar of Christ, if you use the definition of “instead of” or “substitution”, he’s actually calling himself antichrist! An example of that in history are the “antipopes”. An antipope was not someone who was against popes, he was someone who claimed to be the Pope when someone else was already sitting on the Papal throne!

“An antipope (Latin: antipapa) is a person who makes a significant and substantial attempt to occupy the position of Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church in opposition to the legitimately elected pope.” (Source: Wikipedia)

There have been many antipopes throughout the centuries.

Conclusion

Some say the most powerful man on earth is not really the Pope, it’s the Jesuit Supreme General. But does that really matter? The Bible tells me the Fourth Beast or Kingdom that rules the earth continues to rule it to the very end before it’s destroyed by God. All Bible commentators will tell you the Fourth Beast is the Roman Empire, but how many will say the Fourth Beast continues on to this very day? I think the Bible is very clear that it does. And if it does, that means the head of the Fourth Beast is Rome, not Jerusalem or the Jews / Zionists as some people say. And this is also what the Pope himself wants you to believe! See: What Pope Francis wants to teach you about the Antichrist

Daniel 7:23  Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24  And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
27  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Who is the Final Antichrist?

Some say it’s Pope Francis. Others say it’s the Jesuit Superior General Arturo Sosa Abascal. I say I don’t know though I’m more inclined to think it’s the Jesuit General. But one of the points I want to make in this article is not to waste time trying to guess who the final antichrist will be, but to be aware of what the current antichrists are doing!

To sum up, the points I want to bring out in this article are:

1. A final 7-year only Antichrist is an invention of three Jesuit priests, Lacunza, Bellarmine and Ribera to get your eyes off the Popes of Rome and or the Jesuit Generals as the primary man of sin Satan is currently ruling the world through.
2. Antichrist is anyone who denies Jesus is Christ. He may also be someone who claims to be Christ on earth. Besides the Popes of Rome many others have claimed to be Christ, but the Pope and or the Jesuit Supreme General is arguably more powerful than any of the other antichrists.
3. Evangelical Christians only from the 20th century stopped looking at the Popes of Rome as the fulfillment of the prophecies of the antichrist.
4. Satan, the god of this world, is ruling through the most powerful men on earth. Men die but Satan continues on for now. He was ultimately defeated at the Cross of Christ but continues to spread his lies, false religion, false light, and false ideologies to destroy as many souls as he can. According to a 2022 Gallup poll, a record-low 20% of Americans now say the Bible is the literal Word of God. (Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/394262/fewer-bible-literal-word-god.aspx) It’s no wonder that many terrible things are happening now in the USA.
5. Even though you don’t acknowledge the Pope of Rome as your supreme sovereign on earth, he looks at you as his subject.

If I’m missing something you would like to add, please feel free to tell me in the comment section below. But also know I’m not into debates about this issue. If you’re a Futurist and you think I’ve got it all wrong, please know I stand with the all the men of God who were the leaders of the Protestant Reformation about this subject.