By Greg Bentley of Berean Beacon.

Few passages in Scripture draw such a sharp dividing line in prophetic interpretation as Daniel 9:24–27. The implications of this prophecy are enormous: who is the “he” that confirms the covenant? Is it Jesus Christ, as affirmed by nearly 18 centuries of faithful biblical interpretation? Or is it a future Antichrist, as declared by the Jesuits and echoed by modern dispensationalists?

The answer to that question determines how we view the papacy, the cross, and the end times. It’s no coincidence that the recent appointment of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—now Pope Leo XIV—comes at a time of renewed confusion in the Church. While prophecy teachers fixate on Jerusalem, a new man of sin has ascended in Rome.
 

A Misplaced Prophetic Focus

For centuries, Protestant Reformers unanimously testified that the papal office is the Antichrist foretold in Scripture. Daniel 9:27, they rightly said, pointed to Christ, not a future villain. He alone confirmed the New Covenant by His blood, and in the midst of the week, caused sacrifice to cease (Hebrews 10:9-10).

But Jesuit Francisco Ribera (1585) re-engineered prophecy to deflect attention from Rome. By inserting an ever expanding gap between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel, he planted the seeds of futurism. Today the gap is spreading past 2025 years. This is quite the contrast because  faithful Bible believers and scholars knew the 70 week prophecy was a 490 year period. This deception grew through Darby, Scofield, and now permeates modern evangelicalism—leading countless souls to ignore the present Antichrist system seated on the throne of Rome.

The Rise of Leo XIV: A New “Man of Sin”

Upon the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, the College of Cardinals elected Robert Francis Prevost as his successor, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. His election was heralded with religious ceremony—but it began not with the worship of Christ, but with a public prayer to Mary, the so-called Roman Catholic “Queen of Heaven”, invoking a name used by ancient idolaters condemned in Jeremiah 44.

This is no surprise to those who understand the nature of the office he occupies. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, the Antichrist sits “in the temple of God,” claiming divine authority. The pope sits in the heart of Christendom, masquerading as Christ’s vicar, yet directing worship and obedience to himself and false gods!

A Legacy of Abuse and Deception

More grievous still is the Roman Church’s continuing cover-up of rampant child trafficking and sexual abuse. Instead of confronting wickedness, Leo XIV has chosen to turn a blind eye—like his predecessors. Since the 1990s, when survivors first began to step forward, a pattern has emerged: denial, obfuscation, payoffs, and quiet transfers of predator priests.

Pope Leo has made no commitment to transparency, and his first public message signaled nothing of justice or repentance. Instead, it maintained the status quo—a policy of silence and symbolic gestures.

The secular watchdog group SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) responded to Leo XIV’s appointment with public concern and condemnation, stating:

“We are disheartened but not surprised. The Vatican’s track record has shown that popes are chosen not for reform but for continuity. The survivors of abuse remain unheard, and the children remain unprotected.”

The public outcry is telling, and the fruit is undeniable. Immorality, secrecy, idolatry, and blasphemy all mark this seat. Truly, the signs are evident that this man fulfills the role of the biblical Antichrist.

Those Who Follow Rome’s Doctrinal Guile

When professing Christians follow after Rome’s false doctrines, they forsake the identity of the Church as “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Rather than uphold truth, they cast it to the ground—trampling underfoot the authority of Scripture, the sufficiency of Christ, and the integrity of the Church.

When the Church aligns with Rome’s pageantry, ecumenism, or prophetic interpretations, it surrenders its prophetic voice. To remain silent in the face of such open rebellion is not neutrality—it is apostasy.

A Call to the Remnant

We at the Berean Beacon affirm the testimony of the Reformers:

Martin Luther – “We are of the conviction that the papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist.”
John Knox – “The Pope is that man of sin and son of perdition.”
John Calvin – “Popery is nothing else than a monstrous empire… a kingdom of abomination.”

Dear reader, do not be deceived. The Antichrist is not coming—he is here, enthroned in Rome, continuing in deception, and cloaked in religious pomp. Dispensationalism has blinded the modern church to this reality, but the Word of God has not changed.

Conclusion: Christ Confirmed the Covenant

Daniel 9:27 is not about a future peacemaker—it is about the Prince of Peace who confirmed the covenant by His own blood. To interpret it otherwise is to rob Christ of His glory and to exalt the enemy in His place.

May the Lord awaken His people once again to the truth of prophecy, the fulfillment in Christ, and the boldness to declare:

“Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins” (Revelation 18:4).

Further Reading at the Berean Beacon

• The Historical View of Prophecy and Antichrist
• The Roots of Apostasy
• The Dispensational Road
• The Damnable Presuppositions of Dispensationalism

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