Episode Transcript
Are you ready to experience the amazing love of God and his plan for your life? Are you curious about the fast fulfilling Bible prophecies? Amidst the rapidly changing world, secrets of prophecy is your gateway to unlocking these exciting realities. Join Pastor David Price on a journey of discovery that will not only transform your life, but will equip you with inner peace and an unshakable hope to face the future. Thank you so much for joining us for session number 14 in our secrets of Prophecy seminar series.
This is a very challenging topic. Who is the Antichrist? Part two? I'd just like to remind you if you haven't seen who is the Antichrist part one, that it is advisable to go back and look at the biblical and historical basis for this programme in session 14. So thank you for doing that and thank you for joining us in session number two of who's the Antichrist? Part two.
Let's have a look at what we're going to discover in this exciting session. We're going to answer these questions, among others, what do we have to do to really understand and grasp biblical truth? Secondly, why does God allow harsh messages to be given out to his people? Number three, how many identifiers for the Antichrist does the Bible actually share, and what did the Antichrist power do to deflect from its identification? And number five, what does the Antichrist power do at the end of time? If you're joining us online then this study guide is downloadable under the title bar. So you might like to pause and do that and then you can follow along.
But the programme is self contained and you can watch it without referring to the Bible study guide. Gracious heavenly Father, we come before you with praise and thanksgiving, asking that your holy spirit would guide our minds and give us the wisdom we need to rightly understand your truth. And we ask it in Jesus name.
Amen. So it's my pleasure again to welcome you to session 14. Who is the Antichrist? Part two the Protestant Reformation was one of the greatest events in world history.
By the mid 15 hundreds, this movement had swept through Germany and was advancing through Switzerland, England, France, Austria and many other parts of Europe. The Reformation was based on the idea of sola scriptura, the Bible and the Bible only. And through a study of the scriptures, the reformers discovered the refreshing beauty of salvation through faith instead of works.
They also found out that there is a God to run to and not a God to run from. That is the gospel of grace. Well, prophecy also became a keen focus of their study as the reformers investigated the books of Daniel and the revelation, the subject of the Antichrist, captured their attention.
In their view, it was the leadership of their own church that fulfilled all the criteria for being the Antichrist of prophecy. This discovery amazed the reformers because they loved their church so much. But the reformers were certain of their conviction, and they became outspoken in their opposition to the papacy.
Mainstream Christianity become corrupt, and church life was a form and a tradition instead of a heartfelt experience with Jesus. Displayed in the Luther Museum in Wittenberg is a small book entitled passions of the Christ and Antichrist. In this satirical book, the artist Lucas Cranek compares the actions of Jesus Christ with the actions of the pope of Rome.
To illustrate, Cranek sketched on one side of a page, Jesus washing the disciples feet. On the other side of the page was the pope holding out his toe to be kissed. Then, on another page, Cranek sketched Jesus driving out the money changers from the temple.
He then compared this to the pope sitting with the bishops, counting his vast piles of wealth gained at the expense of the poor. Well, Martin Luther considered this a very good book for the average church member. Art had the ability to effectively communicate to both the scholars and the peasants of Europe.
So for many years, virtually every protestant church publicly held the same conviction regarding the antichrist. This conviction was held at risk of death. And the Westminster confession states the there is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ, nor can the pope of Rome in any sense behead thereof.
But is that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition that exalts himself in the church against Christ and all that is called God? Chapter 25, article number six. So let's ask some hard questions. Is there any validity to the claims of the reformers? Is it even christian to call other christians an antichrist? Why does Bible prophecy use such graphic and negative terms and images? What is the relevance of the Antichrist prophecy for today? So, in this study guide, in an attitude of humility and prayer, we'll test these amazing claims of the ancient reformers of the Protestant Reformation by using the clear identifying marks from the Bible.
Also, we will apply the principles of this prophecy to help us grow in our daily relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. So thank you so much for joining us in session 14 of our secrets of prophecy seminar series. And also, who is the Antichrist? Part two.
Once again, I would stress that you go back and watch part one. And I would also like to add that this particular presentation based on the reformers theology is not an attack on any particular person. Or member of any church.
We are looking at the system of history and we are looking at the systemic understanding of what has happened through the centuries. Let's go to question number one. How can we discover and understand Bible truth? We're going to acts, chapter 17 and verse eleven.
Luke wrote these, were speaking about the Bereans. These were more fair minded than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word of God with all readiness and searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so friends. It's absolutely vital that any new truth be tested by a study of the scriptures.
Private speculations and interpretations will never unlock the secrets of prophecy. We need to handle the scriptures carefully and prayerfully, looking at passages in their context and comparing scripture with scripture. Only a daily relationship with Jesus and a prayerful study of his word will enable us to discover the truth.
Question number two. Why does Bible prophecy use such graphic and negative terms to describe certain global powers? We go to revelation, chapter three and verse 19. Jesus says here, through John the Revelator, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
Therefore be zealous and repent. So the Bible certainly reveals the good and bad of political leaders, nations and religions. The uncensored history and future of characters and events provide graphic details of evil and personal sin.
We can learn from past mistakes and avoid future dangers. Within the Bible, God has been particularly passionate in his warnings about apostasy within his chosen people. God is so strong in his language because he is so strong in his love, and he wants to reach out and make sure that we are not deceived.
So throughout this series, we see God pointing out faults in the jewish and the christian faiths alike, whether protestant faiths or catholic faiths. God has his people in all religions. His genuine followers of all the faiths will see the dangers and be obedient to his call for a return to the original faith of the scriptures.
So let's go into question number three and identify the Antichrist based on the biblical and historical evidence. We're going to go to question number three. What are the identifying marks of the Antichrist in session 13, or part one of who is the Antichrist? We looked at Daniel chapter seven and we studied the Antichrist of Bible prophecy.
So Bible prophecy in Daniel seven gives us a significant number of clear characteristics to help us identify the Antichrist. In fact, he gives us a minimum of ten. Now, let me just illustrate.
Imagine you are asked by a friend to pick someone up from the airport. You've never met this person the first thing you want to know is how to recognise him or her. After all, there'll be hundreds of people coming off the plane.
Oh, that's easy, says your friend. You see, he'll be wearing a pink suit, a bright yellow tie and one high heel shoe. He will have purple hair.
He's 80 years of age and only has one leg. Do you think that you would miss him now? Yes, given that is an extreme example. But in a similar way, God gives a number of very clear identifying marks for the key players in his prophecy.
This includes the Antichrist. And as we discussed in session number 13, part one, in Daniel seven and eight, we're introduced to the little horn power. In two Thessalonians, chapter two.
In the New Testament, we're introduced to the man of sin. In Revelation, chapter 13, we're introduced to the sea beast, also known as beast number one. And in revelation 17, we're introduced to the woman who rides the beast, or the woman on the beast.
And so, friends, all of these are references to the Antichrist power. So, in our previous study guide, who is the Antichrist? Part one, we actually took time to highlight and understand, biblically and historically, the following characteristics. From Daniel, chapter seven.
Let's go to clues one to ten. Clue number one, this power arises from western Europe. Clue number two, this power is a little kingdom.
Clue number three, this power arises after the ten tribes of Europe were already established. Clue number four, this power overcomes three political powers as it rises to prominence. Clue number five, it is different from the other ten powers.
Clue number six, it would have a man at its head who actually speaks for it. Clue number seven, it would speak blasphemies against God. Clue number eight, it would persecute God's people.
Clue number nine, it would be in power for a total time of 1260 years before it would be disempowered and wounded. And clue number ten, this power would attempt to change God's times and God's laws. So, in question number four, we want to ask, who is the Antichrist? Power of Daniel, chapter seven.
So when the protestant reformers studied the little book of Daniel, they pinpointed themselves the roman papacy, as the little horn power. These earnest individuals were not trying to criticise their fellow believers, for many of them were still catholic priests. They were simply studying the messages of love and correction provided by God in the prophecies of the scriptures.
So let's now take a look at the evidence and see if the roman papacy matches the clues that are provided in the prophecy. So here we are in question number four, asking the question, who is the antichrist? Power of Daniel, chapter seven. Clue number one.
As we discovered in part one, this power arises from Western Europe. Antichrist fact number one. The papacy, meaning the popes and the church of Rome, also arose from Western Europe.
In fact, the home or the seat of the papacy is Rome, Italy, right in the heart of Western Europe. Let me share with you a quote from history of the Eastern Church by Arthur P Stanley, page 85 and 214. The pope filled the place of the absent emperors at Rome, inheriting their power, their prestige, the titles which they had themselves derived from the days of their paganism.
The papacy is but the ghost of the deceased roman empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof. So, in the summary point number one, this power arises from western Europe, and so did the papacy. We're asking who is the antichrist? Power of Daniel, chapter seven.
Let's go to clue number two of ten. It is, in fact, a little kingdom. Antichrist fact number two.
The Vatican is really a very small, tiny or very little nation. How so? Well, the Vatican is a very small independent kingdom within Europe. The entire kingdom is located on just over 40 ha, meaning 108.7
acres of land. Let me give you some extra material. So the Vatican City is the smallest country in the world.
Encircled by a two mile or three kilometre border with Italy, Vatican City is an independent city state that covers just over 100 acres, making it one 8th the size of New York central park, Vatican City is governed as an absolute monarchy, with the pope as its head. Some of you may not know that the Vatican actually mints its own euros, prints its own stamps, issues passports and licence plates, operates media outlets and has its own flag and anthem. One government function it lacks, and that is the ability to raise taxation.
But museum admission fee, stamp and souvenir sales and contributions generate the Vatican's revenue. So, summary point number two. This power is, in fact, a very small kingdom, but it is a country within a country.
Point number three. We are looking at who is the antichrist power. Clue number three.
This power arises after the ten tribes of Europe were established and antichrist fact number three is the papacy. The rule of the popes and the church of Rome rose to political power in 538 AD, after the other ten tribes of Europe were already established. So the ten kingdoms were established by 476 AD.
The papacy received its major political power once it overthrew the aryan Ostrogoths in 538 ADHD. Let me share with you some extra information. Let's go to Alexander Flick's book the rise of the mediaeval church or the Church of the Middle Ages.
Page 168. He wrote, quote, the removal of the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople in 330 ad. By the way, Constantinople today is Istanbul in Turkey.
The removal of the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople in 330 ad left the western church practically free from imperial power to develop its own form of organisation. The bishop of Rome, in the seat of the Caesars, was now the greatest man in the west and was soon forced to become the political as well as the spiritual head. End of quote.
So, summary point number three. This power arises after the ten tribes of Europe were established, and this is true of the church of Rome. Let's go to clue number four.
It overcomes three political powers as it rises to prominence. Antichrist fact number four. The papacy uprooted three tribes the vandals, the Herulae and the Ostrogoths.
How so? Well, over time, most of the ten kingdoms of Europe adopted roman Christianity. However, three of these kingdoms opposed Rome and refused to cooperate. These three powers were defeated by catholic emperors, the Herili, as you can see on the screen, in 493 ADHD.
Then the Vandals down there in North Africa in 534 AD. The Ostrogoths up to the north of Italy in 538 AD. And it's interesting that all three kingdoms were plucked out by the roots, just as prophesied in Daniel seven, and they've disappeared from Europe.
Let me share with you some more historical information in regard to horn number one. The Heruli. The Herulai kingdom met their fate with the catholic emperor Zeno, who sent the Ostrogoths to destroy them.
By the mid 6th century, they had vanished from history. What about horn number two and three, Vandals and Ostrogoths? Well, when Justinian became emperor in Constantinople in AD 527, he began the holy wars against the Vandals and Ostrogoths to actually protect catholic Christianity from their teachings. Both then had also vanished by the mid 6th century AD.
So here is summary point number four. This power, the antichrist power, overcomes three political powers as it rose to prominence. The prophecy in Daniel seven says, it overcome and uprooted three horns standing for kingdoms, kings or powers.
Let's go to clue number five. This power is different from all of the other ten powers. Antichrist fact number five.
The papacy is a religious power. But very interestingly, it is also a political power. It's a mixture of religion and politics, something that many people say should not be mixed together because of their volatility.
So the papacy is different from all other powers in terms of being a religious power. A church controlling politics was certainly different from the first ones. Daniel 724, the first horns.
They, in fact, were secular governments. So let's go to this quote, which I want to repeat. It's so.
It's so important. This is Alexander Flick, the rise of the mediaeval church, page 168. So, friends, the bishop of Rome, in the seat of the Caesars was now the greatest man in the west and was soon forced to become the political as well as the spiritual head.
So most churches today and historically have been religious, but this power is religious and it's political, and so therefore can pose a threat or become dangerous to certain freedoms. Our summary point number five is it is different from the other ten horns or the other ten powers. We're in question four.
We're asking who is the Antichrist power of Daniel seven. We're looking at clue number six. It would have a man at its head who speaks for it.
Antichrist fact number six. The pope is the absolute head of the church. No women involved.
The papacy has one man at the head. The papacy is not a democratic government. The pope is the ultimate authority who speaks for the church.
So let me share some extra information. The Vatican is the last absolute monarchy in the world today. The pope, when he is elected, is answerable to no human power.
He has absolute authority over the entire Roman Catholic Church, direct authority that reaches down to individual members. So let's go to summary point number six. This power would have a man at its head.
Who speaks for it. We're asking who is the Antichrist? Power of Daniel seven. Clue number seven.
It would speak blasphemies against goddess. This is a very, very major point. Antichrist fact number seven.
The pope claims to be God on earth. Let's unpack this a little bit more, because if this was a secular power, then it wouldn't have this religious component of blasphemy. And this locks it into being a religious power.
So according to the Bible, blasphemy is either claiming to forgive sins, like in Luke 521. Let's have a look at the scripture. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, and they're referring to Jesus here.
Who is this? Who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? In John chapter ten and verse 33, there's another definition of blasphemy. In John 1033, we read, the Jews answered Jesus, saying, for a good work, we do not stone you, but for blasphemy and because you, being a man, make yourself God. So, friends, the papacy claims both prerogatives to be able to forgive sins, and also it claims to be God.
In 1870, the Vatican Council declared that the pope was infallible whenever speaking from his position of authority. Notice these interesting and relevant quotes. We the popes, hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.
The great encyclical letters of Leo XIII, page 304. Another quote. The pope is not only the representative Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ himself, hidden under the veil of flesh.
Catholic natural national, July 1895. A third reference. Thus, the priest may in a certain manner be called the creator of the creator, since by saying these words of consecration, he the priest, creates, as it were, Jesus in the sacrament.
From the book duties and dignities of the priests and Alphonsus de Liguri, page 27. Friends, just to show you that these three quotes in the study guide are not the only ones, let me give you some extra material from the book that we just quoted, the dignity and duties of the priest or selva by Alphonsus de Ligueura. On page 26 we read these words.
Quote, Jesus has died to institute the priesthood. It was not necessary for the redeemer to die in order to save the world, but to institute the priesthood. The death of Jesus Christ has become necessary.
Friends, that's an astounding statement, isn't it? Let's go to page 34. Another quote. The priest holds the place of the saviour himself when by saying ego te absolvo, he absolves himself from sin.
Friends, this is very different to Jesus teaching in the Lord's prayer in Matthew chapter six, where Jesus taught us how to confess our sins, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, and forgive us our debts, or our trespasses, or our sins, as we forgive our debtors. On page 33 of the same priestly book we read, quote, priests are called vicars of Jesus Christ because they hold his place on earth. Indeed, it is not too much to say that in view of the sublimity of their officers, the priests are so many gods.
Friends, it's quite a claim to say that the priests are the priests of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ never sinned. So in what capacity would Jesus need to have a priest? Page 34 when Jesus ascended into heaven, Jesus Christ left his priests after him to hold on earth his place of mediator between God and Menta.
So we would now have to ask. End of quote. Page 34 we now have to ask the question, what did Paul write to Timothy in the New Testament? In one Timothy, chapter two, verse five.
Paul wrote very simply and very clearly, for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Friends, let's conclude this part of our summary with point number seven, that this antichrist power would speak blasphemies against God. We're looking at who is the antichrist power of Daniel seven, clue number eight.
This power would actually persecute God's people. These claims are astounding, aren't they? But antichrist fact number eight is that the papacy has persecuted and killed millions of people. Friends, this is not a baseless accusation.
This is merely the record of history. During the Dark Ages, the church of Rome killed more people than what Hitler did during World War two. In fact, conservative estimates place the killings at 50 million people, with some experts placing the figure closer to 150 million deaths.
Millions of people were burned to the stake for heresy when they were simply following the truths of scripture instead of the dictates of traditions instead of the dictates and the traditions of the church. Let me share with you a little bit more. But this is distressing.
But this is the record of history. This is the St. Bartholomew Day massacre in 1572, when 50,000 Protestant, meaning non Catholic, Huguenots, were dragged from their beds at midnight and they were slaughtered in the streets of Paris.
This is again the witness of history. It's hard to also review the work of the Church of Rome in the persecution of the Waldenses in 1655, with burnings, hangings and impalings. Absolutely barbaric.
I read a quote now from Lecky's book, Rationalism in Europe, volume one, page 32. That the Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind will be questioned by no Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history. End of quote.
Friends, I want to pause there and ask a question. Is this absolutely verifiable? Because these claims are incredible, aren't they? They're stupendous, they're shocking. So we need evidence.
Why don't we go to Time magazine March 20 in the year 2000 entitled an act of Contrition. I'm quoting Time magazine. In the Jubilee year and the season of Lent, Pope John Paul II confronts the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Holocaust and other horrors in seeking to express regret for sinse committed by Catholics in the past 2000 years.
End of quote. Friends, Rome has been very open and in recent times has actually issued apologies to other faiths and religions. There was the apologies to the Waldenses in the June 2015 where Pope Francis asked the waldensian Christians to forgive the church.
That article in the Catholic Herald is dated Monday the 22 June 2015. So as we look at a summary point for clue number eight, the antichrist power would persecute God's people. Let's go to clue number nine.
We're looking at who the antichrist power of Daniel seven is. This power would dominate for times, times and the dividing of times. In other words, for 1260 years.
We covered this in session 13, or part one of who is the Antichrist? Please go back to understand how the time periods apply. Antichrist fact number nine. The papacy dominated Europe for 1260 years.
The era of the Middle or the Dark ages. The papacy gained ultimate power in 538 ad, when the final opposition, the Ostrogoths, were defeated. The church then ruled for 1260 years until Pope Pius VI was taken captive by Napoleon's general Berthier.
The pope was actually stripped of his political powers. Just as the prophecy predicted, the antichrist received a deadly wound, a deadly wound in 1798. Remember that date ending the power of the papacy? Well, let's just pause a moment to go in to discover if this is actually the witness of history.
So I'm going to ask the question, why did Pope Pius Vi get taken captive? And is this when the deadly wound occurred? So the story goes that it was the french emperor Napoleon that inflicted the deadly wound upon the papacy. And yes, it's true that this was a part of the French Revolution. In the book church history, page 524, quote, the murder of a frenchman in Rome in 1798 AD gave the French an excuse for occupying the eternal city and putting an end to the papal temporal power.
The aged pontiff himself was carried off into exile to valance. The enemies of the church rejoiced. The last pope they declare had reigned, end of quote.
So, friends, when you go into the halls of the Vatican, there is a special room dedicated to the last 18th century pope, which was Pope Pius VI. You can see there on the engraving on the marble, Pius VI, pontifeus maxima Maximus. So here the artwork tells the story of Pope Pius VI taken captive by the french general Berthier in 1798.
In the top left, in the top right, he goes by carriage and is taken to valence in France. And here the frail pope died not long after his capture, I believe around six months later. And he died there in Valence in France.
So, friends, we are sharing with you the record of history. So was this the deadly wound inflicted in 1798? It absolutely was. For in 1798, the Encyclopaedia Americana, 1941 edition says in 1798, he made his entrance into Rome, abolished the papal government and established a secular one.
Let me give you some more information from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, volume 21, page 686. General Berthier marched to Rome, entered it unopposed on the 13 February 1798 and, proclaiming a republic, demanded of the pope the renunciation of his temporal authority. Upon his refusal, he, Pope Pius VI, was taken prisoner and on the 20 February was escorted from the Vatican.
Friends, in the book the next the coming of global Christianity, by Philip Jenkins, he wrote the following. In 1798, the anti religious french revolutionaries captured the pope himself. Any knowledgeable observer in the 1790s would have concluded that orthodox Christianity had reached its last days.
End of quote, page ten. So, friends, to summarise this section, the papacy rose to power in 538 AD when the papacy overthrew the Ostrogoths, and then for 1260 years, which is termed in Daniel seven and Daniel twelve as a time, times and half a time. 367, 20 and 180.
In revelation eleven, two is 42 months by 30 days in a month. 1260 in revelation eleven and twelve is 1260 days and a day stands for a year in Bible prophecy. In revelation 1214, time, times and half a time, and revelation 13 five as 42 months.
So, friends, in 1798, the papacy was wounded. It received a deadly wound. Not a fatal wound, a deadly wound.
Pius VI was then imprisoned by Napoleon. So here is summary point number nine. This power, this antichrist power would be ruling and reigning for 1260 years.
This is twice the time that the Roman Empire last, which I believe was 644 years. That's the pagan Roman Empire, which was followed by the papal Roman Empire. We're asking finally, who is the antichrist power of Daniel seven.
Let's go to clue number ten. This power would attempt to change God's times and laws. This is a very, very important clue.
Antichrist fact number ten. The papacy attempted to change God's law. The Ten Commandments.
Let's go into a little more detail. In an amazing fulfilment of prophecy, the papacy attempted to change God's law. Firstly, the catholic catechisms have shortened the Sabbath commandment from nearly 100 words to just eight.
Second point. They also removed the second commandment completely, which said, you shall not make for yourself a carved image. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
That commandment is missing. This commandment forbids worship of images and idols. Then, point number three.
They split the 10th commandment into two to make up for the missing commandment, which was the second commandment that they removed, deleted, or did away with. Then point number four. Along with this, the church claims to have changed the Sabbath into Sunday.
The Sabbath is the only commandment associated with times. Any attempt to change the law of God is blasphemy. So the church of Rome changed the day from the 7th day of the week to the first day of the week.
And also, over time, God's time was changed from sunset Friday night to midnight. That's when the day came in. And so God's times were changed in two ways.
So, friends, the roman papacy fits all the clues perfectly. This power would attempt to change God's times and God's laws. No other power in history or the future could possibly fit all the clues that the prophecy of Daniel seven has provided.
Let's pause and have some extra information. Is there more proof that the Antichrist changed God's laws? Let's go to the catholic record, Saturday, September 1, and see what it says. Deny the authority of the church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the substitution of Sunday or for Saturday.
In the third, meaning the catholic version of the Ten Commandments or the protestant version of the ten Commandments, the fourth commandment of God, the church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact. So that is Saturday, September 1. It is 1923.
The catholic record. Let's go to another quote. Reason and common sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives.
Either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible, end of quote. The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893.
Another quote, Priest Brady, in an address reported in the Elizabeth, New Jersey news on March 18, 1903. Quote, it is well to remind Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other christians that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.
Now, if we are searching around for the seven most popular contenders for the Antichrist, here is an article written by Joe Carter in November 16, 2012. The Gospel coalition. He wrote, quote, the all time most popular contender for the title of Antichrist was not any individual, but an office.
The roman catholic papacy. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Cotton Mather, William Tyndall, and a long list of other Protestants have considered the office of the papacy to be the Antichrist, end of quote. Friends, to summarise, every clue that we've gone through, these ten clues points unmistakably to roman catholic papacy as the great antichrist, power of Bible prophecy.
And so we conclude that the protestant reformers from all those different churches were right in their analysis. Before we go on to question five and ask what was the church's response to the Protestant Reformation? Let me just help you understand why this question is necessary. We go to Leroy Edwin Froome's book, the Prophetic Faith of our fathers.
Quote, he wrote, in Germany, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Sweden, England and Scotland, there had been simultaneous and impressive declarations by voice and pen that the papacy was the specified antichrist of prophecy. The symbols of Daniel, Paul and John were applied with tremendous effect. End of quote.
That's the prophetic faith of our father's, volume two, page 484, 485. I continue on with the quote. Hundreds of books and tracts impress their contention upon the consciousness of Europe.
Indeed, it gained so great a hold upon the minds of men that Rome, in alarm, saw that she must successfully counteract this identification of the Antichrist with the papacy or lose the battle. Question number five, what was the roman church's response to the Protestant Reformation? This is a very, very important point. Please don't miss it.
So the roman church was deeply concerned about the reformation. They had the Muslims fighting them from without and Protestants fighting them from within. Church leaders held a series of meetings in the northern italian city of Trent.
You can see on the screen with a red dot designed to develop initiatives to counter the reformation. Now, one of the key points discussed, the key points of discussion related to the authority of the Bible over church practise and tradition. So the issue, number one, was the source of church authority.
Was it going to be the Bible or was it going to be tradition? Let's understand the history behind their decision. So the archbishop of Reggio gave a speech at Trent claiming that Protestants also believe in the authority of the church and tradition. The archbishop pointed to the fact that the Protestants were keeping Sunday a day made by church authority and tradition.
He claims Sunday was certainly not a day of worship based on the Bible. Let me give you a little bit more. Let's go to the book, canon and tradition, page 263, quote.
Finally, at the last opening on the 18 January 1562, all hesitation was set aside. Gaspar Defosso, the archbishop of Reggio, made a speech in which he openly declared that tradition stood above scripture. The authority of the church could therefore not be bound to the authority of the scriptures because the church had changed Sabbath into Sunday not by the command of Christ, but by its own authority.
End of quote. So he also stated this, the Sabbath, the most glorious day in the law. He means the 7th day, Sabbath, Saturday, has been changed into the Lord's day.
These and other similar matters have not ceased by virtue of Christ's teaching, for he says he has come to fulfil the law, not to destroy it. But they have been changed by the authority of the church. Friends, this gave the church great courage and confidence in their basis for faith.
They knew the Protestants had a weak link to their theology. The council then turned to the issue of the Antichrist. This was their achilles heel.
So the counter Reformition is Rome's attack against the Protestants, the counter Reformation. And the issue number two is attacking the Antichrist and its origin in Bible prophecy and what was said in Daniel chapter seven and in those other places. So the reformers saw Bible prophecy like a roadmap of time.
Prophecy outlines the future from the time of the vision through to the end of time. The reformers knew from the Book of Daniel that many of the great empires had come and gone. They then pinpointed their time in Bible prophecy and so identified the pope as the Antichrist.
Let's go to question number six. So what did the church do to counter this approach to Bible prophecy? Let me share with you some extra information. Here we have the entrance of the jesuit order.
This is the most protestant arm of the catholic church, and it was founded by Ignatius Loyola in 1491 to 1556. And of course, outlived him in the book history of education by painter, page nine, quote. More than any other agency, it the jesuit order stayed the progress of the reformation.
End of quote. Let's go now to a summary point. The Jesuits developed two key alternatives to understanding prophecy.
Part a, there was preterism. That is where they put Bible prophecy into the past, meaning the Antichrist was in the past. Then they developed another stream called futurism, where they put Bible prophecy into the future.
Friends, these documents on the screen. Alcazar published his in 1614 and Ribera published his in 1590. These two men were the ones who came up with preterism.
Alcazar and Ribera came up with futurism. So the jesuit order had suggested two alternative views on prophecy. Please read with me on the screen.
A Spaniard by the name of Alcazar claimed all the prophecies of Daniel and revelation relate to the Jews and pagan Rome by applying all the prophecies to the past. This approach, called preterism, resulted in the Middle Ages church escaping all references in prophecy. Now the other approach was put forward by another Spaniard, Francisco Ribera.
Ribera published a 500 page commentary on Bible prophecy, applying the early parts of revelation to pagan Rome and all the later parts to a period way off in the future. This futurist approach was supported by another Jesuit by the name of Robert Bellarmine. Bellarmine focused his attack on the protestant approach to the year day principle of Bible prophecy.
Now, friends, we covered this in session number 13. Please go back and view it. Bellarmine said that the antichrist was merely a jew who would rule for three and a half literal years at the end of time.
So these Jesuits took the 1260 days or years of antichrist rule and made it jump right over the top of the dark ages into a last day context. Once again, the pope and the church were now cleared of any association with the antichrist of Bible prophecy. Unfortunately, many Christians today, protestant Christians today, believe in one of these two views.
Here is some extra information on the background to how this could happen. Let's ask the question, how did today's Protestantism embrace catholic teaching on the Antichrist as a future event? Let's go back to Froome's book, the prophetic faith of our fathers, volume two, page 489 493. I quote.
Francisco Ribera, 537 591 of Salamanca, a jesuit scholar, writer and critic, began the composition of his famed commentaries. In 1575. About 1590, Ribera published a 500 page commentary on the apocalypse, denying the protestant application of Antichrist to the church of Rome.
Ribera assigned the first few chapters of the Apocalypse now. This is a reference to the book of Revelation, the last book in the New Testament in the Bible. Ribera assigned the first few chapters of the apocalypse to ancient Rome in John's time.
That's John the Revelator, the disciple of Jesus who wrote the book of Revelation. The rest he restricted to a literal three and a half years reign of an infidel Antichrist who would bitterly oppose and blaspheme the saints. Just before the second advent, Ribera taught that Antichrist would be a single individual who would rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, abolish the christian religion, deny Christ, be received by the Jews, pretend to be God, and conquer the world, all in this brief space of three and one half years.
Thus, in Ribera's commentary was laid the foundation for that great structure of futurism, built upon and enlarged by those who followed until it became the common catholic position. And then, wonder of wonders, in the 19th century, this jesuit scheme of interpretation came to be adopted by a growing number of Protestants. Until today, futurism, amplified and adorned with the rapture theory, has become the generally accepted belief of the fundamentalist wing of popular Protestantism.
End of quote. That's Froome's book. Prophetic faith of our fathers, volume two, pages 489 to four.
Nine, three. Friends, let's summarise. So the jesuit priests got the church of Rome completely off the hook.
They had screened the papacy from detection as being the Antichrist of Bible prophecy. This chart on the screen may help us to understand it. So here is the jesuit counter reformation view of the Antichrist.
That is, there's just an individual Antichrist who appears in just the last seven years of earth's history. This is also known as the secret rapture. Teaching.
Well, what was the Bible's view, the second part of our chart? What is the historical protestant view, the biblical view? Well, in Daniel chapter seven, we find that the Antichrist would arise in the 6th century and continue to the very end times. Remember the ten clues that we investigated and discovered from Daniel chapter seven? This is covered in session 13, Antichrist, part one. You must watch that.
So what do we understand about the secret rapture? That the Antichrist has never been. He is totally in the future if you reject the preterist view and accept the futurist view. Well, friends, how did it get into Protestantism? Very simply, that 60 million books were sold.
Eleven were bestsellers by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. They promoted a false view of last day events and a secret second coming of Christ.
And so today, the protestant churches are following something that has come from a place they do not know. I want to read to you from Reverend Joseph Tanner's book, Daniel and the Revelation, page 898. Sorry.
Written in 1898 or published in 1898. And page 16 and 17, quote, Reverend Joseph Tanner, it is a matter for deep regret that those who advocate the futurist system at the present day, Protestants, as they are, for the most part, are really playing into the hands of Rome and helping to screen the papacy from detection as the Antichrist, end of quote. Let's go to question number seven.
Will the Antichrist power take part in the events of the last days? Well, according to Bible prophecy, it certainly will. We're in revelation 13 three. We will be in greater detail in this chapter in session number 15, our next session, John the Revelator writes about the first beast, the sea beast.
And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded. And his deadly wound was healed. I told you it wasn't a wound unto death.
And all the world marvelled and followed the beast. The deadly wound was healed. How did this actually play out in history? Well, it's quite simple.
The papacy received its deadly wound when the pope was taken captive in 1798. But the prophet John, John the Revelator saw a time in the future when this wound would heal. The power of the Antichrist would return.
And John saw that all the world marvelled and followed after the beast. The role and influence of the papacy in last day events will be discussed in the study guide, the final superpower, which is session number 15. Our next session together, question eight.
How should we apply the principles of the reformation to our life today? In proverbs 418, there's an amazing verse. It's very encouraging and uplifting. But the path of the just meaning, the path of the righteous, God's true people, is like the shining sun that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
Friends, the christian life is a growth experience. Just as the reformers grew in their knowledge of truth and love for Jesus, we need to grow every day. Also, we shouldn't be content with the truth we have.
We need to be studying the scriptures and learning more about Jesus and his love. And so as we apply what we learn from the Bible, our lives experience a personal revival and reformation. We love Jesus more and demonstrate his love to others.
We learn to actually hate sin and love doing right. Over time, God will put such a love for truth in our hearts and we will become willing to die rather than dishonour God. Friends, it's vital when we present strong truths, such as this antichrist truth, that we do not display a spirit of Antichrist.
We need to be humble, loving and Christ focused. And it's vital that we understand and know that we need to uplift Jesus Christ. It's vital that we know this prophecy because it will actually protect us from areas of deception.
But I want you to be very, very clear that even knowing the identity of the antichrist will not save you and get you a place in heaven. But knowing the opposite power that is the beautiful Jesus, the person of Jesus Christ, will lead to your salvation. I now want to ask you a question like the protestant reformers.
Will you stand for Jesus and will you stand for his truth? While you are thinking about that question, I want to take you to the Luther monument in worms in Germany. And here in the centre, the pedestal statue, the prime position there is Martin Luther, who made an amazing stand in 1521. And so this plaque says, here I stand for empire and for emperor and empire, for king and country.
Martin Luther in 1521. Friends, Martin Luther was a priest of the church of Rome. He hated that.
As he understood more of scripture, he could see that his church had fallen away from the truth and apostatized. And so eventually, he had to make a stand. And this is luther and at the diethen in 1521, and this is what he said when being examined for his faith and asked, do you recant? Do you take back all your heretical teachings? And this is what he said.
Unless I'm convicted by scripture and plain reason, I do not accept the authority of popes or councils, for they have contradicted each other. My conscience is captive to the word of God. Here I stand.
I cannot do otherwise. End of quote. Friends, I'm suggesting to you that it's very, very important that you stand on God's word and God's word alone.
Don't rest on the laws that man has made and changed and remade. I. We have to stand on the living word of God.
And so what's going to be your guide in these matters? Is it going to be what the Bible says? Is it going to be what the prophecies say? Or is it going to be based on men and human tradition? Are you going to choose as your master church leaders, men who've made laws and remade them, changed their mind? Or are you going to be basing your life and your decisions upon the Lord Jesus Christ and his words written to us in the word of God? Well, I hope you make the right decision. There's three points to remember. Number one, the protestant believers understood prophecy as a roadmap of time, and so the prophecies guide us to the last day events.
Therefore, it's very important that we understand. Point number two, the evidence of the roman church in history fulfils all the ten biblical marks of the Antichrist? They all fit absolutely perfectly. And number three, we need to demonstrate the spirit of Christ when dealing with sensitive prophecies that can shock friends.
The first time that we hear these truths, they are confronting and deeply shocking. Sometimes they are traumatising. But God says, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
He does not want us to be deceived. So we're going to ask you right now, what is your decision? Are you absolutely willing to follow Jesus Christ wherever he leads, even if you face opposition for your faith? I hope that in the spirit of Martin Luther, you can answer that in the affirmative. Let's now go to our relational questions before we go to the quiz.
Question number one, how do we demonstrate to people with a different point of view to us that we love and accept them. I think, firstly, we need to pray and ask God for wisdom on how to handle such sensitive matters. In Ephesians 415, we're told to speak the truth in love, and it's very, very important, after sharing God's word, that we pause and ask them for their response.
Question number two. What would you say to someone who says that this is just an interpretation of the Antichrist? Personally, I would remind them that there are ten biblical identification points listed in Daniel chapter seven. So this is not any human interpretation, but is based on the ten points that God gave us.
I'd also ask them to pray and ask God for a personal revelation on whether these things are the truth. And thirdly, I would respect their point of view, whatever their decision was, because that is honouring them and it's the right thing to do. We force our understanding and Bible truths on no person, on no man, no woman or no child.
Point number three. How would you answer the objection that Bible prophecy has no right to judge an individual or a religious entity? I probably would remind them of the seriousness of the Antichrist ID points in that this power actually claims to stand in God's place. Number two, that this power has actually changed God's times and laws and that.
Point number three, this power has the ability to deceive many, many people who assume that the first day of the week, the day of the sun, Sunday, is the correct and only day of worship, when God's day of worship, the day of the 7th day of the week, the 7th day Sabbath, has never been done away with. See our previous studies. Let's go to the five discovery points where we started.
Question number one. What do we have to do to understand Bible truths? We learned from the bereans that they were studying these truths daily to see whether those things were so, and they studied it with all readiness or fervency of mind. Question two.
Why does God allow has messages to be given out like the one we've just shared? Jesus Christ wants to warn people against being deceived, and so that is what he does. He does it in love. Question three, how many identifiers for the Antichrist does the Bible share? Well, in Daniel chapter seven, there were a minimum of 1010 points, ten clues that we went through in this session and the one before.
Number four, what did the Antichrist power do to deflect its correct identification as the Antichrist? It very cleverly created preterism that the Antichrist was in the past and futurism the Antichrist was in the future. Therefore, they could not in any way be the Antichrist. Number five, what does the Antichrist power do at the end of time? We learned in revelation, chapter 13 and verse three that this power leads all the world to follow it.
And that takes us into our next session. So here we are. We have gone through who is the Antichrist? Part two.
Well, would you like to join us for the quiz? I hope you would. These are just one answer per question. Number one, most people today think Antichrist is in the a, the future, b, the past, or c, the present.
What is your answer? Most people today think Antichrist is in the future, the past or the present. Lock it in. And your answer is? That's right.
They think the Antichrist is in the future. But many people today are starting to think that the Antichrist is around right now. Question number two.
At the council of Trent, the Church of Rome decided, a, to elevate scripture over their traditions, b, to make the pope infallible, or c, to elevate tradition over God's word, the scriptures. Please lock in your answer, a, b, or c, and your answer is, that's right, it's c. They elevated tradition over scripture, arguing that since they'd already changed the Sabbath into Sunday without any biblical authority, they had already been using scripture over.
They'd already been using, pardon me, tradition over scripture. And that was therefore their precedent, to put tradition ahead of God's word. Question number three.
What was the function of preterism that was dreamed up by Alcazar, the Jesuit from the Society of Jesus? A, to put the Antichrist in the present, b, to put the Antichrist in the past, or c to put the Antichrist in the future. A, b or c lock in your answer. What is your answer? To put the Antichrist in the past.
That's right. Option B. Question four.
What date did Pope Pius VI get captured in the Vatican in Rome? Was it 1796, was it 1798 or was it 1799? So option a is 1796, option b is 1798, and option c is 1799. Lock it in, and your answer is correct. Bjdev? 1798.
In fact, February 20, 1798. Question number how do we follow the path of the reformers today? A to stay content with the truth we have b, to go out and suffer persecution, to get persecuted, or c to search for and learn more truth daily. So, a, b, or c, which one is it going to be? It's going to be c.
To search for and learn more truth daily. So in our secrets of prophecy, wall of truth, in session 13, we learned the ten Antichrist characteristics that Antichrist stands in the place of God. And we learned that we must never stand in God's place in session 14, that we've just completed, the Antichrist power, we found out is here today.
And we must never put tradition above God's word, the Bible. Let's go to our five discovery points that we're going to learn in session 15, called the final superpower. Number one, name the two superpowers in revelation 13.
This relates to our time, the last days. This is absolutely exciting. Number two, where do these two superpowers arise from? The Bible is very specific in revelation 13.
I'd ask you to read that first. Number three, what is the final issue that actually divides the world? Is it politics or religion? Number four, what does the final superpower exert control over? And how does it do it? And number five, what does Jesus Christ promise to those who stand for him? So that's the final superpower. And I look forward to you joining me in our next session for the final superpower.
Let us pray. Gracious heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, our saviour and Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus. This has been a very, very challenging and searching message.
We would not want anyone to be hurt or discouraged by this message, for no person or church member has been singled out. But the Antichrist system is a system. And Father, we must not be deceived in these last days.
We must go by sola scriptura as the reformers did the Bible, and the Bible alone. May we be faithful as we continue to study on this journey of truth. Bless those who have joined us for this session.
May they ask you for wisdom and understanding and come to a right knowledge of the truth. We ask it in Jesus Christ's powerful name. Amen.
Secrets of Prophecy with Pastor David Price has been brought to you by 3ABN Australia radio. For more resource in this series you can visit the YouTube page trueblue SDA all one word that's trueblue SDA.
