# Man of Sin = The Antichrist



## nwink (Apr 20, 2011)

How do we know the "Man of Sin" is "the Antichrist"?


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## Christopher88 (Apr 20, 2011)

The Anti Christ or just anti Christ. If the former, well I'm not sure any man is the Anti Christ. WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH
_Westminster_
VI. There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ.

[13] Nor can the pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof.

[14] 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.

Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:2214. Matt. 23:8-10; I Peter 5:2-4 

It seems to be claiming the pope is the true Anti Christ. Could be wrong there. 
If it is indeed the Pope, the question is all are the Popes the Anti Christ or just one certain person?


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## Peairtach (Apr 20, 2011)

It's worth reading what Patrick Fairbairn has to say on this in his "Interpretation of Prophecy" (BoT). He's very enlightening on the subject of the Antichrist/antichrists, but I couldn't do him justice here.

From my study of Revelation, I would say that the First Beast (from the Sea) represents Statist persecution, whereas the Second Beast (from the Earth) - sometimes called the False Prophet - represents antichristian forces i.e. antichrists and the Antichrist i.e. false teaching and leadership in the visible Church.

In the immediate first century context Statist persecution is represented by Nero and the Roman Empire, but the Beast is still with us until Christ deals with it in history (Revelation 19). 

False - antichristian teaching and encouragement to compromise - were already developing in the day of the Apostles Paul and John. (I John 2:18; 2:22; 4:3; II John 1:7). Initially, Christian Gnosticism was the main antichristian heresy.



> For the mystery of lawlessness *is already at work*. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.(II Thess 2:7, ESV)



Once the Empire and the Emperor were taken out of the way, the Papacy emerged as the Antichrist, a walking and talking idol reigning in Christ's Church increasingly aping Christ in many different ways.

These are the twin great enemies of the Church down through the centuries: persecution generally by secular and pagan and statist forces, and false teaching generally of different kinds, so it is most appropriate for them to be highlighted in the Book of Revelation.

If the Church responds in the wrong way to false teaching and persecution she ends up more like the Whore, Babylon, than like the Lamb's Bride, the New Jerusalem.


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## sastark (Apr 20, 2011)

Sonny said:


> If it is indeed the Pope, the question is all are the Popes the Anti Christ or just one certain person?




It has been held that the office of the Bishop of Rome (aka "the Pope") is the office of Antichrist.


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## athanatos (Apr 21, 2011)

Hey, this seems like it is non-conclusive, but helpful
The Time Of The End - The Antichrist And The Man Of Sin


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