Antichrist's Identity
Dear Puritan Board Members:
In re-reading the posts concerning the identity of the Antichrist (yes, the definite article in Greek is found in 1 John 2:18) I was saddened, but not shocked, by the fact that a Reformed, Puritan Message Board had so many erroneous opinions.
For example, Ian Terrell said
"I don't have any specific knowledge of who this individual will be, and I don't think those specifics will be known until as Paul says "the man of lawlessness will be revealed".
Rembrandt said
"What I haven't been able to figure out, is why does John talk about uncovering the antichrist's identity?..."
Preterist Paul Manata said
"For one, "anyone who denies that Jesus has came in the flesh, that man is the antichrist." So, basically we have a large majority of the earth's population. And the pope would not fall under this definition."
Nathan Brandal suggests Pink's work on The Antichrist. However, Pink had since refuted this work, admitting his ignorance of prophecy. Nathan also theorized America as the great whore of Rev. 17. Matt, the website founder, apparently agrees that Nathan is on the right track with this preposterous interpretation.
Of all the members who posted, only Seth Stark agreed with the WCF.
Pastor Bill Paul suggested
"If "anti" in antichrist means [i:7cc91e71a4]instead of[/i:7cc91e71a4] rather than [i:7cc91e71a4]against[/i:7cc91e71a4] I would readily say that it refers to the Pope. He arrogates to himself many of the Divine titles (Vicar of Christ, Prince of Peace, His Holiness, etc.)."
Yet Bill does not understand that the Greek 'anti' means both [i:7cc91e71a4]instead of[/i:7cc91e71a4] and [i:7cc91e71a4]against[/i:7cc91e71a4] when used as the prefix in Antichrist. Furthermore, it denotes a [i:7cc91e71a4]rival[/i:7cc91e71a4].
Sadly, the absolute lack of understanding in the prophecies concerning the Antichrist are the result of a growing apostasy in the professing Protestant churches. The ordained pastors with formal schooling inherited their errors from seminaries and bible schools, the seed bed of erroneous doctrines. Dallas Theological Seminary is an excellent example of this. Satan has nearly extinguished the true understanding of prophecy, much to his glory, and to the dishonor of Christ and His Body, the saints, martyrs and prophets, who fought the good fight of faith against the known Antichrist for centuries.
Rather than tediously refute all erroneous theories proposed on the board, I bring forward the testimony of Puritan William Perkins, a theologian much admired by the founder of [i:7cc91e71a4]A Puritan's Mind[/i:7cc91e71a4]. In his arguments, Perkins refutes Preterism, a Jesuit false teaching which was then gaining momentum in the churches, and which today holds sway in many Calvinistic churches and schools. Following Perkins, I paste a link to my website in which Francis Turretin, another honored theologian of [i:7cc91e71a4]A Puritan's Mind[/i:7cc91e71a4], refutes Futurism, a Jesuit false teaching which has a stronghold on most evangelical churches today. Both Turretin and Perkins arrive at the same conclusions as to the identity of the Antichrist, the very same conclusion reached by the WCF.
Either these great, distinguished men of God were correct and must be believed by lovers of truth, or they were devoid of wisdom and the Spirit, fooled by Satan, teaching lies for truth, and must be shunned as teachers not sent by God.
Rand Winburn
Director
Protestant Reformation Publications
http://www.iconbusters.com
__________________________________________________________
[size=18:7cc91e71a4]An excellent sermon, plainly proving that Rome is Babylon: and that Babylon is fallen[/size:7cc91e71a4]
[b:7cc91e71a4]Preached long since by a famous Divine [William Perkins], and added as a Commentary to the hardest part of the Revelation.[/b:7cc91e71a4]
[Source: Lectres upon the first chapters of the Revelation: preached in Cambridge, A. D. 1695, by Master William Perkins, and now published for the benefit of this Church, by Robert Hill, Bachelor of Divinitie, to which is added an excellent sermon, penned at the request of that noble and wise Councellor, Ambrose, Earl of Warwick, etc.. (London: Richard Field, 1604).]
"................But now I know what will be objected against me, That I have traveled all in vain, to prove that Babylon is fallen, and that Babylon is Rome: and that I have abused the texts of Scripture, and sentences of old Doctors, to prove the same. For whatsoever is contained either in the Scripture, or in the writings of the ancient Doctors, to prove that Babylon is Rome, is to be understood of Rome under the heathen Emperors, and not under the Popes: and that all this while I have wrested the Scriptures, and forced the Doctors to affirm that which they never thought of. Indeed I will confess that some Prophecies contained in this Revelation, were fulfilled in the heathen Emperors, and that the heathen Empire was an introduction unto Antichrist: but that Antichrist, the great enemy of the church of Christ, and which is principally called Antichrist, could not be any of the heathen Monarchie, I will make manifest by plain demonstrations. And first I will retain this Principle sufficiently proved before, that Rome is the See of Antichrist, and that by authority of Scriptures, and consent of ancient Writers, we can seek him no where but in the Romaine Empire. And now the controversy resteth in this, whether the heathen Emperors or the Pope be he.
First, St. Paul, in the second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians, speaking purposely of Antichrist, saith expressly, that he shall sit in the Temple of God, which is the Church of Christ. But it is manifest that the heathen Emperors did not sit in the Church of God, therefore the heathen Emperor is not this Antichrist. And by the same reason it is manifest, that Mohamet is not that especial Antichrist, because he sitteth without the temple of the God, as there be divers that would have these things be understood of Mahomet or Ottomanus: but it is clear as the Sunne at noone days; for as much as neither the heathen Emperors, nor Mahomet, nor Ottomanus sitteth in the Temple or Church of God, that none of them is the great Antichrist, of whom the prophecies of the Scripture are to be expounded.
And where some of them expound the abomination of desolation whereof Antichrist speaketh, to be meant of Antichrist, or at leastwise to be a sign of him, that cannot be understood of the heathen Emperors, or any that is without the Church: for the abomination must stand in the holy place which is in the Temple, which signifies the Church. Now the Pope sitteth in the midst of the Temple of God, and boasteth himself to be God, challenging to himself such authority as is proper only to God, and usurping such honour as is peculiar only to God. Therefore, not in the heathen Emperors, but in the Popes, is this prophecy accomplished.
Another reason to prove that Antichrist (which in this Revelation is foreshown to come into the world) cannot be understood of the heathen Emperors, is taken out of the seventeenth chapter of the same book: for there the Angel interpreting to St. John the mystery of the beast that beareth the harlot, which hath seven heads, signifying seven hills, he declareth also that they signify seven kings, or principle estates, or forms of regiment [government], for so the name of King is often taken in the Prophets and especially in Daniel, at which prophecy St. John borroweth many phrases. Of these seven heads, five, he saith, were fallen, the sixth was precisely then in authority, and the seventh was not yet come, which seventh was the monstrous beast, Antichrist, that was both the seventh and the eighth. Now it is evident that this could not be understood of the heathen Emperors: for Nero the first persecuting [Emperor] was come and gone, and Domitian, another persecutor (by whose tyranny St. John was banished into the Isle of Patmos, where he saw and received this Revelation) was then in authority: so that of the Monarchie or tyranny of heathen Emperors, this could not be understood, and of the Christian Emperors no man will expound it: so that it must needs be turned over to the Pope, for it can rest in no other place: and being referred unto him, all the rest [of this prophecy] have a very apt exposition.
For the city of Rome, and the dominions thereof, hath had seven principle states or forms of regiment [government]: the first state of Kings, the second of Consuls, the third of Decimvir, the fourth of Dictators, the fifth of Triumvir, the sixth of Caesars or Emperors, and the seventh of Popes. Now five of theses states or forms of regiment were fallen and abolished in St. John's time; the sixth, which was the Emperors, in John's time was in his place [already in office], and the seventh, which is the Popes, was not yet come, which was the very beast itself: the Romaine Empire revived and raised up from the bottomless pit of hell, into the usurped tyranny of the Pope. And this is that beast, that sometimes was of wonderful great power and glory in the days of Augustus, and other of his successors, but then much decayed, as if it had not been, although in some way it still existed, but that it should be restored in the usurped authority of the Pope, that claimeth that all the world to be his Diocese: which power cometh not from God, but from the Prince of pride, out of the bottomless pit. But chiefly, let us consider, that the beast although he be but one, yet in account standeth for two, for he is that seventh head and also the eighth. Remember that the Pope challengeth double authority, namely the power of both swords, the spiritual and the temporal. So that in this exposition all things agree most aptly.
Again, it is manifest in the Scriptures, that Antichrist should deceive the world with false doctrine, under pretence and colour of true religion, and therefore, so often times the Scripture warneth men that they should not be seduced by him: which warning is needless if any openly professed enemy of Christ should be that Antichrist. For there is no likelihood that an heathen man, a Jew or Turk should deceive any multitude of true Christians: but he that, under the pretence of the name of Christ, seeketh most of all to deface the honour of Christ, he is a subtle adversary, and the very spirit of Antichrist, as St. John, also in his Epistle doth testify. For in the second chapter speaking of those Antichrists, which were the forerunners of the great Antichrist, he sheweth they went out from the Church. And in the fourth chapter, he calleth them false Prophets, and teacheth men how to know the spirit of Antichrist: He that denieth Jesus to be the Christ, he that denieth Jesus Christ is come in the flesh: that is, he that derogates anything from the honor of Jesus to be Christ, in his flesh [not] to have performed the full work of man's redemption, as does the Pope most blasphemously, he is Antichrist. And who so teacheth any such doctrine, speaketh by the spirit of Antichrist. For the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy. Seeing, therefore, that St. John accounteth Antichrist for one that is gone from the Church, and for a false Prophet, it is clear that Antichrist is no heathen Emperor, which was never of the Church, nor yet a false Prophet that took upon him to teach in the Church. The same may be said of Mahomet, who never professed himself to be a Christian, nor yet a Prophet in the Church of Christ, pretending to uphold the religion of Christ, but was an open enemy of the Gospel and our Savior Christ, and altogether without [outside] the Church. By these arguments I doubt not but all men may see that since Babylon is Rome, and that the head of Babylon is Antichrist, that he cannot be any of the heathen Emperors, but is the Pope himself. And therefore, I conclude according to my text, that Rome is fallen, if Babylon is fallen......." (pgs. 365-68.)
________________________________________________________________
Francis Turretin:
http://www.iconbusters.com/iconbusters/works-turretin1.htm