LUTHER SPEAK FROM BIBLE OR PREJUDICE?

Roman Catholicism (RCC) ruled the Western Christian world for nearly a millennium. Except for The Great Schism (1064) which saw the split of Greek Orthodoxy split from RCC to prevail in the East, doctrine was pretty much decided by the Pope. However, Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses (1517) became the rift between RCC and the protesters who disagreed from the Pope on some relatively minor issues. This movement grew to become Protestantism which quickly broke along nationalistic lines as the various factions sought protection from the new nation-states and the same states sought legitimacy from their new religions from the tyranny of RCC dominance. Luther was known as the father of the movement and his pronouncements carried great weight. Even over 500 years later many Protestant, and Baptist denominations still consider the Pope the Antichrist. This has gained resurgence in light of today’s world changing political-social climates and many leaders claiming the end is near! Is it? Does the Bible support this assertion? Or, is this simply Luther’s papal prejudice lasting for generations without foundation?

ROME BUILT ON SEVEN HILLS IS BIBLE;

MAKING IT HOME TO COMING ANTICHRIST?

First, the Bible never labels who will be the Antichrist just as it never gave the name of Yeshua as Messiah’s actual name. The Bible used descriptive titles describing the qualities of the coming anointed one, Messiah {Hw.} or Christ {Gk.}. The evil one’s name is never given in the Old Testament (OT); his title as HaSatan, The Accuser. Only in the Greek New Testament (NT) is this used as a name. In fact, many names in the OT are probably titles with the actual names lost to history. In Hebrew, adam means man; in the NT it becomes a name for the first man who was never given a name or title beyond man. This is a consistent biblical pattern. Thus, the NT never offers a name other than the descriptive title of Antichrist.

As a Greek title it simply means: against (anti) Christ; it is nothing more complicated. John the Apostle was the only one to use this title; thus, our understanding must come from his writings. John writes that it is the last hour and the Antichrist is coming; indeed, many antichirsts are in the world (1Jo 2:18). Indeed, they were once in the churches but left because they rejected the doctrine taught by the apostles about Christ and His gospel. Hence, it is a title for one specific person as well as a descriptive title for many people. The term Antichrist is not capitalized in the Bible. I will capitalize the Title of the one who is to come for clarity, as a title. John defines the term as, “a liar who denies that Jesus is the Christ and also denies the Father (1Jo 2:22). This definition is consistent with the title, Antichrist.

John equates false teachers with the many antichrists that have gone into the world. They deny that Christ came in the flesh (1Jo 4:1-3). John confesses that the spirit of antichrist was already in the world in his day! Sounds just like many people today on public media who claim Antichrist is coming any day! The last clarification from John is that those who do not confess that Christ is coming in the flesh, new body, are deceivers and antichrists (2Jo 1:7). Summarizing, anyone who denies Christ’s doctrine and that Jesus both came in a body and will return in a body is an antichrist. In essence, each and every person every born was born lost and thus an antichrist (Ps 51:5)! We were ALL born antichrists for no one who is lost will embrace God or His truths (Ro 1:18-28). Unless Jesus saves you, giving you a new nature, of God, you remain an antichrist (Je 31:31-34; 2Co 5:17). Simple belief in Christ is also not enough as the demons believe Christ is God and will never be saved (Mt 8:28-29; Ja 2:19; He 2:14-16).

The title, Antichrist, refers to the Beast arising out of the sea at the beckoning of the Dragon, Satan (Re 12:9, 17; 13:1-10). Daniel refers to this person as, The Desolator (Da 9:27). He is envisioned to wield authority and be associated with the revived, or extended, Roman Empire (Da 7; 9:26). Christ equates the Antichrist with the abomination of desolation of Daniel; one who claims to be god standing in the Temple (Da 9:27; Mt 24:15-28; 2Th 2:3-12). When this even occurs, True Jews are to flee for persecution shall overtake them as they embrace Christ’s Gospel; this is the purpose of Hebrews, to explain to the Jews why Jesus was the Messiah as defined by the OT. But, no one will predict when or who (Mt 24:36-51)! Herein is where many believers fall into error because false prophets seek to predict the day and the person for their own gain. This is a trap all believers must avoid lest one finds themselves inadvertently in Satan’s camp proclaiming a lie.

ANTICHRIST MUST BE FROM ROME;

HENCE HE MUST BE THE POPE

This is a literal rather than a normative hermeneutical exegetical interpretation of Scripture (Re 17:9-14). This literal approach has given rise to Rome as it was built on seven hills or mounts; but then so are many other cities. Rome was the capital of the Western Roman Empire; thus, Rome must be referenced. this section of Revelation is speaking metaphorically describing the Whore of Babylon. Circular reasoning: seven hills means Rome making this religious figure a false religion which is located in Rome; i.e., Pope who is the head of RCC. Except, the whore is not RCC but OT imagery clearly referencing Jews: Oholah {Israel} and Oholibah {Judah} (Ez 23). This is a reference to False Jews who align with Antichrist to persecute True Jews to gain power. However, when their usefulness is concluded, they are destroyed reminiscent of Romans destroying Jerusalem in 70 A.D. even though the False Jews used the Romans to kill Christ. John then describes the city which houses the whore of Babylon as, that great city (Re 17:18). A term he previously defined when the two prophets were killed: the place where (Re 11:7-8). Thus, if Rome is not the city then any view of the Pope as Antichrist is also erroneous since it is intimately linked to Rome. Besides, any reference to a religious leader would more appropriately link him to the False Prophet; not the Antichrist (Re 13:11-17).

LINKED WITH ANTICHRIST AND FALSE PROPHET;

NEW WORLD ORDER, WHICH IS NOT NEW

There is nothing new under the sun (Ec 1:9-11). Whatever will be has already been. Hence, the term new world order is a diversion to occupy minds not grounded in Scripture. The ancient Sumerian god, Su’en {Sin} depicts an order based on the Moon {Night} and wisdom. Yet, even this world order was not new but probably grew out of Nimrod’s foundational world order at Babel which God disrupted (Ge 10:8-10; 11:1-9). Yet, even this drew from Cain’s antediluvian governmental system {Nimrod Revived Cain’s Tyranny} (Ge 4:16-17). This was the first but not original world order as it was based on Satan’s tyranny over the fallen angels, I believe (Re 12:3-4). That was the original new world order as the finite Satan sought to imitate the infinite God via a bizzaro copy-cat form. It was the forerunner of today’s socialism so dominate in the 20th and 21st centuries displaying Satan’s unique qualities of lies and murder (Jn 8:44).

WHO, WHAT AND WHEN OF THE ANTICHRIST?

FRUITLESS QUESTS KEEPING FROM GOSPEL WORK