In this sermon Gavin first outlines best practice Protestant historicist principles, distinguishing them from the pseudo-historicism of extremist Puritans and cults. E.g., broad Protestant interpretations of the broad-brush apocalyptic pictures are required to fairly represent at a doctrinal level the broadness and generality of the apocalyptic text; and historicism seeks to unify Protestant Christians around broad Reformation truths against Romanism. Gavin says that while Protestant historicists generally agree that the 1st beast of Rev. 13 is the Pope, and the whore of Rev. 17 is the Roman Church; they show diversity of opinion on the identity of the 2nd beast of Rev. 13 and associated meaning of "the mark of the beast" "666;" and best practice Protestant historicism allows such diversity so that there are other Protestant historicists who would not agree with his views of Rev. 13:11-18. In this context, while Gavin says unqualified dogmaticism on this matter is unwise, he asks that "a fair hearing" be given to his view that on the presently available data the most likely possibility is that "the mark of the beast" "666" refers to a future Roman Catholic statue of Mary that is able to come to life and perform miracles, and which points people to the Pope as having a "universal" jurisdication as "the Vicar of the Son of God" (Latin, Vicarius Filii Dei; in Roman numerals V = 5, I = 1, C = 100, I =1, U = 5, I = 1, L = 50, I = 1 twice, D = 500, I = 1, total = 666). These "mark of the beast" "666" world-wide Marian worship events are to transpire in the context of a future world-wide Roman Catholic Inquisition that is only terminated by the Second Advent. ... ARE YOU READY?
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Gavin McGrath (b. 1960) is a graduate of Sydney University, University of Western Sydney, and Moore Theological College (a Reformed Anglican College in Sydney) in New South Wales, Australia. From April 2020, he is a retired school teacher of both New South Wales, Australia, and...
