POPE Benedict XVI has presented his first encyclical called God is Love, to the world. Since he both distorts the very nature of God and the meaning of a person’s relationship with Him, the encyclical makes it easier to define biblically who Benedict XVI really is. His documented statements show him to be the latest in the long line of antichrists. The scriptures provide a prophetic portrayal of the Antichrist as a man of great wickedness who will both corrupt the biblical concept of who God is and deform the very gospel of grace.
Scripture speaks of the “mystery of iniquity” shown visibly in the form of the Man of Sin. The outcome of apostasy is the “unrighteous deception”. Such apostasy is marked by hypocrisy and deceit while appearing righteous and holy. The same Benedict XVI who assumes the titles of “Holy Father” and “Vicar of Christ” fulfils in an unqualified sense the definition of the Antichrist given by John the apostle:
Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22).
The Pontiff in taking these designations to himself denies both the Father and the Son. With self-assurance, on 5 September 2000, the same man, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, claimed,
“…the very fullness of grace and truth [of the Lord Jesus Christ] is alone entrusted to the Catholic Church”.
While aping His divine prerogatives, this was explicitly speaking against Christ, the only One who is full of grace and truth. The scripture declares it necessary to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ alone, from whom one receives “…abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness.”
Over and against Him is the present day decree of Rome,
“The church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation.‘Sacramental grace’ is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament.”
What is not said here is that Rome’s physical sacraments, tightly gripped in the pontiff’s hand and declared indispensable, are thereby substituted for the Lord of glory and His gospel.
Unwaveringly, in the present day, too, the church of Rome has upheld Unum Sanctum,
“We declare, say, define, and proclaim to every human creature that they by necessity for salvation are entirely subject to the Roman Pontiff.”
Depending on these physical signs instead of direct faith in the Lord Christ Jesus is the deception of the papacy, which subtly deflects faith from the person of Christ to signs that are claimed to be powers. These things ought to make Christians consider carefully if their eyes have seen in the office of the papacy the line of men that the scripture calls the Man of Sin for the papacy gives the title of Vicar of Christ to its Pope.
The church of Rome authoritatively teaches that her Sovereign Pontiff is rightly called “Most Holy,” and “the most holy Roman Pontiff”. The pope, in assuming these titles to himself, is against the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Father in heaven by purporting to possess these very offices. Such haughtiness also blatantly breaks the New Covenant Law of the Christ, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for One is your Father, who is in heaven.” Christ Jesus declared, “…one is your Master, even Christ; and you are all brethren.” The pope declares himself “Most Holy,” “Holy Father,” and “the true vicar of Christ”. The pope’s claim is similar to that recorded in Isaiah 14:14, “I will be like the Most High”. The scripture speaks of such a one denying the Father and the Son by assuming the titles of both. In the words of scripture we proclaim:
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are Holy: for all nations shall come and worship before You (Revelation 15:4).
Throughout history, circumstances concerning the coming and character of Christ have corresponded so brilliantly to prophecy, that in the past the Lord’s people praised His name for it. Likewise, the Lord’s flock thanked Him for clearly depicting the Antichrist.
The Lord Himself confirmed the understanding that there would be a specific fulfilment in the Antichrist’s role when He stated, “…for the ruler of this world is coming. Similarly, Christ Jesus said, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.” John the Beloved, following in the Master’s footsteps, states emphatically, “…you have heard that the antichrist shall come…” John confirms that while there were contemporary opponents of Christ (many antichrists), these forces of opposition would eventually come together in one entity.
Contrary to flawed popular belief, the popes are not the successors to Peter the apostle. They are, however, the successors to the Roman emperor. History shows that Emperor Justinian officially bestowed the title of “Supreme High Priest” on the bishop of the church at Rome in the sixth century. Therefore, the office of “supreme high priest” of the Roman Catholic Church, perpetuated now for nearly 1,500 years, came from an apostate secular source, whereas the Bible proclaims one supreme High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, appointed by God. The pagan emperor Justinian also bestowed on the bishop of the church at Rome the universal oversight of the entire Christian world. That was when the bishop of the church at Rome became known as the pope, arising as spiritual head of the pagan Roman empire. The authority of this historical fact alone ought to be seen as clearly designating the Antichrist.
From the time of the persecution of the Vaudois and the Waldenses, and throughout the long era of the Inquisition, the Lollards, the Bohemians, and the believers of the Reformation understood both the Office of Christ and its counterfeit, The Antichrist. The zeal and courage of many of these martyrs were based on their conviction that they were withstanding The Antichrist. Today, however, it is “religiously correct” to declare one’s ignorance of the identity of The Antichrist. As the ecumenical movement gains momentum, it is imperative to regain a biblical understanding of scriptural prophecy, which has been and still is being played out in time, rather than simply relegating it to some future cataclysmic period.
Bible believers of old recognised the Roman Catholic institution as the Antichrist. This identification was known and spoken of even through the Middle Ages by, among others, Dante Alghieri, John Wycliff, John Huss, and Savonarola; during the Reformation, by Martin Luther, William Tyndale, John Calvin, Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, John Bradford, and John Foxe; in the 17th and 18th centuries, by John Bunyan, the translators of the King James Bible, and by the men who published the Westminster and Baptist Confessions of Faith; Sir Isaac Newton, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, John Wesley; and in more recent times, by Charles Spurgeon, Bishop J.C. Ryle and Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones. All these men and many more knew the precision of scripture regarding both Christ and the Antichrist. The written Word has been fulfilled in history, in both light and darkness.
As a silk glove over the hand, so the events of history clothe the prophecy of the scripture. Today, it is “religiously correct” to refrain from speaking about the Antichrist, except in some futuristic scenario that cannot be analysed since it has not yet occurred. This is an application of “the tolerance principle” of today that has all but blunted the edge of the accuracy and distinctness of the biblical sword, which is the Word of God. Such “tolerance” holds that the warnings of Christ and the Apostles, John and Paul, are not to be seen historically, but rather applied to some future political leader at the end of the last times. While much modern biblical teaching assumes a future political leader to be the coming Antichrist, the biblical Antichrist is first apostate, and then political only from his apostate seat of power. This perfectly describes every Roman Catholic pope in his pontifical office.
This article deals particularly with 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, one of the many texts that unveils the Antichrist and serves as an introduction to the other texts.
The apostle clearly states, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (v3). The Man of Sin would appear as the outworking of the “falling away,” or apostasia (“apostasy” in English). Clearly, there was to be a large-scale apostasy that would lead to the emergence of the Man of Sin. Apostasy can only take place in the professing church of God, since there must be something from which to fall away. The embryo of the iniquity that would lead to this apostasy and the revealing of the Man of Sin were already at work in the Apostle’s day — thus he says, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (v7). The scriptures elsewhere speak of the mystery of godliness, “great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…” (I Timothy 3:16). By contrast, in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the exact opposite is spoken of, “…the mystery of lawlessness,” that is, the disclosure of the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition.
The “mystery of iniquity” was soon to show itself visibly in the form of the Man of Sin. The outcome of this apostasy would be “unrighteous deception”. Such apostasy was to be marked, not by open hostility, but by hypocrisy and deceit, which to the world appears righteous and holy. Apostasy by definition is duplicity and falseness, a withdrawal and defection from the gospel and true godliness.
There was something withholding or hindering the appearance of the Man of Sin, a constraint, keeping back his emergence. Notice this constraint is a thing, a “what” in verse 6, and a person, “he,” in verse 7. The apostle’s unusual reserve to spell out the identity of this constraint is to be noticed, although he clearly realised that the Thessalonians would understand when he said, “And now you know what is restraining...” (v6).
Of great importance is the historical background to the second letter to the Thessalonians which is outlined in Acts 17:1-10. There the events that took place when Paul was at Thessalonica previous to this letter are explained. At that time, the Jews brought a political charge against Paul and Silas, “…these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus”. This was not a religious charge, but one against “Caesar,” that is, the Roman emperor. All of that had been clear to the apostle and to the Thessalonians. Had the apostle written that the constraint was the Roman empire, it would have appeared that he was supporting political revolt. The “what” of verse 6 and the “he” of verse 7 made it abundantly clear to the Thessalonians that he was speaking of the Roman empire and its emperor, respectively. The Roman empire and emperor providentially impeded the appearance of the Man of Sin for a time.
To know the time, therefore, at which the Man of Sin will appear, the whole passage (from verse 1 through 12) must be taken in context. The Man of Sin as set forth, appears at the removal of him “who is now holding back” (v7). In the previous verse, Paul reminds the believers “…now you know what holds him back”. What was it that the believers then knew? They knew that the Roman empire kept all and everyone in check. In the Thessalonians’ mind, Rome, and only Rome, restrained. (That early believers like Tertullian and Jerome had such convictions is documented.) The course of history precisely fulfilled what was stated in scripture. First, the emperor Constantine removed the seat of the empire to Constantinople. This removal gave all the opportunity that could be desired for the growth of the power-seeking Roman bishops. Internal corruption and external pressures destroyed the empire. It was only after the break-up of the Roman empire that the papacy gained ascendancy over the civil powers, and the Man of Sin became more apparent. When the Roman papacy acquired the dominion that the empire had had for centuries, which was rule in both the civil and religious spheres, then the Antichrist was seen and recognised by the Vaudois and others. In all history, it is hard to find a series of events corresponding more accurately with a prophetic statement than this.
The apostle states unmistakably the place where the Man of Sin would become visible, “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (v4). He would appear in the “temple of God”. The word “temple” is constantly used by the apostle to describe the people of God themselves. For example, “If any man defile the temple of God, shall God destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” This testifies that the Man of Sin would emanate from among the people of God as a result of the falling away, i.e. the apostasy, outlined in the preceding verse.
The authority and truth of the Lord’s written word is of such importance that scripture declares, “…You have magnified Your word above all Your name” (Psalm 138:2). The Lord Jesus Christ said, “…the scripture cannot be broken,” (John 10:35) speaking of the absolute character of God’s written word that He has magnified above His name. While many are unaware of it, the substance of 2 Thessalonians. 2:4 is both the official claim and practice of the papacy. This is documented in primary Roman Catholic sources. Verse 4 in the scripture teaches, “...he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”. Consistently in Roman Catholic teaching and practice, the pope is called “His Holiness”. Such a title applies solely to God. God is the only Being whose very nature is holy. Concerning the pope’s assumed title, “His Holiness,” the Roman Catholic Church claims the following divine attributes:
The Supreme Pontiff, in virtue of his office, possesses infallible teaching authority when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful…he proclaims with a definitive act that a doctrine of faith or morals is to be held as such.
In the papal claim to “infallible teaching authority,” it is this very quality of God’s infallibility that is at stake. Thus Rome’s official claim exalts the pope “above all that is called God”.
Likewise, the earned righteousness of Christ Jesus after the resurrection gave Him “All power… in heaven and on earth”(Matthew 28:18). The papal claim is officially expressed thus,
The Pope enjoys, by divine institution, “supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls.”
In this assertion to a power given to the Lord Christ Jesus alone, the pope again exalts himself “above all that is called God”. How many extra-marital affairs make it common sense to cry adultery? How much more official blasphemy is needed for the one who calls himself “His Holiness” to be identified correctly as the “Man of Sin”?
Extravagantly, apparently without trembling, the Roman Catholic office of the papacy in itself fulfils the Thessalonians text and definition of “Antichrist”. It is important to note that the Greek word for antichrist in the Bible means not simply against Christ, but more significantly, substituting for Christ. That the papacy in a real sense has been living out this two-fold meaning of the Greek word, one who is against the Lord Jesus Christ by presuming to take His place, is seen in its attempt to usurp His power and position as prophet, priest and king. Full and supreme power belongs solely to the God-man, Christ Jesus, who acts freely on each one in His church. This is evidenced in Ephesians 1:22-23, “And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all”. The Roman Catholic Church purports to take for itself His divine position, according to her official teaching,
For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, namely, and as pastor of the entire Church, has full, supreme and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.
He is the worst and greatest enemy of Christ, who under the pretence of service to Christ presumes to undermine His unique offices by covertly usurping His position and power.
The wickedness within the Roman Catholic system has reached such horrendous proportions that it is difficult to keep up with the documented evidence. While conviction regarding the nature of this apostate church comes from God’s Word, present day evils show the mystery of iniquity at work.
Rome’s law demands submission of mind and will to the one “…showing himself that he is God”. The official law of the Roman Catholic Church, enunciates the necessity of submitting one’s highest faculties, that of mind and will, not to God Himself, but to the Roman Pontiff.
A religious respect of intellect and will, even if not the assent of faith, is to be paid to the teaching which the supreme pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate on faith or morals when they exercise the authentic magisterium even if they do not intend to proclaim it with a definitive act; therefore the Christian faithful are to take care to avoid whatever is not in harmony with that teaching.
Not only does Rome demand this, but also Canon 1371 decrees that the consequence for not obeying is punishment with a “just penalty”.
To presume to take the place of Christ Himself as prophet, priest and king, and to presume to act as in His person is clearly tantamount to “sit[ting] as God in the temple of God, setting himself forth, that he is God”. Yet this is exactly the documented claim of papal Rome. The teaching given in Rome’s Code of Canon Law puts teeth into its claim by exacting submission and promising punishment for those who fail to obey.
The apostle Paul deliberately appears to use terms that generally refer to Christ: “revealed”, “coming”, and “mystery”, to describe the performance of the Man of Sin. This indicates that Satan’s design is to replace Christ with his own man. The stated objective is given in verse 4, “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”. This, as has been herein documented, is the claim and the law of papal Rome. Verse 9 depicts how the aim of Satan is to be carried out, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders”. The Man of Sin was to come with all power and signs and lying wonders, “…in all unrighteous deception….”
Just as the Lord wrought miracles through the apostles to confirm their position, so Satan would work with Antichrist,A religious respect of intellect and will, even if not the assent of faith, is to be paid to the teaching which the supreme pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate on faith or morals when they exercise the authentic magisterium even if they do not intend to proclaim it with a definitive act; therefore the Christian faithful are to take care to avoid whatever is not in harmony with that teaching.22 endorsing his alleged position with false miracles designed to overthrow the gospel. The Man of Sin is both an attempted personification of Christ and a contrast to Him. He attempts to occupy His position, but he is totally unlike Him and in opposition to Him. He has usurped His place and His prerogatives, and far from truly representing Him, he represents His greatest enemy. As Christ acts for God, so the Man of Sin acts for Satan, who indeed uses him for this very purpose, so the text states that the Man of Sin’s coming is “after the working of Satan”.
The purpose and intent of the Man of Sin is given also in the second name, “son of perdition”. The reference is to Judas, who pretended to be a disciple of Christ even as he betrayed the Son of Man with a sign of love and loyalty. The Son of Perdition is a secret enemy while a seeming friend, a well-known confidant, yet a fatal foe who betrays with a kiss even while he says he serves the Lord and Master. He is a Judas whose coming was to be “after the working of Satan”, with “lying wonders”. Those under him are under the influence of “strong delusion”. For their own part, they had “not received the love of the truth”, but rather took “pleasure in unrighteousness”. In a denial of the gospel of Christ, on 13 May 2000, the late Pope, John Paul II, endorsed the identity and origin of the vision of Mary of Fatima, which in truth was a “lying wonder”. He proclaimed,
According to the divine plan, “a woman clothed with the sun” (Rev. 12:1) came down from heaven to this earth to visit the privileged children.... She asks them to offer themselves as victims of reparation, saying that she was ready to lead them safely to God. And behold, they see a light shining from her maternal hands which penetrates them inwardly, so that they feel immersed in God...
And then shall that lawless one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Verse eight tells of the end of the Lawless One. He, who would be revealed when the power of imperial Rome was removed, will continue until the breath of Christ’s mouth and the brightness of His coming destroy him. This is a clear reference to the Second Coming. The Lord in this verse has foretold the destruction of the Man of Sin’s reign: the Word of the Lord will reduce it to nothing. He will be completely, and in every respect, destroyed on the final day.
In the meantime, the victory of the gospel is also seen in this verse. The apostle was repeating the truth of the Lord spoken of in Isaiah :
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked (Isaiah 11:4).
The Lord’s power has always been greatest in the day of utmost need when He comes to the aid of those destitute and poor in spirit. The character of God in His gracious gospel is “the breath of His mouth”. All through history this verse has been understood and lived out in this sense. The gospel is “the power of God to salvation to every one that believes”. Repeatedly throughout history the “gospel of grace” has conquered the Man of Sin. The Vaudois, the Waldenses, the men of the Reformation, and all genuine revivals have seen the Lord strike with the rod of His mouth and with the breath of His lips. His power is seen when His graciousness is boldly proclaimed, every individual who is saved is “…justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.
None, but God, could have delineated beforehand the “mystery of iniquity”, which is clearly the office of the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. Man could never have anticipated all this; only God foretells it. That a power claiming to act for God, to be “as God,” in the midst of the Christian church, flouting His truth and mocking His own Holiness, defies imagination.
Corruption, fraud, and false pretences have ruled the world for ages from the very same seven-hilled city where the pagan Roman empire once ruled by military force. And, they are such that if they were not clearly described by the Lord’s Word, and seen in past and recent history, man would never have expected them. The prophetic portrayal of the wickedness of the system built around the Antichrist is a demonstration of the divine inspiration of the Bible and the power and authority of our Lord God.
To reject the clear testimony of God’s written word on the fundamental office of the Antichrist, and to prefer a doctrine that can neither be verified by the text itself nor tested in time is a serious matter. It obscures the wisdom of divine prophecy and denies the true character of the days in which we live.
While futurism asserts the nearness of the second advent of Christ, some of its advocates destroy the historical timeframe of His opposer, the Antichrist, which is essential to correctly understand this fulfi lment of prophecy.
The historic playing-out of those predictions concerning the apostasy is an essential element of what the Lord foretold in His Word. Just as the Lord explained regarding Himself, “all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me”. Likewise, the substance of what was written concerning the offi ce of the one who opposes Him has been fulfilled.
With the Vaudois, the Waldenses, Lollards, and the Bohemians, through the Inquisition and the Reformation, the truth of the gospel and the prophetic word lifted nations from the depths of superstition and despotism to biblical freedom and economic growth. Much futurist teaching has been the work of sincere and dedicated men of God; nonetheless, by failing to expose the presence of Antichrist in our midst, the nations are being lured effectively into slavery once again. In the face of such failure, it is imperative to know, as believers of old knew, the presence of the true seed, Christ Jesus, with them in spirit and in truth.
The historic interpretation has been embodied in the most solemn confessions of the biblical world. It forms a leading part in the testimony of martyrs and reformers. Like the prophets of old, these holy men bore a twofold testimony, a testimony for the truth of God, and a testimony against the apostasy of those professing to be Christian. Their testimony was that papal Rome is the Babylon of prophecy,
“…that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth,” and that its head, the Roman pontiff, is the predicted “Man of Sin,” or Antichrist.
About the Author
RICHARD BENNETT hails from the Republic of Ireland. He’s had the best of academic training in things Catholic plus 21 years applying Catholic teachings to everyday life as a priest in Trinidad, West Indies, 20 years of which he served as parish priest. After a serious accident in 1972, in which he nearly lost his life, he began to seriously study the Bible. After 14 years of contrasting catholicism to biblical truth, he was convicted by the gospel message. He was then saved by God’s grace alone and formally left the Roman Catholic Church and its priesthood. He has founded an evangelistic ministry to Catholics called “Berean Beacon”— his website is http://www.bereanbeacon.org
