Antichrist - Christian Hjortland AFCOE Europe 2015

1. Antichrist - Christian HjortlandAFCOE Europe2015

3. Antichrist in the NT “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24:24 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 8 1. “Oppose” God 2. “Exalt himself” above God 3. “Sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

4. Antichrist in the NT St. Jerome, the author of the Latin Bible (4th Century): “Paul shows...according to the prophet Daniel, Antichrist will not come before Rome falls.” “Antichrist may sit in the temple of God...the church, showing himself as if he himself were Christ.” Commentaria in Danielem, chap. 25, in Migne, PL, vol. 22, col. 1037. Where would the attack come from? Acts 20:28-30 1 John 4:1-3

5. Satan's deception is often a mix between truth and error. To avoid getting deceived, it is important that we know the Bible, and follow the instructions there.

6. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist The animals of Daniel 7 “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” Daniel 7:8 The reformers

7. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist 1. It arises between the 10 tribes after the Roman Empire was divided. (Daniel 7:8) 2. A small kingdom (Daniel 7:8) 3. Three kingdoms will be plucked up by the roots, as this small kingdom arise. (Daniel 7:8) 4. A blaspheming power that speak great words against God (Daniel 7:8, 25 + Rev 13:5-6). “The priest holds the place of the Savior Himself when by saying ‘Ego te absolvo’ (I absolve you), he absolves from sin.” Dignities and Duties of a Priest, p. 34, by Liguori What does blasphemy mean according to the Bible? John 10:33, Mark 2:5-7

8. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist The claims of the Papacy: Vicarius Fili Dei “Have no fear when people call me the "Vicar of Christ," when they say to me "Holy Father," or "Your Holiness," or use titles similar to these, which seem even inimical[cause harm] to the Gospel” - Pope John Paul II (1995) The Bible says: “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” Matthew 23:9

9. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist The claims of the Papacy: “The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself hidden under the veil of the flesh. Does the Pope speak? It is Jesus Christ who speaks.” - Carinal Sarto who became Pope Pius X “The priest has the power of the keys, or power of delivering sinners from hell, of making them worthy of paradise. And God himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of his priests.” Dignities and Duties of a Priest, by Liguori, p. 27 The Bible says: 1 Timothy 2:5, Revelation 1:18, John 2:22

10. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist 5. Think to change times and laws. - Dan 7:25 The claims of the Papacy: “The Pope is of so great authority and power that He can modify, explain or interpret even divine laws...The pope can modify divine law since his power is not of man but of God and he acts as a vicegerent [in place of] of God upon earth.” Lucius Ferarri, Promta Bibliotheca, art. “Papa”, Vol. VI, p. 29. The Bible says: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18

11. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist 5. Think to change times and laws. - Dan 7:25 What is the change? Ex 20:4-5 The “Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine“ (by Peter Geiermann, C.SS.R., p. 49) has skipped the second commandment and split the tenth commandment into two. This is the case in many Catechisms. “Times” - Zimnin

12. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." (Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (St. Louis, B. Herder Book Co., 1957 ed.), p. 50) ”Sunday...is purely a creation of the Catholic Church.” (American Catholic Quarterly Review (January 1883))

13. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist 6. Make war against the saints – God's People (Daniel 7:25, Rev 13:5-7) “The church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind....” W.E.H. Lecky, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, (reprint; New York: Breziller, 1955), vol. 2, pp. 40-43 “This great antichristian power robbed the church of its gospel light and plunged the world into the Dark Ages....One thousand years covers the crest of the persecutions when from 50,000,000 to 150,000,000 martyrs died of the sword, at the stake, in dungeons, and of starvation because of the confiscation of their earthly possessions.” Bunch, Taylor, The Book of Daniel, 1950, p. 170, 185.

14. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist 7. The saints will be given into his hands for 3,5 prophetic years. (Daniel 7:25) Time=year (Daniel 4:16 – seven times) • Dan. 7:25 – “a time, times, and the dividing of time”’ • Dan. 12:7 – “a time, times, and an half” • Rev. 11:2 – “forty and two months” • Rev. 11:3 – “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” • Rev. 12:6 – “twelve hundred and sixty days” • Rev. 12:14 – “a time, times, and half a time” • Rev. 13:5 – “Forty two months”

15. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist “Vigilius ascended the papal chair in (538 A.D.) under the military protection of Belisarius.” History of the Christian Church, vol. 3, p.327. “Berthier entered Rome on the tenth of February, 1798, and proclaimed a republic…In 1798 he…made his entrance into Rome, abolished the Papal government and established a secular one.” The Encyclopedia Americana, 1941.

16. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist Archbishop Eberhard II, writing in 1241 A.D: “Hildebrand, one hundred and thirty years before, first laid the foundation for the empire of Antichrist under the appearance of religion...A little horn has sprung up...which has eyes and a mouth speaking great things...He mingles divine and human things. What is more clear than this prophecy...Under the title of Pontifex Maximus, we discern, unless we are blind, a most savage wolf, with the garments of a shepherd.” Ionnes Aventinus, Avaler Boiorum Libri Septem, pp. 684, 685.

17. 7 Biblical Facts About Antichrist 1. It arises between the 10 tribes after the Roman Empire was divided. (Daniel 7:8) 2. A small kingdom. (Daniel 7:8) 3. Three kingdoms will be plucked up by the roots, as this small kingdom arise. (Daniel 7:8) 4. A blaspheming power that speak great words against God (Daniel 7:8, 25 + Rev 13:5-6) 5. Think to change times and laws. (Dan 7:25) 6. Make war against the saints (Daniel 7:25, Rev 13:5-7) 7. The saints will be given into his hands for 3,5 prophetic years. (Daniel 7:25, Rev 12:6,14, 13:5)

18. Some future events... Revelation 13:1, 8, 3, 15. The same false system that satan used to persecute God's people for 1260 years, will once again be a persecuting power, when the deadly wound is healed. Photo: Jascha Hoste

19. The Reformers about the Antichrist Martin Luther: “We are convinced that the papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist” (What Luther Says, ed. Ewald M. Plass, Vol. 1, 34). “You should know that the pope is the real, true, final Antichrist, of whom the entire Scripture speaks, whom the Lord is beginning to consume with the spirit of his mouth and will very soon destroy and slay with the brightness of his coming, for which we are waiting” (Plass, op. cit., Vol. 1, 36, 37).

20. The Reformers about the Antichrist John Calvin: “Daniel and Paul had predicted that Antichrist would sit in the temple of God. The head of that cursed and abominable kingdom, in the Western church, we affirm to be the Pope. When his seat is placed in the temple of God, it suggests that his kingdom will be such that he will not abolish the name of Christ or the Church. Hence it appears that we by no means deny that churches may exist, even under his tyranny; but he has profaned them by sacrilegious impiety, afflicted them by cruel despotism, corrupted and almost terminated their existence by false and pernicious doctrines; like poisonous potions, in such churches, Christ lies half buried, the Gospel is suppressed, piety exterminated, and the worship of God almost abolished; in a word, they are altogether in such a state of confusion that they exhibit a picture of Babylon, rather than of the holy city of God” (ICR, Bk. 4, chap. 2, sec. 12).

21. The Reformers about the Antichrist John Knox wrote to abolish “that tyranny which the pope himself has for so many ages exercised over the church” and that the pope should be recognized as “the very antichrist, and son of perdition of whom Paul speaks.” (“The Zurich Letters” pg. 199 by John Knox) How would you respond to claims of being antichrist? a. Deny it b. Get angry and try to stop them c. Attempt to apply the Scriptures in a different way

22. The Reformers about the Antichrist The Catholic Church choose answer c. (past and then future)“In 1590, Ribera published a commentary on the Revelation as a counter-interpretation to the prevailing view among Protestants which identified the papacy with the Antichrist. Ribera applied all of Revelation but the earliest chapters to the end time rather than to the history of the Church…The first Protestant to adopt it was S.R. Maitland...William Burgh has given the first systematic treatment of prophetic events following the new futurist interpretation in Lectures on the Second Advent of Our Lord Jesus Christ (in 1835).” George E. Ladd, The Blessed Hope, pp. 37-39 (1956).