We seem to think that this is what the bible actually says will happen but there are many Christians who believe otherwise. In fact The New Testament, rather than pushing the Antichrist into the future (from our twenty first century perspective), appears to push him back towards the Rome. Did you realize that there are many who believe that the reign of Antichrist has been fulfilled already, during the Dark Ages in the Papacy? (The Papacy is a dynasty of Popes that have ruled for over 1000 years.)
This alternative teaching is not something new but has actually been believed by many famous Christians, such as:
Wycliffe, John Huss, Luther, Calvin, Tyndale, Bunyan, C. Finney, D. L. Moody, Hudson Taylor, Spurgeon, and Campbell Morgan
One Jesuit Priest called RIBERA in 1585 AD devised a teaching that the Antichrist was not the Pope, but a man who was to come in the future. These teachings did not effect the Reformation much at that time, and Reformation went ahead anyway, but in 1826 AD a Maitland librarian to the Bishop of Canterbury, found these old teachings, dusted them off and published them.
FOR MORE ON THE FUTURIST THEORY
The flames of the Reformation had by this time died down and many Christians were ignorant of Church History (as many are today) and became interested in this intriguing view of an Antichrist to come. Later, a preacher called Darby adopted this theory in the Plymouth Brethren, and it has spread like wild fire ever since in Churches throughout the world.
2. The Antichrist would have power for 1260 days/years. Take the date when the Pope actually became 'Head over all the Churches' in 538AD, add 1260 years to it, and it brings you to1798 AD, which is the date the Popes' power came to an end. He was taken as a prisoner to France by Napoleon's troops, where he later died.
If that is insufficient proof, look at the date 606-610 AD which some historians believe was the reign of the first official Pope. Add 1260 years to this and you come to 1870AD when King Victor Emmanuel took away the Popes' Temporal Kingdom, leaving him with just the Vatican. Here we have not one, but two witnesses.
The trouble with many Christians today is, we apply all the prophesies in Revelation and Daniel to us today or the near future rather than seeing them as fulfilled already, which is really quite a presumptuous attitude.
Look at Revelation 1:1 for instance which was written in 96 AD. It says there that those things that are written will shortly come to pass. It’s now nearly 2000 years later and we still feel most of Revelation is still unfulfilled and only applies to us in the 21st Century. Don’t forget that God was just as interested in the Church of the 1st century and the 10th century, as He is with us today and was speaking to them then through the word.
When John's disciples came to Jesus, they asked the question;
"Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?" (Luke 7:19-22)
Jesus told them to look at the fruit of His ministry; the healings and miracles for example.
That was the proof of who He was. The evidence was there before their eyes, that He was the Christ. When it comes to who the Antichrist is, we can ask,
"Is the Papacy the one, or do we look for another?"
Look at the fruit; look at the evidence before you. The Word of God says that by the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses, a thing was to be proved or established (Deuteronomy 19:15) When you look at the evidence concerning the Papacy, why look for another? There is enough evidence to close the case and convict the accused instantly. Just look at some of the main clues that God gave to identify who the Antichrist would be:
1. The number of the Beast would add up to "666" (Revelation 13:18) Not once, not twice but three times his name adds up to "666" - in Roman, Greek and Hebrew.
FOR MORE ON THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST
Look at this amazing evidence. 2 Thessalonians says that Antichrists coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. They are not real wonders but lying wonders. In fact the credulous would believe these lies. During the Dark Ages the average person was illiterate and denied access to the Bible. They were all very superstitious in those days and easily incriminated.
In the All Saints Church at Wittenberg there was found a fragment of Noah’s Ark, soot from the furnace of the 3 Hebrew Children, a piece of wood from the cradle of Jesus Christ, some hair from the beard of Saint Christopher, and 19,000 other relics.
In a Cathedral in Schaffhausen was exhibited the breath of St. Joseph which Nicodemus received in his glove.
In Wurttemberg a large feather plucked from the wing of the Angel Michael.
In a Cathedral in Lima South America there is a weeping Virgin, whose head moves and whose eyes shed copious tears on certain days of the year.
In Italy there is a Holy House of Loreto proclaimed by the Priests to be the house in which Mary was born and grew up in, and where the Angel Gabriel spoke to her. This house was translated, through the air, from Nazareth in Palestine to Tersatto in Dalmatia, then to Loreto in Italy; a journey of 1500 miles.
In the Church of St. Prassede, Italy, they have a regular museum of relics, of which the following are a fraction. They possess the tooth of St. Peter and another of St. Paul. They have the chemise of the Virgin and the girdle of the Lord Jesus. They have the Rod of Moses, and the heads of St. Peter and St. Paul. The towel, with which Christ wiped the feet of the disciples, happens to be in their possession. They also claim to possess the swaddling clothes of the baby Lord Jesus and 3 thorns from His crown of thorns. They claim to have the stone which killed Stephen and 4 pieces of the true cross. And all these objects are supposed to have miraculous powers.
There were enough pieces of the original cross found in these Roman Churches to construct thousands of buildings. They also claim to have some of Mary's Milk which was given to the baby Jesus, thousands of John the Baptist's heads and thousands of his forefingers that pointed to Jesus as being the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. You must remember that the average person in those days was illiterate and thus very superstitious. Only the hierarchy were allowed access to the Holy Scriptures.
It tells us in Daniel 12:4 that when it is the Time of the End there would be an increase of knowledge. Looking at history we see that when Papal power came to an end in 1798 AD, there was an immediate explosion of knowledge. Up to this point, the book of Daniel, as a whole, was sealed up. In other words, it was not understood by the people. But when that power that had placed the embargo on the Word of God and tried to shut it away from the people, was broken, then light of all kinds ( Biblical, scientific, inventive and industrial) began to shine and penetrate in every direction of society. It's a striking fact that immediately after the overthrow of Papal power, Bible Societies sprang up in large numbers, with the gospel going out into all the world (Matthew 24:14) A new era dawned in 1798 AD - The Time of The End.
We have the attitude today that people of past generations were not as important as we are today, therefore God could not have been speaking to them. Think about it. If there was a DARK DAY today like that of 1780 AD and the FALLING OF THE STARS as great as in 1833 AD (which went on for over 8 hours) and again in 1866 AD, we would all say that this is the sign of the Lord's soon return. However, because it happened over 200 years ago, it doesn't seem to count.
Spurgeon’s thoughts on the Antichrist
"It is the bounden duty of every Christian to pray against Antichrist, and as to what Antichrist is no sane man ought to raise a question. If it be not the popery in the Church of Rome there is nothing in the world that can be called by that name. If there were to be issued a hue and cry for Antichrist, we should certainly take up this church on suspicion, and it would certainly not be let loose again, for it so exactly answers the description."
"Popery is contrary to Christs Gospel, and is the Antichrist, and we ought to pray against it. It should be the daily prayer of every believer that Antichrist might be hurled like a millstone into the flood and for Christ, because it wounds Christ, because it robs Christ of His glory, because it puts sacramental efficacy in the place of His atonement, and lifts a piece of bread into the place of the Saviour, and a few drops of water into the place of the Holy Ghost, and puts a mere fallible man like ourselves up as the vicar of Christ on earth; if we pray against it, because it is against Him, we shall love the persons though we hate their errors: we shall love their souls though we loath and detest their dogmas, and so the breath of our prayers will be sweetened, because we turn our faces towards Christ when we pray.”
Just to name a few. This belief that the Pope was the Antichrist made the Reformers so brave so as to face dungeons, the rack; flame and even death. Millions died believing this truth, against great opposition. This opposition to the Pope became so clear and incriminating that a specialist group of priests was formed to fight back, who were called the Jesuits
We hear a lot today about an Antichrist who is going to come, and all
the terrible things that he will do in the future. He is supposed to be a Superman and the Incarnation of Satan who will persecute Christians and rule the world.
