WHAT DID THE PROTESTANT REFORMERS TEACH ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF ANTICHRIST?
John Wesley, 1703 – 1791 (Founder—Methodist Church):
“He [Papacy] is in an emphatical sense, the Man of Sin, as he increases all manner of sin above measure. And he is, too, properly styled the Son of Perdition, as he has caused the death of numberless multitudes, both of his opposers and followers… He it is… that exalted himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped… claiming the highest power, and highest honor… claiming the prerogatives which belong to God alone.”
Taken from “Antichrist and His Ten Kingdoms” by John Wesley, page 110
Martin Luther, 1483 – 1546, (Founder—Lutheran Church):
“We here are of the conviction that the papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist. …personally I declare that I owe the Pope no other obedience than that to Antichrist.” August 18, 1520
Taken from “The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers” Vol. 2 Page 121 by Froom
John Calvin, 1509 – 1564 (Founder—Presbyterian Church):
“Some persons think us too severe and censorious when we call the Roman pontiff Antichrist. But those who are of this opinion do not consider that they bring the same charge of presumption against Paul himself, after whom we speak and whose language we adopt… I shall briefly show that (Paul’s words in II Thess. 2) are not capable of any other interpretation than that which applies them to the Papacy.”
Taken from “Institutes” by John Calvin.
Cotton Mather, 1663 – 1728 (Congregational Theologian):
“The oracles of God foretold the rising of an Antichrist in the Christian Church: and in the Pope of Rome, all the characteristics of that Antichrist are so marvelously answered that if any who read the Scriptures do not see it, there is a marvelous blindness upon them.”
Taken from “The Fall of Babylon” by Cotton Mather in Froom’s book “The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers.” Vol. 3, Page 113
Roger Williams 1603 – 1683 (First Baptist Pastor in America):
He spoke of the Pope as “the pretended Vicar of Christ on earth, who sits as God over the Temple of God, exalting himself not only above all that is called God, but over the souls and consciences of all his vassals, yea over the Spirit of Christ, over the Holy Spirit, yea, and God himself…speaking against the God of heaven, thinking to change times and laws; but he is the son of perdition (2 Thess 2).”
Taken from “The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers” by Froom, Vol. 3, pg. 52.
John Knox, 1505 – 1572 (Scottish Presbyterian):
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.”
Taken from “The Zurich Letters” page 199 by John Knox.
Thomas Cranmer, 1489 – 1556 (First Archbishop of Canterbury, Anglican Church):
“Whereof it follows Rome to be the seat of antichrist, and the pope to be very antichrist himself. I could prove the same by many other Scriptures, old writers, and strong reasons.”
Taken from “Works” by Cranmer, Vol. 1, Pages 6-7.
Strange indeed that the churches today neglect the insight of their founders on this matter, nevertheless when we present our study of Revelation Chapter 13 the reason will become all too clear.
Another evidence to the Reformers in confirming the identity of Antichrist was the doctrine of the Mass. The ritual of the Mass claims to recreate and sacrifice over and over Christ’s actual flesh (bread) and blood (wine). Known as the Eucharist, it became a requirement that each believer must receive this fresh sacrifice of Christ to cover his daily sins.
Daniel 11:31 refers to this as the abomination that makes desolate. The Mass makes desolate or negates the full merit of Christ’s blood which was shed once for all. Hebrews 7:27; 10:10
It is important to note that the Protestant Reformers were careful not to condemn any individual Catholic believer as Antichrist—recognizing that no individual, no man is The Antichrist. Popes, bishops, priests and others have been only parts of, and, possibly, innocent members of the corrupt Antichrist system.
Continued with next post.
John Wesley, 1703 – 1791 (Founder—Methodist Church):
“He [Papacy] is in an emphatical sense, the Man of Sin, as he increases all manner of sin above measure. And he is, too, properly styled the Son of Perdition, as he has caused the death of numberless multitudes, both of his opposers and followers… He it is… that exalted himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped… claiming the highest power, and highest honor… claiming the prerogatives which belong to God alone.”
Taken from “Antichrist and His Ten Kingdoms” by John Wesley, page 110
Martin Luther, 1483 – 1546, (Founder—Lutheran Church):
“We here are of the conviction that the papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist. …personally I declare that I owe the Pope no other obedience than that to Antichrist.” August 18, 1520
Taken from “The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers” Vol. 2 Page 121 by Froom
John Calvin, 1509 – 1564 (Founder—Presbyterian Church):
“Some persons think us too severe and censorious when we call the Roman pontiff Antichrist. But those who are of this opinion do not consider that they bring the same charge of presumption against Paul himself, after whom we speak and whose language we adopt… I shall briefly show that (Paul’s words in II Thess. 2) are not capable of any other interpretation than that which applies them to the Papacy.”
Taken from “Institutes” by John Calvin.
Cotton Mather, 1663 – 1728 (Congregational Theologian):
“The oracles of God foretold the rising of an Antichrist in the Christian Church: and in the Pope of Rome, all the characteristics of that Antichrist are so marvelously answered that if any who read the Scriptures do not see it, there is a marvelous blindness upon them.”
Taken from “The Fall of Babylon” by Cotton Mather in Froom’s book “The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers.” Vol. 3, Page 113
Roger Williams 1603 – 1683 (First Baptist Pastor in America):
He spoke of the Pope as “the pretended Vicar of Christ on earth, who sits as God over the Temple of God, exalting himself not only above all that is called God, but over the souls and consciences of all his vassals, yea over the Spirit of Christ, over the Holy Spirit, yea, and God himself…speaking against the God of heaven, thinking to change times and laws; but he is the son of perdition (2 Thess 2).”
Taken from “The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers” by Froom, Vol. 3, pg. 52.
John Knox, 1505 – 1572 (Scottish Presbyterian):
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.”
Taken from “The Zurich Letters” page 199 by John Knox.
Thomas Cranmer, 1489 – 1556 (First Archbishop of Canterbury, Anglican Church):
“Whereof it follows Rome to be the seat of antichrist, and the pope to be very antichrist himself. I could prove the same by many other Scriptures, old writers, and strong reasons.”
Taken from “Works” by Cranmer, Vol. 1, Pages 6-7.
Strange indeed that the churches today neglect the insight of their founders on this matter, nevertheless when we present our study of Revelation Chapter 13 the reason will become all too clear.
Another evidence to the Reformers in confirming the identity of Antichrist was the doctrine of the Mass. The ritual of the Mass claims to recreate and sacrifice over and over Christ’s actual flesh (bread) and blood (wine). Known as the Eucharist, it became a requirement that each believer must receive this fresh sacrifice of Christ to cover his daily sins.
Daniel 11:31 refers to this as the abomination that makes desolate. The Mass makes desolate or negates the full merit of Christ’s blood which was shed once for all. Hebrews 7:27; 10:10
It is important to note that the Protestant Reformers were careful not to condemn any individual Catholic believer as Antichrist—recognizing that no individual, no man is The Antichrist. Popes, bishops, priests and others have been only parts of, and, possibly, innocent members of the corrupt Antichrist system.
Continued with next post.
