With the advent of the printing press in the15th century, and the
resulting explosion of Bibles accessible in the common language from
Protestant sources, it became readily apparent to those who could
now study the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation in particular,
that Bible prophecy identified by symbols a persecuting apostate
entity generally known as antichrist. The following table shows the
common elements from several places in scripture that aid in
identifying this antichrist power:
Characteristics
The Little Horn
(Daniel 7) The Man of Sin
(2 Th 2:3) The Sea Beast
(Rev. 13) Woman on Beast
(Rev. 17-18)
Source grows out of the head of the 10 horned fourth beast (Rome)
owes his rise to removal of a hindering power comes from the "sea",
meaning many people (densely populated Europe) arises in a city with
seven hills (Rome) and rules over many waters (peoples, and
multitudes, and nations, and tongues)
Time of Origin comes up among 10 horns (the divided successors of
the Pagan Roman Empire) revealed only after the fall of the
hindering Pagan Roman Empire receives power, seat and authority from
the Dragon (Satan working through Pagan Rome) arises among the ten
horns (divisions of Rome) that will hate her
Religio-political
Church-State
Power Diverse power, blasphemes God, exercises authority over the
saints, changes times and laws of the most high political
characteristics not mentioned, but demands and receives worship
composite of Daniel's beasts, which are kingdoms, and wear crowns,
that demands and receives worship the woman is an apostate church -
the beast is the power of the state, hence this is a religio-
political power having a priest-king ruler
Blasphemous
Presumption in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth
speaking great things and words against the most high exalts
himself above God. has a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies
full of names of blasphemy
Time of
Dominance given power over the saints for a time, times and a
dividing of times. (1260 years) ---
given power forty and two months (1260 years) ---
Warring
against
God's people made war with the saints and prevailed against them ---
makes war with the saints and overcomes them this woman (apostate
church) is drunk with the blood of the saints - in her was found the
blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon
the earth.
Great Power looks more stout than his fellows has all power, signs
and lying wonders who is able to make war with him? the woman which
thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the
earth.
Demands
Divine Homage sets himself over the saints, times, and laws of the
most high sets himself up as God, above all that is worshipped
causes multitudes to worship him this woman is the apostate "mother"
of harlot churches
End they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it
unto the end (the second coming) the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming: cast into the lake of fire utterly burned with fire
HISTORICISM
Now if we list and develop the above characteristics of antichrist,
the following becomes readily apparent:
1. It will rise to be a great power after the fall of the pagan
Roman empire (after 476 A.D.).
2. It will be a geographically small nation (a little horn).
3. It will rule over many people, nations, and tongues (it will be
universal).
4. It will be headquartered in the city of seven hills, Rome.
5. It will be a religio-political entity — a political city-state
ruled by a priest-king.
6. Its priest-king will make great and blasphemous claims.
7. It will claim authority over all kings.
8. It will claim its power to change the holy times and laws of God
as its mark of authority.
9. It will be an apostate church, that makes the nations drink her
cup of apostate doctrine.
10. It will be a "mother" church, with apostate daughters coming
from her.
11. It will be a persecuting power, killing the faithful saints of
Jesus Christ as heretics.
12. It will hold power and authority for 1260 years following the
fall of pagan Rome.
13. It will suffer a deadly wound that will end 1260 years of
dominance and persecution.
14. It will be revived after the deadly wound, and all the world
will wonder at it's revival.
In this the "Historical" interpretation, the antichrist was clearly
not merely a single individual, it was a system of apostasy and
persecution that would hold sway for over twelve centuries. The
inevitable conclusion of those who studied these prophesies in
scripture, before and during the Protestant Reformation, was that
there was only one entity that fit all the above characteristics:
the papal dynasty of the Roman Catholic Church. Is it any wonder
that the Catholic Church was so violently opposed to the scriptures
being available for everyone to read for themselves? There was such
a stir created during the reformation that the Fifth Lateran
Council (1512-17 A.D.) resorted to strictly forbidding anyone to
publish a book without prior censorship, and also prohibited anyone
from preaching on the subject of antichrist:
SESSION 10, 4 May 1515, On censorship of books:
... "some printers have the boldness to print and sell to the
public, in different parts of the world, books — some translated
into Latin from Greek, Hebrew, Arabic and Chaldean as well as some
issued directly in Latin or a vernacular language — containing
errors opposed to the faith as well as pernicious views contrary to
the Christian religion and to the reputation of prominent persons of
rank. The readers are not edified. Indeed, they lapse into very
great errors not only in the realm of faith but also in that of life
and morals. This has often given rise to various scandals, as
experience has taught, and there is daily the fear that even greater
scandals are developing." ...
... "We therefore establish and ordain that henceforth, for all
future time, no one may dare to print or have printed any book or
other writing of whatever kind in Rome or in any other cities and
dioceses, without the book or writings having first been closely
examined, at Rome by our vicar and the master of the sacred palace,
in other cities and dioceses by the bishop or some other person who
knows about the printing of books and writings of this kind and who
has been delegated to this office by the bishop in question, and
also by the inquisitor of heresy for the city or diocese where the
said printing is to take place, and unless the books or writings
have been approved by a warrant signed in their own hand, which must
be given, under pain of excommunication, freely and without delay."
"In addition to the printed books being seized and publicly
burnt, payment of a hundred ducats to the fabric of the basilica of
the prince of the apostles in Rome, without hope of relief, and
suspension for a whole year from the possibility of engaging in
printing, there is to be imposed upon anyone presuming to act
otherwise the sentence of excommunication." ...
SESSION 11, 19 December 1516, On how to preach:
... "We command all who undertake this task of preaching, or will
later undertake it, to preach and expound the gospel truth and holy
scripture in accordance with the exposition, interpretation and
commentaries that the church or long use has approved and has
accepted for teaching until now, and will accept in the future,
without any addition contrary to its true meaning or in conflict
with it. They are always to insist on the meanings which are in
harmony with the words of sacred scripture and with the
interpretations, properly and wisely understood, of the doctors
mentioned above. They are in no way to presume to preach or declare
a fixed time for future evils, the coming of antichrist or the
precise day of judgment; for Truth says, it is not for us to know
times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority.
Let it be known that those who have hitherto dared to declare such
things are liars, and that because of them not a little authority
has been taken away from those who preach the truth." ...
But the Catholic Church eventually came to the conclusion that it
would not be able to ban or burn all the Bibles, heretical books,
and heretics that possessed or preached from them. This oppressive
and crude tactic merely confirmed their identification as the harlot
persecuting church of prophecy. A new and more subtle approach was
needed in order to effectively counter the application of
apocalyptic prophecy to the Catholic Church.
One major identifying characteristic the Catholic Church needed to
deal with was the time period of 1260 years that the antichrist
power was to rule, according to Protestantism's Historicist
interpretation. There simply is only one entity on earth that has
ruled for this length of time after the fall of pagan Rome, and that
is the Roman Catholic Church (See also Time, Times, and Half a
Time? and The Red Dragon and Rome). A new "interpretation" would
have to be found that deflected attention away from the twelve
century papal rule of the middle ages.
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FUTURISM
Francisco Ribera (1537-1591) was a Jesuit doctor of theology, born
in Spain, who began writing a lengthy (500 page) commentary in 1585
on the book of Revelation (Apocalypse) titled In Sacrum Beati
Ioannis Apostoli, & Evangelistiae Apocalypsin Commentarij, and
published it about the year 1590. He died in 1591 at the age of
fifty-four, so he was not able to expand on his work or write any
other commentaries. In order to remove the Catholic Church from
consideration as the antichrist power, Ribera proposed that the
first few chapters of the Apocalypse applied to ancient pagan Rome,
and the rest he limited to a yet future period of 3 1/2 literal
years, immediately prior to the second coming. During that time, the
Roman Catholic Church would have fallen away from the pope into
apostasy. Then, he proposed, the antichrist, a single individual,
would:
Persecute and blaspheme the saints of God.
Rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
Abolish the Christian religion.
Deny Jesus Christ.
Be received by the Jews.
Pretend to be God.
Kill the two witnesses of God.
Conquer the world.
So, according to Ribera, the 1260 days and 42 months and 3 1/2 times
of prophecy were not 1260 years, but a literal 3 1/2 years, and
therefore none of the book of Revelation had any application to the
middle ages or the papacy, but to the future, to a period
immediately prior to the second coming, hence the name Futurism.
Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, one of the best known Jesuit
apologists, published a work between 1581 and 1593 entitled Polemic
Lectures Concerning the Disputed Points of the Christian Belief
Against the Heretics of This Time, in which he also denied the day =
year principle in prophecy and pushed the reign of antichrist into a
future period of 3 1/2 literal years.
Manuel De Lacunza (1731–1801), a Jesuit from Chile, wrote a
manuscript in Spanish titled La Venida del Mesías en Gloria y
Magestad ("The Coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty"), under
the pen name of Juan Josafa [Rabbi] Ben-Ezra about 1791. Lacunza
wrote under an assumed Jewish name to obscure the fact that he was a
Catholic, in order to give his book better acceptance in
Protestantism, his intended audience. Also an advocate of Futurism,
Lacunza was deliberately attempting to take the pressure off the
papacy by proposing that the Antichrist was still off in the future.
His manuscript was published in London, Spain, Mexico and Paris
between 1811 and 1826.
La Venida del Mesías en Gloria y Magestad online at the National
Library of Chile (in Spanish).
Edward Irving (1792-1834), a Scottish Presbyterian and forerunner of
the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, translated Lacunza's work
from Spanish into English in a book titled The Coming of Messiah in
Glory and Majesty with a Preliminary Discourse, published in London
in 1827 by L.B. Seeley & Sons, which included Irving's own lengthy
preface. Here are excerpts from Irving's translation:
Lacunza asserts that Antichrist would appear near the end of time:
That there shall be an Antichrist; that he shall be revealed, and
publicly declared, towards the last times; and that he shall commit
in the world the greatest evils, making formal war against Christ,
and all that pertains to him; —these are three certain things, of
which no Christian can doubt. -- Vol. I, Part II, Phenomenon III,
pg. 259.
Antichrist, Lacunza concludes, would not be just one man:
ACCORDING to all the signs given in the Holy Scriptures, and others,
not equivocal, offered to us by time, which is wont to be the best
interpreter of the prophecies, the antichrist, or the contrachrist,
with whom we stand threatened in the times immediate upon the coming
of the Lord, is nothing but a moral body, composed of innumerable
individuals, diverse in themselves, but all morally united and
animated with one common spirit, against the Lord and against his
Christ; -- Vol. I, Part II, Phenomenon III, pg. 260.
As to the harlot woman riding the beast in Revelation 17, Lacunza
acknowledges it is indeed referring to Rome:
... the doctors do all agree, that the woman here spoken of is the
city of Rome, in other times the capital of the greatest empire in
the world, and now the capital and centre of unity of the true
Christian church. On this first point, which is not called in
question, there is no occasion to tarry. -- Vol. I, Part II,
Phenomenon III, pg. 288.
... it is not present Rome which is at all spoken of here, but
future Rome alone to which the prophecy hath its determinate
application. -- Vol. I, Part II, Phenomenon III, pg. 295.
Rome yes, Lacunza agrees, but not the Roman Catholic Church of his
day, which he calls the true church, rather he pushes this prophecy
in Revelation 17 off into the future:
Rome, not idolatrous but Christian, not the head of the Roman empire
but the head of Christendom, and centre of unity of the true church
of the living God, may very well, without ceasing from this dignity,
at some time or other incur the guilt, and before God be held guilty
of fornication with the kings of the earth, and amenable to all its
consequences. And in this there is not any inconsistency, however
much her defenders may shake the head. And this same Rome, in that
same state, may receive upon herself the horrible chastisement
spoken of in the prophecy; -- Vol. I, Part II, Phenomenon III, pg.
296.
This apostate Christian group termed Antichrist would be:
... slain and destroyed by Christ himself in the great day of his
coming in glory and majesty. -- Vol. I, Part II, Phenomenon IV, pg.
321.
Edward Irving's translation of Lacunza's
Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty
Volume I in Adobe 6 PDF format. (1.4 mb)
Volume II in Adobe 6 PDF format. (1.4 mb)
Both Volumes I & II revised on 28 July 2003.
Margaret McDonald, a 15 year old Scottish girl, and member of Edward
Irving's congregation, had visions in early 1830 that included a
Secret Rapture of believers before the appearance of the Antichrist.
She informed Irving of her visions by letter. Irving then attended
the prophecy conferences that began in Dublin Ireland in 1830 at
Powerscourt Castle, where he promoted both Futurism and a Secret
Rapture.
Samuel Roffey Maitland (1792-1866), scholar and librarian to the
Archbishop of Canterbury, further promoted and established Futurism
in England after 1826, as a result of reading the work of Manuel De
Lacunza.
John Nelson Darby (1800–1882), a Church of Ireland clergyman, later
with the Plymouth Brethren, also promoted Futurism and a secret
rapture. Darby attended the series of meetings on Bible Prophecy
that began in 1830 at Powerscourt, Ireland, and at these conferences
Darby apparently learned about the secret rapture as revealed by
vision to Margaret McDonald, and promoted by Edward Irving, and he
soon visited Margaret MacDonald at her home in Port Glasgow,
Scotland. Darby later visited America several times between 1859 and
1874, where his Futurist theology was readily accepted.
Cyrus Ingerson Scofield (1843-1921), greatly influenced by the
writings of J. N. Darby, incorporated Futurism in the notes of his
Scofield Reference Bible. First published by Oxford University Press
in 1909, one million copies were printed by 1930. The Scofield Bible
was instrumental in firmly establishing the Jesuit inspired Futurist
interpretation in the Protestant Bible schools of the United States
in the 20th century.
The Jesuit Inspired Futurist Lie Spreads
To America's Protestant Seminaries
These seminaries and ministries have wholly abandoned the historical
Protestant and biblical teaching that the Roman Catholic Church is
the apostate church, the harlot of Revelation, with the Antichrist
papacy at its head, and instead serve to screen the papal Antichrist
power from being perceived by their students or viewers. They are
accurately described as false prophets!
Dallas Theological Seminary (a nondenominational Protestant school):
Lewis Sperry Chafer (1871-1952), a student of Cyrus Scofield,
founded Evangelical Theological College (now DTS) in 1924, which is
likely the most influential seminary in the United States today.
Futurism, and the secret rapture (which they call the blessed hope),
are covered in articles 18-20 of the DTS Full Doctrinal Statement.
Some of the more well known alumni and faculty of DTS:
John Walvoord (Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology, President
of Dallas Theological Seminary from 1952 to 1986, Chancellor of DTS
since 1986), author of The Rapture Question (1957), and member of
the revision committee for The New Scofield Reference Bible.
Chuck Swindoll (Insight for Living), President of Dallas Theological
Seminary since July of 1994.
Charles C. Ryrie (Professor Emeritus Dallas Theological Seminary),
author of The Ryrie Study Bible, which has been characterized as the
updated Scofield Reference Bible for the end of the twentieth
century.
Hal Lindsey, (hallindsey.com - hallindseyoracle.com) author of The
Rapture: Truth or Consequences (1983), perhaps the best known
prophecy author of the last 30 years. Sole credited Bible authority
for Trinity Broadcasting's recent Futurist antichrist movie Omega
Code.
J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988), Through the Bible Radio series.
Kenneth N. Taylor (former director of Moody Press, founder of
Tyndale House Publishing), author of The Living Bible. Tyndale House
publishes the hugely popular Left Behind Futurist series by Tim
LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.
Thomas Ice (Executive Director of the Pre-trib Research Center),
Th.M. from DTS, co-founder of Pre-trib Research Center with Tim
LaHaye. The Thomas Ice collection.
Renald Showers, Most High God: A Commentary on the Book of Daniel.
Moody Bible Institute of Chicago: In 1890, C. I. Scofield began a
Comprehensive Bible Correspondence Course, later taken over about
1914 by the Moody Bible Institute (Dwight. L. Moody, founder of the
Moody Church, had converted Scofield, and Scofield preached and
presided at Moody's funeral in 1899).
Moody Press supplied Sunday School lessons to the Assembly of God
churches about 1914, introducing Pentecostals to Futurism and the
secret rapture theory.
The Ryrie Study Bible, by Charles C. Ryrie, a graduate Dallas
Theological Seminary, boasts 10,000+ study notes and is listed among
the best selling books published by Moody Press.
Jerry B. Jenkins, co-author of the Left Behind series, is the former
vice president for publishing of Moody Bible Institute, and former
editor of Moody Magazine. Currently he is Moody Bible Institute's
writer-at-large.
Western Theological Seminary (Reformed Church in America).
Alma Mater of Tim LaHaye, founder of the Pre-trib Research Center,
co-author of the Left Behind series of books, by far the most
popular series promoting Futurism and the secret rapture, which has
sold 20+ million copies. Published by Tyndale House, at least 12
titles are planned for the series. The film version of the first
book in the series has been produced by prophecy authors Peter and
Paul Lalonde of Cloud Ten Pictures:
Left Behind - The Film Project
Left Behind - The Movie
Released first on video cassette, and then in theaters in early
2001, people who have seen Left Behind say it is confusing, and
lacks a Gospel presentation of salvation through faith in Jesus
Christ, making it of little (if any) evangelistic value, much like
TBN's Omega Code and Megiddo (Omega Code II).
Tim LaHaye School of Prophecy - opens in January 2002 on the campus
of Liberty University
Lynchburg, V.A., Dr. Jerry Falwell - Chancellor. Tim LaHaye says he
was impressed by the prophecy conferences of Albury Park and
Powerscourt held in Britain in the 1820's and 1830's and this led
directly to his co-founding the Pre-trib Research Center. Edward
Irving and J. N. Darby attended, and apparently greatly influenced,
these 19th century British prophecy conferences where the secret
rapture and futurism gained in acceptance among Protestant prophecy
scholars.
Well known ministries teaching Futurism and the Secret Rapture:
Trinity Broadcasting - perhaps the largest Christian TV Broadcasting
Network, TBN has produced two futurist themed movies: Omega Code and
Megiddo (Omega Code II). TBN also airs the following movies with end-
times, secret rapture / futurism themes:
The Moment After - TMA Productions.
Two FBI agents investigate the reason for the sudden mysterious
disappearance of millions of people.
The Gathering - DRC Productions.
Two unbelieving women and a believing husband have disturbing
visions of the impending tribulation and sudden rapture of
Christians.
End of the Harvest - Christiano Film Group.
A college student, who experiences strange dreams of a farmer
harvesting wheat, reluctantly defends end-time Bible prophecy when
another student fails to give the presentation to a group of die-
hard atheists in a philosophy club. Subtly promotes spiritualism
(communications from the dead).
Jack Van Impe Ministries - Offers The Jack Van Impe Prophecy Bible
with a verse-by-verse commentary on the book of Revelation entitled
Revelation Revealed. On his TV program, Jack claims that God Himself
has shown him the error of previous Bible interpreters and given him
the absolutely correct interpretation of the book of Revelation.
Order a Bible, and you will also get a free Prophecy Chart which
overviews his Catholic/Jesuit inspired Futurist interpretation.
Producer of the following futurist-themed movies:
Apocalypse I: Caught in the Eye of the Storm.
Apocalypse II: Revelation.
Apocalypse III: Tribulation.
Apocalypse IV: Judgment.
Jerry Falwell Ministries - heavily promotes the Tim LaHaye School of
Bible Prophecy, which opened in January 2002 on the campus of
Falwell's Liberty University.
John Hagee Ministries - Offers the John Hagee Prophecy Study Bible,
billed as "the only Prophecy Study Bible of its kind", with over 300
pages of Bible Prophecy study notes and having unique Bible Prophecy
charts. John Hagee has strongly promoted the Left Behind books and
movie with hour long infomercial TV programs.
The King is Coming, World Prophetic Ministry, Colton, California, Ed
Hindson President. Founded by Dr. Howard C. Estep (1916-1986),
author of The Catching Away (1967). Committed to the literal
interpretation of the Bible. Dr. Dave Breese, former President of
W.P.M. and Teacher on "The King is Coming." referred to Scofield's
margin notes when teaching the Futurist interpretation of Daniel's
70 weeks on The King is Coming. Contributed to the Tim LaHaye Study
Bible, billed as "the most complete study Bible ever!". Tim LaHaye
has been guest speaker for a series of programs on the "The King is
Coming".
Grant R. Jeffrey (Prophecy Online)
Hilton Sutton World Ministries
Zola Levitt - Zola Levitt Ministries "holds to a strictly literal
and inerrant Bible interpretation, salvation through Christ alone, a
soon pre-tribulation Rapture of all believers and the establishment
of a thousand-year kingdom on Earth."
John Ankerberg (Ankerberg Theological Research Institute), (Harbor
Lighthouse)
Perry Stone (Manna Fest), Founder and President of Voice of
Evangelism Ministries Inc.
Chuck Missler (Koinonia House). Questions Continue: The Great Snatch?
Dave Hunt (The Berean Call) - author of A Woman Rides the Beast,
remarkably enough, teaches the secret rapture and future antichrist
in his newsletter The End Times.
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PRETERISM
Another counter-interpretation to the Historicism held by
Protestantism was proposed by the Spanish Jesuit Luis De Alcazar
(1554-1613), who also wrote a commentary called Investigation of the
Hidden Sense of the Apocalypse, which ran to some 900 pages. In it
he proposed that it all of Revelation applied to the era of pagan
Rome and the first six centuries of Christianity. According to
Alcazar (or Alcasar):
Revelation chapters 1-11 describes the rejection of the Jews and the
destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.
Revelation chapters 12 - 19 were the overthrow of Roman paganism
(the great harlot) and the conversion of the empire to the church.
Revelation 20 describe the final persecutions by Antichrist, who is
identified as Cæsar Nero (54-68 A.D.), and judgment.
Revelation 21 -22 describe the triumph of the New Jerusalem, the
Roman Catholic Church.
Again, Alcazar found no application of prophecy to the middle ages
or to the papacy. That his interpretation differed so greatly from
that put forth by Francisco Ribera or Cardinal Bellarmine, mattered
little. Catholicism, the supposedly divine and infallible
interpreter of scripture, was presenting two vastly different and
quite incompatible interpretations of prophecy in a desperate effort
to counter the claims of the reformers.
THE GREAT CATHOLIC DIVERSION REVEALED
The intent of both Futurism and Preterism was to be diversionary, to
counter or offset the Protestant Historical interpretation, and
present alternatives, no matter how implausible they might be. The
result is evident from the following chart, which illustrates the
three schools of interpretation regarding antichrist:
THE REIGN OF ANTICHRIST
ANTICHRIST IS MOVED EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARD IN TIME
Ribera's Futurism Puts the Antichrist Into A Future Three and One-
half Literal Years.
Alcazar's Preterism Identifies the Antichrist as Nero.
Both of Them Put Antichrist Outside the Middle Ages and the
Reformation Period,
Identified by Protestant Historicists as Antichrist's Reign of 1260
Prophetic Years.
Now the truly amazing part of all this is that the Futurist theory
dominates Protestant teaching today. About all you hear or read
about today is the yet-to-appear antichrist, who will be unveiled in
the last 3 1/2 years of Daniel's 70th week, when he declares himself
to be God in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. That scenario, as you
can now see, is directly traceable back to the pen of the Jesuit
Francisco Ribera. Note what one Protestant writer had to say over
one hundred years ago:
"Accordingly, towards the close of the century of the
Reformation, two of her most learned doctors set themselves to the
task, each endeavouring by different means to accomplish the same
end, namely, that of diverting men's minds from perceiving the
fulfilment of the prophecies of the Antichrist in the Papal system.
The Jesuit Alcasar devoted himself to bring into prominence the
Preterist method of interpretation, which we have already briefly
noticed, and thus endeavouring to show that the prophecies of
Antichrist were fulfilled before the Popes ever ruled in Rome, and
therefore could not apply to the Papacy. On the other hand the
Jesuit Ribera tried to set aside the application of these prophecies
to the Papal Power by bringing out the Futurist system, which
asserts that these prophecies refer properly not to the career of
the Papacy, but to that of some future supernatural individual, who
is yet to appear, and to continue in power for three and a half
years. Thus, as Alford says, the Jesuit Ribera, about A.D. 1580, may
be regarded as the Founder of the Futurist system in modern times."
"It is a matter for deep regret that those who hold and advocate
the Futurist system at the present day, Protestants as they are for
the most part, are thus really playing into the hands of Rome, and
helping to screen the Papacy from detection as the Antichrist. It
has been well said that 'Futurism tends to obliterate the brand put
by the Holy Spirit upon Popery.' More especially is this to be
deplored at a time when the Papal Antichrist seems to be making an
expiring effort to regain his former hold on men's minds."
From Daniel and the Revelation: The Chart of Prophecy and Our Place
In It, A Study of the Historical and Futurist Interpretation, by
Joseph Tanner, published in London by Hodder and Stoughton, 1898,
pages 16,17.
In what could only be described as a stunning reversal, Protestants
have over time actually become the papacy's greatest ally by
spreading its Jesuit spawned propaganda. What irony that
Protestants, who originally broke away from what they clearly
recognized to be the harlot antichrist led church of prophecy, now
champion the Futurist interpretation from high profile global
ministries. Futurism has without doubt, been successful beyond the
wildest dreams of its Jesuit authors. The same can be said for the
Preterist interpretation of Luis De Alcazar, although to a lesser
degree.
Daniel's 70th week
Exploding the Israel Deception by Steve Wohlberg.
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The above article is based primarily on information obtained from
The PROPHETIC FAITH OF OUR FATHERS, The Historical Development of
Prophetic Interpretation, by Le Roy Edwin Froom, Volume II, Pre-
Reformation and Reformation Restoration, and Second Departure,
published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association,
Washington D.C., Copyright 1948, Chapters 21-23 in particular.