Posted on 10/29/2010 8:28:07 AM PDT by topcat54
You can pretty much rest assured that prophecy teachers (pastor, preacher, “prophet,” pundit, televangelist, and the like) have little idea what they’re talking about when they use the phrase “the Antichrist.” It’s a dead giveaway that any such person has sold out dogmatically, uncritically, and close-mindedly to a particular system of end-times theology rather than a purely biblical assessment of the issue.
Why such a strong conclusion over the mere phrase “the Antichrist”?
Because no such character appears in Scripture. Let me explain.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanvision.org ...
Darn ... I always look forward to DeMars latest scoffing.
Hmmm.....
Sufficiently well documented, such that I’ll have to reflect a bit...
You might try reading the article first.....
The author makes it clear that the Bible accounts for several anti-Christ’s across history. Not the least of which is Nero who fits the 666 warning quite well.
Ding ding ding. We have a winner.
The above discussion is arguing semantics but the spirit of the passages to me indicate an actual entity. I suppose at the end when the beast is revealed it will matter little whether he is called the antichrist or the man of lawlessness or the beast out of the earth or simply Obama (toungue in cheek).
I think he is trying to point out the singular not the plural or anti-Christ spirit of an age or group.
1 John 4
Test the Spirits
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
"This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
But thank God for these books for awareness no matter what the critique. Some never would not of read scripture without these books to read at bookstores or libraries.
"Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.”
I looked, and behold, a white horse, and HE who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to HIM, and HE went out conquering and to conquer." (Revelation 6:1-2, Emphasis added)
The following text makes it clear that an INDIVIDUAL is coming and that he will be a MAN, :
And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on HIS horns were ten diadems, and on HIS heads were blasphemous names.
And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and HIS feet were like those of a bear, and HIS mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave HIM his power and his throne and great authority.
I saw one of HIS heads as if it had been slain, and HIS fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;
they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with HIM?” There was given to HIM a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to HIM.
And HE opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
It was also given to HIM to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to HIM.
All who dwell on the earth will worship HIM, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes;
if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.
(The false prophet will compel the whole world to worship this man and to bear his mark in order to buy or sell anything:)
"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.
He exercises all the authority of the first beast IN HIS PRESENCE. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to WORSHIP the FIRST BEAST, whose fatal wound was healed.
He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an IMAGE TO THE BEAST who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
And he causes ALL, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either THE NAME OF THE BEAST or the number of HIS NAME.
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of A MAN; and HIS number is six hundred and sixty-six. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of THE BEAST, for the number is that of A MAN; and HIS NUMBER is six hundred and sixty-six. (Revelation 13:1-18, Emphasis added)
Throughout the above passage the Apostle John uses the masculine singular in describing THE BEAST, THE PRINCE WHO is to come is a MAN (Daniel 9:26).
As was stated earlier: "The name "Anti-Christ" is not what the coming world leader will be known as. He will be lauded and beloved by those who hate God and will probably be called a savior. "Anti-Christ" is a simply a name that people generally use to describe that Satanic leader. He could also be called "Man of Sin", "Son of Perdition" and "Beast".
It’s been debated over and over but it already happened. There is no singular anti-Christ and John was referring to the Roman empire. But don’t let that stop all you lunatics waiting for the end times. Spark that bone and pass it around, dude!
You mean that phantasm that "Bible scholar" Joel Rosenberg write about in his fiction?
The word "antichrist" is found in the Bible, but it is never used in association with any "end time" individual ala futurism. Yet that is what futurists consistently call their end time figure. Why?
“Scoffing at the excesses of futurism for 32 years.”
Conspiracy? Only if you consider most of these prophecy gurus spinning a similar yarn about end time details a conspiracy.
As the above link concludes...
"The Evangelical Fundamentalist interpretation of Antichrist and Man of Sin as follows Ribera's and Bellarmine's Futuristic viewpoints. Not only has the Futuristic interpretation negated the powerful Reformation interpretation against Papacy, but it also allows room for ecumenism between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. If the Papacy is not the Antichrist, then there is no point to the Reformation separation from Papacy."
And...
14. Calvin indicated that though the AD 600 Gregory the Great was the first bishop at Rome to be called sole pope, Gregory himself had regarded that new title as a mark of antichrist! Yet Calvin saw especially the AD 1415 papal burning of Huss as a clear evidence of the antichristian nature of the papacy. On Daniel 12:4ff, Calvin commented in 1561: "At the present time, in the papacy . . . impiety prevails." 15. Calvin especially insisted that both II Thessalonians 2:3ff and I John 2:18 & 4:4ff clearly brand the pope as antichrist. Romanists, said Calvin, were wrong to regard antichrist as a yet-future tyrant who would harass the church for but three and a half years. Even a ten-year-old, stated Calvin, can see that the centuries-long papacy is itself indeed antichrist! Yet the papal "antichrist will be annihilated by the Word of the Lord . . . Paul does not think the Christ will accomplish this in a moment . . . Christ will scatter the darkness . . . before His coming" by "the preaching of this doctrine." For "we fight by Christ’s power, and are armed with God’s weapons . . . We are victorious . . . We can no more be conquered, than can God Himself . . . Victory is certain!" 16. Calvin’s views were expounded in Britain especially by his student John Knox together with the rest of the "six John’s" in the 1560 First Scots Confession. There, the Protestants’ "True Kirk is distinguished from the filthy synagogues" of Romanism. Especially against the latter, the Confession sounds the trumpet blast: "Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be confounded . . . Give Thy servants strength to speak Thy Word in boldness, and let all nations cleave to Thy true knowledge!" 17. The Calvinistic Second Scots Confession of AD 1580 also known as the Scottish National Covenant denounces "all kinds of papistry in general. We detest and refuse the usurped authority of that Roman antichrist. Many are stirred up by Satan and that Roman antichrist to subvert secretly God’s true religion . . . We therefore . . . protest!" Indeed, this Protestant ‘protest’ was effective. For the Preamble to the 1618ff international Calvinistic Decrees of Dordt declared that also in Holland "the Church was delivered by the mighty hand of God from the tyranny of the Romish antichrist and the terrible idolatry of the papacy." Christians were leaving Romanism, Revelation 18:2-4! 18. The 1646 Calvinistic Westminster Confession of Faith denounces "popish monastical vows." It denies "the pope any power or jurisdiction" over magistrates, citing here not only II Thessalonians 2:4 but also the ‘666’ passage of Revelation 13:15-17. It calls "papists . . . idolaters." It describes "the popish sacrifice of the ‘mass’ . . . [as] most abominably injurious to Christ’s one sacrifice." Indeed, it terms "transubstantiation . . . repugnant not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason" and indeed "the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries." 19. More specifically, the Westminster Confession further insists about deformed churches, that "some have so degenerated as to become synagogues of Satan. Revelation 18:2; Romans 11:18-22 . . . The pope of Rome . . . is that antichrist . . . that exalteth himself in the church against Christ and all that is called God. Matthew 23:8-10; II Thessalonians 2:3-4, 8-9; Revelation 13:6." 20. Finally, the Calvinistic Westminster Larger Catechism insists that, in the Lord’s Prayer, the petition ‘Thy Kingdom come!’ is a plea for the destruction also of the ecclesiastical antichrist and indeed precisely through the good works of the Spirit-empowered Church as Christ’s own spiritual weapon! "We pray that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in, [and] the Church furnished with all gospel-officers and . . . purged from corruption." Further, "we pray that God would so over-rule the world and all in it that our sanctification and salvation may be perfected [and] Satan trodden under our feet. Romans 16:20!"13. John Calvin took over and systematized Luther’s Biblical views. Calvin called Luther "my much respected father" who had denounced "the darkness of the papacy." Calvin himself then further repeatedly exposed the Roman pontiff as antichrist.
Not easier, but necessary. Truth often needs to be presented in positives and negatives. We believe this but we do not believe that, and here’s why.
"Know this first of all, that in the last days MOCKERS WILL COME with their MOCKING, following after their own lusts, and saying, “WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS (i.e., The Lord Jesus Christ)COMING? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,
through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for FIRE, kept for the day of JUDGMENT and DESTRUCTION of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:3-7, Emphasis added)
This thread is about bashing Christians. Not about the anti-christ. TC has a history
This thread is about bashing Christians. Not about the anti-christ. TC has a history
Phantasm? hardly, and Joel Rosenberg is hardly the first person to mention it.
“The Mahdi” is an integral part of Islam, and every so often throughout History, someone has stood up and claimed to be the Islamic Mahdi and touched off a fresh round of Jihad as a result.
While we were fighting our civil war here in America, “the Mahdi” arose in what was then still a part of the Ottoman Empire in the area known as Soudan, and his jihadists fought their way down into the heart of Aftica, slaughtering thousands of natives and others in the process.
Ayatollah Khomeni never claimed to be the Mahdi, but he didn’t stop others from calling him “Imam” either. In the end, just another fakir...
By the way, have you read Rosenberg’s latest?? I burned through it in about three days, and it is well sourced like his other writings are, and makes an excellent read while providing ample food for thought.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.