IS ‘ANTICHRIST’ YET TO APPEAR OR IS HE HERE ALREADY? (Part XII)

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

IS ‘ANTICHRIST’ YET TO APPEAR OR IS HE HERE ALREADY? (Part XII)

Please refer to the past 11 parts I have shared for your personal study, convenient files and reference. I hope and pray you will do your part as I strive to do mine. While this effort is a collaborative work, we all will be judged individually according to the light of present truth made available to us. To continue:FF 202.

“BIBLE PROPHECY OF ANTICHRIST IS PLAIN. The prophecies of the Bible regarding Antichrist are so plain that EVEN Roman Catholics cannot evade them all. The 7th chapter of Daniel foretells the rise of 4 world empires, which the Douay Bible [official Roman Catholic Bible] explains to the ‘Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires.’

The Roman Empire was broken up into 10 smaller kingdoms between the years 351 and 476 A.D. And among them there should grow up ‘another power,’ symbolized as a ‘LITTLE HORN.’

Of this the Douay Bible says: ‘ANOTHER LITTL HORN.’ THIS IS COMMONLY UNDERSTOOD OF ANTICHRIST. Dan. 7: 7, 8.’ [emphasis mine]. The Papacy is the only power that came up just at that time, and which FITS all the specifications of the symbol [of the ‘little horn’].

“We have seen [in the last parts] how clearly the Papacy is pointed out in 2 Thess. 2:3-7 [symbolized as ‘the man of sin’ and ‘the son of perdition’].

This prophecy states that the apostolic church would be GRADUALLY ‘falling away’ [apostatizing] until a ‘man’ would exalt himself to take the place of God in the church [referred here as ‘the temple of God’]. The ‘MYSTERY OF INIQUITY’ was already at work in Paul’s day, but something was holding it back (verses 6,7).

“As long as the Roman Empire was HEATHEN [the emperors were heathen, sun-worshippers], and persecuted the CHRISTIANS, there was NO INCENTIVE to join the church for WORLDLY [and political] GAIN.

“But during the time [and reign] of CONSTANTINE the church became POPULAR, and the worldly ambitions struggled for the HIGHEST ECCLESIASTICAL OFFICES, because of the great honor and emolument connected with them; and when finally the ROMAN STATE was abolished, the BISHOP OF ROME seated himself upon the THRONE OF THE CAESARS [heathen, Roman Emperors]. It was therefore heathen Rome that had to be ‘TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY,’ before the Papal Antichrist could come into power.

“Speaking of this point the CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA says: ‘The impediment is the Roman Empire; the main event impeded is is the ‘man of sin.’ – Vol. I, p. 580, art. ‘Antichrist.’ The Douay Bible says: ‘The Roman Empire …..was first to be destroyed, before the coming of Antichrist.’ – Note on 2 Thess. 2: 3.’ “ – Christian Edwardson, Facts of Faith, pp. 202, 203, Southern Publishing Asso., Nashville TN, 1943.

In Dan. 8:11-13 the “daily” symbolizes the pagan Roman Empire of the Caesars had to be first taken away before the “transgression of desolation,” the Papacy, the “little horn power” could replace it and ascend to power.

The word “sacrifice” was added by the translators to word “daily,” and must be eliminated.

Seek the truth and it will set you free! Bless all, NMF