The Future Antichrist Is A Myth

The Future Antichrist Is A Myth

Published 20170506 -:- Revised 20250829

I am dyslexic so please bear with me. Scripture references are from King James (KJV) unless noted other wise.

References & Equipment

e-Sword    = Bible references are from ‘e-Sword’. The FREE Bible on line. http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html

HCC    = History of The Christian Church (by Philip Schaff) 1882 Edition. via e-Sword. [Phrases underlined for easy reference.]

FoxBM    = Fox’s Book of Martyrs – via e-Sword

Aim

I hope to give you a simple ONE-page reference with ‘Four’ reasons to reject the Futurist Interpretation of Revelation.

Introduction

Let’s first do a recap of the Futurist Interpretation for you. It is explained in Francisco Ribera’s work quit well. He proposed that the 1260 days, 42 months and 3 1/2 times are a literal 3 1/2 years sometime in the future. During which the antichrist, a single individual, would: -

1- Persecute and blaspheme the saints of God; 2- Rebuild the temple in Jerusalem; 3- Abolish the Christian religion; 4- Deny Jesus Christ; 5- Be received by the Jews; 6- Pretend to be God; 7- Kill the two witnesses of God; and 8- Conquer the world.

Prophecies Make No Sense

The key scripture that most futurist believers quote is: - 2Th 2:3 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” (ie. The Antichrist). v:4 “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” So the antichrist will sit in the temple of God. Lets think this out clearly here!

This is still in the 21^st century future! So the futurist believers say the temple would have to be rebuilt? Who is going to rebuild it? The antichrist or maybe the Jews? Either way would God be happy with a new temple built for the prepose of restarting blood sacrifice and in so doing totally rejecting Christ’s once and for all sacrifice on the cross? Also would God refer to it in verse 4 as, “the temple of God”? His own beloved temple which the antichrist has just built for Him. I don’t think so!

Splitting Of Prophecies

The 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel, (Dan. 9:24-27), is split into two separate parts, so that the 69^th week will terminate at the time of Christ. Then the 70^th week is for some mystical reason transported off into the distant future? During that 70^th week, verse 27, the antichrist comes to power etc.etc… Combining this with Revelation 13 “a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns,” etc. Then they add Dan 7:8 “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn,” etc. All of which they say is said to be still future?

The other prophecy which is dragged into the mix is Nebuchadnezzar's Dream, Dan 2:31-45. In verse 42 Daniel talks of ‘Ten Toes’ which are Ten Kingdoms. This is said to be still future and the antichrist will come to power with them at the same time. So Daniels prophecy finishes with the ‘Legs of iron’, which are the Roman Empire. Then for the Ten Kingdoms to be in the future there obviously has to be a ‘Gap’ of some 1600 years before the Ten Kingdoms and the antichrist arrive on the scene.

The point being, THERE IS NO PRECEDENT FOR SPLITTING PROPHECIES!

2000 Years Without A Vision?

The other BIG problem with splitting prophecies is we now have a ‘GAP’ of 1600 years, or 2000 years of which God has left us with NO indication of what He has planed for us. Consider the following, Prov 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish;” Also Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” God doesn’t do anything without telling his prophets, write these thing down for they will ‘shortly come to pass’ Rev 1:1. All through biblical history we can follow a time line of prophecies in which God has told Israel; ‘this is what will happen to you over the next prophetic number of days’; which equals years!

But if we have a ‘GAP’ then suddenly from the resurrection onward God tells us NOTHING! We have had wars, persecution, power changes, inventions, (gun powered the printing press and flight) etc. God has supposedly refused to tell us before hand about any of these things? I don’t think the God I worship would refuse to tell me that these things are going to happen!

Futurism Was Promoted By The Jesuit

If you have e-Sword on your PC got to HCC, search for the phrase, ‘The Futurist system’. You will find the following: -

 “3. The Futurist system: The events of the Apocalypse from Rev_4:1-11 to the close lie beyond the second advent of Christ. This scheme usually adopts a literal interpretation of Israel, the Temple, and the numbers (the 31 times, 42 months, 1260 days, 3 1/2 years). So Ribera (a Jesuit, 1592), Lacunza (another Jesuit, who wrote under the name of Ben-Ezra “On the coming of Messiah in glory and majesty,” and taught the premillennial advent, the literal restoration of the ancient Zion, and the future apostasy of the clergy of the Roman church to the camp of Antichrist), S. R. Maitland, De Burgh, Todd, Isaac Williams, W. Kelly.”

Then you can do your own Google search using these names and dates: - Francisco Ribera (1537-1591), Cardinal Robert Bellarmine  4 October 1542 – 17 September 1621, Michael Walpole (1570-1624?), Manuel De Lacunza (1731–1801). These four were Jesuit scholars and they all published work professing the future coming antichrist and a literal 3 ½ year future tribulation. All of their works were produced in odder to refute the works of the reformers. The reformers were denouncing the pope as the antichrist, and being burnt at the stake for their efforts. This you can check via e-Sword, go to Fox’s Book of Martyrs, search for “antichrist”. Then read the courageous declarations by those brave men.

GBY…(God Bless Ya!)

Yours Adrian