Unveiling the Antichrist and Beast of Babylon
The Sapphire Review Vol. 2 | No. 3 • January 17, 2025
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;
2 Thessalonians 2:3, KJV
Article Sections:
INTRO
In an age where the majority of Christians are looking to the future for the “son of perdition”, the anti-christ “man of sin,”1 many are surprised when they hear that this entity was revealed well over 1,000 years ago.
The purpose of this article is to provide a list of concise points for reference regarding the anti-christ (“in place of” Christ), how to identify him, and how these identifying points have already been fulfilled.
There are twenty identifying marks within scripture regarding this prophecy. God has gone to great lengths to ensure that all those who are willing to receive and see the truth will not be deceived. Much more could be said about each of the individual points than what is presented in this writing. This article is plenty long just to cover the basic framework and proofs.
It is expected that the reader will search out these matters for themselves, like the Bereans, to see if these things are so.2 All those who do, with a love for the truth, will be led by God into all truth.3 They will discover not only the things that are written here below, but much more evidences, showing clearly the identity of the anti-christ and the associated beasts of Daniel and Revelation.
It is important to note that this article is about a system/kingdom (the beast) and the man that sits atop that system (the anti-christ). It is not about the people within that system, for God has many children that He now is calling to come out of the fallen Christian religious systems referred to in scripture as Babylon.4
THE IDENTIFYING MARKS
Rises Among (10) Nations
Rises After 483 AD
It is “Little”
It is a “Diverse” Church-State Power
It is “More Stout” than Others
Headed by a Man / Succession of Men
Uproots (3) Kingdoms that Stand in its Way
Speaks Blasphemies Against God
Persecutes God’s People
Rules for 1,260 Years
Seeks to Change Times and Laws
Goes through to the End and is Destroyed at Christ’s Second Coming
Receives his Power from Satan
Receives a Deadly Wound that is Later Healed
World Wonders After the Beast when the Wound is Healed
Arrayed in Purple and Scarlet
Holds a Golden Cup
His Name / Title Adds up to 666
Denies the Father and Son
Denies that Jesus Came in the Flesh
Note
There is only one power in the world and in all of history that can meet the criteria for even a handful of these marks. It is beyond remarkable that there exists a single power that actually fulfills all of them. We are not looking for a man in the future to rise. Instead, we need only to look back at history and we will see who the power is that meets the conditions of all twenty of these marks.
SCRIPTURE AND THE IDENTIFYING MARKS
Here is a look at where the basis for these marks can be found in scripture.
1a) Rises among (10) Nations
“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” (Daniel 7:7–8, KJV)
2a) Rises after 483 AD
“And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.” (Daniel 7:24, KJV)
The date for this point will be clarified in the History section below. For the purposes of scripture, we need only to see that it rises after the division of the 10 nations.
3a) It is “Little”
“I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” (Daniel 7:8, KJV)
4a) It is a “Diverse” Church-State Power
“And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.” (Daniel 7:24, KJV)
“And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.” (Daniel 2:41–42, KJV)
“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; We are the clay, and thou our potter; And we all are the work of thy hand.” (Isaiah 64:8, KJV)
5a) It is “More Stout” than Others
“And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.” (Daniel 7:20, KJV)
6a) Headed by a Man / Succession of Men
“I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” (Daniel 7:8, KJV)
7a) Uproots (3) Kingdoms that Stand in its Way
“I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” (Daniel 7:8, KJV)
8a) Speaks Blasphemies Against God
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” (Daniel 7:25, KJV)
“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.” (Revelation 13:6, KJV)
9a) Persecutes God’s People
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” (Daniel 7:25, KJV)
“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:7, KJV)
“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” (Revelation 17:6, KJV)
10a) Rules for 1,260 Years
A time, times, and dividing of time = 3 1/2 years. 3 1/2 years = 42 months. 42 months at 30 days per prophetic month = 1,260 days. These are all equivalent values in scripture when referring to prophetic time periods.
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” (Daniel 7:25, KJV)
“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.” (Revelation 13:5, KJV)
“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” (Revelation 12:6, KJV)
“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.” (Revelation 12:14, KJV)
In prophetic time, there is a day for a year principle that is used.
“And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” (Ezekiel 4:6, KJV)
“After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.” (Numbers 14:34, KJV)
11a) Seeks to Change Times and Laws
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” (Daniel 7:25, KJV)
12a) Goes through to the End and is Destroyed at Christ’s Second Coming
“I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.” (Daniel 7:11, KJV)
“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;… And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 8)
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (Revelation 19:20, KJV)
“Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.” (Daniel 2:34, KJV)
13a) Receives his Power from Satan (dragon/serpent)
“And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” (Revelation 13:2, KJV)
“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.” (Revelation 12:13, KJV)
“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” (Revelation 12:15, KJV)
14a) Receives a Deadly Wound that is Later Healed
“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” (Revelation 13:3, KJV)
15a) World Wonders After the Beast when the Wound is Healed
“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” (Revelation 13:3, KJV)
16a) Arrayed in Purple and Scarlet
“So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:3-5, KJV)
17a) Holds a Golden Cup
“So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:3–5, KJV)
18a) His Name / Title Adds up to 666
“Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:18, KJV)
“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” (Revelation 15:2, KJV)
19a) Denies the Father and Son
“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” (1 John 2:22–23, KJV)
20a) Denies that Jesus Came in the Flesh
“And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (1 John 4:3, KJV)
HISTORY AND THE IDENTIFYING MARKS
A look at how these marks have been fulfilled by one power in history.
1b) Rises among (10) Nations5
Between 351 and 483 AD, the western Roman Empire was divided into (10) nations. (The Huns [or Allamanni], Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Suevi, Burgundians, Heruli, Anglo-Saxons, and Lombards)
From Uriah Smith, Daniel and the Revelation, 1897, p63:
2b) Rises after 483 AD6
The rise to power of the little horn pertains not to its civil power but its ability to exercise control over the minds and consciences of men.
This solidification of this rise was strengthened in 533 AD when Emperor Justinian issued a degree in a letter to Pope John II declaring the pope as the head of all churches and stated his desire to then “increase the honour and authority of your [the pope’s] Apostolic chair.” George Croly, The Apocalypse of St. John, 1827, p114-115:
As we will see shortly, this power was formally instated, and all obstacles removed, in 538 AD.
3b) It is “Little”7
In terms of its rise, it is little in that it rose to power slowly, rather than bursting onto the scene as a great military force like previous conquerors such as Cyrus of Persia and Alexander of Greece. The Roman church was persecuted in the first century until it was eventually made the official religion of the Roman empire in the 4th century by Constantine.
It is also smaller in geographic size than other world kingdoms. Wikipedia states the following concerning Vatican City:
“With an area of 49 hectares (121 acres)[c] and a population of about 764 (as of 2023), it is the smallest sovereign state in the world both by area and by population.”
4b) It is a “Diverse” Church-State Power8
Different from all other powers, which are state / political only, this power will have a merging of church and state (iron mixed with clay). It will be both a religious and a state power.
Medieval Europe, Bemont and Monod, 1902, p120-121:
5b) It is “More Stout” than Others9
Though smaller in size, it becomes stronger than other kingdoms, controlling both the kings and the citizens of Europe.
Just to give one example, the following from Arnold Matthew in Life and Times of Hildebrand, 1910, p128-129, shows how Pope Gregory VII wielded power and control over the king of Germany by making him grovel outside of his gate for three days in bitterly cold conditions.
The same Pope Gregory VII also claimed 27 statements of authority known as the “Dictatus papae.” Statement 12 in this list provides for the pope’s authority to depose emperors.
6b) Headed by a Man / Succession of Men10
The “eyes of man” are representative of this beast (kingdom) being headed by a single man, or rather a succession of men. In Roman Catholicism, this is known as “apostolic succession.”
Britannica states the following regarding the apostolic succession:
7b) Uproots (3) Kingdoms that Stand in its Way11
Edward Elliott in Horae Apocalypticae, Vol 3., 1862, p139, states the following regarding three nations that were completely destroyed (plucked out at the roots) before the supreme power of the pope was established in 538 AD:
The Heruli were eradicated in 493 AD, the Vandals in 534 AD, and the Ostrogoths in 538 AD. All three of these nations were Arian, and they were opposed to the supreme authority of the Bishop of Rome. Thus, they had to be removed before Justinian’s decree in 533 could become a reality. After the Ostrogoth’s fell in 538 AD, the papacy formally entered its reign as a supreme power.
8b) Speaks Blasphemies Against God12
Consider the following statements:
“We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty” - Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter, 1894
From Lucius Ferraris, “Papa,” Article 2, Prompta Bibliotheca [translated from the Latin]:
“The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God.”
“The Pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth with most ample power of binding and loosing his sheep.”
“Hence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth and of hell.”
Adam Clarke’s commentary on Daniel 7:25, 1843, Vol 4, p596
"He shall speak as if he were God." So St. Jerome quotes from Symmachus. To none can this apply so well or so fully as to the popes of Rome. They have assumed infallibility, which belongs only to God. They profess to forgive sins, which belongs only to God. They profess to open and shut heaven, which belongs only to God. They profess to be higher than all the kings of the earth, which belongs only to God. And they go beyond God in pretending to loose whole nations from their oath of allegiance to their kings, when such kings do not please them! And they go against God when they give indulgences for sin. This is the worst of all blasphemies!
9b) Persecutes God’s People13
Millions of people were slain during the dark ages when papal power was at its peak.
History of Romanism, John Dowling, 1845, p541-542:
History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, William Lecky, 1872, p40:
10b) Rules for 1,260 Years14
Time Clock Started in 538 AD
In 538 AD the Ostrogoths (the last of the 3 horns to be uprooted) were removed, and the formal reign of the papacy’s supreme power started with Pope Vigilius:
History of the Christian Church, Philip Schaff, 1889, p327:
History of the Christian Church from its Establishment by Christ to AD 1871, Nicholas Summerbell, 1871, p311. Speaking of Emperor Justinian and his decree to join the Catholic Church or leave in 538:
1,260 years from 538AD brings us to 1798
Time Clock Stops in 1798
Napolean’s general, Berthier, marches into Rome and removes the pope from power on February 10, 1798.
Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 9, 1896, p4822:
Rome: From the Fall of the Western Empire, George Trevor, 1869, p439-440
Summary
Papacy rises to its place of power in 538 AD, after the overthrow of the Ostrogoths.
The reign of supreme power and persecution continues 1,260 years.
The papacy is “wounded” and loses its power in 1798 when General Berthier removes the pope from his seat of power in Rome and throws him into prison.
11b) Seeks to Change Times and Laws15
The ten commandments, spoken audibly by God on Mt. Sinai,16 and written upon tables of stone by His finger,17 have been changed by the papacy.
The Catholic ten commandments, as seen in the Catholic Catechism, has removed the second commandment pertaining to the worship of graven images. The 10th commandment is then split into two in order to maintain a total of 10.
Keeping the 7th day Sabbath (Saturday) holy has been changed to Sunday. The Catholic church has redefined the “Lord’s day” from Sabbath18 to Sunday.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, regarding Sunday:
From the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, 1937, p64
From Our Sunday Visitor, February 5th, 1950
Thus God’s law has been “changed” by removing the 2nd commandment and splitting the 10th. God’s time has been changed by commanding people to keep Sunday holy rather than the Sabbath.
12b) Goes through to the End and is Destroyed at Christ’s Second Coming19
Despite losing its supreme power in 1798, the line of men sitting in the seat of the papacy has been unbroken and will continue to remain unbroken (while gaining more power and influence) until the time of Christ’s return.
13b) Receives his Power from Satan20
The Paul VI Audience Hall of the papacy is built partially in Vatican City and partially in Rome. It is a structure where the pope holds various audiences and conferences.
The structure itself is designed after the head of a serpent and is a subtle acknowledgement to the serpent/dragon (Satan)21 which gives the pope his power.
Notice who sits and speaks at the very head of the tongue of this serpent like structure:
Satan works through world leaders and governments. As we saw in Point #2, it was Emperor Justinian who ultimately gave the papacy power in 538 AD.
The title “Pontifex Maximus” (Greatest Pontiff) was part of ancient pagan religion in Rome. All pagan religion is ultimately giving worship to Satan, the dragon. This title was even carried by Roman emperors until 383 AD.
The papacy took this pagan Roman title upon itself.
14b) Receives a Deadly Wound that is Later Healed22
We saw in Point #10 how the papacy received a deadly wound in 1798 at the hand of French general Berthier.
In 1929, the deadly wound to the papacy was healed as part of the Lateran Treaty.
“The Lateran Treaty was the birth of the independence of the Vatican as modern state. The state of the Vatican City became a sovereign state with the pope as its recognized leader.”
Land and great sums of money were also given to the Catholic church as part of this treaty:
The San Francisco Chronicle declared the wound as healed on February 12, 1929:
The wound was totally healed. The Vatican became a state again, had their own laws, acquired international influence, and the pope began to travel the world as a head of state (just like leaders of other nations).
15b) World Wonders After the Beast when the Wound is Healed23
Leaders of nations wonder after the pope:
Religious leaders wonder after the pope:
Millions of people all around the world wonder after the pope:
16b) Arrayed in Purple and Scarlet24
Catholic bishops dress themselves in purple:
Catholic Cardinals dress themselves in scarlet:
17b) Holds a Golden Cup25
The golden chalice is an important piece, which is held up by the pope, during certain religious rituals.
18b) His Name / Title Adds up to 66626
a) We learn from the Catholic publication Our Sunday Visitor, in the Bureau of Information section of the April 18th edition in 1915, that the letters inscribed on the pope’s crown are “Vicarius Filii Dei”:
In order to count the number of the name “VICARIUS FILII DEI,” we need to review the Roman numerals and their values. Any letters that are not found in the chart below do not have a numerical value.
The first word “VICARIUS” has a value of (5 + 1 + 100 + 0 + 0 + 1 + 5 + 0) or 112
The second word “FILII” has a value of (0 + 1 + 50 + 1 + 1) or 53
The third word “DEI” has a value of (500 + 0 + 1) or 501
Adding all three of these together (112 + 53 + 501) we get 666, or the number of the beast.27
19b) Denies the Father and Son28
a) In order for one to be called a liar (as stated in the question posed by John in 1 John 2:22), they must know the truth. The Catholic Church’s definition of the trinity, from their catechism, solidifies a centuries old lie, and is such that it denies the literal father and son relationship between our one God, the Father,29 and our one Lord, Jesus Christ,30 His only begotten and literal son.31
20b) Denies that Jesus Came in the Flesh32
The Catholic doctrine of original sin teaches that Adam’s actual and literal sin is passed down from generation to generation. This is why they perform infant baptisms.
Since Jesus was born of a woman, they developed the doctrine of the immaculate conception of Mary to get around the errors of the original sin teaching.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
This doctrine teaches that Mary, as a result of her Immaculate conception, was kept free from the original sin that was passed to every other human being from Adam. As a result of this, Jesus too was kept from this original sin and thus had a different type of flesh from the rest of mankind.
This teaching denies that Jesus came in the likeness of our flesh.33
SUMMARY OF THE MARKS IDENTIFYING THE ANTI-CHRIST AS THE PAPACY
#1, 2, 7:
The western empire of pagan Rome empire split into ten nations between 351 and 483 AD. From the midst of these 10 nations, papal Rome rose to its eventual seat of power over the nations of Europe in 538 AD after uprooting the nations of the Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths.
#3, 4:
Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world. Also, being the seat of rule for the Roman Catholic church, it is diverse from every other nation in that it rules with a government that has fully merged church and state.
#6, 8, 11, 12, 18:
Since the beginning of the Roman Catholic church, it has been ruled by the seat of a single man known as the pope/papacy. This chain will remain unbroken until the time of Christ’s return. The men in this seat have taken blasphemous titles and practices upon themselves, have attempted to change the ten commandments of God, and have moved the sanctity of the 7th day Sabbath to Sunday. The title on the triple crown of the Pope is VICARIUS FILII DEI, meaning vicar (or in place of) the Son of God. In Roman numerals, the numerical value of this Latin title adds up to 666.
#5, 9, 10:
The papacy became more stout than all the European nations when it ruled for 1,260 years between 538 AD and 1798 AD. During this time, the rulers and peoples of these nations were subjected to the tyrannical authority of the pope. Millions of Christians were slaughtered during this time for standing against the false teachings of the Catholic church and for calling out the pope as the antichrist.
#14:
The papacy received a “deadly wound” in 1798 when Napoleon’s general, Berthier, removed the pope from power and put him in prison. The wound was healed after the Lateran treaty in 1929 when the pope was restored to a place of prominence, given large sums of money, and given land to establish the sovereign state of Vatican City.
#13:
As a subtle acknowledgement to Satan, the dragon/serpent from which the pope receives his power, an audience hall has been built in the shape of a serpent’s head. On the inside, the pope sits at the tongue of the serpent structure and delivers regular messages (speaking on behalf of the dragon). The men of the papacy have taken on the title of Pontifex Maximus, a title that originated with priests of satanic paganism in Rome, followed by Rome’s emperors.
#15:
The whole world wonders after the papacy as leaders of nations, governments, and religions all make pilgrimages to see the Pope. Millions flock to see him as he travels from place to place.
#16, 17:
The leaders within the Catholic church wear garments of purple or scarlet depending on their position. A golden chalice (cup) is held up in the hands of the pope during religious ceremonies.
#19, 20:
The Catholic doctrine of the trinity denies the true and literal relationship between God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. The Catholic doctrine of original sin and the immaculate conception denies that Jesus came in the likeness of our flesh. Furthermore, this doctrine additionally denies that it is Jesus Himself that dwells within us, in our own flesh, by His spirit.
STATEMENTS OF REFORMERS ON THE PAPACY AS ANTICHRIST
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
From First Principles of the Reformation of Dr. Martin Luther, translated into English, 1885, p197:
“the papacy is in truth nothing else than the kingdom of Babylon and of very Antichrist.”
John Calvin (1509-1564)
From Institutes of the Christian Religion, translated into English, 1845, p652:
“Pope, the, proclaims himself vicar of Christ, but, on the contrary, he is Antichrist”
John Knox (1505-1572)
From The Appellation of John Knox, 1558, pA4
“Yea we doubt not to prove the kingdom of the Pope to be the kingdom and power of Antichrist. … in detecting and disclosing the damnable impiety of that man of sin the Roman Antichrist,”
Huldreich Zwingli (1484-1531)
From The Accompt Rekenynge and Confession of the Faith, 1555, p12
“by restoring that blood-sucking bishop the Romish Antichrist to his former usurped authority in that goodly realm, contrary to God’s word, contrary to thine own laws, and contrary to all your oaths, faith, and fidelity”
Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556)
From The Works of Thomas Cranmer, 1844, p.xxviii
“And as for the pope, I refuse him as Christ’s enemy and antichrist, with all his false doctrine.”
Westminster Confession of Faith (1658)
From The Westminster Confession of Faith, 1658, p89
“There is no other Head of the Church, but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense be Head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that Man of sin, and Son of Perdition, that exalteth himself, in the Church against Christ, and all that is called God.”
John Wesley (1703-1791)
From Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, 1757, p559-560
“[the Pope] 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...”
CONCLUSION
The pope, or the seat of the papacy, is the little horn of Daniel 7, the first beast of Revelation 13, and the great whore of Revelation 17.
There is no other prophecy in the Bible with as much evidence and as many identifying marks as there is with the anti-christ and his “beast” kingdom. God does not want us to miss this truth. So many details have been given.
If we ask for eyes to see and ears to hear, and look at both the plain text of scripture and how it aligns with true historical events, we will not get this wrong. Many teachers of religion will stand against this weight of evidence and attempt to dismiss it. Great is the delusion of the last days. Jesus warned about deceptions and many false prophets that would rise up in the last days.34
Don’t be misled by mainstream teachings, popular opinions, or great crowds. Those who love the truth,35 and have a heart to search out if these things are so,36 will be kept from being blinded by the cunning of Satan’s many deceptions.
Knowing who the beast kingdom of Babylon is, and the man of the anti-christ who heads this power, is of extreme importance. For it is only by properly identifying these things that one can then properly identify its mark. All who improperly identify the anti-christ, and look to a counterfeit in his place, are also at risk of looking for a counterfeit mark of the beast.
Revelation 13:15–18 (KJV)
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
When the time comes for the mark of the beast to be enforced, our eternal destiny is dependent upon getting this right and not being swept up by a tide of deception.
Revelation 14:11–12 (KJV)
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
PRAYER
May the Spirit of Truth guide us into all truth regarding the matter of the anti-christ and the beast system of Babylon. May our love for truth abound, that we may be protected from every manner of deception that Satan has raised up and will raise up in these last days.
God Bless,
Charles
For a more in depth study regarding this topic, see the following playlist from the Earthen Vessels YouTube channel:
2020 Vision: Unveiling the Mark of the Beast
All this incredible information about identifying the antichrist in one article. Very well done! I hope it gets shared a lot!
Wonderful work brother Charles (as always). This is the key to truth and freedom in Jesus Christ. Everything else falls into place once we can properly identify the beast (antichrist) of Daniel and Revelation as the papacy. God bless you always my brother.