Antichrist

[patricia1]

How do you know? Again, there is a lot of room for interpretation here.

The language is very specific - it will be established by the Anti-Christ. Whether this "Beast" is many people, one person, etc., it doesn't matter. The Beast has yet to come, ergo, the religion does not exist.

You're going to have to point out this language. You said it was in the Revelation, but I would again point out that the word "anti-Christ" is -not- a word in that book. And again, you're using the argument that the "beast" hasn't come, but you offer no proof of this.

because it says He singlurlaly has great power and great authority. verse three of chapter 13 state to us And I saw ( saw is very important here) one of his heads as if it had been slain and his fatal wound was HEALED. And the WHOLE EARTH was AMAZEDand followed after the beast. Who do you follow. If you see the beast let us know? perhaps we missed him. I doubt it thoughsmile and a chuckle

[Rhonda Lou]

I've read the original question and all of the subsequent threads. The original author would like us to look at history and not the future. Though I believe THE Antichrist to be in the future, there are two things to consider, without getting into the "future". First, there is a "spirit of the Antichrist". John speaks of it in 1 John 2:18-19: "Little children, it is the last hour and you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now, many anti-christs have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They were out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us."

This "Spirit of Antichrist" then is somebody who professes to be a Christian, but is not. They went their own way, teaching false doctrines. Continuing in 1 John, this is their false doctrine: "Who is a liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either, he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also." Anybody who does not believe that Jesus is both God and man is an antichrist. As such, to date, both the Catholic church, and the Pope, believe Jesus is both God and Man. You are correct, however, that they preach not justification by faith alone apart from works, but that once saved by Christ, works are necessary to maintaining salvation. Their beliefs are not strong in Christ working through us, we are, according to them, to do this in our own power.

However, the Catholic church is not the only church to be wrong here. Johovah's witnesses do not believe Jesus is God, neither to Mormons or Moslems, or a whole host of other religions. The "spirit" of the Antichrist is prevelant everywhere.

Yet, there is also to be a "man of lawlessness". 1 Thessalonians 2:1-3 says, "Now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by many means, for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, AND THE MAN OF SIN IS REVEALED, THE SON OF PERDITION, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." I will not dwell on the futuristic portion of this Scripture, but note that it says there will be a "falling away" as there is now, and that there will be A MAN, a SON of PERDITION. This to me signifies a single person who exalts himself to godhood. There will be many to do this, but only one after the "falling away" more than all the others, and Christ will return after him.

To the next point made, that the Catholic church has radically wrong theology, I agree. I've studied the same things as the original author of this question/statement, and the Catholic church does have much wrong with it. But, the true Christian church is made of believers in every denomination. I believe there are Catholics who love Jesus more than their own traditions. I'm Lutheran, and I love Jesus more than some Lutheran traditions. There are people of every denomination and non-denomination that love God, love Jesus, love the Holy Spirit, and survive on the Word of God. So, I do not think the Antichrist or False Prophet will come from any one belief system. I believe the prevalent theme of the false religion will be that there are many roads to heaven and that whichever one is believed, if it is sincere, is OK and will be included in an umbrella entiitled "Tolerant Religion". There will be somebody over that whole system, but I do not know who, nor do I believe we are to look for that person. So many people out there hear lies, we just need to speak truth.