Daniel 11:36-45 – The Antichrist: Who Is He?
Who is this antichrist? One clue is found in v37 where we’re told that “he shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers”. That line is reminiscent of the way in which the one true God is sometimes described in Scripture and along with the New Testament’s teaching on this figure, it surely points to someone who comes from INSIDE rather than outside the church.
It is the position of the Westminster Confession of Faith that the antichrist is none other than the Pope. While I believe we should be sensitive in how we state this position in order to avoid creating stumbling blocks to our Roman Catholic neighbours, I do not believe it is a position we need to be embarrassed about or shy away from.
Yesterday we saw that the antichrist exalts his word above God’s. Surely we see that in the very notion of “papal infallibility” and in the way that tradition is practically elevated to be on the same level as Scripture itself? Surely we see it in the doctrines which cannot be found in the Bible, but which the papacy demands its followers accept? Surely we see it too in how Bible translators were burned at the stake for heresy in order to stop them from making God’s Word readily available. The pope certainly fits the bill.
By calling himself Christ’s representative on Earth, is the Pope not putting himself in God’s place in the way Scripture tells us? By instituting inquisitions and crusades, has the Pope not got a track record of devotion to “the god of fortresses”?
Most of all, a history of the papacy is a history of faithful saints suffering under persecution. The Huguenots, the Genevan missionaries, and the forerunners of the Covenanters all suffered drastically as the Roman Catholic church attempted to retain its superiority.
It may not be the most popular view in the world, but when we piece together Daniel 7, 11, and the various New Testament passages, the Pope surely ticks the boxes.
Questions
- If the Pope is the antichrist, can Roman Catholicism simply be a matter of a few slight differences in practice?
Prayer Points
- Pray that God would deliver many from the empty religion of Roman Catholicism.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.