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“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 Thess. 2:3. Many scholars  today try to imply through this verse, that Antichrist is one single individual, but is that what the Bible says?

Note: If you have not read and understood all the previous prophecies which build up to this final article which exposes the Antichrist and ties in other scriptures references which points to the same power, please read them in chronological order to have a much better understanding of what is presented in this article. I would recommend that you start with the prophecy in Daniel 2 about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and follow the Next Article links at the bottom of each page, until you finally read this article last.

The Bible calls Judas Iscariot the son of perdition and the same title applies to the Antichrist. This parallel might seem to indicate that Antichrist will be an individual  apposed to a system or world power. But it is also made clear to us through other passages in the Bible that the title can relate to an office, or succession of people in a certain position of power, and can therefore be used as a singular son of perdition.

An example of this is the reference to the high priest in the Old Testament. “But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood…” Hebrews 9:11. Does this verse indicate that we only had one high priest in the history of the Old Testament or is it referring to the office of high priests? The latter is true, obviously.

Likewise, the term son of perdition can be applied to Antichrist as many individuals in the same office over a period of time.

Revelation 17 speaks of a woman that rides a beast. This beast will be studied in a next article but lets find out who this beast is so that we can draw honest conclusions from it.

“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.” Rev 17:3

This beast has seven heads and ten horns, just like the one that we studied in Revelation 13. The beast is just seen in a different setting but it is the same beast, the Antichrist.

“ 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:” Rev 17:4

A woman in Bible prophecy refers to a church, just like the saints are symbolized in the form of a bride – the bride of Jesus Christ. This beast which is ridden by a woman, means that the political power thereof is being steered by a church as the beast represents the political kingdom aspect of this entity.

Arrayed in purple and scarlet

having a golden cup in her hand…

“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.” Rev 17:6

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 also makes reference that this beast makes war with the saints and prevail them. It is just more proof that we are indeed correct when stating that we are dealing with the same beast as is seen in Revelation 13.

“The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition...” Rev 17:8

Here we find the reference to the perdition that this beast will go into. Just like Judas Iscariot, this beast will betray Jesus Christ with a kiss and will be judged for it. Perdition in the Greek language meant condemnation and eternal death.

Judas the son of perdition

“And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy Name, which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one. While I was with them, I kept them in Thy Name, which Thou hast given Me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” John 17:11-12

Judas was called the son of Perdition by Jesus and from the quote below we can see what is meant with that term. This correlates exactly with Daniel 7 when mention is made of a judgement when the Ancient of days come, which was specifically referring to the judgement of this beast power.

“They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago, and an earth formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction (perdition) of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:5-7

What can we learn from the parallel that is drawn between Judas and Antichrist?

1. Judas was no stranger to the other disciples of Christ, they knew him well: “He was numbered with us, and obtained part of this ministry” Acts 1:17

2. Judas sold Christ out for a small sum, thirty pieces of silver, likewise Rome minimizes the work of salvation through Christ by putting a small price to pardons and indulgence.

3. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, likewise Antichrist assumes to know Christ and cares for Him, but in reality he persecutes Jesus through his saints.

Antichrist already in this world

In 1 John we read that Antichrist is defined as follow:

“Ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists. … Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.” 1 John 2:18,22

“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

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” 2 John 7

 How is it that the whole world follows the believe that Antichrist is in the future, when these verses plainly states that antichrist and the spirit of antichrist was already in the world at the time of Christ? The spirit of Antichrist is the Roman influence over the early church.

These verses also tells us that the writer did not believe that Antichrist to be one individual, but many and that it is a system of worship which slowly infiltrated the church over time, until it took full control thereof.

The apostle Paul also understood that the church would be influenced by grievous wolfs that will destroy the flock.

“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20:29, 30

 Paul was right in this matter as it didn’t take very long for the church to become corrupted by false leaders and vanity of every kind.

“For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God [the church, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? … For the mystery of iniquity doth already work.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-7

 The falling away that Paul spoke of in the above verse, is speaking of a falling away of the faith, the true faith in Jesus Christ crucified and risen, of simplicity in Christ and a relationship with Him.

The Roman Church rose like a mushroom the moment that the Roman Empire came to an end (which restrained the rise of Antichrist) in 538 AD, just like it is prophesied in Daniel 7 would happen.

Antichrist Identified

The word Antichrist comes from the Greek words, antee and khristos - which means in the place of Christ.

“Our Holy Father the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the vicar of Christ on earth and the visible head of the Church.”

The succession of Popes have always accepted the title Vicar of Christ, meaning in the place of Christ:

“The pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself, under the veil of flesh…” The Catholic National, July 1895.

Cardinal Bellarmine says; “All names which in scripture are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that he is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope.” On the authority of councils, volume 2, p 266.

“Thou art a priest forever, says the ordaining bishop… He is no longer a man, a sinful child of Adam, but an “Alter Christus“, another Christ… Forever a priest of the Most High, with power over the Almighty.”

By their own admission, the Pope holds the place of Christ on earth!

Since the title Vicar of Christ are Latin words Vicarius Filii Dei and Latin numerical uses the alphabet to represent values, so too this title has a numeric value which can be calculated.

“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.” Rev 13:18

Revelation 13 says that the number of this man, the man representing the Antichrist, is 666.

Pope’s mitre with the inscription: Vicarius Filii Dei

Numerical value is 666

The view of the Reformers

The Reformation was initiated because of the topic of indulgences (to be able to pay your way out of the debt of sin). Martin Luther wrote his famous theses with 95 points regarding this heresy and soon afterwards the Reformation against the Church of Rome  came into momentum.

Martin Luther, after studying the prophecies in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 under candle light, realized the true meaning of these prophecies that pointed to the Roman Catholic Church, and not too long there after, this message became a real thorn in the flesh for Rome.

Before the Reformation already, many believed and held to the same view as what was made known by the Reformers. The names of those men that taught, before the Reformation, the view today known as Historicism, are:

Dante Alighieri in 1310, Michael of Cesena in 1331, Johannes de Rupescissa in 1345, Francesco Petrarch in 1350, John Milicz in 1367, John Wycliffe in 1379, Mattias of Janow in 1388, R. Wimbledon in 1389, John Purvey in 1390, Walter Brute in 1393, John Huss in 1412 and Girolamo Savonarola in 1497.

Here is a list of all the Reformers that held to the believe that the system behind the Pope is Antichrist: