http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2017/03/
THE MAN OF SIN
PART III: THE REALITY
by David Vaughn Elliott
Rome, throughout history, has
been identified by believers as the seat of "the man of sin." Were the
early Christians right about Rome? Were the Bible believers of the
Reformation right about Rome? Do the doctrines of the Roman Church
fulfill the details of 2 Thessalonians 2?
In Part I of this series, the prophecy was examined by just looking into the Biblical text itself. In Part II, the
views of Bible believers across the centuries were examined. The probe
highlighted the fact that from the Reformation until this century, the
prevailing view was that the prophecy was (and is) fulfilled in the
"pope" of Rome.
The task now before us is to examine the beliefs and practices of the
Roman church and papacy. Do the beliefs and practices of Rome fulfill
the details of the "falling away" and "the man of sin" prophecy? Or, do
we look for another? In this examination, we do not have to resort to
private information, secret accords and hidden agendas of Rome. Rather,
the task is to examine the open, public, admitted claims of Rome that
can be verified by anyone in many available official Catholic sources.
"HE SITS AS GOD"
Central to the whole teaching on "the man of sin" is the fact that
"he sits as God." The Holy Spirit said, "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." To claim the
attributes of God is blasphemy (see Mark 2:5,7). Revelation 17:3 says
the beast is "full of names of blasphemy." Is the "pope" full of names
of blasphemy? Is it true that he "sits as God... showing himself that he
is God"? Consider these samples.
1 - "Pope" means "father." Jesus
plainly said, "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your
Father, He who is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9). Yet the "pope" of Rome
accepts the term "Holy Father." In fact, the very term "pope" means
father. The Modern English word "pope" comes from the Old English
"papa," which in turn comes from the Late Latin. In the Greek, it's
"pappas." This explains the words "papacy" and "papal." Moreover, since
the local priests also use the term "father," the one in Rome becomes
the father of fathers. Double blasphemy! "Our Father, which art in..."
My Father is neither in the local diocese nor in Rome. Mine is in
heaven. How about yours?
2 - "The head of the church": The
Roman "pope" claims to be the head of the church. It is often said that
he is "the visible head of the church," with the obvious understanding
that Christ is the invisible Head. But what does that do to the frequent
figure in Scripture of the church being the body of Christ? Ever see a
body with two heads? "No man can serve two masters." A body with two
heads is a monster.
What does Scripture say of God's work through Christ? "And He put all
[things] under His feet, and gave Him [to] [be] head over all [things]
to the church, which is His body" (Ephesians 1:20-23). There are not two
heads. Jesus is "head over all things to the church." To claim to be
head of the church is to make one's self equal to Christ. It is
blasphemy.
3 - "Pontiff": The
term "pontiff" comes from ancient pagan Rome. Pontiffs were their chief
priests. Since individual leaders in the Roman churches are called
"priests," the one in Rome is called the "supreme pontiff." That is just
another way of saying "high priest." But according the Gospel of
Christ, to call any man "supreme priest" is blasphemy. Such a man claims
what belongs only to Christ. Christians know that "we have a great High
Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God...
without sin" (Hebrews 4:14,15). To claim to be the chief priest is to
claim to be equal to Jesus Christ, the anointed Prophet, Priest and
King. To sit as the supreme pontiff is to claim equality with the Son of
God, who in turn is equal to God.
4 - "Vicar of Christ": A
common term for the "pope" is "vicar of Christ." "Vicar" comes from the
Latin meaning "substitute." Rome claims that the Roman pontiff "is
acting for and in the place of Christ." Christ is God. The prophecy says
"showing himself that he is God." Since the "pope" claims to be "in the
place of Christ," he is showing himself that he is God. Another
blasphemy!
5 - The "pope" claims "primacy." Rome
talks much about the "primacy" of Peter, which it claims has been
passed on to all the bishops of Rome. The words "primacy" and "primary"
are not to be found in Scripture. However, the kindred word
"preeminence" is recorded--just twice. First is Colossians 1:18,
speaking of Christ: "He is the head of the body, the church... that in
all things He may have the preeminence." Second is 3 John 9:
"Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not
receive us."
Remember that Paul said, "the mystery of lawlessness is already at
work"? Among other things, that mystery is the struggle of men to have
first place in the church. Diotrephes only sought first place in the
local church. Students of church history know that the struggle
continued unabated until someone gained first place over all the world's
churches. The bishop of Rome won that struggle. He claims "primacy" via
Peter. In reality, his primacy is blasphemy against Christ, and
fulfills the prophecy. Only Jesus has primacy in His church.
6 - The "pope" is a king. The
Roman pontiff uses all the trappings of royalty. He lives in a palace.
In fact, the Vatican Palace is the largest palace in the world. He has
an ornate crown called the tiara. For solemn functions, he sits on a
throne. His period of power is a "reign." The cardinals are called
"princes of the church" who are subject only to the "pope." In short,
though Catholics may not usually use the term, some do plainly say that
the "pope" is a king. Blasphemy! Jesus is our only King.
7 - This king has three crowns. The
tiara can be traced back to 1100 A.D. By 1300 A.D., it contained, not
one, but three jewel-bedecked crowns, one above another on this rounded
cone headpiece. Authorities do not fully agree on the explanation of the
three realms which the "pope" rules over, but it is obvious that he
claims all kinds of kingship, spiritual and temporal. Though John Paul
II does not physically wear the tiara, he has in no way renounced the
tiara and what it represents. Quite the contrary, the tiara appears
today on his papal seal and the Vatican flag. Thus, the "pope" still
presents himself as a thrice-crowned monarch. Jesus on earth had only
one crown. Remember what it was made of?
8 - Above the law: So
like God does the Roman Pontiff make himself that he places himself
higher than the Son of God. When Jesus was upon earth He voluntarily
submitted to taxation (Matthew 17:24-27) as well as to the Jewish
council, the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate and the Roman soldiers. He
had the power to resist, but He did not.
The "pope" of Rome, however, submits to no man! The "pope" is head of
Vatican City, an independent nation also called the Papal State.
Vatican City has its own coins, postage stamps and water supply. The
Vatican receives ambassadors from about 170 nations (now including the
United States--shame!). It is true that Vatican City is tiny compared to
the land holdings of the "popes" of the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, it
is big enough to furnish the "pope" with absolute independence from all
human authority. The reason openly stated for the existence of Vatican
City is that the "pope" "cannot rightly be made subject to any temporal
power on earth." Did any man ever "sit as God in the temple of God" more
than this?
The Apostle Paul wrote to the very church in question, the church in
Rome, during the reign of the infamous emperor Nero. In that setting,
Paul commanded the brethren in Rome, "Let every soul be subject to the
governing authorities" (Romans 13:1). The "pope" of Rome refuses to obey
this command of God. He sets himself outside of and above all earthly
authority. In so doing, he sets himself above the very Son of God, who
did submit.
"THE FALLING AWAY"
"The man of sin" is only one person (at a time). But 2 Thessalonians 2
prophesies of the entire system over which "the man of sin" rules. It
prophesies "lawlessness," "falling away" ("apostasy"),
"unrighteousness," "deception," "strong delusion," and "the lie." Keep
in mind that since this is a "falling away (apostasy)," it cannot be
fulfilled by brand new religions, like Buddhism or Islam. Rather it is a
departure or falling away from the true Gospel--keeping parts, omitting
parts and changing parts--an unholy mixture of truth and error.
High on the list of these unrighteous deceptions are the numerous
mediators that Rome places between man and God. At the uncontested top
of this list of mediators is "the virgin."
DOES GOD HAVE A MOTHER?
The "Mary" of Rome is not the Mary of the Bible. While it is true
that some teachings and practices of the Roman Church have edged closer
to Bible truth in the 20th century, it's doctrine of "Mary" is not one
of them. John Paul II, indeed, has dedicated his pontificate to "the
virgin." He has everywhere tried to increase devotion to her, himself
visiting most of the Marian shrines in the world. His motto is "Totus
tuus sum Maria: Mary, I am all yours."
Rome makes a goddess out of their "Mary." The teaching goes this way:
1) Mary is the mother of Jesus; 2) Jesus is God; therefore, 3) Mary is
the mother of God. The problem with this supposedly logical argument is
the second point. Yes, Jesus is God; but Jesus was also man. As Romans
1:3 puts it, "Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David
according to the flesh." By the same token, Jesus was the son of Mary
according to the flesh.
Reminds one of the question little children (and materialistic
philosophers) ask: "Who made God?" A mother is always before a son.
Thus, if Mary is the mother of God, then she is before God and she is
god. That is blasphemy. John clarified, "In the beginning was the
Word... And the Word became flesh" (John 1:14). Yes, Mary was before
Jesus in the flesh; but Jesus was before Mary in the spirit. Mary is not
the mother of God. Rather, the Lord Jesus Christ is Mary's Master and
Maker!
Time fails to speak of all that is involved in Rome's teaching on
"Mary." They say she was a perpetual virgin even though married. They
say she was absolutely sinless like Jesus. They call her "queen of
heaven" (see Jeremiah 44). Since God is King of heaven; that makes
"Mary" a goddess. They call her the Mediatrix. Since Jesus is the
Mediator, that places her as equal to Jesus. As a matter of fact, in
praying the rosary, for every "Our Father," there follow ten "Hail
Mary's." Ten to one. The teaching of Rome is "to Jesus through Mary."
The teaching of the apostles is "to the Father through the Son" (John
14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5). Two different gospels.
OTHER EXAMPLES OF LAWLESSNESS
The Holy Spirit says, "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband
of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:2). Rome says that a bishop must "not" be the
husband of one wife. God requires pastors to be family men. Rome
requires pastors to be single.
God's Word says, "as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup"
(1 Corinthians 11:26). Rome says that the common members may "not" drink
the cup. Rome has the audacity to withhold from its members one half of
the Lord's Supper.
The Word says, "as often as you eat this bread." Rome says, "You do
not eat bread; you eat the actual body of Christ." Now when Jesus
changed water into wine, it no longer looked like water nor tasted like
water. The feast master said, "You have kept the good wine until now!"
(John 2:10). A miracle of changing one thing into another does just
that--it changes one thing into another. Rome claims that the "host" is
transformed into the actual body of Christ, even though it still looks,
smells and tastes like bread. This is not a miracle. This is a
bold-faced lie. Since so many millions world-wide believe such an
obvious falsehood, it clearly fulfills the prophecy regarding "strong
delusion."
Time fails to even name all the falsehoods of Rome. This is not just
minor errors of a doctrine or two. This is "the" falling away, "the"
apostasy. Among other things, Rome teaches that the people must confess
their sins to a sinful priest rather than to Jesus the pure High Priest.
Rome teaches that the mass is a sacrifice in which Christ, in an
unbloody manner, offers himself to God via the officiating priest. Rome
teaches the baptism of ignorant, sinless infants by means of sprinkling
rather than immersion. Rome fosters the veneration of images, including
kneeling and praying before them, burning candles before them, and
carrying them in street processions. Rome condones church-sponsored
gambling, dancing and drinking on the one hand and the Charismatic
speaking in tongues on the other.
ANTICHRIST?
Is it proper to call the "pope" "antichrist"? The term "antichrist"
appears only in the epistles of John, who says that many antichrists
were already existent in his day. The texts in question are 1 John
2:18-22; 4:3; 2 John 7:
"As you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many
antichrists have come... They went out from us... Who is a liar but he
who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the
Father and the Son... and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the [spirit] of
the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in
the world... For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not
confess Jesus Christ [as] coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an
antichrist."
Item 1 - John
states that they had "heard that the Antichrist is coming." John does
not deny that. He only clarifies that there are other antichrists
besides "the" future antichrist.
Item 2 - "They
went out from us." This agrees perfectly with "the man of sin"
prophecy, which predicts "a falling away." Both texts thus speak of a
development coming out of the true people of God.
Item 3 - "This
is the [spirit] of the Antichrist which you have heard was coming, and
is now already in the world." John agrees with Paul, who said, "For the
mystery of lawlessness is already at work." With good reason, the
translators have added "spirit." The Greek says, "This is the of the
antichrist." "The" what? Starting with 4:1, the word "spirit(s)" appears
5 times. Read for yourself and you will see that when you come to "the
of the antichrist," "spirit" is the only sensible word to supply.
Therefore, John is saying that the "spirit" of antichrist is coming and
is already in the world. That is just another way of saying that "the
mystery of lawlessness is already at work,"--before "the man of sin" or
"the" antichrist actually appears.
Item 4 - "Who
is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?" "Christ" means
the anointed Prophet, Priest and King. The "pope" does not directly deny
that. However, by claiming the same attributes for himself, he in
effect does deny it. The "pope" claims to be the infallible "chief
teacher [prophet] and ruler [king] of the entire church," as well as
"supreme pontiff [high priest]." As "vicar of Christ," he takes the
place of Christ on earth." Thus he does deny that Jesus alone is the
Christ.
Item 5 - "He
is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son." Does this describe
the "pope" of Rome? There are many ways to "deny" God. Paul wrote, "They
profess to know God, but in works they deny Him" (Titus 1:16). The
"pope," by receiving the title "holy father," denies that we have only
one Holy Father. By attributing to the "pope" and the "virgin" so many
titles and characteristics of the Father and the Son, the Word is
fulfilled in them that "They profess to know God, but in works they deny
Him."
Item 6 - "Every
spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
not of God... For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do
not confess Jesus Christ [as] coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver
and an antichrist." Certainly Rome does not deny that Jesus came in the
flesh. Or, does it?
Put briefly, Rome teaches 1) that all men inherit original sin, 2)
except Jesus and Mary. Rome is thus saying that Jesus and Mary did not
have the same flesh as we do. But God says of Jesus, "For indeed He does
not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.
Therefore, in all things He had to be made like [His] brethren, that He
might be a merciful and faithful High Priest" (Hebrews 2:16,17). To
become our High Priest, Jesus had to be made like us.
Why did Rome invent the myth of the "immaculate conception" of Mary?
Because Rome, to its credit, realized that if sin is inherited, then
Jesus was born a sinner. That is impossible. So, either you reject the
doctrine of inherited original sin and total depravity or else you
invent a special miracle to overcome it for Jesus. But when you invent
that special miracle, you deny that Jesus came in the same flesh we come
in; you are antichrist!
"POWERS, SIGNS, AND LYING WONDERS"
Again, the Roman religion fulfills "the man of sin" prophecy with its
"powers, signs, and lying wonders" (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Who has
claims of miracles like unto Rome? In the mid-19th century, the "virgin"
appeared to Bernadette in Lourdes, France. A whole century later, the
shrine built there attracted 200,000 pilgrims a year. Many are the
claims of miraculous cures.
Other outstanding locations of supposed apparitions of "the virgin"
are Fatima in Portugal, Knock in Ireland and Guadalupe in Mexico. All
such places become shrines and centers of pilgrimages. Multitudes are
the claims of miracles. The average catholic believes in many more
miracles than the hierarchy is willing to "authenticate." However, it
does "authenticate" many.
To discuss all the miracles claimed by the Roman Church would require
a book. I think there is no Pentecostal church that can begin to
compete with the Roman Church when it comes to claims of the miraculous.
And it has been going on for centuries. Rome clearly fulfills this part
of the prophecy.
THE VALUE OF THIS PROPHECY
The "man of sin" prophecy is valuable to us today in at least three ways.
1 - This prophecy is a warning. We
are all in danger. Satan can deceive us. Just as he did with Eve, Satan
continues to mix truth with error. His arguments seem plausible. He
offers benefits. He offers "the pleasures of sin for a season." This
prophecy is a warning of false religions and apostate churches. It is a
warning that Satan has power to work signs and wonders. It is a warning
that there are lies and strong delusion all around us.
Many conservative evangelicals do not heed this warning. For example,
many Charismatics today, disregarding all other doctrines, bind
themselves together with one common denominator--the supposed baptism of
the Holy Spirit with evidence via speaking in tongues. "Spirit filled"
Pentecostals have great fellowship with their "Spirit-filled" Catholic
brethren. Never mind that the latter still go to the sacrifice of the
Mass, still pray to "the virgin" and still give allegiance to the
pontiff of Rome.
2 - This prophecy is an explanation. How
often do people ask, "Why are there so many religions?" "Can you trace
your church back to the day of Pentecost?" This prophecy offers some of
the answers. It shows that Jesus did not have any illusions about what
was going to happen to His glorious church. Tragic as it is, it is a
reality that cannot be swept under the rug.
3 - This prophecy is a promise. Verse
8 contains the promise, "the lawless one will be revealed, whom the
Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the
brightness of His coming." There is victory in Jesus. "The man of sin"
will not triumph in the end. Christ will. Jesus will return. He will
destroy His enemies. He will reign victoriously. If we reject "the man
of sin" and cling close to Jesus, we will be on the victory side.
(Scripture in the preceding article is taken from the New King James
Version. Copyright (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.)