Who is the Antichrist of Bible Prophecy?
There are multiple identifications given for the Antichrist of Bible prophecy. Most scholars agree that the Antichrist power is clearly depicted within the little horn of Daniel 7, the first beast of Revelation 13, and the harlot of Revelation 17.
Below is a compilation of texts that provide identifications for this Antichrist power. Historically and biblically, there can be no other power of earthly authority that fits all of the biblical descriptions than that of the Roman Papal Church-State—also known as the Roman Catholic Church system.
Consider the following information (emphasis supplied throughout):
“I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” Daniel 7:8
A Little Horn – Small Kingdom
“I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one…”
A horn in Bible prophecy represents a kingdom or nation (Daniel 7:24), so Daniel saw a little kingdom. The Vatican is the smallest and most influential country in the world. Setting on only 121 acres, the papal city is indeed little, compared to all the other countries around it.
Among Them – Europe
“…and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them…”
There is no doubt that the little horn of Daniel 7:8 arises in Western Europe, and that the fourth beast is Rome. The pagan empire of Rome divided in AD 476. These divisional nations became what we know today as Western Europe, and Rome is located among the other nations in Europe.
Rises After Ten – After AD 476
As mentioned before, the pagan empire of Rome took on a change by AD 476, when the kingdom was divided into ten smaller kingdoms. The fact that the little horn rises after the other ten kingdoms tells us that historically, the Antichrist power grows to dominant influence sometime after AD 476.
The actual year is AD 538, when we consider the following historical records:
“The Roman Church-State power become supreme in Christendom in 538 A.D. due to the letter of the Roman Emperor Justinian’s decree, which set up and acknowledged the Bishop of Rome as the head of all churches.” (Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume III: Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity. A.D. 311–600, p. 327.)
“The Bishop of Rome, in the seat of the Caesars, was now the greatest man in the west, and was soon forced to become the political as well as the spiritual head.” (Alexander Clarence Flick, The Rise of the Medieval Church, p. 168.)
Destroys Three Nations
“…And there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots….”
Historically, there is only one power responsible for the complete annihilation of three kingdoms. With the help of civil military power, the leadership of the papacy saw three nations of people as a threat to their kingdom agenda. The Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths were rooted out as a result of religious warfare, and are now extinct.
The Heruli met their fate with the help of Emperor Zeno in AD 493. And with the support of Emperor Justinian, the Vandals were destroyed by AD 534 and the Ostrogoths by AD 538. The other seven kingdoms of Europe continued to give their support to the Vatican, causing it to grow to supreme power, ecclesiastically and politically. These seven kingdoms are the Alamanni (Germans), Burgundians (Swiss), Franks (French), Lombards (Italians), Saxons (English), Suevi (Portuguese) and the Visigoths (Spanish).
A Man as their Leader
“…And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.”
Daniel saw the facial features of a man in the little horn, and scholars unanimously agree that this represents the head or leadership figure within this system. Considering that we’re talking of the Roman Catholic system, there is no doubt that the most influential figure and overseer of the Papacy is the Pope. In fact, within the Catholic hierarchy, the Pope is viewed as not just a leader, but as the supreme representative of Jesus Christ on earth—which leads us to our next identification.
Speaking Great Words/Blasphemy
“…And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” Daniel 7:8
Consider two other verses that speak of blasphemy:
“Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.” Revelation 13:6
“So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” Revelation 17:3
In all three prophetic passages, this Antichrist power is described as blasphemous. The Bible defines blasphemy as usurping the power, offices, and prerogatives of God. Here are three biblical examples of this:
Assuming the authority of God in the form of
– Forgiving sins (Mark 2:7)
– Claiming to be God (John 10:33)
– Persecuting others in the name of God (1 Timothy 1:12–13)
There is only one religious system on the planet that claims to have the power to do what only God can do. Consider the following Catholic records:
“Were the Redeemer to descend into a church, and sit into a confessional to administer the sacrament of penance, and a priest to sit in a confessional, Jesus would say over each penitent: ‘Ego te absolve,’ the priest would likewise say over each of his penitents, ‘Ego te absolve,’ and the penitence of each would be equally absolved.” (Alfonso María de Liguori, Dignities and Duties of the Priests, p. 34.)
“We hold upon this earth, the place of God Almighty….” (The Great Encyclical Letters of Leo, XIII, p. 304.)
“The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God.” (F. Lucii Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca Canonica Juridica Moralis Theologica, printed at Rome, 1890, and sanctioned by the Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VI, p. 48.)
“The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under the veil of the flesh. Does the pope speak? It is Jesus Christ who speaks. Does the pope accord a favour or pronounce an anathema? It is Jesus Christ who accords the favour or pronounces the anathema. So that when the pope speaks we have no business to examine.” (Catholique Nationale, July 13, 1895.)
“God Himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of His priests, and either not to pardon or to pardon, according as they refuse or give absolution…. The sentence of the priest precedes, and God subscribes to it.” (Alphonsus de Ligouri, Dignity and Duties of the Priest, vol. XII, p. 2.)
Notice what Paul saw as he received insight on the leading Antichrist figure of Bible prophecy for the last days. It only fits the description of a pope who sees himself as a substitution for God:
“Let no one deceive you by any 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.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4
Persecutes God’s Saints
“I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them.” Daniel 7:21
“It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” Revelation 13:7
“I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.” Revelation 17:6
On this point, history speaks for itself. By some historical estimations, more than 50 million people were slaughtered during the Dark Ages as a result of the Papacy’s attempt to root out heretics through the Inquisitions.
“That the Roman Church-state has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history.” (William Edward Hartpole Lecky, History of the Rise and Influence of Rationalism in Europe, vol. 2, p. 32.)
“Great numbers were driven from their habitations with their wives and children, stripped and naked. Others betook themselves to flight, carrying with them what they could conceal, for their support and maintenance; but they were plundered of the little they had, and many of them inhumanly massacred, by the Catholic peasants, or the soldiery, who guarded the passes.” (Archibald Bowers, History of the Popes, vol. 1, p. 334.)
Thinks to Change God’s Times and Laws
“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” Daniel 7:25
There is only one Christian institution in history that has attempted to change God’s Law and the times of God. The Papacy has their own version of the Ten Commandments. They completely omit the second commandment, which states we should not worship any graven images or idols. Then, in order to have ten commandments, rather than nine, they divide the biblical tenth commandment into two.
Also, the Church proudly claims the change of the biblical Sabbath Day from Saturday (the seventh day) to Sunday (the first day), which they refer to as the “Lord’s day.” Consider the following Catholic records:
“We have in the authoritative voice of the Church the voice of Christ Himself. The Church is above the Bible; and this transference of Sabbath observance from Saturday to Sunday is proof positive of that fact.” (The Catholic Record, September 1, 1923, p. 4.)
“Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.” (C.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons, Letter dated November 11, 1895.)
“Question: Which is the Sabbath day?
“Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.
“Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
“Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” (Rev. Peter Geiermann, The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50.)
“The [Roman Catholic] Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of the divine, infallible authority given to her by her founder, Jesus Christ. The Protestant claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no warrant for observing Sunday. In this matter, the Seventh-day Adventist is the only consistent Protestant.” (The Catholic Universe Bulletin, August 14, 1942, p. 4.)
“Reason and sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible.” (John Cardinal Gibbons, The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893.)
Rules for Prophetic 3 ½ Years (1,260 Years)
“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” Daniel 7:25
“And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.” Revelation 13:5
“Time and times and a half time” is a period of three-and-a-half years. A biblical year has only 360 days (based on twelve 30-day lunar months). Therefore, a biblical period of three-and-a-half years would add up to 1,260 days.
The same can be said for the 42 months of Revelation 13. There are 30 days in a biblical month, so 42 times 30 adds up to 1,260 days. However, we must apply the year-day principle when dealing with sequential prophetic timelines (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6). Therefore, prophecy is telling us that this Antichrist power did not just reign for 1,260 days, but for 1,260 years.
Remember, historical records show that the Papal church-state system became supreme in AD 538. So if we calculate the 1,260 years properly, something must have greatly affected the Catholic system in the year AD 1798. Again, history tells us that that Napoleon Bonaparte gave the command for General Berthier to march into Rome and arrest Pope Pious VI that year, and he later died in isolation. Thus, the Papal system briefly lost its political influence and statehood.
“…And all the world marveled and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’” Revelation 17:1–2
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” Revelation 17:8
No one with any sense and knowledge of history and present events will question the fact that the Papacy is a world-dominant and influential religio-political system. The Catholic Church membership makes up more than one-seventh of the world’s population, and the Vatican seems to have its hands in everything across the globe.
Wears red, purple, and precious stones
“The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.” Revelation 17:4
Again, a simple Google research will prove that there is only one religious system on the planet that sports red and purple colors on a daily basis—the Papal cardinals wear red and the bishops wear purple. These positions represent the bulk of the hierarchical ranks of Vatican officials.
Located on seven mountains
“Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.” Revelation 17:9
Only one city in the world is known as “The city set on seven hills,” and that is Rome. This verse is God’s way of saying, “Just in case you missed all the other clear identifications, let me tell you where you can find her headquarters on the map.” Rome is the only geographical location that fits this biblical description.
Special relationship with world leaders
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’” Revelation 17:1–2
Again, no mind that is aware of recent events will dare question the influence and clout that the Vatican has with the leaders of the world. Just within the last few years, the Pope has met with the Queen of England; the Prime Ministers of Canada, Israel, Ukraine, and Vietnam; the Presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, France, Russia, Zimbabwe, and two past presidents of the United States. He also met the leaders of the United Nations; and, for the first time in history, addressed a joint session of the United States Congress. Most of those were in private meetings at the Vatican. There is no doubt that world leaders see the Pope and the Vatican as much more than just a religious organization. They have established a relationship—just as the Bible predicted.