The "Man of Sin"
The
"Man of Sin" or the "Antichrist" is a teaching, which was first
brought to the attention of Christians by the Apostle Paul. The Apostle
John added more information. From the early days of church history,
Christians of various mindsets would throw the accusation at other Christians
that they were the fulfilment of these prophecies. However, with
the growth in power of the Church of Rome following the Council of Nicea (about
325 A.D.), most Christians who did not care to be under the domination of Rome
agreed that the "Holy Roman Church" was the antichrist of
Scripture. The Roman Church, of course, returned the favour and applied
"antichrist" to all who were not in harmony with her teachings.
All of this reached a
climax at about the time of the Great Reformation (1521 and
following) when Protestantism clearly proclaimed that the Roman Church
was the Scriptural antichrist and the Papal office was the "man of
sin."
While many late 20th
century editions of the King James Bible (apparently in an effort to be
"politically correct") have omitted "The Epistle
Dedicatory" from the front of the Bible, its six long paragraphs plainly
show the vehement clarity with which the translators identify the Papal system
as the Man of Sin. (Here in red is paragraph 5 of the "The Epistle
Dedicatory" from the KJV) Paragraph 5:
And
now at last, by the mercy of God, and the continuance of our labours, it being
brought unto such a conclusion, as that we have great hopes that the Church of
England shall reap good fruit thereby; we hold it our duty to offer it to Your
Majesty, not only as to our King and Sovereign, but as to the principal Mover
and Author of the work: humbly craving of Your most Sacred Majesty, that since
things of this quality have ever been subject to the censures of illmeaning
and discontented persons, it may receive approbation and patronage from so
learned and judicious a Prince as Your Highness is, whose allowances and
acceptance of our labours shall more honour and encourage us, than all the calumniations
(To make maliciously or knowingly false statements about, to slander.) and hard interpretations of other men shall dismay us.
So that if, on the one side, we shall be traduced (To cause
humiliation or disgrace to by making malicious and false statements) by Popish Persons at home or abroad, who therefore will malign
("hostile, evil or ill-wishing") us, because we are poor instruments to make God’s
holy Truth to be yet more and more known unto the people, whom they
desire still to keep in ignorance and darkness; (Church Of Rome) or
if, on the other side, (Protestants) we shall be maligned by selfconceited
Brethren, who run their own ways, and give liking onto nothing, but what is
framed by themselves, and hammered on their anvil; we may rest secure, supported
within by the truth and innocency of a good conscience, having walked the ways
of simplicity and integrity, as before the Lord; and sustained without
by the powerful protection of Your Majesty’s grace and favour, which will ever
give countenance to honest and Christian endeavours against bitter censures and
uncharitable imputations.
How then have things changed so that many Protestants no
longer accept this interpretation? (The Holy Bible; King James
Version). Why do so many evangelical denominations not believe that
the Roman Church fulfilled these prophecies but look forward to a FUTURE
antichrist and man of sin? Actually, this new view held forth
by contemporary Christian movements is an old view proposed by the Jesuit
Order of Roman Catholic priests centuries ago in order to take the onus
away from the Papacy. In other words, the traditional (and
Scriptural) view of Protestants has successfully been supplanted (to take
the place of (another), as through force, scheming, strategy, or the like, to
replace (one thing) by something else.) by the false view propounded
(To put
forward for consideration; set forth.)
by Catholicism. What a victory for Satan’s beguiling arts!
THE BIBLICAL INFORMATION
We will use
the King James Version [KJV] in this discussion even though its 1611 English
beclouds some important ideas.
We first meet "the man of sin" in…
II Thessalonians 2:3. 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.
In this chapter, Paul summarizes about 2000 years of church
history. Verses 1 and 2 caution the Thessalonians not to jump to the
conclusion that the second advent of Jesus was near—no matter whom or what might
suggest to them the contrary. Verse three allows Paul to begin his
explanation of what must happen BEFORE THAT DAY. The first
thing he lists is a "falling away." This comes
from the Greek word we often use in English—"APOSTASY." Paul
is warning the church that there would be a great migration away from the true
faith they had learned at the Apostles’ feet. He next shows that this
falling away would lead to the revealing of a great (but false) religious
leader who would dominate the apostate Christian world. Paul adds
another name for this symbolic character, "the son of perdition
(destruction)." The Bible uses this name only for one other
character, Judas, who betrayed his master for money. Thus,
son of perdition not only describes a characteristic of the man of sin, but
also his ultimate fate. When Paul says this "man" will
be "revealed," he means that he will be available for recognition BY
THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND. Such was the case in church history. Once
the apostasy (the Roman Church) grew, the Roman emperor, Justinian, gave the
Bishop of Rome a title that only emperors had held—"PONTIFEX MAXIMUS"—chief
Religious Ruler. This happened in the 530s A.D., and there
was "revealed" that "man of sin." He still is called "The Pontiff."
It is important to note that NO INDIVIDUAL POPE is the man of sin. It is the OFFICE of the Papacy, which is this symbolic "man." It is such because it falsifies its authority. It claims things for itself, which only belong to the true Christ. It is sinful not because of evils it might commit (although there is good record of these), but it is sinful or anti-Christ because it is a COUNTERFEIT. Note also that it is a "man." Symbolically the Bible uses female terms for the church: harlot, virgin, etc. (depending on whether the church is true or apostate). But for the head of the Church (Christ or the Pope) it uses masculine terms: he, man, Michael, etc.
II
Thessalonians 2:4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is
called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of
God, shewing himself that he is God.
Paul carefully describes the usurped power
of this impostor claiming to be head of the church in Christ’s place.
First, it is necessary to know that the word "god" in the Bible
applies to any MIGHTY ONE (particularly one with real or assumed spiritual
authority). It is, Old and New Testaments, applied not only to the true
God, but also to angels, prophets, Satan, and powerful men.
Thus,
the Papacy (verse 4) set itself to oppose all other religious authority and to
exalt itself to the very pinnacle of power in the religious world (Chief
Religious Ruler—PONTIFEX MAXIMUS). He thus seated himself in the seat of
Christian religious authority (the "temple") displaying himself as
the infallible interpreter of all things religious.
II
Thessalonians 2:5-6
5. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you
these things?
6. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in
his time.
Paul explains that he had talked to the Thessalonians about these things and that they know what is DELAYING ("withholdeth") the revealing of this Papal office. Paul could not openly explain in writing what were delaying matters because it would have created unnecessary political troubles for the church. What was delaying the development of the Papacy was Rome. The emperor in Paul’s day was still considered divine—a god himself. It would not be for over 400 years before the Roman Empire would step out of the way and leave the Pope in charge of Western Europe with his new title of Pontifex Maximus.
II Thessalonians 2:7. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he
who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
But Paul explains that the
apostate MINDSET—that which would eventuate in the Papacy—was ALREADY AT
WORK in Paul’s day. He calls it the "mystery of
iniquity." It was iniquitous because it was an enemy of the true
Christ. It was a mystery because it could exist right in the midst of the
Christian community and not be recognized by many sleepy Christians.
The word
"letteth" in this verse is an old English word which means
"hinders" or "holds back." Thus Paul says,
"The Roman Empire now holds back the Papal development and it will
continue to hinder its development until Rome is taken out of the way"—an
event which occurred in 539 A.D. when Justinians’s troops left Italy,
leaving the Pope in charge.
II Thessalonians 2:8. And then
shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of
His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.
And THEN, Paul says, (verse
8), THEN you will see the reign of Popes until the Lord Jesus weakens it by
truth, and ultimately destroys it.
That is
the Biblical and historical truth of the matter. In I John, the Apostle
helps to identify this antichrist movement "already" working in
John’s day, thus agreeing with Paul that the Man of Sin concept is not for the
end of the age, but through most of the age.
Modern concepts of a literal man deceiving the world at the end of the age are both unreasonable and untenable in the light of Scriptural testimony. Martin Luther and reformers before and after him correctly identified the man of sin, the antichrist. They were correct. The incredible fantasies taught today is fiction for those wanting their ears tickled.
II Timothy 4:3-4
3.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4.And
they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables.