Clearly there is a reason why
today’s evangelical Christians believe in a secret rapture followed by a
seven-year period that will expose the rule of the final antichrist. Understanding the history of this
interpretation of prophecy is extremely important to reveal its
unreliability. Seventh-day Adventists
believe this view of biblical interpretation came from the Catholic
counterreformation in an attempt to defend the church from charges it was the
Antichrist or “little horn” described in Daniel 7 and 8 (Timm). History demonstrates the counterreformation altered
and defined today’s evangelical view of end-time prophecy. The purpose of this paper is to identify the
links between the Catholic Church and the doctrines of Preterism and Futurism, which
were born and grew out of the religious conflict during the Reformation period.
Historical Background
Every
conflict has a background story that is instructive for understanding how
things developed into open warfare. The
battle found in the Bible is no exception.
In fact, according to the Scriptures, the biblical conflict is the first
clash to ever take place in the universe.
The Bible reveals: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and
his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels” (King James Bible, Rev. 12:7). This conflict, which was propagated by the
devil, was the result of a struggle for power that reached to the very throne
of heaven. Satan said in his heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the
congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds; I will be like the most High” (Is. 14:14). This verse reveals what was in Satan’s heart
at the time of his rebellion against God.
Soon afterward, Satan was able to induce Adam and Eve, the
progenitors of the human race, to join him in his rebellion against the God of
heaven. From that time forward men have
aligned themselves with either the kingdom of God or the kingdom of “the prince
of this world” (John 14:30). Ellen White
explains in Counsels On Health: “There are two kingdoms in this world, the
kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan. To one of these kingdoms each one
of us belongs” (591).
The principles of the two systems were dramatically played
out in the biblical account of Cain and Abel.
Since then, Satan has used his human confederates to foment the
principles of his kingdom. One of
Satan’s most useful agents was the ancient king Nimrod. Genesis 10:8 introduces Nimrod: “And Cush
begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.” It was Nimrod’s desire, just as it had been
Satan’s desire, to usurp the authority of the Most High.
In his book The Two
Babylons, Alexander Hislop provides some necessary background information
for a better understanding of Nimrod’s character:
"All tradition from the earliest times bears testimony to the
apostasy of Nimrod, and to his success in leading men away from the patriarchal
faith, and delivering their minds from that awe of God and fear of the
judgments of heaven that must have rested on them while yet the memory of the
flood was recent." (46)
Hislop
explains that through the tergiversation of Nimrod and his wife, Semiramis, the
way was opened for the development of the principles of Satan’s kingdom: “How
great was the boon conferred by Nimrod on the human race in the estimation of
ungodly men, by emancipating them from the impressions of true religion…” (46). As he continues through his work, Hislop demonstrates
with clear evidence that the tenets of the Catholic faith are nothing more than
the pagan worship of Nimrod.
Edward Gibbon, in his monumental
work The Decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire, describes paganism’s silent seep into Catholicism as the dust of
the collapsing empire began to settle.
Gibbon declares:
"…
it must ingenuously be confessed, that the ministers of the Catholic church [sic]
imitated the profane model, which they were impatient to destroy. The most
respectable bishops had persuaded themselves that the ignorant rustics would
more cheerfully renounce the superstitions of Paganism, if they found some
resemblance, some compensation, in the bosom of Christianity. The religion of
Constantine achieved, in less than a century, the final conquest of the Roman
empire [sic]: but the victors themselves were insensibly subdued by the arts of
their vanquished rivals (Gibbon 538-539).
Again
referring to Paganism, Gibbon wrote: “By a slow though inevitable progression,
the honors of the original were transferred to the copy: the devout Christian
prayed before the image of a saint; and the Pagan rites of genuflection,
luminaries, and incense again stole into the Catholic church [sic]” (Gibbon
870).
In these comments Gibbon clearly
connects the subtle entrance of Roman Paganism into early Christianity, which
in turn evolved into the Catholic Church in the Western part of the Roman
Empire.
Having compromised early on in its
history with Paganism, the Catholic Church drifted further from biblical truth
into the abyss of apostasy during the Dark Ages of medieval Europe. During this time the Church embraced many
unbiblical practices, one of them being a system of indulgences: “The indulgence
was a document that one could buy for a sum of money and that would free him
from the temporal penalty of sin” (Cairns 276). Under this system the Church taught that “the
good works of Jesus Christ, the saints, and others could be drawn upon to liberate
souls from purgatory, which is another pagan tradition embraced by the Church. In 1343 Pope Clement VI decreed that all these good works were in the Treasury of Merit, over which the pope had control” (Duggan).
The idea perpetrated by the Church was that the Pope controlled this
Treasury of Merit, and he could dispense it to those who bought it from the
Church through the sale of indulgences.
To cover the abandonment of its Scriptural
foundation, the Catholic Church proscribed the possession and reading of the
Bible. It is well-documented history
that the Church persecuted many faithful witnesses for circulating biblical
truth during this time. Without being
held accountable to Scripture, the Church was free to teach its traditions as
the rule of faith. Forbidding possession
of the Bible became much harder with the invention of the printing press. “Gutenberg’s invention revolutionized mass
communication” (Crowley 243). Books,
Bibles and other documents prohibited by the Church’s Index of Books could now
be mass-produced by willing printers who were either interested in making a few
extra coins or who were supportive of spreading God’s truth.
Backlash
The sale of
indulgences to raise money for the completion of Saint Peter’s Basilica pitted
an unknown monk named Martin Luther against Pope Leo X. On October 31, 1517, Luther nailed his 95
theses, which condemned the practice of indulgences, to the door of the castle church
in Wittenberg. This act was the opening
shot in what would later be known as the Protestant Reformation (González 22).
Pope Leo X responded to Luther’s
accusations by issuing a papal bull condemning 41 of Luther’s beliefs. The bull states in part:
"…
we have even seen with our eyes and read the many diverse errors … heretical,
or scandalous, or false, or offensive to pious ears, or seductive of simple minds
… Therefore we can, without any further citation or delay, proceed against him
to his condemnation and damnation as one whose faith is notoriously suspect and
in fact a true heretic with the full severity of each and all of the above
penalties and censures" (Pope Leo X).
Luther
responded to the bull by burning it in public: “‘They have burned my books,’ he
said, ‘I burn theirs.’ Those flames in
early December, 1520, were a fit symbol of the defiance of the pope raging
throughout Germany” (Shelley 237). The
dispute between Luther and the papacy quickly engulfed most of Europe.
Reflecting on the growth of rebellion
against the Church, Cairns wrote: “The Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed
churches and the radical or free church forms of Anabaptism seemed to be well
on the way to winning all Europe north of the Alps by 1545” (337). “The Catholic Church was haemorrhaging [sic] souls—and,
for that matter, territory and revenue” (Tompkins 150). By this time many of the Protestant Reformers
were pointing to the Catholic Church, with her pope and rigid hierarchy of
cardinals and priests, as the Antichristian system outlined in the pages of
Scripture.
Turning Back The Tide
As
the Protestant Reformation continued to gain momentum, a movement began within
the Catholic Church to occlude the bleeding and hopefully turn the tide back in
favor of the papacy. “Its response was
the ‘Counter-Reformation’, a campaign both to counter the Protestant schism and
to reform the Church on its own terms” (Tompkins 151). The Oratory of Divine Love, the Society of
Jesus and the Capuchin Order all sprang up to defend the Church from the raging
religious struggle in Europe. These
orders were supported by a series of popes who desired to reform Church
excesses. These popes established the
Inquisition, the Index of Books and opened the Council of Trent in 1545 (Cairns
338-339).
The designation of the Catholic Church as the Antichrist of
Scripture by the reformers was a huge problem for the Papacy. Having met the enemy on the frontlines, a
propaganda campaign was necessary to alter this designation. The most straightforward solution to solve
their identification problem would be to attack the Protestant understanding of
prophetic biblical interpretation.
It is noteworthy that “the word ‘propaganda’ actually comes
to us from the Vatican, which established the ‘Congregatio de Propaganda Fide’
(The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith) intended to defend
Catholicism against the heretics of the Protestant Reformation” (Lebash). Lebash’s statement is supported by the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, which
may be accessed online.
Muddying The Water
To
combat the historical understanding of prophetic interpretation, the Papacy
created two alternate methods of interpretation: Preterism and Futurism. The goal of both of these alternatives was to
divert finger pointing away from the Church and either relegate prophetic
understanding to the past, Preterism, or push events into the future, hence
Futurism. The Jesuit Order played an
important part in this work. The Reverend
Joseph Tanner supports this understanding of history:
"So
great a hold did the conviction that the Papacy was the Antichrist gain upon
the minds of men, that Rome at last saw she must bestir herself, and try, by
putting forth other systems of interpretation, to counteract the identification
of the Papacy with the Antichrist. Accordingly,
towards the close of the century of the Reformation, two of her most learned
doctors set themselves to the task, each endeavouring [sic] by different means
to accomplish the same end, namely, that of diverting men's minds from
perceiving the fulfilment [sic] of the prophecies of the Antichrist in the
Papal system" (16).
Rome’s
desire to rehabilitate its character resulted in a two-pronged attack on the
reformers position. The Jesuit Order was
deeply involved in this campaign under the supervision of the Sacred
Congregation of Propaganda. As mentioned
earlier, this office of the Church was established for just this purpose in
1572 by Pope Gregory XIII (Benigni). Luis de Alcazar and Francisco Ribera, loyal
sons of Loyola, were called to use mind and pen to defend the Church.
Consigned To The Past
Luis
de Alcazar’s (1554-1613) Investigation
Into the Arcana of the Apocalypse (Latin: Vestigatio arcani sensus in
Apocalypsi) was published after his death in 1614. “The result of a forty-year endeavor to
refute the Protestant challenge, Alcazar's publication developed a system of
interpretation known as preterism” (Holbrook).
“The English word ‘preterist’ comes from the Latin term praeteritus
which basically means ‘past’ in regard to time” (Mayhue). “The Jesuit Alcasar [sic] devoted himself to bring into prominence the
Preterist method of interpretation, which we have already briefly noticed, and
thus endeavoured [sic] to show that the prophecies of Antichrist were fulfilled
before the Popes ever ruled in Rome, and therefore could not apply to the
Papacy” (Tanner 17). As
demonstrated, Preterism
relegates the prophetic portions of the books of Daniel and Revelation to the
time of the Roman Empire.
“Alcazar’s preterism was soon adopted by the Calvinist Hugo
Grotius (1583-1645) in Holland, and in time became the favorite method for the
interpretation of biblical prophecy among liberal theologians” (Phandl).
Shoved Into The Future
The
second prong of the papal attack on historical interpretation was launched by
Francisco Ribera (1537-1591). “He began
the composition of his famed commentaries in 1575 … About 1590 Ribera published
a 500-page commentary on the Apocalypse, denying the Protestant application of
Antichrist to the Church of Rome” (Froom, Vol. 2: 489). “Ribera applied the antichrist prophecies to
a future personal antichrist who would appear in the time of the end and
continue in power for three and a half years” (qtd. in Phandl). “He taught that Antichrist would be a single
individual, who would rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, abolish the Christian
religion, deny Christ, be received by the Jews, pretend to be God and conquer
the world—and all in this brief space of three and one-half literal years”
(Froom, Vol. 2: 489-90)! “Thus in
Ribera’s commentary was laid the foundation for the great structure of
Futurism, built upon and enlarged by those who followed, until it became the
common Catholic position” (Froom, Vol. 2: 493).
Today, the tenets of Ribera’s work can clearly be seen in evangelical
doctrine and thought.
Another Jesuit who added fuel to
Ribera’s fire, though not in the intentional manner Ribera did, was Manuel de
Lacunza. Lacunza, a Spanish priest born
in Chile, wrote The Coming of Messiah in
Glory and Majesty. “His
work was key to the introduction of futurism in the field of prophetic
apocalypticism in the early nineteenth century” (Gullon 71). “Lacunza had concluded that the ‘false prophet’ was the corrupted
Catholic priesthood, and the apocalyptic Harlot the apostate Rome…” (Froom,
Vol. 3: 268). “Lacunza rejected the
allegorization of the Millennium made by Tyconius, Augustine, and Catholic
exegesis” (Gullon 76).
Lacunza
wrote his book under the penname Juan Josafat Ben-Ezra (Moore 76). Froom
explains that Lacunza feared his work would be added to the Catholic Church’s
index of forbidden books because his ideas were not in line with Church
thinking. To avoid the Church’s Index of
Books Lacunza wrote under the nom de plume of Ben-Ezra passing his work off as if
written by a Christian Hebrew (Vol. 3: 309). The
book was finished in 1790, first published in Spanish in 1812 and later
translated into English in 1826 by Edward Irving (Moore 75).
Edward Irving (1792-1834) was a Scottish Presbyterian
minister (Cairns 407). Schwarz adds:
“Irving … grew up in Scotland and graduated from Edinburgh University at the
age of seventeen. After an apprentice
ministry in Glasgow he accepted in invitation to pastor a small chapel in
London” (26-27). “Irving … Believed that
the church should enjoy the gifts of the Holy Spirit that it had had in the
apostolic era. His followers emphasized
‘speaking in tongues’ and the imminent return of Christ” (Cairns 407).
Gullon reveals that Irving held Lacunza in high esteem: “His
work was considered by Edward Irving as the master work of one of God’s most
gifted servants. It was important for
the development of futurism in Protestantism, and we may say that nineteenth-century
futurism was fueled by Lacunza’s premillennial work” (77-78). “Irving was originally an Historicist in
exposition, but his translation of Lacunza’s book helped materially in gaining
a hearing for Futurism” (Froom, Vol. 4:420).
“After the publication of de Lacunza’s book in English, Irving began to
preach that Christ would first come for His saints in a secret rapture; then
after a period of seven years of tribulation, He would return with them to
destroy the Antichrist and reign on earth” (Taylor 13). During this period, Irving became acquainted
with John Nelson Darby.
J.N. Darby was a member of the Brethren movement in England
(Phandl 2). He was introduced to the
writings of Manuel de Lacunza while staying as a guest in Edward Irving’s home
at about the time Irving finished translating Lacunza’s book into English. Irving and Darby afterward attended a series
of meetings at the home of Henry Drummond called the Albury Park Conferences
(Moore 82). Drummond was a wealthy
member of the British parliament, and his home was located in Albury Park. “Drummond's group met regularly, and from
1826, it conducted series of annual conferences at Albury Park to examine the
manifestations and teachings of Irving's ideology” (The Parish of Albury). Through these conferences Lacunza’s theology
was passed from Irving to Darby and Drummond and others attending the
gathering.
Later, during another series of meetings dubbed the
Powerscourt Conferences, J.N. Darby found a platform to continue the broadcast
of Lacunza’s ideas (Froom, Vol. 4: 1223).
Ironside explains:
It was in these meetings that the precious truth of the
rapture of the Church was brought to light; that is, the coming of the Lord in
the air to take away His church before the great tribulation should begin on
earth. The views brought out at Powerscourt castle not only largely formed the
views of Brethren elsewhere, but as years went on obtained wide publication in
denominational circles (Ironside 16).
Darby’s
theology was broadcast by Cyrus I. Scofield in his popular “Scofield Bible,”
which was funded by the generous help of influential businessmen. Scofield’s footnotes popularized
dispensational premillennialism. “This
Bible has been widely used by the laity and is the unofficial text of the Bible
in many of the Bible schools. It was
revised by an evangelical committee in 1967” (Cairns 480). Through Darby and Scofield, Lacunza continues
to influence the Evangelical Church of today.
Changing God’s Times
God
foresaw the papacy’s attempt to alter His prophetic timeline and revealed this
deception through the Prophet Daniel.
Jesus, who acknowledged Daniel as a prophet in Matthew 24:15 and Mark
13:14, also acknowledged God’s prophetic times.
In the first chapter of the book of Acts, the disciples question Him
about God’s future plans. Jesus answers
them: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father
hath put in his own power” (verse 7).
Clearly, God does everything according to His own “times” and “seasons.”
Unmasking Satan’s coming attempt to change God’s prophetic
times, Daniel reveals the future through Divine revelation in chapter 7 verse
25 of his book: “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and
shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:
and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing
of time.”
One of the things this power would attempt to do would be to
“change times and laws” Dan. 7:25). It
makes sense then, according to the prophecy, that the antichristian power, which
the reformers identified as the papacy, would attempt to change God’s prophetic
timetable to turn the finger of accusation away from the Church.
Conclusion
God has set the prophetic times
contained in the Scriptures so His people may understand the work of Satan in
this world. Satan, working through the
kingdoms and religions of men, has done all he can to deface the truth and
replace it with a version that suits his designs. Just as he tempted Christ in the wilderness to
worship him, Satan deceives those who refuse to worship the Creator “in spirit
and in truth” by substituting biblical error for truth (John 4:24).
Today, the majority of Evangelical fundamentalist
churches and theologians adhere to Futurism while the more liberal theologians,
as pointed out earlier by Phandl, claim the Preterist view. Two centuries ago, however, the historicist school of
interpretation was common to both amillennialism and premillennialism, since
Roman Catholic futurism concerning the appearance of a future antichrist had
not yet made an impact upon the Protestant prophetic interpretation, and almost
all Protestant expositors of the prophecies of the books of Daniel and
Revelation in the Reformation and post-Reformation era belonged to the
historical school of interpretation, known as the Protestant school of
interpretation (Gullon 73).
Seventh-day Adventists are the only denomination which champions the historic
method of biblical interpretation held by the pioneers of the Protestant
Reformation. “It is a matter for deep
regret that those who hold and advocate the Futurist system at the present day,
Protestants as they are for the most part, are thus really playing into the
hands of Rome, and helping to screen the Papacy from detection as the
Antichrist” (Tanner 17). Today, it is
incumbent upon those who know this truth to educate others as opportunities
present themselves, so the falsehoods foisted on the Christian world by the
papacy through its propaganda may be unveiled.
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