Friday, May 8, 2015

The Roots of Preterism and Futurism Found in the Catholic Counterreformation

          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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