Victor R. Claveau, MJ
When the fathers of the reformation broke away from the unity and communion of the Catholic Church, they found it convenient to justify their schism by claiming that the Pope was the Antichrist, and Rome the scarlet “Whore of Babylon.”
The term antichrist is used only by St. John, although the idea is found in other St. Paul’s writings. It itself might mean “like Christ” or “instead of Christ”. In general, antichrist is hostile to the person and to the work of Christ and will appear at the height of the great apostasy that will precede the Second Coming of Christ. He is usually considered to be an individual person distinct from Satan but working for him. Antichrist will seek to overcome Christ and His Church. Paul refers to him as the lawless one. . . the son of perdition. Paul explains that some obstacle (known to the Thessalonians, but unknown to us) now restrains the coming of antichrist.
t is the belief of the Church that before our Lord comes again, a great power will arise to persecute the Church and lead many into apostasy, and the belief of many of the Fathers was that the antichrist is to be a real being who is to appear before the end of the world to persecute the Church.
There have been many expressions concerning the antichrist. Some regard him as generated by Satan, others as Satan incarnate. In the past, great wars or catastrophes were believed to be about to usher in the reign of the antichrist. In a vague sense everyone who performed or who taught evil was called antichrist. The opinion that the antichrist was to be an individual was common until the Reformation period. At this time, an odd belief, which had originated among the Beguines, in Flanders, was revived, to the effect that as Lucifer had come from the highest order of the Angels, so the antichrist was to come from the highest ranks within the Church. Reformation opinion said that this meant the line of popes. Heretics hinted that this was what Paul meant in his reference to the “man of lawlessness”. However, non-Catholic writers have long since rejected this erroneous interpretation, which at one time was almost an article of faith for Protestants.
1 Jn. 2:22 – Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
2 Jn. 1:7 – For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
2 Thess. 2:3-4, 6, 9-10 – Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. … 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. … 9 The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
Rev. 20:1-3, 9-10 – Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be loosed for a little while. … 9 And they marched up over the broad earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city; but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.