Who is the Antichrist?

Perhaps you will not read this tract. Many of us are afraid to face truth, because usually the truth requires us to act, and perhaps even to change our comfortable way of life. Others will not read because of prejudice. We have become so familiar with the ways and the mind of the world, the standards of men, that we automatically reject that which is not popular. Yet it may be possible that a fearful time is just ahead of all of us, when a terrible holocaust will be unleashed upon the whole world. Can you afford to ignore facts? Shouldn’t you at least examine the evidence? Do not be among the fearful ones who would bury their heads in the sand. At least, read what is said before you make up your mind. It may be that you will be saved from the greatest deception that has ever come upon the human race.

The Bible states plainly that the Antichrist will be revealed before Jesus returns to take His church to be with Him. It is stated so plainly that it is very difficult to understand how some have come to believe otherwise. 2 Thess. 2:3 tells us:

"Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and the man of sin be revealed."

It has been confidently believed by Christians for many years that the return of Jesus is at hand. At the very door. If this is true, then surely the Antichrist must be already revealed (if the word of God is true). Yet, where is he? Clearly the Bible tells us that "that day" (the day of our gathering together to Jesus) shall not come until the Antichrist first comes and performs his marvellous deceptions in the sight of the whole world (please read 2 Thess. 2:1-12).

Sometimes we become so set in our ways, and so sold on a certain idea that we cannot recognize the truth, even when it comes and taps us on the shoulder. Most of us have a preconceived idea of the Antichrist as being a fierce, warlike, physically strong person (such as Saddam Hussein of Ghaddafi), but is this what the Bible says? Not at all. The Bible speaks of the Antichrist as being chiefly a person who will hurt mankind by distorting the truth of God, thereby deceiving the whole world and leading men to lose their souls, (rather than their physical lives) (2 Thess. 2:10-12). Even many religious people will regard this Antichrist as a good and godly man. This is why he will have such great power to deceive.

My sincere prayer is that this tract may be, in the hand of God, a means of opening your eyes to the deadly deception which is even now fastening the whole world in the grip of the Antichrist.

Who is the Antichrist? Hundreds of years ago the apostle Paul predicted that before Jesus returned to this earth, a certain man would come who would be the great enemy of God’s truth and of God’s people (2 Thess. 2:1-4) This prophecy has been fulfilled! This man of sin has arrived! He is presently living upon the earth and he is fulfilling every point of the prophecy right before our eyes.

Who is this Antichrist? You will find strong evidence in this tract that the POPE OF ROME is the Antichrist. Yes, the Pope of Rome, the ruler of the Vatican and the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Please look at the evidence. Do not reject what has been said until you at least examine the facts.

The Roman Catholic theologian, Malachi Martin, in his book, "The Keys Of This Blood", tells us that before the end of this century there will be a miraculous sign in the sky, involving the virgin Mary and the sun, which will convince the whole world that the Pope is the rightful ruler of this planet. This, he says, is the confident expectation of Pope John Paul II. According to him, this was revealed to the Pope in a vision which was given to him while he was recovering from bullet wounds in a clinic in Rome. Ever since that day the Pope has been using all the influence he commands to prepare the world for the day when Mary shall appear, and he will take the reins of power.

From time to time there have been reports that the virgin Mary has appeared to various people. Sometimes, hundreds, and even thousands of persons have claimed that they have seen her. In every case, when she has appeared she has encouraged the people to believe in, and to practice the customs of the Roman Catholic Church, such as praying to her (Mary) and praying the Rosary.

These appearances have helped to convince people that the Roman Church is the true church, and that the Pope as head of that church, is the rightful ruler of this planet. Naturally, the Pope is a firm believer in Mary, and in 1987 he declared a "Marian Year", calling for 14 months of special devotion to Mary. (See the Daily Gleaner – June 7, 1987). These appearances and signs by "Mary are some of the signs and wonders which the Bible prophesied would accompany the coming of the Antichrist.

* VISIONS OF THE VIRGIN - a miracle in Yugoslavia creates a furor in the Catholic Church. - Newsweek - July 20, 1987

* MARTYRED SAINT’S BLOOD LIQUEFIES AT MASS - The Daily Gleaner - May 2, 1987

* VIRGIN MARY APPEARS IN TRINIDAD - The Daily Gleaner - Oct. 10, 1991

* VIRGIN MARY ANNOUNCED THE CONVERSION OF RUSSIA IN FATIMA - The Sunday Gleaner - Jan. 26, 1992

There have in fact been dozens of other sightings of Mary, both recently as well as in the past. Some of the more celebrated sightings have taken place in the following countries.

"We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty." - Pope Leo XIII

"The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself hidden under the veil of flesh. Does the Pope speak? It is Jesus Christ who speaks ... so that when the Pope speaks we have no business to examine, we have only to obey." - The Catholic Mirror - Sept. 2, 1893

"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 ... the Pope alone is deservedly called by the name, ‘Most Holy’ because he alone is the vicar of Christ ... he is likewise the divine monarch and supreme emperor and king of kings ... hence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth, and of the lower regions ... he is of so great dignity and power that he forms one and the same tribunal with Christ ... The Pope is as it were, God on earth." - Prompta Bibliotheca - by Lucius Ferraris

The present Pope, John Paul II has become the most well-known and popular human being on the face of the earth.

"No other Pope – indeed no other human being – had seen and been seen by so many people. In less than a decade he had become one of the most recognizable faces and forces in the world." - Life Magazine – Dec. 1989

From the very start of his career as Pope, John Paul has been extraordinarily popular. Almost indeed as if there is a supernatural force at work, guaranteeing success to everything that the Pope does. When he visited the United States early in his career, he was the first Pope in history to ever do so. Time magazine paid him the highest tribute by featuring him on the cover of the magazine under the caption: "John Paul, Superstar." We need to remember, of course, that a theatrical production entitled, "Jesus Christ, Superstar," was very popular at that time. By using the same title to refer to the Pope, Time magazine was suggesting that the Pope could be compared with Jesus Christ.

Below, is a list of all the countries which John Paul visited during the first eight years of his career. It gives us an indication of just how popular this Pope has been. Since this list was published, he has visited dozens of other countries. He truly is the one man who has been seen by more people than any other human being alive.

Two hundred years ago when Pope Pius VI was taken a prisoner by the armies of Napoleon (1798), the whole world believed that the power of the Papacy was broken forever. It was confidently predicted that the Roman Catholic institution would never again be as popular as it had been. Today we stand amazed as we see the restoration of the popularity and the power of the Pope. Revelation 13:3 unfolds before our eyes.

What can we say? "Remarkable" is the only word which we can use when we see how the prophecy has been fulfilled to the very letter. The Pope is once again the number one man in the world. All the world indeed wonders after the "beast".

The personal motto of Pope John Paul II is "Totus Tuus," which means, "All for you." Does this mean that he belongs totally to God, or to Jesus Christ? No, this means that he belongs totally to Mary (See Time Magazine – Dec. 30, 1990). This is strange, especially for a man who claims to be a Christian, for it was Jesus Christ who said:

"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." - Matt. 3:10

According to the Time Magazine of December 30, 1990, John Paul has visited countless Marian (devoted to Mary) shrines and he prays for Mary’s help in nearly every speech and prayer that he delivers. This is especially astonishing when we remember that Mary has been dead for nearly two thousand years and that today, she sleeps in her grave with all the other saints, awaiting the call of the life-giver when Jesus shall come again.

Who then is this "Mary" to whom the Pope has devoted his life? Roman Catholic devotion to Mary has its roots in the ancient pagan religions which began at the tower of Babel thousands of years ago (see "The Two Babylons" by Alexander Hislop).

Pagans worshipped a mother-goddess who was called by the names of, Semiramis, Ishtar, Astarte, Diana and various other names, depending on the culture in which she was worshipped. The Roman Catholic Church adopted this pagan practice hundreds of years ago, in a move which made it easier for pagans to accept the Roman Catholic faith. Today, the Antichrist worships Mary as the "Queen of Heaven," but concerning the "Queen of Heaven", God says:

"The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire and the women knead their dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger." (Jeremiah 7:18)

Truly, the Pope is a worshipper of a "strange god". This is just what God’s word prophesies of the Antichrist.

According to Newsweek Magazine (Sept. 21, 1987), the Pope "has become a key figure in the search for world peace." This is not difficult to either accept, or to understand. The Pope speaks about "peace" more than any other person on the earth. It is the subject of his speeches everywhere he goes. It is not surprising then that the word of God tells us that the Antichrist would be a person who would be prominent in the "Peace" movement. Yet all of this talk of peace is really just a mask to cover the real intentions of the Pope, which is to once again establish Roman Catholicism as the most powerful force on the earth with himself in control. Those of us who are wise will not forget the other statement in the word of God concerning "peace".

The Pope, as the ruler of the Vatican and the head of the Roman Catholic Church, is today, the most powerful man on the face of the earth. Most people do not realize that the Pope was the person who was MOST responsible for the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. Does this idea seem foolish to you? Then look at the following headlines and clips from highly respected news magazines:

"The rush to freedom in Eastern Europe is a sweet victory for John Paul II." - LIFE MAGAZINE - Dec. 1989

"He has helped bring about the greatest policy change since the Russian Revolution."  - LIFE MAGAZINE - Dec. 1989

"THE TRIUMPH OF JOHN PAUL II - The tide of freedom washing over Eastern Europe answers his most fervent prayer."  - LIFE MAGAZINE - Dec. 1989

"A revolution in the communist world that the Pope helped spark." - USA TODAY

(Headline) "Gorby’s bow to the Roman legions." (meaning that Gorbachev gives in to the power of the Roman Catholic Church) - U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT - Nov. 30, 1989

(front cover) "HOLY ALLIANCE: How Reagan and the Pope conspired to assist Poland’s Solidarity movement and hasten the demise of communism." - TIME MAGAZINE -Feb. 24, 1992

How was the Pope able to overthrow the mightiest military power in the world? Not by his own personal military might, for the Vatican has only a very very small army. However, today, battles are fought and won by diplomatic and economic manipulation, and in these areas, the Vatican is one of the strongest forces in the world. Through the various arms of the Roman Catholic Church such as the Jesuits, Opus Dei, The Knights of Columbus, the priests, nuns etc. The Pope has millions of agents in every country. The Vatican is also estimated to be the richest institution in existence, with the Pope as its head, being in control of all its wealth (see the book, "The Vatican Billions", by Avro Manhattan). This gives the Pope great economic and political power with the ability to destabilize and destroy politically, any country which he chooses. No wonder the Bible says of him:

" ...and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" (Rev. 13:4)

Whenever it has had the power to do so, the Roman Catholic Church, under the various Popes has ALWAYS persecuted those who held different religious beliefs. The historian W.E.H. Lecky stated:

"The church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind ... it is impossible to form a complete conception of the multitude of her victims."

Albert Barnes, in his, "Notes On Daniel", wrote:

"In the year 1208, a crusade was proclaimed by Pope Innocent III against the Waldenses and Albigenses, in which a million men perished. From the beginning of the order of the Jesuits in the year 1540 to 1580, nine hundred thousand were destroyed. One hundred and fifty thousand perished by the inquisition in thirty years. In the low countries, fifty thousand persons were hanged, beheaded, burned and buried alive for the crime of heresy, within the space of thirty-eight years."

Some historians have estimated that more than sixty (60) million persons were put to death by the Roman Catholic Church during the 1200 years between 550 A.D. and 1750.

Of course, there are many persons who say that these things are all in the past and that we live in a different age now, when we should forget all these things. Are these persecutions really over? Has the Papacy changed? Today, there seems to be a change. All the talk is of love and brotherhood, but this will only be until Rome has fully regained her supremacy and is restored to her power. The Bible tells us that before Jesus returns there will be the fiercest persecutions of God’s people by the Antichrist; a repetition of the horrors of the past, as all the world will bow before the popularity and influence of the Antichrist. Those who are skeptical should note that even today, in the countries where Rome’s power is fully established there is often fierce persecution of those who are not of the Catholic faith. Consider the following article:

"Between the years 1944 - 1952 there were seventy-six cases of murder, pillage and rape by priest-led mobs, in Mexico, against Protestants and their families. Preachers were killed and quartered, and their homes and churches were sacked and burned. Others were hanged, slain with machetes, or dragged to death behind horses. Women were violated, and the small son of a protestant pastor was found with eighty-five knife wounds in his body." - (from the newsmagazine – "Tiempo" – Feb. 8, 1952

Life magazine, in December 1989 described the Roman Church as a power that "can never be content to win the day in Eastern Europe alone." Whose objective, "Is not a holy war against communism; it is nothing less than the liberation of the world itself." Liberation? What is the Pope’s idea of "liberation"? There is only one kind of freedom known by the Papacy: This is the freedom to obey the dictates of Rome. We are given a hint as to the Pope’s intentions in the book, "The Keys of This Blood."

"He (the Pope) insists that men have no reliable hope of creating a viable geopolitical system unless it is on the basis of Roman Catholic Christianity." - The Keys of This Blood" – p. 492

Who is the Antichrist? Are you still unconvinced? God will not make it any plainer. Those who will examine the facts with unbiased eyes will realize that this tract is speaking the truth.

If a man advocates peace on earth, can he be an evil person? If a man calls upon the name of God can he be the representative of Satan? If all the political and religious leaders in the world respect, admire and look up to the Pope, shouldn’t we also do the same? These seem to be hard questions, and yet, they are not so hard when we examine the words of Jesus in Matt. 7:21

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (see also verses 22-23)

God’s word is deeper than the reasoning of men. He does not see things in the limited way that we do. The teachings and the works of the Pope will eventually bring great evil to the world, and that is why he must be exposed, and his work denounced! Please consider the following key points carefully:

1. The doctrines of the Pope are unbiblical. They have their roots in paganism and are radically opposed to the truths of the gospel. Prominent among these doctrines are the doctrines of Mary worship and the praying of the rosary. Everywhere the Pope goes, these are his principal teachings. Those who accept these doctrines and live by them bring great dishonour to God, and place themselves in great peril. In actual fact they will find that in worshipping the dead they are really worshipping demons.

2. The Pope’s plan for world peace means that the whole world shall bow to the Pope and Roman Catholicism. In other words that the Pope shall rule the world.

3. The Pope’s final and most daring blasphemy is yet to be revealed. However, through the study of the Bible prophecies we realize that this will include a daring defiance of God and His laws and an attempt to destroy those who keep the commandments of God from the face of the earth. (Please write for the tract entitled, "The Mark of The Beast.").

When the Bible speaks of the Antichrist, there is one word which comes up again and again. It is the word, "DECEIVE". Do you realize the significance of this? The only way a person can deceive you is to strongly convince you that he is one thing, when in reality he is another. Be careful then, for the Antichrist comes to you in a cleverly prepared religious garb, and so excellent is the disguise that the Bible says that he deceives "the whole world". The only reason why he does not deceive even the very elect, is because it is impossible. Matt. 24:24 ; 2 Thess. 2:10 ; Rev. 13:14).

Oh my friend, do you see what this means? We cannot trust in the opinions of the majority. We cannot even safely trust in the opinions of our religious leaders. Have we learned nothing from the past? Who were the people most prominent in the work of denouncing and crucifying the Son of God? It was the highly learned religious leaders of the day. We must learn to look at things from God’s point of view if we want to be protected from this, the final and greatest deception.

The Pope has almost come to the climax of his plans. He now awaits a sign in the heavens to convince the whole world that he is the earth’s rightful ruler. Will God permit Satan to show this sign? We cannot say for certain, but we do know that the Bible states that the coming of the Antichrist will be with marvellous signs and wonders (2 Thess. 2:9). It is more than likely that the Pope will have his expected sign. Will you be deceived?