Reprinted from the
Antichrist/Beast/Man of Sin/Little Horn Separate and distinct or the Same?
thread:
Antichrist in History
Fundamental to dispensational eschatology is belief in a future Antichrist who will appear close to the end of time, unleashing heinous deceptions and depredations on his victims. He will ultimately be destroyed, but not before himself destroying countless individuals both spiritually and physically during his reign of error and terror.
The vast majority of professing dispensationalists are familiar with and subscribe to this doctrine. What is overwhelmingly less recognized, however, is the history of its origin and proliferation.
By the early 16th century, the Protestant Reformation was experiencing notable success in casting off the spiritual chains characterizing the papal Roman, i.e Roman Catholic (RC), empire’s dark ages. Two of the foundational proclamations upon which said success rested were: (1) The just shall live by faith; and (2) The papacy is antichrist. For these, particularly the latter, various of the Reformers consequently paid with their lives. Evidence for the latter was recognized from prophecies in Daniel and Revelation; from the RC church’s own arrogated title for the pope, Vicarius Filii Dei (Latin for Vicar of the Son of God); and for the pope’s own direct claims (Pope Pius XI, “I am God on the earth.”).
The RC church’s own foundations were crumbling under the Reformation attack, and the necessity for a counter strategy was being exigently recognized. Francisco Ribera (1537-1591), a priest within the RC order of the Jesuits, was commissioned with the task. His response was to produce a 500 page commentary which speculated upon a future antichrist who would abolish Christianity, claim to be God, and conquer the world. This was the beginning of the doctrines of futurism which are intrinsic to contemporary dispensationalism.
Ribera’s futurism was further disseminated within RC ranks by Italian cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), and became official RC dogma.
For a further two centuries, however, only the RC church subscribed to the futurist position. Then in 1826-1830, Samuel Maitland (1792-1866), librarian to the Archbishop of Canterbury, became the first Protestant to adopt it. Disbelieving that the papacy was in the prophecies, he was contemptuous of much of the Reformation.
James Todd (1805-1869), professor of Hebrew at Trinity College in Dublin, was a subsequent adherent.
Concurrent with these developments were the appearance and rise of Darbyism and the doctrines of modern dispensationalism. Futurism was recognized as being fully compatible, and was soon integrated. The result was an interpretive system overwhelmingly oriented to speculation and conjecture, with minimal regard for the historic prophetic wisdom and sacrifices of the saints of old.
Thus has been briefly described, the origin and proliferation of the doctrine of a futurized antichrist. For those committed to objectivity and the historicity of scripture, I trust it has been of some value.