THE ORIGIN OF THE FUTURIST THEORY
THE Protestant Testimony of the Reformation exposed the Papacy as “that man of sin”, the AntiChrist foretold by Paul in Thessalonians 2:3-12. This identication is based upon abundant Scriptural and historical proof, and was still strongly upheld by Crown and Church in Britain in the reign of James I. The following extracts from the Dedication of the Authorised Version of the Bible of 1611, addressed to James I, illustrates this point. The translators upheld “the zeal of Your Majesty towards the house of God manifesting itself abroad in the farthest parts of Christendom, by writing in defence of the truth, (which hath given such a blow unto that Man of Sin as will not be healed).” They further referred to “Popish persons at home or abroad, who therefore will malign us, because we are poor instruments to make God’s holy truth to be yet more and more known unto the people.”
Previously, in 1558, a Jesuit, Ribera, attempting to sidetrack this Scriptural teaching, had claimed that AntiChrist was not the Papacy (so clearly foretold in Daniel 7:8;20-26; 11:36-39, Revelation 11:7, chapters 13,17,18, 19,20, etc), but an individual infidel who would appear at the end of the world and rule for 1,260 days. Ribera’s theory was discredited as Papal iniquity was unmasked, and in consequence it became lost for over two hundred years.
Between 1826-30, Dr. S R. Maitland, Librarian to the Archbishop of Canterbury, revived and published the Jesuit’s misinterpretation. It was taken up by a number of Ministers, and became known as the Futurist interpretation of prophecy. At the same time J. N. Darby, the founder of a nonconformist sect in Dublin and Plymouth, accepted the Futurist theory, and it has spread amongst Evangelical circles since then. How quickly was forgotten the warning of the Apostles, and the Prophets of Old and New Testaments, concerning the long-continued intrigues and despotism of the Papal system. Fox, Gratten Guinness, and other reliable historians, show that, during 1,260 years of aggression and inquisition upwards of 50,000,000 fell as martyrs to the AntiChrist system.
The Papal Apostacy from the faith of Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of the great “falling away first”, which the Apostle Paul revealed would precede Christ’s Second Advent (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3) and would follow the fall of the Pagan Roman Empire. The apostacy, he said, could not come “until he (Pagan Rome) be taken out of the way” (verses 6-8). In spite of the warnings in the New Testament concerning everything coming from Papal sources, Darby’s followers added to the Jesuit’s theory by teaching that there would be a “secret” return of Christ prior to AntiChrist’s appearance. At this supposed event, (known as “The Rapture”) our Lord is secretly to take the Church up into heaven for the 1,260 days of AntiChrist’s world-wide despotic rule. After this, they say, He will return publicly to setup His Millennial Kingdom.
We do indeed rejoice in the blessed hope of Christ’s personal Second Advent, so clearly foretold in the Bible (Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16-17, etc.). But it is certain that all theories concerning this world-shattering event which bear no relation to past or present history in the unveiled light of God’s Word must fail.
Let us now consider the following questions, and, like the Bereans, who were “more noble”, search the Scriptures and history to see whether these things are so, (ACTS 17:11).
First of all, it is a little difficult to reconcile the picture given in Daniel, chapter 7, verses 21 and 25, (when the “little horn”, or AntiChrist “made war with” and “shall wear out the saints of the most High”), with the Futurist theory of the saints being first “raptured” into heaven.
Secondly, why should AntiChrist’s rule be limited to 1,260 days of 24 hours? There are two other time-scales given in Scripture for the interpretation of prophecy:
“I have appointed thee each day for a year” (EZEKIEL 4:6, NUMBERS 14:34); “One day with the Lord is as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years as one day” (II PETER 3:8).
The second scale of interpretation would give AntiChrist a reign of over a million years. Even the first time-scale cannot be
accepted by the Futurists as it would make the public return of Christ a matter of 1,260 years after his “secret” return, which would not fit in with their theory of when the Millennium is to start. Because they will not accept the identity of the Papacy with the “Man of Sin” but maintain that he has yet to be revealed, they have to choose the shortest of all the time-scales, which is seldom used in interpreting prophecy. On the other hand, it is a fact of history that for 1,260 years (from the days of the
Emperor Phocas in 606 A.D., until 1866) Popes dominated Europe. The noble list of millions of martyrs are ample proof that the Papacy did in fact make war with and wear out the Saints of the Most High. Even Britain was not freed from their power until 1588. In Europe, however, it was not until 1860-70 that the political power of the Papal system was broken, and the Papal States and Rome anexed to the Italian Kingdom.
Then, how can AntiChrist be an individual?Our Futurist brethren agree that the “little horn” of Daniel, chapter 7, is identical with the “Man of Sin”, or AntiChrist, yet this little horn was in the head of the fourth beast of Daniel’s vision of Gentile world-powers. All are agreed that these four beasts were symbolic of systems of government. The first three were Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece. The fourth, contemporary with our Lord and the early Church, was Imperial Pagan Rome, which, when it was broken in the fourth century A.D., was divided into ten kingdoms, the ten horns of Daniel 1:20. During this time the Apostolic faith prevailed in Europe, so that it was said, “Now is come …the, Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ” – (REVELATION 12:10).
However, Daniel foretold that after this there would come up another horn, which would devour three of the others, which was abundantly fulfilled in 607 A.D. when Boniface III became first Pope of Rome. Henceforth the Popes “walked in the imperial shoes of the Caesars”. This merging of Pagan Imperial Rome into Ecclesiastical Papal Rome was wonderfully foretold by the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8. Having proved that the one who was to “be revealed” was Papal Rome, we ask ourselves who was the one who was “letting”, or hindering his revelation – one in whom “the mystery of iniquity doth already work”? Who but Pagan Rome, who was in power in the Apostle’s own day, and could not therefore be referred to more openly! Thus the apostacy from the true faith to “Christianised” paganism was complete, and the Papal system dominated the Western hemisphere spiritually and politically as no “individual” could.
Further, how can AntiChrist be an infidel? The thought contained in this term, AntiChrist, is not that he denies Christ’s existence, but that he is a false Christ, an enemy or rival of Christ. This thought fits in with 2 Thessalonians 2:4, which describes the Man of Sin thus, “he as God sitteth in the temple Of God, shewing himself that he is God.” So he would counterfeit or usurp the office of God’s only-begotten Son. This the Papal system has done down the ages, the Popes being called the “Vicar of Christ” and worshipped as “our Lord God the Pope.” Out of their own mouths they are identified and condemned.
Through upholding the Jesuit Futurist theory the churches have lost much spiritual vision and armour. In place of the manifestation of Christ in the gifts, miracles and offices of the Holy Spirit – all clearly demonstrated in our Lord’s ministry and in the early Church-we find in the different denominations signs of worldliness, on the one hand (plays, dances and card-playing used to attract people) and the return of Romish practices on the other. Mass, Confession, “holy” water, incense, vestments,
altars, shrines and images to saints and the dead are rapidly increasing – truly a “form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”
But let us take heart from Scriptures showing that this confusion, or spirit of Babylon, which has deceived many to this day, is to end.
REVELATION 18:21 declares, “With violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all.”
“Behold, I make all things new… Write: for these words are true and faithful” – (REVELATION 21:5).
