Catholic view of the Antichrist?

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Hi. I was wondering if anyone can clarify for me the Catholic view of the Antichrist. I’ve been reading Revelation and several study guides for it, but there seem to be a wide variety of interpretations for it, even among the three Catholic books I’ve read.
  • The Apostle John seems to refer to both an individual Antichrist as well as a spirit of Antichrist (those who deny Jesus).
  • The Apostle Paul refers to the coming of the lawless one, who will sit in God’s temple, demanding to be worshiped.
  • The book “Antichrist and the End Times” refers to the aforementioned lawless one as the Antichrist. That book goes on to say that, according to Church tradition, the False Prophet and Gog are the two individual Antichrists. I assume from this that the lawless one is either the False Prophet or Gog.
  • The book “Coming Soon: Unlocking the Book of Revelation” says that the Beast from the sea was Ancient Rome, the False Prophet was (collectively) the Jewish priests responsible for Jesus’s death, and that Jerusalem of the 1st century was the harlot. According to this book, much of Revelation was realized by the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, and the Millennium of Revelation corresponds to the current Church age. This book makes one passing reference to the Antichrist, but never relates him to individuals identified in Revelation or elsewhere in the Bible.
  • Pope Benedict wrote that Antichrists exist in every age.
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Norm
 
normdplume said:
Hi. I was wondering if anyone can clarify for me the Catholic view of the Antichrist.
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The viewpoint of the Catholic Church- and most other historical churches- is that the antichrist of revelation has already come, The tales told in the “Left Behind” series and by Hal Lindsey may well be amusing, but they have nothing to do with Catholic teaching
 
You mentioned Jewish people, just a note, a controversial area is also the “Synagoge of Satan” which should not cause immediate finger pointing. I’ve been told there are “multiple antichrists” from some source which is hard to recall. I hope it was biblical to not infringe upon the sovereignty of the Book of Revelation which is highly dangerous. In your research, I suggest keeping close to that excerpt as to not invoke a curse.
 
Here’s what the Catechism has to say–basically the Anti-Christ will offer a solution to our problems at the price of apostasy and the glorification of man as God (either Anti-Christ himself or man in general–the latter seems more likely as it is more subtle and deceiving, but who knows).
675 Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.574 The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth575 will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.576

676 The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism,577 especially the “intrinsically perverse” political form of a secular messianism.578

677 The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection.579 The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God’s victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven.580 God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.581

574 Cf. Lk 18:8; Mt 24:12.
575 Cf. Lk 21:12; Jn 15:19-20.
576 Cf. 2 Thess 2:4-12; 1 Thess 5:2-3; 2 Jn 7; 1 Jn 2:18,22.
577 Cf. DS 3839 (Decree of the Holy Office/CDF declaring it unsafe to teach a visible reign of Christ on earth prior to the Final Judgment).
578 Pius XI, Divini Redemptoris, condemning the “false mysticism” of this “counterfeit of the redemption of the lowly”; cf. Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes 20-21.
579 Cf. Rev 19:1-9.
580 Cf Rev 13:8; 20:7-10; 21:2-4.
581 Cf. Rev 20:12 2 Pet 3:12-13.
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I think Archbishop Fulton also wrote some stuff about the Antichrist and the dangers brought by this post-modern society that is more and more like preparing his ruling. What Arch. Fulton said is matched almost line by line by what some Orthodox elders said like St. Paysios, Seraphim of Rose. I wonder if anyone has a link as to what Arch. Fulton said or the name of the book if there was one. I only read some excerpts from it (on a Rad Trad blog of course).
Both sides I mentioned before - West and East - showed concern about the reign beginning from inside their own churches (Catholic and Orthodox). I personally don’t think it will be case more than just a weakening of faith that permits the doctrines of the Antichrist to be mistaken as faith. As long as the bishops today still speak of fake humanism and the dangers of it I think that worry that he will rise from the Church is just a worry.
What I find more useful when one is worried about the Antichrist is that they take into consideration what that means further on - the Judgement Christ will bring to us - and worry about their own faith instead of solely collecting signs and connections as to where the Antichrist is and is he here yet etc.
I pray and I am almost certain this will happen, that the top Christian leaders will recognize him as such and not lead the flock into temptation. I feel almost certain about it even if certain sites have brought me many times to tears by fear that our bishops might enthrone him. After many prayers I no longer believe that this will happen at all.
God bless.
 
How does this manifest? Like in the OT, God curses some believers for disobedience (among other things).

I owe you a huge debt. When you said " In your research, I suggest keeping close to that excerpt as to not invoke a curse" you opened my eyes to the possibility of myself being cursed.

I used to look at a lot of Antichrist and False Prophet material and noticed a lot of bad things started happening. I asked God for forgiveness for attempting to interpret this Sacred book (and labelling certain people as the Antichrist and False Prophet).

I can’t express my thanks enough! I’m feeling free for the first time in years! God Bless! Praying for you!
 
Augustinian said:
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normdplume:
Hi. I was wondering if anyone can clarify for me the Catholic view of the Antichrist.
Click to expand...
The viewpoint of the Catholic Church- and most other historical churches- is that the antichrist of revelation has already come, The tales told in the “Left Behind” series and by Hal Lindsey may well be amusing, but they have nothing to do with Catholic teaching
Click to expand...
I’m aware that the Left Behind series is a Protestant interpretation. I’m looking strictly at Catholic books written by priests who teach how to interpret Revelation, and none of them say that the antichrist has already come.
 
@crownofswords bro, you made me shiver and get goosebumps for real! That amazing thanks you passed on to me felt like a river running through my veins. So glad to know you wow, god bless you too halleluia! I’m so grateful!

*Send me a PM so we keep in touch!
 
It also is applicable to the whole Bible ,like wise when Mother Mary says “Do whatever he tells you it also means the obey the whole Bible,what are you thoughts?

Revelation 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; 19 if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter,[c] not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks[d] one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

John 2:5 His mother( Mary) said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.
 
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Pick up Scott Hahn’s treatment on the book of Revelation or the Apocalypse, The End. Answers this question beautifully. It is worth the price of admission, so to speak.
 
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