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maggiec
Guest
I have several non catholic friends that talk quite a lot about an anti-Christ. Can anyone enlighten me on catholic teaching on this subject?
maggiec
maggiec
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rfk
Guest
There are a number of differing theories, ranging from the antchrist that will come prior to the second coming of Christ, to the theory that St. John was referring to the Roman emperor Nero as the antichrist.
If you want to know it is from a Catholic perspective, the The Catholic Encyclopedia has articles on the antichrist, ranging from The Summa Theologica, to writings from St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine of Hippo and other fathers of the Church.
For a list of articles at Newadvent, click on Newadvent Search for Antichrist
If you want to know it is from a Catholic perspective, the The Catholic Encyclopedia has articles on the antichrist, ranging from The Summa Theologica, to writings from St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine of Hippo and other fathers of the Church.
For a list of articles at Newadvent, click on Newadvent Search for Antichrist
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maggiec
Guest
Thanks, Bob. I’ll check it out.
maggiec
maggiec
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JesusIsTheWay
Guest
As I understand it, the “acccepted” view on the anti-christ, started by a Jesuit named Cardinal Ribera. The left Behind series is a somewhat accurate depiction of this view. Though my own personal view about the issue varies greatly, Jesuit Futurism was accepted by the RCC during the Council of Trent.
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rfk
Guest
There are many aspects of the “Left Behind” series that directly contradict Catholic teaching, not the least of which is calling the Pope “the of Babylon”.
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Fidelis
Guest
From a Catholic perspective, the Left Behind series is NOT an accurate depiction of the Church’s view on the the anti-Christ. Dispensational Pre-millinialists (DP) often cite Rivera as evidence of historic (DP) teaching but the resemblance is a superficial one.
For a good overview on what the Church really teaches on this, read Paul Thigpens, The Rapture Trap.
If you have any specific quotes from Trent on this matter, I’d like to see them.
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Matt16_18
Guest
**Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Church’s ultimate trial
675** Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth 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.
The Church’s ultimate trial
675** Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth 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.
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CathAnFanatical
Guest
everyone knows the Anti-Christ is Gary Colemen.
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Lorarose
Guest
I’ve read one catholic book concerning the anti-christ- can’t quite remember the title (The tribuation - the triumph? something like that)
They describe him as being successful in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. He succeeds in deceiving the jews into believing he is their messiah - and sits in the temple accepting worship from them.
After that he sets his sights on Rome - and his attempts to deceive christians (to establish a one world religion with himself as the object of worship)
This is where it gets confusing for me.
At some point Enoch and Elijah return to fight him in this endeavor - and they are killed.
There is also reference to a french king who battles the ant-christ under the banner of the cross? (French?)
At no time however - is there any “rapture”
Disasters? Disease? War? Yes.
Millions disappearing without a trace - snatched away by God never to experience death? No
Of course…in the end we all know what happens. Thank God.
As for me? We never know when our own personal “last day” will occur. That is the day we should be concerned with - and that day could happen any time.
But I’ll pass the word along to my kids…when they see the temple rebuilt - it is time for heavy duty prayers!!
They describe him as being successful in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. He succeeds in deceiving the jews into believing he is their messiah - and sits in the temple accepting worship from them.
After that he sets his sights on Rome - and his attempts to deceive christians (to establish a one world religion with himself as the object of worship)
This is where it gets confusing for me.
At some point Enoch and Elijah return to fight him in this endeavor - and they are killed.
There is also reference to a french king who battles the ant-christ under the banner of the cross? (French?)
At no time however - is there any “rapture”
Disasters? Disease? War? Yes.
Millions disappearing without a trace - snatched away by God never to experience death? No
Of course…in the end we all know what happens. Thank God.
As for me? We never know when our own personal “last day” will occur. That is the day we should be concerned with - and that day could happen any time.
But I’ll pass the word along to my kids…when they see the temple rebuilt - it is time for heavy duty prayers!!
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gomer_tree
Guest
Basically, for all that people have mused about it, the Church has very little in the way of definitive statements.
I personally believe that the events in Revelation have mostly occurred, but that their occurrences could also prefigure a future event in either a physical or spiritual manner. In other words, the temple of Jerusalem was already destroyed in 70 AD. Nero was most likely the direct antichrist of Revelation, in the near literal sense of what was written. The severe persecutiuon of the Church is probably the Tribulation period everyone talks about. And so on.
However, that does not mean that there isn’t a dual meaning. St. Thomas Aquinas was keen to point out that the event that literally fulfilled the prophecies in the Bible often had prophetic meaning in and of themselves. For example, when God led the Israelites out of Egypt and called them His first-born, the prophecies regarding that directly related to that event. The event itself, however, prefigured Christ being brought up out of Egypt. There are many other examples of this.
So, I think the prophecies have been literally fulfilled (for the most part) by events of the past. But those events may very well prefigure events in the future. Kind of a dual prophecy.
This could culminate in a physical Antichrist - a man - or it could be a more general Antichrist, such as a loss in faith of the Eucharist (defilement of the temple, so to speak).
Whatever it is, we know the Church will undergo persecution. This may or may not be at the hands of a single man, or it may just be a general anti-Catholic acceptance where the forces combine to try and destroy the Church in any number of ways.
Basically, we need to stay steadfast no matter what is happening. We may or may not be in the last days of the end times. But we should always be ready for persecution within and without the church, and for Jesus’ Second Coming.
I love this topic.
I personally believe that the events in Revelation have mostly occurred, but that their occurrences could also prefigure a future event in either a physical or spiritual manner. In other words, the temple of Jerusalem was already destroyed in 70 AD. Nero was most likely the direct antichrist of Revelation, in the near literal sense of what was written. The severe persecutiuon of the Church is probably the Tribulation period everyone talks about. And so on.
However, that does not mean that there isn’t a dual meaning. St. Thomas Aquinas was keen to point out that the event that literally fulfilled the prophecies in the Bible often had prophetic meaning in and of themselves. For example, when God led the Israelites out of Egypt and called them His first-born, the prophecies regarding that directly related to that event. The event itself, however, prefigured Christ being brought up out of Egypt. There are many other examples of this.
So, I think the prophecies have been literally fulfilled (for the most part) by events of the past. But those events may very well prefigure events in the future. Kind of a dual prophecy.
This could culminate in a physical Antichrist - a man - or it could be a more general Antichrist, such as a loss in faith of the Eucharist (defilement of the temple, so to speak).
Whatever it is, we know the Church will undergo persecution. This may or may not be at the hands of a single man, or it may just be a general anti-Catholic acceptance where the forces combine to try and destroy the Church in any number of ways.
Basically, we need to stay steadfast no matter what is happening. We may or may not be in the last days of the end times. But we should always be ready for persecution within and without the church, and for Jesus’ Second Coming.
I love this topic.
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gomer_tree
Guest
These are all well and good, but it is conjecture. There is no harm in trying to put the pieces together and coming up with a logical conclusion, as long as one remembers that the Church doesn’t make any statements abouot who the two prophets are, whether the “great tribulation” lasts 7 years (7 could denote a perfect period of judgment), whether there is a literal, singular man who is the antichrist, etc. Theories abound, and I love reading them. But we always need to stay grounded. The more I’ve read on the topic, the more I realize that there are a lot of great theories that can fit the book, and in reality nobody really knows what it all means.
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Pellman
Guest
That book is Trial, tribulation & triumph: before, during, and after the Antichrist by Birch, Desmond A.
In addition to analyzing the scriptural texts, it has much from the early church fathers and from approved Catholic prophets through the centuries. Very detailed. A must read for any Catholic seriously interested in eschatology.
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Quisp
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As Pellman stated, Trial, Tribulation and Triumph by Desmond Birch is an EXCELLENT book for any Catholic interested in the end times. I can’t recommend it highly enough. But it’s not light reading. It’s an encyclopedic work of over 700 pages, but well worth the time and effort. Mr. Birch’s sources include the ECF’s as well as Church approved private revelation.
God Bless.
God Bless.
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Matt16_18
Guest
gomer tree
Great posts
The CCC also affirms what you are saying. Besides the literal sense of scriptures there are the three spiritual sense of scriptures. The anagogical sense of scriptures gives us insights into Christian eschatology.
**Catechism of the Catholic Church
The senses of Scripture
115** According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral and anagogical senses. The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church.
116 The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: “All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.”
117 The spiritual sense. Thanks to the unity of God’s plan, not only the text of Scripture but also the realities and events about which it speaks can be signs.
Great posts
The CCC also affirms what you are saying. Besides the literal sense of scriptures there are the three spiritual sense of scriptures. The anagogical sense of scriptures gives us insights into Christian eschatology.
**Catechism of the Catholic Church
The senses of Scripture
115** According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral and anagogical senses. The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church.
116 The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: “All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.”
117 The spiritual sense. Thanks to the unity of God’s plan, not only the text of Scripture but also the realities and events about which it speaks can be signs.
- The allegorical sense. We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ’s victory and also of Christian Baptism.
- The moral sense. The events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written “for our instruction”.
- The **anagogical sense ** (Greek: anagoge, “leading”). We can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem.
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Matt16_18
Guest
gomer tree
This could culminate in a physical Antichrist - a man - or it could be a more general Antichrist, such as a loss in faith of the Eucharist (defilement of the temple, so to speak).
The Church does teach that there will be a man who is THE Antichrist that will persecute the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, there are already many men and women with the spirit of antichrist that are in the world already …
… the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already
1 John 4:3
Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come …
1 John 2:18
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, 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.
2 Thes. 2:3-4
For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Matt. 24:24
And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image.
Rev. 19:20
This could culminate in a physical Antichrist - a man - or it could be a more general Antichrist, such as a loss in faith of the Eucharist (defilement of the temple, so to speak).
The Church does teach that there will be a man who is THE Antichrist that will persecute the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, there are already many men and women with the spirit of antichrist that are in the world already …
… the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already
1 John 4:3
Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come …
1 John 2:18
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, 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.
2 Thes. 2:3-4
For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Matt. 24:24
And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image.
Rev. 19:20
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The_Barrister
Guest
There have been and will be many false prophets, but there will be only one anti-Christ, as indicated by the singular article “the”.
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Matt16_18
Guest
Hitler was an antichrist, but not the Antichrist.
… many antichrists have come …
1 John 2:18
… many antichrists have come …
1 John 2:18
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The_Barrister
Guest
I’m not so sure about Hitler. One of the attributes of the anit-Christ is that he will appear as Christ (taking the place of Christ), and Hitler was far from that.
No, the anti-Christ will be far more sinister, far more insidious, and not so obvious. He will draw people to him with shade and darkness while speaking of the light. Form over substance, but people will flock to the form. He will use good for evil purposes, and his purposes will not be easily understood or discernable. He will be an enigma.
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Matt16_18
Guest
One of the attributes of the anit-Christ is that he will appear as Christ (taking the place of Christ), and Hitler was far from that
When Hitler was at the peak of his power, there were many Christians who thought that he was THE Antichrist. Turns out he was only an antichrist.
There have always been antichrists in the world. But there is only one man who will be the Antichrist.
Mao and Stalin were antichrists too.
When Hitler was at the peak of his power, there were many Christians who thought that he was THE Antichrist. Turns out he was only an antichrist.
There have always been antichrists in the world. But there is only one man who will be the Antichrist.
Mao and Stalin were antichrists too.
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Matt16_18
Guest
Sun Young Moon is an antichrist.
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