The Bible talks about a system, an institution that has been on the world scene for more than a millennium, persecuting other Christians and demanding obedience upon threat of excommunication. The best explanation of 'antichrist' is NOT the idea of being against Christ. The best explanation, the biblical explanation, is an entity that takes the place of Christ on earth.

The institution known as the papacy has bragged about being the legitimate head of the Christian church for 1,500 years. The succession of popes supposedly traces its roots back to Peter, one of Christ's disciples. The abuses, persecution, and outright hubris is not matched by any other church on earth in its scope and audacity. The deaths at the hands of this church number in the tens of millions. Prominent Protestant leaders from the 15th to 19th centuries have identified the beast power coming up out of the sea in Revelation 13 as the Catholic Church! Today however, we have a complete shift in Protestant thinking. Instead of identifying the papacy as the antichrist, so-called Protestants are joining the ranks of the Catholic Church. This has become so apparent that it is safe to say THE PROTESTANT ERA IS DEAD.

“The popes filled the place of the vacant emperors at Rome, inheriting their power, prestige, and titles from paganism….Constantine left all to the Bishop of Rome….The papacy is but the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon its grave. Pagan Rome gave its authority to papal Rome.” Stanley’s History, p 40. Quoted in Revelation Speaks, Seminars Unlimited, Keene, Texas, p. 105

“That the church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history”. Bible Readings for the Home, Review and Herald Publishing Assn, 1958, page 214

The history of the Christian church over the last 1,500 years has been one of consolidation of power by the mother church and tradition overtaking Scripture as the authority. Then came the period known as the Dark Ages. Then there was a time of persecution in the church. Some say that approximately 50 million people were killed for not conforming to the mother church. The evidence is just overwhelming. The Protestant Reformation was started as a protest against the authority of the papacy. Scripture became more important to the reformers than tradition. Justification by faith without the deeds of the law, confession to Jesus directly instead of to a priest, Sola Scriptura or Scripture above everything, all of these things drove Martin Luther and others to rebel against the authority of the church. Papacy received a deadly wound in 1798 when the French general Berthier captured the pope and he died. But, in 1929 an agreement was signed between the Vatican and the Italian government giving Vatican City its own independent status as a nation.

Since then the pope has traveled the world, spoken to kings and presidents, and spoken to leigislative bodies all over the world.

Truly, the papacy fulfills all the marks of the beast power in Revelation 13 and Daniel and Revelation generally. And Protestant churches are NOT protesting anything! The examples on the right and the references below will reinforce the ideas expressed here.