In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John wrote that during the last days, a False Prophet would emerge, paving the way for the Antichrist’s reign and assist him in the deception of humanity. This person would then serve as the Antichrist’s right-hand-man to form an ‘Unholy Trinity,’ comprising of himself, the Antichrist, and Satan.
Due to the recent actions and statements by Pope Francis, some, including other Catholics, are now beginning to speculate that he is indeed the False Prophet as foretold in the book of Revelation.
There is no doubt that Pope Francis has assumed a much more liberal stance on social and Biblical issues than that of his predecessors. Some eyebrow-raising statements during his brief tenure include:
Good Works By Atheists Will Grant Them Salvation. This is in direct contrast with Ephesians 2:8-9, which clearly states that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone.
The Theories of the Big Bang and Evolution are True. With this position, Pope Francis negates the authority of Scripture, as well as the omnipotence of God. In the same dialogue where he embraced evolution, Francis went on to say, “Reading Genesis, we imagine that God is ‘a wizard with a magic wand’ capable of doing all things… But it is not so.”
Who Am I To Judge? These famous words by Pope Francis were part of an unscripted response to a question about priests and their sexual orientation. Francis then made news when he demoted Cardinal Raymond Burke, a high ranking and outspoken conservative leader who criticized Pope Francis’ stance on gay marriage, divorce and his progressive agenda. After his ousting, Burke was quoted as saying, “The pope is not free to change the church’s teachings with regard to the immorality of homosexual acts or the insolubility of marriage or any other doctrine of the faith.”
Proselytism is solemn nonsense. It makes no sense. Once again, the pope’s remarks are in direct contrast to Biblical teaching and The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Additionally, with these comments, Francis diminishes the importance of missionaries and missions work.
Seeking Jesus Outside the Church is ‘Dangerous and Harmful’. This past June in front of a crowd of 35,000 at St. Peter’s Square, the Pope was quoted as saying: “Some think they can have a personal, direct, immediate relationship with Jesus Christ outside of the communion and the mediation of the Church. Such temptations are dangerous and harmful.” This shocking statement, first reported by AsiaNews, is in direct conflict with what Jesus says in John 14:6 — I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Here is a video of that statement:
While such statements and actions in-and-of-themselves would not necessarily qualify someone to be the False Prophet of Revelation, world events and other influencing factors also need to be taken into consideration.
The Bible states that the last days will be marked by, among other things, mass deception and a large-scale ecumenical movement (consolidation of all the world’s religions). Most would agree that such a broad consolidation of faiths would only be possible by a leading religious figure, not a political one.
Pope Francis’ desire for ecumenism has been well documented, with experts predicting that he will be a ‘boon’ to the movement.
Indeed, just this past week, Pope Francis again raised eyebrows when he prayed alongside an influential Islamic cleric at a Turkish mosque.
There is little doubt by most Biblical scholars that the world is on the cusp of fulfilling many of the end-times prophecies as foretold throughout the Bible. If true, then all current political and religious leaders would need to be considered potential candidates to fill key roles during this time.
So is Pope Francis the False Prophet? While many indicators point in that direction, only time will tell…
WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.
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