LG 28.1 The Reformation Continues

TO PREPARE YOU FOR THE FINAL CONFLICT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL ■ VOL. 28 NO. 1

■ PROFILE

HERE I STAND

“Here I Stand ... ”

Christians owe much to Martin Luther’s courageous stand for truth.

BY DAVE FIEDLER

Martin Luther is well

known throughout

the Christian world,

and justly so. Luther, more than

any other, is responsible for the

development of what we commonly

refer to as Protestantism. The

differences between Protestantism

and the other major branches of

Christianity (Eastern Orthodoxy

and Roman Catholicism) are

marked. The style of worship, the

role of church leaders, the place

of the laity, and teachings on the

basic issues of salvation have for

centuries been so different that

whole empires have been defined

by them, and countless wars were

waged on their account. Such is the

significance of Luther’s legacy.

Only in recent decades have

these differences begun to diminish,

which raises intriguing questions.

What was the source of the

differences to begin with? Were they

actually important, or were they

minor issues that were somehow

blown out of proportion? Perhaps

a brief look at the life and work of

Luther will provide some answers.

Born in 1483, Luther was raised

in a family of adequate but modest

means and attended a variety of

schools without distinguishing

himself to any significant degree.

When 17 years of age he enrolled

to study arts at the University of

Erfurt. He received his bachelor’s

degree in 1502 and his master’s in

1505. His intention, encouraged by

his parents, had been to take up

the practice of law. It was not to be,

however, for on July 17, 1505, the

21-year-old entered a monastery.

Instead of a lawyer, he would

become a monk.

SEARCHING FOR GOD

Little evidence is available as to

why he chose this course. In one

account, he told of an impetuous

vow made in a threatening

thunderstorm. “Help, St. Anne,

and I will become a monk.” In

other writings he speaks of the

decision as the outgrowth of a

tortured conscience and the fear of

eternal damnation. Perhaps the one

prepared the way for the other.

Certainly the young monk

was troubled by a condemning

conscience. The justice of a

righteous God rose up before him,

allowing for no satisfactory means

of reconciliation. The services of the

church (mass, confession, penances)

did nothing to change his life and

character. He could not believe they

actually did anything to change

his standing before the divine

tribunal. Having thus exhausted the

church’s provisions for salvation,

it is no surprise that he suffered

from depression and resorted to

fasting, vigils, and scourging in his

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Last Generation

attempt to quiet his conscience. He

later stated that if he had continued

in this state much longer he would

have carried his “mortifications

even to death.”

Happily, the influence of a

trusted friend, Johann von Staupitz,

succeeded in directing the young

monk’s mind away from himself

and his lost condition. Instead,

he encouraged him to “trust in

[Christ], in the righteousness of His

life, in the atonement of His death.”

Such practical advice calmed his

conscience and in all probability

saved Luther’s life, yet it failed to

answer his questions. To meet his

need, he turned to Scripture.

FAITHFUL MONK TURNS

PROTESTER

About this time, circumstances

conspired to force the issue of

salvation into prominence. An

ambitious building program in

Rome and the need of Albert,

the archbishop of Mainz, to pay

for his recent promotion to a

number of high ecclesiastical

offices both called for money. The

answer was a new indulgence. In

exchange for badly needed cash,

the church promised the remission

of punishment for sins, both for

the living and for the dead. The

audacious claims of one Dominican

friar, Tetzel, so outraged Luther that

he posted his famous 95 Theses on

the door of Wittenberg’s All Saints

Church on October 31, 1517.

Luther stated that repentance

involved the whole life of the

Christian and attacked the false

peace or “security” of those

who thought of divine grace

as something cheaply acquired

and who failed to recognize that

Christianity involved participation

in the expense of the cross. Though

Luther had found peace of mind

through trust in Christ, he saw

clearly that salvation from sin could

not be treated as an offhand legal

or financial transaction separate

from the believer’s day-to-day life.

Something was amiss.

Were it not for the recent

invention of moveable type

printing presses, Luther’s

objections may well have been

nothing more than a slight ruffle on

a local level. As it was, all of Europe

was soon reading the challenge of

the young priest. The Archbishop

of Mainz was understandably

annoyed with the disruption of his

fund raising project, yet he was in

a tricky position, since it was only

through a secret arrangement with

Rome that he was to receive half the

funds in Germany. His complaint,

lodged with authorities in Rome,

was treated as routine.

The conflict escalated rapidly.

The discussion expanded to include

far more than the question on

indulgences. As more scholars of

the church spoke in favor of one

side or the other, tensions mounted.

Within a year, formal charges of

heresy were being formulated

against Luther in Rome. Politics,

however, prevented the papacy

from reacting either swiftly or

strongly. There would be no

burnings just now. To prevent

alienating Frederick, the German

elector, the church chose to use no

method stronger than debate.

Near the close of July of 1519,

Luther debated with one Johann

Eck in the city of Leipzig. Eck,

who enjoyed the challenge of such

contests, skillfully maneuvered

Luther into expressing doubt as

to the authority of the “Council

of Constance” (1414−1418) and

defending certain points of doctrine

advocated by John Hus, an earlier

Reformer whom the council

had condemned and burned at

the stake. Eck considered these

admissions fatal to Luther’s case

and loudly declared himself victor

of the contest. Luther, though

convinced he had spoken truth, left

the city somewhat shaken.

Time, however, was on Luther’s

side. In the year between the debate

and the publication of the papal

condemnation of Luther and his

writings, the people of Germany

rallied to the Reformer’s aid. When

papal representatives sought to

enforce the edict of Rome, they

met strong resistance. Luther,

meanwhile, became bolder in his

attacks, asserting the primacy of

the Word of God over all rulings of

priests, councils, and popes.

BEFORE THE DIET OF WORMS

The final break came at Worms

in April 1521. Under political

pressure from Frederick, Emperor

Charles V promised that Luther

should not be condemned

unheard. Accordingly, he was

summoned to appear before the

Diet. The papal representatives

were outraged, declaring that

the condemnation of Rome was

all-sufficient, that the secular

authorities need only carry out

the sentence decreed. Charles no

doubt would have preferred it that

way, but was unwilling to offend

the German nobility who had

sided with Luther.

Formally commanded to recant

all his teachings and publications,

Luther requested time to consider

his answer. The following day

he appeared before the Diet once

again. He pointed out that it would

be wrong to recant publications

with which even church authorities

found no fault and sought to

differentiate between his various

writings. As his response grew

lengthy, his opponents sought to

silence him by demanding a plain,

simple answer. The stage was set

for one of history’s great lines.

“I cannot submit my faith either

to the pope or to the councils,

because it is clear as the day that

they have frequently erred and

contradicted each other. Unless

therefore I am convinced by the

testimony of the Scripture…I cannot

and will not retract, for it is unsafe

for a Christian to speak against his

conscience. Here I stand, I can do no

other; may God help me. Amen.”

Five centuries later, Protestants

around the globe must re-echo his

words.v

Dave Fiedler is an educator, historian, and

author living in British Columbia, Canada.

Vol. 28 No. 1 3

■ CURRENTS

BY PAT MUDGETT

What exactly did Protestants believe

that caused the Reformation? Why

were people willing to die for these

beliefs? Do these beliefs even matter today?

On October 31, 1517, an

obscure monk nailed his 95

Theses in Latin to the castle

church door in Wittenberg, Germany,

proposing a scholarly debate on one

of the more flagrant abuses of the

Roman Catholic Church—the sale

of indulgences. Indulgences were

letters of pardon that could be purchased

to deliver souls from purgatory

or to exempt one from penance

for future sins. They had been sold

for centuries—to recruit soldiers for

the Crusades or to finance the construction

of large cathedrals, among

other things.

The theses were provoked by the

arrival of Johann Tetzel, a notorious

indulgence hawker who was plying

his wares on the ignorant townsfolk

of Wittenberg. Tetzel, a monk and

a braggart, became known for the

famous couplet, “As soon as a coin

in the coffer rings / the soul from

purgatory springs.” Hired by the

Archbishop of Mainz, Tetzel would

fund repayment of the loan to buy

the archbishop’s position from Pope

Leo X and help the pope construct the

Basilica of St. Peter.

The monk with a hammer was

Dr. Martin Luther, an ordained

priest, a professor at the university

of Wittenberg, and a preacher at

the parish church. His theological

passion was the letters of St. Paul

and the purity of the Christian

gospel. The young priest felt a

pastoral concern that his flock was

being deceived and exploited. In his

theses he attempted to put the pope

in the best light, who he assumed

was ignorant of Tetzel’s outrageous

claims. But a few of Luther’s theses

foreshadow what the loyal son of

Rome didn’t anticipate—an indictment

of papal authority and its

system of human merit:

81. “This unbridled preaching

of indulgences makes it difficult

even for learned men to rescue the

reverence which is due the pope

from slander or from the shrewd

questions of the laity.”

82. “Such as: ‘Why does not the

pope empty purgatory for the sake

of holy love and the dire need of the

souls that are there if he redeems an

infinite number of souls for the sake

of miserable money with which to

build a church?’ The former reason

would be most just; the latter is most

trivial.”

87. “Such as: ‘Why does the pope

remit or grant to those who by perfect

contrition already have a right to

full remission and blessings?’”

As a matter of course, Luther sent

a copy to his bishop who, in turn,

forwarded it to Rome. Unbeknownst

to its author, what was intended

as theological discussion in Latin

was soon translated by printers and

spread to the laity in German, Dutch,

French, Swedish, Scottish, and more.

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Soon all of Christendom seemed

consumed by the topic.

EARLY PROTESTANTS

The first cry of the Protestant

faith was not, as some believe, when

Martin Luther nailed up his 95 Theses.

The underpinnings of the original

Protestant faith were deeply rooted

in centuries of protests against church

abuses, including the unscriptural

practices of indulgences; the immoral

lives of the popes, clergy, and monks;

the system of human merit that

eclipsed the sacrifice of Jesus; and

the elevation of church councils and

papal decrees over the words of

Scripture. The Church had forgotten

that her true treasure was the gospel

of the glory and grace of Jesus Christ,

revealed to fallen humanity through

God’s Word, the Bible.

Earlier 14 th and 15 th century

reformers like Wycliffe and Hus

wrote and spoke widely in their own

nations against church abuses, even

making some impact beyond their

borders. Hus paid for his protest

with his life. Several years later

Wycliffe’s remains were exhumed

and burnt, and his ashes thrown into

the River Swift. The papacy dealt

severely with any sympathizers.

Sixteenth century European

minds, however, were ripe for major

changes in religious, political, social,

scientific, and intellectual structures,

and Luther’s challenge reawakened

a latent protest. Under the combined

efforts of many reformers throughout

Europe, truth was restored to its

rightful position, and a new age of

gospel light dawned.

Change did not come about

peaceably. Protestantism struck at the

heart of papal supremacy and upset

the delicate balance of power in the

nations of Europe. Protestants proved

willing to surrender their properties,

their lands, and even their lives, but

not their faith in the gospel of Christ.

HISTORICAL BELIEFS

Luther and other Protestant

Reformers never made a list of

what constitutes Protestantism, but

over time the following five core

doctrines emerged:

Scripture Alone: “All Scripture

is given by inspiration of God, and is

profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for

correction, for instruction in righteousness:

that the man of God may be perfect,

thoroughly furnished unto all good

works.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. “Then Peter

and the other apostles answered and said,

We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Acts 5:29.

This became the premier tenet of

the Reformation. The Bible stood

as the ultimate authority for the

Christian in matters of faith, life, and

conduct. Everything one needed to

know for salvation in Christ could

be found in Scripture; hence it had

to be available in the language of the

people. The teachings and traditions

of the church were to be entirely

subordinate to God’s written Word.

In the lands that rejected papal

supremacy, the authority of Scripture

handed supremacy back to its

rightful sovereign—God.

Grace Alone, Faith Alone, For the

Glory of God Alone: “For by grace

are ye saved through faith; and that not

of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not

of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8, 9. “And if by grace, then

is it no more of works; otherwise grace is

no more grace.” Romans 11:6.

Christ Alone: “For there is one God,

and one mediator between God and men,

the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5.

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a

spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to

offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to

God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5. “For

there is none other name under heaven

given among men, whereby we must be

saved.” Acts 4:12.

DANGEROUS DOCTRINES

The Roman Church feared its

eminent demise should the faithful

look to Scripture as their final

authority. The Bible limited Rome’s

power to dictate the speech, writings,

press, belief, and practice of society.

The doctrine of the priesthood of

all believers dispensed with the

mediation of Antichrist and his

cohort of priests. Christ was restored

as the only Mediator between God

and man; neither did He need

help from good works, saints, or

even His earthly mother—Mary.

Nowhere in Scripture could mention

be found of purgatory, celibacy,

transubstantiation, the sacrifice of the

mass, or prayers for the dead. The

Bible became the supreme adversary

of the Mother Church. Every one of

the Protestant beliefs posed a threat

to her claims.

As we celebrate the 500 th anniversary

of the Protestant Reformation,

compromise and ecumenism are

threatening its very existence. Those

who identify as Protestants in the 21 st

century are now deemed bigots and

backward religionists, unwilling to

Protestants’ insistence on “the Bible alone”

as the ultimate authority for faith and life

became the premier tenet of the Reformation.

forgive a repentant Mother Church

who only longs to see her family

reunited after a long separation.

The Roman Catholic Church has

never repudiated any of the doctrines

that the Reformers protested. How

can we shame the honorable witness

of those who at the peril of their lives

stood for truth by sacrificing it on

the altar of ecumenical compromise?

Those who love the pure gospel

must take a stand for Christ and His

truth as Martin Luther did when

told to recant his teachings: “My

conscience is captive to the Word of

God. I cannot and I will not recant

anything, for to go against conscience

is neither right nor safe. God help

me. Amen.”v

Pat Mudgett writes from Berkeley Springs,

West Virginia, and is a frequent contributor to

Last Generation magazine.

Vol. 28 No. 1 5

■ MILESTONES

The courage, faith, and firmness of these men of God gave us liberty of conscience.

O

ne of the noblest testimonies

ever uttered for

the Reformation was the

protest of the evangelical princes

of Germany at the Diet of Spires in

1529. The term “Protestant” comes

from their celebrated protest.

In 1521, Luther’s courageous

stand at Worms to follow his

conscience according to the Bible

had convicted many of the German

princes to stand fearlessly for the

Word of God. But prelates and

princes who had sworn to uphold

the pope’s authority would stop at

nothing to rid the realm of Luther

and all those who embraced his

cause. Notwithstanding Emperor

Charles V’s promise to Luther of

safe conduct to and from the Diet,

the agitation became so great that

Luther’s worried friends secretly

seized him on his homeward journey

and hid him in the remote Wartburg

Castle. This act preserved his life and

the infant cause of Protestantism.

Charles V was perplexed. Luther

had disappeared, yet his writings

continued to spring from presses

all over Europe and a growing

number of Germans supported the

Reformer’s cause. The Emperor

owed his crown largely to the

German princes, many of whom

held the status of electors in the

Holy Roman Empire. In 1526, at the

Diet of Spires, the emperor and the

staunch Catholic nobility conceded

a temporary religious tolerance to

the German nobility who supported

Luther—but only to buy time to

strengthen their political forces.

Not until 1529 did Charles gather

sufficient support to deal with the

Lutheran heresy, occupied as he

had been with enemies at home

and abroad—at times with feuding

European monarchs, with the Turks

on his eastern borders, and even

with the pope’s own armies. But no

sooner had these dangers passed,

than the emperor summoned a

second diet to convene at Spires

for the purpose of crushing heresy.

The princes were to be induced,

by peaceable means if possible, to

side against the Reformation; but if

these failed, Charles would resort

to the sword.

THE CRISIS HASTENS

The papists appeared at Spires

in great numbers, and openly

manifested their hostility toward

the Reformers and all who favored

them. The evangelical princes

in attendance at the Diet were

forbidden even to have the gospel

preached in their dwellings. But

the people of Spires thirsted for

the Word of God, and, despite the

prohibition, thousands flocked to

the services held in the chapel of the

Elector of Saxony.

This hastened the crisis. An imperial

message announced that because

liberty of conscience had given

rise to these great disorders, the

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emperor required its annulment. This

arbitrary act excited the indignation

of the Evangelical Christians. Said

one: “Christ has again fallen into the

hands of Caiaphas and Pilate.” The

Romanists became more violent. A

bigoted papist declared: “If we must

choose between the Holy Scriptures

of God and the old errors of the

church, we should reject the former.”

The priests demanded that the

Reformed states submit fully to

Roman jurisdiction. The Reformers,

on the other hand, would not consent

that Rome should again control

those states that had with so great

joy received God’s Word.

As a compromise, the Diet proposed

that where the Reformation

had not become established, the

Edict of Worms banning Luther’s

reforms should be rigorously

enforced; and that in those where the

people had deviated from the edict,

and where they could not conform

to it without danger of revolt, they

should at least effect no new reform;

they should touch upon no controverted

point; they should not oppose

the celebration of the mass; they

should permit no Roman Catholic to

embrace Lutheranism. This measure

passed the Diet, to the great satisfaction

of priests and prelates.

Could the evangelical princes

consent to localize religious liberty?

Had the Reformation made its last

convert? Where Rome bore sway,

would her dominion be perpetual?

A NEW AGE OF LIBERTY

DAWNS

“Let us reject this decree,” said

the evangelical princes. “In matters

of conscience the majority has no

power.” Rather would the princes

sacrifice everything, even their states,

their crowns, and their lives.

To protect liberty of conscience is

the duty of the state, and this is the

limit of its authority in matters of

religion. Every secular government

that attempts to regulate or enforce

religious observances by civil authority

is sacrificing the very principle for

which the Evangelical Christians so

nobly struggled.

King Ferdinand of Spain, the

emperor’s representative at the

Diet, begged the princes to accept

the decree, assuring them of the

emperor’s pleasure. But these faithful

men acknowledged an authority

above that of earthly rulers, and they

answered calmly: “We will obey

the emperor in everything that may

contribute to maintain peace and the

honor of God.”

The Diet at last announced that

the princes’ only remaining course

was to submit to the majority. The

king withdrew, giving the Reformers

no opportunity for deliberation or

reply. To their remonstrations he

answered only: “It is a settled affair;

submission is all that remains.”

The imperial party was convinced

that the princes would adhere to the

Holy Scriptures and that wherever

this principle was accepted, the papacy

would eventually be overthrown.

But looking only “at the things which

are seen,” they flattered themselves

that their cause was strong, and that

of the Reformers weak. Had the

Reformers depended upon human

aid alone, they would have been as

powerless as the papists supposed.

But though weak in numbers, and at

variance with Rome, they appealed

from the report of the Diet to the

Word of God, and from the Emporer

Charles to Jesus Christ, the King of

kings and Lord of lords.

Without delay, the princes drew

up a solemn declaration and presented

it to the Diet:

“We protest by these presents,

before God, our only Creator,

Preserver, Redeemer, and Saviour,

and who will one day be our Judge,

as well as before all men and all

creatures, that we, for us and for our

people, neither consent nor adhere

in any manner whatsoever to the

proposed decree, in anything that is

contrary to God, to His holy Word, to

our right conscience, to the salvation

of our souls.…

“We are resolved, with the grace

of God, to maintain the pure and

exclusive preaching of His only

word, such as it is contained in the

biblical books of the Old and New

Testaments, without adding anything

thereto that may be contrary

to it. This word is the only truth; it is

the sure rule of all doctrine and of all

life, and can never fail or deceive us.

He who builds on this foundation

shall stand against all the powers

of hell, while all the human vanities

Their protest set the power of conscience above

the magistrate, and the authority of the Word

of God above the visible Church.

that are set up against it shall fall

before the face of God.

“For this reason we reject the yoke

that is imposed on us.… At the same

time we are in expectation that his

imperial majesty will behave toward

us like a Christian prince who loves

God above all things; and we declare

ourselves ready to pay unto him, as

well as unto you, gracious lords, all

the affection and obedience that are

our just and legitimate duty.”

The majority was filled with

amazement and alarm at the boldness

of the protesters. Dissension,

strife, and bloodshed seemed inevitable.

But the Reformers, assured of

the justice of their cause and relying

upon the arm of Omnipotence, were

full of courage and firmness.

The principles contained in

this celebrated protest constitute

the very essence of Protestantism.

Protestantism sets the power of conscience

above the magistrate, and the

authority of the Word of God above

the visible church.v

Compiled and adapted by staff writers from

The Great Controversy, “Protest of the

Princes,” by Ellen G. White, and History of

the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century,

by Jean-Henri Merle d’Aubigné.

Vol. 28 No. 1 7

■ MILESTONES

If we believe that church councils determined the inspiration of Scripture,

we have undermined the finality that Scripture must have in our lives.

BY ANTONELLA PEDLEY

When God gave us the

Bible, He handed it to

us as a leather-bound

tome containing the Old and New

Testaments. That’s what I believed

as a child. Eventually, I learned that

men of God living centuries apart,

in different places, wrote the books

of the Bible. But then who compiled

it? Who decided if the books were

inspired or not?

Then I read in a Christian

magazine how a Hindu converted to

Catholicism because he would rather

trust “the same Catholic Church

which infallibly determined the

canon of the Bible. And if we accept

the authority of the Catholic Church

to decide on the Biblical canon, then

we ought to respect their authority

in other aspects as well.” 1 So I wondered

if the Roman Catholic Church

and its councils gave us our Old and

New Testament Bible.

THE OLD TESTAMENT

HERITAGE

The word canon denotes a

measure, rule for judgment or

authoritative standard. Applied to

the Scriptures, it refers to the Godgiven

rule of truth, the absolute

by which all other things are to be

judged (see Romans 2:16). One reference

work puts it this way: “A book

is said to be of canonical authority

when it has a right to take a place

with the other books which contain a

revelation of the Divine will.” 2

The Old Testament canon was

completed long before the Christian

era. The Jews jealously protected

its integrity. Historians Philo and

Josephus testified to it. 3 Jesus and

the apostles quoted from the Old

Testament and rooted their teachings

in its precepts. Examples are

Matthew 22:37–40 and Romans 1:17.

After Jesus’ ascension, the apostles

preached the gospel, established

churches and nurtured new converts

in the Scriptures, the Old Testament.

To preserve their instruction for

posterity, the apostles and other men

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inspired by God wrote the gospel

and epistles (letters) we now call the

New Testament.

THE CHRISTIAN ERA

From then on, according to Catholic

scholars, Christians had trouble

distinguishing between the inspired

Scriptures and the counterfeits. It was

absolutely necessary, they said, for

Church councils to step in and clearly

define what belonged to the inspired

Scriptures and what didn’t.

Yet history tells a different story.

The Peshitta or Syriac version of the

New Testament, finalized well before

the end of the first century, is the

oldest known canon. It is one of the

most accurate and reliable translations

of the New Testament, and

was not compiled by the Western

or Roman church, but by Eastern

or Syriac churches. It contains all

the books of the New Testament

we know today, and in the same

order, except for Jude, 2 and 3 John,

2 Peter, and Revelation. The Book

of Revelation was missing simply

because it hadn’t been written, and

the other books were still being circulated

as letters from the apostles.

Eusebius (ad 260–340) wrote about

the Scriptural canon. He was highly

esteemed by Emperor Constantine

(at the Council of Nicaea in ad 325,

he sat in the highest seat) and had

access to the archives of State and

the famous libraries of Caesarea and

Jerusalem. He quoted extensively

from his predecessors’ writings.

Since most of them have been lost,

Eusebius is the preeminent, if not the

only pertinent church historian of the

first three centuries. Eusebius’ catalog

names all twenty-seven books of

the New Testament, listing them

in two categories: the recognized,

and the contested Scriptures (the

antilegomena). The books of 2 Peter,

2 and 3 John, James, and Jude

made up the latter category. Most

ecclesiastical writers recognized the

antilegomena. They were publicly

read in most churches, but were less

cited by the ancient authors.

Some historians doubted the

inspiration and authenticity of

Hebrews and Revelation. Hebrews

was especially contested in the West,

while the Revelation was contested

in the East. Yet all the Greek and

Oriental churches recognized the

inspiration of these books from

apostolic times. The objections over

them lasted only for a brief season.

Opponents never found a single

argument against their antiquity, but

dwelt on the difficulty of doctrine

and style, which are often still

argued by today’s critics.

Origen of Alexandria, who lived

around AD 185–254, was one of

the most learned Bible professors

and commentators in the early

centuries (though his theology

was and remains controversial).

In his commentary on the book of

Joshua, he names all twenty-seven

New Testament books. All the same

books were included in the New

Testament by five authors of the

fourth/fifth century: Epiphanius,

Jerome, Rufinus, Augustine, and

an anonymous writer. Athanasius,

a remarkable historian of the early

church, also stated, “These books

are the foundation of salvation.

Let no one add to, or retrench from

them anything…” 4

THE WORD CREATES THE

CHURCH

The testimonies of the early

church writers are crucial, because

they document what was read in

the churches of their times. Their list

of the books of the New Testament

does not reflect their own opinions,

nor the decisions of any authority,

but the thoughts of the preceding

ages and their contemporaries.

But why did these historians care

to inform us so precisely about what

was read in the churches of their

time? It obviously played a vital role

in the formation of the canon and

uniting the churches in acceptance of

the Scriptures.

The reading of the Scriptures was

not an innovation of Christianity.

Jewish doctors said that wherever

ten Israelites were found, they

should establish a synagogue with

an ark containing the Scriptures

to be publicly read every Sabbath.

Acts 15:21 confirms that “Moses

of old time hath in every city them

that preach him, being read in the

synagogues every Sabbath day.” The

Christian churches followed this

model. Early Christians could not

imagine a single meeting without

reading the Scriptures. Some of them

knew the whole Bible by heart, and

could correct the reader if he made a

mistake in a single word.

Under the guidance of Providence, the Church

recognized inspiration by authorship and the

internal witness of the Holy Spirit.

In summary, the New Testament

books were written by God’s inspiration.

The apostles then sent them

to the churches, charging them to

read and share them. The churches

followed their injunctions and faithfully

read the gospels and epistles.

Under the guidance of Providence,

which has always watched over the

Scriptures, the church recognized

inspiration by authorship (the

apostles) and the internal witness of

the Holy Spirit. Once recognized, the

epistles were accepted and cherished

as God’s Word. The early church

writers noted down the list of books

that were read and recognized as

inspired in their time.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

COUNCILS

Then came church councils.

Constantine’s attempts to unite the

factions of his vast empire resulted

in his promotion of his version of

Christianity above all other religions,

including other Christian groups.

He financed churches, appointed

bishops and introduced the calling of

Vol. 28 No. 1 9

church councils to decide on matters

of faith and doctrine. After his death,

church councils continued to be the

way that the national or Catholic

Church distinguished heresies from

accepted doctrine, and a heretic from

the true child of the church. While

other Christian groups of the middle

ages appealed to the Scriptures,

Constantine’s Catholic Church

appealed to councils and creeds.

The regional Council of Laodicea

(ad 364) was the first council that

made decisions about the canon of

Scripture. Endorsing books to be

publicly read in the churches, it listed

all the gospels and epistles we now

know except Revelation. It absolutely

excluded from the Old Testament

canon a collection of fourteen books

known as the Apocrypha. These were

rejected by ancient Jewish writers

and rabbis as well. The Council of

Carthage (ad 397) added Revelation

to the New Testament canon.

Fast forward over a millennium,

when Martin Luther ignited

the Reformation in 1517 and

later translated the Bible into the

German language. His Bible also

omitted the Apocrypha from its list

of canonical books.

The next council that addressed

the issue of the biblical canon was in

1546. The Council of Trent was called

to tackle the problems created by the

Reformation and plan a counter-attack

to this movement started by Martin

Luther and others. The Council made

the Latin Vulgate Version, which

contained the Apocrypha, the Catholic

Church’s official text, decreeing that

“if any shall not receive as sacred and

canonical these entire books with

all their parts, as they were found

in the ancient Latin Vulgate, let him

be anathema.” 5 The prelates at this

council must have forgotten that

Jerome himself, the translator of the

Latin Vulgate, rejected the Apocrypha

and separated them from the rest of

the books of the Old Testament.

There were several reasons for

Luther’s and others’ reluctance

to include the Apocrypha into

the Biblical canon. Unlike the Old

Testament, the Apocrypha were

written in Greek. They contained

historical inconsistencies. For

example, the Book of Wisdom, claiming

Solomon’s authorship, quotes

from Isaiah and Jeremiah, two

prophets that lived several centuries

later. Some of the apocryphal books

admit themselves that they are

not inspired. Some contain fables

contrary to historical truth and to

Scriptures. They support doctrines

inconsistent with the rest of the

Scriptures: for example, Macabees

12:45–46 talks about praying to the

dead, while Tobit 12:9 encourages

almsgiving for the expiation of sin.

THE WORD VS. CHURCH

COUNCILS

The controversy over the canon

boils down to the question of

authority. Is the authority of church

councils and tradition equal to

the authority of Scripture? “The

books of the canon,” says Catholic

writer W. Hartono, “were selected

according to four criteria: apostolic

authority (written by an apostle),

antiquity (written in the first century),

orthodoxy (teaches apostolic

faith), and inspiration (its author

claims inspiration).” But if these criteria

are not sufficient, “we need the

other and final criteria, the authority

of the Church, who has the final

say regarding which books belong

to our Old and New Testament.”

“In conclusion,” says Hartono,

“Catholics accept the authority of

the church, the foundation and pillar

of truth…to determine the canon of

Scripture, both [the] Old and New

Testament.” 6 As Augustine said, “I

would not believe in the Gospel if

the authority of the Catholic Church

did not move me to do so. Rome has

spoken, the dispute is at an end.” 7

N.L. Geisler and R. MacKenzie,

in the book Roman Catholics and

Evangelicals, make a very insightful

observation. From a Catholic

perspective, the “church determines

canon and is mother of canon”; but

from an Evangelical perspective,

the “church discovers canon and

is child of canon.” 8 The difference

between these perspectives is

immense. What, if not the witness

of the Holy Spirit, gave millions

of Christians the confidence to set

God’s Word above church councils,

even on pain of death?

One writer summarizes it this way:

“If we allow the words of church

councils to stand as a clearing house to

what is true, or if we wait for the judgment

of scholars to know what we

believe, then we look to some authority

above our Bible and we undermine

the finality the Scriptures must have

in all matters of our lives.”v

REFERENCES

1. “Is Catholicism Just a Denomination?” Current

Thoughts and Trends, April, 1997.

2. www.christiananswers.net/dictionary.

3. Biblical Literature and Its Critical Interpretation,

www.eb.com.

4. L. Gaussen, The Canon of the Holy Scriptures,

American Tract Society, 1862.

5. Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent,

AD 1563, IV in P. Schaff (ed.) Creeds of

Christendom, vol. II, Harpers & Brothers, 1878,

pp. 80–83.

6. W. Hartono, webusers.anet-stl.com/~nosmo/

canonnew.htm.

7. Ibid.

8. N. L. Geisler, R. MacKenzie, Roman Catholics

and Evangelicals, p. 173.

Antonella Pedley, from Horby, Sweden, was

an associate editor for Last Generation

magazine.

The Council of Trent dogmatically accepted the

Apocrypha in the Latin Vulgate as inspired, even

though their own Saint Jerome, its translator, did not.

10

Last Generation

■ MILESTONES

Throughout history, God has always maintained a church whose light

was kindled by the torch of truth given from Christ to the apostles.

1 ST CENTURY

The Holy Ghost, through the

first apostles, formed the original

apostolic Christian church. God’s

early church preached the gospel

of the kingdom throughout the

known world. Meanwhile, the early

Christians suffered severe persecution,

mainly at the hands of the Jews

and the Romans. Stephen, Peter,

Paul, and James the brother of John

all suffered martyrdom.

In ad 70, all Christians fled from

Jerusalem, which the Roman army

soon destroyed. Later, circa ad 96, the

Roman emperor Domitian banished

John as a criminal to the island of

Patmos, where he received the visions

recorded in the book of Revelation.

The apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke,

John, Paul, James, Peter, and Jude

wrote the New Testament Scriptures.

The apostle Thomas established

Christianity in India. The St. Thomas

Christians believed that the laity, as

well as the clergy, could interpret

Scripture, and that the Scriptures

were the only means through which

the Holy Ghost could communicate

with them and work within their

hearts. For 1,600 years they refused

to place the church above the Bible.

2 ND CENTURY

The pagan Roman Empire sought

to destroy Christianity. Thousands

shed their blood as witnesses for

Jesus. Although stripped of all

earthly blessings, nothing could

force them to renounce their belief in

Christ. Christ’s followers only drew

nearer to their Savior through their

trials and sufferings. As a result of

their testimony, thousands of souls

were converted to the Christian faith.

The blood of Christian martyrs was

the seed of the church.

3 RD CENTURY

Over the centuries, the Eastern

Christian Church, also known as

the Assyrian or Nestorian Church,

extended from Palestine all the

way to China. This included the St.

Thomas Christians of India. The

Nestorian Christians are the oldest

body of Christian people.

Lucian of Antioch, a leader of the

Assyrian Church, took a decided

stand against the insidious teachings

of Manichaeism and Gnosticism

being mingled with Christianity.

The Holy Ghost gave this great

scholar a spirit of discernment and

understanding, which would have a

phenomenal influence on the minds

of men through all ages.

Lucian exposed the errors of false

theologies, denounced the practice

of esteeming tradition higher than

the Scriptures, and rejected the

Apocrypha. He also established the

school of theology in Antioch and

edited the Greek New Testament

to give God’s church a pure New

Testament free from the corruptions

it had received from the Gnostics.

4 TH CENTURY

Patrick started the Celtic church

in Ireland, using the Bible as his sole

authority for faith and teaching.

Patrick taught that Christianity’s

strength was in the home and family.

The church he established in Ireland

kept the Ten Commandments and

rejected clerical celibacy. Patrick also

established Bible training centers,

where many great and zealous missionaries

were trained. These Bible

Vol. 28 No. 1 11

schools eventually grew into colleges

and large universities.

The Vaudois—“people of the

valleys”— and the Albigenses,

were Christians in the mountainous

regions of northern Italy and

southern France. Records trace them

to Italians who fled persecution

sometime after the apostle Paul

had preached the gospel in Italy.

For over 1,500 years, the Alps of

northern Italy and southern France

sheltered these noble Christians from

the wrath of apostate Christianity

in southern Italy. Thus they handed

down the pure gospel from generation

to generation.

The Vaudois, who were also

known as the Vallenses or Waldenses,

were among the first Europeans to

have a translation of God’s Holy

Bible. It was known as the Itala and

was translated from Greek manuscripts

into their Latin dialect, the

Roumant tongue.

These earnest Christians believed

the Scriptures to be the sole basis

for faith and practice, making them

objects of cruel hatred and violent persecution.

Thousands of them sealed

their testimony with their blood.

Vigilantius, their first prominent

leader, took a stand for the clear

teachings of the Bible and protested

A cave where Waldensian

Christians met secretly

during the Dark Ages.

against monasticism and other

pagan practices being introduced

into Christianity. Under his leadership,

the Vaudois and Albigenses

contended “for the faith which was

once delivered unto the saints,”

uniting throughout their regions for

fellowship and witness.

For centuries during the Dark

Ages, these Christians sent missionaries

throughout Europe disguised

as merchants, with hand-copied

Scriptures concealed in their garments.

Through their courageous

efforts, and often at the risk of

imprisonment or death, the light

of the gospel continued shining for

over 1,000 years of ignorance and

papal supremacy.

5 TH CENTURY

In North and Central Africa and

among the Armenians of Asia, far

from Rome’s jurisdiction, large bodies

of Christians existed for many

centuries. Regarding the Bible as the

only rule of faith and practice, they

remained free from the corruption

of the fallen Roman church. They

believed God’s law to be forever

binding and worshiped Him on His

fourth-commandment Sabbath.

6 TH CENTURY

Columba graduated from one of

the schools established by Patrick,

labored in Ireland and then founded

the Celtic church in Scotland, which

also obeyed the Ten Commandments.

Columba’s whole basis for his teachings

and beliefs was the Bible. Like

Patrick in Ireland, Columba started

Bible training schools in Scotland,

beginning with the great mission

center on the island of Iona.

Dinooth became the director of

Celtic Christianity in Wales and

England. Columba had been his

teacher, and he followed Columba’s

program of evangelism. Dinooth

also became the supreme director of

the Welsh churches and president of

the Celtic training college at Bangor

in Wales. Dinooth stood firmly for

Bible truth against the false doctrines

being brought into Wales and

England during his time.

Columbanus labored to spread the

gospel throughout Europe, starting

with his missionary enterprises in

France. After he arrived in France,

his education won him high favor

with King Guntram, a descendant of

Clovis, who supported Columbanus

in his endeavors. Columbanus

established his first three Bible training

centers in France. Known for his

modesty, sobriety, love, and faithful

diligence, Columbanus also labored

in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

7 TH CENTURY

Aidan labored among the pagan

Anglo-Saxons of England. He was

another disciple of Columba’s Celtic

school, and England was converted

to Christianity as a result of his labors.

Only by love, gentleness, and patience

did the youthful Aidan win the

Anglo-Saxons for God’s kingdom.

Due to Aidan’s labors, training centers

were also established in England.

12 TH CENTURY

Peter Waldo, a wealthy merchant

from Lyons, France, gave all his possessions

away and began preaching

the genuine New Testament doctrines.

He declared the papacy to be the

“man of sin” in 2 Thessalonians 2 and

the first beast of Revelation 13. Best

known for his prominent interaction

with the Vaudois of the Alps, Peter

Waldo also translated and distributed

hand-copied portions of scripture.

14 TH CENTURY

John Wycliffe, a pious Oxford professor,

denounced Rome’s elevation

of tradition above scripture. Because

For over 1,500 years, Christians who had the Bible in

their own language were sheltered by the French and

Italian Alps from the wrath of an apostate Church.

12

Last Generation

Bibles were only available in Latin,

Wycliffe translated the Scriptures

into English in 1384. He claimed that

Rome had no authority to demand

tribute from the king and condemned

the corruption of the priests.

The task of copying Bibles by

hand was tedious and expensive, but

the people received them eagerly.

Nearly half the people in England

became followers of Wycliffe’s

reformed teachings. Rome outlawed

the English Bible and persecuted its

promoters. However, Wycliffe boldly

defended the truth, and his accusers

were unable to condemn him. He

died of natural causes as a member

of the Roman Catholic Church, but

the truths he taught spread throughout

Europe, setting the stage for the

Protestant Reformation.

15 TH CENTURY

John Hus, a distinguished

Bohemian preacher and professor,

was influenced by Wycliffe’s

writings and condemned the false

teachings and corrupt lives of church

leaders. His outspokenness drew

attention, and Hus was summoned

for trial. For his refusal to recant he

was burned at the stake on July 16,

1415. Jerome of Prague, a charismatic

reformer and Hus’ close ally, faltered

at his own trial, but soon regained

strength to face martyrdom. Outrage

over Hus’ execution spread across

Bohemia. “Hussites” grew in number,

defeating all Rome’s attempts to

subdue them by force or intrigue.

For many years they worshiped

secretly, allied with the Waldenses

and similar hidden religious groups.

By the end of the 15 th century the

churches of the Bohemian “Brethren”

numbered over 200.

16 TH CENTURY

Desiderius Erasmus, a Dutch monk

and Greek scholar, hoped to reform

the church from within. His 1522

Greek-Latin parallel translation of

the New Testament, taken largely

from eastern Greek manuscripts,

corrected the serious errors of

Jerome’s 5 th century Latin Vulgate

and led many out of the false

John Wycliffe Bible,

translated into English

in 1384

The truths Wycliffe taught in the 14 th century spread

throughout Europe, setting the stage for the 16 th

century Protestant Reformation.

teachings of Romanism. Protestant

reformers used his New Testament

to translate the Bible into the tongues

of their people. While Erasmus never

“joined” the Reformation, his writings,

and the Bible he made available

fueled the growing Protestant

Reformation across Europe.

Martin Luther, a German monk,

was fanatically devoted to the

penances and traditions of the

Roman Catholic Church before he

discovered the truth of justification

by faith. He preached the authority

of scripture and loudly denounced

the practice of granting indulgences.

Infuriated over this “trafficking of

God’s favor,” he posted 95 arguments

against indulgences on the

Wittenburg chapel door. These theses

spread like wildfire throughout

Europe. Luther continually faced

Rome’s wrath for his bold stand for

truth, but he escaped a martyr’s fate

by friends in court. Under their protection,

Luther translated the Holy

Bible into German.

William Tyndale, a scholar fluent in

at least seven languages, devoted his

life to creating an English translation

of the Scriptures from Erasmus’

Greek New Testament and the

Hebrew Masoretic text (rather than

the Vulgate). He was burned at the

stake for his work before it was completed,

but his translation became

the foundation for the Authorized

Version of 1611. Tyndale’s English

Bible, as well as his other writings,

drew many souls to Christ, and

the English Protestant movement,

though still heavily persecuted for

many years, could not be stopped.

Under the monarch Elizabeth I,

England became a Protestant nation.

When Menno Simmons, a Catholic

priest from the Netherlands, discovered

that infant sprinkling had

no biblical foundation, he withdrew

from the Catholic Church and joined

the Anabaptists, who upheld baptism

by immersion. Soon he became the

leader of the Anabaptists, a movement

built upon the principals of

freedom of conscience and separation

of church and state. The movement

drew intense persecution from

Protestants and Catholics alike, and

many Anabaptists were executed

by drowning. Martyrdom, however,

could not stop its growth. Many

modern churches trace their roots

Vol. 28 No. 1 13

back to the Anabaptists, including

the Baptists, Mennonites, Amish and

Hutterite Brethren.

In France, the Reformation grew

under the leadership of John Calvin,

a former priest. Initially King Francis

I tolerated French Protestants, or

“Huguenots.” But when placards

condemning the mass were found

posted throughout France—even

on the king’s bedroom door—bitter

persecution began. In August 1572,

thousands of Huguenots were

slaughtered during the well-orchestrated

St. Bartholomew’s massacre,

and the Protestant movement in

France was severely crippled.

Many Huguenots fled from

France. Calvin escaped to peaceful

Geneva, Switzerland, and through

his labors it became the unofficial

capital of Protestant Europe.

17 TH CENTURY

In 1611, James I commissioned an

official English translation of the

Scriptures, based largely on Tyndale’s

work. It has become the best-selling

book of all time and has had an incalculable

influence on Christianity and

the rapid spread of Protestantism.

“Puritans” believed that the

Church of England was still too

“Catholic” and promoted a closer

adherence to the pure teachings and

Many persecuted Puritans fled

to America in the 1600s seeking

freedom to practice religion

according to their conscience.

practices of the Bible. The Baptist

preacher John Bunyan shared these

views and spent twelve years in prison

for the crime of preaching without

a license from the established church.

In prison he wrote several books,

including his famous Pilgrim’s

Progress, which has since been translated

into over 125 languages and

remains a Christian literary classic.

Many persecuted Puritans fled

to America in the 1600s seeking

freedom to practice religion according

to their conscience. However,

they weren’t ready to extend that

freedom to other religious minorities

who they fiercely persecuted. They

hung Quakers in Boston and exiled

the Baptist preacher Roger Williams

in the dead of winter from the

Massachusetts Colony. Eventually

he established Rhode Island, the first

American colony to practice separation

of church and state.

18 TH CENTURY

As John Wesley witnessed his fellow

Anglicans practicing a ritualistic

form of Protestantism, he sought

to revive primitive and personal

Christianity among them. His brother

Charles collaborated with him,

preaching and writing many revival

hymns of God’s grace. Thousands

experienced conversion as a result of

their efforts. These “Methodists” were

persecuted by the established church,

and their itinerant preachers were

forced to address audiences in fields

or church cemeteries.

Thousands stood in all sorts of

weather to hear the silver-tongued

George Whitfield, a convert of the

Wesleys, preach revival in England,

as well as in the American colonies.

19 TH CENTURY

While theologians taught that society

would only improve, culminating

in Christ’s millennial reign on Earth,

serious students of Bible prophecy

discovered just the opposite: Christ

was coming soon to take His people to

Heaven. In North America, thousands

listened as William Miller and other

“advent” preachers explained from

the book of Daniel that Jesus would

come in the fall of 1844 to cleanse

the sanctuary (which they believed

was the earth) and to take those

who were preparing for His return

to Heaven. When the time passed,

the “Adventists” were ridiculed by a

skeptical world and many abandoned

their faith. But those who kept

searching their Bibles discovered

that Jesus had begun His closing

work in the Heavenly Sanctuary and,

when finished, would return for

His people. They also discovered

the long neglected truth of the Bible

Sabbath and a description of their

prophetic place at the end of time:

“Here is the patience of the saints;

here are they who keep the commandments

of God and the faith of

Jesus.” Revelation 14:12. In 1863 they

organized as Seventh-day Adventists.

21 ST CENTURY

Today, Seventh-day Adventists

believe that God is calling Christians

to return to the purity and fervor

of the early church, and that the

Reformation must continue until

Jesus returns. In an age when many

Christians doubt the inspiration of

the Bible, they uphold God’s Word as

the standard for sound doctrine and

for a lifestyle pleasing to God. For

this reason, they cannot participate

in the Ecumenical movement which

seeks unity at the expense of truth

and which makes a mockery of the

courageous stand for truth by God’s

people throughout the ages.

From a small beginning in North

America, Seventh-day Adventists are

now numbered in the millions and

are found in 215 of the 237 countries/

areas recognized by the UN. “And

I saw another angel fly in the midst

of heaven, having the everlasting

gospel to preach unto…every nation,

and kindred, and tongue, and

people.” Revelation 14:6.v

SOURCES

• Hagstotz, Gideon and Hilda, Heroes of the

Reformation.

• White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy.

• Wikipedia.com.

• Wilkinson, Benjamin G., Truth Triumphant.

Compiled by staff writers at Last Generation.

14

Last Generation

■ MILESTONES

Martin Luther was a trained and gifted musician who

wrote one of the most popular hymns in Christian history.

BY BETSY MAYER

Sixteenth century Christians

were not accustomed to singing

in church. For many centuries,

the average Christian did not sing

in church. Because congregational

voices and native tongues were

“uncouth,” only trained voices in an

ecclesiastical language were considered

appropriate.

The doctrine of the priesthood

of all believers spurred Protestants

to revive congregational singing

in native tongues: “Be filled with

the Spirit; speaking to yourselves

in psalms and hymns and spiritual

songs.” Ephesians 5:18, 19. However,

Latin hymns were not always suited

to translation and were pitifully

limited in subject matter. Luther,

a trained vocal and instrumental

musician, took up the challenge—

translating appropriate Latin hymns,

supplying or borrowing tunes when

needed, and writing 36 of his own

hymns. He encouraged others to do

the same. What better way, reasoned

Luther, to educate the mind with

Bible truth than to put it to music!

Luther compiled scores of hymnals

in his lifetime. Before his death,

German Protestants were musically

literate. In time, his nation would

produce the greatest composers the

world would ever know.

Among Luther’s hymns, “A

Mighty Fortress” (Ein’ Feste Burg)

stands supreme. “It is a true picture

of his simple faith in Christ, and of his

immovable trust in God, his forgetfulness

of self and entire consecration

of his life and all he held dear to that

Savior who, he doubted not, would

speedily, gloriously, and for ever, triumph

over Satan and all his hosts….” 1

Luther’s inspiration for the “Battle

Hymn of the Reformation” was

Psalm 46. The tune was “rugged

and strong like Luther himself….”

The hymn thrilled Protestants “like a

trumpet blast, encouraging the fainthearted

and nerving the brave to fight

the battle of the Lord. It was sung at

Augsburg during the Diet, and in all

the churches of Saxony, often against

the protest of the priest. It was sung

in the streets; and so heard, comforted

the hearts of Melanchthon, Jonas, and

Curciger, as they entered Weimar,

when banished from Wittenberg in

1547. It was sung by poor Protestant

emigrants on their way into exile,

and by martyrs at their death. It is

woven into the web of the history of

Reformation times….” 2 Luther will

no doubt rejoice to learn that it nerved

our faith, too.

A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

Doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great,

And armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing,

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God’s own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth His name,

From age to age the same;

And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God has willed

His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,

We tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

For lo! his doom is sure;

One little word shall fell him.

That Word above all earthly powers

No thanks to them abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

Through Him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go,

This mortal life also;

The body they may kill:

God’s truth abideth still;

His kingdom is forever!v

Trans. by Frederick H. Hedge

REFERENCES

1. Studies of Familiar Hymns, Westminster Press,

Philadelphia, PA, pp. 155–156.

2. Ibid.

Betsy Mayer is the managing editor of Last

Generation magazine.

Vol. 28 No. 1 15

■ LIFE OF FAITH

Nothing but Christ’s righteousness

can entitle us to one of

the blessings of the covenant

of grace. We have long desired and

tried to obtain these blessings, but

have not received them because

we have cherished the idea that we

could do something to make ourselves

worthy of them. We have not

looked away from ourselves, believing

that Jesus is a living Savior. We

must not think that our own grace

and merits will save us; the grace of

Christ is our only hope of salvation.

Through His prophet the Lord

promises, “Let the wicked forsake

his way, and the unrighteous man

his thoughts: and let him return unto

the Lord, and he will have mercy

upon him; and to our God, for he

will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7.

We must believe the naked promise,

and not accept feeling for faith.

When we trust God fully, when we

rely upon the merits of Jesus as a sinpardoning

Savior, we shall receive all

the help that we can desire.

We look to self, as though we had

power to save ourselves; but Jesus

died for us because we are helpless

to do this. In Him is our hope, our

justification, our righteousness. We

should not despond, and fear that

we have no Savior, or that He has

no thoughts of mercy toward us. At

this very time He is carrying on His

work in our behalf, inviting us to

come to Him in our helplessness and

be saved. We dishonor Him by our

unbelief. It is astonishing how we

treat our very best Friend, how little

confidence we repose in Him who

is able to save to the uttermost, and

who has given us every evidence of

His great love.

Are you expecting that your

merit will recommend you to the

favor of God, thinking that you

must be free from sin before you

trust His power to save? If this is

the struggle going on in your mind,

I fear you will gain no strength, and

will finally become discouraged.

The great truth of the Reformation was Jesus—

LOOK AND LIVE

In the wilderness, when the Lord

permitted poisonous serpents to

sting the rebellious Israelites, Moses

was directed to lift up a brazen serpent

and bid all the wounded look

to it and live. But many saw no help

in this Heaven-appointed remedy.

The dead and dying were all around

them, and they knew that without

divine help their fate was certain; but

they would lament their wounds,

their pains, their sure death, until

their strength was gone, and their

eyes were glazed, when they might

have had instant healing.

“As Moses lifted up the serpent

in the wilderness,” even so was “the

Son of man...lifted up: that whosoever

believeth in him should not

perish, but have eternal life.” John

3:14, 15. If you are conscious of your

sins, do not devote all your powers

to mourning over them, but look

and live. Jesus is our only Savior;

and although millions who need

to be healed will reject His offered

mercy, not one who trusts in His

merits will be left to perish.

While we realize our helpless condition

without Christ, we must not

be discouraged; we must rely upon a

crucified and risen Savior. Poor, sinsick,

discouraged soul, look and live.

Jesus has pledged His word; He will

save all who come unto Him.

Come to Jesus, and receive rest

and peace. You may have the blessing

even now. Satan suggests that

you are helpless, and cannot bless

yourself. It is true; you are helpless.

But lift up Jesus before him: “I have

a risen Savior. In Him I trust, and

He will never suffer me to be confounded.

In His name I triumph. He

BY ELLEN

16

Last Generation

His life, death, resurrection, and intercession.

G. WHITE

is my righteousness, and my crown

of rejoicing.”

Let no one here feel that his case

is hopeless; for it is not. You may

see that you are sinful and undone;

but it is just on this account that you

need a Savior. If you have sins to

confess, lose no time. These moments

are golden. “If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just to forgive us

our sins, and to cleanse us from

all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

Those who hunger and thirst after

righteousness will be filled; for Jesus

has promised it. Precious Savior!

His arms are open to receive us, and

His great heart of love is waiting to

bless us.

Some seem to feel that they must

be on probation and must prove

to the Lord that they are reformed,

before they can claim His blessing.

But these dear souls may claim the

blessing even now. They must have

His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help

their infirmities, or they cannot form

a Christian character. Jesus loves

to have us come to Him, just as we

are—sinful, helpless, dependent.

REPENTANCE A GIFT OF GOD

Repentance, as well as forgiveness,

is the gift of God through

Christ. It is through the influence of

the Holy Spirit that we are convicted

of sin, and feel our need of pardon.

None but the contrite are forgiven;

but it is the grace of God that makes

the heart penitent. He is acquainted

with all our weaknesses and infirmities,

and He will help us.

Some who come to God by

repentance and confession, and even

believe that their sins are forgiven,

still fail of claiming, as they should,

the promises of God. They do not see

that Jesus is an ever-present Savior;

and they are not ready to commit the

keeping of their souls to Him, relying

upon Him to perfect the work

of grace begun in their hearts. While

they think they are committing

themselves to God, there is a great

deal of self-dependence.

There are conscientious souls that

trust partly to God, and partly to

themselves. They do not look to God,

to be kept by His power, but depend

upon watchfulness against temptation,

and the performance of certain

duties for acceptance with Him. There

are no victories in this kind of faith.

Such persons toil to no purpose; their

souls are in continual bondage, and

they find no rest until their burdens

are laid at the feet of Jesus.

There is need of constant watchfulness,

and of earnest, loving devotion;

but these will come naturally

when the soul is kept by the power

of God through faith. We can do

nothing, absolutely nothing, to commend

ourselves to divine favor. We

must not trust at all to ourselves nor

to our good works; but when as erring,

sinful beings we come to Christ,

we may find rest in His love.

God will accept every one that

comes to Him trusting wholly in the

merits of a crucified Savior. Love

springs up in the heart. There may be

no ecstasy of feeling, but there is an

abiding, peaceful trust. Every burden

is light; for the yoke which Christ

imposes is easy. Duty becomes a

delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The

path that before seemed shrouded in

darkness becomes bright with beams

from the Sun of Righteousness. This

is walking in the light as Christ is in

the light.v

Ellen G. White (1827–1915) was a Christian

educator and teacher whose writings have been

translated into over 200 languages worldwide.

Adapted from 1 Selected Messages, “Christ

Our Only Hope,” pp. 226–228.

Vol. 28 No. 1 17

■ CURRENTS

Would the world have been better off

without the sharp divisions that led

to a split in Christianity and produced

centuries of bloodshed and strife?

BY RICHARD ROSICA AND BETSY MAYER

Christianity has changed dramatically

in the past century.

While there was once a clear

division between Catholics and

Protestants, and between Christianity

and all other religions, a new era of

interfaith cooperation has emerged.

The trend to minimize differences

between faiths has raised troubling

questions: Was the Protestant

Reformation a mistake? Were the

Reformers of the 16 th century too

quick to judge the Roman Church,

which has existed for nearly two

millennia and today claims the largest

following in the world?

THE RISE OF PROTESTANTISM

AND THE BIRTH OF CIVIL

LIBERTIES

For over 1,000 years, the Roman

Catholic Church possessed both a

political and a religious monopoly in

Western society. By her claim to hold

the keys to the afterlife, she also controlled

the rulers and nations of the

Holy Roman Empire. Through these

means, religious and political dissent

were quickly silenced. But when the

force of Protestant principles dawned

on the minds and hearts of Europeans,

Protestantism spread across 16 th

century Europe like wildfire.

What caused its rapid spread?

Some cite the influence of the

Renaissance. For nearly a century

before Protestantism broke into

European consciousness, the

Renaissance had been challenging

the ancient status quo and its rigid

views of the nature of man, freedom,

and authority. The openness of

Renaissance thinking certainly contributed

to the willingness of people

to consider new religious ideas.

The Renaissance also revived the

study of Greek classical literature

among the educated classes, previously

forbidden by the church. The

brilliant Greek scholar Erasmus used

this opportunity to give Christianity

a new edition of the New Testament,

using purer Greek manuscripts

from the Eastern Church previously

unavailable to the Western Church.

The Protestant Reformers recognized

Erasmus’ Latin translation of the New

Testament as superior to the old Latin

Vulgate. His Greek edition became

the source for Protestant translations.

Coupled with the invention of the

printing press, Bibles in the languages

of the people became affordable for

the first time in history. This, too,

added to the spread of Protestantism,

for as Scripture was read, the errors

and superstitions of Romanism

became apparent to thinking minds.

What were the core Protestant

principles that created such a religious

reformation? While there were

differences in understanding among

Protestants, a unity of doctrines

clearly set them apart from Roman

Catholics: 1) the heavenly priesthood

18

Last Generation

and mediation of Jesus Christ, in contrast

to the system of earthly priests

who opened or closed Heaven to

souls; 2) the priesthood of all believers:

God is equally accessible to all

the faithful, and every Christian has

equal potential to minister for God;

3) the primacy of the Bible as the arbiter

of truth, in contrast to the pope

and church councils, which placed

church tradition on an equality with

Scripture. Clearly, Protestantism

placed individuals in direct responsibility

to God, bypassing the system of

centralized religion that characterizes

Roman Catholicism.

Protestant “individualism” shook

16 th century religious and political

relationships. In the New World’s

fertile climate of freedom, these

developments spawned previously

unknown and untried political structures.

Principles such as an elected

head of state with term limits, a representative

form of government, and

the separation of church and state,

could never have developed in societies

dominated by Roman Catholic

principles such as the Divine Right of

Kings and a state-sponsored church.

THE DECLINE OF

PROTESTANTISM AND THE

THREAT TO FREEDOM

Today, the idea of representative

government has spread to even

secular cultures. Yet the religious

impetus for the development of these

principles—Protestantism—has

dwindled to little more than a smoldering

ember. The Protestant world

no longer finds cause for dissent

with Catholic principles. It is eager to

forge ties with the Church of Rome.

The terrible record of human rights

abuses of the papal system is fast

fading from Protestant teachings and

memories. The very power that tried

to stamp out the voice of their ancestors’

protests is now seen as a friend.

Although the Roman Catholic

Church has acknowledged her dark

past, Catholicism’s ancient claim of

infallibility remains unchanged. While

she may apologize for the deeds of her

“misguided members,” she still maintains

that she cannot err in judgment.

Perhaps the greatest evidence

that Protestantism has forgotten her

roots and lost her zeal for truth is the

increased favorability her churches

show for the papacy. With growing

frequency, the pope is quoted as the

head of global Christianity. That a

church embroiled in one scandal

after another, such as the widespread

problem of pedophile priests, can

still command credibility in the

Christian world reveals the low

estimate many Protestants place on

truth and righteousness.

As Protestantism has declined,

the Catholic Church has gradually

returned to global power and

political prestige. Those who believe

that this is merely coincidental are

naïve, for it was nations with large

Protestant populations that for centuries

stood in the way of Catholicism’s

ancient ambitions to control world

politics. It is not Catholicism that has

changed; it is Protestantism.

Today, nations that were once

considered Protestant host papal

visits and send their heads of state for

audiences with the pope. Benedict’s

2010 visit to the United Kingdom was

the first state visit of a reigning pope

to the British Isles in English history!

Prior to 1959, Woodrow Wilson was

the only American president ever

to meet personally with the pope.

But, beginning with Dwight D.

Eisenhower, all twelve Protestant

presidents have held at least one faceto-face

audience with the pope.

The Bible prophesied that while

the papacy would lose her political

power for a period of time, she

would eventually regain it and

pursue her ancient ambitions to

rule the world. “And I saw one of

his heads as it were wounded to

death; and his deadly wound was

healed: and all the world wondered

after the beast.” Revelation 13:3. The

prophecy ends with the revival of

religious persecution against those

who resist the religious and political

control of two great end-time superpowers.

One of these superpowers is

a revived papacy.

The American founding fathers

understood that nations controlled

by Catholic principles would never

seek to limit the power of centralized

authority nor champion human

rights. Much of the US Constitution

is a response to the abuse of power

experienced in countries once

dominated by Roman Catholicism.

And although the American founding

fathers saw the wisdom of

separating the powers of church

and state, they also understood

that without a moral impetus to

keep the conscience free, political

forces inevitably return to the strong

dominating the weak. The separation

of church and state gave religion

the free exercise to develop a moral

conscience that shunned the abuse of

power. And more specifically, it was

Protestant principles that presented

moral reasons for a check on the

unlimited power of kings and popes.

As Protestantism loses its

preserving influence in society, the

belief that God will hold leaders

responsible for their moral behavior

and for their treatment of those

weaker than themselves gradually

diminishes. The growing influence

of Roman Catholicism on public

morality will not change this trend.

This is because Roman Catholicism

claims to be above government, and

as such there is little accountability

for her deeds. Witness the pathetic

accountability of the Church for the

actions of its pedophile priests in one

nation after another. A church that

cannot hold its own leaders morally

accountable and protects them from

civil penalties cannot be a standard

for morality in society. It will also

allow corruption and oppression by

civil rulers to go unchecked.

The rise of Catholic influence

on global politics will decrease

civil and religious liberties, not

increase them. This is exactly what

Revelation 13 predicts.

THE ROOTS OF PROTESTANT

DECLINE

The decline of Protestantism

has paralleled her thirst for power.

Protestants have desired political

power over the power of the Spirit.

Distinct Bible truths are seen as the

Vol. 28 No. 1 19

enemy of Christian unity. In reality,

the lack of a solid presentation of

truth from Christian pulpits has created

a false unity—a unity that will

not tolerate truth.

Today, church growth techniques

are not based so much on the

presentation of sacred truths but

on styles of worship. Our culture

of entertainment has elevated

self. The Jesus of the Bible has

been exchanged for a Jesus of the

culture. Protestant sermons are no

longer Bible-centered; they are “selfcentered.”

And in a culture of “self,”

much emphasis is placed on how

God can meet my needs and how the

church is here to serve me.

“For the time will come when they

will not endure sound doctrine; but

after their own lusts shall they heap

to themselves teachers, having itching

ears; and they shall turn away

their ears from the truth, and shall be

turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.

Catholics point to the doctrinal

confusion and the lack of

spiritual power now emerging from

Protestant churches as evidence

that the Protestant Reformation

was a mistake. The proponents of

a universal church must paint the

16 th century protest as outdated in

order to prepare the world to accept

the final manifestations of a tyranny

foretold by prophecy.

Catholicism demonstrates

longevity, political influence, and

a tenacious hold on its theological

principles. Yet, in no society on

earth where the Church of Rome

is the preeminent faith can she

hold up the culture as a model of

superior Christian character and

spirituality, let alone the champion

of religious and civil freedom.

Can we place blame for the

declining morality of Protestant

nations on the Reformation? God

forbid. Aided by heavenly agencies,

the Reformers fought against the

atrocities of Papal Rome and her

unjust inquisitors. They sought to

bring forth truths that had been buried

under layer after layer of church

tradition. At the appointed time, the

Holy Ghost chose men of character

and fortified them to withstand the

greatest tribulation in human history

in defense of God’s Word. The

problem is not with the Protestant

Reformers, but with Protestants who

have forgotten their heritage.

Today, the same Papal dogmas,

coupled with the apostasy of

contemporary Protestants and their

joint efforts to control politics, are

recreating a society that will once

more persecute those who seek to

follow the truths of God’s Word.

And once again, the Holy Spirit

will call men and women to the

same battles fought by Hus, Luther,

Zwingli, and Calvin.

Intelligent and talented voices

now rise to the defense of the US

Constitution. They staunchly and

effectively defend the principles

of republicanism and the rationale

behind the US Bill of Rights. Through

their testimony, others have wakened

to the threats to freedom posed by

the centralizing trends of global

socialism and the attempts to rewrite

our founding documents. But

where are the voices to preserve the

religious history and doctrines of true

Protestantism? Though the parallel

development of these two are striking,

the decided lack of strong voices

to defend the separation of church

and state and maintain the purity of

Bible truth demonstrates the subtlety

of Satan’s operatives.

The truths brought forth by the

Reformation must be heralded far

and wide. If not, the glorious virtues

of the Reformation will be lost

forever, and the falsehoods of Papal

Rome may prepare the world for

another Inquisition.v

Richard Rosica resides in Colorado with his

wife, Cindy, and their two children. He is a

network administrator, a church elder, and

the author of Flee—The Coming Conflict

Between Freedom and Religion, and coming

soon, Dragon Speak—Deceiving the Whole

World. Visit www.fleetojesus.org for more

information. Betsy Mayer is the managing

editor for Last Generation magazine.

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20

Last Generation

■ MILESTONES

BY COLIN D. STANDISH AND RUSSELL R. STANDISH

When men such as Wycliffe,

Hus, Jerome, Luther, Calvin,

and Tyndale pinpointed with

terrible accuracy the antichrist

of Bible prophecy, it culminated

in the Protestant Reformation. Yet

nearly a thousand years prior to the

Reformation, early church fathers

spoke and wrote about antichrist

in ways surprisingly similar to the

reformers. Notice how closely

their descriptions parallel the

rise of the temporal and ecclesiastical

power of the papacy.

Tertullian (155–222): talking

of the future breakup of the

Roman Empire: “Whose separation

into ten kingdoms

will bring on

antichrist.” (The

division of the

Roman Empire was

completed by 476 ad.)

Cyril of

Jerusalem (315–386):

“There shall arise at

the same time ten

kingdoms of the

Romans at different

places

indeed,

The early church fathers spoke

and wrote about Antichrist

in ways surprisingly similar

to the reformers.

the reigning all of them at the same

time. After them, the eleventh will

be antichrist who, through magical

wickedness, will seize the power

of the Romans.” The papacy not

only took Rome as the seat of its

authority, but also even took the

title Pontifex Maximus from pagan

Rome for its supreme bishop, the

Pope, claiming the right of hierarchical

control over Christendom, if

not the whole world.

Jerome (347–420): “Says the

apostle [Paul in the second epistle

to the Thessalonians], unless the

Roman empires should first be

desolated, and antichrist shall proceed,

Christ will not come.”

Augustine, Bishop of Hippo

(354–430): “It can be doubted by

none but that he [Paul] speaks

these things [2 Thessalonians 2:2–7]

concerning antichrist, and that the

Day of Judgment will not come,

unless he first appear.”

Pope Gregory I (540–604):

“I say confidently, therefore,

that whosoever calls himself

Universal

Bishop, or

even desires

in his pride to be

called such, is the forerunner of

antichrist.”

The early church fathers’ concepts

concerning antichrist are of great

significance. All but Gregory

wrote before the complete

breakup of the Roman Empire,

and therefore before the rise

of papal Rome to worldwide

power. Thus, they did not suspect

that they were pinpointing

the very church that they were

a part of. Indeed, it was evident

that they expected this power to

be another entity. Clearly, they did not

consider the developing papacy as

the antichrist. This allowed for much

greater objectivity and honesty in

detailing the identifying characteristics

of the antichrist.

ONE POPE’S SURPRISING

STATEMENT

Perhaps the most striking statement

is that of a pope himself,

Gregory I. Gregory’s statement was

made in reprimand to John, Bishop

of Constantinople, who was seeking

to be recognized as the head of the

whole Christian Church. At that

time there was bitter rivalry between

Rome and Constantinople. Rome

Vol. 28 No. 1 21

was the dominant See of the West

and Constantinople of the East.

Constantinople had risen to dramatic

prominence after the rule of Emperor

Constantine, for whom the city was

named. This rivalry continued until

the eventual separation of the Eastern

Orthodox churches from the Roman

Catholic Church several centuries

later. It is likely that Gregory had

similar ambitions to those of John,

but used this strong admonition in an

attempt to weaken the resolve of the

Bishop of Constantinople.

Gregory’s statement attests to

the fact that during the time of his

reign as Bishop of Rome (590–650),

he was not seen as bishop over the

whole Christian Church. Surely,

this serves as an effective witness

against the claim of primacy for the

Bishop of Rome from the time of

the apostle Peter.

In analyzing Gregory’s

statement—“He who calls himself

‘Universal Bishop’ will be the

forerunner of antichrist”—clearly

the antichrist has to be a power of

world-wide influence, yet it has

to have arisen out of the Roman

Empire. (The prophecies of Daniel

7 and 8 emphasize this.) The only

bishop that makes such claims

today is the Bishop of Rome.

WHEN WILL

ANTICHRIST APPEAR?

It is remarkable how perceptively

Tertullian, Cyril, Augustine, and

Jerome detailed the time of the rise

of the antichrist. None of them offer

a thought for the preterist view that

claims a pre-Christian fulfillment of

the antichrist prophecy. Likewise,

there is not the slightest hint that

antichrist rises for only a short period

just prior to the return of Christ.

Perhaps Tertullian’s statement is

most incisive. He understood that

though the Roman Empire was still

of great strength and power during

his lifetime, it would divide, and this

would shortly thereafter herald the

reign of the antichrist.

The contribution of Cyril of

Jerusalem is also very important.

He saw that the antichrist power

would seize the power of the pagan

Romans. Had Cyril lived in a later

period of history, he would have

seen that the papacy was the power

that took upon itself the authority

of pagan Rome.

The statements of Jerome and

Augustine are more general than

those of Tertullian and Cyril. This

is most likely due to the fact that

they both lived during the declining

years of the Roman Empire.

Further, Augustine had misapplied

the millennial period to the 1,000

years after the birth of Christ,

therefore giving rise to the belief

that Jesus would return in ad 1000.

When Sylvester II was crowned

Pope in ad 999, it was confidently

predicted by many that he would

be the pope of the Second Coming.

Thus, Augustine did not understand

the 1,260-year reign of the

antichrist as recorded in Scripture.

Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 11:2, 3;

12:6; 13:5. Perhaps both Augustine

and Jerome were uncertain of the

extent of the antichrist power’s

reign. And, both were so uncompromisingly

Roman Catholic in

their allegiance that neither would

have tolerated the thought that the

church they served was already

developing the telltale characteristics

of the antichrist of prophecy.

ANTICHRIST, ANTI-POPES,

AND THE REFORMERS

While the early church fathers

wrote significantly concerning the

antichrist, by the time of the Middle

Ages, the term antichrist was more

frequently used as synonymous

with anti-popes. During the

period of the papacy’s most blatant

excesses, frequently two or more

prelates made claim to the papal

throne. The Roman Catholic Church

now identifies 38 such anti-popes.

It was not uncommon for each to

call the other the anti-pope and by

implication, the antichrist. With the

succession of Peter at stake, it was

often a bitter battle.

The issue of the antichrist was not

deeply studied by the papacy during

the Middle Ages. However, after the

Protestant challenge, Francisco Ribera

and Luis de Alcazar—Jesuit priests—

presented spurious theories on

antichrist to convince Protestants that

the Reformers’ identification was a

result of the polemical times in which

they lived, and did not reflect the

true identification of the antichrist.

Nevertheless, a careful review of

the Scriptures reemphasizes that the

Reformers responded not simply to

polemics, but to a careful, accurate

study of Bible prophecy. These

understandings were consistent with

those of the apostles and the early

church fathers.v

Excerpted from Antichrist is Here by Colin

D. Standish. Dr. Standish is the president

emeritus of Hartland Institute. For more

information about the book please call

540-672-3100.

“Whosoever calls himself Universal Bishop…

is the forerunner of antichrist.”

—Pope Gregory I

22

Last Generation

■ CHOICES

Is the beast of Bible prophecy a past, present or

future entity?

BY STEVE WOHLBERG

Who is the beast that figures

so largely in God’s last

book, Revelation? The

one who will place his mark on

nearly every man, woman and

child on the planet right at the end

of time? This topic is shocking,

controversial, and sure to stir up

heated discussion. Nevertheless, it

must be presented faithfully, fairly

and without compromise.

Those who accept a “Preterist”

interpretation of Revelation generally

believe the beast was the Roman

emperor Nero, who murdered

Christians and Jews in the first

century ad. Hank Hanegraaff and

Sigmund Brouwer have recently

expressed this view in the new

prophetic novel, The Last Disciple.

Gary DeMar, John Noe, Ken Gentry

Jr., Samuel Frost, Kurt Simmons,

and many others teach this idea. To

Preterists, the beast is dead.

While Preterism is growing

in strength, by far the most

popular interpretation remains

the “Futurist”—one reflected in

the best-selling Left Behind series.

According to Futurists, the beast

is still on the horizon—a monster

that will only lurch into action after

the Rapture. Leading proponents

of Futurism today are Tim LaHaye,

Tommy Ice, Jack Van Impe, John

Hagee, Chuck Smith, Irving Baxter

Jr., and Hal Lindsey. Both Preterists

and Futurists see the beast as one

satanic individual—an evil person.

The biggest difference is the timing

of when Mr. Diabolical shows up.

PAST, FUTURE OR PRESENT?

In 2004, the FBI apologized to an

American lawyer wrongly arrested

as a suspect in the Spain terrorist

bombing which killed 191 people.

FBI fingerprint evidence pointed

to Portland attorney Brandon

Mayfield—a Muslim—as the guilty

one. Mayfield was thrown in jail.

But the FBI soon discovered they

had the wrong man. Court documents

released later suggested that

the mistaken arrest first sprang

Vol. 28 No. 1 23

The winged lion Daniel

saw in vision represented

Babylon—the symbol

Babylonian rulers used to

represent their kingdom.

from an error by the FBI’s supercomputer

for matching fingerprints.

The embarrassed agency then

acknowledged the need to review

its practices on fingerprint analysis. 1

The Bible describes that at the end

of time, “All the world wondered

after the beast.” Revelation 13:3. It’s

no secret that the majority of modern

prophecy teachers apply this

prediction to the rise of one Mr. Bad

Guy (the Antichrist) who will supposedly

show up after the Rapture.

Is it possible that, just like the FBI,

these teachers’ “fingerprint analysis”

is in error? Does their view square

with Scripture?

Let’s put popular ideas and

speculation aside, and adjust our

brains to facts—solid, unquestionable,

irrefutable evidence. The beast

introduced to us in Revelation 13

has a number of identifying marks.

We should list them:

• wIt rises from the sea (verse 1)

• wIt looks like a lion, bear and

leopard (verse 2)

• wIt has ten horns (verse 1)

• wIt has a mouth speaking great

things (verse 5)

• wIt makes war on the saints and

achieves global influence (verse 7)

Daniel chapter 7 describes a similar

WHAT DID THE PROTESTANT

REFORMERS BELIEVE

ABOUT ANTICHRIST?

Martin Luther (1483–1546): On

August 18, 1520, Luther wrote: “We

here are of the conviction that the

papacy is the seat of the true and real

antichrist.” Quoted by LeRoy Froom

in The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers,

vol. 2, p. 121.

“[Luther] proved, by the revelations

of Daniel and St. John, by the

epistles of St. Paul, St. Peter, and

St. Jude, that the reign of antichrist,

predicted and described in the

Bible, was the papacy.... And all the

people did say, Amen! A holy terror

seized their souls. It was antichrist

whom they beheld seated on the

pontifical throne. This new idea,

which derived greater strength from

the prophetic descriptions launched

forth by Luther into the midst of his

contemporaries, inflicted the most

terrible blow on Rome.” J. H. Merle

D’Aubigne, History of the Reformation

of the Sixteenth Century, vol. 1, book

VI, chapter XII, p. 340.

John Calvin (1509–1564): “Some

persons think us too severe and

censorious when we call the Roman

pontiff antichrist. But those who

are of this opinion do not consider

that they bring the same charge of

presumption against Paul himself,

after whom we speak and whose

language we adopt.... I shall

briefly show that [Paul’s words in

2 Thessalonians 2] are not capable

of any other interpretation than that

which applies them to the papacy.”

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian

Religion, vol. 1, pp. 219, 220.

John Knox, founder of the

Scottish Presbyterian Church

(1505–1572): Knox sought to

counteract “that tyranny which the

pope himself has for so many ages

exercised over the church.” As with

Luther, he finally concluded that

the papacy was “the very antichrist,

and son of perdition, of whom Paul

speaks.” John Knox, The Zurich

Letters, p. 199.

24

Last Generation

scene, this time with four beasts

(verses 1–3). The first three are a lion,

a bear and a leopard. The fourth

beast was a dragon-like animal with

ten horns (verses 4–7). Out of those

ten horns came up another little

horn, but it took its place within

the ten horns by plucking up three

of them. The little horn had eyes

like a man and a mouth speaking

great things (verse 8). It also made

war on the saints (verse 21). Most

scholars agree—both Protestant

and Catholic—that Daniel’s little

horn is the same power as the beast

in Revelation 13:1. Each has a big

mouth and makes war on the saints.

Here’s a key question: What is

a beast? Is it a man? A computer?

The Bible provides the answer. An

angelic interpreter told Daniel, “The

fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom

upon the earth.” Daniel 7:23.

Thus a beast is a kingdom. Period.

The four beasts are four kingdoms.

Daniel was living during the time of

Babylon (See Daniel 7:1), and in fact,

the Babylonians used a winged

lion to symbolize themselves.

Jeremiah 50:43, 44. Most scholars

agree that the lion represented

Babylon. The bear symbolized

Persia, the leopard, Greece.

Rome conquered Greece and is

represented by the great, dreadful,

ten-horned beast of Daniel 7.

This is basic history. Rome fell in

ad 476 and was divided among ten

primary nations—Vandals, Heruli,

Ostrogoths, Visogoths, Franks,

Anglo-Saxons, Suevi, Burgundians,

Lombards and Alemanni.

Thus we have Babylon, Persia,

Greece, Rome, Rome’s division,

and then the little horn that is the

same as the beast of Revelation 13.

Who is this horn? “Nero!” shout

Preterists. “The future Antichrist!”

contend Futurists. What’s wrong

with this picture? The answer is

Thomas Cranmer, Anglican

Bishop (1489–1556): Referring

to prophecies in Revelation and

Daniel, Cranmer wrote, “Whereof

it followeth Rome to be the seat of

antichrist, and the pope to be very

antichrist himself. I could prove the

same by many other scriptures, old

writers, and strong reasons.” Works

by Cranmer, vol. 1, pp. 6–7.

Roger Williams, First Baptist

Pastor in America (1603–1683):

Williams spoke of the pope as “the

pretended vicar of Christ on earth,

who sits as God over the temple

of God, exalting himself not only

above all that is called God, but over

the souls and consciences of all his

vassals, yea, over the Spirit of Christ,

over the Holy Spirit, yea, and God

himself...speaking against the God

of Heaven, thinking to change times

and laws; but he is the son of perdition

(2 Thessalonians 2).” Quoted by

LeRoy Froom in The Prophetic Faith of

Our Fathers, vol. 3, p. 52.

The Westminster Confession of

Faith (1647): “There is no other head

of the church but the Lord Jesus

Christ. Nor can the pope of Rome in

any sense be head thereof; but is that

antichrist, that man of sin and son of

perdition that exalteth himself in the

church against Christ and all that is

called God.” Philip Schaff, The Creeds

of Christendom, With a History and

Critical Notes, vol. 3, pp. 658, 659.

Cotton Mather, Congregational

Theologian (1663–1728): “The

oracles of God foretold the rising of

an antichrist in the Christian church:

and in the pope of Rome, all the

characteristics of that antichrist are

so marvelously answered that if any

who read the Scriptures do not see

it, there is a marvelous blindness

upon them.” Quoted by LeRoy

Froom in The Prophetic Faith of Our

Fathers, vol. 3, p. 113.

John Wesley, Founder of

Methodism (1703–1791): Speaking

of the papacy, John Wesley wrote,

“He is in an emphatic sense the man

of sin, as he increases all manner of

sin above measure. And he is, too,

properly styled the son of perdition,

as he has caused the death of

numberless multitudes, both of his

opposers and followers.... He it is...

that exalteth himself above all that is

called God, or that is worshipped...

claiming the highest power and

highest honor...claiming the prerogatives

which belong to God alone.”

John Wesley, Antichrist and His Ten

Kingdoms, p. 110.

A Great Cloud of Witnesses:

“Wycliffe, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin,

Cranmer; in the seventeenth

century, Bunyan, the translators of

the King James Bible, and the men

who published the Westminster

and Baptist confessions of Faith; Sir

Isaac Newton, Wesley, Whitfield,

Jonathan Edwards; and more

recently Spurgeon, Bishop J.C. Ryle,

and Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones—these

men among countless others, all

saw the office of the papacy as the

antichrist.” Michael de Semlyen, All

Roads Lead to Rome, p. 205.

Vol. 28 No. 1 25

plain. The Preterist view is faulty

because the little horn (antichrist)

especially gains power after Rome

was divided into ten parts. Nero

came 500 years too soon. Futurists

fail because the little horn burst

into strength immediately after the

empire of the Caesars collapsed into

ten parts. The future-beast notion

sweeps 1,500 years of history under

the proverbial rug by expecting

the little horn to rise only after

Christians vanish.

Hold onto your seats. This may

surprise you, but from the time

of the Reformation until the late

1800s the vast majority of Protestant

scholars firmly believed the beast

was snarling right in front of them.

Such was the doctrine of Martin

Luther, Philip Melanchthon, John

Calvin, John Knox, the translators of

the King James Bible, John Wesley,

Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop J.C. Rylie,

Thomas Cranmer, Matthew Henry,

Charles Spurgeon, Dr. Martin Lloyd-

Jones, and countless others. These

weren’t Preterists or Futurists. They

were Historicists—meaning they

saw prophecy fulfilled throughout

church history until the Second

Coming of Jesus Christ.

THE ACCURACY OF

HISTORY AND PROPHECY

Historicism’s accuracy is shown

by the agreement of the empires’

succession.

• wLion (Babylon)

• wBear (Persia)

• wLeopard (Greece)

• wDragon-like animal (Rome)

• wTen horns (Rome’s fall and

division)

• wLittle horn (rising into strength in

Europe right after Rome fell)

To Protestant reformers, this

could only mean

one thing. They

all saw a present

power that started

small but grew

into strength

immediately after

Rome fell, rose up

in Western Europe,

had eyes like a

man, a mouth

speaking boastful things and which

made bloody war on the saints.

It’s easy to write fiction books

about an imaginary future

Antichrist or a dead one. But to

write non-fiction works about a

present beast, especially one with

global influence—this isn’t so easy.

Nor is it politically correct. Yet the

question we must ponder is: what is

the truth?

The best solution that fits the

sequence of the empires’ succession,

mentioned in Daniel and

Revelation, is to understand this as

the papacy of the Roman Catholic

Church. Let me stress that this

prophecy is not pointing its irrefutable

finger against sincere people

who don’t fully understand the

Scriptures. No. Its focus is on a

“kingdom” or system that is leading

millions away from childlike

faith in Jesus Christ.

Martin Luther wrote that Daniel

“saw the terrible wild beast

which had ten horns, which by

the consent of all is the Roman

Empire, he also beheld another

small horn come up in the middle

of this. This is the papal power,

which rose up in the middle of the

Roman Empire.” 2

According to 400 years of

Protestant scholarship (which

shouldn’t be taken lightly),

the beast and the little horn

of Daniel 7 was and is the

global power of the

Roman Catholic Church

which came out of the Roman

Empire, rose up among the ten

parts of Europe, is centered in one

man (the pope), has made war with

the saints in history, is a “kingdom”

today (over 100 embassies stand on

Vatican Hill) and even now exerts

global influence.

Again, this prophecy is not

against sincere people who don’t

fully understand the Bible (see John

15:22; Acts 17:30), but against a

system that leads away from direct

faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation

and has introduced many subtle

traditions into the Christian Church.

Preterists and Futurists should

“review their practices of fingerprint

analysis.” Like the FBI in 2004, they

have identified the wrong man. Let’s

not make the same mistake.v

REFERENCES

1. “FBI Erred Linking Lawyer to Terror,” CBS

News.com, May 25, 2004.

2. Quoted in Guinness, H. Grattan, Romanism

and the Reformation—From the Standpoint of

Prophecy, p. 127. See also Works of Martin

Luther, vol. II, p. 386.

Steve Wohlberg is the speaker/director of

White Horse Media. With B.A. and M.Div.

degrees in Theology, he has been a guest

on over 500 radio and television shows,

produced numerous TV series, hosted the

nationally syndicated radio show World

News and the Bible (2004–2006) and has

authored 21 books. Steve has conducted

Bible seminars in Russia, South Africa,

Canada, Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia

and in cities throughout the United States.

To learn more about his ministry, please visit

www.whitehorsemedia.org.

26

Last Generation

■ PROFILE

Protestants who concede away their heritage of

blood-bought beliefs show great disrespect for the

witness of brave individuals like Anne Askew.

BY BETSY MAYER

Anne Askew, an English

noblewoman, was 25 years

old when she died for her

Protestant faith in 1546.

Thomas Kyme, Anne’s husband,

was a bigoted Catholic who despised

her faith and eventually expelled

her from their Lincolnshire home.

She joined a community of fellow

Protestants and was active in sharing

her faith through tracts and preaching

in London.

Through diligent study of God’s

Word, Anne denied the doctrine of

transubstantiation, which holds that

the bread and wine of the Christian

mass or communion are literally

transformed into the body and blood

of Jesus Christ. Anne firmly held to

the Protestant belief that the mass

was an act of remembrance and spiritual

communion with her God.

In 1545 she was arrested several

times in London, interrogated, and

asked to recant openly. With unwavering

courage she clung to her faith,

quoted scriptures to her prosecutors,

and answered for her beliefs. Even

amidst her suffering, her main concern

was that they would receive truth. In

a final letter she wrote to a friend, and

expressed her desire for the Lord to

“…open the eyes of their blind hearts,

that the truth may take place.”

Anne was imprisoned and tortured

on the rack, every limb pulled

from its socket; yet she endured it

with much courage and patience

and refused to recant. She especially

refused to name others who shared

her religious convictions.

Because she declined every

request to recant, she was charged

with heresy and sentenced to

death. Her body covered in

gunpowder, Anne was burned at

the stake with fellow Protestants

on July 16, 1546, at Smithfield,

just outside the London Wall. She

holds the distinction of being the

only woman to be tortured in the

infamous Tower of London.

Soon after her death, her personal

account of her examinations made

its way into Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.

Her story inspired many subsequent

generations of Protestants to endure

persecution for their faith. “…having

now ended the long course of her

agonies, being compassed in with

flames of fire, as a blessed sacrifice

unto God, she slept in the Lord ad

1546, leaving behind her a singular

example of Christian constancy for

all men to follow.”

Anne endured a martyrdom that

many others, both Roman Catholic

and Protestant, were to suffer until

Elizabeth I came to the throne 12

years later and a milder spirit settled

over the empire.

Anne was an educated woman,

a writer, and a poet. While in

prison she penned this poem, calmly

expressing her indomitable spirit and

submission to God:

Like as the armed knight

Appointed to the field,

With this world will I fight,

And faith shall be my shield.

Faith is that weapon strong

Which will not fail at need.

My foes, therefore, among

Therewith will I proceed.

As it is had in strength

And force of Christ’s way,

It will prevail at length

Though all the devils say nay….*v

*The first 3 of 14 stanzas. To view all 14 stanzas,

see http://rpolibrary.utoronto.ca/poem/2821.html

SOURCE

John Foxe, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.

Betsy Mayer is the managing editor of Last

Generation magazine.

Vol. 28 No. 1 27

■ MILESTONES

BY HAL MAYER

Churches seeking ecumenical equality with

the papacy will ultimately be disappointed.

In 2007, Benedict XVI upset a

number of Protestant groups participating

in ecumenical dialogue

when he stated that their churches

weren’t really “churches in the

proper sense” and were “defective”

because they were not in Eucharistic

communion with the Roman

Catholic Church (RCC).

He then reasserted

what the RCC has

always taught—that

the RCC is the only true

visible church on earth

and that Eucharistic

communion with her is

the only way to salvation. Benedict

even added that any effectiveness

other Christian groups have in

leading people to Christ derives

solely from the gifts entrusted to the

Roman Catholic Church. 1

No Christian church wants to

be considered defective. Nor do

they want to give credit to Roman

Catholicism for the fruits of their

labors. Had nearly 40 years of ecumenical

dialogue been for nothing?

Benedict, who was famous for the

art of papal criticism, also criticized

Muslims, indigenous Brazilians, and

Jews. Papal criticism is actually a

strategic ecumenical tool. After the

criticism, the pope reaches out to the

The Roman Catholic Church still

maintains that Eucharistic Communion

with her is the only way to salvation.

offended parties and receives credit

for being the initiator of peace. This

gives him enormous political and

psychological advantage and allows

the papacy to direct ecumenical

conversations. This is exactly what

happened after 2007.

Following Benedict’s remarks,

the surprised Protestants, instead

of reasserting their strong heritage,

principles, and beliefs, opened up

to further ecumenical integration,

which Benedict’s successor, Pope

Francis, has already initiated.

Pope Francis believes it is time to

bring separated religious bodies into

full, visible, sacramental union with

the RCC—the ultimate destination of

the ecumenical movement.

He has appealed

to evangelicals, including

mega-church leaders

like Rick Warren and

Joel Osteen, Pentecostal

leaders like Kenneth

Copeland and James

Robison, and even the Russian

Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. Sadly,

even the ancient Waldenses have

succumbed recently to his rapprochement.

After begging forgiveness for

centuries of cruel persecution by his

church’s vassal armies and inquisitors,

Francis is now in ecumenical dialog

with the Waldenses.

A brief look at history will help us

28

Last Generation

understand why the Roman Catholic

Church feels justified in its position

of superiority and why churches

seeking equality with the papacy

around the table of 21 st century

Christian ecumenism will ultimately

be disappointed.

ONE CATHOLIC FAITH?

Roman Catholics believe that

Peter was the first bishop of Rome,

and that successive bishops of Rome

have been the rightful head of all

Christians throughout the ages.

However sincerely held, these beliefs

are not supported by the Bible. In

fact, Scripture reveals that James

was the first recorded church leader,

and neither biblical nor historical

evidence can be found that Peter

ever lived in or even visited Rome. 2

There is evidence in the Bible and

in history that early church leaders

were in contact with one another

and met together for discussion and

prayer on important decisions, but

there was no supremacy.

What history does reveal is

that the papacy’s claim to be the

head of all Christians originates

from political connection with

the Roman Empire. In ad 306,

Emperor Constantine inherited a

divided empire that was governed

out of Byzantium (renamed

Constantinople) in the East, and out

of Rome in the West. The Roman

emperors preferred to live in the

East, and left the governing of the

West to vassal emperors.

Constantine’s elevation of

Christianity in ad 313 to official status

was a shrewd move calculated to

keep his sprawling empire together,

because Christians in the East and

the West were more united than

his pagan subjects were and had

demonstrated their willingness to die

for their cause. But while the Eastern

portion of the empire would survive

well into the 15 th century, the Western

portion began a messy and tumultuous

decline as successive invaders

(barbarians) sought for the control of

Italy and the old imperial city.

In ad 533, Justinian I decreed that

the bishop of Rome was head of all

Christians in the Roman Empire.

Italy was then ruled by the Christian

Visigoths, who did not follow the

Roman Christianity developed

under the Emperor Constantine, and

who had captured and imprisoned

Pope John I. Although it would be

five years before a Roman bishop

could be seated securely in Rome,

Justinian followed his decree with

an army to defeat the Visigoths and

an edict to compel all to submit

to Roman Christianity. Archibald

Bower wrote of that sixth century

“ecumenical movement”:

“By an edict which he issued to

unite all men in one faith, whether

Jews, Gentiles or Christians, such

as did not, in the term of three

months, embrace and profess

the Catholic faith, were declared

infamous, and, as such, excluded

from all employments both civil

and military, rendered incapable

of leaving anything by will, and

their estates confiscated…. Many,

however, withstood [these persecutions];

and against such as did, the

imperial edict was executed with

the utmost rigor. Great numbers

were driven from their habitations

with their wives and children,

stripped and naked. Others betook

themselves to flight, carrying with

them what they could conceal, for

their support and maintenance; but

they were plundered of the little

they had, and many of them inhumanly

massacred by the Catholic

peasants or the soldiery who

guarded the passes.” 3

Many Bible-believing Christians

were the unhappy recipients of

this ecumenical fervor. They fled

to remote places of the earth as the

Bible prophesied the true church

would do during the 1260-year

period of papal supremacy. 4 The

Western Roman Empire eventually

fragmented into ten regions, each

with its own language and culture.

But the papacy clung tenaciously to

vestiges of Roman culture, including

the Latin language and the

mystical religious rites adopted from

paganism. The papacy vigorously

maintained that Petrine supremacy

and apostolic succession gave it the

right to be God’s supreme ecclesiastical

authority on earth. Without this,

the RCC had no legitimate claim to

power. Through her claim to control

the eternal destiny of souls, she

kept the ten European tribes in an

imperfect union as the Holy Roman

Empire. Her own view of herself is

described in Bible prophecy: “I sit a

queen and am no widow and shall

see no sorrow.” Revelation 18:7.

The claim that there is no salvation

apart from the RCC actually

fits the Bible’s definition of blasphemy.

The Bible teaches that the

only way to salvation is through

faith in Jesus Christ, not through

any earthly structure of priests and

bishops. The RCC counters this by

insisting that her councils and the

magisterium are above the Bible in

judging faith and doctrine.

The Bible warns of such a power

developing before Jesus returns.

The Pope’s claim to be the head of all

Christians originates from political

connections with the Roman Empire under

Constantine the Great, not from the Bible.

Vol. 28 No. 1 29

The papacy has returned from near demise

in 1798 to global admiration, just as

John prophesied in Revelation 13:3.

The Apostle Paul referred to this

power as the “…man of sin, the son

of perdition; who opposeth and

exalteth himself above all that is

called God, or that is worshiped; so

that he as God sitteth in the temple

of God, showing himself that he

is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4. In

light of this, should the Catholic

Church participate in the ecumenical

movement when she openly

considers herself as superior and

other churches inferior? She clearly

doesn’t want brotherhood; she

wants rulership.

RETHINKING THE

REFORMATION?

The fact that some Protestant

groups are concerned about the

RCC’s view of them as illegitimate

churches keeps them at a great disadvantage;

yet they continue to look

for “common ground.” Why?

As Protestants have deepened

their ecumenical ties, there has been

a corresponding uncertainty about

the difference between them and

Rome. Those Protestants without

a firm knowledge of the Bible and

ignorant of their own blood-bought

history largely accept the pope as the

spokesperson for global Christianity

and allow the RCC to control ecumenical

discussions.

Today, Protestants working

alongside Catholic Church leadership

against society’s moral decline are

reluctant to regard her as the enemy

she has historically been. They think

they have perhaps misinterpreted

scripture, especially the texts in

Revelation that identify the papacy as

the beast and the pope as Antichrist.

By a “journeying together” emphasis,

the RCC reduces opposition to her

politics and her faith. This is part

of a much larger plan to overcome

resistance, for the Scripture says that

Rome “by peace shall destroy many.”

Daniel 8:25.

The ecumenical movement has

been one of Rome’s key tools to

extend her power. She has made

her intentions clear that the present

ecumenical unity should evolve into

“full, visible unity” with Roman

Catholicism and that evangelization

and ecumenism go hand in hand. 5, 6

Pope Benedict XVI clearly stated this

vision for ecumenism just before he

left the papacy:

“It is good to journey together

towards this objective, provided

that the Churches and ecclesial

communities do not stop along the

way, accepting the various contradictions

between them as normal

or as the best they can hope to

achieve. It is, rather, in the full

communion of faith, Sacraments

and ministry that the strength of

God, present and working in the

world, will find concrete expression.”

7 Currently, Protestants are

seeking a way to reconcile with

Rome on doctrinal matters, even

though doctrinal differences led

to the rise of Protestantism in the

first place. They assume the papal

oppression and persecutions of the

Dark Ages could not possibly rise

again. However, Bible prophecy

predicted that the deadly wound

inflicted on the medieval papacy

in 1798 would be healed and the

world would again see her rise

to global religious and political

power. This prophecy has already

been fulfilled and is evidenced

in part by the very attitudes

expressed by Protestants.

“As the Protestant churches

have been seeking the favor of

the world, false charity [brotherly

love] has blinded their eyes....

Instead of standing in defense

of the faith once delivered to the

saints, they are now, as it were,

apologizing to Rome for their

uncharitable opinion of her, begging

pardon for their bigotry.” 8

ECUMENICAL CONCLUSIONS

The ecumenical movement will

lead the unwary to full Eucharistic

union with Roman Catholicism. The

Bible reveals that those who cannot

cooperate with this agenda will be

treated as enemies of the social order

the world over. A revival of Catholic

supremacy and intolerance has

indeed been foretold in the Bible. See

Revelation 13:15–17. Just like the fate

of those who conscientiously could

not support Justinian’s decrees of

unity in the sixth century, the Bible

reveals that those who will not cooperate

with modern world religious

unity will also be threatened with

death. In today’s world this end-time

scenario, once seemingly incredible,

is all too believable!v

REFERENCES

1. “Responses to Some Questions Regarding

Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the

Church,” Congregation for the Doctrine of the

Faith, www.vatican.va, June 29, 2007.

2. “The Apostle Peter in Rome: Jesus’ Chief

Disciple Re-examined,” Bible History Daily,

www.biblicalarchaeology.org, March 31, 2017.

3. Bower, Archibald, History of the Popes, Vol. 1, p. 334.

4. Revelation 12:14–16. (See explanatory note

below.)

5. “Restoring Full and Visible Unity?” Vatican

Files: Evangelical Theological Perspectives on

Roman Catholicism, January 29, 2014.

6. “The Aim of Ecumenism Is the Unity of

Divided Christians,” The Catholic News,

November 15, 2012.

7. Ibid.

8. White, Ellen G., The Great Controversy, pp.

571, 572.

Note: Bible prophecy describes this time period

three ways: 42 months, 1260 days, or “a time, times,

and half a time” (3 ½ years). See also Revelation

12:6; 13:5. Using the “day equals a year” prophetic

reckoning, and 360 prophetic days to a prophetic

year, this yields 1260 literal years, extending from

ad 538, when Pope Vigilius restored the Papacy in

Rome after Belesarius defeated the Ostrogoths, until

ad 1798 when Napoleon’s armies captured Pope

Pius VI, who died an exile in France.

Hal Mayer is the speaker/director of Keep the

Faith ministries, which offers regular analysis

of current events in the light of Bible prophecy.

For information, visit www.ktfministry.org.

30

Last Generation

■ THE LAST WORD

This is no time to throw away truths inherited from the Reformation.

We should be advancing, not retreating.

On October 31, 2016, Pope Francis and the global

Lutheran leader met and pledged to remove the

obstacles to full unity between their churches,

leading eventually to a shared Eucharist. They signed

a joint statement before a congregation of Catholic and

Lutheran leaders at a service to commemorate the 500 th

anniversary of the Reformation. *

“We long for this wound in the Body of Christ to be

healed,” they said. “This is the goal of our ecumenical

endeavors, which we wish to advance, also by renewing

our commitment to theological dialogue.”

The leaders acknowledged that “Lutherans and

Catholics have wounded the visible unity of the Church.

Theological differences were accompanied by prejudice

and conflicts, and religion was instrumentalized for political

ends,” adding later: “Today, we hear God’s command

to set aside all conflict. We recognize that we are freed by

grace to move towards the [Eucharistic] communion to

which God continually calls us.”

The emphasis of this agreement is unity in joint service:

“We urge Lutherans and Catholics to work together to

welcome the stranger, to come to the aid of those forced

to flee because of war and persecution, and to defend the

rights of refugees and those who seek asylum,” adding

that “joint service” must also extend to God’s creation.

Most people will probably see these efforts toward

unity as positive. Why would we want to relive the

conflicts and persecution? However, most also ignore

the causes that led to the Protestant Reformation. The

Catholic Church had enforced religious traditions directly

opposed to biblical teachings like liberty of conscience,

the freedom to study the Bible in one’s own language,

salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone, the priesthood of

all believers, and the fallacy of indulgences.

The issue at stake for the Protestant Reformers was the

authority of God’s Word. It is still the issue today. The

religious traditions that led to the Reformation are still

upheld by the Catholic Church 500 years later.

Unfortunately, most Protestant denominations have

strayed from their foundation in sola scriptura—not because

Bibles are prohibited, but because human reason has been

exalted through methods of interpreting the Bible. These

methods especially include higher criticism and deconstructionism.

Through these methods Protestants now find

significant theological agreement with Catholics.

Paul warned that right before the Second Coming of

Jesus, a “man of sin” would exalt his authority above

God’s authority. 2 Thes. 2:1–12. Notice how this “man of

sin” gains power over the world: “whose coming is after

the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying

wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness

in them that perish; because they received not the love

of the truth, that they might be saved.” Verses 9, 10.

Not everyone falls for his lies. Those “who keep the

commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” will be

protected from his cunning deceptions. Rev. 14:12; 3:10.

Despite the flurry of ecumenism happening all

around us, this is not the time to throw away Bible truths

inherited from the Reformation. In fact, we should be

advancing in Bible truth, not retreating. Even though truth

may cost us everything in this life, just as it did millions

who have gone before us, it is our only eternal safety.

Norbert Restrepo

Guest Editor

*“Catholic and Lutheran Churches pledge to work for shared Eucharist,”

cruxnow.com, Oct. 31, 2016.

Managing Editor Betsy Mayer | Production Assistants Nadele Bertus, Rachel Bourque | Copy Editors Andrew Hendrickson, Kendi Callender,

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E-mail sales@lastgen.net or write to address below. Last Generation magazine is published bi-monthly by Hartland Institute of Health and Education to prepare this

generation for the final conflict between good and evil. We believe in the soon coming of Jesus Christ and in the authority of His Word, the Bible, to prepare a generation to meet Him in peace. WRITERS,

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Vol. 28 No. 1 | Copyright © 2017 November/December Issue | Cover: © Shutterstock.com | Photo credits: pp. 23, 24, 25, 26 © Sermonview.com; 4, 8, 11, 14, 16-17, 18, 28, 29, 30, 31,

32 © Shutterstock.com

Vol. 28 No. 1 31

Last Generation Ministries

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And after these things I saw

another angel come down

from heaven, having great

power; and the earth was

lightened with His glory.

Revelation 18:1

LG 28.1 The Reformation Continues

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