This is a correspondence between two brethren truth seekers, they are addressed as Brothers A and B for convenience, and should any other brothers (or sisters) inter the conversation they will be addressed as Brothers C and so forth.

B. – Good evening, brother A., I have wanted for some time to inquire your views of the “Man of Sin” – “The Antichrist.”

Who is he, what is he, and when will he come; or has he already come?

A. – I shall enjoy a conversation with you on this subject; it is one deserving of careful thought and is mentioned by Jesus himself, as well as by his apostles and prophets. I presume I need not make mention of the various theories held by bible students on the subject. Many believe that Jerusalem and the temple will be rebuilt soon, and that some literal man will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he, as God, will sit in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. (2 Thess 2:4.) He is expected to be able to perform “signs and lying wonders” – to deceive all the world into the idea that HE is God, and to have them give homage and worship to him.

There are various conjectures as to who may be this “Man of Sin.” It has been claimed for Napoleon Bonaparte and each of his successors to the title to the throne of France, and even now (at the time of this discussion) for Prince Jerome Bonaparte. Others quite recently have given up expecting so much of a development of power from a broken-down dynasty, and claim, with positiveness, that it is the present Pope.

B. – It would be a very remarkable thing to have occur in this twenty-first It might have been possible in some heathen land, hundreds of years ago, but I could not make myself believe that such things are even possible now. No, the tendency of the press and of science is to ignore God altogether, and in the face of the wonderful evidences of His creative power and might, to deny, entirely, the Lord, in whose praise “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge”. Psa 19:2

A. – I fully agree with you. It would be much easier to turn the world to Atheism than to Idolatry.

This is one reason why I could not look for a personal (an actual individual, as some imagine) to be the “Man of Sin.” Paul had always exhorted the church to look and wait for “The day of the Lord, yet here (2 Thess 2.) he tells them “That day shall not come except there comes a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed.” As I believe the word to teach that we are now living in “the day of the Lord,” you see it is both natural and consistent in me to look back (in history) for the “Man of Sin,” and to expect to be able to recognize him, for Paul says he must be revealed (disclosed, made apparent), or his real character shown and seen before the “day of the Lord.” He referred to a false system (not some specific individual as some are led to believe), which would develop in the church. As one error after another crept into the church, they (compounding errors) gradually brought about the “falling away.” The church fell from her position of trust in, and support on the promises of her absent Lord, and began to love the world and the things of the world.

The narrow path was too steep and rough; she coveted the world’s ease and abundance, and the bolder element (in her) formed the plan of so arranging the customs and laws, that the world’s affections were captured, and instead of persecuting as it had previously, the Roman Empire embraced the church and seated her in power. Doubtless she thought to use the power and influence of her new friend – Rome – to the honor of the Lord to whom she was betrothed, but soon she began to “glorify herself and to live deliciously with the kings of the earth,” and “her sins reached unto heaven.” Rev 18:5-7.

B. You speak of it as the woman, and etc.; if this is the same referred to by Paul, why does he call it “The Man of Sin?”

A. It requires two to make one, as Adam and Eve became one and “God called their name Adam.” And as Jesus and his bride are to become one and together be known as The Christ (the anointed) – the one seed, – so with this case: The virgin (Church) of Christ became untied to the World – They twain became one – “The Man of Sin.”

Since she pretended to be the true bride and heir with Jesus to the throne of kingdoms, so when united to the World, she claimed the union to be valid and lawful, that she sat a queen. She ruled over the empire of earth, claiming the various titles and honors due to the true Lord and his bride. And that system – Papacy – being a falsifier which sought to take the honor of the true anointed, is emphatically the opponent of the true Christ, or, as the name signifies, Antichrist.

We continue with our next post.