Islam And The Papacy In Prophecy
by Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,
Retired Professor of Theology and Church History, Andrews University
Endtime Issues No. 86
I
f ever I needed some encouragement to undertake a research, I received
plenty of it from the responses to the last Endtime Issues newsletter (No.
85) on "Violence in the Koran and the Bible." The question that I posed,
was whether or not I should examine the possible prophetic role of Islam,
especially as it relates to the nature and work of the antichrist. About
500
subscribers urged me to proceed immediately without hesitation with such
an
investigation.
A few subscribers have advised me to leave this controversial subject
alone,
because it may be costly to my reputation. Some even warned me that if my
investigation weakens the role of the Papacy as the prophetic antichrist,
then I will play into the hands of my detractors who accuse me of being a
"Jesuit spy."
Let me assure you that I do not court controversy. Over the years I have
learned that researching and writing on controversial subjects can be
financially costly and emotionally draining. To this very day there are
some
Adventist Church leaders who refuse to invite me to speak in their
churches
and/or institutions, because I have authored such controversial books as
Women in the Church, and The Christian and Rock Music. The fact that these
books have been favorably reviewed by numerous Adventist and
evangelical
scholars, has not significantly changed their attitude toward me.
Having reached the sunset years of my life, I prefer to stay out of
controversy. But in good conscience I cannot ignore the Biblical
implications of the current war on terrorism. After all, the terrible
chain
of events following September 11, 2001, have left many Bible believing
Christians wondering: what is Islam and how does it relate to the
prophetic
role of the antichrist? Is Islam part of the prophetic power that has
historically promoted the false worship of God through political warfare
and
religious deception? Are the senseless acts of terrorism we are witnessing
daily to be viewed as isolated incidents of fanatical Muslims, or as part
of the historical outworking of prophetic antichrist?
There are other important questions thinking Christians are asking. For
example, why is the Pope working toward a rapprochement with Muslims by
praising the Islamic faith as the same faith of Abraham, in spite of the
late catastrophic events? Why is the Pope welcoming and affirming the
religion of Muhammad today, after condemning it for almost fourteen
centuries, including two centuries of crusades against Muslims? Is there a
common denominator between the agenda of Islam and that of the Papacy,
that
brings these two strange bedfellows together today? And how do the two
agendas of the Papacy and Islam relate to the prophetic role of the
antichrist?
It would be presumptuous to claim that this newsletter offers
comprehensive
answers to all these questions. The most I can hope to accomplish is to
stimulate some fresh thinking on the prophetic role of Islam and the
Papacy.
A Warning about the Length of this Newsletter
This is the longest newsletter that I have prepared. It may prove to be
one
of the most significant. If your time is limited, feel free to skip the
first part and jump to the last part where I deal specifically with how
the
Papacy and Islam fulfill the prophetic role of the antichrist. The first
part introduces the last part, by helping you to understand how the new
partnership the Pope is building with the Muslims is based on striking
similarities between the beliefs and practices of the two religions.
May I urge those of you who disagree with the position I develop in this
essay, not to become disagreeable or hostile toward me. It is a sign of
Christian maturity to learn to disagree without becoming disagreeable with
one another.
Endtime Issues No. 86: "Islam and the Papacy in Prophecy"
Historically, Islam and the Papacy have been violent enemies that have
fought for the control of the territories of the Roman Empire. Eventually
Islam swallowed up most of the Christian countries comprising the Eastern
wing of the Roman Empire, restricting the influence of the Papacy to a
few
Western countries.
At the time of the Reformation, Muslims were more inclined to draw the
sword
against Catholics than against Protestants, because the Catholics
venerated
the images of Jesus, the saints, and Mary - a practice especially
abhorrent
to Muslims. The Catholic veneration of the images has remained the same,
but her policy toward Islam has radically changed in recent years.
The first part of this essay explores the new partnership that is
developing
between the Papacy and Islam in the light of the past and present
prophetic
role of the antichrist. Specifically, we want to find out if the past
struggle for supremacy between the Papacy and Islam, and the new present
cooperation between them, are part of the prophetic vision of the role of
the antichrist.
This essay is divided into four major parts. The first part looks at the
new
partnership that is developing between the Papacy and Islam. I will argue
that the Pope's attempt to win the Muslims to himself by acknowledging
Allah
as being essentially the same God of Biblical revelation, may be
politically
correct, but is Biblically wrong. The two Gods differ radically in their
nature and teachings regarding such things as methods of evangelism,
womanhood, and salvation.
The second part considers some of the distinctive beliefs and practices
that
the Catholic Church shares in common with Islam. I will argue that this
commonality may provide the basis for understanding the future prophetic
role of these two powers.
The third part reviews Luther's and Calvin's understanding of Islam and of
the Papacy as being the two aspects of the power of the antichrist
predicted
in Daniel and Revelation. We shall see that their interpretations deserve
serious consideration.
The last part examines the identifying marks of the prophetic antichrist.
I
will argue that both the Papacy and Islam fulfill the distinctive
characteristics of the antichrist. It is my fervent hope that this study
may
equip us to better understand the current Muslim/ Christian conflict from
a
Biblical perspective.
The New Partnership Between the Papacy and Islam
In recent years Pope John Paul II has worked hard to woo Mecca to Rome. In
May, 2001, the pope made history by becoming the first Catholic leader to
set foot in a mosque and participate in an organized prayer service. The
symbolic meeting took place when the Pope entered the Umayyad Mosque in
the
Syrian capital of Damascus. This mosque has significance for both Muslims
and Christians. For Muslims it is the oldest stone mosque in the world,
while for Christians it is the alleged place where John the Baptist was
buried.
The Pope led in Christian prayers, while his Muslim counterpart, Sheikh
Ahmed Kataro, led in Muslim prayers. By this dramatic act of worshipping
in
a mosque, the Pope underlined his commitment to work toward a
rapprochement
with the Muslims.
Twelve days after the horrors of September 11, 2001, the Pope renewed his
commitment to work toward a new partnership with Muslims in his message
to the predominantly Muslim nation of Kazakhstan. The Pope declared:
"There
is one God. The Apostle proclaims before all else the absolute oneness of
God. This is a truth which Christians inherited from the children of
Israel
and which they share with Muslims: it is faith in the one God, Lord of
heaven and earth (Luke 10:21), almighty and merciful. In the name of this
one God, I turn to the people of deep and ancient religious traditions,
the
people of Kazakhstan."1
The Pope then appealed to both Muslims and Christians to work together to
build a "civilization of love": "This logic of love is what He [Jesus]
holds
out to us, asking us to live it above all through generosity to those in
need. It is a logic which can bring together Christians and Muslims, and
commit them to work together for the civilization of love. It is a logic
which overcomes all the cunning of this world and allows us to make true
friends who will welcome us into the eternal dwelling-places (Luke 16:9),
into the homeland of heaven."2
In his final prayer, the Pope again appealed for Christians and Muslims to
work together side by side in fulfilling God's will: "And in this
celebration we want to pray for Kazakhstan and its inhabitants, so that
this
vast nation, with all its ethnic, cultural, and religious variety, will
grow
stronger in justice, solidarity, and peace. May it progress on the basis
in
particular of cooperation between Christians and Muslims, committed day by
day, side by side, in the effort to fulfill God's will."3
In spite of the catastrophic events of September 11th, the Pope is still
committed to work toward a partnership with the Muslims. The basis of
this
partnership is the belief that Catholics and Muslims worship the same God
of
Abraham.
This belief is clearly expressed in the new official Catechism of the
Catholic Church, which speaks of the new Catholic relationship with the
Muslims in these terms: "The plan of salvation also includes those who
acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims;
these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they
adore
the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."4
The Catechism continues affirming that "The Church has also a high regard
for the Muslims. They worship God, who is one, living and subsistent,
merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has also
spoken
to men. They strive to submit themselves without reserve to the hidden
decrees of God, just as Abraham submitted himself to God's plan, whose
faith
Muslims eagerly link to their own. Although not acknowledging him as God,
they venerate Jesus as a prophet, his virgin Mother they also honor, and
even at times devotedly invoke. Further, they await the day of judgment
and
the reward of God following the resurrection of the dead. For this reason
they highly esteem an upright life and worship God, especially by way of
prayer, alms-deeds, and fasting."5
It is evident that the Catholic estimation of Islam has undergone a
fundamental change from the religion of "infidels" to that of believers
who
worship the same God of Abraham. While in the past the Catholic Church
denounced Islam as an evil religion to be suppressed by crusades (Holy
War),
today, she welcomes and affirms Muslims as having the same faith of
Abraham
as herself.
The driving force behind this tactical reappraisal of Islam is the
determination of the Vatican to bring about a New World Order under the
moral and religious leadership of the Pope. This goal was expressed at
Vatican II, which declares: "The encouragement of unity is in harmony
with
the deepest nature of the [Roman Catholic] Church's missions."6
The profound danger facing Evangelical Christians today is to naively
accept
the Pope's claim to be the official spokesman for Christ on earth - a
deception that is deeply embedded in the new thrust to create a global
coalition of nations on the basis of a politically constructed god which
can
be adapted to different religious systems.
The determination of the Pope to develop a partnership with Muslims stems
from the simple fact that their 1.3 billion members outnumber the one
billion Catholic members. By acknowledging the legitimacy of the Islam
faith, the Pope is facilitating the Muslims' acceptance of his role as the
leader of a future New World Order.
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