2005 Questions and Answers

This new section is where questions and answers received via e-mail will be posted.

04/05/2005

Q: I need some help with an article that I working on for Spero News.

My name is Robert Duncan, and I am a journalist and live in Madrid, Spain, where I am also an ombudsman for the Spanish foreign press, as well as the vice-president for OPCI, an Ibero-American press association. I was the Madrid bureau chief for Dow Jones for many years, and have written for WSJ and Barron´s.

I am working on a story that relates to the death of Pope John Paul II, and the perception among some Christians (including Catholics and Evangelicals and Protestants) that this could be a sign of the End Times.

Specifically, there seems to be some chatter in forums and websites with this respect and the citing of prophesies by an obscure Catholic priest, St. Malachy, as well as Nostradamus, and some how mixed in with theories of the rise of a “Black Pope.”

Specifically, if you could help me with the following questions for my article, and attribution:

1) Are we in the End Times?
2) Is the death of Pope John Paul II another sign of the End Times?
3) What biblical scripture would back up such an argument?
4) Is the next Pope to be the anti-christ, and what is the definition of the anti-christ...could it be multiple people?
5) If the Roman Catholic Church were to elect a black pope, i.e. Cardinal Arinze, would that be a further sign of the end times?
6) How should Christians react to the above news?
7) Other?

I would greatly appreciate any guidance and responses that you could give me for my article with respect to these issues. My deadline is Thursday night, April 7, so I apologize for the shortness of the time involved.

Thanks much in advance.
In Christ
Robert Duncan

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RESPONSE:

Robert,

Thank you for sending your questions to www.PreTribulation.com

Hopefully my response will help with the writing of your article.

Q: 1) Are we in the End Times?
A: Yes… I personally have no doubt that these are the last days.

Q: 2) Is the death of Pope John Paul II another sign of the End Times?
A: A sign of the End Times? No, but in time it might be seen as opening the door to one who is a ‘sign of the End Times’.

Q: 3) What biblical scripture would back up such an argument?
A: None to your specific question #2.

Q: 4) Is the next Pope to be the antichrist, and what is the definition of the anti-christ...could it be multiple people?
A: It’s possible that the next pope could be the anti-christ but unlikely. I’m not going to even suggest that antichrist has to be a Pope. The truth is, we just won’t know who the antichrist is until he reveals himself by brokering a 7 year peace treaty between Israel and her enemies. The Bible states that the antichrist comes from a background of “obscurity”, so it’ll probably be someone who is not as prominent in the public eye as a pope is. While there have been many “anti-christs”, (Nero, Napolean, Hitler, Stalin, etc.) there will be only one man known as “the son of perdition” who is Satan incarnate.

NOW HERE IS SOMETHING INTERESING … by definition, antichrist is usually thought of as the one who is “against” Christ. BUT the Greek suffix anti- can also mean “in place of” or “instead of” which fits the upcoming role of the son of perdition perfectly because he will demand to be worshiped as God in the rebuilt Jewish temple (construction pending), in place of the true living God, King of Kings, Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

Q: 5) If the Roman Catholic Church were to elect a black pope, i.e. Cardinal Arinze, would that be a further sign of the end times?
A: No

Q: 6) How should Christians react to the above news?
A: Christians should WAKE UP!!!, read God’s word, repent of their hypocritical lifestyles and live the life God has had in mind for them, boldy proclaiming the uncompromised truth that salvation is not earned, but graciously offered by the forgiveness of sins in the atoning sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ the Messiah, the Son of God, God in the flesh, and there is NO OTHER.

Q: 7) Other?
A: NO OTHER... ( just Jesus )

Press on.

Your brother in Christ
ybic

Rex Price