Posted by Michael Bunker
editor@lazarusunbound.com
“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (Revelation 10:1-11)
GENERAL APOSTASY THEORY UPHELD – The False Prophet
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There is no Biblical doctrine for which we have been more ferociously attacked than for our position that 1) The last days in which we live are days of general (complete) apostasy in corporate religion, and 2) The “False Prophet” of Revelation 13:11 is apostate Protestantism. Although we are virtually alone (outside a few in the Seventh Day Adventist Cult) in pronouncing this Biblical Doctrine today – there were many great Christians in the past who also declared this precious truth:
In 1120, the Waldenses in
In 1259 Ubertino of Casale of France taught that the False Prophet would be false christians who would follow the Beast of Rome.
In 1637 Dr. Thomas Goodwin of
In 1740 Johann Bengel taught that the False Prophet would be Jesuitism. (It is our position that modern Protestantism IS Jesuitism. In my book Swarms of Locusts I prove that modern Arminian apostate Protestantism is Jesuitism. Augustus Toplady also proves this beyond a shadow of a doubt in his Arminianism, the Road to
In 1768 Thomas Pyle an Anglican preacher taught that Jesuitism would be the False Prophet.
In 1778 British Presbyterian John Willison wrote that Protestantism would be the False Prophet.
In 1788 British Dissenter James Bicheno taught that apostate Protestantism would be the False Prophet.
In 1799 American Congregationalist Samuel Hopkins stated that apostate Protestantism would be the False Prophet.
In our own times, the great Irish Protestant preacher Dr. Ian Paisley declared “The second beast, the false prophet, is the ecclesiastical organisation of the Antichrist, the spokesman of the first beast. Such are the priests of
There are two interesting areas of prophetic scripture which specifically declare that God will blind the wicked from the ability to recognize themselves in prophecy. Papists are not only unwilling, but they are unable to recognize the Papacy as the Antichrist of the Bible. Regardless of the overwhelming evidence in favor of the conclusion, they are blinded from being able to examine the evidence in a proper light.
“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-13)
The same facts are related to us in the book of Daniel:
“Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel
These scriptures relate to us some interesting spiritual facts:
1.) The wicked cannot believe the truth because the GIFT of a love for the truth is not given to them.
2.) Because they do not love the truth GOD shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie.
3.) They will be damned for not believing the truth, even though the gift of a love of the truth was not given them, because they had pleasure in unrighteousness. They love the lie.
4.) But we are bound to give thanks to God because he CHOSE to give us belief of the truth (and therefore a love of it), because of the gift of sanctification of the Spirit.
5.) The wicked (who love not the truth) will continue to promote wicked doctrines because they do not (and cannot) understand the truth.
Just as Antichrist Roman Catholicism cannot identify itself as Antichrist, we must accept that False Prophet Apostate Protestantism will never identify itself as Apostate! It cannot, because it has not a love for the truth, and has pleasure in unrighteousness.
I will excerpt now from my treatise on the False Prophet in order to recap the evidence in favor of our position:
“First, let us recap and note some of the attributes of the first beast (Antichrist) in Revelation the 13th Chapter:
1) The first beast is a Kingdom. The prophetic word “beast” connotes a kingdom, a nationality, or a ruling authority.
2) The first beast rises from apostate Christianity, holds ecclesiastical power over many nations and tongues and peoples.
3) The first beast (Antichrist) is also a man, in that at any time there is a singular human authority that sits in the throne of power.
It is evident that since the Holy Spirit utilizes the term “beast” to signify both the Antichrist AND the False Prophet, that both beasts will have these characteristics. Because of this, the Reformers, who had properly identified the first beast, almost unanimously declared that the actual POPE (whoever was Pope at the time) was the false prophet, as opposed to the PAPACY, which was considered the Antichrist. Although I have no real argument against this interpretation (recognizing that the Reformers were commenting on Revelation based on their time, and the information that was available at the time), but I hope to point out some information that might call for a rethinking of the traditional view on this subject. The Reformers were properly historicists, and they recognized that prophecy was to be fulfilled in continuance throughout the age of the church. The Reformers were faithful to examine prophecy up until their time, and they were called specifically to identify and reveal the man of sin, the son of perdition - the Antichrist Papal System which has so ensnared the world.
To me, it is evident that this second beast in Revelation Chapter 13 shares many of the attributes of the first beast, and for much of the church age the second beast coexists with the first beast, but that this second beast rises some time AFTER the revealing of the first beast, and it also necessarily rises from a place completely different from that of the first beast.
Whereas the antichrist system arises from the sea, and this sea is interpreted for us as “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (
“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” (
I believe the scripture also encourages us to draw a delineation between these two civil and ecclesiastical powers in the previous chapter:
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (
John specifically separates and delineates between the “inhabiters of the EARTH and the SEA” as two separate peoples, from which the two distinct beasts will arise.
Many of the Puritan writers like John Gill state in their commentaries that the second beast must rise at the same time as the first beast, because the false prophet causes the earth and the people to worship the antichrist, but I believe that Gill was writing long before the rise of the false prophet in his fulness (Gill lived from 1616-1683), and since the Bible prophesies that the Papacy would continue to exist through to the return of Christ, therefore the Biblical prophecy that the false prophet would arise AFTER the Antichrist, and from a place diverse in nature from the first beast, ALSO allows for the two to coexist for many centuries fulfilling the prophecy.
Once again, we will focus on the plain text of scripture, comparing it with known and provable history in our search for the identity of this second beast.
This second beast arises from the earth, or a lower or lesser people - an earthly people scattered abroad by persecutions or the rage of powers and authorities. They are considered to have risen “from the earth” or from a low estate, where they are lowly regarded. Some Bible expositors see the 1st Beast as having risen from the sea, in that the Jewish Church would have had to look across the sea from So our position that the modernist, professing “church” is generally apostate, and our conclusion that the nominal “ Interestingly enough, when the early Protestants rightfully identified the Papacy as the Antichrist of scripture, Papist spokesmen defended the “ “Because the Papists ask how this can be consistent with Christ’s care of his church, that there should be universal apostasy and decay of religion, who hath promised ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’? Ans. That promise is made chiefly to the invisible church, or community of the elect, not to all the visible societies of the Christians, against whom the devil can and hath prevailed, and doth daily, to the destruction of many souls.” (Thomas Manton, 18 Sermons on 2nd Thessalonians 2) It is fascinating then, as a student of history and theology, to see apostate Protestants (ignorant of their own history and of the scriptures) utilizing the very arguments of the Antichrist in order to defend the generally apostate nature of modern Protestantism. Probably the largest “Protestant” pulpit in Dear Mr. Bunker, Sincerely, Now Mr. Lee has been unable to prove to anyone how our rejection of MODERN apostate Protestantism is equal to rejecting the historic Protestant faith. Mr. Lee is making the identical argument made by the Papists to defend the Antichrist. Here is my reply to Mr. Lee: Mr. Lee, I have always stated that the "modern so-called" Protestant churches are the daughters of the Harlot. I have always and will continue to exempt true historic Protestantism from those accusations. The historic Protestant faith which you claim to embrace is based on God's Sovereign Grace alone – this Protestantism I defend humbly every day. I do find your willingness to embrace Arminians like David Cloud suspicious, when he vocally disputes virtually every tenet of true Protestantism. I think you will find that if you study our statements on this subject, you will find us in total agreement on this subject (Although I do not expect to be re-instated to SermonAudio). If it would satisfy your suspicions regarding our adherence to historic Protestantism, I will provide you with evidence - but it would not answer for many people why you are so quick to challenge our adherence to your Statement of Faith, while you embrace Arminians who absolutely adore the doctrines of Papal Rome. Michael Bunker In addition to these Papist arguments made by so-called defenders of historic Protestantism, SermonAudio and other internet sites are quick to publish equally Papist-tainted arguments against any concept of an “invisible” or “underground” Church, the very existence of which was proclaimed and defended admirably by the Protestant Reformers and anti-Papal forces throughout Church history. The universal apostasy prophesied in the Book of Revelation does not end with the identification of Papal Rome as Antichrist, in fact the very nature and context of the prophecies show that this apostasy will truly be universal in all of professing Christendom, and will continue and increase until the return of Christ. Manton stated that this apostasy, “if anything… is an apostasy or a revolt against our rightful Lord; and to consent to this rebellion and usurpation is to be drawn into a conspiracy against Christ”. Manton continued to prophesy in his sermon that this apostasy would involve the faith of the Gospel being turned… “into a theatrical pomp and the pageantry of empty ceremonies, temporal domination, and all is carried in the world by sides and interests [writers note… denominationalism], that Christianity looketh like another thing, a design calculated for the present world rather than a serious preparation for the world to come; then certainly there is an apostasy and a defection from Christ; however the corrupt manners of the church be varnished over with the name of Christianity, there is degeneration questionless; and that apostasy, in a mystery, such this is, though not in open revolt from Christ.” Hundreds of so-called “Sovereign Grace” ministries like SermonAudio and hundreds of preachers at so-called “Protestant” churches are now availing themselves of the Antichrist’s own ammunition stash in order to defend their concept of a monolithic, institutional, top-heavy, authoritarian “Church Body” today. Listen to a so-called Sovereign Grace preacher from “one of the most cherished and prevailing heresies of our day. The belief in a universal invisible church is truly a doctrine of vanities.” ( Compare his accusations to the persistent claims of the Romanists even today: “Protestants, having no claim to Apostolic succession and thus no valid priesthood, "invented" the idea that the Church which Jesus Christ founded is an "invisible" church within each one of us, and thus has no need of a priesthood at all.” (Bob Stanley, St. Dominic’s Parish, The prophetic symbolism of the division of “And let us observe that no sooner was Christianity planted and rooted in the world than there began to be a defection in the Christian church. It was so in the Old-Testament church; presently after any considerable advance made in religion there followed a defection: soon after the promise there was revolting; for example, soon after men began to call upon the name of the Lord all flesh corrupted their way,--soon after the covenant with Noah the Babel-builders bade defiance to heaven,--soon after the covenant with Abraham his seed degenerated in Egypt,--soon after the Israelites were planted in Canaan, when the first generation was worn off, they forsook God and served Baal,--soon after God's covenant with David his seed revolted, and served other gods,--soon after the return out of captivity there was a general decay of piety, as appears by the story of Ezra and Nehemiah; and therefore it was no strange thing that after the planting of Christianity there should come a falling away.” (Matthew Henry on Antichrist, 1706 a.d.) Some will argue that what we have said is true, but then they will claim that these great Puritan writers did not declare that the Protestant movement (of which they were a part) would apostatize and be the False Prophet. While we have already offered evidence that many of the Puritans and Separatists did indeed prophesy that the Protestant movement would apostatize, we cannot expect that it would be within the Sovereign purposes of a provident God to reveal (and therefore thwart) this apostasy before it occurred, seeing that this apostasy is within his prophetic declarations that it certainly WOULD come to pass. As our opening scripture declares (regarding the foot of the angel coming down in destruction on the earth (from which the 1st Beast/Papacy arose) and the sea (from which the 2nd Beast/Apostate Protestantism arose), “Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.” It was not within the purposes of our Sovereign God to reveal the future apostasy of Protestantism, because the truth was not to be unveiled until after the fact – and it was only to be understood by those commanded and elected to come out from among that apostasy, for their mutual aid and comfort in the times in which they were to live. It is even more interesting to note that the beginnings of persecution perpetrated by the Modern Apostate Protestantism against those who reject that institutional tyranny exactly models the type of Romish persecution against those who identified the Papacy as Antichrist. Several of our friends and brothers were recently banned (or blocked from participating) and anathematized on a so-called “Puritan discussion board” (operated by the website - APuritansMind.com) because of our willingness to identify the Papal Antichrist, and because we were not under submission to what they considered “rightful authority”, which to them meant a 501c-3 categorized government slave “church”. Now, it is not “puritan” to submit to religious institutional tyranny, nor does it take much of a “mind” to recognize the ominous parallels between such False Prophet schemes to those of the Papists of the Reformation era. Matthew Henry declared that the sin of apostates is this, “They believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness; they did not love the truth, and therefore they did not believe it; and, because they did not believe the truth, therefore they had pleasure in unrighteousness, or in wicked actions, and were pleased with false notions. Note, an erroneous mind and vicious life often go together and help forward one another.” (Matthew Henry on Antichrist). Do you see the pride that is packaged with the usurped spiritual authority wielded by the modern apostate The name of the holy church have those men of long time usurped presumptuously and without all shame they were the greatest enemies that holy church could have on earth. For they did no more agree to the manners of holy church than darkness and light; than God and the devil. For where holy church heard no man but Christ only, they would hear all manner of men, without respect to Christ, and never hear Him, except it were to their profit of glory. Whereas holy church was ruled in this world, they would rule all the world; and whereas holy church would be holy by Christ only, they would be holy by their own help. And whereas holy church was always despised and persecuted of the world, they would be honored of the world and persecutors of all men. And whereas holy church was inwardly adorned with spiritual virtues, they would be outwardly shining in spiritual array. And whereas holy church would be chaste in spirit, they would with their mouths vow chastity, and spend all their lives in whoredom. And whereas holy church did always show meekness in the world, they would be so proud it is impossible the heart could devise any more.” (Robert Barnes, On the two Churches) It has been signified throughout the scriptures that there will always be a small remnant of true believers, the true “For this Church standeth by Christ’s election and not by yours. And if Christ has not washed and chosen you, then you are not of this Church, though you ride with a thousand spiritual horses and have all the [visible] spiritual tokens of earth. For, and if, the Son of God hath delivered you, then are you truly delivered. If you cannot make, by all your power and holiness, ale and wine sold at taverns which is always of excellent quality, how much less can you make the [true] Church of God to follow you, despite all your spiritual signs and tokens. Nor can you declare where the In brief summation, I challenge all of you rabble to come together – those who call yourselves holy Church, excluding all others – yea, and I challenge you to take the sun, moon and stars to help you, as well as all the friends you have in heaven and earth. Do this and yet you will still not be of holy Church unless you have the Spirit of Christ and be washed in His blessed blood. For the holy Church of Christ is nothing else than that congregation that is sanctified in Spirit, redeemed with Christ’s blood, and holds fast and sure to the promises that be made therein.” (Robert Barnes, On the two Churches) The modern False Prophet Protestant beast stands on the same claims to authority made by the first beast, the Papal Antichrist. Listen to them rumble and roar. Compare their claims to authority, and watch them gnash their teeth at any who would challenge that authority. Our challenge to those who are still members of the institutional, state-sponsored Church system, is that you prove that we are wrong; NOT by imperial decree or by failed Papist arguments to divine right and apostolic succession, but by the only measures Jesus Christ gave us to measure His Church. Is your doctrine pure? Do you lord authority over the brethren? Do you deify buildings and denominations? Are you spoiled with harlotry and whoredom with the wicked government? Are you pure and undefiled from Antichrist notions and wicked Jesuitical prophetic mythologies? If these things are not true of you, then you are nothing more than a fist for the 2nd beast of Revelation. Your mother is Your servant in Christ Jesus, Michael Bunker
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Since you have stated your view that the Protestant churches are daughters of the Harlot, it would be entirely inconsistent for us to carry your sermons.
Steven Lee - Founder, SermonAudio.com