Antichrist by H. C. Miller

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 9, 1866

Antichrist.

By H. C. Miller

THOSE who believe that our Saviour, "when he ascended on high, gave gifts unto men," giving "some apostles, some prophets," &c., "for the perfection of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ," not only during the days of the twelve apostles, but "till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," are strengthened in that belief as they behold in the words of good men of undoubted piety, the manifestations of those gifts, especially that of prophesying, and see in the course of events their words fulfilled.

The following from Wm. Tyndale's "Parable of the Wicked Mammon," which I find in Hist. of Reformation, book xix, p. 739, is one of many such prophecies. It was written in the 16th century:

"Antichrist is not a man that should suddenly appear with wonders; he is a spiritual thing, who was in the Old Testament, and also in the time of Christ and the apostles, and is now, and shall (I doubt not) endure till the world's end. His nature is, when he is overcome by the word of God, to go out of the play for a season, and to disguise himself, and then to come in again with a new name and new raiment. The Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel were very Antichrists. Popes, cardinals, and bishops have gotten their new names, but the thing is all one. Even so now, when we have uttered (vanquished) him, he will change himself once more, and turn himself into an angel of light."

The writer can only refer by this to the last great act in the play—the work of the two-horned beast, in erecting the image to the beast, and doing such miracles as to deceive them that dwell on the earth, enabling Satan to manifest himself as an angel of light.

The writer has chosen the language of the stage to illustrate his point, which will suggest other points to the reader. In the play there are many characters, but one "star." There are scene-shifters, and prompters, and property-men,—their business being to assist in the act, furnish the chief actors with assistance, whisper to them their parts when at fault, and furnish them with the required change of raiment.

Who are they? Without doubt the great "star" in the last act, is Spiritualism. And are not the lesser characters, those who sweep the stage, suggest the doctrines, move the scenes and furnish the garments, the fallen churches of to-day? Have they not by their doctrines, transported their immortal souls to a Heaven in such a way that Satan and his troop can personify them as if brought back and manifested unto the friends of the departed, to deceive and to lure them to destruction? Have they not in truth prepared the world for the last act, and furnished Antichrist with his change of raiment?

Reader, would you be safe from the fascinations of this tragedy? There is only one way: Receive the love of the truth that you may not be given over to believe a lie, and thus bring damnation upon yourself. H. C. MILLER. Chicago, Ill.