The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

VII. Epitome of Janow’s Teachings on Antichrist

1. CALLS FALSE SPOUSE OF CHRIST THE ANTICHRIST

His chief work was De Regulis Veteris et Novi Testamenti (Concerning the Rules of the Old and the New Testament). It contains a number of separate treatises in which Milicz’ tract De Antichristo, which really should be called Anatomia Membro-rum Antichristi (Anatomy of the Members of Antichrist), is included. But it is difficult today to establish exactly which portion of this work is to be ascribed to Milicz and which to Janow. The following quotations, therefore, are given under the author ship of Janow. ⁸¹ PFF2 39.2

“I confess, before God and his Christ, that so alluring was this har lot Antichrist, that she so well feigned herself the true spouse of Jesus Christ, or rather, Satan by his arts so tricked her out, that from my early years I was long in doubt what I should choose, or what keep.... I confess that between these two courses I hung wavering in doubt; and unless our Lord Jesus be our keeper, none will escape the honeyed face and smile of this harlot—the tricks of Satan and the snares of Antichrist.” ⁸² PFF2 40.1

2. ANTICHRIST’S REIGN IN CHURCH PRESENT ACTUALITY

In explicit terms Janow identifies Antichrist as the apostate tyrant who has already come, arrogating to himself dominion over the church. This exposure became his avowed object: PFF2 40.2

“The Antichrist has already come. He is neither Jew, pagan, Saracen, nor worldly tyrant, but the man who opposes Christian truth and the Christian life by way of deception;—he is, and will be, the most wicked Christian, falsely styling himself by that name, assuming the highest station in the church, and possessing the highest consideration, arrogating dominion over all ecclesiastics and laymen;’ one who, by the working of Satan, assumes to himself power and wealth and honor, and makes the church, with its goods and sacraments, subservient to his own carnal ends.” ⁸³ PFF2 40.3

3. A FUTURE ANTICHRIST IS THE DEVIL’S TRICK

Janow explicitly declares the idea of an Antichrist yet to come is a cunning trick of the archenemy, “when, in truth, he is now present and so has been for a long time,” and as a result directly contravenes Catholic teaching. PFF2 40.4

“‘Lest-says he-the abomination of desolation,’ (Matthew 24:15,) [‘]should be plainly manifest to men, he has invented the fiction of another abomination still to come, that the church, plunged still deeper in error, may pay homage to the fearful abomination which is present, while she pictures to herself another which is still in the future. It is a common, everyday fact, that Antichrists go forth in-endless numbers, and still they are looking forward for some other and future Antichrist.’” ⁸⁴ PFF2 40.5

4. INGENIOUS DESCRIPTION IN “ANATOMY OF THE BEAST”

This ingenious production, glowing with the fire of indignation against Antichrist, is thus described by Gillett: PFF2 41.1

“The names of Antichrist are presented in alphabetical order— ‘Abomination of Desolation,’ ‘Babylon,’ ‘Bear of the Wood,’ etc. The various members of his mystical body are then described,—the head, hair, brow, eyes, nose, neck, breast, loins, etc. Most important are the three false principles which are formed from the tail of Antichrist. The first is, that as soon as one is elected pope of Rome, he becomes head of the whole militant church, and supreme vicar of Christ on earth. This is pronounced a bare lie. The second is, that what the pope determines in matters of faith is to be received as of equal authority with the gospel. This is likewise pronounced false; for we must believe him, who has so often erred in matters of faith, only when he is supported by the scriptures. The third,—that the laws of the pope are to be obeyed before the gospel,—is declared blasphemous; for it is blasphemy to believe the pope or any one else, or to accept his laws, in preference to Christ.” ⁸⁵ PFF2 41.2

“The various passages of scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments, in which the great apostasy of the church is foretold, or in which the iniquity of Antichrist is exhibited, are successively considered. Ezekiel’s vision; Gog and Magog; he that sitteth in the temple of God; the locusts of Revelation; the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns; the woman seated upon the beast, with her cup of abomination in her hand, and her forehead branded ‘Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, ’—are brought to view, and shown to be exact descriptions of the prevailing apostasy. Even now, Janow declares that the pious are persecuted. They are reproached as Beghards and Turpins, Picards and wretches.... PFF2 41.3

“But Antichrist is to be destroyed. Christ will destroy him by the breath of his mouth and the brightness of His coming.” ⁸⁶ PFF2 41.4

5. SECOND ADVENT ENDS CONFLICT OF CHRIST AND ANTI CHRIST

Janow applies 2 Thessalonians 2 to the moral falling away in the church. He believed that there was to be a gradual evolution of the two kingdoms of Christ and Antichrist, side by side. Two movements had already begun—the preaching of the gospel, and the decline of Antichrist—and both will find their consummation at the second coming of Christ. PFF2 41.5

“While Satan, then, was thus gradually to introduce the mysteries of his Antichrist into the church, keeping his toils concealed; so, on the other hand, the Lord Christ, gradually manifesting himself in his beloved disciples, was at length, before the final judgment, to reveal himself in a great multitude of preachers. The spiritual revelation of Christ, through his genuine organs, the spiritual annihilation of Antichrist by the same, and a new illumination of the church, were to prepare it for the last personal appearance of Christ, and precede that event.” ⁸⁷ PFF2 41.6

6. REVIVAL OF PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY PREDICTED

Declaring that before “the end of the world” the “church of Christ shall be reformed” by a great company of preachers of Jesus Christ, Janow rejects the thought that Elias was to appear liter ally, and believes that this reappearance of Elias is to be “under stood only in the spiritual sense.” PFF2 42.1

“Speaking of the signs of these times, he [Janow] says: ‘As John the Baptist pointed away to Christ, so these signs point away impressively with their fingers to Antichrist, already coming; they point to him now and will point to him still more; they have revealed him, and will reveal him, till the Lord shall destroy him with the breath of his mouth; and he will consume him by the brightness of his new revelation, until Satan is finally crushed under his feet. The friends of Christ, however, will destroy him, will rob him of his trade, the company of the preachers of Jesus Christ, united and bound together by the love and wisdom which come from God.’ All holy Scripture—he says—predicts, that before the end of the world the church of Christ shall be reformed, renovated, and more widely extended; that she shall be restored to her pristine dignity, and that still, in her old age, her fruitfulness shall increase.” ⁸⁸ PFF2 42.2

7. APOSTLES OF ANTICHRIST PERSECUTE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST

As Matthias of Janow was the nucleus of the reform movement in Bohemia, he naturally was the center of papal antagonism. He himself, in various passages, mentions the existence of this antagonism. PFF2 42.3

“‘They—says he—who are apostles and preachers of Antichrist, op press the apostles, the wise men and prophets of Christ, persecuting them in various ways, and boldly asserting, that these ministers of Christ are heretics, hypocrites, and Antichrists. And since many and mighty members of Antichrist go forth in a countless variety of ways, they persecute the members of Christ who are few and weak, compelling them to go from one city to another by driving them from the synagogues, (excluding them from the fellowship of the church). Whenever one of the society of such Christians ventures to be somewhat more free of speech, and to live more worthily of Christ than is common, he is directly called a beghard, or by some other heretical name, or merely set down as a hypocrite or fool. If he do but in a small degree imitate his crucified master, and confess his truth, he will experience at once a fierce persecution from some side of the thick body of Antichrist.’”” ⁸⁹ PFF2 42.4

8. APPROACHING REDEMPTION AND ANTICHRIST’S DESTRUCTION

With the return of the prophecies to a vital place in the understanding of the conflict between Christ and Antichrist, the second advent hope flamed anew. PFF2 43.1

“‘All that now remains for us—he says—is to desire and pray for re form by the destruction of Antichrist himself, and to lift up our heads, for our redemption draweth nigh.’ ” ⁹⁰ PFF2 43.2