The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

V. Jewel-Logical Expositor of Prophecies on Antichrist

JOHN JEWEL (1522-1571), bishop of Salisbury, and one of the great intellectuals of the English Reformation, was born in Devonshire. Graduating from Oxford in 1540 with a B.A., he felt the urge to continued study, which he followed in the fields of Greek, Latin, rhetoric, philosophy, history, and mathematics, while serving as a reader of rhetoric. He was granted a fellowship at Corpus Christi College in 1542, and obtained his M.A. in 1544. An incessant student, his hours were from 4 A.M., until 10 P.M., until excessive study injured his health. PFF2 405.2

Imbibing a good many of the principles of the Reformation from Peter Martyr, ⁴⁰ and openly espousing the Protestant faith, he inculcated his beliefs among his students under the reign of Edward VI. ⁴¹ Interestingly enough, Jewel was one of the recorders, or notaries, at the famous Oxford Disputations of 1554, when Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer were under trial. ⁴² This unquestionably strengthened his faith. Much correspondence over Reformation affairs appears in Zurich Letters (1558- 1559), between Jewel and Bullinger, the Helvetian Reformer, and others. PFF2 405.3

In 1562 Jewel produced his monumental Apologia Ecclesiae Anglicanae ⁴³ (Apology of the Church of England), the product of many years of research. Translated from Latin into English in 1564, and into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Greek, it was the first methodical statement of the position of the Church of England as against Roman Catholicism. With a wide circulation on the Continent as well, it is said to have done more for the Reformation than any other book of the time. It was, in reality, an answer to the Council of Trent, then sitting. ⁴⁴ It drew forth a caviling reply by the Romanist, Harding. PFF2 406.1

In 1565 Jewel was granted a D.D. degree from Oxford. And in 1566 he prepared a heavily documented Defence ⁴⁵ (1567) of his former Apology of 1562, against the same Roman opponent Harding. He also had some controversy with the Puritans. Among his last works were discussions with the Romanists about Antichrist. PFF2 406.2

1. ANTICHRIST’S COMING FORETOLD BY FOUR PROPHETS

In his masterful commentary on the Thessalonian epistles, ⁴⁶ in the classical second chapter of the second epistle, Jewel recognizes that whatever he says on Antichrist will be “ill taken of many”; therefore he will only employ the phrasings of Scripture and the fathers. In fact, his language is quite moderate compared to the violent invective generally employed in his day. He avers that many, seeking to avoid Antichrist, are deceived by him. Commenting first on the prophetic prediction of Christ’s first coming, which was fulfilled to the letter, Jewel says of Antichrist: PFF2 406.3

“Now, as the coming of Christ was, such is the coming of antichrist. God hath foretold of his coming. Daniel hath foretold. Christ and his apostles Paul and John have foretold it: the scriptures and old fathers make PFF2 406.4

often mention hereof. There is none, neither old nor young, neither learned nor unlearned, but he hath heard of antichrist. They hate his name, and detest him, before they know him. But here you may mark the wonderful sleight and subtilty of Satan. The world shall look after the coming of antichrist. He shall not fail but come. All men shall carry hatred against him, and reckon him abominable; and yet their eyes shall be blinded and their hearts deceived, so that they shall not know him. They shall hate his name, and embrace his doctrine: he shall cover himself with a cloke of holiness. They shall think they do good service unto Christ, but shall therein do service unto antichrist.” ⁴⁷ PFF2 407.1

2. PROPHETIC SPECIFICATIONS LISTED FOR IDENTIFICATION

After listing the common Catholic misconceptions concerning Antichrist—that he would be a Jew of the tribe of Dan, that he would be born in Babylonia or Syria, or be Mohammed, or over throw Rome or rebuild Jerusalem, or be Nero, or that he would reign but three and a half years—Jewel sets forth his specifications as depicted by Paul, Daniel, and John: PFF2 407.2

“These tales have been craftily devised to beguile our eyes, that, whilst we think upon these guesses, and so occupy ourselves in beholding a shadow or probable conjecture of antichrist, he which is antichrist indeed may unawares deceive us. PFF2 407.3

” ‘Except that man of sin be disclosed.’ The apostle seemeth to teach us of antichrist as if he should be one man, because he calleth him ‘the man of sin.’ But we may not so take him. The manner of the scripture is oftentimes, and in divers places it speaketh that of many which seemeth to be spoken but of one. So doth Daniel set forth the kingdom and all the kings of Persia in the name and likeness of a bear, and so describeth the state of other whole kingdoms in such particular names. And so doth the Spirit of God in the Revelation set down under the name of the beast the succession and continuance of many. He meaneth not, therefore, that antichrist shall be any one only man, but one estate or kingdom of men, and a continuance of some one power and tyranny in the church.” ⁴⁸ PFF2 407.4

3. ANTICHRIST A COVERT ENEMY WITHIN THE CHURCH

Although he is Antichrist, he will not be an open enemy, “spit ting at” the gospel of God or defying Christ, but be a vicar of Christ. He will come in the name of Christ, yet do things against Christ. PFF2 407.5

“Under pretence and colour of serving Christ, he shall devour the sheep and people of Christ; he shall deface whatsoever Christ hath taught; he shall quench that fire which Christ hath kindled; he shall root up those plants which Christ hath planted; he shall undermine that house which Christ hath built. PFF2 407.6

“He shall be contrary to Christ, his faith contrary to the faith of Christ, and his life contrary to the life of Christ. Is any man desirous to know antichrist? His coming shall be notable, it shall astonne the world. By this mark you may know him: he shall be contrary to Christ. To shew you at large this contrariety, by comparison of things contrary in Christ and antichrist, would ask long time.” ⁴⁹ PFF2 408.1

4. PROUD AND POMPOUS, TO SIT IN TEMPLE

Jewel contrasts Christ’s one offering with the priests’ daily mass, Christ’s headship of the church with the pope’s usurpation, Christ’s disassociation from the kingdoms of this world with papal claims, Christ’s payment of tribute with papal exemptions, Christ’s humility and the pope’s exaltation, carried upon the shoulders of men, and waited upon by kings. ⁵⁰ Then comes this comprehensive portrayal of Antichrist: PFF2 408.2

“Now on the other part take view of antichrist. Behold his birth, his place, his chair, his estate, his doctrine, his disciples, and all his life: you shall see nothing but pomp and glory. Gregory calleth him the king of pride. He is proud in life, proud in doctrine, proud in word, and proud in deeds. He is like unto Lucifer, and setteth himself before his brethren, and over nations and kingdoms. He maketh every knee to bow down to him and worship him: he maketh kings to bring him water, to carry his train, to hold his cup, to bear his dish, to lead his bridle, and to hold his stirrup: he claimeth power over heaven and earth: he saith he is lord over all the world, the lord of lords, and the king of kings; that his authority reacheth up into heaven and down into hell; that he can command the angels of God; that he condemneth whom he will condemn; that he maketh saints at his pleasure; that whatsoever he blesseth is blessed; and that it is cursed whatsoever he curseth. PFF2 408.3

“He selleth merits, the forgiveness of sins, the sacrifice for the quick and the dead. He maketh merchandise of the souls of men. He layeth his filthy hands upon the Lord’s anointed. He removeth’ kings, and deposeth the states and princes of the world. This is antichrist. This is his power. Thus shall he work and make himself manifest. So shall he sit in the temple of God. The people shall wonder at him, and shall have him in reverence: they shall say, ‘Who is like unto the beast?’ Who is so wise, so mighty, so godly, so virtuous, so holy, so like unto God? So intolerable and monstrous shall be his pride.” ⁵¹ PFF2 408.4

5. PROPHESIED “BEAST” IS BISHOP OF ROME

Declaring, “The people shall receive his [Antichrist’s] doctrine, and believe his word. They shall fall down before him and worship him. They shall say, ‘Who is like unto the beast?’ What creature is so beautiful as he?” Jewel logically observes: PFF2 409.1

“Here, methinketh, I see the secret motions of your heart. You look that I should name the bishop of Rome, that it is he which hath suffered himself to be called by the name of God.” ⁵² PFF2 409.2

6. KINGDOM BUILT OUT OF PERVERTED CHURCH INSTITU TIONS

Jewel says that Antichrist’s “time is appointed.” It is a “time of darkness; when shepherd and the guides of the people shall be careless; when the word shall be loathed; when the light shall be put out; when superstition shall reign; when ignorance shall have the upper hand.” The Antichrist shall forbid lawful marriage, according to 1 Timothy 4 and Daniel 11, and Jewel comments, “This is the practice of antichrist.” He shall build a kingdom out of the perverted Lord’s supper, and the keys of the church, and of prayers. Such are the “marks of antichrist.” ⁵³ PFF2 409.3

7. ANTICHRIST SUCCEEDS TO POWER AND TERRITORY OF ROME

Pagan Rome was the hindering power preventing the development of Antichrist. That passing, then Antichrist shall possess a great part of that empire. PFF2 409.4

“When the emperor shall fall and decay, then he shall rise up: when the emperor becometh weak, then he shall grow strong. Therefore Paul saith, antichrist shall not come yet; for the emperor letteth him: the emperor shall be removed; and then shall antichrist come, PFF2 409.5

“But before I proceed to say more of this division of the empire, that we may come to the bottom of this matter, and so see the meaning of this prophecy evidently laid open before us, I will shew more plainly and particularly of antichrist, who he shall be.” ⁵⁴ PFF2 409.6

8. ANTICHRIST MUST SIT IN SEVEN-HILLED CITY

Asking where Antichrist should appear—and setting aside such “guesses” as Babylonia, Syria, Chaldea—Jewel clinches his prophetic argument thus: PFF2 409.7

“Paul telleth us he shall creep into the empire of Rome. So saith the apostle, and so the fathers. The empire shall be made waste; and then antichrist shall come and invade the church. But the empire was great and wide, it reached over a great part of the world. It did contain England, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Italy, Illyricum, Macedonia, Thracia, Graecia, Asia, Armenia, Egypt, Mauritania, and the rest of Africa. All these were parts of the empire of Rome. In what part, or in what city, or in what church of all these shall he sit? St John saith: ‘The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.’ Antichrist shall sit in a city built upon seven hills. Where shall we find such a city in the whole world? Is it Hierusalem, or Athens, or Constantinople, or Antioch? Where we find a city so built, that city is the place of antichrist. There is none but one. The Spirit of God cannot lie. But which is that one? All writers, as well old as new, call that city Rome. Rome is built upon seven hills. They be yet standing. The names of the hills are known to be these, Palatinus, Quirinalis, Aventinus, Coelius, Viminalis, Exquilius, Janicularis.... Rome is the city of seven heads: Rome is the city built upon seven hills; therefore the city which John describeth; and therefore it is the tabernacle and stall in which antichrist shall sit.” ⁵⁵ PFF2 410.1

9. APPEARS AS LITTLE HORN AMONG ROME’S DIVISIONS

In substantiation Jewel cites Irenaeus, Joachim, Bernard, and John of Paris. The climax and sum of the argument, however, is based on the Little Horn of Daniel 7. PFF2 410.2

“This whole matter is also expressed in the seventh of Daniel: ‘The fourth beast was fearful and terrible and very strong: it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue under his feet; and it was unlike to the beasts that were before it; for it had ten horns.’ ‘And, behold, there came up among them another little horn ... which had eyes like a man, and a mouth speaking presumptuous things.’ This beast is the empire of Rome, the greatest empire that ever was. It was divided into ten, or into sundry kingdoms; as I shewed you, and as we see this day. The little horn is antichrist. The empire shall be divided and weakened: then antichrist shall come. ‘He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall consume the saints of the Most High, and think that he may change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand.’ Daniel saith, ‘He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall think he may change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand.’ Wherein he sheweth not only the pride and presumption of antichrist, but that he shall also prevail for a time. Such a one there hath been, and yet is. He blasphemeth God, murdereth the saints, hath changed times and laws, the laws of God and the laws of nature. He is antichrist.” ⁵⁶ PFF2 410.3

10. BABYLON’S FALL PRECEDED BY MESSAGE OF Revelation 14

There remains only the ruin and fall of Antichrist to be preceded by the message of Revelation 14:6-14, then the over throw of Babylon portrayed in Revelation 17 and 18. ⁵⁷ PFF2 411.1

11. DRAFTS UPON TESTIMONY OF PAST WITNESSES

This same teaching runs all the way through Jewel’s writings. ⁵⁸ Particularly is this true of his Defence of the Apology (1567), in which draft is made upon such men as Petrarch, Joachim, Arnulf at the Council of Rheims, Dante, and the bishops at Regensberg (Reinspurg). ⁵⁹ The familiarity of the Reformers with these medieval expositors is noteworthy. This knowledge profoundly strengthened and assured them, tying them into fellowship with the church prior to the great apostasy. PFF2 411.2

12. CHRIST’S “ABOMINATION” SAME AS PAUL’S “MAN OF SIN”

In this Defence, Jewel expands upon Christ’s prophesied “abomination of desolation,” which is declared to be the same as Paul’s Man of Sin, or Antichrist, sitting—or standing—in the church. PFF2 411.3

“The apostles demanded him [Christ] this question: ‘What is the token of thy coming (to judgment), and of the end of the world?’ To this question Christ answereth in this wise: ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. Many shall come in my name, and shall say, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. Ye shall hear of wars, and talks of wars. But be not ye troubled. All these things must happen: yet this is not the end,’ &c. ‘Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. Iniquity shall increase: charity shall wax cold. Whoso continueth unto the end, he shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall come the end.’ The next words that follow are these: ‘There fore, when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, that was spoken of by Daniel,’ &c. Thus may ye see, M. Harding, by the very course and tenor of Christ’s answer, that, if the judgment be the judgment, if the end be the end, if the world be the world, then must these words needs have relation to the end of the world.” ⁶⁰ PFF2 411.4

After an involved argument Jewel plainly states, “Then doth St Paul say, ‘Antichrist shall sit within the church.’ In like sense Christ saith: ‘Antichrist shall sit in the holy place.’ By which words many of the best-learned fathers have; expounded ‘the church of God.’ ” ⁶¹ PFF2 411.5

13. SIXTH-CENTURY HEADSHIP OF CHURCHES RECOGNIZED

Finally, after dwelling on the historical development of the Papacy, Jewel lays much stress on Justinian’s decision in the sixth century that the bishop of Rome be head of all the churches, and his pledge to advance the authority of the Roman see. He remarks: PFF2 412.1

“The emperor’s purpose was, as it plainly appeareth by his words, by these and all other means to bring the see of Rome into credit. For thus he saith: ... ‘We labour to advance the honor and authority of your see.” ⁶² PFF2 412.2

14. END OF ANTICHRIST ACCOMPLISHED BY SECOND ADVENT

As to the end of Antichrist, at the end of the world and the resurrection, Jewel states: PFF2 412.3

“Here may we see the overthrow of Babylon, ‘which made all nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication;’ how she is destroyed with the breath of God’s mouth. Here we behold the resurrection of the dead; and four and twenty elders sit before God on their seats, and the Ancient of days sit upon his throne, and the judgment-seat, and the books opened, and all flesh appear before him, and how some are taken into everlasting life, and some are sent into everlasting death.” ⁶³ PFF2 412.4