The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

III. Pacard Opens Century With Standard Protestant Positions

GEORGE PACARD (d. 1610) was pastor of the church of La Rochefoucould in southwestern France. After having studied theology, probably in Geneva, he became pastor of the aforementioned church. At the time of the Bartholomew massacre he fled to Geneva, but soon re—entered France, where we find him as pastor of Chatellerault in 1574. In 1578 he was a deputy to the synod of Sainte Foy, and in 1594 he was a member of the commission charged to defend the Protestant faith against the Catholic ecclesiastics. In 1579 he wrote a book called Theologie naturelle ou Recueil contenant plusieurs argument centre les Epicuriens et Atheistes de noire temps (Natural Theology or a Collection Containing Several Arguments Against the Epicureans and the Atheists of Our Time). ¹⁶ This contained also le traite de I’Anti Christ(The Treatise on the Antichrist) which was separately reprinted in 1G04 under the title Description de I’Antechrist, etc de son royaume(Description of the Antichrist and of His Kingdom). It was “gathered from the Prophecies of the Holy Scriptures, from the Writings of the Fathers, and from History,” according to the title page. Contending that “nothing has come by chance,” Pacardcites the fate of the Jewish church, city, and temple, and then refers to Antichrist’s usurpation of the church—sitting in the temple of God, surrounded by the kings and princes of the world, made drunk by the wine of her fornication, and soon to be discomfited at the second advent. ¹⁷ PFF2 627.1

1. A SYSTEM SPRINGING FROM ROME’S DIVISION

It will be well to take a survey of the expositions of this initial writer. Chapter 3 discusses the conflicting assertions of the doctors of Rome as to Antichrist, and in contrast contends that he will not be a single man but a system or succession, citing ancient writers in contrast to the “sophistries of Bellarmine.” Pacard shows Antichrist was to constitute a general apostasy in the church, be erected on the ruins of the Roman Empire, and will last until the second advent. ¹⁸ The pope is Antichrist, not Mohammed. ¹⁹ Discussing the prophetic side, Pacard affirms that history plainly states that Rome was divided into ten parts, and that three were cut down, then asserting, “Daniel’s prediction has been fulfilled. ²⁰ PFF2 628.1

2. RULES 1260 YEARS FROM SEVEN-HILLED ROME

In chapter 6 Pacard shows that Antichrist, even according to many Roman doctors, will sit on a throne in the Christian church, and not in the city of Jerusalem. ²¹ In chapter 8 he proceeds to show that the place of his seat of residence is seven-hilled Rome. ²² Dealing next with the terrible persecution inflicted upon dissenters, ²³ Pacard longs for the approaching end of the 1260 year-days: PFF2 628.2

“We are therefore waiting patiently for the end of the 1260 days or dained for the great beast, after which God—will deliver his people, and this beast will feel the fierce wrath of the Lord. ²⁴ PFF2 628.3

3. MARSHALS THIRTY HISTORIC WITNESSES ON ANTICHRIST

Coming to the historical side, Pacard cites some thirty select witnesses—the famous speech of Arnulf, at the Council of Rheims (991), and the witness of Berenger, Bernard, John of Salisbury, Joachim, and a dozen others—as well as the Waldenses, Beghards, Eberhard of Salzburg, and Wyclifciting their statements in brief. ²⁵ PFF2 628.4

4. DANIEL’S LITTLE HORN, PAUL’S MAN OF SIN, JOHN’S BEAST

Chapter 12 deals with the Biblical side, making the argument from Daniel’s Little Horn, Paul’s Man of Sin, and John’s two-horned beast. ²⁶ The pope’s power to change the law of God at will is the subject of chapter 14, and the omission of the second commandment and the division of the tenth is noted. ²⁷ Pacard charges the Papacy was corrupting the faith by (1) false interpretation, (2) audacious additions, and (3) sacrilegious eliminations. ²⁸ PFF2 628.5

5. THREE AND A HALF TIMES = 42 MONTHS = 1260 DAYS.

Having demonstrated that Antichrist is not a single man but a continuing system, Pacard deals with his duration determined by God, as featured in Daniel 7:25 and 12:5, as well as Revelation 13:5 and 12:4. The three and a half times are the same as the 42 months, or 1260 days-years according to the inspired prophetic reckoning. ²⁹ PFF2 629.1