The Antichrist according to Robert Benson and Michael D. O Brian
We continued the topic with two other authors. The contribution of Robert Benson, an English priest, who wrote the book: “The Lord of the World”, I will only briefly summarize, because I already reported in more detail in the daily meditations on May 20th, 2020. This is recommended to read in
Meditation “The Lord of the world”
Robert Benson: The Lord of the world
This novel was written after the story by V. Soloviev and it is assumed that he knew Soloviev’s writing and other common sources about the Antichrist, because of the similarity of some passages.
Robert Benson describes the rise of a world ruler whose uncanny power extends to everything. People see him as a kind of new Messiah who brings a comprehensive message of peace! Julian Felsenburg, as Benson calls him, also manages to attract believers and priests to his side who are attracted by his fascination. A priest is developing cult forms similar to processions and church services in order to satisfy people in their religious sense. There is almost no more resistance, except from Catholic circles, which can recognize the deception of the world ruler!
It is a cold world that is being created under the direction of the world ruler. The Christians can no longer live in the world of other people who are under the control of the Antichrist Julian Felsenburgh. They flee to Rome and place themselves under the protection of the Pope. Felsenburgh, who has entered as a Prince of Peace, now shows more and more his true face. Against the enemies of progress – which are the Christians – he goes to war. The story ends with the bombing of Rome by order of the world ruler!
Michael D. O Brian: Father Elijah
Also in novel form, the still living author unfolds a story with an apocalyptic dimension. The main character is a converted Jew who later becomes a priest in the Catholic Church.
The story tells of the coming up of a man with tremendous charisma on other people. O Brian tells of strange occurrences in the youth of that person which suggest that he had cruel impulses. It was reported that this man had political opponents killed and to have a circle of violent men around him who carry out his orders.
Father Elijah, who was on his way to become a famous politician before his conversion, is ordered by the Pope to meet this suspicious man and to try to stop him from his pernicious way! It is clear to both the Pope and Father Elijah that this man could be the Antichrist.
The presumed Antichrist, on the other hand, is trying to win Father Elijah and other high clerics for his intentions, and the book describes how some bishops and high clerics support the course of the Antichrist and are longing for a progressive church.
It came to a meeting between Father Elijah and the presumed Antichrist when the priest exorcises him.
But the further course of history shows that the Antichrist does not come to insight and continues his “mission”. The end of the second book describes how Father Elijah – in the meantime he has been ordained bishop – moves to Jerusalem with a confrere and tries once again to confront the Antichrist with the truth of the gospel.
The Antichrist makes a public appearance at the Wall of lamentation in Jerusalem. A few voices rise up against him and call him an enemy of God, an Antichrist and false prophet. But the overwhelming majority is under his influence. The voices against him are silenced and people are killed. This is also the end of Father Elijah!
The literature is much richer. But I have selected only those three writings that were written by Christian authors, so that they remain free from a certain fascination of the dark.
Before we go into certain qualities of the Antichrist and will regard them tomorrow, I will quote from a Catholic dogmatic book published by Franz Diekamp according to the principles of H. Thomas Aquinas. This is what it says about the Antichrist:
The Antichrist will appear as the “man of sin”, the “son of perdition”. The “adversary”, the “lawless one”…
The spirit hostile to Christianity, the spirit of godlessness will be embodied at the end of days in a certain human person who will fight the Church with terrible violence. This Antichrist has his forerunners in all those who turn hatefully against Christ and his kingdom and are therefore called Antichrists. He himself, however, will surpass all of them and will sum up all their efforts, as it were, in his outrage against God and God’s anointed one, which will increase to the point of self-deification.
According to Diekamp – and this is essential for my considerations – a collectivist interpretation (the Antichrist is not a specific human person, but the sum of all enemies of Christ at all times) does not do justice to the testimonies, nor does a contemporary historical interpretation (Emperor Nero, Caligula, etc.)
We must therefore expect a concrete person who, at the end of the times before the return of Christ, as a kind of “incarnation of evil”, will for a time exercise his diabolic rule, directed against all human beings and especially against those who remain faithful to the Lord.