Could Pope Francis be the False Prophet?
A powerful religious leader known as the False Prophet is described in Revelation 13:11–15 as appearing during the future Tribulation. He will deceive the world and lead people to worship the Antichrist. Together with the Antichrist and Satan, who empowers them both, the False Prophet is the third member of an unholy trinity.
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| Pope Francis |
Speculation that a pope might have a role in end-time Bible prophecy has long existed. In recent years, some students of prophecy have even wondered whether the present pope could be a candidate for the “False Prophet.”
Many of his characteristics appear to align with those expected of the coming False Prophet, as well as false prophets in general, whom Scripture says will arise in the last days and deceive many (Matt. 24:11). Consider the following:
1. The False Prophet is a religious leader with global influence (Rev. 13:12)
Pope Francis is not only the leading religious figure in the world, but also more popular than any political world leader, according to a recent poll. He quickly gained massive social media influence—reaching one million Instagram followers in under 12 hours and over 40 million on Twitter—and leads 1.3 billion Roman Catholics worldwide.
European leaders increasingly look to him for guidance. In 2014, he addressed the European Parliament, and leaders such as Emmanuel Macron have met with him on major global issues.
Few people realize that the pope is also a head of state, leading the sovereign nation of Vatican City and engaging directly with world leaders—placing him in a position of global influence unmatched by any other religious leader.
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| Pope Francis meets with French President Emmanuel Macron |
2. The False Prophet has “two horns like a lamb” (Rev. 13:11)
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| Pope wearing the two-horned mitre |
3. The False Prophet speaks like a dragon (Rev. 13:11)
Despite appearing like a lamb (gentle, Christ-like), the False Prophet’s speech is deceptive. Pope Francis has established himself as the most unorthodox pope of modern times. On numerous occasions, the Vatican has had to clarify or backtrack his statements. He repeatedly makes proclamations that are unbiblical or contradict basic Catholic doctrine. The following are just a few examples:
- Jesus “made himself sin and made himself the devil, the serpent, for us…” (L’Osservatore Romano, 4/4/17)
- “There is no Hell” (Veritas Vincit, 3/29/2018)
- “The Lord has redeemed all of us… Even the atheists.” (Millennial, 5/22/13)
- “God is not a divine being… Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with creation…” (USA Today, 10/14)
4. The False Prophet supports a unified global system (Rev. 13:12–17)
Ever since the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis has been pushing for global unity in political and economic matters, including calls for a “one world government” and a new “global political authority.”
Pope Francis has also met with major technology leaders from companies such as Apple, Google, and Facebook—companies that play a significant role in digital infrastructure and global commerce, particularly interesting given that the False Prophet enforces control over who can “buy or sell” (v. 17).
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| Mark Zuckerberg meets with Pope Francis |
5. The False Prophet promotes a unified global religion centered on the Antichrist (Rev. 13:12–15)
The Roman Catholic Church has played a leading role in the global ecumenical movement since its inception, and under Pope Francis, efforts toward greater interfaith unity have gained renewed momentum. Pope Francis has reached out to leaders of nearly every major religion.
As head of the world’s largest religious organization, the pope holds a huge advantage in leading a unified global religion. Former Israeli President Shimon Peres even proposed the idea of an international body of world religions led by Pope Francis, stating, “Perhaps for the first time in history, the Holy Father is a leader who’s respected, not just by a lot of people, but also by different religions and their representatives.”
6. The False Prophet performs great deceptive signs (Rev. 13:13–14)
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| Pope Francis performs “half-miracle” |
7. The False Prophet sets up a “living” image of the Antichrist that must be worshiped (Rev. 13:14–15)
The Catholic Church long ago began making allowances for the idolatrous use of images through the way it presents the Ten Commandments.
Some have speculated that the “image” described in Revelation could involve artificial intelligence, perhaps even a lifelike humanoid robot. Notably, Pope Francis has engaged with AI, attending major technology conferences and even addressing it at the World Economic Forum—something some reports described as “an unusual topic for a pontiff.”
8. The False Prophet suppresses dissent and forces compliance (Rev. 13:15–17)
Just this year, the Vatican took new measures to punish critics of Pope Francis in a move that appears to contrast with his earlier calls for greater dialogue and debate within the Church. It suspended historian Henry Sire after he was revealed to be the author of the bestselling book The Dictator Pope. In it, Sire portrays Francis as an authoritarian leader who does not brook opposition, writing that under his administration, “the Vatican is systematically silencing, eliminating, and replacing critics of the Pope’s views.” He adds:
When the publicity cameras are off him, Pope Francis turns into a different figure: arrogant, dismissive of people, prodigal of bad language and notorious for furious outbursts of temper which are known to everyone from the cardinals to the chauffeurs.
9. The False Prophet causes those who refuse to worship to be killed (Rev. 13:15)
Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope in the history of the Catholic Church. The Jesuits, established during the Counter-Reformation in the 16th century, were formed with the goal of eliminating any opposition to the papacy, including the Protestants who had broken away during the Reformation. They acted as enforcers of Catholic doctrine, with many who refused to submit being killed.
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| Depiction of punishment during the Roman Catholic Inquisition |
Additional Considerations
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| Lightning strikes St. Peter’s Basilica |
Just 13 days after his predecessor stepped down, Pope Francis was elected at age 76 (7+6=13), on the 13th day of the month in 2013—3/13/2013 (3+1+3+2+0+1+3=13)—at 7:06 p.m. Rome time (7+0+6=13). He was also ordained on the 13th day—December 13, 1969—and chose the papal name Francis after a 13th-century saint. Beyond its long-standing association with bad luck in Western culture, the number 13 in Scripture is sometimes linked to rebellion and apostasy.
Final Thoughts
In light of all this, it is understandable why some have speculated that Pope Francis could be a candidate for the False Prophet. While this possibility cannot be ruled out, it should be approached with caution.
Scripture indicates that the Antichrist—and, by extension, the False Prophet—will not be revealed until after the Rapture of the Church (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 7–8). For this reason, we should be careful not to “pin the tail” on any individual too soon.
Furthermore, if the papacy does play a role in end-time prophecy, it is, I think, more plausible that a pope—whether current or future—would serve as the head of the global religious system described in Revelation 17.
At the very least, Pope Francis appears to be helping set the stage for what is to come. I also think he can be viewed as a “type” or foreshadowing of the final false prophet, just as history has seen many “types” of the Antichrist.
Ultimately, however, we are not called to identify the False Prophet in advance, but to discern the times and remain watchful.
Jesus is coming—are you ready?
19 comments
It very interesting that he keeps saying that he will bring peace once/if trumps deal fails... the Bible is very clear that the Antichrist will confirm (or in Hebrew, increase the covenant) with many!
He constantly talks about world peace & encourages everyone to worship whatever god they please, & the right not to believe!
I also believe “strongly” that he burned the Notre-dame... i mean, it was fairly obvious... he also did it right before Easter Sunday! It took lots of attention off of Christ & a lot of focus went to “Emmanuel” macron...
Anyway... what are your thoughts on these things?
Since the Pope is currently the face of the apostate Church – a top religious leader, pushing for ecumenical harmony – much of the Church falsely surmises that the Pope is the False Teacher…even though we see from Revelation 13:11 that the False Prophet can NOT be a gentile – let alone the Pope – and that this is a blatant false teaching, found NOWHERE in the Bible.
So, NO, the Pope is not a candidate for the future position of False Prophet, since the Bible says that the False Prophet – the SECOND Beast – MUST be a Jew.
they are not coming in the way most people think. Most people will believe that in deed this is God at work. Scripture says for instance the false prophet will make THEM make an image and he will be able to give breath of life that it speaks.
To then think its Artificial Technology is simply failing to appreciate the kind of deception of the end times. Surely will you worship someone because he has created a robot? As it was in the days of old Moses through a stick and it turned into a snake and the witches of Egypt did imitate Moses so shall it be. All those whose names are not written in the book will be fooled by great false signs and wonders in those days. fake Christians will fall pray believing its the power of God.
An idol will be given life, cant you see that Satan in imitating creation of man yet the miracles is all deception. when people see that then they will say this is the real God a work.