I don't subscribe to the papacy as being the Anti-Christ of Revelation...just one of
many, and the "Harlot" being much bigger than just the Roman Catholic Church...to me, it's baptized religion
centered on the Vatican.
I'll put this in, then:
" Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,
2 that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." ( 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 )
Who is "that man of sin" who is yet to be revealed?
Who is that "man of sin" who is called the "son of perdition" ( John 17:12 ) who sidles right up to Christ's own and kisses them in betrayal?
Who is that "man of sin" who opposes and exalts himself above
all that is called God?
Who is that "man of sin" who is
worshipped as God, and who sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he IS God?
I agree that, over the centuries, the popes have filled some of those "boots", but not all of them at once.
I have not seen a world figure yet, worshipped by
everyone, who commands people to have his mark put either in their hand or in their forehead on pain of death, who claims to BE God ( not just the Vicar* of Christ, speaker
for God ) and sits in the Temple at
Jerusalem, who has caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease ( the Abomination of Desolation ).
*Middle English: via Anglo-Norman French from Old French
vicaire, from Latin
vicarius ‘substitute,’ from
vic- ‘change, turn, place’ (compare with vice).
What I
have seen is many who come in Christ's name and both lie to, and oppress His sheep.
I see man-made religion, that claims to be of Christ, as the "Harlot"...who has many daughters.
To me, the city on seven hills ( Rome, The Vatican ) is her "seat".
Note the order of things. All those things will happen before our gathering together our gathering to the Lord.
I agree.
All those things will happen before Christ's sheep are gathered from the four winds ( Matthew 24:31 ).