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The Great Whore of Babylon
- Thread starter Jacob Dahlen
- Start date
From the first, and throughout, that movement [the Reformation] was energised and guided by the prophetic Word. Luther never felt strong and free to war against the papal apostasy till he recognised the pope as antichrist. It was then he burned the papal Bull. Knox's first sermon, the sermon which launched him on his mission as a Reformer, was on the prophecies concerning the Papacy. The Reformers embodied their interpretation of prophecy in their confessions of faith, and Calvin in his "Institutes". All the Reformers were unanimous in the matter . . . And their interpretation of these prophecies determined their reforming action . . . It nerved them to resist the claims of that apostate church to the uttermost. It made them martyrs, it sustained them at the stake. And the views of the Reformers were shared by thousands, by hundreds of thousands. They were adopted by princes and peoples... —H. Grattan Guinness, Romanism and the Reformation (Toronto: S. R. Briggs, [n.d.]), pp.250-260.
Martin Luther
We are convinced that the papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist — D. Martin Luthers Werke, ed. Briefwechsel (Weimar, 1930-1948), Vol.2, p.167, cited in What Luther Says, ed. Ewald M. Plass, Vol.1, p.34.
You should know that the pope is the real, true, final Antichrist, of whom the entire Scripture speaks, whom the Lord is beginning to consume with the spirit of His mouth and will very soon destroy and slay with the brightness of His coming, for which we are waiting. — D. Martin Luthers Werke, ed. Kritische Gesamtausgabe (Weimar, 1883-), Vol. 8, p.554., cited in Plass, op. cit, Vol.1, pp.36, 37.
(In response to a papal bull [official decree]): "I despise and attack it, as impious, false... It is Christ Himself who is condemned therein... I rejoice in having to bear such ills for the best of causes. Already I feel greater liberty in my heart; for at last I know that the pope is antichrist, and that his throne is that of Satan himself." --D'Aubigné, b.6, ch. 9.
John Calvin
Daniel and Paul had predicted that Antichrist would sit in the temple of God. The head of that cursed and abominable kingdom, in the Western church, we affirm to be the Pope. When his seat is placed in the temple of God, it suggests, that his kingdom will be such, that he will not abolish the name of Christ or the Church. Hence it appears, that we by no means deny that church may exist, even under his tyranny; but he has profaned them by sacrilegious impiety, afflicted them by cruel despotism, corrupted and almost terminated their existence by false and pernicious doctrines; like poisonous potions, in such churches, Christ lies half buried, the gospel is suppressed, piety exterminated, and the worship of God almost abolished; in a word, they are altogether in such a state of confusion, that they exhibit a picture of Babylon, rather than of the holy city of God. — John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press,1960), Bk. 4, chap. 2, sec. 12.
"Some persons think us too severe and censorious when we call the Roman pontiff Antichrist. But those who are of this opinion do not consider that they bring the same charge of presumption against Paul himself, after whom we speak and whose language we adopt... I shall briefly show that (Paul's words in II Thess. 2) are not capable of any other interpretation than that which applies them to the Papacy."
Taken from Institutes by John Calvin.
I deny him to be the vicar of Christ. . . . He is antichrist —I deny him to be head of the church. (John Calvin Tracts, vol. 1, pp. 219, 220)
Heinrich Bullinger
By the little horn many understand the kingdom of Mohammed, of the Saracens and of the Turks . . . But when the apostolic prophecy in Second Thessalonians 2 is more carefully examined, it seems that this prophecy of Daniel and that prophecy of the apostle belong more rightly to the kingdom of the Roman pope, which kingdom has arisen from small beginnings and has increased to an immense size. —Trans. from Heinrich Bullinger, Daniel Sapientissimus Dei Propheta (Daniel the Most Wise Prophet of God), chap. 7, fol. 78v.
Nicholas Ridley
The head, under Satan, of all mischief is Antichrist and his brood; and the same is he which is the Babylonical beast. The beast is he whereupon the whore sitteth. The whore is that city, saith John in plain words, which hath empire over the kings of the earth. This whore hath a golden cup of abominations in her hand, whereof she maketh to drink the kings of the earth, and of the wine of this harlot all nations hath drunk; yea, and kings of the earth have lain by this whore; and merchants of the earth, by virtue of her pleasant merchandise, have been made rich.
Now what city is there in the whole world, that when John wrote, ruled over the kings of the earth; or what city can be read of in any time, that of the city itself challenged the empire over the kings of the earth, but only the city of Rome, and that since the usurpation of that See hath grown to her full strength? — Nicholas Ridley, A Piteous Lamentation of the Miserable Estate of the Church in England, in the Time of the Late Revolt from the Gospel, in Works, p.53.
Philip Melanchthon
18. Since it is certain that the pontiffs and the monks have forbidden marriage, it is most manifest, and true without any doubt, that the Roman Pontiff, with his whole order and kingdom, is very Antichrist.
19. Likewise in 2 Thess. II, Paul clearly says that the man of sin will rule in the church exalting himself above the worship of God, etc.
20. But it is certain that the popes do rule in the church, and under the title of the church in defending idols.
21. Wherefore I affirm that no heresy hath arisen, nor indeed shall be, with which these descriptions of Paul can more truly and certainly accord and agree than with this pontifical kingdom . . .
25. The prophet Daniel also attributes these two things to Antichrist; namely, that he shall place an idol in the temple, and worship [it] with gold and silver; and that he shall not honor women.
26. That both of them belong to the Roman Pontiff, who does not clearly see? The idols are clearly the impious masses, the worship of saints, and the statues which are exhibited in gold and silver that they may be worshiped. —Trans. from Philip Melanchthon, "De Matrimonio," Disputationes, No.56, in Opera (Corpus Reformatorum), Vol.12, cols. 535, 536.
John Hooper
Because God hath given this light unto my countrymen, which be all persuaded, (or else God send them to be persuaded!) that the bishop of Rome nor none other is Christ's vicar upon the earth; it is no need to use any long or copious oration: it is so plain that it needeth no probation; the very properties of antichrist, I mean of Christ's great and principal enemy, is so openly known to all men, that are not blinded with the smoke of Rome, that they know him to be the beast that John describeth in the Apocalypse. — John Hooper, Declaration of Christ and His Office, chap. 3, in Works, Vol. 1, pp.22, 23 (early writings).
Cotton Mather
(1663-1728) (Congregational Theologian)
"The oracles of God foretold the rising of an Antichrist in the Christian Church: and in the Pope of Rome, all the characteristics of that Antichrist are so marvelously answered that if any who read the Scriptures do not see it, there is a marvelous blindness upon them."
Taken from The Fall of Babylon by Cotton Mather in Froom's book, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Vol. 3, pg. 113.
John Knox
(1505-1572) (Scotch Presbyterian)
Knox wrote to abolish "that tyranny which the pope himself has for so many ages exercised over the church" and that the pope should be recognized as "the very antichrist, and son of perdition, of whom Paul speaks."
Taken from The Zurich Letters, pg. 199 by John Knox.
Thomas Cranmer
(1489-1556) (Anglican)
"Whereof it followed Rome to be the seat of antichrist, and the pope to be very antichrist himself. I could prove the same by many other scriptures, old writers, and strong reasons." (Referring to prophecies in Revelation and Daniel.)
Taken from Works by Cranmer, Vol. 1, pp. 6-7.
John Wesley
(1703-1791) (Methodist)
Speaking of the Papacy he said, "He is in an emphatical sense, the Man of Sin, as he increases all manner of sin above measure. And he is, too, properly styled the Son of Perdition, as he has caused the death of numberless multitudes, both of his opposers and followers... He it is...that exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped...claiming the highest power, and highest honour...claiming the prerogatives which belong to God alone."
Taken from Antichrist and His Ten Kingdoms by John Wesley, pg. 110.
Roger Williams
(1603-1683) (First Baptist Pastor in America)
He spoke of the Pope as "the pretended Vicar of Christ on earth, who sits as God over the Temple of God, exalting himself not only above all that is called God, but over the souls and consciences of all his vassals, yea over the Spirit of Christ, over the Holy Spirit, yea, and God himself...speaking against the God of heaven, thinking to change times and laws; but he is the son of perdition (II Thess. 2)."
Taken from The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers by Froom, Vol. 3, pg. 52.
The statement from the Westminster Confession of Faith of the Church of England, which was later used by the Presbyterians, is significant:
There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ, nor can the pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition that exalteth himself in the church against Christ and all that is called God. (The Westminster Confession of Faith, Section 6, chapter 25)
Irish Articles of Faith (adopted in 1615): "The Bishop of Rome...be that 'man of sin', foretold in the holy Scriptures."
Westminster Confession of Faith: "The Pope of Rome...is that man of sin and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ."
Savoy Declaration: "The Pope of Rome...is that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition."
Baptist Confession 1688: "The Pope of Rome...is no other than Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition."
For eleven hundred years, Christians have identified the Church of Rome as being the Whore of Revelation 17.
By 900 AD, "Tergandus, Bishop of Treves, called the Pope antichrist, yea, a wolf, and Rome, Babylon" (Martyrs Mirror, 5th English edition, p. 240).
In the tenth century, Arnulphus, Bishop of Orleans, called the Pope Antichrist, in a full council at Rheims (Peter Allix, The Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of Piedmont, 1821, p. 229).
The Waldensian treatise titled the Noble Lesson, dated 1100 A.D., stated: "Antichrist, the predicted murderer of the Saints, hath already appeared in his true character, seated monarchally in the seven-hilled city." In 1120 or 1160 A.D., A Treatise Concerning Antichrist identified the Pope of Rome as the Antichrist. George Faber identifies this as a production of Peter the Valdo (Faber, pp. 379-384).
In 1206, the Albigenses made the following confession: "That the Church of Rome was not the spouse of Christ, but the Church of confusion, drunk with the blood of the martyrs. That the polity of the Church of Rome was neither good nor holy, nor established by Jesus Christ" (Peter Allix, The Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of the Albigenses, 1821 edition, first published in 1692, p. 178).
Throughout the Reformation era, Rome was considered the Mother of Harlots. On September 9, 1560, Pastor Jean Louis Paschale of Calabria, just before he was burned alive in the presence of Pope Pius IV in Rome, turned to the Pope and "arraigned him as the enemy of Christ, the persecutor of his people, and the Anti-Christ of Scripture, and concluded by summoning him and all his cardinals to answer for their cruelties and murders before the throne of the Lamb" (J.A. Wylie, History of the Waldenses, c1860, p. 120).
William Tyndale identified the Pope as Antichrist in his treatise "The Practice of Prelates" and in his Preface to the 1534 edition of the New Testament. Many of the early Protestant Bibles contained artwork that portrays the Scarlet Woman of Revelation 17, and identifies the Roman Catholic Church as this apostate religion. In his 1893 work titled Union with Rome, Bishop Christopher Wordsworth of the Church of England stated the view which prevailed among Protestants at that time: "... we tremble at the sight, while we read the inscription, emblazoned in large letters, `Mystery, Babylon the Great,' written by the hand of St. John, guided by the Holy Spirit of God, on the forehead of the Church of Rome."
John Wesley's Notes; But he that had the mark, namely, the name of the first beast, or the number of his name - The name of the beast is that which he bears through his whole duration; namely, that of Papa or Pope: the number of his name is the whole time during which he bears this name. Whosoever, therefore, receives the mark of the beast does as much as if he said expressly, "I acknowledge the present Papacy, as proceeding from God;" or, "I acknowledge that what St. Gregory VII. has done, according to his legend, (authorized by Benedict XIII.,) and what has been maintained in virtue thereof, by his successors to this day, is from God." By the former, a man hath the name of the beast as a mark; by the latter, the number of his name. In a word, to have the name of the beast is, to acknowledge His papal Holiness; to have the number of his name is, to acknowledge the papal succession. The second beast will enforce the receiving this mark under the severest penalties. (John Wesley, Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, Revelation 13:17)
What of the testimony of all of these men? Virtually every single Protestant reformer believed the Pope to be anti-christ, and the church of Rome to be the whore of Revelation. Those of you who are not Roman Catholic, and insist that the Church of Rome is not the Mother of Harlots, are rejecting what the founding fathers of your churches taught. Since you will not continue the reformation, the only road left for you is back to Rome. The time is coming when all of this world will bow to Rome. The time is also coming when all who are Christ’s will come out of Rome. This will be the end, when everyone will have made their choice. Then Christ can return, and separate the wheat from the tares.
Joel 3 9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: 10Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. 11Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. 12Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
Bye for now. Y. b. in C, Keith
Martin Luther
We are convinced that the papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist — D. Martin Luthers Werke, ed. Briefwechsel (Weimar, 1930-1948), Vol.2, p.167, cited in What Luther Says, ed. Ewald M. Plass, Vol.1, p.34.
You should know that the pope is the real, true, final Antichrist, of whom the entire Scripture speaks, whom the Lord is beginning to consume with the spirit of His mouth and will very soon destroy and slay with the brightness of His coming, for which we are waiting. — D. Martin Luthers Werke, ed. Kritische Gesamtausgabe (Weimar, 1883-), Vol. 8, p.554., cited in Plass, op. cit, Vol.1, pp.36, 37.
(In response to a papal bull [official decree]): "I despise and attack it, as impious, false... It is Christ Himself who is condemned therein... I rejoice in having to bear such ills for the best of causes. Already I feel greater liberty in my heart; for at last I know that the pope is antichrist, and that his throne is that of Satan himself." --D'Aubigné, b.6, ch. 9.
John Calvin
Daniel and Paul had predicted that Antichrist would sit in the temple of God. The head of that cursed and abominable kingdom, in the Western church, we affirm to be the Pope. When his seat is placed in the temple of God, it suggests, that his kingdom will be such, that he will not abolish the name of Christ or the Church. Hence it appears, that we by no means deny that church may exist, even under his tyranny; but he has profaned them by sacrilegious impiety, afflicted them by cruel despotism, corrupted and almost terminated their existence by false and pernicious doctrines; like poisonous potions, in such churches, Christ lies half buried, the gospel is suppressed, piety exterminated, and the worship of God almost abolished; in a word, they are altogether in such a state of confusion, that they exhibit a picture of Babylon, rather than of the holy city of God. — John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press,1960), Bk. 4, chap. 2, sec. 12.
"Some persons think us too severe and censorious when we call the Roman pontiff Antichrist. But those who are of this opinion do not consider that they bring the same charge of presumption against Paul himself, after whom we speak and whose language we adopt... I shall briefly show that (Paul's words in II Thess. 2) are not capable of any other interpretation than that which applies them to the Papacy."
Taken from Institutes by John Calvin.
I deny him to be the vicar of Christ. . . . He is antichrist —I deny him to be head of the church. (John Calvin Tracts, vol. 1, pp. 219, 220)
Heinrich Bullinger
By the little horn many understand the kingdom of Mohammed, of the Saracens and of the Turks . . . But when the apostolic prophecy in Second Thessalonians 2 is more carefully examined, it seems that this prophecy of Daniel and that prophecy of the apostle belong more rightly to the kingdom of the Roman pope, which kingdom has arisen from small beginnings and has increased to an immense size. —Trans. from Heinrich Bullinger, Daniel Sapientissimus Dei Propheta (Daniel the Most Wise Prophet of God), chap. 7, fol. 78v.
Nicholas Ridley
The head, under Satan, of all mischief is Antichrist and his brood; and the same is he which is the Babylonical beast. The beast is he whereupon the whore sitteth. The whore is that city, saith John in plain words, which hath empire over the kings of the earth. This whore hath a golden cup of abominations in her hand, whereof she maketh to drink the kings of the earth, and of the wine of this harlot all nations hath drunk; yea, and kings of the earth have lain by this whore; and merchants of the earth, by virtue of her pleasant merchandise, have been made rich.
Now what city is there in the whole world, that when John wrote, ruled over the kings of the earth; or what city can be read of in any time, that of the city itself challenged the empire over the kings of the earth, but only the city of Rome, and that since the usurpation of that See hath grown to her full strength? — Nicholas Ridley, A Piteous Lamentation of the Miserable Estate of the Church in England, in the Time of the Late Revolt from the Gospel, in Works, p.53.
Philip Melanchthon
18. Since it is certain that the pontiffs and the monks have forbidden marriage, it is most manifest, and true without any doubt, that the Roman Pontiff, with his whole order and kingdom, is very Antichrist.
19. Likewise in 2 Thess. II, Paul clearly says that the man of sin will rule in the church exalting himself above the worship of God, etc.
20. But it is certain that the popes do rule in the church, and under the title of the church in defending idols.
21. Wherefore I affirm that no heresy hath arisen, nor indeed shall be, with which these descriptions of Paul can more truly and certainly accord and agree than with this pontifical kingdom . . .
25. The prophet Daniel also attributes these two things to Antichrist; namely, that he shall place an idol in the temple, and worship [it] with gold and silver; and that he shall not honor women.
26. That both of them belong to the Roman Pontiff, who does not clearly see? The idols are clearly the impious masses, the worship of saints, and the statues which are exhibited in gold and silver that they may be worshiped. —Trans. from Philip Melanchthon, "De Matrimonio," Disputationes, No.56, in Opera (Corpus Reformatorum), Vol.12, cols. 535, 536.
John Hooper
Because God hath given this light unto my countrymen, which be all persuaded, (or else God send them to be persuaded!) that the bishop of Rome nor none other is Christ's vicar upon the earth; it is no need to use any long or copious oration: it is so plain that it needeth no probation; the very properties of antichrist, I mean of Christ's great and principal enemy, is so openly known to all men, that are not blinded with the smoke of Rome, that they know him to be the beast that John describeth in the Apocalypse. — John Hooper, Declaration of Christ and His Office, chap. 3, in Works, Vol. 1, pp.22, 23 (early writings).
Cotton Mather
(1663-1728) (Congregational Theologian)
"The oracles of God foretold the rising of an Antichrist in the Christian Church: and in the Pope of Rome, all the characteristics of that Antichrist are so marvelously answered that if any who read the Scriptures do not see it, there is a marvelous blindness upon them."
Taken from The Fall of Babylon by Cotton Mather in Froom's book, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Vol. 3, pg. 113.
John Knox
(1505-1572) (Scotch Presbyterian)
Knox wrote to abolish "that tyranny which the pope himself has for so many ages exercised over the church" and that the pope should be recognized as "the very antichrist, and son of perdition, of whom Paul speaks."
Taken from The Zurich Letters, pg. 199 by John Knox.
Thomas Cranmer
(1489-1556) (Anglican)
"Whereof it followed Rome to be the seat of antichrist, and the pope to be very antichrist himself. I could prove the same by many other scriptures, old writers, and strong reasons." (Referring to prophecies in Revelation and Daniel.)
Taken from Works by Cranmer, Vol. 1, pp. 6-7.
John Wesley
(1703-1791) (Methodist)
Speaking of the Papacy he said, "He is in an emphatical sense, the Man of Sin, as he increases all manner of sin above measure. And he is, too, properly styled the Son of Perdition, as he has caused the death of numberless multitudes, both of his opposers and followers... He it is...that exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped...claiming the highest power, and highest honour...claiming the prerogatives which belong to God alone."
Taken from Antichrist and His Ten Kingdoms by John Wesley, pg. 110.
Roger Williams
(1603-1683) (First Baptist Pastor in America)
He spoke of the Pope as "the pretended Vicar of Christ on earth, who sits as God over the Temple of God, exalting himself not only above all that is called God, but over the souls and consciences of all his vassals, yea over the Spirit of Christ, over the Holy Spirit, yea, and God himself...speaking against the God of heaven, thinking to change times and laws; but he is the son of perdition (II Thess. 2)."
Taken from The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers by Froom, Vol. 3, pg. 52.
The statement from the Westminster Confession of Faith of the Church of England, which was later used by the Presbyterians, is significant:
There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ, nor can the pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition that exalteth himself in the church against Christ and all that is called God. (The Westminster Confession of Faith, Section 6, chapter 25)
Irish Articles of Faith (adopted in 1615): "The Bishop of Rome...be that 'man of sin', foretold in the holy Scriptures."
Westminster Confession of Faith: "The Pope of Rome...is that man of sin and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ."
Savoy Declaration: "The Pope of Rome...is that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition."
Baptist Confession 1688: "The Pope of Rome...is no other than Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition."
For eleven hundred years, Christians have identified the Church of Rome as being the Whore of Revelation 17.
By 900 AD, "Tergandus, Bishop of Treves, called the Pope antichrist, yea, a wolf, and Rome, Babylon" (Martyrs Mirror, 5th English edition, p. 240).
In the tenth century, Arnulphus, Bishop of Orleans, called the Pope Antichrist, in a full council at Rheims (Peter Allix, The Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of Piedmont, 1821, p. 229).
The Waldensian treatise titled the Noble Lesson, dated 1100 A.D., stated: "Antichrist, the predicted murderer of the Saints, hath already appeared in his true character, seated monarchally in the seven-hilled city." In 1120 or 1160 A.D., A Treatise Concerning Antichrist identified the Pope of Rome as the Antichrist. George Faber identifies this as a production of Peter the Valdo (Faber, pp. 379-384).
In 1206, the Albigenses made the following confession: "That the Church of Rome was not the spouse of Christ, but the Church of confusion, drunk with the blood of the martyrs. That the polity of the Church of Rome was neither good nor holy, nor established by Jesus Christ" (Peter Allix, The Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of the Albigenses, 1821 edition, first published in 1692, p. 178).
Throughout the Reformation era, Rome was considered the Mother of Harlots. On September 9, 1560, Pastor Jean Louis Paschale of Calabria, just before he was burned alive in the presence of Pope Pius IV in Rome, turned to the Pope and "arraigned him as the enemy of Christ, the persecutor of his people, and the Anti-Christ of Scripture, and concluded by summoning him and all his cardinals to answer for their cruelties and murders before the throne of the Lamb" (J.A. Wylie, History of the Waldenses, c1860, p. 120).
William Tyndale identified the Pope as Antichrist in his treatise "The Practice of Prelates" and in his Preface to the 1534 edition of the New Testament. Many of the early Protestant Bibles contained artwork that portrays the Scarlet Woman of Revelation 17, and identifies the Roman Catholic Church as this apostate religion. In his 1893 work titled Union with Rome, Bishop Christopher Wordsworth of the Church of England stated the view which prevailed among Protestants at that time: "... we tremble at the sight, while we read the inscription, emblazoned in large letters, `Mystery, Babylon the Great,' written by the hand of St. John, guided by the Holy Spirit of God, on the forehead of the Church of Rome."
John Wesley's Notes; But he that had the mark, namely, the name of the first beast, or the number of his name - The name of the beast is that which he bears through his whole duration; namely, that of Papa or Pope: the number of his name is the whole time during which he bears this name. Whosoever, therefore, receives the mark of the beast does as much as if he said expressly, "I acknowledge the present Papacy, as proceeding from God;" or, "I acknowledge that what St. Gregory VII. has done, according to his legend, (authorized by Benedict XIII.,) and what has been maintained in virtue thereof, by his successors to this day, is from God." By the former, a man hath the name of the beast as a mark; by the latter, the number of his name. In a word, to have the name of the beast is, to acknowledge His papal Holiness; to have the number of his name is, to acknowledge the papal succession. The second beast will enforce the receiving this mark under the severest penalties. (John Wesley, Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, Revelation 13:17)
What of the testimony of all of these men? Virtually every single Protestant reformer believed the Pope to be anti-christ, and the church of Rome to be the whore of Revelation. Those of you who are not Roman Catholic, and insist that the Church of Rome is not the Mother of Harlots, are rejecting what the founding fathers of your churches taught. Since you will not continue the reformation, the only road left for you is back to Rome. The time is coming when all of this world will bow to Rome. The time is also coming when all who are Christ’s will come out of Rome. This will be the end, when everyone will have made their choice. Then Christ can return, and separate the wheat from the tares.
Joel 3 9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: 10Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. 11Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. 12Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
Bye for now. Y. b. in C, Keith
tragic_pizza
New Member
Well, for one thing, "woman" in prophecy is a religious body or govt. while a secular (civil) govt. is a "beast". </font>[/QUOTE]This is according to whom?
tragic_pizza
New Member
Correct!
Yes, where on earth do you get that from? Chapter and verse, please.
Correct!
Jer:6:2: I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman .
A Beast refers to a kingdom:
Dan:7:17: These great beasts , which are four, are four kings , which shall arise out of the earth.
Claudia
of course, the Bible verses I just posted ... I got them from my SDA Propaganda Book
...but these other people in other churches who also believe that a woman in Bible prophecy represents a church and a beast represents a kingdom... well, they secretly go and read our various Propaganda Books to get new ideas.
LOL!
...but these other people in other churches who also believe that a woman in Bible prophecy represents a church and a beast represents a kingdom... well, they secretly go and read our various Propaganda Books to get new ideas.
LOL!
tragic_pizza
New Member
So your interpretation, based on two isolated verses, is supposed to be sufficient?
Weren't you the person who posted links to a preacher taking verses about the authority to forgive sins out of context?
If so, I'm willing to assert that I can't exactly base my doctrine on your interpretations of Scripture.
Weren't you the person who posted links to a preacher taking verses about the authority to forgive sins out of context?
If so, I'm willing to assert that I can't exactly base my doctrine on your interpretations of Scripture.
actually when I gave scores of Bible verses about the dead being asleep it didnt seem to matter to anybody here.
There are several places I could site, for instance here:
Rv:12:6: And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
the 1260 day prophecy makes it evident that the woman was the persecuted church. I hate to even waste much time on this though because most of you seem not to really care about Bible verses at all. I dont think it would matter much what I said...
Here, maybe this will help you all to realize that in Bible Prophecy the term "Woman" means church. This is evident when you understand what the 1260 day prophecy is all about. The "woman" (the church) was persecuted for 1260 years:
The Beast of Revelation 13
The knowledge of the Antichrist is like a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece of information found throughout the Bible must be placed in its proper position. When this is accomplished, behold the Antichrist will stand before you so clearly and so simple to understand that you will praise God for revealing this truth to you.
Let's begin by discovering who this mystery beast of Revelation 13 represents by reading God's description of the beast.
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast. " Revelation 13:1-3.
The beast of Revelation 13 is made up of parts. Every part or act of this beast must be determined by Bible interpretation so that we can intelligently make our decision. There must be no guessing. We must know beyond a doubt. Since there is only one unquestioned authority, we must turn to the Word of God for clarification.
First of all, before beginning this discovery, I would like to share with you a secret of all Bible students. In the Holy Word the book of Daniel helps us to understand the book of Revelation. Likewise, the book of Revelation helps to explain the book of Daniel. So, naturally, in looking for our answer concerning the beast of Revelation 13, we shall turn to Daniel 7, where God gives us a full explanation. It's amazing that the answers we are looking for in our day were given by God to Daniel 550 years before Christ was born on this earth. This, of course, only goes to prove that God knows the beginning to the end of time. Now let us listen to the prophet speak, as recorded in Daniel 7:2:
"Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea."Daniel 7:2
Will you join me in using your imagination to visualize the events exactly as Daniel saw them. Picture this great sea the prophet was looking at. The four winds of heaven are blowing upon the waters, causing the waves to beat against one another like a sea frenzied by a hurricane.
Now what does this stand for? No guessing, remember, we want only a Bible answer.
First, let's take the waters. Remember our secret? Revelation should explain. So we turn to chapter 17 and read:
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. " Revelation 1 7.15.
God made this simple to understand. Waters represent peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. How often we have used the expression "a great sea of faces" when describing a crowd of people.
The second fact we need to know concerns the wind. In the Scriptures the designation of wind has always been used as a symbol of war. Please note:
"Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind .... Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets." Jeremiah 51:1,4.
So this is the setting. The sea of waters represents the peoples of the earth. The wind blowing upon the waters reveals the people to be in a state of war. From such a condition we would expect the political climate of the people to change, and this is exactly what happens. 'And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. " Daniel 7.3.
See how easy it is to understand prophecy? The Bible explains itself!
We are ready to examine this first beast. The prophet describes him as follows:
"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. " Daniel 7.-4.
Who is this lion? God supplies information through His prophet. We read:
"The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail. Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong." Jeremiah 50:43,44.
Thus the Babylonian Empire arose in the year 606 B.C. But what of the wings? In the British Museum you will find a great stone taken from the ancient city of Babylon-which portrays a lion with wings! This was actually the symbol of the old city of Babylon.
The phrase "the man's heart" denotes a coming time and experience of weakness when Babylon would be overcome and destroyed, thus opening the way for a second world kingdom.
"and behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it. and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh." Daniel 7.5.
The bear is God's caricature of the next world power. Persia conquered the world in the year 538 B.C. You observed the bear, that it was devouring three ribs in its mouth. Old Babylon was composed of exactly three provinces, namely, Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. The conquering power of Persia destroyed all three. But what is so amazing is that God gives such details. He says the bear raised himself on one side. When Medo-Persia became strong, the Persians overthrew the Medes. Let us continue.
"After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl, the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. Daniel 7.6.
Everyone knows that the next universal power in world history was that of Greece, which developed in the year 331 B.C. This beast had four wings to indicate that it would swiftly conquer the world.
Alexander the Great conquered the world in only twelve years, without the aid of anything like our modern methods of warfare or travel. This was considered a miracle in that day.
Now look closely. This beast had four heads. God never leaves any reason for doubt. History reveals that Alexander died at the early age of 33. He conquered the world but could not conquer his own temper. He died of fatigue and disease, without leaving any posterity to carry on the kingdom. So his realm was divided among the four generals-Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, Ptolemy-who continued to rule the world under the fourth beast. Isn't it amazing how God foretells the future? Then God said another world power would soon arise.
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. Daniel 7:7.
This fourth beast represents old pagan Rome which began its reign in the year 168 B.C. It was a dreadful power-as God described it-having great iron teeth. The historian Edward Gibbon, in writing of its history, describes the Roman enemies as broken by the iron monarchy of Rome.
We have now come in history to the time of the cross. Pagan Rome was ruling the world when Jesus was born, and it was under pagan rule that He was so cruelly crucified in A.D. 31. At this time world affairs had reached their lowest ebb, and men were about to be swallowed up in pagan philosophy. They were dying without a hope for the future, but Jesus came to deliver men and women and to show them the way of life. How wonderful God is. He never fails us.
Now the Scripture describes this beast as having ten horns. They represent the ten kingdoms that pagan Rome was divided into in the year A.D. 476.
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise." Daniel 7:24
Now it is time for us to discover what we have been learning concerning the beast of Revelation 13. Perhaps you are unaware that while we have been studying Daniel 7 we have actually been discovering all about the beast of Revelation 13. To refresh our memory, let's read it once more.
'And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. " Revelation 13:1,2.
Now get ready for the surprise. God is a great caricaturist. He simply took a part of each of these four beasts that we have been studying in Daniel and put them all together, thus making the beast of Revelation 13. He took the "mouth" from the lion representing Babylon. He took the "feet" from the bear-MedoPersia. He took the "body" of a leopard from the leopard-Greece. The "ten horns" He took from the divided kingdoms of old Rome. Putting these all together, we now see clearly a picture of what is represented in this beast of Revelation 13.
See how simple prophecy is? This is no guess work. God has revealed every detail. The beast of Revelation 13 is a definite part of all these pagan nations. We must go on. There is much more to be revealed. Let us continue in our study of this ten-horn caricature of Daniel 7.
"I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. " Daniel 7.8.
Who is this little horn? In prophecy a horn stands for a king.
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise." Daniel 7:24.
We must abide by the word of God. Before we go further, we would like to stress this observation: We are presenting God's final warning message that is so vital to the people of all churches, whether they be Catholics, Protestants, or Jews. What we are discussing is a part of this last warning. It has come to us from the lips of Jesus, Who desires that all men might be saved. He wants every one of us to be ready to go to heaven when He comes the second time. We are only revealing what God has already written in the Book. You will soon see that it is necessary for God to point out a certain organization in our world as a means to give us guidance in how to heed His last warning message.
Now back to the question-What of this little horn? We will follow these simple methods in our discussions, which we believe you will find acceptable. (1) We will permit God to give the clue. (2) Authoritative history will substantiate God's claim. (3) The church will declare its position from its authoritative statements. With these objectives in mind, let us closely study the following seven points of identification concerning the little horn.
To begin with, let us make the following statement, then back it up with these proofs. We will discover that the little horn represents the organization in the world called the Papacy.
1. Let us note proof of this fact because of the time of its appearance. it must appear after the division of the Roman Empire.
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;" Daniel 7:24.
The Papacy was established in A.D. 538 when it subdued the Ostrogoths. The ten horns, or the divided kingdom, was established in A.D. 476. Thus you can see at a glance that the Papacy arose after the ten kingdoms, exactly as the prophecy states, "and another shall rise after them. "
2. This little horn would differ in its nature of authority.
"And he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Daniel 7:24.
The Papacy has always been a religious power. The other ten kingdoms were of a temporal nature, dealing in matters of state only. Thus this point is substantiated-the Papacy is different.
3. The little horn would destroy three kings.
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Daniel 7:24.
History reveals that the Papacy destroyed three of the ten kingdoms, which were as follows. (1) The Heruli in A.D. 493, (2) the Vandals in A.D. 534, (3) the Ostrogoths in A.D. 538. From The Question Box, by Conway, on page 166, we read that the church admits destroying three powers in securing her temporal sovereign. I quote:
"The distance from Constantinople, the interrupted communications with the Exarch of Ravenna, the constant fighting against the Goths, the Huns and the Lombards, the putting down of rebellions against the Emperor in Rome itself-all tended to turn the Pope willingly or unwillingly, into a temporal sovereign (Hodgkin, Italy, v., 355)."
Please note that seven out of the original ten nations are still in existence today-Germany, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland. This is just as God declared. What a marvelous fulfillment of prophecy!
4. The little horn would have eyes like a man.
'I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Daniel 7:8. This great organization is headed by a man. All the world today recognizes him as the Pope.
5. The little horn would speak against God.
"And he shall speak great words against the most High " Daniel 7:25.
Again we quote from authentic Catholic writings:
"All names which in the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that he is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope."-R.F. Bellarmine, On the Authority of Councils, vol. II, book 2, chap. 17, p. 266 (ed. 1619).
"The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God."-P.F.L. Ferraris, Ecclesiastical Dictionary, art. On the Pope.
You have discovered five amazing predictions. Now permit me to bring you the last two. These are likewise based upon the Word of God.
6. The little horn would persecute.
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High." Daniel 7:25.
How true these words have proved in history. There are many sources to choose from, but let us read just one.
"That the Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no
Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history. The memorials, indeed, of many of her persecutions are now so scanty, that it is impossible to form a complete conception of the multitude of her victims, and it is quite certain that no powers of imagination can adequately realize their suffering."-William Edward Hartpole Lecky, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, vol. 2 (London: Longmans, Green, and Company, 1904), p. 32.
Perhaps it would be well here to read something from the church. She admits freely that she has persecuted. Notice this carefully.
"The church has persecuted. Only a tyro in church history will deny that .... One hundred and fifty years after Constantine the Donatists were persecuted and sometimes put to death ... Protestants were persecuted in France and Spain with the full approval of the church authorities. We have always defended the persecution of the Huguenots, and the Spanish Inquisition. Wherever and whenever there is honest Catholicity, there will be a clear distinction drawn between truth and error, and Catholicity and all forms of heresy. When she thinks it good to use physical force, she will use it .... But will the Catholic Church give bond that she will not persecute at all? Will she guarantee absolute freedom and equality of all churches and all faiths? The Catholic Church gives no bonds for her good behavior."-The Western Watchman, December 24, 1908.
7. The little horn would attempt to change God's law.
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws." Daniel 7:25.
I think it only needful that we read one more quotation from the Ecclesiastical Dictionary of the Roman Catholic Church, article on the pope, and see how this answers the prediction of God.
"The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine laws. The Pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth with most ample power of binding and loosing his sheep."-P.F.L. Ferraris, Ecclesiastical Dictionary, art. On the Pope.
We can see clearly how this power has attempted to change the divine law of God today. Every one is acquainted with the Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20 of the Old Testament. If you will turn to any catechism published by the church of Rome, you will discover that the Ten Commandments have been changed. The second commandment is completely left out. This is the commandment that states, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. " But you will also quickly note that they do have ten commandments. This was accomplished by dividing the last commandment and making two out of it. Again we see that the predictions of God are fulfilled in this little horn.
Here are seven points of identity, proving beyond any doubt that the Papacy indeed is the little horn of Daniel 7. Now we have discovered another link in our chain of understanding concerning the beast of Revelation 13, for it is indeed identical with the little horn of Daniel 7. There is no doubt that the little horn and the beast of Revelation 13 are the same.
Can you behold the earnestness of Christ this very hour as He looks down upon us to see how we will receive His warning message? After all, the book of Revelation is His personal message to each of us. We read from its very first verse:
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. " Revelation 1:1.
We have been studying a portion of Revelation very vital to you and to me. Jesus declares in Revelation 14:9:
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. Revelation 14:9, 10.
The Woman, the Moon and the Monster
This old world is in confusion. Centuries ago the pagans set aside the worship of the Creator, and in His place they instituted a form of religion that worships the creation rather than the Creator. For instance, the pagans decided that the sun would make them a good god. Next, they decided that their god needed a wife, so they selected the moon. Children are usually expected from a marriage, so they appointed the stars of heaven to be the offspring. Thus the sun, moon, and stars became the objects of worship, which led the world into deceptions. The tragedy of it all is that great religious organizations in our day still follow much of this pagan philosophy.
In chapter one we made some amazing discoveries. We found that the beast of Revelation 13 is God's caricature of the Papacy. You will recall that our only purpose in studying this great prophecy is to clarify God's last warning message as found in Revelation 14. We studied what God had spoken, and we compared this with recorded history. We also searched out what is admitted by the church. In this way we are in a position to intelligently make our personal decision to this warning of Christ.
There are six undeniable points of identification between the beast of Revelation 18 and the little horn of Daniel 7.
1. Both would blaspheme. Rev. 13:5; Dan. 7:25.
2. Both held universal rulership. Rev. 13:7; Dan. 7:23.
3. Both were a religious power. Rev. 13:8; Dan. 7:24.
4. Both were to rule for 1260 years. Rev. 13:5; Dan. 7:25.
5. Both would try to change God's law. Rev. 13:5,16,17; Dan. 7:25.
6. Both persecute. Rev. 13:17; Dan. 7:25. Therefore, the beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn are one and the same!
Now comes the question. Where did this beast get such power? Many historians agree that it destroyed more than 150 million people, that it ruled the world for more than 1,000 years, and that kings bowed in reverence to its commands. But where did it get such power? Let the Bible give the answer.
"The dragon gave him his power. " Revelation 13:2.
But who is the dragon? God has also revealed this.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. " Revelation 12:7-9
A detailed description of this dragon power is given to us in Revelation 12:3, "and there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. "
In this one verse, God, Who knows the end from the beginning, revealed that there would be just seven time periods given to this world in which Satan (the Dragon) would eventually reign, represented by the seven heads each with a crown. We will discuss the ten horns in chapter six, the last chapter of this book.
Isn't this interesting? Perhaps you have often wondered how wars ever got started. Well, the Bible tells us that war began in heaven. Christ, Who is Michael, and His angels fought against the dragon, and we are told plainly who the dragon is. He is called the old serpent, the Devil, and Satan. So it is clear that the dragon gives the beast its power. But how did the dragon get started here on earth? Turning back to Genesis 3, we find the story of how the dragon, under the guise of a serpent, beguiled Adam and Eve, and thus conquered the world. Note what God says:
'Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. " Genesis 3:1-4.
How sad it is that Adam and Eve decided that they would accept what the serpent had to say rather than believe God. You know the tragic results. Through this sin, man was separated from God; he was lost, without any hope of the future. But God never lets us down. Jesus came all the way from heaven into the Garden and gave Adam and Eve a plan whereby if they were obedient they could once again be restored into eternal happiness. Just think of it. Jesus was willing to give His life and to die in their place! Oh, how we should love Him. As Christ discussed His wonderful plan with Adam and Eve, He made a prophecy. Now notice this very carefully.
'And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this,...I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. " Genesis 3:14,15.
Right here we should stop and find out who the woman is that is mentioned in this text. The prophet Jeremiah tells us:
'I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman." Jeremiah 6:2.
From this we learn that the woman represents Zion. But who is Zion? Well, let's read another verse.
"...say unto Zion, Thou art my people. " Isaiah 51:16.
Thus Zion is God's people; and the Lord has chosen the symbol of a pure woman to represent them.
Now back to our text. 'I will put enmity between thee (the serpent) and the woman (God's people)." Enmity means war, bloodshed, and a struggle. So it began. In this world there are two sides in the conflict-God's side and Satan's side. One is right and the other is wrong. The important factor that determines the difference is over the issue of how God is to be worshiped. This involves the question, "is absolute obedience necessary?" This was the problem that faced the angels in heaven. You know the answer-there was war and Satan was cast out. Since Satan is on the earth, these conditions have not changed. Let us read the story of Cain and Abel.
"And in Process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.-
"But unto Cain and to his offering he had no respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fill." Genesis 4:3-5.
Now get the picture clearly. Abel has built an altar just as God had prescribed and placed a lamb thereon, representing the Lamb of God which was to take away his sins. Abel knelt down before this altar and asked God to forgive him of his sins and to accept the sacrifice. God answered by fire from heaven, thus acknowledging the offering.
But what about Cain? Cain built an altar just like Abel did. But he did not wish to obey God by sacrificing a lamb. He was a man who planted a garden, so he went out and picked some of the vegetables from his garden. These he placed upon his altar. This was not a sacrifice. No life was taken. It was not what God had asked. It was a substitute. If God had accepted that offering, man could have made any doctrine he wanted. But God never accepts a counterfeit. God would have nothing to do with Cain's offering. You will recall the familiar story in the following verses. Cain arose and slew his brother. True indeed were the words, "I will put enmity between thee (the serpent) and the woman (God's people)."
So now there were two distinct sides in this newly created world. Notice the parallel. There is God's side, called the "sons of God." The line of followers were Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. The gate of Eden was considered their headquarters.
All those on Satan's side were called the "sons of man." The line of followers were Cain and his descendants. Their headquarters were in the land of Nod.
As time went by, the devil's side became so wicked that God found it necessary to completely destroy every descendant of the dragon power; but as soon as the Flood was past, the two sides reappeared.
God called Abraham to leave his country and his kindred and go to a new land that God would show him, to be made into a great nation. They were to settle in the land of Canaan. They worshipped the S-0-N, the Son of God. This was the original, the true, religion.
On the other hand, there was the dragon's side, whose followers were known as the Chaldeans. Their territory was Ur of the Chaldees. Their pagan capital was Babel, which later became Babylon. They worshipped the S-U-N, the sun in the heavens. This was known as Baal worship. This was the beginning of a pagan counterfeit religion in the world.
What a struggle went on between these two sides! Paganism continually made inroads into the true religion. You will find it recorded in the book of Kings.
"And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. "2 Kings 23:5.
As the pagan governments decayed or were overthrown, men continued their form of sun worship. Thus paganism was transferred from one nation to another, from Babylon into Medo-Persia, into Greece, and into Rome, sinking the world into its deepest, darkest hour.
It is right here that we discover the seed of the woman appears. Let's go back now to Genesis 3:15.
'And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. " Genesis 3:15.
This distinctly reveals that there was to be a time when the woman was to give birth to a seed and the dragon would have followers who would continue the struggle against God's Son and His followers until the climax was reached and the serpent crushed. Turning to Revelation 12, we are now ready to catch a picture of what happened when the Seed of the woman appeared.
"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to he delivered .... And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to he delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. " Revelation 12:1-5.
Can we find the time when the dragon attempted to destroy the child Jesus when He was born? Indeed we can! You will recall that when the Wise Men made inquiry of Herod after seeing the star of Bethlehem, this king became very suspicious. He was ruling under Caesar Augustus of Rome and he demanded of the Wise Men that they return and tell him where the child could be found. He wanted to find the Christ, that he might kill Him. Angels warned the Magi not to return to Herod, and they also warned Joseph to take the Child from Bethlehem into Egypt. As Herod's suspicions were aroused, he sent his soldiers into Bethlehem to kill every baby boy two years old and under in his attempt to kill Christ.
This clearly reveals how the dragon attempted to destroy the Child as soon as He was born, through his agency of pagan Rome.
The dragon, having failed in his attempt to kill the Christ Child, tried again some 31 years later. This time pagan Rome, the dragon power, crucified the Saviour of the world on a pagan cross. Thus, in a vain effort to keep Christ in the tomb forever, pagan Rome placed its seal upon the tomb with soldier guards to make sure that the seal was not broken.
But, praise God, His angel broke the seal and Christ arose from the grave victorious over Satan! This made it possible for the Seed of the woman, God's true church, to seize the initiative and develop rapidly.
Everywhere men were ready to cast off their superstitions. They gladly received a Saviour Who was willing to die for them. Within a few years Christianity had spread throughout the world. It was recognized as a mighty force. Paganism was on the way out. The Seed of the woman was taking control of the world.
But Satan was determined that this must not be. He decided that it was time for the seed of the dragon to appear, that it might counteract the work of Christianity. So, working through pagan Rome, he brought about a transition in which paganism took on a few of the forms of Christianity, and under its guise, once more began to lead the world astray. As this new power grew, it soon developed into what we call the Papacy. Thus we find the text of Revelation 13:2 being fulfilled.
'And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. "Revelation 1 3:2.
History reveals that the capital of the Roman Empire was moved to Constantinople and that the Bishop of Rome actually sat in the seat of the Caesars.
Gradually this new power was able to change almost every Christian doctrine by adulterating it with paganism.
Let's take a few examples. We will look at Christmas first.
Everyone knows that December 25 is not Christ's birthday. Christmas was a day that was celebrated by the pagans long before the birth of Jesus Christ. Being sun worshipers, they had noticed that on December 21 the sun was farthest from the earth, and that on the 25th of December it began to make its way back toward the earth, thus assuring that there would be another year. This day, December 25, was known as the birthday of the S-U-N. Now, in order for Rome to secure the approval and acceptance of this new type of Christianity among the pagans as well as the Christians, they made December 25, which was a pagan holiday, the birthday of the Son of God.
Let's take Easter as another example. This was not the morning of Christ's resurrection. This custom likewise was developed because of its pagan background. The heathen noticed that their sun god had returned sufficiently to usher in another spring.
There was an abundance of eggs and bunnies. Easter was then dedicated as a great pagan holiday. Easter is always determined by the first Sunday after a full moon after the sun passes the equinox. Were it truly the day commemorating the resurrection of Christ, it would always be the same time each year. But today the date for Easter may vary from year to year by as much as five weeks, because Easter is a pagan holiday determined by the position of the S-U-N.
Mary and the disciples did not go up on the resurrection morning to watch the sun come up. They went out to discover for themselves the open tomb of a risen Saviour. Here again we see the pagan doctrine of sun worship integrated into the Christianity of our time. Thus it is with many of the religious teachings of Rome.
Tracing through history, you will find that the orders of monks and nuns are an outgrowth of paganism. Masterpieces of art dating back to this period of time always reveal a circle over the head of Christ, which in turn was the pagan way of placing the S-U-N over the head of the S-0-N of God.
When Jesus sat at the Lord's Supper He took bread and broke it. Today we find the round wafer, representing the sun, used in celebrating this ordinance, and the custom is spreading into many Protestant denominations.
We appreciate the candid admission of Cardinal Newman in his book Development of Christian Doctrine in which he notes the origin of the doctrines of the Catholic Church by saying:
"Confiding then in the power of Christianity to resist the infection of evil, and to transmute the very instruments and appendages of demon-worship to an evangelical use .... the rulers of the Church ... were prepared ... to adopt, or imitate, or sanction the existing rites and customs of the populace, as well as the philosophy of the educated class. We are told ... by Eusebius, that Constantine, in order to recommend the new religion to the heathen, transferred into it the outward ornaments to which they had been accustomed in their own.
... The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holy days and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (shaving of the head), the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant .... are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church."-Pages 371-373.
Thus the warfare over obedience to God, which began in heaven, continues on the earth. The true system of worship is represented by the woman. The false system of Satan is represented by the dragon. And this warfare is to continue to the very end of time.
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. "Revelation 12:1 7.
You can easily understand why we are studying this last warning message of God.
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God." Revelation 14:9,10.
We must not follow paganistic customs in our worship of the Creator. God will have none of it. This presentation has been a clear picture of the struggle now going on within this world, but there is a brighter side. God declares that His people will be victorious. In Genesis 3:15 we read that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head. While the church has been persecuted, and the death of Christ made a necessity for salvation, the resurrected Lord Himself shall return soon as Kings of kings and victoriously put an end to the old dragon and all who follow him throughout the ages. This will forever settle the struggle and assure a great victory when the dragon and the beast are destroyed.
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelation 20:10.
The Deadly Wound
We begin this chapter with a text that sounds as if it were taken out of a modern mystery story. It has all the earmarks of suspense. Note carefully.
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3.
In the previous chapter, we spent our time studying events that have already taken place in history and been prophesied of in the Bible. As we have covered each of these amazing predictions and have seen how each has come to pass as God foretold, our confidence in God's Word has increased.
Now we come to a new phase. We have arrived at a place in the study of this prophecy in which we shall find that the beast is actually affecting the very life of each one of us. In other words, we will be coming down to the events of our own day.
You will recall that we discovered that this beast was made up of a portion from each of the preceding world powers that have continued through the centuries. It has the head from the lion, representing the pagan sun worship of old Babylon. It has the feet from the bear, continuing the pagan philosophies of Medo-Persia. Likewise it has the body of the leopard, with its paganistic teachings of the Greeks. Finally, it has ten horns, representing the doctrines of pagan Rome as it divided into ten kingdoms. Here indeed is a caricature depicting the pagan religions that infiltrated each succeeding world power through the centuries of time.
Most important of all, we found this beast to be dominated by a little horn, for the little horn and the beast of Revelation 13 are one and the same in their purpose and characteristics. This power we discovered to be that of the Roman Catholic system, which is now widely acclaimed throughout the world.
May I refresh your memory with the serious indictments that the Word of God gives in pinpointing this power?
1. It was to arise among ten divisions of the Roman Empire (Daniel 7:8).
2. It would destroy three of the ten kingdoms (Daniel 7:8).
3. It would speak great words against the Most High (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:6). 4. It would wear out the saints of the Most High (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7).
5. It would be guilty of blasphemy (Revelation 13:6; Daniel 7:25).
6. It would attempt to change the divine law (Daniel 7:25).
7. It would exercise its power over all kindred's and tongues and nations (Revelation 13:7).
Now in addition to these seven most important points there are four more that God has clearly pointed out, so there would be no mistake or reason for doubt as to just who this power represents. First, permit me to list them; then we will study each in detail.
8. The dragon would give his power, his seat, and his great authority to this beast (Revelation 13:2).
9. It was to continue in world domination for a period of 1260 years (Revelation 13:5; Daniel 7:25).
10. It would receive a mortal wound (Revelation 13:3).
11. It would amaze the whole world, for its deadly wound would be healed (Revelation 13:3).
When we are finished there will be no question in your mind that this is indeed the papal power, as prophesied by God.
Let us go to Scripture for study of the first of these four parts.
'And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Revelation 1 3:2.
In our previous studies we have learned that the dragon is Satan. Notice that he is to give his power and his seat and his great authority to the Papacy. Just how was this to be accomplished? By passing it on from generation to generation. When old Babylon went down to destruction, the dragon transferred all his power to the new kingdom of Medo-Persia, which followed Babylon. Likewise, as nations came and went, he simply passed on his power, his seat, and his authority to the new nation taking its place in the world. Thus we have the sequence-Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and finally, papal Rome.
Please note how carefully every word of this prophecy has been fulfilled. It says the dragon gave him his power. The dragon's power has always consisted of force. He compels. It is so vastly different from that of Christ, who says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."John 14:15. Throughout all history the dragon power has been the civil arm of government enforcing pagan philosophies. The Church of Rome willingly accepts the fact that she received her temporal power from the Caesars who ruled pagan Rome. We read from her writers the following:
"Long ages ago, when Rome through the neglect of the Western emperors was left to the mercy of the barbarous hordes, the Romans turned to one figure for aid and protection, and asked him to rule them; and thus, in this simple manner, the best title of all to kingly right, commenced the temporal sovereignty of the popes. And meekly stepping to the throne of Caesar, the vicar of Christ took up the scepter to which the emperors and kings of Europe were to bow in reverence through so many ages."-Rev. James P. Conroy, American Catholic Quarterly Review, April, 1911.
Now what about his seat? It is no secret that when the Bishop of Rome took over his power from that of pagan Rome he sat in the very seat of the Caesars; that is, he ruled from the same city.
In the year A.D. 330 the capital of the Roman Empire was moved to Constantinople, which left the Western Church to pick up her leadership from the very seat of the Caesars. Let's read the quotation from an article quoting the pope himself in 1922.
"What the Pope himself thinks of the relationship of Rome to the Papacy is quite different. In his first Encyclical Ubi Arcano (Dec. 23, 1922) he wrote of 'Italy, our own dear native land, the country where the hand of God, who guides the course of history, has set down the Chair of His Vicar on earth, in this city of Rome which, from being the capital of the wonderful Roman Empire, was made by Him the capital of the whole world, because He made it the seat of a sovereignty which, since it extends beyond the confines of nations and States, embraces within itself all the peoples of the whole world."'-Translated by the Very Rev. James H. Ryan in The Encyclicals of Pius XI (St. Louis: Herder, 1927), p. 44. Quoted by W.W. Rockwell in Current History Magazine, August, 1929, p. 827. (Italics supplied).
This brings us again to the last part of the above verse in Revelation 13:2-"and the dragon gave him his ... great authority." What has always been the authority of Rome? It has been her religion. These doctrines and claims have been handed down through centuries and centuries of tradition. Her teaching of penance, of celibacy in the priesthood, of sprinkling, purgatory, the mass, the use of holy water, et cetera, constitute the authority of the Church.Thus we see clearly the fulfillment of the specifications laid down by God.
In the same chapter of Revelation, in verse 5, we come to another amazing prediction.
'And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. " Revelation 13:5.
Let's do a little arithmetic. A Bible month is composed of thirty days, and since there are forty-two months mentioned, we find that thirty times forty-two equals 1260 days. Now there is a Bible rule for us always to remember in studying prophecy. This is that a day stands for a year.
"I have appointed thee each day for a year. Ezekiel 4:6.
42 months x 3O days to the Bible month 1260 days or years
So 1260 days equal 1260 years. God is being very explicit now. This power is to continue for 1260 literal years. When did the Papacy come into being? You will recall that it rose in the year A.D.538 when it destroyed the last of the three little horns and thus assumed supremacy over the other seven. Now if you will add 1260 years to the year 538 you will find that it brings us to the year A.D.1798. We would expect something tragic to happen to the Papacy in this year, according to the prophecy. This is most easy to discover. Volumes have been written about it, for on February 10, 1798, the exact year predicted by God, the Papacy received a mighty blow. Berthier, Napoleon's French general, entered Rome and took the pope prisoner and he died in exile.
But note how carefully God has pointed out these details. The Scripture describes this event as follows:
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death. " Revelation 13:3.
Let us turn again to Current History magazine of August, 1929, to a letter written by the pope himself. In it you will note that he declared himself to be the head of the papal organization.
"That the Holy See is the supreme organ of the Catholic Church throughout the world and that, therefore, the Holy See is the legitimate representative of the organization of the Church in Italy cannot be said, excepting in the sense in which it is said that the head is the supreme organ of the human body." Page 848.
But what is even more astounding is the fact that the Papacy uses the very same word as is found in the Scripture in referring to this incident as the wound. Again we quote from the pope's letter.
"We say that our hopes have been disappointed because the long negotiations, although they had not always been easy, had opened our soul to the brightest hopes, and what of all things we least expected were expressions that are heretical, worse than heretical, regarding the very essence of Christianity and of Catholicism. Efforts have been made to heal the wound."-Full text of the pope's letter in Current History, August, 1929, p. 847.
Isn't this tremendous? God says, "and the deadly wound was healed. " The pope wrote, "Efforts have been made to heal the wound."
Perhaps it would be well to pause here and ask how it was possible that such a wound could be inflicted on the Papacy with such a deadly effect.
For more than a thousand years the Papacy was recognized as the world leader. Kings bowed down in reverence. Her every demand was obediently answered. Nations went to war at the command of this power. Men willingly died for her. What change came about that made possible the wounding of such a power? Permit me to give you the answer. The Papacy went so far in leading the world deeper and deeper into paganism that thinking men began to stop and ask questions. So many of the divine truths of God were adulterated with paganism that men like Wycliffe, Huss, Jerome, Luther, and other mighty leaders arose and began to ask the Church for a reform. Being denied, a movement known as Protestantism developed among the peoples of Europe. This grew to such an extent and power that Berthier, the French general, dared to do what no other person had ever dared to do for more than a thousand years. In the year 1798 he personally took his troops into Rome and took the pope prisoner. It was Protestantism that prepared the way and made possible the deadly wound.
Such prophecy and its fulfillment is very intriguing. But now God's Word says:
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. " Revelation 13:3.
Wonder of wonders! The wound was to be healed. As time went on and the world was engulfed in the first world war, Protestantism suffered greatly. Throughout Europe there were signs of its deterioration. A new spirit of liberalism arose, making possible the rise of such men as Mussolini and Hitler. From the very beginning of the dictatorship of Mussolini, both the church and the state determined to settle the Roman question. On February 11, 1929, a concordat was signed restoring the place of the Papacy, thus healing the deadly wound.
The Church of Rome declared that the Roman question was finally settled.
"The Treaty ends with the Pope's recognition of the legitimacy of the dynasty of Savoy, and his solemn declaration that he is fully satisfied with the independence guaranteed him for the carrying out of his spiritual primacy. The Roman Question is finally settled."-The Question Box, p. 167.
We would be amazed if we could see the great parade of ambassadors that yearly visit the Holy See, streaming in from countries all over the world. One of the greatest of all marvels is that France, who was so bitter against the Roman Catholic power and who actually brought about the deadly wound, has now reversed itself. Even England, who for four hundred years had been staunchly Protestant in nature, now has its ambassador at the Holy See. One by one the nations are bowing to the beast, and this is affecting our lives today.
Take the movie industry, for instance, and consider the number of pictures that are developed for the screen and television that portray a Roman Catholic priest.
We find that the Catholic press is among the greatest in the world, touching every major newspaper and providing enormous amounts of news slanted to its doctrines.
Today the Papacy is recognized around the world as the coming leader of the New World Order. There are nations today that are wholly dominated by the papal power. Truly the words are fulfilled as God wrote:
,And all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3.
What is coming next? We will let the Bible answer this also.
"And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed .... And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. " Revelation 13:12, 15-1 7.
Friends, this is sad news. Force is again to be used in this old world. The worship of the beast, the worship of his image, under a penalty of death is the new order to come.
The Beast of Revelation 13
The knowledge of the Antichrist is like a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece of information found throughout the Bible must be placed in its proper position. When this is accomplished, behold the Antichrist will stand before you so clearly and so simple to understand that you will praise God for revealing this truth to you.
Let's begin by discovering who this mystery beast of Revelation 13 represents by reading God's description of the beast.
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast. " Revelation 13:1-3.
The beast of Revelation 13 is made up of parts. Every part or act of this beast must be determined by Bible interpretation so that we can intelligently make our decision. There must be no guessing. We must know beyond a doubt. Since there is only one unquestioned authority, we must turn to the Word of God for clarification.
First of all, before beginning this discovery, I would like to share with you a secret of all Bible students. In the Holy Word the book of Daniel helps us to understand the book of Revelation. Likewise, the book of Revelation helps to explain the book of Daniel. So, naturally, in looking for our answer concerning the beast of Revelation 13, we shall turn to Daniel 7, where God gives us a full explanation. It's amazing that the answers we are looking for in our day were given by God to Daniel 550 years before Christ was born on this earth. This, of course, only goes to prove that God knows the beginning to the end of time. Now let us listen to the prophet speak, as recorded in Daniel 7:2:
"Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea."Daniel 7:2
Will you join me in using your imagination to visualize the events exactly as Daniel saw them. Picture this great sea the prophet was looking at. The four winds of heaven are blowing upon the waters, causing the waves to beat against one another like a sea frenzied by a hurricane.
Now what does this stand for? No guessing, remember, we want only a Bible answer.
First, let's take the waters. Remember our secret? Revelation should explain. So we turn to chapter 17 and read:
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. " Revelation 1 7.15.
God made this simple to understand. Waters represent peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. How often we have used the expression "a great sea of faces" when describing a crowd of people.
The second fact we need to know concerns the wind. In the Scriptures the designation of wind has always been used as a symbol of war. Please note:
"Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind .... Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets." Jeremiah 51:1,4.
So this is the setting. The sea of waters represents the peoples of the earth. The wind blowing upon the waters reveals the people to be in a state of war. From such a condition we would expect the political climate of the people to change, and this is exactly what happens. 'And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. " Daniel 7.3.
See how easy it is to understand prophecy? The Bible explains itself!
We are ready to examine this first beast. The prophet describes him as follows:
"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. " Daniel 7.-4.
Who is this lion? God supplies information through His prophet. We read:
"The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail. Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong." Jeremiah 50:43,44.
Thus the Babylonian Empire arose in the year 606 B.C. But what of the wings? In the British Museum you will find a great stone taken from the ancient city of Babylon-which portrays a lion with wings! This was actually the symbol of the old city of Babylon.
The phrase "the man's heart" denotes a coming time and experience of weakness when Babylon would be overcome and destroyed, thus opening the way for a second world kingdom.
"and behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it. and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh." Daniel 7.5.
The bear is God's caricature of the next world power. Persia conquered the world in the year 538 B.C. You observed the bear, that it was devouring three ribs in its mouth. Old Babylon was composed of exactly three provinces, namely, Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. The conquering power of Persia destroyed all three. But what is so amazing is that God gives such details. He says the bear raised himself on one side. When Medo-Persia became strong, the Persians overthrew the Medes. Let us continue.
"After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl, the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. Daniel 7.6.
Everyone knows that the next universal power in world history was that of Greece, which developed in the year 331 B.C. This beast had four wings to indicate that it would swiftly conquer the world.
Alexander the Great conquered the world in only twelve years, without the aid of anything like our modern methods of warfare or travel. This was considered a miracle in that day.
Now look closely. This beast had four heads. God never leaves any reason for doubt. History reveals that Alexander died at the early age of 33. He conquered the world but could not conquer his own temper. He died of fatigue and disease, without leaving any posterity to carry on the kingdom. So his realm was divided among the four generals-Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, Ptolemy-who continued to rule the world under the fourth beast. Isn't it amazing how God foretells the future? Then God said another world power would soon arise.
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. Daniel 7:7.
This fourth beast represents old pagan Rome which began its reign in the year 168 B.C. It was a dreadful power-as God described it-having great iron teeth. The historian Edward Gibbon, in writing of its history, describes the Roman enemies as broken by the iron monarchy of Rome.
We have now come in history to the time of the cross. Pagan Rome was ruling the world when Jesus was born, and it was under pagan rule that He was so cruelly crucified in A.D. 31. At this time world affairs had reached their lowest ebb, and men were about to be swallowed up in pagan philosophy. They were dying without a hope for the future, but Jesus came to deliver men and women and to show them the way of life. How wonderful God is. He never fails us.
Now the Scripture describes this beast as having ten horns. They represent the ten kingdoms that pagan Rome was divided into in the year A.D. 476.
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise." Daniel 7:24
Now it is time for us to discover what we have been learning concerning the beast of Revelation 13. Perhaps you are unaware that while we have been studying Daniel 7 we have actually been discovering all about the beast of Revelation 13. To refresh our memory, let's read it once more.
'And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. " Revelation 13:1,2.
Now get ready for the surprise. God is a great caricaturist. He simply took a part of each of these four beasts that we have been studying in Daniel and put them all together, thus making the beast of Revelation 13. He took the "mouth" from the lion representing Babylon. He took the "feet" from the bear-MedoPersia. He took the "body" of a leopard from the leopard-Greece. The "ten horns" He took from the divided kingdoms of old Rome. Putting these all together, we now see clearly a picture of what is represented in this beast of Revelation 13.
See how simple prophecy is? This is no guess work. God has revealed every detail. The beast of Revelation 13 is a definite part of all these pagan nations. We must go on. There is much more to be revealed. Let us continue in our study of this ten-horn caricature of Daniel 7.
"I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. " Daniel 7.8.
Who is this little horn? In prophecy a horn stands for a king.
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise." Daniel 7:24.
We must abide by the word of God. Before we go further, we would like to stress this observation: We are presenting God's final warning message that is so vital to the people of all churches, whether they be Catholics, Protestants, or Jews. What we are discussing is a part of this last warning. It has come to us from the lips of Jesus, Who desires that all men might be saved. He wants every one of us to be ready to go to heaven when He comes the second time. We are only revealing what God has already written in the Book. You will soon see that it is necessary for God to point out a certain organization in our world as a means to give us guidance in how to heed His last warning message.
Now back to the question-What of this little horn? We will follow these simple methods in our discussions, which we believe you will find acceptable. (1) We will permit God to give the clue. (2) Authoritative history will substantiate God's claim. (3) The church will declare its position from its authoritative statements. With these objectives in mind, let us closely study the following seven points of identification concerning the little horn.
To begin with, let us make the following statement, then back it up with these proofs. We will discover that the little horn represents the organization in the world called the Papacy.
1. Let us note proof of this fact because of the time of its appearance. it must appear after the division of the Roman Empire.
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;" Daniel 7:24.
The Papacy was established in A.D. 538 when it subdued the Ostrogoths. The ten horns, or the divided kingdom, was established in A.D. 476. Thus you can see at a glance that the Papacy arose after the ten kingdoms, exactly as the prophecy states, "and another shall rise after them. "
2. This little horn would differ in its nature of authority.
"And he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Daniel 7:24.
The Papacy has always been a religious power. The other ten kingdoms were of a temporal nature, dealing in matters of state only. Thus this point is substantiated-the Papacy is different.
3. The little horn would destroy three kings.
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Daniel 7:24.
History reveals that the Papacy destroyed three of the ten kingdoms, which were as follows. (1) The Heruli in A.D. 493, (2) the Vandals in A.D. 534, (3) the Ostrogoths in A.D. 538. From The Question Box, by Conway, on page 166, we read that the church admits destroying three powers in securing her temporal sovereign. I quote:
"The distance from Constantinople, the interrupted communications with the Exarch of Ravenna, the constant fighting against the Goths, the Huns and the Lombards, the putting down of rebellions against the Emperor in Rome itself-all tended to turn the Pope willingly or unwillingly, into a temporal sovereign (Hodgkin, Italy, v., 355)."
Please note that seven out of the original ten nations are still in existence today-Germany, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland. This is just as God declared. What a marvelous fulfillment of prophecy!
4. The little horn would have eyes like a man.
'I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Daniel 7:8. This great organization is headed by a man. All the world today recognizes him as the Pope.
5. The little horn would speak against God.
"And he shall speak great words against the most High " Daniel 7:25.
Again we quote from authentic Catholic writings:
"All names which in the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that he is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope."-R.F. Bellarmine, On the Authority of Councils, vol. II, book 2, chap. 17, p. 266 (ed. 1619).
"The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God."-P.F.L. Ferraris, Ecclesiastical Dictionary, art. On the Pope.
You have discovered five amazing predictions. Now permit me to bring you the last two. These are likewise based upon the Word of God.
6. The little horn would persecute.
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High." Daniel 7:25.
How true these words have proved in history. There are many sources to choose from, but let us read just one.
"That the Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no
Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history. The memorials, indeed, of many of her persecutions are now so scanty, that it is impossible to form a complete conception of the multitude of her victims, and it is quite certain that no powers of imagination can adequately realize their suffering."-William Edward Hartpole Lecky, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, vol. 2 (London: Longmans, Green, and Company, 1904), p. 32.
Perhaps it would be well here to read something from the church. She admits freely that she has persecuted. Notice this carefully.
"The church has persecuted. Only a tyro in church history will deny that .... One hundred and fifty years after Constantine the Donatists were persecuted and sometimes put to death ... Protestants were persecuted in France and Spain with the full approval of the church authorities. We have always defended the persecution of the Huguenots, and the Spanish Inquisition. Wherever and whenever there is honest Catholicity, there will be a clear distinction drawn between truth and error, and Catholicity and all forms of heresy. When she thinks it good to use physical force, she will use it .... But will the Catholic Church give bond that she will not persecute at all? Will she guarantee absolute freedom and equality of all churches and all faiths? The Catholic Church gives no bonds for her good behavior."-The Western Watchman, December 24, 1908.
7. The little horn would attempt to change God's law.
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws." Daniel 7:25.
I think it only needful that we read one more quotation from the Ecclesiastical Dictionary of the Roman Catholic Church, article on the pope, and see how this answers the prediction of God.
"The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine laws. The Pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth with most ample power of binding and loosing his sheep."-P.F.L. Ferraris, Ecclesiastical Dictionary, art. On the Pope.
We can see clearly how this power has attempted to change the divine law of God today. Every one is acquainted with the Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20 of the Old Testament. If you will turn to any catechism published by the church of Rome, you will discover that the Ten Commandments have been changed. The second commandment is completely left out. This is the commandment that states, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. " But you will also quickly note that they do have ten commandments. This was accomplished by dividing the last commandment and making two out of it. Again we see that the predictions of God are fulfilled in this little horn.
Here are seven points of identity, proving beyond any doubt that the Papacy indeed is the little horn of Daniel 7. Now we have discovered another link in our chain of understanding concerning the beast of Revelation 13, for it is indeed identical with the little horn of Daniel 7. There is no doubt that the little horn and the beast of Revelation 13 are the same.
Can you behold the earnestness of Christ this very hour as He looks down upon us to see how we will receive His warning message? After all, the book of Revelation is His personal message to each of us. We read from its very first verse:
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. " Revelation 1:1.
We have been studying a portion of Revelation very vital to you and to me. Jesus declares in Revelation 14:9:
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. Revelation 14:9, 10.
The Woman, the Moon and the Monster
This old world is in confusion. Centuries ago the pagans set aside the worship of the Creator, and in His place they instituted a form of religion that worships the creation rather than the Creator. For instance, the pagans decided that the sun would make them a good god. Next, they decided that their god needed a wife, so they selected the moon. Children are usually expected from a marriage, so they appointed the stars of heaven to be the offspring. Thus the sun, moon, and stars became the objects of worship, which led the world into deceptions. The tragedy of it all is that great religious organizations in our day still follow much of this pagan philosophy.
In chapter one we made some amazing discoveries. We found that the beast of Revelation 13 is God's caricature of the Papacy. You will recall that our only purpose in studying this great prophecy is to clarify God's last warning message as found in Revelation 14. We studied what God had spoken, and we compared this with recorded history. We also searched out what is admitted by the church. In this way we are in a position to intelligently make our personal decision to this warning of Christ.
There are six undeniable points of identification between the beast of Revelation 18 and the little horn of Daniel 7.
1. Both would blaspheme. Rev. 13:5; Dan. 7:25.
2. Both held universal rulership. Rev. 13:7; Dan. 7:23.
3. Both were a religious power. Rev. 13:8; Dan. 7:24.
4. Both were to rule for 1260 years. Rev. 13:5; Dan. 7:25.
5. Both would try to change God's law. Rev. 13:5,16,17; Dan. 7:25.
6. Both persecute. Rev. 13:17; Dan. 7:25. Therefore, the beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn are one and the same!
Now comes the question. Where did this beast get such power? Many historians agree that it destroyed more than 150 million people, that it ruled the world for more than 1,000 years, and that kings bowed in reverence to its commands. But where did it get such power? Let the Bible give the answer.
"The dragon gave him his power. " Revelation 13:2.
But who is the dragon? God has also revealed this.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. " Revelation 12:7-9
A detailed description of this dragon power is given to us in Revelation 12:3, "and there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. "
In this one verse, God, Who knows the end from the beginning, revealed that there would be just seven time periods given to this world in which Satan (the Dragon) would eventually reign, represented by the seven heads each with a crown. We will discuss the ten horns in chapter six, the last chapter of this book.
Isn't this interesting? Perhaps you have often wondered how wars ever got started. Well, the Bible tells us that war began in heaven. Christ, Who is Michael, and His angels fought against the dragon, and we are told plainly who the dragon is. He is called the old serpent, the Devil, and Satan. So it is clear that the dragon gives the beast its power. But how did the dragon get started here on earth? Turning back to Genesis 3, we find the story of how the dragon, under the guise of a serpent, beguiled Adam and Eve, and thus conquered the world. Note what God says:
'Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. " Genesis 3:1-4.
How sad it is that Adam and Eve decided that they would accept what the serpent had to say rather than believe God. You know the tragic results. Through this sin, man was separated from God; he was lost, without any hope of the future. But God never lets us down. Jesus came all the way from heaven into the Garden and gave Adam and Eve a plan whereby if they were obedient they could once again be restored into eternal happiness. Just think of it. Jesus was willing to give His life and to die in their place! Oh, how we should love Him. As Christ discussed His wonderful plan with Adam and Eve, He made a prophecy. Now notice this very carefully.
'And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this,...I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. " Genesis 3:14,15.
Right here we should stop and find out who the woman is that is mentioned in this text. The prophet Jeremiah tells us:
'I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman." Jeremiah 6:2.
From this we learn that the woman represents Zion. But who is Zion? Well, let's read another verse.
"...say unto Zion, Thou art my people. " Isaiah 51:16.
Thus Zion is God's people; and the Lord has chosen the symbol of a pure woman to represent them.
Now back to our text. 'I will put enmity between thee (the serpent) and the woman (God's people)." Enmity means war, bloodshed, and a struggle. So it began. In this world there are two sides in the conflict-God's side and Satan's side. One is right and the other is wrong. The important factor that determines the difference is over the issue of how God is to be worshiped. This involves the question, "is absolute obedience necessary?" This was the problem that faced the angels in heaven. You know the answer-there was war and Satan was cast out. Since Satan is on the earth, these conditions have not changed. Let us read the story of Cain and Abel.
"And in Process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.-
"But unto Cain and to his offering he had no respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fill." Genesis 4:3-5.
Now get the picture clearly. Abel has built an altar just as God had prescribed and placed a lamb thereon, representing the Lamb of God which was to take away his sins. Abel knelt down before this altar and asked God to forgive him of his sins and to accept the sacrifice. God answered by fire from heaven, thus acknowledging the offering.
But what about Cain? Cain built an altar just like Abel did. But he did not wish to obey God by sacrificing a lamb. He was a man who planted a garden, so he went out and picked some of the vegetables from his garden. These he placed upon his altar. This was not a sacrifice. No life was taken. It was not what God had asked. It was a substitute. If God had accepted that offering, man could have made any doctrine he wanted. But God never accepts a counterfeit. God would have nothing to do with Cain's offering. You will recall the familiar story in the following verses. Cain arose and slew his brother. True indeed were the words, "I will put enmity between thee (the serpent) and the woman (God's people)."
So now there were two distinct sides in this newly created world. Notice the parallel. There is God's side, called the "sons of God." The line of followers were Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. The gate of Eden was considered their headquarters.
All those on Satan's side were called the "sons of man." The line of followers were Cain and his descendants. Their headquarters were in the land of Nod.
As time went by, the devil's side became so wicked that God found it necessary to completely destroy every descendant of the dragon power; but as soon as the Flood was past, the two sides reappeared.
God called Abraham to leave his country and his kindred and go to a new land that God would show him, to be made into a great nation. They were to settle in the land of Canaan. They worshipped the S-0-N, the Son of God. This was the original, the true, religion.
On the other hand, there was the dragon's side, whose followers were known as the Chaldeans. Their territory was Ur of the Chaldees. Their pagan capital was Babel, which later became Babylon. They worshipped the S-U-N, the sun in the heavens. This was known as Baal worship. This was the beginning of a pagan counterfeit religion in the world.
What a struggle went on between these two sides! Paganism continually made inroads into the true religion. You will find it recorded in the book of Kings.
"And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. "2 Kings 23:5.
As the pagan governments decayed or were overthrown, men continued their form of sun worship. Thus paganism was transferred from one nation to another, from Babylon into Medo-Persia, into Greece, and into Rome, sinking the world into its deepest, darkest hour.
It is right here that we discover the seed of the woman appears. Let's go back now to Genesis 3:15.
'And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. " Genesis 3:15.
This distinctly reveals that there was to be a time when the woman was to give birth to a seed and the dragon would have followers who would continue the struggle against God's Son and His followers until the climax was reached and the serpent crushed. Turning to Revelation 12, we are now ready to catch a picture of what happened when the Seed of the woman appeared.
"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to he delivered .... And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to he delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. " Revelation 12:1-5.
Can we find the time when the dragon attempted to destroy the child Jesus when He was born? Indeed we can! You will recall that when the Wise Men made inquiry of Herod after seeing the star of Bethlehem, this king became very suspicious. He was ruling under Caesar Augustus of Rome and he demanded of the Wise Men that they return and tell him where the child could be found. He wanted to find the Christ, that he might kill Him. Angels warned the Magi not to return to Herod, and they also warned Joseph to take the Child from Bethlehem into Egypt. As Herod's suspicions were aroused, he sent his soldiers into Bethlehem to kill every baby boy two years old and under in his attempt to kill Christ.
This clearly reveals how the dragon attempted to destroy the Child as soon as He was born, through his agency of pagan Rome.
The dragon, having failed in his attempt to kill the Christ Child, tried again some 31 years later. This time pagan Rome, the dragon power, crucified the Saviour of the world on a pagan cross. Thus, in a vain effort to keep Christ in the tomb forever, pagan Rome placed its seal upon the tomb with soldier guards to make sure that the seal was not broken.
But, praise God, His angel broke the seal and Christ arose from the grave victorious over Satan! This made it possible for the Seed of the woman, God's true church, to seize the initiative and develop rapidly.
Everywhere men were ready to cast off their superstitions. They gladly received a Saviour Who was willing to die for them. Within a few years Christianity had spread throughout the world. It was recognized as a mighty force. Paganism was on the way out. The Seed of the woman was taking control of the world.
But Satan was determined that this must not be. He decided that it was time for the seed of the dragon to appear, that it might counteract the work of Christianity. So, working through pagan Rome, he brought about a transition in which paganism took on a few of the forms of Christianity, and under its guise, once more began to lead the world astray. As this new power grew, it soon developed into what we call the Papacy. Thus we find the text of Revelation 13:2 being fulfilled.
'And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. "Revelation 1 3:2.
History reveals that the capital of the Roman Empire was moved to Constantinople and that the Bishop of Rome actually sat in the seat of the Caesars.
Gradually this new power was able to change almost every Christian doctrine by adulterating it with paganism.
Let's take a few examples. We will look at Christmas first.
Everyone knows that December 25 is not Christ's birthday. Christmas was a day that was celebrated by the pagans long before the birth of Jesus Christ. Being sun worshipers, they had noticed that on December 21 the sun was farthest from the earth, and that on the 25th of December it began to make its way back toward the earth, thus assuring that there would be another year. This day, December 25, was known as the birthday of the S-U-N. Now, in order for Rome to secure the approval and acceptance of this new type of Christianity among the pagans as well as the Christians, they made December 25, which was a pagan holiday, the birthday of the Son of God.
Let's take Easter as another example. This was not the morning of Christ's resurrection. This custom likewise was developed because of its pagan background. The heathen noticed that their sun god had returned sufficiently to usher in another spring.
There was an abundance of eggs and bunnies. Easter was then dedicated as a great pagan holiday. Easter is always determined by the first Sunday after a full moon after the sun passes the equinox. Were it truly the day commemorating the resurrection of Christ, it would always be the same time each year. But today the date for Easter may vary from year to year by as much as five weeks, because Easter is a pagan holiday determined by the position of the S-U-N.
Mary and the disciples did not go up on the resurrection morning to watch the sun come up. They went out to discover for themselves the open tomb of a risen Saviour. Here again we see the pagan doctrine of sun worship integrated into the Christianity of our time. Thus it is with many of the religious teachings of Rome.
Tracing through history, you will find that the orders of monks and nuns are an outgrowth of paganism. Masterpieces of art dating back to this period of time always reveal a circle over the head of Christ, which in turn was the pagan way of placing the S-U-N over the head of the S-0-N of God.
When Jesus sat at the Lord's Supper He took bread and broke it. Today we find the round wafer, representing the sun, used in celebrating this ordinance, and the custom is spreading into many Protestant denominations.
We appreciate the candid admission of Cardinal Newman in his book Development of Christian Doctrine in which he notes the origin of the doctrines of the Catholic Church by saying:
"Confiding then in the power of Christianity to resist the infection of evil, and to transmute the very instruments and appendages of demon-worship to an evangelical use .... the rulers of the Church ... were prepared ... to adopt, or imitate, or sanction the existing rites and customs of the populace, as well as the philosophy of the educated class. We are told ... by Eusebius, that Constantine, in order to recommend the new religion to the heathen, transferred into it the outward ornaments to which they had been accustomed in their own.
... The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holy days and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (shaving of the head), the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant .... are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church."-Pages 371-373.
Thus the warfare over obedience to God, which began in heaven, continues on the earth. The true system of worship is represented by the woman. The false system of Satan is represented by the dragon. And this warfare is to continue to the very end of time.
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. "Revelation 12:1 7.
You can easily understand why we are studying this last warning message of God.
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God." Revelation 14:9,10.
We must not follow paganistic customs in our worship of the Creator. God will have none of it. This presentation has been a clear picture of the struggle now going on within this world, but there is a brighter side. God declares that His people will be victorious. In Genesis 3:15 we read that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head. While the church has been persecuted, and the death of Christ made a necessity for salvation, the resurrected Lord Himself shall return soon as Kings of kings and victoriously put an end to the old dragon and all who follow him throughout the ages. This will forever settle the struggle and assure a great victory when the dragon and the beast are destroyed.
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelation 20:10.
The Deadly Wound
We begin this chapter with a text that sounds as if it were taken out of a modern mystery story. It has all the earmarks of suspense. Note carefully.
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3.
In the previous chapter, we spent our time studying events that have already taken place in history and been prophesied of in the Bible. As we have covered each of these amazing predictions and have seen how each has come to pass as God foretold, our confidence in God's Word has increased.
Now we come to a new phase. We have arrived at a place in the study of this prophecy in which we shall find that the beast is actually affecting the very life of each one of us. In other words, we will be coming down to the events of our own day.
You will recall that we discovered that this beast was made up of a portion from each of the preceding world powers that have continued through the centuries. It has the head from the lion, representing the pagan sun worship of old Babylon. It has the feet from the bear, continuing the pagan philosophies of Medo-Persia. Likewise it has the body of the leopard, with its paganistic teachings of the Greeks. Finally, it has ten horns, representing the doctrines of pagan Rome as it divided into ten kingdoms. Here indeed is a caricature depicting the pagan religions that infiltrated each succeeding world power through the centuries of time.
Most important of all, we found this beast to be dominated by a little horn, for the little horn and the beast of Revelation 13 are one and the same in their purpose and characteristics. This power we discovered to be that of the Roman Catholic system, which is now widely acclaimed throughout the world.
May I refresh your memory with the serious indictments that the Word of God gives in pinpointing this power?
1. It was to arise among ten divisions of the Roman Empire (Daniel 7:8).
2. It would destroy three of the ten kingdoms (Daniel 7:8).
3. It would speak great words against the Most High (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:6). 4. It would wear out the saints of the Most High (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7).
5. It would be guilty of blasphemy (Revelation 13:6; Daniel 7:25).
6. It would attempt to change the divine law (Daniel 7:25).
7. It would exercise its power over all kindred's and tongues and nations (Revelation 13:7).
Now in addition to these seven most important points there are four more that God has clearly pointed out, so there would be no mistake or reason for doubt as to just who this power represents. First, permit me to list them; then we will study each in detail.
8. The dragon would give his power, his seat, and his great authority to this beast (Revelation 13:2).
9. It was to continue in world domination for a period of 1260 years (Revelation 13:5; Daniel 7:25).
10. It would receive a mortal wound (Revelation 13:3).
11. It would amaze the whole world, for its deadly wound would be healed (Revelation 13:3).
When we are finished there will be no question in your mind that this is indeed the papal power, as prophesied by God.
Let us go to Scripture for study of the first of these four parts.
'And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Revelation 1 3:2.
In our previous studies we have learned that the dragon is Satan. Notice that he is to give his power and his seat and his great authority to the Papacy. Just how was this to be accomplished? By passing it on from generation to generation. When old Babylon went down to destruction, the dragon transferred all his power to the new kingdom of Medo-Persia, which followed Babylon. Likewise, as nations came and went, he simply passed on his power, his seat, and his authority to the new nation taking its place in the world. Thus we have the sequence-Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and finally, papal Rome.
Please note how carefully every word of this prophecy has been fulfilled. It says the dragon gave him his power. The dragon's power has always consisted of force. He compels. It is so vastly different from that of Christ, who says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."John 14:15. Throughout all history the dragon power has been the civil arm of government enforcing pagan philosophies. The Church of Rome willingly accepts the fact that she received her temporal power from the Caesars who ruled pagan Rome. We read from her writers the following:
"Long ages ago, when Rome through the neglect of the Western emperors was left to the mercy of the barbarous hordes, the Romans turned to one figure for aid and protection, and asked him to rule them; and thus, in this simple manner, the best title of all to kingly right, commenced the temporal sovereignty of the popes. And meekly stepping to the throne of Caesar, the vicar of Christ took up the scepter to which the emperors and kings of Europe were to bow in reverence through so many ages."-Rev. James P. Conroy, American Catholic Quarterly Review, April, 1911.
Now what about his seat? It is no secret that when the Bishop of Rome took over his power from that of pagan Rome he sat in the very seat of the Caesars; that is, he ruled from the same city.
In the year A.D. 330 the capital of the Roman Empire was moved to Constantinople, which left the Western Church to pick up her leadership from the very seat of the Caesars. Let's read the quotation from an article quoting the pope himself in 1922.
"What the Pope himself thinks of the relationship of Rome to the Papacy is quite different. In his first Encyclical Ubi Arcano (Dec. 23, 1922) he wrote of 'Italy, our own dear native land, the country where the hand of God, who guides the course of history, has set down the Chair of His Vicar on earth, in this city of Rome which, from being the capital of the wonderful Roman Empire, was made by Him the capital of the whole world, because He made it the seat of a sovereignty which, since it extends beyond the confines of nations and States, embraces within itself all the peoples of the whole world."'-Translated by the Very Rev. James H. Ryan in The Encyclicals of Pius XI (St. Louis: Herder, 1927), p. 44. Quoted by W.W. Rockwell in Current History Magazine, August, 1929, p. 827. (Italics supplied).
This brings us again to the last part of the above verse in Revelation 13:2-"and the dragon gave him his ... great authority." What has always been the authority of Rome? It has been her religion. These doctrines and claims have been handed down through centuries and centuries of tradition. Her teaching of penance, of celibacy in the priesthood, of sprinkling, purgatory, the mass, the use of holy water, et cetera, constitute the authority of the Church.Thus we see clearly the fulfillment of the specifications laid down by God.
In the same chapter of Revelation, in verse 5, we come to another amazing prediction.
'And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. " Revelation 13:5.
Let's do a little arithmetic. A Bible month is composed of thirty days, and since there are forty-two months mentioned, we find that thirty times forty-two equals 1260 days. Now there is a Bible rule for us always to remember in studying prophecy. This is that a day stands for a year.
"I have appointed thee each day for a year. Ezekiel 4:6.
42 months x 3O days to the Bible month 1260 days or years
So 1260 days equal 1260 years. God is being very explicit now. This power is to continue for 1260 literal years. When did the Papacy come into being? You will recall that it rose in the year A.D.538 when it destroyed the last of the three little horns and thus assumed supremacy over the other seven. Now if you will add 1260 years to the year 538 you will find that it brings us to the year A.D.1798. We would expect something tragic to happen to the Papacy in this year, according to the prophecy. This is most easy to discover. Volumes have been written about it, for on February 10, 1798, the exact year predicted by God, the Papacy received a mighty blow. Berthier, Napoleon's French general, entered Rome and took the pope prisoner and he died in exile.
But note how carefully God has pointed out these details. The Scripture describes this event as follows:
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death. " Revelation 13:3.
Let us turn again to Current History magazine of August, 1929, to a letter written by the pope himself. In it you will note that he declared himself to be the head of the papal organization.
"That the Holy See is the supreme organ of the Catholic Church throughout the world and that, therefore, the Holy See is the legitimate representative of the organization of the Church in Italy cannot be said, excepting in the sense in which it is said that the head is the supreme organ of the human body." Page 848.
But what is even more astounding is the fact that the Papacy uses the very same word as is found in the Scripture in referring to this incident as the wound. Again we quote from the pope's letter.
"We say that our hopes have been disappointed because the long negotiations, although they had not always been easy, had opened our soul to the brightest hopes, and what of all things we least expected were expressions that are heretical, worse than heretical, regarding the very essence of Christianity and of Catholicism. Efforts have been made to heal the wound."-Full text of the pope's letter in Current History, August, 1929, p. 847.
Isn't this tremendous? God says, "and the deadly wound was healed. " The pope wrote, "Efforts have been made to heal the wound."
Perhaps it would be well to pause here and ask how it was possible that such a wound could be inflicted on the Papacy with such a deadly effect.
For more than a thousand years the Papacy was recognized as the world leader. Kings bowed down in reverence. Her every demand was obediently answered. Nations went to war at the command of this power. Men willingly died for her. What change came about that made possible the wounding of such a power? Permit me to give you the answer. The Papacy went so far in leading the world deeper and deeper into paganism that thinking men began to stop and ask questions. So many of the divine truths of God were adulterated with paganism that men like Wycliffe, Huss, Jerome, Luther, and other mighty leaders arose and began to ask the Church for a reform. Being denied, a movement known as Protestantism developed among the peoples of Europe. This grew to such an extent and power that Berthier, the French general, dared to do what no other person had ever dared to do for more than a thousand years. In the year 1798 he personally took his troops into Rome and took the pope prisoner. It was Protestantism that prepared the way and made possible the deadly wound.
Such prophecy and its fulfillment is very intriguing. But now God's Word says:
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. " Revelation 13:3.
Wonder of wonders! The wound was to be healed. As time went on and the world was engulfed in the first world war, Protestantism suffered greatly. Throughout Europe there were signs of its deterioration. A new spirit of liberalism arose, making possible the rise of such men as Mussolini and Hitler. From the very beginning of the dictatorship of Mussolini, both the church and the state determined to settle the Roman question. On February 11, 1929, a concordat was signed restoring the place of the Papacy, thus healing the deadly wound.
The Church of Rome declared that the Roman question was finally settled.
"The Treaty ends with the Pope's recognition of the legitimacy of the dynasty of Savoy, and his solemn declaration that he is fully satisfied with the independence guaranteed him for the carrying out of his spiritual primacy. The Roman Question is finally settled."-The Question Box, p. 167.
We would be amazed if we could see the great parade of ambassadors that yearly visit the Holy See, streaming in from countries all over the world. One of the greatest of all marvels is that France, who was so bitter against the Roman Catholic power and who actually brought about the deadly wound, has now reversed itself. Even England, who for four hundred years had been staunchly Protestant in nature, now has its ambassador at the Holy See. One by one the nations are bowing to the beast, and this is affecting our lives today.
Take the movie industry, for instance, and consider the number of pictures that are developed for the screen and television that portray a Roman Catholic priest.
We find that the Catholic press is among the greatest in the world, touching every major newspaper and providing enormous amounts of news slanted to its doctrines.
Today the Papacy is recognized around the world as the coming leader of the New World Order. There are nations today that are wholly dominated by the papal power. Truly the words are fulfilled as God wrote:
,And all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3.
What is coming next? We will let the Bible answer this also.
"And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed .... And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. " Revelation 13:12, 15-1 7.
Friends, this is sad news. Force is again to be used in this old world. The worship of the beast, the worship of his image, under a penalty of death is the new order to come.
tragic_pizza
New Member
And this long cut-and-paste is from what source?
Gen 3:14-15 14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
The Devils seed are the children of the world, Christ's seed are the children of promise, the church. This prophecy in Genesis is the first promise of a Savior for our world.
Matt 13:37-39 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels
Rom 9:6-8 6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Gal 3:28-29 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
I Jn 3:9-10 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Rev 12:15-17 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The woman and her seed are those who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus. Christ's church, that is, those who are in this world, but worship and live for Christ, are prophetically referred to as a woman, or the seed of a woman. However, there are two separate woman referred to in the scriptures, in regards to the church. There is a pure woman, or virgin, and there is the harlot, or whore. These two woman represent either the true church, or an apostate church. This terminology is used in both the old, and new testaments in reference to those who claim
to be God's people.
Isa 1:21 21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
Jer 2:20 20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
Jer 3:1-2 1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
Jer 3:6-8 6 The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Ezek 16:14-17 14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,
Ezek 16:28-29 28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.
29 Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.
Hosea 4:15-19 15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.
16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
18 Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
19 The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their
sacrifices.
Rev 17:1-2 1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:15 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 19:2 2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Rev 17:5-6 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
These are some of the scriptures that refer to Israel, and the new covenant church in an apostate condition. I'm sure that you realize that a whore, or harlot, is a woman. We will now examine some of the scriptures referring to Israel, or the church as a woman.
Isa 62:4-5 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
John 3:28-30 28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Matt 9:15 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
Jer 3:13-14 13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
Rev 19:6-9 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Isa 37:22 22 This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
Jer 14:17 17 Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.
Jer 31:2-4 2 Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.
3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
Jer 31:21-22 21 Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
22 How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
Lam 1:15 15 The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.
Lam 2:13 13 What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?
Amos 5:1-2 1 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
Matt 25:1 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 Cor 11:1-2 1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Rom 7:4 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Eph 5:24-32 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Christ left His Father in heaven, and became one flesh with humanity. He brought humanity and divinity together. This is the gospel. Those who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior, enter into a relationship with the Lord that is symbolized by marriage. The two become one. This is salvation. For this reason, the church is referred to as a woman, that has been married, or betrothed to the Lord.
Bye for now. Y. b. in C. Keith
tragic_pizza
New Member
I understand Kamroso is an Author for a book, though it is not published yet.
I wish some day you may be called Happy-Pizza! </font>[/QUOTE]OK, whatever. Some guy gives an opinion, no real citation aside from a possible future book (
), and I am supposed to accept it as Gospel.Fine.
Now, let's pretend you are correct, so we can move on. Prove that this "harlot" is the Catholic Church, and not Islam as others have suggested and I suspect... making the beast she rides on America, perhaps. Try and use someone who doesn't lift verses out of their context.
tragic_pizza
New Member
actually when I gave scores of Bible verses about the dead being asleep it didnt seem to matter to anybody here.
There are several places I could site, for instance here:
Rv:12:6: And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
the 1260 day prophecy makes it evident that the woman was the persecuted church. I hate to even waste much time on this though because most of you seem not to really care about Bible verses at all. I dont think it would matter much what I said... </font>[/QUOTE]I like Bible verses quite a lot, when they are offered in context. Being insulting does not help your case in the least, Claudia. Perhaps this demonstrates a lack of substance?
