Part Two [Reason #2] ========================= "The Antichrist will ultimately be worshipped thanks to the effort of the False Prophet, but it is only after he has established himself as -the- political and economic leader of the world. True politics and business affairs is not something any pope would excel at in this day and age.” My Response: Please review Part 3 of my Prophecy treatise which explains Daniel 2 & 7. The Antichrist is not one single man, but a dynasty of men occupying the highest office in the false church, one wicked man at a time. The same principle holds true of the false prophet, with one exception. The false prophet is not limited to one man at one time. This we know to be true through the lessons of history. The 'Holy' Orders, such as the Jesuits, Dominicans and Franciscans, are examples of those false prophets designated to bring all men under obedience to the Beast, i.e., the Pope. The secret Jesuit Oath can be found on the Internet. Today we see the self-professed Evangelical 'leaders' of the world acting as the Pope's false prophets by publicly honoring, obeying, and promoting him before their constituency and before the eyes of the world. Billy Graham has recently been quoted as casting his vote for John Paul II as the ‘Man of the Century.’ A more serious lie is difficult to imagine. Melding politics, business affairs and religion has always been the gift and calling of the Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church. Recently, the world viewed the skillful diplomatic/political machinations of the Pope as he entered the strife-torn 'Holy' Land, received as a King of kings, the most famous religious figure on the globe. Did you know that the Pope is the Absolute Monarch of his own country, Vatican City State, which has its own mint, postal stamps, army and government? His country is the smallest in the world which correlates perfectly with his description as the "little horn," i.e., the king of the littlest nation. The Pope has Vatican representatives/ambassadors in every nation. He even has a Secretary of State. All nations have representatives assigned to the Vatican, proving their recognition of the Pope's sovereign nation. As to business affairs, the Pope, as head of the Roman Catholic Church, is in charge of their vast business holdings. He has a Curia and College of Cardinals who assist him in the functions necessary to run this worldwide political/business/religious enterprise. Granted his leadership over every aspect of this huge corporation is most likely minimal, (especially as an elderly man), but you can be assured he receives reports on a regular basis and has very capable people in charge. There have been numerous books written which expose the incalculable wealth and business holdings of the Roman Catholic Church. Authors Avro Manhattan and Nino Lo Bello have written classic works which deal with this very topic. (The Vatican Billions written by the former, and The Vatican Empire written by the latter. This is the title of only one of Lo Bello's excellent works on the subject.) The nature of the business holdings and business dealings of the Vatican is very secretive and requires superior investigative skills to uncover the truth. The same is true of its political intrigues. It is fact that the Vatican has the best "spy system" in the world, receiving information of all kinds from all sources, worldwide, before anyone else. I have, in my library, a documentary on the subject produced by "60 Minutes." “It is my honest belief (which I do not claim as infallible) that the Antichrist will first be recognized as the ultimate 20th century man -- admired by every businessman and politician alive for his incredible acumen and charisma -- before he is ever given any direct recognition as a religious figure. That could never be the case with a pope since they are characterized by their religious identity and have little or nothing to do (in theory) with the secular affairs of this world. I believe that the Antichrist might possibly be a Harvard or Yale graduate (or maybe even an Oxford or Cambridge graduate) originally from Europe who will wow the world with his political savvy and financial know-how ... kind of a Bill Clinton on steroids without all of the bad press. In my opinion, someone with an image more like Pat Robertson would seem to qualify better for that kind of Antichrist role than a Pope would (btw, I think Pat is OK ... not perfect, but OK).” My Response: Rather than base our belief on our personal opinions, current theories and speculation, we need go the prophetic Word for the answers. I have already proven that the little horn, the Man of Sin and the 1st Beast from the sea are all the same person under different symbols. All are one: the Antichrist, who is killed by Christ at His 2nd Advent. (See Lesson 61 of my Prophecy treatise & Rev. 19:20). By examining the characteristics and descriptions given of the Antichrist in Scripture, we can then make a composite drawing. The man who fits that drawing is the culprit. Think of it like the method used by the police in gathering information to find a suspect. They question the victims and witnesses for a description of the subject, assuming his identity is unknown. A professional artist will then draw a composite based on the testimony of the witnesses. THE TESTIMONY OF DANIEL 2 & 7: 1. The Time of his appearing: As little horn, he must make himself first known upon the dissolution of the Roman Empire which results in the division of 10 kingdoms in Western Europe. 2. The Location of his appearing: He must originate from Western Europe. 3. The Duration of his office: He must continue in office from the dissolution of the Roman Empire unto the 2nd Advent of Christ. 4. The Nature of his office: He must be king of a kingdom, a tiny kingdom. [Note: We discover in other prophecies that his spiritual kingdom is worldwide, sitting on many waters.] 5. The Character of the Antichrist: He has a dominant and fearless persona, able to overcome his adversaries and their kingdoms. He persecutes and kills Christians for an extended period: time, times and half a time. He is a seer, or prophet. The Greek word for bishop is episkopos, meaning overseer. Thus, he will be a bishop, a Christian bishop at that. He will have great authority claiming to speak for God. Yet he will speak against the true God. He will change times and laws. Thus, he will have religious and political authority. THE FULFILLMENT OF THESE PROPHECIES IN THE PAPACY: 1. The office of Bishop of Rome has been in existence since the Roman Empire and has remained until this very day. My Encyclopedia Britannica states, The papacy is the only institution that has existed continuously from the early Roman empire. (article, Papacy.) 2. The Pope is the Absolute Monarch, or King, of his own country, Vatican City State. 3. That country is in Rome, Italy, the seat of the Roman Empire. 4. It is historical fact that the popes have attained supremacy and domination through much political intrigue, wars and murders. 5. The Pope is the Bishop of Rome. He claims not only to be a Christian, but to be the Vicar of Christ. This term translates to Antichrist in the Greek language, anti meaning both against and in the stead as a rival. 6. There is no other cause for the extermination of so many true Christians than that officially decreed by the Papacy and carried out by the Holy Orders and Catholic people. These exterminations began in the early 11th century, receiving ‘official’ papal sanction, authority and commandment in the 12th century as ‘heresy’ increased. The Holy Inquisition was not ‘officially’ disbanded until the 19th century. It is still functioning under a kinder and gentler title, The Holy Office of the Propagation of the Faith. 7. As Absolute Sovereign of his country he can change times and laws at will. As ruler of the Roman Catholic Church he also changes times and laws at will. For example, the Mass may now be said in tongues other than Latin. Fish-eating fast days are no longer mandatory on Friday. The celebration of "Easter" changes from year to year, as do numerous other "feast days." Protestants are now called separated brethren, not heretics, which we were called prior to 1963. So-called Roman Catholic saints have been dropped from their official prayer list, having been declared frauds centuries after the fact. The list of changes is non-stop and so numerous it would be a full time job to keep up with them. 8. Despite his claim to be the sole representative of Christ on earth, the doctrines and practices of the Pope run contradictory to, opposing Christ. The evidences for this are so well known and well documented, a Christian must have his head in the sand 24 -7 (or be unregenerate) not to know some of them. Any in-depth research will open a Pandora's box of heresy which will boggle the mind. THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, MATTHEW 24: 1. The Antichrist will be one man, yet many, who will claim to be Christ, while claiming Jesus to be the Christ. He will appear to be an orthodox Christian, deceiving many. 2. Wars shall follow on his heels. 3. Nations and kingdoms will rise and fall. This requires a long duration. 4. Religious persecution will occur. 5. His false prophets will be many. 6. The length of time of Antichrist's reign is so great that endurance is required. 7. The Abomination of Desolation is predicted. 8. False Christs and his false prophets will abound showing great signs and lying wonders. THE FULFILLMENT OF THESE PROPHECIES IN THE PAPACY 1. The Pope is one man who occupies an office which never ceases because of the never ending succession of its occupants. 2. He claims the Deity and Lordship of Christ. He claims Christ is the only Savior, the very Son of God and Son of man. 3. By his decrees and by his actions, the Pope claims to be Christ. By claiming to be Christ, he "replaces" and "opposes" Christ, which is Antichrist. a) He is the Vicar of Christ. He is to be obeyed as Christ. b) He claims to be the head of the Christian Church, replacing Christ as the Head. c) Papal bulls declare him God on earth. (The Reformers translated all the Medieval bulls to use the Pope's own words against him.) d) He claims the infallibility of God when speaking ex-cathedra. e) He claims to hold the keys to bind and loose from Heaven, Purgatory and Hell, as does Christ hold the keys, (Rev. 1:18 – Purgatory excepted, of course). f) He claims the power to forgive, as does Christ. g) He claims to be the savior by decreeing all must be obedient to him unto salvation, (Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctum). h) He claims to do the miracles of Christ. People flock to him for his healing touch. His greatest miracle outshines Christ, however. He claims the power to create Christ from bread. 4. Though John Paul II is called "the Pilgrim of Peace," the history of the Papacy is one of bloodshed and holy wars. 5. The Papacy has been in existence since the Roman Empire, having seen the rise and fall of kingdoms and nations. The rise of the United States is one such example. 6. No other power has persecuted Christians in so great a number and for so great a time period. 7. The Papacy has an endless stream of false prophets whose duty it is to bring the people under submission to his authority. Today's Evangelicals are leading their flocks back to Rome, either through direct encouragement or by silent assent. 8. The greatest Christians of bygone eras recognized the Papacy as the second and greater fulfillment of the abomination of desolation. This I have documented in an in-depth treatise on the subject, whose URL is in the 5-part paper. 9. The false miracles claimed by the Roman Catholic Church must all be approved by the Papacy. Before a "saint" can be canonized, he/she must be proven to be the doer of verified miracles. Pope Pius XII is currently ‘on deck’ for sainthood. His ‘miracles’ have been studied and approved. We await official word from the Vatican. John Paul II promotes the use of fraudulent relics. He visits Lourdes and drinks of its ‘healing waters.’ All of the priests, who are under his subjection, have been given the power to perform the miracle of transforming bread into Christ. This lying wonder is performed daily, worldwide, by his false prophets. THE TESTIMONY OF PAUL: II Thessalonians 2 1. The Time of the appearing of the Man of Sin: a) after the apostasy b) after the removal of the 'let' c) before the 2nd Advent of Christ 2. The Nature of the Man of Sin is lawlessness, (the literal translation of the Greek term.) 3. The Office of the Man of Sin: highest ruler in the 'Christian' Church, the NT ‘Temple of God.’ 4. The Character of the Man of Sin: His ego will know no bounds. He will, by his actions and alleged powers, show himself to be greater than God. He will not actually publicly outright declare himself God, to be worshipped as such. (Note language of verse 4: shewing himself that he is God.) 5. The Works of the Man of Sin: He will deceive the masses by means of appearing a righteous Christian. The Elect will detect that he is an unrighteous counterfeit. He will perform great signs and lying wonders by the authority of Satan, his lord and master. THE FULFILLMENT OF THESE PROPHECIES IN THE PAPACY: 1. The Bishop of Rome rose to supremacy immediately upon the dissolution/removal of the Roman Empire & Emperor, the ‘let’ which hindered and restrained his coming to power. The Pope presently occupies the seat of Pontifex Maximus, the very office held by the Caesars. The Roman Emperor needed to be removed before the Bishop of Rome could sit in that seat of authority over the new Holy Roman Empire. 2. Pontifex Maximus translates to Supreme Pontiff, meaning Supreme Bridge Builder [between man and the gods], i.e., High Priest. In this office the Pope usurps and replaces Christ, who is our High Priest. By so claiming this office, the Pope admits he is Antichrist. 3. The Popes have lived and ruled under such papal directives as, "He may depose emperors," "A decree of his may be annulled by no one; he alone may annul the decrees of all," "He may be judged by no one," "The Roman church has never erred, or ever, by the witness of Scripture, shall err to all eternity," "The pope may absolve the subjects of the unjust from their allegiance." (Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctum.) 4. The Pope is the head of the apostate and false 'Christian' church. This apostasy has been gradual, but steady, especially since the Council of Nicaea II in A. D. 787, when images were commanded lawful and worship of them mandated. The documentation of the errors of the Church of Rome is voluminous. Our web site shows numerous examples. 5. The Pope has been in office as ruler of the so-called 'Christian' church for centuries and will continue until the 2nd Advent of Christ. 6. The Pope claims headship of the 'Christian' church. His ecumenical overtures are designed to bring schismatics and separated brethren back to Mother Church, under his wings, and into his fold. All must come to him and bow down. He is the head. The body must obey the head, for the head is the commander. 7. Although the present Pope seems a kindly, grandfatherly type, we must not allow appearances to deceive us. He will soon be replaced by a cunning successor, a ravening wolf in sheep's clothing, whose mission it is to steal, kill and destroy the flock of God. 8. We have already spoken of the lying wonders performed by the Popes, under the guise of righteous Christianity. THE TESTIMONY OF PAUL: 1 Timothy 4:1-3 1. Specific doctrines of the Antichrist are enumerated: a) Forbidding to marry, extolling the divine virtues of virginity. b) Fasting for purification and sanctification. 2. The Character of the Antichrist: He will be a supreme hypocrite, with no conscience whatsoever. THE FULFILLMENT OF THESE PROPHECIES IN THE PAPACY 1. The Popes cannot marry. 2. They refuse marriage to their clergy and religious. 3. They fast regularly to prove their spiritual worth. They decree days of fasting. 4. The present Pope shows his hypocrisy in many ways. He prays for forgiveness of the past sins of the Catholic Church while caressing an abominable idol called the ‘Crucifix.’ He decries abortion and the blessedness of all life, yet his predecessors and their 'faithful' were infamous for taking life, cutting fetuses from the wombs of Christian women, hanging them on stakes, like skewered pieces of meat, etc., etc. He now claims the Muslims, Jews, and Protestants all worship the same God, yet the history of his Church reveals cruelty, open discrimination, persecution and murder of these same people. Recently, he has decreed evangelizing the Jews is not necessary. THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN IN REVELATION 13:1-10 1. The beastly Antichrist has seven heads and ten horns crowned. These seven heads represent the seven hills of Rome, the seat of . The ten horns represent the ten kingdoms of the divided Western Roman Empire over which the Beast has dominion, correlating Daniel's prophecies of ten horns and ten toes. 2. His body is composed of several beasts, all representing the previous world powers. 3. His lord and master is the Dragon, Satan. This correlates with Paul's prophecy, whose coming is after the working of Satan. 4. One of his heads revives, coming back to life miraculously. This also parallels Paul's prophecy, which speaks of all power, signs and lying wonders. 5. He receives much power and authority, including worship by the world. The Man of Sin prophecy is in view here also. 6. He speaks against God and the saints, as does the little horn of Daniel. 7. He kills the saints, as does the little horn. 8. He will persecute, imprison and kill the saints for a very long time. Thus the admonishment for the saints to be patient and exercise great faith that they will be delivered. THE FULFILLMENT OF THESE PROPHECIES IN THE PAPACY: 1. The seat of the Roman Catholic Church is Rome, Italy. So is the seat or 'Holy See' of the Papacy. 2. During the Middle Ages when papal power reached its zenith, the Popes exercised power and dominion over the secular princes, inventing the doctrines of the "Two Swords" and the doctrine of the "Sun and the Moon, the Greater and Lesser Lights" The Catholic secular authorities obeyed, under pain of severe punishment, the directives of the Bishops, who, in turn, obeyed the directives of their Supreme Shepherd, the Roman Pontiff. The 'Holy' Inquisition could not have operated without these prerequisites. 3. The Popes are like leopards. They will never change their spots. They are like lions, whose master, Satan, is a roaring lion seeking whom he will devour. They are like bears who move swiftly toward the kill, overpowering their victims by their overwhelming strength. "Who is able to make war with the Beast?" 4. The Popes declare their authority comes directly from God by apostolic succession from Peter. Yet their works and fruit betray them as the seed of the serpent, with power and authority given them by their father the Devil, a liar and murderer. 5. The Papacy is seeing an unprecedented revival in their respect, acceptance and admiration by the world and so-called ‘Christian’ communities. The 1995 Catechism of the Catholic Church uses the phrase, Wounds to Unity in describing the separation of the heretics, apostates and schismatics from Holy Mother Church. (Paragraph 817). The Protestant Reformation is but a vague memory or nonentity in the minds of Christians today. 6. Is there anyone in the world today who receives more publicity, acclaim and honor than the Bishop of Rome? 7. Although the present Pontiff feigns an ecumenical, loving spirit toward separated brethren, we must remember the history of the Papacy which is steeped in deception, betrayal, intrigue and bloodshed. A leopard cannot change its spots. 8. I have been able to document persecution by the Roman Catholic Church against the saints since the late 10th century. Saints are still being persecuted worldwide by this harlot church…. In Northern Ireland, for example.
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