MARK OF THE BEAST XI

In this post I wish to elaborate further on the section of the Converts' Creed which I quoted last time. You will remember it read as follows:

"………… I acknowledge the holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Roman Church to be the mother and mistress of all churches; and I promise and swear true obedience to the Bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ……………"

Previously, you will remember, I pointed out that obedience to the Pope was a necessary adjunct to receiving his Mark on one's forehead. I draw your attention now to the portion of the creed which states, "…….I acknowledge the holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Roman Catholic Church to be the mother and mistress of all churches…."

Turn your Douay-Rheims bibles to Revelation 17:5. I will use my 1582 Rheims version. For those unlearned, this was the very first Vatican authorized English New Testament, translated from that era's edition of the Latin Vulgate. I quote:

"And in her forehead a name written, Mysterie: Babylon the great, mother of the fornications and the abominations of the earth."

Is there any board member who does not understand that Mystery Babylon is a worldwide dominating religion? We know that her religion extends throughout the world because "she sitteth upon many waters," (v. 1). Scripture interprets this to mean "peoples, and nations, and tonges, (v. 15). We learn that her headquarters, seat, throne and capital is Rome because the seven heads upon which she sits are to be interpreted as seven hills, (v. 9). Furthermore, the woman herself, we are told, is symbolic for "the great citie, which hath kingdom over the kinges of the earth," (v. 18).

There is only one city having seven hills, whose reign extended worldwide in the days of St. John. That city is Rome, Italy, the seat of the Roman Empire.

The question now arises: What worldwide religion does this woman represent? There are only two choices. She either represents a non-Christian or Christian religion. By logical deduction we can eliminate the former, leaving us only with the latter. Allow me to explain.

First, if one were to surmise this woman to represent the ancient Roman Empire, there would be no mystery, no need to call her Mystery Babylon. Nor would there be the necessity of supernatural "wisdom and understanding" to decipher the identity of the seven hills, (v. 9). It was a well known fact in John's day that the pagan Roman Empire ruled the world from Rome. One did not need special divine insight to acknowledge that truth.

Second, John himself was mystified, (v. 6), which he should not have been had the woman symbolized the pagan city of Rome which ruled in his day.

Third, he needed the divine assistance of the messenger angel to interpret her true meaning. Thus, the woman represented a religion other than the pagan Roman religion, a religion with which John was quite familiar. She represented a future state of Christianity centered in Rome. That she was wealthy beyond imagination, having excellent relations with the world, while she drank the blood of the saints, John could not fathom. Thus, he marvelled.

Fourth, we are told that Babylon the great "is become the habitation of Devils, and the custodie of every uncleane spirit, and the custodie of every uncleane and hateful bird…..," (Rev. 18:2). The future tense, "is become," is purposefully used to signify a yet future spiritual depravity which would envelope this religion. Pagan Rome could not be understood as the one meant for it is a matter of historical record that by the time of the writing of the Revelation the Caesars, as well as their Empire, were steeped in depravity the likes of which are legend. The reigns of Caligula and Nero are but two vivid examples of how despicable and inhuman man will treat his fellow man, if left to his own devices. The crucifixion of Christ, the greatest of all evils perpetrated by mankind, is ultimate proof that the ancient Roman Empire could not be signified because that event was past, not future.

Fifth, we can eliminate ancient Rome as being the woman signified because her destruction is described as being sudden, in one hour, in one day, (Rev. 18:8-10). The Roman Empire fell gradually over a course of numerous decades, and even centuries, due to the numerous barbarian invasions which crippled her.

Sixth, the kings and merchants of the earth made rich by Mystery Babylon are described as weeping and mourning over her sudden destruction, (vs. 9-20). The fall of Rome caused no such weeping and mourning.

Seventh, Scripture informs us that upon her utter destruction she "shal now be found no more," (v. 21). But, in fact, the city of Rome still proudly stands. Therefore, the woman could not signify the pagan city of Rome. Pompeii, on the other hand, an Italian city destroyed in one hour by the hand of God, no longer stands - a living monument to the impending judgment which shall be visited upon Rome.

Eighth, we are told, "the light of the lamp shal no more shine in thee, and the voice of the bridegroom and the bride shal no more be heard in thee," (v. 23). Jesus has interpreted lamps, i.e., candlesticks, (Strong's 3087), as symbolizing churches, (Rev. 1:20). The bridegroom is, of course, Christ, while the bride is obviously His Elect Church, (Eph. 5:22-25). These verses eliminate pagan Rome as the woman signified because, (a) she was no church; and (b) although pagan Rome fell, true Christianity has existed and still exists in Rome, though only a scattered remnant is left today. There are God's Elect currently residing within the confines of the Church of Rome. They will come out of her, as drawn by the efficacious grace and Spirit of God, (Rev. 18:4).

Ninth, just as God's prophets all met death by the hands of those to whom they were sent, i.e., Jerusalem, the capital of Judaism, the alleged chosen people of God, (cf. Matt. 23:37), so, too, in like manner, does God send His prophets to Rome, the alleged capital of Christianity today containing the most pious Christians on earth, where the prophets were murdered for their testimony, (Rev. 18:24). History testifies to the rise of Rome as a spiritual power in Christianity after the so-called conversion of Constantine, coupled with his removal of the seat of ruling authority from Rome to Constantinople. Thus, ancient pagan Rome could not be signified, for God only sends His prophets to those who have apostatized from the true faith. Pagan Rome never held the true faith, nor did it ever claim to hold the Christian faith. The Church of Rome, however, did, at one time, hold the true faith. As she fell away from the true faith, God sent His prophets who met with persecution, imprisonment and execution.

Tenth, no other religion but the Roman Catholic Church has ever had its seat in Rome. By calling Rome the Eternal City, the RCC admits to no one else ever usurping her spiritual position there. She will remain in that place until the return of the Lord. Scripture agrees with this oracle. History verifies it.

Having eliminated, by sound reasoning, non-Christian ancient Rome as fulfilling the prophecies of Mystery Babylon, we must now seek to determine if the Spirit was signifying a future worldwide Christian religion based in Rome - a religion not yet formed.

There was a similar instance in the NT whereby Christians asked if they were to look to the future for their answer. It can be found in Matt. 11:2-5: Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

In like manner, we, too, can ask of the Roman Catholic Church, Art thou Mystery Babylon that should come, or do we look for another? Or of her Pontiff, Art thou the Antichrist that should come, or do we look for another?

The response of Jesus is one which we should all hear and remember: If that which was prophesied is fulfilled and can be proven to have been fulfilled by numerous witnesses, then we should look for no other.

The purpose of these posts is to prove by numerous witnesses, including Scripture, the official teachings and bulls of the Roman Catholic Church, the testimony of history, as well as the testimony of those persecuted and killed by her, that the Church of Rome is Mystery Babylon, her Pontiff is the Antichrist, and we are to look for no other. As this is the case, the harshest judgment imaginable awaits those who reject the truth, insisting on remaining in fellowship and subjection to the Harlot and her Beast.

Let us recapitulate the odds of the Church of Rome fulfilling the prophecies enumerated in this post:
1. The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church have always been in Rome, except for a short period in the 14th century when that point can be debated.
2. The Roman Catholic Church is also called mother in all her official teachings, as shown above in the Converts Creed.
3. The Roman Catholic Church is the hold of every depraved demonic spirit imaginable as her verifiable history, past and present, of fornication, adultery, incest, pedophilia, rape, sodomy and torture all attest. Please read my thoroughly documented article, Lechery in the Church of Rome Exposed, found on my Home Page.
4. The Roman Catholic Church has persecuted and murdered the prophets and saints of Jesus for nigh unto 1,000 years. This I have documented in detail in my full-length book, Antichrist in Our Midst. The Lord is not willing to forgive and forget the injustices done to His Body.
5. It is no secret that the Roman Catholic Church has a net worth which is incalculable, due, in part, to centuries of shrewd dealings with the wealthy merchants and kings of the world.

By the Church of Rome's fulfillment of these five prophecies, assuming the odds at 1 in 10 in finding fulfillment in the same church, we must recalculate our previous statistical probability which was one in one trillion. The new calculation is an unbelievable 1 in 100,000 trillion!

And I tell you the truth, many prophecies remain which find their fulfillment in the Roman Catholic Church and her Papacy.

Rand Winburn