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Last Days Prophecy
HIS SERVANTS' MINISTRY
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PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE TIMES IN WHICH WE ARE NOW LIVING . . .
Future Signs . . . Mother of Harlots
Rev.17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (KJV) Notice several things about this "woman." #1. She sits on many waters. Waters is a symbol for people, nations (13:1; 17:15).
Rev.17:2 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. (KJV) This is speaking of spiritual adultery, meaning that Papal Rome, the Catholic church is and has been unfaithful to God, is idolatrous and corrupt, had seduced the rulers of the earth, and led them into the same kind of unfaithfulness, idolatry, and corruption. See: Jer.3:8-9; 5:7; 13:27; 23:14; Eze.16:32; 23:37: Hos.2:2; 4:2). All the princes and kings of Europe in the dark ages and for many centuries were and are now, entirely under the influence of the Vatican. Made drunk is confused by her false doctrines.
Rev.17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (KJV) In a vision, John sees the scene which he is about to describe . . . it was made to pass before him as if he were present. Into the wilderness. Into a desert. Why this scene is laid in a wilderness or desert is not mentioned. The imagery is changed from the first appearance of the harlot, there she is seen as "sitting upon many waters." Now John sees her "sitting on a beast."
The Mother of Harlots (Catholic church) sits upon the scarlet colored beast. The beast is full of names of blasphemy; not only blaspheming by the improper use of sacred names, but even by applying to its bishop those names which alone belong to God; for God hath expressly declared that he will not give his glory to another, neither His praise to graven images.
Rev.17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: (KJV) This represents the most glamorous and costly manner of dress in which the Catholic Church has held forth to the nations the rites and ceremonies of its idolatrous and corrupt worship. Scarlet is reserved for popes and cardinals. Pope Paul II made it illegal for anyone but cardinals to wear hats of scarlet (Roman Ceremonial [3.5.5]). The harlot arrayed in gold and precious stones is the Church of Rome.
Rev.17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (KJV) Mystery implies a spiritual fact is hidden, and is not able to be discovered by mere reasoning, but is now revealed. Just as the union of Christ and the Church is a "great mystery" (a spiritual truth of momentous interest, once hidden, now revealed (Eph.5:31-32), so too the Church conforming, compromising with the world and thereby becoming a harlot is a "mystery" (or spiritual truth, symbolically now revealed). As iniquity (sin) in the harlot is a leaven (Mat.16:6,12; 1 Cor.5:6-8; Gal.5:8-9) working in "mystery," and called "the mystery of iniquity," so when the harlot is destroyed, the iniquity working in her, shall be revealed in the man of iniquity, the open embodiment of all previous evil. Popery cannot be at one and the same time the "mystery of iniquity," and the manifested or revealed Antichrist. The Vatican will probably compromise for political power (Rev:17:3) any small part of Christianity still in its creed, thus preparing the way for Antichrist's appearance. Babylon, which in the image (Dan.2:32,38), is given to the head, is here given to the harlot, which reveals her as being connected with the fourth kingdom, Rome, the last part of the image.
Of harlots . . . This is NOT only the Catholic church . . . it is ALL denominations as a whole (those left behind at the Rapture), just as Israel as a whole, had become a harlot (Num.14:33; Deut.31:16; Isa.1:21; Jer.2:20; 3:8). The invisible Church of TRUE believers is hidden and separated in the visible Church. The boundary lines which separate harlot and woman are not denominational nor drawn externally, but can only be spiritually discerned. The harlot "sitteth upon many waters (Rev.17:1) and "ALL nations have drunk of the wine of her fornication" Rev.17:2; 18:3), the harlot corrupted "the earth," (Rev.19:2). As the sun shines on ALL the Earth, so too the woman clothed with the sun, lets her light penetrate to the uttermost parts of the Earth.
Babylon and Jerusalem are the two opposite poles of the spiritual world. Still, the Catholic Church is not only a harlot, she is the center of whoredom, "the mother of harlots"; whereas the evangelical Protestant Church is, according to her fundamental creed, a chaste woman. The Reformation was a protest of the chaste woman against the harlot. Compare with the "woman" called "Babylon" here, with the woman named "wickedness," or "lawlessness," "iniquity" (Zec.5:7-8,11), carried to Babylon: compare "the mystery of iniquity" and "the man of sin," "that wicked one," literally, "the lawless one" (2 Thes.2:7-8; Mat.24:12).
Rev.17:6 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. (KJV) I wondered with great admiration . . . could be: I stared at her utterly astonished. John certainly did not admire her! John sees the woman sunken into harlotry. The Church had become a world-loving apostate, and he is sick at what he sees. That the world should become beastly is natural, but that the church should become the whore is horrible. It excites the same amazement in him as the same awful change in Israel excited in Isaiah and Jeremiah. When the Church falls, she sinks so much lower than the godless world!
The woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: . . . How exact are the heartless cruelties exercised by the Catholic Church in the past! Against ALL it has denominated!
Rev.17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. (KJV) The angel said he would explain what John saw. John is astonished at the woman and the beast, the angel gently rebukes John, and explains the mystery of the woman and beast. This raises more problems than it solves. The angel describes the beast at length first because he is more important. The beast is the one from the sea (Rev.13:1) and on which the woman sits, (Rev. 17:3).
Rev.17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (KJV) The description of the beast who 'was, is not, and shall come' is in contrast to God who is, and who was, and who is to come (Rev 1:4,8, 4:8). The career of the beast opposes that of the Lamb, for the Lamb descends from Heaven and returns to Heaven while the beast ascends from the Abyss and then descends into it. So, he is antichrist. Anti does not mean against but instead of. He is a counterfeit. John defines him as the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22) and Paul says that: 2 Thes.2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; [4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (KJV)
The beast 'now is not' means that he is not currently on the world scene. This anticipates his future appearance and is therefore a warning to the church. The beast comes out of the Abyss and goes back to the Abyss. This emphasises the Satanic nature of the beast coming as he does from the pit of Hell and receiving his authority from Satan (Rev.13:2; 9:1,11, 11:7, 20:3). In Rev.13:3 we find that the beast had a supposed fatal wound which had been healed.
Rev.17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. (KJV) The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. The beast has seven heads which are seven hills upon which the woman sits, this identifies her as Rome.
Rev.17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. (KJV) They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. Wisdom is once more required. The seven heads of the beast are seven hills AND also seven kings.
Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief. “Have fallen” is a figure of speech meaning the person died (Ex. 32:28; 2 Sam.1:19; 1 Chron.5:10). “One is” indicates that one of the 7 kings the “woman” rides was a contemporary of the apostle John. That king lived at that time. The “other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space” is a prophetic prediction by John concerning the 7th and final king. This particular king’s reign, according to John, will be short. The five that are fallen could be: Julius Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. The “one is” refers to Domitian, who exiled John to Patmos. The “one yet to come” will be the satanic empowered Antichrist. Antichrist will definitely rule over the restored Roman Empire.
Rev. 17:11-14 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. [12] And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (KJV) The beast that was alive and then died is the 8th king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, will go to his doom. His ten horns are ten kings who have not yet risen to power; they will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. They will all agree to give their power and authority to him. They all will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because He is Lord of all lords and King of all kings, and His people are the called and chosen and faithful ones.
Many times the “beast” symbolizes the Roman Empire, but it also is the 8th head or individual ruler who is the Antichrist. In verse 11, it is the Antichrist. The “ten horns” in verse 12 are the rulers of the reivied Roman Empire. Daniel tells us about this situation (Dan.7:7-24). When Antichrist comes to power, he will put down 3 of the 10 kings. “The beast that was” refers to past history of the Roman emporors. “Is not” refers to the end of imperial Rome. “He is the eighth, and is of the seven” places Antichrist with the return of the imperial type system of the restored Roman Empire. “The ten horns” are the same as in Dan.7:7. These 10 kings will reign with Antichrist, but he will be boss! They will be like puppets on a string. The goal of all the kings (and Antichrist) is to make war with Christ (the Lamb). A NO-win situation!
Rev. 17:15-18 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. [16] And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. [17] For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. [18] And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. (KJV) And the angel said to John, "The waters where the prostitute sits represents masses of people of every nation and language. The scarlet beast and his ten horns represent ten kings who will reign with him; and all hate the whore. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire. For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out His purposes. They will all agree to give their power to the scarlet beast, so the words of God will be fulfilled. And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
As I said in verse 1, “waters” represents people or nations. The “ten horns” are 10 kings ruling over 10 diverse sections of the Roman Empire. These kings hate the apostate church (the woman, the whore). For a while, Antichrist is willing to share the glory with the church at Rome, but this comes to a screeching halt! Antichrist and his cohorts will utterly destroy every aspect of this false and evil church. They will “strip her naked, eat her flesh and burn her remains.” Sounds like total and complete destruction to me! God will rule the hearts of these kings. By His power over them, they did all things, without intending to, which He had purposed and foretold! The “woman” is identified in verse 18. She is a false (idolatrous) religious system AND the great city of Rome.
MORE BLOOD THAN JUST THE PAGANS
Pagan Rome made sport of throwing people to the lions, burning and otherwise killing thousands of Christians and many Jews. Yet the Catholic church slaughtered many times that number of both Christians and Jews. Beside the victims of the Inquisition, there were Huguenots, Albigenses, Waldenses, and other Christians who were massacred, tortured, and burned at the stake by the hundreds of thousands simply because they refused to align themselves with the Roman Catholic Church and its corruption and heretical dogmas and practices. Out of conscience they professed and tried to follow the teachings of Christ and the apostles (independent of Rome), and for that, they were slandered, hunted, imprisoned, tortured, and killed.
Why would Rome ever apologize for or even admit this holocaust? NO one calls her to account today. Protestants have now forgotten the hundreds of thousands of people burned at the stake for embracing the simple Gospel of Christ and refusing to bow to the pope's authority.
Amazingly, more and more Protestants are now embracing Rome as Christian . . . while she insists that the "separated brethren" be reconciled to her on her unchangeable terms! The Catholic church is NEVER wrong in her eyes! Many evangelical leaders are working hard with Roman Catholics to evangelize the world. They don't want to hear any "negative" reminders of the millions of people tortured and slain by the Church to which they now pay homage, or the fact that Rome has a false gospel of sacramental works.
"Christian" Rome (the Catholic church) slaughtered Jews by the thousands . . . far more than pagan Rome ever did. The land of Israel was seen as belonging to Roman Catholic Church, not to the Jews. In 1096 Pope Urban Ii inspired the first crusade to retake Jerusalem from the Muslims. With the cross on their shields and armor, the Crusaders massacred Jews across Europe on their way to the Holy Land. Almost their first act upon taking Jerusalem "for Holy Mother Church" was to herd all of the Jews into the synagogue and set it ablaze. These facts of history cannot be swept under the carpet of ecumenical togetherness as though they never happened. Today, the Vatican wants Jerusalem for her own! The Holy City of Jerusalm, and ALL their land belongs to ISRAEL . . . NOT to the Catholic church!
Nor can the Vatican escape considerable responsibility for the Nazi Holocaust, which was thoroughly known to Pius XII in spite of his complete silence throughout the war on the most important of subjects (E.g. Guenter Lewy, The Catholic Church and Hazi Germany, McGraw-Hill, 1964, pp. 300-04).
The involvement of Catholicism in the Holocaust will be examined later. Had the pope protested, as representatives of Jewish organizations and the Allied Powers begged him to do, he would have condemned his own church. The Facts are inescapable:
"In 1936, Bishop Berning of Osnabruch had talked with the Fuehrer for over an hour. Hitler assured his lordship there was no fundamental difference between National Socialism and the Catholic Church. Had not the church, he argued, looked on Jews as parasites and shut them in ghettos?
"`I am only doing,' he boasted, `What the church has done for fifteen hundred years, only more effectively.' Being a Catholic himself, he told Berning, he told Berning, he `admired and wanted to promote Christianity.'" (De Rosa, op. cit., p. 5; Lewy, op. cit., p. 111).
There is, of course, another reason why the Roman Catholic Church has neither apologized for not represented of these crimes. How could she? The execution of heretics (including Jews) was decreed by "infallible" popes.
The Catholic Church herself claims to be infallible, and thus her doctrines could not be wrong.
REIGNING OVER THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
Finally, the angel reveals to John that the woman "is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (Revelation 17:18). Is there such a city? Yes, and again only one: Vatican City. Popes crowned and deposed kings and emperors, exacting obedience by threatening them with excommunication. At the time of the First Vatican Council in 1869 J.H. Ignaz von Dollinger, Professor of Church History in Munich, warned that Pope Pius IX would force the Council make an infallible dogma out of "that pet theory of the Popes--that they could force kings and magistrates, by excommunication and its consequences, to carry out their sentences of confiscation, imprisonment, and death. ..." He reminded his fellow Roman Catholics of some of the evil consequences of papal political authority:
"When, for instance, [Pope] Martin IV placed King Pedro of Aragon under excommunication and interdict ... then promised indulgences for all their sins to those who fought with him and [tyrant] Charles [I of Naples] against Pedro, finally declared his kingdom forfeit ... which cost the two kings of France and Aragon their life, and the French the loss of an army" (Dollinger, op. cit., pp. 10-12).
Though John Paul II lacks the power to enforce such brutal claims today, his Church still retains the dogmas which authorize him to do so. And the practical effects of his power are no less than those of his predecessors, though exercised quietly behind the scenes. The Vatican is the only city which exchanges ambassadors with nations, and she does so with every major country on earth. Ambassadors come to the Vatican from every major country, including the United States, not out of mere courtesy but because of the pope is the most powerful ruler on earth today. Even President Clinton journeyed to Denver in August 1993 to greet the pope. He addressed him as "Holy Father" and "Your Holiness."
Yes, ambassadors of nations come to Washington D.C., to Paris, or to London, but only because the national government has its capital there. Nor does Washington, Paris, London, or any other city send ambassadors to other countries. Only Vatican City does so. Unlike any other city on earth, the Vatican is acknowledged as a sovereign state in its own right, separate and distinct from the nation of Italy surrounding it. There is no other city in history of which this has been true, and such is still the case today.
Only of the Vatican could it be said that a city reigns over the kings of the earth. The phrase "the worldwide influence of Washington" means the influence not of that city but of the United States, which has its capital there. When one speaks, however, of the influence of the Vatican around the world, that is exactly what is meant--the city and the worldwide power of Roman Catholicism and its leader the pope. Vatican City is absolutely unique.
Most of Rome's wealth has been acquired through the sale of salvation. Untold billions of dollars have been paid to the Catholic church by gullible people, deceived by the devil . . . those who THOUGHT they were purchasing Heaven on the installation plan for themselves or loved ones. The practice continues to this day . . . blatantly where Catholicism is in control, less obviously here in the United States. No greater deception or abomination could be perpetrated. God will NOT have mercy on their souls!
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Mother of Harlots
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Jesus' Prophecies
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1-30 . . . Prophecies of Today's Times
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