Many believed that the church had come to an end and would
never again figure significantly in world affairs. For many years this
picture remained unchanged, but in 1929, Cardinal Gasparri and Benito Mussolini
signed the concordat which restored temporal powers to the papacy. Once
again the Vatican began to function as she had before.
No one can question that since that time the papacy has
regained much of the prestige lost two centuries ago. In the 1950’s, when
Harry Truman attempted to appoint an official ambassador to the Vatican, there
arose such a protest that it was not possible for him to follow through.
But thirty years later, when President Reagan tried to accomplish the
same thing, he met with little opposition.
Another remarkable point is that this Beast had the feet of a
bear. The bear in Daniel 7:5 represents the empire of the Medes and
Persians, and they had a method of government peculiarly their own. When
the king of the Medes and Persians spoke law, he was considered to be
infallible. Once given, it was not possible to change the law (see Daniel
6:8,12,15.) This finds its counterpart in the doctrine of the
infallibility of the pope when he speaks ex-cathedra, and defines points of law
or doctrine.
Also, on the head of the Beast was the name of blasphemy.
The Biblical concept of blasphemy is found in Mark 2. The rulers of
the Jewish people accused Jesus of blasphemy for presuming to forgive sins, a
prerogative belonging to God alone (see verses 5-7). This authority the
Catholic Church also claims to have.
The final point to note, is that the prophecy declares that
this Beast power would make war with the saints of God. No one with any
knowledge of history can deny that this description, without question, fits the
Roman Catholic church. It is conservatively estimated that the Church of
Rome caused over fifty million people to be put to death throughout it’s 1260
year reign. Why were these people murdered? Because they followed
Bible truth and their conscience--even when it differed with the established
teaching and authority of the Church. Thus it is clear that the Beast of
Revelation 13:1-10 and the Little Horn of Daniel 7, unmistakably refers to the
Roman Catholic church!
While it is true that religious tolerance is more widespread
today than in the past, Bible prophecy points to the fact that this will not
always be the case. This deadly would was to be completely healed, and
soon the Catholic church will re-gain her lost power. Then, along with
those Protestant churches which are united with and who image her, they will
revive the persecutions of the past against those who refuse to accept and
abide under their authority in religious belief and practice--choosing instead
to follow Bible truth and their conscience (see Revelation 13:15-17).
We understand that God did not give these Biblical prophecies
as an indictment against individuals, but rather against apostate religious
systems. God has sent His people these prophetic warnings so that they
might not innocently become involved in this apostasy of Rome or in any of the
churches of apostate Protestantism which are united with her.
In Revelation 18, God refers to these same apostate systems
of religion as Babylon. In these last days we find that, just as God
called Lot out of wicked Sodom before its destruction, so He sends a call to
His people today to “Come out of her, my people”: to separate from all these
religious systems of apostasy, “that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that
ye receive not of her plagues” Revelation 18:4.
God clearly warns His people not to be united with apostate
churches or with unbelievers, but to remain separate from them all. If
they should continue to remain members in or united with these, they will not
be clean in God’s sight, He will not consider them as His sons and daughters,
and they will lose eternal life (see 2 Corin 6:14-18; Isa 52:11; Micah 2:10).
It is because of God’s great love for those who are still
connected with these religious systems of apostasy; the many who sincerely love
Him with all of their heart, that He warns them to escape from the real danger
they are in. In loving kindness and tender mercy God calls His people out
of all the churches, so that they might avoid being destroyed along with
Babylon, and instead become connected with Christ and His kingdom of
righteousness, and thus to gain everlasting life.
"Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man
his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity...My people, go ye out of the midst of
her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord."
Jeremiah 51:6, 45.
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