Dear brethren, last time from the previous lesson on this series of prophecy (The Little Horn of Daniel) we concentrated much seeing the characteristics of the little horn, where finally we saw it perfectly fit with the system of the Papacy. Let's continue.
However, let's first note this very
important point: Please understand this ministry is NOT called to “Catholic bash” by any means. The little horn designates the system
of the papacy, and not the dear Catholic people trapped
for the moment in this system. If I hated the Catholic people like many say I
do, why would I dedicate my life to warning them? Satan will always twist the
facts to make his lies appear as truth. Common sense usually wins out though.
His lies are sometimes that transparent!
Fact is, there are many sincere
people who belong to the papal system, and yet love Jesus Christ with all their
hearts. The Lord does in fact, “wink our times of ignorance” as well and
only judge us by the light we have been given. So pray for those within the
church of Rome. Pray that they hear the call of the Lord to “come out of her
my people” before it’s too late.
- John 10:16, "And other sheep I
have, which are not of this fold: them also I must
bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one
shepherd."
Let it not be misunderstood: The
Father truly loves the individuals who are trapped in the papacy's system of
Roman Catholicism. This is why He gave us His Word, so that by studying it, we
may become aware of God's warning, and by responding to Jesus' call, we may
leave this system and join the Savior's flock. This by the way is why the
following decree had been set forth by Rome in the year 1229 AD.
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The decree set forth
in the year 1229 A.D. by the Council of Valencia... places the
Bible on The Index of Forbidden Books. The doctrine
withholds "it is forbidden for laymen (common man) to read the Old and
New Testaments. - We forbid them most severely to have the above books in the
popular vernacular." "The lords of the districts shall carefully
seek out the heretics in dwellings, hovels, and forests, and even their
underground retreats shall be entirely wiped out." Council
Tolosanum, Pope Gregory IX, Anno. Chr. 1229
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The Vatican has always known that
this Bible is very powerful and able to expose her. So they did all they could
to get it removed from the hands of their members. Sad fact is, many of these
members were killed in demonically horrendous ways because they would not give
up the Truth they found in their Bibles. That too is just one characteristic of
this little horn as we are about to see.
So… let's review the characteristics
of the little horn to see if in fact they really do apply to the papacy. Let’s
see if the Bible truly does expose this evil power as that of Antichrist.
- Daniel 7:8 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.
- Revelation 13:4, "And they worshipped the
dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they
worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to
make war with him?"
As we learned earlier, when Rome
crumbled, it split into ten separate nations. And according to this prophecy,
someone will receive the power of Rome after this split. I ask, did this
happen, and if so, who was it that received the power of this fourth beast to
continue its rampage against the Christian? We know Rome killed Christians
because history tells us all about Christians being thrown to lions in Roman
Coliseums? Who took over for Rome after it fell?
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"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, . . . 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."--American Catholic Quarterly Review, April, 1911.
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"Out of the ruins
of political Rome, arose the great moral Empire in the 'giant form' of the
Roman Church."--A.C. Flick, The Rise of the Mediaeval Church, 1909, p.
150. "Under the Roman Empire the popes had no temporal powers. But
when the Roman Empire had disintegrated and its place had been taken by a
number of rude, barbarous kingdoms, the Roman Catholic church not only became
independent of the states in religious affairs, but dominated secular affairs
as well. At times, under such rulers as Charlemagne (768-814), Otto the Great
(936-973), and Henry III (1039-1056), the civil power controlled the church
to some extent; but in general, under the weak political system of feudalism,
the well-organized, unified, and centralized church, with the pope at its
head, was not only independent in ecclesiastical affairs but also controlled
civil affairs"--Carl Conrad Eckhardt, The Papacy and World-Affairs, The
University of Chicago Press, 1937, P. 1.
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Pope Pius IX, in his
"Discorsi" (I., p. 253), said: "The Caesar who now
addresses you, and to whom alone are obedience and fidelity due."
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(Speaking of the time,
about 500 A.D., when the Roman Empire was crumbling to pieces) "No, the
[Catholic] Church will not descend into the tomb. It will survive the Empire
. . . At length a second empire will arise, and of this
empire the Pope will be the master--more then this, he will be
the master of Europe. He will dictate his orders to kings who will obey
them"--Andrea Lagarde, The Latin Church in the Middle Ages, 1915, p.
vi.
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Historic fact is, the only “power” which
arose with Roman power, or came out of the ten nations shortly after the fall
of the Roman empire was in fact the system of the papacy. Using common sense,
one can see it is called the ROMAN Catholic church, is
it not? Not only did the Papal system accept this power, they accepted
the NAME as well. The amazing thing about all this is the Roman
Catholic church actually admits they are the ones that stepped in after Rome
fell to assume power.
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It is, therefore, by a
particular decree of Divine Providence that, at the fall of the Roman Empire
and its partition into separate kingdoms, the Roman Pontiff, whom Christ made
the head and center of his entire Church, acquired civil power. − Pope Pius
IX, Apostolic Letter Cum Catholica Ecclesia, March 26, 1860.
Source: Papal
Teachings: The Church, selected and arranged by the Benedictine Monks of
Solesmes, translated by Mother E. O'Gorman, R.S.C.J., Manhattanville College
of the Sacred Heart, St. Paul Editions, Boston, © 1980, 1962 by Daughters of
St. Paul, Library of Congress catalog card number 62-12454, par. #225, page 160.
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The little horn arose after the ten
nations were formed, that is, after 476 A.D., the year when the division of the
Roman empire was completed. Now, history teaches us, and I will re-affirm later
on this page that the Roman Catholic Papacy imposed its religio-political
supremacy from the year 538 A.D. on. That’s a mere 60 years after the division
of the Roman empire that the little horn received the power.
- Daniel 7: 24, 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.”
This passage is stating the little
horn is to be “different” from the ten nations that preceded it.
Looking to the system of the papacy, we can easily see this fulfilled by the
religio-political nature of its power. Never before in the history of mankind
has there been a nation that is a church at the same time! Daniel saw that fact
perfectly many years prior in that vision! And Revelation 17:3 confirms Daniel
vision as well.
- Revelation 17:3, "So he carried me away in the
spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit
upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."
Right off I am sure you noticed the
“ten horns” of this beast, as well as the other characteristics matching that
of the little horn. But what’s strange here is that a woman is sitting on it.
What does this mean? In prophecy we already learned a beast is defined as a
nation. But were you also aware a woman equals a church?
- Jeremiah 6:2, "I have likened the
daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman."
We also understand the Church of
Jesus Christ is considered the "Bride of Christ" as well because of
many areas of Old and New Testament Scriptures that describes her as such.
Looking to Rome, do you see what I see? A church and a nation at the same time
now! Again, NEVER before in the history of mankind has this ever happened!
- Daniel 7:20, “And of the ten horns that were in his
head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of
that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose
look was more stout than his fellows.”
In this prophetic key we see the
little horn will display a more stout look than its predecessors. The Roman
Catholic Papacy has taken on in the past, and still takes on today a more impressive
appearance than any other power on the earth. She learned this from
Pagan Rome. In fact, at all times, popes have always surrounded themselves with
majestic pomp in all their actions and travels just as did Caesar and his
statesmen. No matter if it is a fairly small and solemn occasion being
performed by this church, or it’s the highest mass this church holds, you will
always see these men dressed in the extreme pompous clothing of the pagan,
while surrounded by riches and glory that is completely directed towards
glorifying the man as one worthy of reverence and awe, rather than the Creator
of that man. The Word prophesied that this power would cause many to worship
the “creature more than the Creator” in these last days, and so it has!
- Daniel 7:8, "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."
This prophetic key states that at
the head of the papacy stands only one man: the pope. This man that
is proclaimed “infallible” in the actual dogma of this church…
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“The Pope’s authority
is unlimited, incalculable; it can strike, as Innocent III says, wherever sin
is; it can punish every one; it allows no appeal and is itself Sovereign
Caprice; for the Pope carries, according to the expression of Boniface VIII,
all rights in the Shrine of his breast. As he has now become
infallible, he can by the use of the little word, “orbi,” (which means
that he turns himself round to the whole Church) make every rule,
every doctrine, every demand, into a certain and incontestable article of
Faith. No right can stand against him, no personal or corporate
liberty; or as the [Roman Catholic] Canonists put it—“The tribunal of God
and of the pope is one and the same.” -Ignaz von Dollinger, “A Letter
Addressed to the Archbishop of Munich” 1871; as quoted in
MacDougall, The Acton Newman Relations (Fordham University
Press) pp. 119,120.
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Proclaimed infallible, his decisions
affect the lives of literally billions of people around the world. And,
throughout history, the declarations of this leader have often been very
pompous, and against God Himself, as we will see in a moment. But just reading
this last quote, one can already see that the popes do in fact “speak great
things” do they not?
- Daniel 7:8 “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:…”
- Daniel 7:24 “… he shall subdue three kings.”
Exactly as foretold, we learned
earlier that the papacy brought about the elimination of three of the 10
nations that opposed the plans and authority of the papacy: Rome wanted to
remain in power, and it will do so even if it means killing anyone that gets in
their way.
- the Heruli, were annihilated in 493 A.D.
- the Vandals, were annihilated in 534 A.D.
- and the Ostrogoths, in 538 A.D.
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"Vigilius...ascended
the papal chair (538 A.D.) under the military
protection of Belisarius." History of the Christian Church, Vol.
3, p. 327
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According to history, 538 A.D., is
the very year when the papacy began to reign freely over Europe as a “church
& state” conglomerate. Or, a “woman on a beast” as Revelation calls it.
Truth is, this is a position of both political, as well as religious power. Or
as some refer to it as, ABSOLUTE POWER! With such power, did the Papacy allow
for ABSOLUTE CORRUPTION as is always the case with such power? Prophecy does
proclaim that this is in fact inevitable with this entity.
- Daniel 7:20 “…that horn that had eyes, and a mouth
that spake very great things”
- Daniel 7:25 “And he shall speak great words
against the most High…”
To be continued.
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