|
Chapter 4
Babylon
Who is the beast? We
have noticed the dire mark of the beast in previous chapters in this
book. Those who receive the mark of the beast will be subject to the
wrath of God. Yet those who refuse to receive the mark of the beast will
receive the wrath of the beast. Thus it is most important to identify
the beast of Revelation 13.
The Protestant reformers, including Luther, Calvin,
Zwingli, Knox, Wesley, and many others, recognized that the beast power was
mentioned under various synonyms in Scripture. It was the little horn of
Daniel 7, the man of sin, the son of perdition who introduces the mystery of
iniquity in 2 Thessalonians 2, the antichrist of 1 John 2 and 4 and 2 John,
Babylon of Revelation 14, 16, 17, 18, and the whore and scarlet beast of
Revelation 17. (See Part 6.)
The Scripture provides us with so many identifying features
of the beast power that there is left to us no possible doubt whatsoever.
Remembering the synonymous terms used for the beast as listed above, we find
the following identifying factors of the beast.
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a
fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had
great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue
with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before
it; and it had ten horns. 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 (Daniel 7:7,8).
1. Arose from the fourth beast (the Roman Empire) of Daniel
7:7,8.
2. Displaced 3 of the 10 kingdoms into which the Roman Empire
disintegrated Daniel 7:8, 24.
3. Possessed human qualities Daniel 7:8.
4. Spoke great words Daniel 7:8.
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and
prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given
to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed
the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon
earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole
earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 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.
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be
given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the
judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to
destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of
the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints
of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions
shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel,
my cogitations much troubled me: but I kept the matter in my heart (Daniel
7:25-28).
5. Made war against Gods saints and prevailed against them
Daniel 7:19-21, 25.
6. That war ceased when the saints possessed the kingdom of
God Daniel 7:22.
7. Is a kingdom Daniel 7:24.
8. Will be different from the other 10 kingdoms Daniel
7:24.
9. Shall speak great things against the Most High Daniel
7:25.
10. Shall change times and laws Daniel 7:25.
11. Shall possess authority for "time, times, and the
dividing of times" Daniel 7:25.
12. Its dominion shall be taken away in the judgment
Daniel 7:26.
13. It will be utterly destroyed Daniel 7:26.
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; 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.
For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the
way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they
should believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4,7-11).
14. This power will prevail because of a falling away from the
truth 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
15. Opposes God 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
16. Exalts itself above God 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
17. Opposes true worship 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
18. Sits in the temple of God 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
19. Accepts the mystery of iniquity 2 Thessalonians 2:7.
20. Will be destroyed at Christs coming 2 Thessalonians
2:8.
21. Will do the works of Satan 2 Thessalonians 2:9.
22. Will use signs and lying wonders 2 Thessalonians 2:9.
23. Will do unrighteously 2 Thessalonians 2: 10.
24. Will accept strong delusions 2 Thessalonians 2:11.
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard
that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we
know that it is the last time.
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus
is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: But he that
acknowledges the Son hath the Father also (1 John 2: 18, 22, 23).
25. Is a liar 1 John 2:22.
26. Denies the Father and the Son 1 John 2:22.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this
is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come: and
even now already is it in the world (1 John 4:2,3).
27. Denies Christ came in the flesh (fallen nature) 1 John
4:3,4.
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist
(2 John 7).
28. Deceives 2 John 7.
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up
out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten
crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw
was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his
mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat,
and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;
and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
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? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and
his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to
make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over
all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:1-8).
29. This power rises out of a symbolic sea Revelation
13:1.
30. Has 7 heads, 10 horns, and 10 crowns Revelation 13:1.
31. Its name is blasphemy Revelation 13:1.
32. Has the characteristics of a leopard (Greece see
Daniel 7); a bear (Medo-Persia); and a lion (Babylon) Revelation 13:2.
33. The dragon (Satan; see Revelation 12:9) gives him power
and authority Revelation 13:2.
34. One of his heads received a deadly wound Revelation
13:3.
35. The deadly wound was healed Revelation 13:3.
36. All the world would wonder after the beast Revelation
13:3.
37. The power leads out in worship of the dragon (Satan;
Revelation 12:9; 20:2) Revelation 13:4.
38. Satan gave him power Revelation 13:4.
39. The beast itself was worshipped Revelation 13:4.
40. Other nations were not able to make war with him
Revelation 13:4.
41. He spoke great things and blasphemies Revelation 13:5.
42. He continues 42 months Revelation 13:5.
43. Blasphemed the heavenly tabernacle Revelation 13:6.
44. Blasphemed them that dwell in heaven Revelation 13:6.
45. Made war with the saints and overcame them Revelation
13:7.
46. Possessed power over all the world Revelation 13:7.
47. Will attract almost universal worship Revelation 13:8.
48. Only the most dedicated of Christians will resist his
power and authority Revelation 13:8.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he
had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the
power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which
dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And
he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the
earth in the sight of men. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the
means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;
saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the
beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give
life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both
speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast
should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor,
free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of
the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath
understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man;
and his number is six hundred threescore and six (Revelation 13:11-18).
49. A second power arises exercising all the power of the
beast Revelation 13:11, 12.
50. The beast with the lamb-like horns will force all to
worship the first beast Revelation 13:12.
51. This second beast does great wonders Revelation 13:13,
14.
52. The second beast deceives Revelation 13:14.
53. The second beast makes an image to the first beast
Revelation 13:14.
54. The second beast enforces an universal death decree upon
all, on behalf of the first beast Revelation 13:15.
55. The second beast enforces the mark of the first beast
Revelation 13:17.
56. The second beast implements an economic boycott upon all
who reject the mark of the beast Revelation 13:17.
57. The number of the first beast is 666 Revelation 13:18.
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen,
is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of
the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a
loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark
in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath
of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation;
and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy
angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment
ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who
worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments
of God, and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:8-12).
58. The beast (Babylon) is fallen because she has made all
nations drink of the wine of her fornication Revelation 14:8.
59. There is fearful retribution for any who receive the mark
of the beast Revelation 14:9-11.
60. The saints who reject the mark of the beast will be those
who keep the commandments of God and have Christs faith Revelation
14:12.
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and
them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over
his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having
the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the
song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God
Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints (Revelation 15:
2,3).
61. The redeemed will have overcome the beasts mark
Revelation 15:2,3.
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the
seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon
the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and
there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the
beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
And the great city was
divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great
Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto them the cup of the wine
of the fierceness of his wrath (Revelation 16:2,3, 19).
62. Those with the mark of the beast receive the seven last
plagues Revelation 16:1,2.
63. It receives the wrath of God Revelation 16:19.
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven
vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee
the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 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. 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.
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: And upon her forehead was a
name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 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. 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. 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. And here is the mind
which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman
sitteth. 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. And the
beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and
goeth into perdition. 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. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the
beast. 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. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou
sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues. 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. 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. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which
reigneth over the kings of the earth (Revelation 17:1-18).
64. It will be judged Revelation 17:1.
65. It commits spiritual fornication with national leaders and
merchants Revelation 17:2.
66. It is full of spiritual fornication (see Jeremiah 3:1-6)
Revelation 17:4.
67. The whore is Babylon Revelation 17:5.
68. It murders saints Revelation 17:6.
69. It shall be sent to perdition Revelation 17:8.
70. It sits upon 7 mountains as does the city of Rome
Revelation 17:9.
71. It is one of the seven powers that have opposed Gods
truth, and returns to associate with the seventh, it being also the eighth
Revelation 17:10,11.
72. These 10 horns, which represent Europe (see Daniel 7:24),
shall become united in purpose in order to provide power and authority to the
beast Revelation 17: 12, 13.
73. The 10 horns and the beast make war with God and His
people Revelation 17:14.
74. Eventually the 10 horns will hate the beast and attack it
Revelation 17:15-17.
75. The woman represents a great city which reigns over the
worlds leaders Revelation 17:18.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the
great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the
hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For
all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the
kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of
the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard
another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plague. For her sins
have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her
even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works:
in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath
glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her:
for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no
sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and
famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God
who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication
and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when
they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her
torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in
one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and
mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise
of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and
purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of
ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron,
and marble, And cinnamon, odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine,
oils, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and
chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted
after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are
departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of
these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear
of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas that great city,
that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold,
and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to
nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and
as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of
her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast
dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that
great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of
her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou
heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into
the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown
down, and shall be found no more at all And the voice of harpers, and
musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in
thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in
thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And
the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the
bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy
merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all
nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints,
and of all that were slain upon the earth (Revelation 18: 2-24).
76. Babylon is vile Revelation 18:2,3.
77. God urgently calls all men to come out of her faith
Revelation 18:4,5.
78. There will be a terrible retribution for Babylon
Revelation 18:4,5.
79. She has prostituted herself with leaders of nations and
merchants and will receive the plagues Revelation 18:8-24.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that
wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the
mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast
alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone (Revelation 19:20).
80. The beast is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone
Revelation 19:20.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was
given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the
witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the
beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads,
or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years
(Revelation 20:4).
81. Those who reject the work of the beast will reign with God
for 1000 years Revelation 20:4.
The Bible exhibits more than 80 identifying marks of the
beast power of Revelation 13. No other symbol is so specifically and
irrefutably identified in Scripture. A minority of these identifying
features are future, but the great majority are historical facts and thus
can be documented. One power, and one only, fulfills all the criteria
which have been historically completed the Roman Catholic Church. The
Protestant reformers were absolutely correct in their identification of
the beast of Revelation 13 as the antichrist power and their
identification of that power as the Papacy.
Martin Luther declared,
We are of the conviction that the Papacy is the seat of
the real antichrist (quoted in LeRoy Froom, The Prophetic Faith of
Our Fathers, Vol.2, p. 256).
John Calvin declared,
I deny him to be the vicar of Christ .... He is
antichrist I deny him to be head of the church (John Calvin
Tracts, Vol. 1, pp. 219,220).
John Knox stated,
That tyranny which the pope himself has for so many ages
exercised over the church, the very antichrist and son of perdition of
whom Paul speaks (The Zurich Letter, p.199).
John Wesley concluded that
Roman Papacy he [the antichrist] is, in an emphatical
sense, the man of sin (John Wesley, Antichrist and His Ten Kingdoms, p.110).
These, and other reformers, did not come to this
conclusion because of a desire to vilify the Roman Catholic Church. They
were not simply taking a cheap shot at that church. Their writings reveal
that they had carefully studied the evidence of Scripture and were forced
by weight of that evidence to conclude that only the Roman Catholic Church
fitted the criteria. Protestants of the present day who still recognize
this fact are frequently accused of paranoia, papalphobia, by fellow
Protestants who have taken no pains to study Scripture in relation to the
matter and are caught up in the evil spirit of ecumenism.
The majority of Protestants who intelligently identify the
beast of Revelation 13 as the Papacy have a deep love for the souls of
their Roman Catholic friends. They recognize that many Roman Catholics are
sincere in their convictions, but deceived. Recognizing Christs
plaintive plea,
Come out of her my people, that ye be not
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues
(Revelation 18:4, emphasis added),
we must clearly make the identification. It is painful to
so identify such a popular religion, but no true Christian can refrain
from presenting such an urgent, loving call, from God. It is no display of
love for Roman Catholics to conceal that which Scripture reveals.
The Roman Catholic Church is the result of the
paganization of Christianity which progressed rapidly from the fourth
century. The focal point of the entry of paganism into the Christian
Church was the "conversion" of the Roman Emperor Constantine in
321 A.D. Hordes of European pagans entered the fold, encouraged by the
conversion of their emperor. But in most cases there was no heart
conversion, no new birth experience. They desired to continue to practice
their pagan worship within Christianity. Thus they introduced their day of
worship, Sunday, sanitizing it as a memorial of Christs resurrection.
They introduced their idol worship, covering its pagan nature by providing
Christian names for the idols, such as Mary, the apostles and Christ
Himself. They introduced the pagan practice of sprinkling water on the
head of the newborn in order to remove evil from them and designated this
pagan practice, Christian baptism. Also, the relating of ones sins to
the priests entered the Christian faith. The Bible concept of Christ as
our only Mediator was lost.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).
The idea that the soul is immortal, borrowed from
paganism, and defying the plain word of Scripture, was introduced. God
alone has immortality.
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and
only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath
immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom
no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.
Amen (1 Timothy 6: 15,16),
This led to the belief that virtuous men and women go to
heaven when they die and the evil go to ever-burning torment. Christ
plainly taught that we are united with Him, if faithful, not at death, but
when He comes again.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,
believe also in me. In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it were
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:1-3).
He also states clearly that the punishment of the wicked
is eternal destruction.
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from
the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power (2
Thessalonians 1:9).
The Bible knows nothing of the pagan concept of purgatory.
Neither does the Bible provide salvation on the basis of monetary gifts.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should
boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:8-10).
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,
brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
Nor does Scripture give the right to any human to destroy
Gods law. Any Roman Catholic can examine the Ten Commandments in a
Catholic version of Scripture, such as the Douay or the Jerusalem Bibles,
and read the true Ten Commandments. But in their catechisms they are
taught to entirely discard the second commandment, to eliminate most of
the fourth commandment and to divide the tenth commandment in two in order
to preserve the number of ten commandments. The reason that the popes
Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini, repeatedly refers to the
Sabbath commandment as the third commandment rather than the fourth is
because Catholicism has cast out the second commandment which states
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any
likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow
down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord the God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy
unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments (Exodus
20:4-6).
There is sound evidence to charge the Roman Catholic
Church with the introduction of idolatry into the faith. Some claim that
their veneration of idols is not evidence of idol worship. If this claim
is valid, why then did the Roman Catholic Church think it necessary to
expunge the second commandment from the Decalogue?
Further, the Roman Catholic Church has altered the Sabbath
commandment in their catechisms with the words, "Remember the sabbath
day to keep it holy." The full fourth commandment is,
Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt
thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of
the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son,
nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle,
nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it
(Exodus 20: 8-11).
Here again is compelling evidence that the Roman Catholic
Church full well knows that Sunday worship does not extend back to
apostolic times, otherwise it would have been the apostles who would have
initiated such an alteration. The apostles spoke often of keeping the
commandments, but made no effort to alter them. A few examples include the
words of Paul.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing,
but the keeping of the commandments of God (1 Corinthians 7:19),
John stated,
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his
commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keep not his commandments,
is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3,4).
And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him,
and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit
which he hath given us (1 John 3:24).
By this we know that we love the children of God, when
we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that
we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (1 John
5:2,3)
And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.
This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye
should walk in it ( 2 John 6).
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to
make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of
God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17)
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that
keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into
the city (Revelation 22:14).
Combining the concepts of the immortality of the soul,
christening to remove original sin and eternal punishment in hell, the
early Roman Catholic Church taught that all innocent but unbaptized
children who died were doomed to eternal torment. Later, the concept was
softened by consigning such unfortunate children to a mythical entity
called limbo, simply because of the neglect of their parents to have their
heads sprinkled with water. It is little wonder that the French fled from
such an arbitrary and vengeful "god" and rather embraced the
prostituted goddess of mercy at the time of the French Revolution.
It must not be forgotten that one of the identifying
features of the little horn of Daniel 7 is that this power would
"think to change times and laws" (Daniel 7:15). Certainly the
Papacy has emphatically fulfilled that criterion without the least
question, as it has eliminated the second commandment from Gods sacred
law removed much of the fourth commandment which deals with God, holy
times, and divided the tenth commandment.
We will see that in other ways the Papacy, and the Papacy
alone, fulfills the 81 criteria of the beast power of Revelation 13.
|
