The Second Deadly Wound

We have already shown in the chapter entitled, "Is the First Beast of Revelation 13 the Papacy?" that the seven heads of this beast represent the entire world history of opposition to God’s truth—the Noachian Flood on through successive mighty empires—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, Papal Rome, Atheistic Communism, and the United States using its worldwide power to support the Papacy in the final events of this world’s history. The fall of European Communism in 1991 effectively ended the power of the sixth head, and the United States grasped the mantle. President George Bush Senior announced in his State of the Union address to Congress in 1991 that the United States was then the sole superpower in the world. In terms of military might he was absolutely correct.

One year later Bill Clinton won the Presidency. His immoral acts went unpunished. The Senate did not muster the moral fiber to impeach him when he not only behaved in a manner abhorrent to sincere Christians but plainly perjured himself. He left office granting presidential pardons to men, some of whom had committed serious crimes but were known to be rich and friends of the President. America had lost the moral high ground which honored its nation earlier in its history. It was fully prepared to take its place in prophetic history as the seventh head of the beast of Revelation 13 and 17.

That there was still much religious zeal in the nation may be seen by some as evidence contrary to this assessment, but this does by no means deny its validity. Consistently, almost two-thirds of Americans were found by opinion polls to oppose the impeachment of the president, despite the widespread documentation of his misdeeds. Clearly many Americans, claiming to be Christians, were unperturbed that the nation had a president who had lived to an appalling standard of morality and had perjured himself. Plainly, temporal prosperity was by many more highly valued than moral rectitude. Truthfulness meant nothing to such people. "Let the president lie under oath" seemed to be their nonchalant attitude.

Further, it must never be forgotten that there is no one crueler and more dangerous than a religious zealot without the new birth experience. The Pharisees demonstrated that in Christ’s day. And in our own time, the Catholics and Protestants of Northern Ireland, the Jews and Islamics of Israel, the Hindus and Sikhs of the Punjab and the Hindus and Islamics in Kashmir, amply demonstrate this truth. Of course among these unconverted religious zealots there are true men and women of noble character living up to all the light they have. But zeal is no guarantee of rectitude and godly love.

Revelation 17 is the chapter of the first two Papal deadly wounds, the first to be healed, the second at the time of Christ’s Second Coming.

But before the beast goes into perdition it will have a short period of high moment. Speaking of the ten horns we read:

Some believe these ten horns represent the ten divisions into which the United Nations has divided the world. We do not quarrel with those of this mind, for undoubtedly,

But our belief is that consistency of Biblical symbolism demands that we see these horns primarily as the European nations.

In the past, Europe has never been of one mind on anything. Was there agreement in the matters of the wars of Europe and the world? Never! We cast our minds to the major wars of the twentieth century—the two World Wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Europe certainly was not of one mind in any of these wars.

But incredibly in 1991, the very year the seventh head took its place in prophetic history, in a war led by the United States, every last nation in Europe, for the first time in European history, was of one mind—Iraq was wrong and Kuwait was right in their respective causes. This meeting of minds, which is a foretaste of a greater unity of mind to support the pope when the universal death decree and economic boycott are imposed, occurred in 1991, a pivotal year in the fulfillment of prophecy. There were some differences between the nations of Europe on how the Gulf War should be solved, but as to the justice of Kuwait’s cause, agreement was total—an augury of times ahead.

Here we see that the unity of Europe is for a religious cause. They fight against the Lamb of God through persecuting His faithful followers. But we discern that ultimately, as is inevitable, God prevails.

When God prevails and the seven last plagues, designated in Revelation chapter 16, fall, and the nations at last recognize that their support of the Papacy has been entirely misplaced and that they, too, are lost souls, a great realignment of the powers of the world occurs. Europe, and no doubt the entire world, turns in bitter hatred against Rome. From total support for the Papacy, Scripture reveals that they truly evaluate the aims and nature of the Papacy only when it is too late to find salvation.

Here is the second deadly wound to the Papacy, a wound from which there will be no recovery as a religio-political power. But even this does not provide the ultimate annihilation of those who have upheld the Papacy—pontiffs, prelates, laymen and all the nations of the earth who have supported this opposition to the love of God. That takes place a thousand years later.

The prophecies of Daniel, both chapters 2 and 7 conclude in the Second Coming of Christ, extinguishing the earthly powers who have opposed Christ and His faithful people. Daniel chapter 2 presents the long history of earthly powers which have opposed God and His truth, with each power represented by a different metal as part of a great image. Daniel told of the utter demise of earthly kingdoms as he interpreted the dream to King Nebuchadnezzar.

He then explained further:

In the parallel prophecy of the four beasts of Daniel 7, the second deadly wound of the little horn is also seen to be inflicted at Christ’s Second Coming.

Once again many Protestants have been mistaken. It is only by a misuse of Bible passages that the Jesuit-inspired, nineteenth century theory of the secret rapture can be maintained and the earthly millennium sustained. (See Colin and Russell Standish, Antichrist is Here, Hartland Publications, Rapidan, Virginia 22733.)

Christ plainly stated that at His coming the saints would be taken to be where He is—not He to come where they are.

Paul specifically speaks of God’s people being caught up to be with the Lord at the Second Coming.

This present earth would be a pathetic "reward" for the saints if God confined them here. The seventh plague, the last, just prior to Christ’s return, utterly devastates the entire earth. Here will be a seismic catastrophe immeasurably vast, beyond the comprehension of man.

The same event is described earlier in the book of Revelation.

The destruction of the wicked at Christ’s Second Coming is then vividly portrayed.

This is a terrifying experience for the vast majority of the inhabitants of this earth who have followed Papal dictates and thus have fulfilled the prophecy,

Thus is the second deadly wound inflicted upon the Papacy at Christ’s Second Coming. Although the Papacy will never recover from this deadly wound, yet it was not to be the last. The ultimate deadly wound will be the final anihilation at the Third Coming of Christ.