Post by asaph on May 2, 2015 19:06:59 GMT -8
Is the United States of America in Bible prophesy?
Few would argue the USA is the greatest nation in the history of the world. Reasons from all aspects of life can be listed to substantiate that belief. Has God included America in Bible prophesy?
The easiest, most efficient way to understand prophesy is to compare Revelation to the book of Daniel. It is interesting that Daniel is the only book Christ ever mentioned to study by name, Matthew 24:15.
The march of empires, in Daniel, chapter 2, displayed in the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, have been placed in this order by commentators and historians for centuries - Gold - Babylon; Silver - Medo-Persia; Bronze/Brass - Greece; Iron - Rome; Iron/clay - division of the Roman empire developing into Europe's nations and entrance of churchcraft/statecraft, and finally the Stone cut out of a mountain without man's hands which strikes the image and destroys it - the Second coming of Christ.
Because the Bible, itself, identifies these symbols as those four empires in more or less detail in different chapters and other places in Scripture, following the train of thought in further chapters is simple, especially when backed up by history and archeology.
Daniel 7's beasts - The Lion - Babylon; Bear - Medo-Persia; Leopard - Greece; non-descript beast with iron teeth - Rome; the Little Horn power - the Roman Catholic Papacy. The nine marks identifying the Little Horn match no other power in history but, the Roman Papacy.
Daniel, chapter 8, lays out more creatures and horns; Ram - Medo-Persia; He Goat - Greece; then another little horn becoming great - both Pagan and Papal Rome.
If the Protestant Reformation agreed on nothing else, it was agreed in the identification of these symbols in Daniel for centuries, until the Oxford Movement or Apostasy, in the 19th century.
Moving to Revelation sees the same history portrayed in further detail, with the added symbols of our times.
Revelation 13, first beast; a composite of Daniel 7 - Lion, Bear, Leopard, Dragon. Each mark, like Daniel's Little Horn, brings focus to the Roman Catholic Church and it's Papacy, which is now a state power, a nation, the Vatican City/State. It is 'ante-christos,' "in place of Christ;" in its Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, services, traditions, doctrines, and history. It claims to be the 'Mother of all churches,' the sole ship, the ark which carries believers to eternal life. Modifications since Vatican 2 have not changed those doctrines or positions for the orthodox. The Catholic Church does not change. Protestants may change, and have changed. Rome does not change. Rome modifies and adapts to gain power.
From the decree of Justinian, in 533, naming the Pope the head of all churches and corrector of heretics, to the destruction of the Ostrogoths (one of the three horns plucked up by the roots in Daniel 7), in 538, the RCC/papacy took control of Europe by craft, just as Daniel 8 predicted. For 1260 years (the repeated biblical time span for this power's longevity) the Papacy had control until 1798, when Napolean's general, Alessandro Berthier, took Pope Pius VI captive, who died in exile, and the "deadly wound" was given to the beast. Headlines to the effect were in newspapers of that time. For two years no pope reigned. But, the 'deadly wound' would be 'healed.' By 1800 a new pope, Pius VII, was on his throne, the 110 acre Vatican State was established in 1929, and today the Roman Catholic Pontiff remains one of the ten most admired men on planet Earth, year after year. It's wealth is inestimable. It shall remain a prophetic player until the return of Christ. Regardless of the scandals she continues to remain a power to be reckoned with.
The second beast of Rev. 13:11-18.
While the deadly wound was falling upon the first beast, the second rises up, "out of the earth." The only nation rising up around 1798 is the United States of America, which ratified it's Constitution in 1789.
It arises out of the 'earth.' The symbol of "seas" or great bodies of water, represent multitudes of people or nations, Rev. 17:15.
America rose in a sparsely populated area, the 'earth,' the opposite of the symbolic seas of Bible prophecy.
It has two horns, like a lamb, but ultimately speaks as a dragon. These two horns, two powers, are the defining elements of this nation - separation of church and state. Civil power separated from religious power. An entirely new aspect of governance. Mindful of the persecutions which took place in the early nation towards "dissenters" of various kinds, when preachers often held all the positions of civil governance, when the stocks were reserved for breakers of the "Sabbath," and laws were constructed in some states calling for the death penalty for repeated violators of these laws, great men like James Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, and others, all recognized the need for the state to mind its own business and the church to mind its own business, and freedom of conscience became a thing unheard of in world history, which the Papacy regarded as a "pestilential error." Pope Pius IX, Encyclical Letter of August 15, 1854.
The principle of the separation of church and state is not the same thing as separation of God from the state. The Founders understood the difference, knowing our rights come from our Creator.
The lamb, the dragon. The Bison, one of America's great symbols, as an infant, resembles a lamb. Once grown, it can be a ferocious beast, snorting warnings to anyone in its path. The Lamb also represents Christ. America has oft been called a Christian nation, a nation whose inhabitants were more biblically based than any nation since Christ's advent. It has been responsible for the promulgation of the gospel to more lands than all other nations put together. It has published more Christian literature than all nations put together. Yet, it is prophesied this nation shall speak as a dragon, the devil himself. Harassment, oppression, persecution is coming. It has had its moments all along, like imposed Sunday laws, which saw many seventh-day Sabbath keepers losing everything back in the 19th century, even placed in chain gangs. The quest for a national Sunday law was stopped in Congress, in 1889. State Blue laws continued into the 20th century.
Revelation 13:12 states the second beast shall exercise all the power of the first beast before it. The Papacy exercised a dominance over Euro-national affairs, crowned kings and queens, caused wars, profited from wars, and caused Europeans to tremble during the Dark Ages. America, once guided by Judeo-Christian principle, having to suffer through a civil war, and only defending itself from outward attack, is now controlled by the military industrial complex, has become a global police force, loathed by nations everywhere for its continual interference in the affairs of nations through its C.I.A., able to destroy hundreds of thousands of people in an instant, leading the way to a doomsday clock set at a few minutes to midnight. As it now stands laws have been framed which now leave the person of faith without defense when following convictions. The First Amendment to the Constitution has been tossed aside for hedonism at the expense of freedom of conscience. As I write this the Supreme Court is deciding on arguments before it denying states rights to mandate marriage between a man and woman alone.
Nonetheless, America shall give precedent to the RCC and its Papacy, causing all the earth to follow its example. Despite current agitations over same-sex laws and the moral collapse of society, for the first time in its history a pope is coming to address the United States Congress in Sept., 2015. The Founders would be shocked beyond belief to see such an event. Yet previously, in the reign of John Paul 2, the visitation of the Pontiff used tax payer money for many events held in his honor. He was a head of state, Vatican state. Thus tax dollars could be used to aid his itinerary. The Reagan administration and the Vatican worked together to dismantle Communism in Europe. Roman Catholics occupy the highest positions in American civil government, a nation based on Protestant principles. An ecumenical movement exists which has blurred the lines between Romanism and Protestantism. Many claim Protestantism is dead. Political power structures exist between the two which center on issues like abortion and marriage. As the churches and believers of both religious sides are backed into a corner by secularism a major turn of events is coming. The pendulum is about to swing the other way, hard.
Rev. 13:13,14. Miracles. A false religious revival, based on great wonders and deceptive miracles, is coming. It has been gaining steam for decades. Satan shall work through the 'man of sin' (2 Thes. 2:3, the papacy) with all power, signs and lying wonders. In America he shall work his wonders and those "miracles" will propel the churches in America to back Washington, DC into a corner. Fire in Scripture is often likened to the presence of God. The false revival, backed by false miracles, will claim that presence and authority. America will, under satanic deceptions, disregard its principles of separation of church and state (already argued against by many evangelicals ignorant of American history, law and principle) and make an image to the beast, a likeness, a spitting image of the first beast, and a super-church is coming, a political nightmare for freedom of conscience, which will push the pendulum far into dangerous, dragon-like territory, all in the name of Christ, and, as Christ predicted, life will be taken by those thinking they are doing God's service. So it has been, so it shall be. False miracle-working power will be the foundation of this movement in America, which shall spread throughout the world, especially when "the angel of light" takes the stage.
Ultimately, as stated in verses 15-18, the coming union of church and state will give rise to the necessity to quell dissenters through national boycott and embargoes, which become international, as buying and selling is cut off; easily accomplished with today's technology. Finally, a death decree will be pronounced against "heretics" and dissenters calling for freedom of conscience and biblical truth. When the false revival gains power it will be challenged by the true revival; a revival of primitive godliness and apostolic purity such as the world has not seen since the days of Christ. The Lamb and the Dragon; the glorious Woman of Rev. 12 and the Whore of Rev. 17 shall face off as the Mother and her daughters against Christ's Remnant, which keep the commandments of God and have the faith and testimony of Jesus, Rev. 12:17; 14:12. Man's law verses God's law. The final issue is worship - who, what, when, why and how. The final issue is authority; God's, in His word, or man's, in his dictates and laws.
The United States of America, the once greatest nation on Earth, shall instigate the final rebellion against the government and kingdom of God. Incredible? Consider the condition of ancient and modern Israel. Consider the once Protestant nations of Europe.
The name, the number, which is the number of a man, and the mark of the beast, which America shall give homage to spiritually and in framing laws establishing its authority:
The name of the beast - The Papacy
The number of the beast - 666, a number symbolic of man-made authority, thus shy of perfection (777 found in the godhead), is that numerical symbol which shows the language of Rome in numerals. Various Latin and even Greek interpretations have been given over time. The most prominent, a title of the Pope - Vicarius Filii Dei - Vicar of the Son of God, remains the most obvious. The Roman numerals assigned to the letters carrying numeric value added together equal 666. The RCC has failed in its attempts to cast aside this title which has been found in various Roman Catholic documents and books down through the ages. Yet even in our day the truth of this title makes its appearance in official RC environs - ""Vicarius Filii Dei" means Vicar of the Son of God, a term scholars believe first appears in a document known as the Donation of Constantine, dated to the eight or ninth century. This is an apt description of the Pope, who is frequently referred to as the Vicar of Christ, and, at present, probably only the most bitterly anti-Catholic individuals would take offense at the title." Our Sunday Visitor, The Catholic Answer, Nov. 24, 2011.
The pope claims to be the Vicar of Christ, Christ's stand-in, His representative, called even Christ on Earth and Christ in the flesh in more Catholic dominated times. Pope Leo XIII wrote, " we hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty." Thus, antichrist, in place of Christ, is applied to the popes of the Roman Catholic Papacy. The exposed number steals the man of sin's self-glorification.
The mark of the beast. What is the mark of the Roman Catholic Church's power and authority? What does she say, herself? The easiest way to know the mark is to understand the prophetic seal of the living God, Rev. 7:1-3; 9:4, which stands opposite the mark of the beast. That would require another study. Suffice to place here Isaiah 8:16 and 20 - "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples." "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word there is no light in them." In Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16 God's covenant with His people is stated as putting and writing his laws in our hearts and in our minds; our forebrains, the frontal lobes, the seat of critical judgment and reason, the place of freedom of conscience and choice. Both prophetic marks are placed in the forehead, matters of reason, choice, conviction. Yet the beast's mark is also placed in the hand, that which works, that which makes deals. While not a matter of conviction the mark shall be received by those protecting the affairs of this life: jobs, careers, partnerships, money matters, caught up in the thorns of Christ's parable. Convenience. Preference. The seal of God is a matter of belief and conviction only.
Ancient seals contained three basic elements to authorize documents - the name of the law giver, the title, and the territory of the law giver. Modern national seals contain the same elements. Does the Almighty have such a seal in Scripture? Yes, the fourth commandment of the Decalogue, Exodus 20:8-11. The Sabbath commandment contains God's name, the LORD, in Hebrew; Yehovah, Yahweh, etc., depending on the interpretation of the tetragrammaton - yhwh. His title is Maker, Creator. His territory; heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is. The Sabbath commandment contains the elements of God's seal, His mark or sign of sanctification and holiness, to be instilled in each believer through the ministry of the Holy Spirit making Christ alive and powerful in each born again child of God. "And grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption, Eph. 4:30.
I shall add 1 Tim. 2:19 - The foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, the Lord knows them that are His. And Let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
God's seal, His mark, His sign is the Sabbath of creation, the fourth commandment, placed in the minds and hearts of His people; a truth which may not be known or accepted by every born again believer but, soon that choice shall face every person on the planet.
What law then, opposed to the Sabbath, which has influence on and involvement in buying and selling on Earth, belongs to the Roman Catholic Church? What is her mark of authority? Literally dozens of statements can be provided, proclaimed down through time. She, herself, answers in this well known quote in a letter from C.F. Thomas, Chancellor to Cardinal James Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore, in 1895, regarding the change of the Sabbath: "Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. It could not have been otherwise, as none in those days would have dreamed of doing anything, in matters spiritual, ecclesiastical and religious without her. This act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters."
“If Protestants would follow the Bible, they would worship God on the Sabbath Day. In keeping the Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church.” Albert Smith, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the Cardinal, in a letter dated February 10, 1920.
From the Cardinal, himself, often referred to as the American Pope - “1. Is Saturday the seventh day according to the Bible and the Ten Commandments? I answer yes. 2. Is Sunday the first day of the week and did the Church change the seventh day - Saturday - for Sunday, the first day? I answer yes. Did Christ change the day’? I answer no! No!”
“Faithfully yours, J. Card. Gibbons.”
"There is but one church on the face of the earth which has the power, or claims power, to make laws binding on the conscience, binding before God, binding under penalty of hell-fire. For instance, the institution of Sunday. What right has any other church to keep this day? You answer by virtue of the third commandment [the papacy did away with the 2nd regarding the worship of graven images, and called the 4th the 3rd, splitting the tenth command into two], which says 'Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.' But Sunday is not the Sabbath. Any schoolboy knows that Sunday is the first day of the week. I have repeatedly offered one thousand dollars to anyone who will prove by the Bible alone that Sunday is the day we are bound to keep, and no one has called for the money. It was the holy Catholic Church that changed the day of rest from Saturday, the seventh day, to Sunday, the first day of the week." - "Father" Thomas Enright, C.S.S.R., President of Redemptorist College, Kansas City, MO, in a lecture delivered in 1893. His repeated public offer of $1000 was never claimed.
'Deny the authority of the Church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the substitution of Sunday for Saturday in the Third - Protestant Fourth - Commandment of God... The Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.'' Catholic Record, September 1, 1923.
"Ques.—Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
"Ans.—Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her: She could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."—Stephen Keenan, Doctrinal Catechism, p. 176.
"Reason and common sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these two alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible."—The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893.
"Is not yet too late for Protestants to redeem themselves. Will they do it? ... will they indeed take the written word only, the Scripture alone, as their sole authority and their sole standard? Or will they still hold the indefensible, self contradictory, and suicidal doctrine and practice of following the authority of the Catholic church and wear the sign of her authority? Will they keep the Sabbath of the Lord, the seventh day, according to Scripture? Or will they keep the Sunday according to the tradition of the Catholic church." S. C. Mosna, Storia della Domenica, pg. 31, 1969
"Not the Creator of the Universe, in Genesis 2:1-3,—but the Catholic Church can claim the honor of having granted man a pause to his work every seven days."— ibid. pg. 366.
"But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn't it curious that non-Catholics, who claim to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon and explicit text in the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away—like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair." John A. O'Brien, The Faith of Millions: the Credentials of the Catholic Religion, Revised Edition (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 1974), pg. 400-401
“The Catholic Church designated Sunday as the day for corporate worship and gets full credit – or blame – for the change.” This Rock, The Magazine of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization, p.8, June, 1997
In dozens of more statements down through the ages the Catholic Church has made this claim. Sunday, the venerabilis de solis, bequeathed to her from paganism, is her mark of authority.
While it may seem impossible today, the future will display this nation, the United States of America, once again placing a civil obligation to shut down unnecessary business on Sunday under penalty of law. Sunday becomes the prophetic mark of the beast when that law is established. Persecution will fall upon those who will not bow to the unrivaled power of church and state on the horizon.
God has not left the mighty nation of America out of Bible prophecy. It is tragic this blessed nation shall be used to bring about the final events on planet Earth. Those events are even now lining up. Watch and pray.
Few would argue the USA is the greatest nation in the history of the world. Reasons from all aspects of life can be listed to substantiate that belief. Has God included America in Bible prophesy?
The easiest, most efficient way to understand prophesy is to compare Revelation to the book of Daniel. It is interesting that Daniel is the only book Christ ever mentioned to study by name, Matthew 24:15.
The march of empires, in Daniel, chapter 2, displayed in the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, have been placed in this order by commentators and historians for centuries - Gold - Babylon; Silver - Medo-Persia; Bronze/Brass - Greece; Iron - Rome; Iron/clay - division of the Roman empire developing into Europe's nations and entrance of churchcraft/statecraft, and finally the Stone cut out of a mountain without man's hands which strikes the image and destroys it - the Second coming of Christ.
Because the Bible, itself, identifies these symbols as those four empires in more or less detail in different chapters and other places in Scripture, following the train of thought in further chapters is simple, especially when backed up by history and archeology.
Daniel 7's beasts - The Lion - Babylon; Bear - Medo-Persia; Leopard - Greece; non-descript beast with iron teeth - Rome; the Little Horn power - the Roman Catholic Papacy. The nine marks identifying the Little Horn match no other power in history but, the Roman Papacy.
Daniel, chapter 8, lays out more creatures and horns; Ram - Medo-Persia; He Goat - Greece; then another little horn becoming great - both Pagan and Papal Rome.
If the Protestant Reformation agreed on nothing else, it was agreed in the identification of these symbols in Daniel for centuries, until the Oxford Movement or Apostasy, in the 19th century.
Moving to Revelation sees the same history portrayed in further detail, with the added symbols of our times.
Revelation 13, first beast; a composite of Daniel 7 - Lion, Bear, Leopard, Dragon. Each mark, like Daniel's Little Horn, brings focus to the Roman Catholic Church and it's Papacy, which is now a state power, a nation, the Vatican City/State. It is 'ante-christos,' "in place of Christ;" in its Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, services, traditions, doctrines, and history. It claims to be the 'Mother of all churches,' the sole ship, the ark which carries believers to eternal life. Modifications since Vatican 2 have not changed those doctrines or positions for the orthodox. The Catholic Church does not change. Protestants may change, and have changed. Rome does not change. Rome modifies and adapts to gain power.
From the decree of Justinian, in 533, naming the Pope the head of all churches and corrector of heretics, to the destruction of the Ostrogoths (one of the three horns plucked up by the roots in Daniel 7), in 538, the RCC/papacy took control of Europe by craft, just as Daniel 8 predicted. For 1260 years (the repeated biblical time span for this power's longevity) the Papacy had control until 1798, when Napolean's general, Alessandro Berthier, took Pope Pius VI captive, who died in exile, and the "deadly wound" was given to the beast. Headlines to the effect were in newspapers of that time. For two years no pope reigned. But, the 'deadly wound' would be 'healed.' By 1800 a new pope, Pius VII, was on his throne, the 110 acre Vatican State was established in 1929, and today the Roman Catholic Pontiff remains one of the ten most admired men on planet Earth, year after year. It's wealth is inestimable. It shall remain a prophetic player until the return of Christ. Regardless of the scandals she continues to remain a power to be reckoned with.
The second beast of Rev. 13:11-18.
While the deadly wound was falling upon the first beast, the second rises up, "out of the earth." The only nation rising up around 1798 is the United States of America, which ratified it's Constitution in 1789.
It arises out of the 'earth.' The symbol of "seas" or great bodies of water, represent multitudes of people or nations, Rev. 17:15.
America rose in a sparsely populated area, the 'earth,' the opposite of the symbolic seas of Bible prophecy.
It has two horns, like a lamb, but ultimately speaks as a dragon. These two horns, two powers, are the defining elements of this nation - separation of church and state. Civil power separated from religious power. An entirely new aspect of governance. Mindful of the persecutions which took place in the early nation towards "dissenters" of various kinds, when preachers often held all the positions of civil governance, when the stocks were reserved for breakers of the "Sabbath," and laws were constructed in some states calling for the death penalty for repeated violators of these laws, great men like James Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, and others, all recognized the need for the state to mind its own business and the church to mind its own business, and freedom of conscience became a thing unheard of in world history, which the Papacy regarded as a "pestilential error." Pope Pius IX, Encyclical Letter of August 15, 1854.
The principle of the separation of church and state is not the same thing as separation of God from the state. The Founders understood the difference, knowing our rights come from our Creator.
The lamb, the dragon. The Bison, one of America's great symbols, as an infant, resembles a lamb. Once grown, it can be a ferocious beast, snorting warnings to anyone in its path. The Lamb also represents Christ. America has oft been called a Christian nation, a nation whose inhabitants were more biblically based than any nation since Christ's advent. It has been responsible for the promulgation of the gospel to more lands than all other nations put together. It has published more Christian literature than all nations put together. Yet, it is prophesied this nation shall speak as a dragon, the devil himself. Harassment, oppression, persecution is coming. It has had its moments all along, like imposed Sunday laws, which saw many seventh-day Sabbath keepers losing everything back in the 19th century, even placed in chain gangs. The quest for a national Sunday law was stopped in Congress, in 1889. State Blue laws continued into the 20th century.
Revelation 13:12 states the second beast shall exercise all the power of the first beast before it. The Papacy exercised a dominance over Euro-national affairs, crowned kings and queens, caused wars, profited from wars, and caused Europeans to tremble during the Dark Ages. America, once guided by Judeo-Christian principle, having to suffer through a civil war, and only defending itself from outward attack, is now controlled by the military industrial complex, has become a global police force, loathed by nations everywhere for its continual interference in the affairs of nations through its C.I.A., able to destroy hundreds of thousands of people in an instant, leading the way to a doomsday clock set at a few minutes to midnight. As it now stands laws have been framed which now leave the person of faith without defense when following convictions. The First Amendment to the Constitution has been tossed aside for hedonism at the expense of freedom of conscience. As I write this the Supreme Court is deciding on arguments before it denying states rights to mandate marriage between a man and woman alone.
Nonetheless, America shall give precedent to the RCC and its Papacy, causing all the earth to follow its example. Despite current agitations over same-sex laws and the moral collapse of society, for the first time in its history a pope is coming to address the United States Congress in Sept., 2015. The Founders would be shocked beyond belief to see such an event. Yet previously, in the reign of John Paul 2, the visitation of the Pontiff used tax payer money for many events held in his honor. He was a head of state, Vatican state. Thus tax dollars could be used to aid his itinerary. The Reagan administration and the Vatican worked together to dismantle Communism in Europe. Roman Catholics occupy the highest positions in American civil government, a nation based on Protestant principles. An ecumenical movement exists which has blurred the lines between Romanism and Protestantism. Many claim Protestantism is dead. Political power structures exist between the two which center on issues like abortion and marriage. As the churches and believers of both religious sides are backed into a corner by secularism a major turn of events is coming. The pendulum is about to swing the other way, hard.
Rev. 13:13,14. Miracles. A false religious revival, based on great wonders and deceptive miracles, is coming. It has been gaining steam for decades. Satan shall work through the 'man of sin' (2 Thes. 2:3, the papacy) with all power, signs and lying wonders. In America he shall work his wonders and those "miracles" will propel the churches in America to back Washington, DC into a corner. Fire in Scripture is often likened to the presence of God. The false revival, backed by false miracles, will claim that presence and authority. America will, under satanic deceptions, disregard its principles of separation of church and state (already argued against by many evangelicals ignorant of American history, law and principle) and make an image to the beast, a likeness, a spitting image of the first beast, and a super-church is coming, a political nightmare for freedom of conscience, which will push the pendulum far into dangerous, dragon-like territory, all in the name of Christ, and, as Christ predicted, life will be taken by those thinking they are doing God's service. So it has been, so it shall be. False miracle-working power will be the foundation of this movement in America, which shall spread throughout the world, especially when "the angel of light" takes the stage.
Ultimately, as stated in verses 15-18, the coming union of church and state will give rise to the necessity to quell dissenters through national boycott and embargoes, which become international, as buying and selling is cut off; easily accomplished with today's technology. Finally, a death decree will be pronounced against "heretics" and dissenters calling for freedom of conscience and biblical truth. When the false revival gains power it will be challenged by the true revival; a revival of primitive godliness and apostolic purity such as the world has not seen since the days of Christ. The Lamb and the Dragon; the glorious Woman of Rev. 12 and the Whore of Rev. 17 shall face off as the Mother and her daughters against Christ's Remnant, which keep the commandments of God and have the faith and testimony of Jesus, Rev. 12:17; 14:12. Man's law verses God's law. The final issue is worship - who, what, when, why and how. The final issue is authority; God's, in His word, or man's, in his dictates and laws.
The United States of America, the once greatest nation on Earth, shall instigate the final rebellion against the government and kingdom of God. Incredible? Consider the condition of ancient and modern Israel. Consider the once Protestant nations of Europe.
The name, the number, which is the number of a man, and the mark of the beast, which America shall give homage to spiritually and in framing laws establishing its authority:
The name of the beast - The Papacy
The number of the beast - 666, a number symbolic of man-made authority, thus shy of perfection (777 found in the godhead), is that numerical symbol which shows the language of Rome in numerals. Various Latin and even Greek interpretations have been given over time. The most prominent, a title of the Pope - Vicarius Filii Dei - Vicar of the Son of God, remains the most obvious. The Roman numerals assigned to the letters carrying numeric value added together equal 666. The RCC has failed in its attempts to cast aside this title which has been found in various Roman Catholic documents and books down through the ages. Yet even in our day the truth of this title makes its appearance in official RC environs - ""Vicarius Filii Dei" means Vicar of the Son of God, a term scholars believe first appears in a document known as the Donation of Constantine, dated to the eight or ninth century. This is an apt description of the Pope, who is frequently referred to as the Vicar of Christ, and, at present, probably only the most bitterly anti-Catholic individuals would take offense at the title." Our Sunday Visitor, The Catholic Answer, Nov. 24, 2011.
The pope claims to be the Vicar of Christ, Christ's stand-in, His representative, called even Christ on Earth and Christ in the flesh in more Catholic dominated times. Pope Leo XIII wrote, " we hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty." Thus, antichrist, in place of Christ, is applied to the popes of the Roman Catholic Papacy. The exposed number steals the man of sin's self-glorification.
The mark of the beast. What is the mark of the Roman Catholic Church's power and authority? What does she say, herself? The easiest way to know the mark is to understand the prophetic seal of the living God, Rev. 7:1-3; 9:4, which stands opposite the mark of the beast. That would require another study. Suffice to place here Isaiah 8:16 and 20 - "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples." "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word there is no light in them." In Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16 God's covenant with His people is stated as putting and writing his laws in our hearts and in our minds; our forebrains, the frontal lobes, the seat of critical judgment and reason, the place of freedom of conscience and choice. Both prophetic marks are placed in the forehead, matters of reason, choice, conviction. Yet the beast's mark is also placed in the hand, that which works, that which makes deals. While not a matter of conviction the mark shall be received by those protecting the affairs of this life: jobs, careers, partnerships, money matters, caught up in the thorns of Christ's parable. Convenience. Preference. The seal of God is a matter of belief and conviction only.
Ancient seals contained three basic elements to authorize documents - the name of the law giver, the title, and the territory of the law giver. Modern national seals contain the same elements. Does the Almighty have such a seal in Scripture? Yes, the fourth commandment of the Decalogue, Exodus 20:8-11. The Sabbath commandment contains God's name, the LORD, in Hebrew; Yehovah, Yahweh, etc., depending on the interpretation of the tetragrammaton - yhwh. His title is Maker, Creator. His territory; heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is. The Sabbath commandment contains the elements of God's seal, His mark or sign of sanctification and holiness, to be instilled in each believer through the ministry of the Holy Spirit making Christ alive and powerful in each born again child of God. "And grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption, Eph. 4:30.
I shall add 1 Tim. 2:19 - The foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, the Lord knows them that are His. And Let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
God's seal, His mark, His sign is the Sabbath of creation, the fourth commandment, placed in the minds and hearts of His people; a truth which may not be known or accepted by every born again believer but, soon that choice shall face every person on the planet.
What law then, opposed to the Sabbath, which has influence on and involvement in buying and selling on Earth, belongs to the Roman Catholic Church? What is her mark of authority? Literally dozens of statements can be provided, proclaimed down through time. She, herself, answers in this well known quote in a letter from C.F. Thomas, Chancellor to Cardinal James Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore, in 1895, regarding the change of the Sabbath: "Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. It could not have been otherwise, as none in those days would have dreamed of doing anything, in matters spiritual, ecclesiastical and religious without her. This act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters."
“If Protestants would follow the Bible, they would worship God on the Sabbath Day. In keeping the Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church.” Albert Smith, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the Cardinal, in a letter dated February 10, 1920.
From the Cardinal, himself, often referred to as the American Pope - “1. Is Saturday the seventh day according to the Bible and the Ten Commandments? I answer yes. 2. Is Sunday the first day of the week and did the Church change the seventh day - Saturday - for Sunday, the first day? I answer yes. Did Christ change the day’? I answer no! No!”
“Faithfully yours, J. Card. Gibbons.”
"There is but one church on the face of the earth which has the power, or claims power, to make laws binding on the conscience, binding before God, binding under penalty of hell-fire. For instance, the institution of Sunday. What right has any other church to keep this day? You answer by virtue of the third commandment [the papacy did away with the 2nd regarding the worship of graven images, and called the 4th the 3rd, splitting the tenth command into two], which says 'Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.' But Sunday is not the Sabbath. Any schoolboy knows that Sunday is the first day of the week. I have repeatedly offered one thousand dollars to anyone who will prove by the Bible alone that Sunday is the day we are bound to keep, and no one has called for the money. It was the holy Catholic Church that changed the day of rest from Saturday, the seventh day, to Sunday, the first day of the week." - "Father" Thomas Enright, C.S.S.R., President of Redemptorist College, Kansas City, MO, in a lecture delivered in 1893. His repeated public offer of $1000 was never claimed.
'Deny the authority of the Church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the substitution of Sunday for Saturday in the Third - Protestant Fourth - Commandment of God... The Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.'' Catholic Record, September 1, 1923.
"Ques.—Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
"Ans.—Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her: She could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."—Stephen Keenan, Doctrinal Catechism, p. 176.
"Reason and common sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these two alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible."—The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893.
"Is not yet too late for Protestants to redeem themselves. Will they do it? ... will they indeed take the written word only, the Scripture alone, as their sole authority and their sole standard? Or will they still hold the indefensible, self contradictory, and suicidal doctrine and practice of following the authority of the Catholic church and wear the sign of her authority? Will they keep the Sabbath of the Lord, the seventh day, according to Scripture? Or will they keep the Sunday according to the tradition of the Catholic church." S. C. Mosna, Storia della Domenica, pg. 31, 1969
"Not the Creator of the Universe, in Genesis 2:1-3,—but the Catholic Church can claim the honor of having granted man a pause to his work every seven days."— ibid. pg. 366.
"But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn't it curious that non-Catholics, who claim to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon and explicit text in the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away—like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair." John A. O'Brien, The Faith of Millions: the Credentials of the Catholic Religion, Revised Edition (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 1974), pg. 400-401
“The Catholic Church designated Sunday as the day for corporate worship and gets full credit – or blame – for the change.” This Rock, The Magazine of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization, p.8, June, 1997
In dozens of more statements down through the ages the Catholic Church has made this claim. Sunday, the venerabilis de solis, bequeathed to her from paganism, is her mark of authority.
While it may seem impossible today, the future will display this nation, the United States of America, once again placing a civil obligation to shut down unnecessary business on Sunday under penalty of law. Sunday becomes the prophetic mark of the beast when that law is established. Persecution will fall upon those who will not bow to the unrivaled power of church and state on the horizon.
God has not left the mighty nation of America out of Bible prophecy. It is tragic this blessed nation shall be used to bring about the final events on planet Earth. Those events are even now lining up. Watch and pray.
