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In the book of Daniel, chapter 2, God outlined in a dream to the Babylonian king that from his time until the end of time, the world would witness only four world empires. History has proved what God pre-ordained. The four world empires were: Babylon (605 BC-538 BC), Medo-Persia (538 BC-331 BC), Greece (331 BC-168 BC), and Rome (168 BC-476 AD). He further revealed that Rome would be split into ten territories and that in the time of these territories the end will come. History is proving the accuracy of God's word: Rome was divided into ten nations from which present-day Europe has emerged. See Daniel 7 & 8.
The official title of the pope is "Vicarius Filii Dei", which translated is, "Representative of the Son of God". To confirm, the Catholic newspaper Our Sunday Visitor of April 18, 1915 wrote: "The engraved letter on the pope's Mitre is as follows: 'Vicarius Filii Dei'". Since in Latin certain letters have numerical values, we only need to add them up to come to 666. 8. The Roman Catholic Church blasphemes by claiming to be God and granting absolutions: "We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty." Pope Leo XIII, in an Encyclical letter, dated June 20, 1894. "The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ, hidden under a veil of flesh." The Catholic National, July 1895. "But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff… [who] requires …complete submission and obedience of will… as to God Himself." Pope Leo XIII, the Great Encyclical Letters, p. 193. The Roman Catholic Church created a vast 'market' on earth for a unique kind of merchandise, for which she had no competitors and unquenchable demand. She claimed that she had the right to sell God's grace, His free act of forgiveness, to the sinners. To this day, this blasphemous power, maintains the power to forgive sins. "This judicial authority will even include the power to forgive sin." The Catholic Encyclopaedia Vol. 12, Article "Pope", p. 265. 9. The Roman Catholic Church made other blasphemous claims too by undertaking actions belonging only to God:
Some samples: "The priest has the power of the keys, or the power of delivering sinners from hell, of making them worthy of paradise, and of changing them from the slaves of Satan into the children of God. And God himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of his priests...The Sovereign Master of the universe only follows the servant by confirming in heaven all that the latter decides upon earth." Liguori, "Dignity and Duties of the Priest", pp. 27, 28. "Thus the priest may, in a certain manner, be called the creator of his Creator, since by saying the words of the consecration, he creates, as it were, Jesus in the sacrament, by giving him a sacramental existence, and produces him as a victim to be offered to the eternal Father…The power of the priest, is the power of the divine person; for the trans-substantiation of the bread requires as much power as the creation of the world." Saint Bernadine of Sienna. "Priests are the saviors of the world." Saint Jerome. As for her blasphemous actions, the Roman Catholic Church has committed the most blasphemous act of all. She altered the very law of God – the Ten Commandments. She dared to cancel the second commandment altogether, for it condemned her practices and rituals. And worse, she changed the day of worship in the fourth commandment from Saturday to Sunday. This was done although God gave Adam this perpetual command at creation and has confirmed it to us: "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." Psalm 89:34. The Ten Commandments are the only portion of the Bible that was uttered by God's voice in the presence of a congregation. And God wrote them with His own finger and handed them to Moses: "These words [The Ten Commandments] the Lord spake unto all your assembly…and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone…" Deuteronomy 5:22. Christ further stressed the immutability of the Ten Commandments when He said: "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16:17. Christ further confirmed: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matthew 5:17, 18. T h e Catholic Church is not ashamed that she changed the day of worship. In fact, she takes pride in this action, and regards it as her 'mark' of authority and superiority over other churches and religions. "The Sabbath, the best known day of the law, was changed into the Lord's day. These and others have not ceased because of instructions received from Christ, (because he himself says, I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it), but because due to the authority of the church they ave been changed." Archbishop of Rheggio, Sermon on 1-18-1562, Mansi XXIII, p. 526. "The Sunday is a Catholic institution, and its claim for sacredness can be defended only on Catholic authority... In Holy Scripture from the beginning to the end we find not one single text which justifies the transfer of the weekly public worship service from the last to the first day of the week." Catholic Press, Sidney, 8-25-1900. According to the Roman Catholic Church, 'Sunday' is their distinct and distinguished mark of authority. "Sunday is our mark of authority. The church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact." The Catholic Record, London, Ontario, September 1, 1923. "The observance of Sunday by Protestants is an homage hey pay, inspite of themselves, to the authority of the (Catholic) Church." Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, by Monsignor Segur, p. 213. "Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act… a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters." Office of Cardinal Gibbons, through Chancellor C. F. Thomas, Nov. 11, 1895. From the overwhelming weight of evidence, we can decisively conclude that the beast of Revelation 13 & 14 is the Roman Catholic Church, and that its mark (the mark of the beast) is Sunday observance. Why is this mark so important? Only by signing is a document authenticated. Government declarations must always bear an official mark or seal. An official seal or signature must include three features: 1. The name of the official 2. The title of the official 3. The territory or domain of his authority Looking to the Almighty Creator, we realize that He has a Heavenly Kingdom. and the document containing the law of His Kingdom is The Ten Commandments. Looking directly in the midst of them you will find the seal of the living God! "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea..." Exodus 20:11. Notice the three distinct features: 1. Name: THE LORD ( "I am the Lord: that is my name." Isaiah 42:8.) 2. Title: REATOR ("the LORD made") 3. Territory: HEAVEN AND EARTH ("Heaven and earth") Clearly, the seal of the Creator is found in the Sabbath commandment of His law. Identifying the Image of the Beast
Although the USA was founded on principles opposed to the papacy, today we observe how the USA and the Vatican are working more closely together to make their influence more prominent. The Bible tells us that one day, in the not too distant future, the USA will legislate a law requiring its citizens, and then the world, to worship the first beast, the papacy. "And he [USA] exerciseth all the power of the first beast [papacy] before him, and causeth the earth [first USA, then globally] and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast [honoring papacy's Sunday], whose deadly wound [1798] was healed [1929]…saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast [duplicating the papacy when she used civil power to enforce religious dogma], which had the wound by a sword, and did live." Rev. 13:12, 14. Soon the USA will renounce its religious freedom to enforce Sunday observance (the mark of the beast). his means that the Protestant Churches will control the government to accomplish their agenda. When this happens, the USA will have made an image to the Roman Catholic Church, uniting church with state. Then USA will speak "as a dragon" and exercise "all the power of the first beast." Rev. 13:11, 12. She will have the same spirit of intolerance and persecution that was manifested by the first beast, the papacy. Therefore, as religious freedom is lost, persecution of the dissenting minorities will be inevitable, and there will be a repetition of the religious intolerance of the Middle Ages: "And he [USA] had power to give life unto the image of the beast [Sunday laws enacted]…and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast [by honoring Saturday, not Sunday] 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 [those who honor the true Sabbath will be forbidden to buy and sell], or the name of the beast…" Rev. 13:15-17
"I've found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of orthodox Roman Catholics." McCall's, January 1978. Paul Crouch: "I'm eradicating the word Protestant even out of my vocabulary…I'm not protesting anything… "Praise the Lord" program, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Oct 17, 1989. David Wells: "If Catholicism is to become more Catholic in the future, which is what I expect under the present pope, then theological differences will become sharper, but our alliances with Catholics against the secular culture can become deeper. I, for one, am ready for the trade-off." Eternity Magazine, Sept. 1987. Avoiding the Mark of the Beast
Our world will soon (as in years rather than decades), be facing a global crisis which will herald its end.
For more detailed exposition and suggestions, please consult www.worldslastchance.com.
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