“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” (Revelation 13:11-12).
Looking around the political and religious world in which we live, it would seem that prophecy is starting to speed up into overdrive. Much speculation has been made of signs and seasons that beckon the possible soon return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. No other prophecy is more central in symbolism than the prophecy concerning the False Prophet to come that will support the “deity” of the Antichrist.
Since I was a small child I have heard of one religious institution the Antichrist and/or the False Prophet would come from. Not withstanding that there a lot of people that make this denomination the home of their worship, I do not intend to denigrate their belief system, as there are many good people who follow this denomination and only wish to follow God to the best of their ability. But here are the facts.
What denomination am I speaking of? You know, already. It is the Roman Catholic Church who has held sway over political and religious power for nearly 1400 years, and only in recent history has its power waned from it’s “glory” days of full and complete power over all of mankind, including kings, princes, and every economy on the face of the earth. I have written many articles concerning this “church” as they believe to have been founded by the apostle Peter, as the first pope. I am reading and have yet to fully finish the book by Tom Horn and Cris Putman titled, Petrus Romanus – The Final Pope Is Here.
I must encourage everyone who is looking for the signs and seasons of our Lord’s return to secure this book. In it you will find the sullen history of the popes and anti-popes that were nothing short of demon possessed and filled with the lust of the flesh and desires of earthly pleasure/power. Their antics and affairs would make any Christian’s hair stand on end. It’s not an indictment per se, but its history of the debauchery, the blood letting — the “church” falling away from being the church that Jesus spoke of in Matthew16.
“And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
The church delivered to the apostles started out on the right foot but during the next few hundred years that church ran aground and instead of the church of God, it became the church of men seeking power. Of course as any true Christian believer can determine for his or her self by doing a study of the “Rock” that Jesus spoke of, He was speaking of Himself, not Peter. Peter would go onto to deny Him three times and be asked also, three times if he truly loved the Lord. But the Roman Catholic Church holds to the premise that Peter was the first pope. Of course that is not the focus of this message, as you can find all the sordid details that I learned in Bible College at an early age in their book. This book only re-enforced my recollection of what I already knew. The Roman Catholic Church has always been about power, and very little about the gospel to hold men in their grips.
Saint Malachy’s Prophecy
A lot has been said, pondered, and much titillation of the senses about the coming of this “last pope” in a vision by this 12th century Irish Catholic priest by the name of St. Malachy. You can read all you want in any encyclopedia or even online at Wikipedia to get the history of the Catholic priest that has many saying that his predictions were a forgery by those who used his name to promote, Cardinal Girolamo Simoncelli’s bid for the papacy in the second conclave of 1590, and that it was divinely ordained. I am a little bewildered how some of his late predictions of modern history popes have a smack of fulfilled prophecy. But I am cautious to believe a long dead priest, noting the forgeries and shenanigans of the Roman Catholic elite to further their nefarious claim to power. But it is an interesting tidbit of spice to add to the smorgasbord of intrigue related to the Roman Catholic Church. But one thing I do note, if there is a power struggle and power to be had then you can bet your bippy that the Roman Catholic Church is involved. My friend, count on it. It is their M.O. and their sordid history.
Pope Benedict’s Sudden Retirement
I would have to say, that this development caught me totally by surprise. I knew that Cardinal Ratzinger a.k.a. Pope Benedict was getting old and would not be long the pope due to failing health, but I never realized or imagined that he would step down, as most popes are in the position for life. No other pope in the last 600 years has done so. So why did he retire prematurely? The published reasons are as follows:
-Pope Benedict XVI announced his desire to resign on the evening of 28 February.
-Benedict XVI was one of the oldest new popes in history when he was elected in 2005. He is 85.
-Pope Benedict said he, “ I had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”
-And lastly, failing health and a desire to retire to Vatican City where he would spend his end days.
The Vatican said it expected a new pope to be elected before the end of March before Easter.
I have revised this message, as the new pope had not been elected when I started to write this article but now we have a Pope Francis. This doesn’t seem to fit this Malachy prophecy at all. I did have comments that the man is older than when Ratzinger was elected pope, and that he seems like such a humble man, full of grace from who served in poor Latin American communities. A further comment was made that since he just doesn’t fit the style of a pope we were looking for, noting his age, Pope Francis may be pope for a very short length of time.
I was compelled to believe that if this elected pope was younger and had many years in front of him, then this could be the man who would reside during the Tribulation. For I believe we are on the cusp of the imminent return of our Lord and Savior based on signs, events, the political/economic environment, and a Pope with the strength of years could arise in the very near future. But it doesn’t really matter, as it is not important who the final man will be. If we are correct on the signs of the end of the age, the very last pope will preside over the Church of Rome (if he has youth and longevity on his side), when the “man of sin” is revealed.
Hence, I put no stock in Malachy’s prophecy, as Rome also knows the prediction of Peter the Roman being the last pope, and they may pull a fast one to throw prophecy watchers off the scented trail and it may be just that. Perhaps the cardinals elected a substitute to throw off prophecy watchers and detractors. How better to be a wicked man to follow a man who probably will be adored by the Catholic faithful and not be suspecting– a man to arise in stark contrast to this newly elected Pope Francis. That’s me reasoning out why we did not see the rise of Peter the Roman, YET.
SO WHY DO WE CARE?
No other leader of a religious nature has as much influence and instantly recognized as the Pope in Rome. In times past, he has held sway of immense political power in influence to mold the world to the favor of the Vatican state. Noting that when the Antichrist shows up, it appears that he will be of a secular, political nature, and if we look at Revelation, the Antichrist needs someone to sell him to the masses who are ripe for dictatorship and a one world leader. Who else, but the most recognized office of the pope would fulfill that personification of a religious nature that comes in “Jesus’ name”?
“For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, [he is] in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:25-27).
I was talking with a brother in the Lord at lunch recently about this very thing. We both agreed that False Prophet comes proclaiming the name of Jesus, but denying the power thereof. This alone will deceive many who are not familiar with their Bible and are easily deceived by words, and sleight of hand, as I believe this man will be the ultimate magician powered by Satan. There have been doubters of this story that the pope will be the False Prophet; he advocates Jesus and does not deny the Father, and the Son. So they give him a pass.
“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 acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also” (1 John 2:22-23).
My brethren, look not only at only his words but his deeds. Do they stand up for biblical principles, or are they doctrines of men? How many people would follow a religious leader who speaks the truth and says, “I am against Jesus Christ.” Would anybody follow him? No, the False Prophet must speak the words, but “metaphorically” cross his fingers behind his back. He does not mean it because his actions are “anti-Christ,” but not so much in his words.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
As I was saying at the opening of this message, I see prophecy going into overdrive. I’m going to speak about what hit me in the face in the book on Petrus Romanus, and could be another clue to what I had written earlier. And this is just a small sample of the clues found in that book. The chapter dealing with this subject in the book lays the foundation of 1260 day/years spoken of in Revelation and else where in the Old Testament found in Daniel 7.
“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” (Daniel 7:25).
The facts were laid out in explicit detail about the popes. During this discussion it was shown as a foundation of the intrigue and play for power during the reign of Pepin the “short” or Pepin the “great” who was a Frankish king, well disposed in his devotion to the church in Rome. Wikipedia gives this account of the rise of power of the pope under Pepin the short: “Pepin also intervened in favour of the Papacy of Stephen II against the Lombards in Italy. He was able to secure several cities, which he then gave to the Pope as part of the Donation of Pepin.”
This formed the legal basis for the Papal States in the middle ages. The Frankish King was the military force behind the Pope, who appears were in collusion with one another for religious and political power. This evolved into the son of Pepin taking the crown, he being Charlemagne and giving Rome the power and military force of his army. The case is made that the aforementioned 1260 day/years of time, times, and half a time in Daniel and used in Revelation were added to the rise of Papal power in 756 (A.D.). Note that this number is used back and forth in Scripture for days and/or years if we literally apply them to the historical evidence. A most startling and interesting development arises:
A quote from the book, Petrus Romanus – The Final Pope Is Here:
As we endeavored to demonstrate in earlier chapters, the pope’s riseto temporal power began when the pope Stephen began courting Pepin around 751(A.D.) and then became a reality in 756 with the expulsion of the Lombards. We quickly broke out our calculators and saw that 756 placed the target sometime in 2016…could it bepossible that the year/day theory and the literal three and half years could both be true? The idea is not without precedent.
That’s adding 1260 years to A.D. 756 = 2016.
Where have we heard the year 2016 before? Yes, in “Blood Moon Rising/Day of the Lord” and in the previous message leading up to it, “No Man Knoweth the Day of the Hour.” Many men in various aspects of ministry are pointing to the convergence in that year. Is the very year after the blood moons displayed in 2014 and 2015, and first Feast of Trumpets possible for the Lord’s return in 2016? Coincidence? Here’s another one concerning Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy, you might have been annoyed by the first seven weeks. Some just add them together to get 69, and that would make sense, as there is only one week left of the prophecy, but why split out the 7 years? Some writers feel that it is just dangling there with a hidden purpose. One was Sir Isaac Newton.
Daniel 9.25:
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks….”
Recall that the seventy week paradigm is in weeks of years, so using that paradigm if we speak of these dangling 7 years that sound like a reference to the coming of Jesus Christ as King, as T.W. Tramm explained it as seven weeks of years or (7×7) or 49 years, but he goes on to explain a remarkable occurrence: June 7, 1967 falls in the Hebrew year 5727, adding forty-nine prophetic years to this date we arrive in the Hebrew year 5776, which is 2015 on the Gregorian calendar. Interestingly, if one counts exactlyforty-nine, (360 day) prophetic years (17,640 days) from that date of Jerusalem’s recapture, we arrive at September 23, 2015-the Day of Atonement! Coincidence?
But if we take solar years of 365 x 49 years or 17885 days, we land smack dab on 2016 which would correspond with the date of adding 756 A.D. and 1260 years derived from Revelation 11:3 and in Daniel 9. Again is this a coincidence? Maybe, but I found it fascinating to ponder the possibilities.
As we speak, the church in Rome has elected a new pope. But it gets more interesting for the time in which we live. I was alerted that near the same time of this month of March, after the selection of Pope Francis, our illustrious Usurper in Chief in the White House will arrive in Israel for “negotiations” with the prime minister with a list of demands and detailed list of objectives that must signal the formation of a two state solution. Will Bibi Netanyahu fall for his demands? We will see…it is mentioned that Obama will ask for a “treaty.” Say what? That’s what was said. Like a treaty mentioned in Revelation? Obama is going to demand a return to the Oslo accords and a two state solution. Stay tuned, as we will see.
Evidence is building, although circumstantial at this time, and dates are thrown around for us to keep an eye on. We will keep an eye on Mr. Obama and his coming dealings with Israel, and a possible future wicked pope who will arise. I make no prediction, but Pope Francis may not last long in his position…he’s too nice. Remember Pope John Paul I and his short reign of one month? Am I saying that Obama is the Antichrist? Not just yet, but he is anti-christ in all he does. I did find out an interesting tidbit that I had not even thought of. The Antichrist has been called the “Assyrian”. We know those who destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem were probably from the northern parts of the Middle East around modern day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. The Assyrian Empire was known to have conquered eastern Africa all the way down to Kenya.
“The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so] shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This [is] the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this [is] the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul [it?]” (Isaiah 14:24-17)
Many people are serious when they say Obama is the Antichrist. I’m not there, yet. He is anti-God, anti-Bible and a reported closet homosexual. On top of that he was raised Muslim and favors the nation of Islam. Is his game to deceive the masses by saying that he is, a Christian. That is one of Islam’s goals to lie to the infidel until ready to strike him down. This all adds to support their position, but I stand watchful and saddened to have such a man in our White House, but the possibility has always existed in my mind that is the reason the USA is not mentioned by name in Scripture. For more information on such possibilities go to:
http://www.churchofgod-usa.org/1/post/2013/02/something-evil-this-way-comes.html
So we stay watchful and keep our staffs in our hands, our feet shod with our shoes on, to make a quick departure from planet Earth. The church could make a quick exodus as Israel of old, in the twinkling of an eye.
This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying God’s salvation to each of you. Should you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net.
God bless you all, till we meet at Jesus’ feet.