A. It came up among the 10 kingdoms of Western Europe. The geographical location of the papal power was in Rome, Italy the very heart of the territory of Western Europe. B. It would have a man at its head who speaks for it. The papacy meets this identifying mark because it does have one man at the head (the pope) who speaks for it. C. It would pluck up or uproot three kingdoms. The emperors of Western Europe were largely Catholic and supported the papacy in its growth and authority. Three Arian kingdoms, however, did not support the papacy, the Vandals, Heruli, and Ostrogoths. So the Catholic emperors decided they must be subdued or destroyed. Here is how Dr. Mervyn Maxwell, a theologian and historian, described the results in volume 1, page 129, of his book God Cares: The Catholic emperor Zeno (474-491) arranged a treaty with the Ostrogoths in 487 which resulted in the eradication of the kingdom of the Arian Heruls in 493. And the Catholic emperor Justinian (527-565) exterminated the Arian Vandals in 534 and significantly broke the power of the Arian Ostrogoths in 538. Thus were Daniels three horns the Heruls, the Vandals, and the Ostrogothsplucked up by the roots. It is not difficult to recognize that the papacy fits this point. D. It would be diverse or different from the other kingdoms. The papacy clearly fits this description, also. It came on the scene as a religious power and was totally different from the secular nature of the other 10 kingdoms. E. It would make war with and persecute the saints. That the church did persecute is a well-known fact. The papacy clearly admits doing so. Much supportive evidence exists. Even conservative historians claim the church probably destroyed at least 50 million people over matters of religious conviction. We will quote here from two sources: 1. That the Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history. 1 2. In The History of the Inquisition of Spain, D. Ivan Antonio Llorente provides these figures from the Spanish Inquisition alone: ◾31,912 persons were condemned and perished in the flames. ◾241,450 persons were condemned to severe penalties. F. It would emerge from the fourth kingdom of iron - the pagan Roman Empire. We are quoting two authorities on this point: 1. The mighty Catholic Church was little more than the Roman Empire baptised ... The very capital of the old Roman Empire became the capital of the Christian empire. The office of Pontifex Maximus was continued in that of the pope. 2 2. Whatever Roman elements the barbarians and Arians left ... [came] under the protection of the Bishop of Rome, who was the chief person there after the emperors disappearance. The Roman Church in this way privily pushed itself into the place of the Roman World-Empire, of which it is the actual continuation. 3 So, once again, the point fits the papacy. G. Gods people (the saints) would be given into his hand for a time and times and the dividing of time. Daniel 7:25. Several things need clarification in connection with this point: 1. A time is a year, times is two years, and the dividing of time is a half-year. The Amplified Bible translates it: Three and one-half years. 4 2. This same time period is mentioned seven times (Daniel 7:25 12:7 Revelation 11:2, 3 12:6, 14 13:5) in the books of Daniel and Revelation: three times as a time, times, and half a time twice as 42 months and twice as 1,260 days. Based on the 30-day calendar used by the Jews, these time periods are all the same amount of time: 3 1/2 years = 42 months = 1,260 days. 3. One prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6 Numbers 14:34). 4. Thus, the little horn (Antichrist) was to have power over the saints for 1,260 prophetic days or 1,260 literal years. 5. The rule of the papacy began in A.D. 538, when the last of the three opposing Arian kingdoms was uprooted. Its rule continued until 1798 when Napoleons general, Berthier, took the pope captive with hopes of destroying both Pope Pius VI and the political, secular power of the papacy. This period of time is an exact fulfillment of the 1,260-year prophecy. The blow was a deadly wound for the papacy, but that wound began to heal and continues healing today. 6. This same period of persecution is mentioned in Matthew 24:21 as the worst period of persecution Gods people will ever experience. Verse 22 tells us it was so devastating that not one soul would have survived if God had not shortened it. But God did shorten it. The persecution ended long before the pope was taken captive in 1798. It is plain to see that this point, likewise, fits the papacy. H. It would speak great words of blasphemy against the most High [God]. Blasphemy has two definitions in Scripture: 1. Claiming to forgive sins (Luke 5:21). 2. Claiming to be God (John 10:33). Does this point fit the papacy? Yes!
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 11:45:34 +0000
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