Revelation: The Fuel Project Guide Part 26 – The Antichrist’s Rule
The Fuel Project study guide to the Book of Revelation.
In this video Mark tells us that the Antichrist will have a period of domination where he will be able to act with absolute power, without opposition, for 42 months.
Mark’s explanation of the sea Beast of Revelation 13 is biblically and historically inaccurate.
He points to when a one-man antichrist will come to power in the future, instead of pointing out that it has been in power for 1,500 years.
Whether it’s on purpose or not, Mark is promoting the primary strategy of the Jesuits of the Roman Catholic Church, which is to deflect blame away from them as the antichrist Beast of Revelation, the Little Horn of Daniel, and the Pope, the Son of Perdition.
In the Revelation 12 Fulfillment study, you saw that our Lord described the fourth beast of Daniel 7, the Roman Empire, which Satan controlled. Satan used the power of the terrible beast to kill millions of Christians, as he sought to stamp out Christianity.
Our Lord poured out His wrath on the Roman Empire during the seal judgements, causing it to collapse.
When the last Roman Emperor was deposed in 476 A.D., the Roman Empire split into 10 civil kingdom.
The Roman Catholic Church, the Little Horn of Daniel, then rose to power and plucked out 3 of the kingdoms, who would not bow to their authority.
So let’s go through Revelation 13 to see the true Biblical and historical explanation.
Revelation 13:1 “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.”
A beast in prophecy represents a kingdom power, not a single man.
The sea (water) in Bible prophecy represents people, nations, tongues. So this kingdom rose to power amongst many different peoples, nations and tongues.
The Roman Catholic Church rose up amongst the 10 civil kingdoms of the Roman Empire, which were different peoples, nations and tongues.
So we have a definite match with the Roman Catholic Church, as she rose to power in amongst the kingdoms of Europe after the fall of Rome.
The blasphemous name may be “Vicar of Christ.” which means in place of Christ, or substitute Christ.
Pope Nicholas I said, “I am in all and above all, so that God himself, and I, the vicar of God, hath both one consistory…and I am able to do almost all that God can do…I then, being above all…seem by this reason, to be above all gods.” Source: “The Church Historians of England: Reformation Period,” by Josiah Pratt, pub. 1856, p.159
Pope Pius IX said, “I alone… am the successor of the apostles, the vicar of Jesus Christ. I am the way, the truth, and the life…” Source: History of the Christian Church, by Henry Charles Sheldon, p. 59.
Pope Pius X declared, “The Pope is not simply the representative of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, he is Jesus Christ Himself, under the veil of the flesh. Does the Pope speak? It is Jesus Christ who is speaking, hence, when anyone speaks of the Pope, it is not necessary to examine but to obey.” Source: Evangelical Christendom, Vol. 49, Jan 1. 1895 A.D., p. 15, “the organ of the Evangelical Alliance,” published in London by J. S. Phillips.
Pope Pius XII said, “…recognize the Holy, Catholic, Roman Church to be the only true Church of Jesus Christ, outside of which neither sanctity nor salvation can be found. Call them to the unity of the one fold, granting them the grace to believe every truth of our holy faith and to submit themselves to the Supreme Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth.” Source: The Raccolta, Benzinger Brothers, Boston, 1957 A.D., No. 626.
Revelation 13:2 “Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.”
The Roman Catholic Church has all of the characteristics of the previous kingdoms.
Satan had empowered the Roman Empire to persecute the saints, but the Lord cast him down, and he lost control of the kingdom.
So Satan empowered the Roman Catholic Church to persecute the saints.
Revelation 13:3 ‘And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.’
So this kingdom power would receive a deadly wound, which would then later be healed.
In 1798 the French marched into Rome and captured the pope. He then died in captivity and the power of the Papal Church was gone. Everyone thought that the Papal Church was dead and had come to an end.
In 1929 Mussolini signed a treaty with the Roman Catholic Church giving them political power once again. So the beast that was, and is not, and yet is, comes back to life – The Roman Catholic Church!
Revelation 13:4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
The beast used the armies of France, Spain and other countries, to make war with the saints.
Revelation 13:5 ‘And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.’
The office of the Papacy has consistently spoken blasphemies against God.
Pope Nicholas I said, “I am in all and above all, so that God himself, and I, the vicar of God, hath both one consistory…and I am able to do almost all that God can do…I then, being above all…seem by this reason, to be above all gods.” (1)
Pope Pius V blasphemed, “The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth.” (2)
Pope Innocent III said “We may according to the fullness of our power, dispose of the law and dispense above the law. Those whom the Pope of Rome doth separate, it is not a man that separates them but God. For the Pope holdeth place on earth, not simply of a man but of the true God.” (3)
Pope Leo XIII declared, “We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” (4)
It reigned for 1,260 years (1,260 prophetic days) from 538-1798 A.D.
In 538 A.D., the Papal Church gained religious and civil power when Emperor Justinian issued a decree making the Pope head of all churches.
When the Pope was imprisoned in 1798, the reign of the Roman Catholic Church ended.
In 1798 A.D. Napoleon’s army marched into Rome and captured the Pope, and he died in prison. This ended the reign of the Papacy and was the deadly head wound.
Revelation 13:6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
Instead of repenting, the Pope and the Catholic Church blasphemed God.
Revelation 13:7 …’And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.’
The Papal Church of Rome (Roman Catholic Church) persecuted and historians estimate that the killed 50-100 million Christians during it’s reign of power between 538-1798.
They controlled the countries of France, Spain, Portugal, etc., fulfilling that they had power over the kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
The leaders and people of France, Spain and other predominantly Catholic countries worshiped the Pope as God, bowed to his authority, and obeyed his commands.
Revelation 13:9-10 ‘If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.’
So the last description of this beast confirms that it would go into captivity and be killed.
And this occurred when the Pope went into captivity in 1798 A.D., where the Pope later died.
Anti-christ doesn’t just mean someone who is openly opposed to Christ. The word ‘anti’ can also mean “in place of”, so that would be someone who puts himself in place of Jesus, which has been fulfilled by the office of the Papacy.
To see how the Revelation seal, trumpet and bowl judgments all fit together, and to see where we’re at on the timeline today, click on Revelation Fulfillment Timeline.
Next Fuel Project Guide To Revelation Video: The Identity of the Antichrist
