Romanism And The Reformation

1.Its place: within the body of the fourth empire. No one can question that the Papacy is a Roman, as distinguished from a Greek or an oriental, power. Its seat is the seven-hilled city.

2. The period of its origin: soon after the division of the Roman territory into ten kingdoms. As Rome split into 10 kingdoms, The little horn grew up among the ten. The Papacy developed synchronously with the Gothic kingdoms.

3. Its nature: different from the other kingdoms, though in some respects like them. It was a horn, but with eyes and mouth. It would be a kingdom like the rest, a monarchy; but its kings would be overseers or bishops and prophets.

4. Its moral character: boastful and blasphemous; great words spoken against the Most High. Audacious pride and bold blasphemy must characterize this power.

5. Its lawlessness: it would claim authority over times and laws. (EX. Catholic Church has changed the 10 commandments and we now sit under the Gregorian calendar)

6. Its opposition to the saints: it would be a persecuting power, and that for so long a period that it would wear out the saints of the Most High, who would be given into its hand for a time. Inquisition, crusades etc…

7. Its duration: “time, times and a half,” or 1260 years. 1 Prophetic day = 1 Literal year (Ezekiel 4:6, Numbers 14:34)

8. Its doom: it would suffer the loss of its dominion before it was itself destroyed. “They shall take away its dominion, to consume and destroy it to the end.”

Paul in his epistles gives us the ecclesiastical character of the coming antichrist and two time limits.

Time limit set by Paul – (2 Thessalonians 2)The apostasy was already in the world in Paul’s time and it would be destroyed by the coming of our Lord. Dispensation fall’s outside these limits.

1.The apostasy rises from among the church (Acts 20:30)

2.It was to assume authority, and to lay down laws and prohibitions, Its origin was to be satanic; its doctrines were to be doctrines of devils. (1 Timothy 4)

3.This power would not be open opponents of godliness, but, on the contrary, they would be great professors. They were to have a form of godliness: but only a form, a form covering no reality; a hollow form, a hypocritical form, external religiousness, the practice of asceticism, cloaking corruption.(2 Timothy)

4.This apostasy was to result from the working of what Paul calls “the mystery of iniquity” a remarkable expression, in direct contrast to the “mystery of godliness,”. It is a concealed system, you have to look behind the scenes to find it (2 Thessalonians 2)

5.This apostasy would have a head,” The Lawless one”, “Son of Perdition”. “The man of sin,” like “the man of God,” has a broad, extended meaning. When we read “that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works,” we do not suppose it means any one individual man, although it has the definite article. It indicates a whole class of men of a certain character, a succession of similar individuals.

6.The man of sin would sit in the temple of God calling himself God. The temple of God is that “spiritual house” in which He dwells. It is built of “living stones,” of true believers. It is here that the man of sin was to usurp the place of God. This is the “mystery,” the dread danger, the deadly evil, predicted by the Apostle. It is no person in a temple of stone, but a power in the Christian Church(2 Thessalonians 2)

7.The character of the man of sin, He is at once an imitation of Christ, and a contrast to Him. He occupies His position, but is totally unlike Him, and opposed to Him. He has usurped His place and His prerogatives; but, so far from truly representing Him, he represents His great enemy. As Christ acts for God, so the man of sin acts for Satan. (2 Thessalonians 2)

8.The position of the man of sin. “sitteth in the temple of God”. There, in that exalted cathedral position, and claiming to represent God, the man of sin was to act and abide as the pretended vicar, but real antagonist, of Christ, undermining His authority, abolishing His laws, and oppressing His people. (2 Thessalonians 2)

Both Daniel and Paul show the same place Rome; the same period—from the sixth century to the second coming of the Lord in glory; the same wicked character, the same lawlessness, the same self-exalting defiance of God, the same gradual growth from weakness to dominion, the same episcopal pretensions, the same persecuting character, the same twofold doom.

John in the Revelation shows the Combination of political and ecclesiastical character of the coming antichrist (Rev 13) John looks back in time and sees a Terrible Beast, a Leopard, a Bear and a Lion.

The prophecies of Daniel and the book of Revelation may be considered as two parts of a single prophecy; their subject is the same, and their symbols are the same.

1. The horn seen by Daniel is a horn of the Roman empire; it is a Roman horn. And the persecuting head seen by John is a head of the Roman beast.

2. Daniel saw this power grow among the 10 horns, John said it follows the seven heads and the six head was in existence in Johns time.

3. Both descriptions show a mouth speaking great things

4. Each power makes war with the saints.

5. Both have the same time period

6. Both have the same end.

Revelation 17 gives us more defining characteristics

1. Clothed in scarlet and purple. (Ex.) See color of Garments’ worn by Rome

2. Decked with gold and precious stones. (Ex.) See the triple crown’s worn by Popes.

3. Holds a golden Cup. (Ex) See the dup used in the Mass, One Symbol of Rome is a woman holding a golden cup

4. Drunk with the blood of saints and Martyrs. (Ex) Some experts claim as many as 50 million killed by Catholic Church

5. Sits on seven hills

6. Sits with the Kings of the Earth. (Ex) Pope has seat at the UN, Meets with every world leader.

7. Whole Earth made drunk with her wine. Wine is a symbol of doctrines. The whole world has listened to her teachings.

I ask those of you who have read the history of the last eighteen centuries, did not Rome Christian become a harlot?

Did not Papal Rome ally itself with the kings of the earth?

Did it not glorify itself to be as a queen, and call itself the Mistress of the World?

Did it not ride upon the body of the beast, or fourth empire, and govern its actions for centuries?

Did not Papal Rome array itself with gold and precious stones and pearls?

Is not this its attire still?

We appeal to facts. Go to the churches and see.

Look at the priests; look at the cardinals; look at the popes; look at the purple robes they wear; look at their scarlet robes; see the encrusted jewels; look at the luxurious palaces in which they live; look at the eleven thousand halls and chambers in the Vatican, and the unbounded wealth and glory gathered there; look at the gorgeous spectacles in St. Peter’s at Rome, casting even the magnificence of royalty into the shade.

Go and see these things, or read the testimony of those who have seen them. Shamelessly Rome wears the very raiment, the very hues and colors, portrayed on the pages of inspired prophecy. You may know the harlot by her attire, as certainly as by the name upon her brow.

I highly recommend “Romanism and the Reformation: From the Standpoint of Prophecy” By H. Gratton Guiness to understand the Prophetic vision ALL of the Reformers had.

Read how the Roman Catholic Church fulfills prophecy about the Antichrist beast of Revelation, the Little Horn of Daniel, and the office of the Papacy, the Son of Perdition.