The Bible as a Guide

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The people behind this article:

We take the Bible as our only rule. After

having devoted considerable time to its study, especially chapters referring to our future, we have realized that we must share with you what we have learned. This knowledge is of utmost importance.

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Why do you take the Bible so seriously?

Because we discovered how accurate it is – so accurate, that even predictions made thousands of years earlier occurred in the very day foretold, to the very letter. This

has compelled us to conclude that there is an all-knowing God behind the Bible, who is not bound by time and knows the end from the beginning.

We would not have taken the Bible so seriously if God had not demonstrated such complete control and knowledge of the future. This mastery is revealed

most clearly in two books:Daniel in the Old Testament and The Revelation in the New

Testament.

Fulfilled Bible Prophecies

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An example of a fulfilled prediction

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.

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The purpose of the Bible prophecies

It is to warn us about future crises in order to save us:

e.g. God warned Noah of the coming flood. People had to obey the warning in faith.

A Most Fearful and Solemn Warning

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The most solemn prophetic warning is yet to be fulfilled. Today, there is nothing more

important for us to understand than this prophecy because events are taking place in rapid

succession indicating its imminent fulfillment.

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Please read Revelation 14:9-12.

The fearful warning in the above passage describes two groups of people.

The first group is heading to receive the mark of the beast; while the second group is viewed positively as keeping the commandments of God. Furthermore, the description of

the second coming of Christ directly follows this warning. Therefore, we know that this is

the last warning given before the second coming of Christ.

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How to avoid worshipping the beast and his image and receiving his mark

To know this, we need to identify the beast, the image of the beast, and the mark of the beast. It is only reasonable to assume that God would not warn us about such dangerous entities without helping us to identify them in a conclusive way.

Identifying the Beast

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Bible Description of This Beast

Please read Revelation 13: 1-8, 16-18.

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The above passage is full of symbols. How to understand it?

We need to allow the Bible to interpret its own symbols. We should expect that God, for our benefit, would reveal within the Bible the meaning of these symbols. The Bible defines its own symbols;

e.g. the book of Revelation contains 404 verses of which 278 are found almost

word for word in other books in the Bible, where their meaning is expounded.

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Which symbols do we need to unlock to identify the beast and his mark?

The necessary ones are: 'beast', 'dragon', 'sea', 'forty-two months', and 'blasphemy'.

Beast: In Bible prophecy, a beast is a symbol of a king or kingdom: See Daniel 7:17, 23.

With this beast, we are studying a unique kingdom, for it is not only a political power but a religious one as well, because people 'worshipped the beast'.

Rev.13:4.

Dragon: According to the Bible, the dragon is another name for Satan, the father of lies and deceptions. When Satan gives "his power, and his seat, and great authority" to the beast, we can expect the beast to behave in the same deceptive ways of Satan. Thus, a great deal of deception will be found in the affairs of the beast. Rev. 12:9; 13:2.

Sea: In Bible prophecy, sea is symbol of a multitude of many different people. Rev.17:15. Accordingly, this unique kingdom or power rose out of the sea, signifying that it came out of a location that was densely populated with different nationalities of people.

Forty-two months: This period is equivalent to three and a half years (42 divided by 12 months). And the Bible was written based on the Jewish calendar where every Jewish ear is of 360 days (30 days for each month). So, three and a half years and forty-two

months are both equal to 1260 days. The reason why we are changing the months to their

equivalent in days is that when God gave time prophecies, He often equated a day for a year: "I have appointed thee each day for a year." Ezekiel 4:6.

Therefore, the forty-two prophetic months imply a period of 1260 years during which the beast was given, a "mouth speaking great things and blasphemies" and would "make war with the saints...and power was given him ..." Rev. 13:5, 7, meaning that during this period the beast would blaspheme, persecute Christians, and have great

authority.

Blasphemy: In the Bible, blasphemy is defined in two ways. The first is when a person claims to be God or His representative: See John 10:33. The beast, this religio-political

power and kingdom, has blasphemed God by pretending to be in the place of God on earth. The second way of committing blasphemy is by granting absolutions (claiming the power to forgive the sins of others): See Mark 2:7.

The beast, this religio-political power and kingdom, has blasphemed God by claiming the right of absolution. No wonder the beast has the "name of blasphemy" and speaks "blasphemy against God"; this is because the beast claims powers that are

the sole prerogative of God. Rev. 13:1, 6.

Nine Key Marks

Having allowed the Bible to unlock the meaning of its own symbols, we can now highlight the nine major identifying marks of the beast to determine which power in history fulfills these features.

1. The beast combines religious and political powers simultaneously: "They worshipped the beast." Rev. 13:4.

2. The beast came to power in a densely populated area of the world: "I…saw a beast rise up out of the sea." Rev. 13:1.

3. The beast obtained its power and authority from Satan: "The dragon gave him [the beast] his power, and his seat, and great authority." Rev. 13:2.

4. The beast ruled ruthlessly, possessing absolute dominating power for 1260 years.

See Rev. 13:5, 3, 7.

5. The beast persecuted Christians during the 1260 years. Rev. 13:7.

6. The beast will fully recover from its 'deadly wound' and the world will marvel after it: Rev. 13:3.

7. The beast has a mysterious 666 number that identifies his office and name. Rev. 13:18.

8. The beast blasphemes by claiming to be God and granting absolutions (the power to forgive sins of others).

9. The beast made other blasphemous claims too, undertaking actions that are God's exclusive prerogative. Rev. 13:5.

There is but one power in history which fulfills all the identifying marks: The Roman Catholic Church. This Church is the beast which God, out of love, is warning us of.

It is not the purpose of this article to attack Roman Catholics, but to reveal the truth about the Catholic system. Rev. 13:2.

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Historical evidence and facts for this conclusion

1. The Roman Catholic Church combines religious and political powers simultaneously:

Apostle John saw this union in a prophetic vision concerning the fourth and final kingdom of the world and described it as, "a woman sit[ting] upon a scarlet coloured beast." Rev. 17:3.

In the Bible, a woman is a symbol of a church. See Jeremiah 3:20; 2Corinthians 11:2. In addition, it is unanimously understood in prophecy that a beast is a nation. Even in today's world, nations are symbolized as beasts. The USA is seen as an eagle, Russia is

likened unto a bear, etc. Many years ago, God unveiled to Daniel all the world empires until the end of time. In a vision, Daniel saw the last beast to be "diverse from all the others." Daniel 7:19. But how would it be diverse? According to Revelation 17:3, as seen

above, this beast (nation) will have a woman (church) ruling it. Today, is there a church

and state working together as one globally recognized power? The only entity in the world that has accomplished this is the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic

pope is absolute religious leader of over one billion followers world-wide.

"The Roman Pontiff, as the successor of Peter, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." Vatican Council II (1962-65).

"Every cleric must obey the Pope, even if he commands what is evil; for no one may judge the Pope." Pope Innocent III (1198-1216).

Simultaneously, the pope is king over an independent nation: “Vatican City". The Vatican is a distinct sovereign miniature nation, although within Italy. Thus, the papacy is a unique power combining religious and civil power.

2. The Roman Catholic Church came to power in a densely populated area of the world, amidst the various powers and nations of Europe.

3. The history of the Roman Catholic Church is full of deception:

Informed Catholics readily confirm forgeries as a way of life for the popes. Hans Kung, a

Catholic priest and theologian who was a consultant to the Second Vatican Council 1962-1965), stated that as early as the fifth century, the popes "decisively extended their power with explicit forgeries." The Catholic Church: A Short History (translated by John owden), p. 61. One of the best examples is the document Donation of Constantine, dated March 30, 315 AD, which the Roman Catholic Church forged to extend her power and authority. For details of this information see www.worldslastchance.com. In 1440, this document was proved forged by a papal aide called Lorenzo Valla.

Pope calls for a new world order:

"VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope John Paul II rang in the New Year on Thursday with a renewed call for… the creation of a new world order based on respect for the dignity of man and equality among nations." Thursday, January 1, 2004.

Posted: 9:21 AM EST (1421GMT). "The great over-riding feature of the entire system of the Anti-Christ – the New World Order – is blatant deceit. In fact, New World Order writers boast of their planned deceptions, because they arrogantly believe ... that only the New World Order Planners know what is best for the world, and they have determined that they can achieve their goals only by deliberate deception of the poor masses." Bill Cooper, "Behold A Pale Horse," p.49.

4. The Roman Catholic Church ruled ruthlessly for 1260 years, having absolute dominion over other nations. This period has a clear starting point, and a 'deadly wound' at its end:

The Roman Catholic Church received its deadly wound in 1798 when Pope Pius VI was taken prisoner in France at the behest of Napoleon. "In 1798 General Berthier made his entrance into Rome, abolished the papal government, and established a secular one." Encyclopedia Britannica, 1941 edition. Having established the end of the prophecy to be 1798, going back 1260 years, we arrive at 538 AD. For the papacy to fulfill this identifying mark, an important event must have occurred in 538 AD to mark the start of the 1260-year period. Historical evidence reveals that in 533 AD the Roman Emperor Justinian recognized the pope's ecclesiastical supremacy as 'head' of all the churches in both east and west of the Roman Empire. However, it was not until 538 AD when the papacy was effectively freed from its last Arian opponent, the Ostrogoths (who were at that time ruling Italy), did the pope emerge as the leading figure in the West. Thus, in 538 AD the stage was set for the gradual but steady ascendancy of the papacy.

"Vigilius...ascended the papal chair (538 A.D.) under the military protection of

Belisarius." History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3, p. 327. As the papacy increased

in power, she subjugated not only her followers but also the rulers and kings of Europe. To that end, the popes issued several papal bulls to bolster their authority over the kings of Europe: "It is the office of the papacy to tread under foot kings and emperors." J.H.

Ignaz Dollinger, The Pope and the Council, (London), p. 35. In the papal bull of Pope Gregory XI, dated 1372 AD, and entitled In Coena Domini, the pope pronounced papal dominion over the entire Christian world, secular and religious, and excommunicated all who failed to obey the popes and to pay them taxes. This papal bull was confirmed by subsequent popes and, in 1568 AD, Pope Pius V vowed that it was to remain an eternal law. A practical demonstration of the above assertion was the treatment of Pope Gregory VII in 1077 AD to King Henry IV, Emperor of Germany. When the king appeared to disregard the pope's authority, the pope ex-communicated and dethroned him. Henry decided to make peace with the pope and crossed the Alps in mid-winter to humble himself. When he reached the pope's castle, Henry was made to wait for permission to see the pope in the outer court, bare-footed, with his head uncovered,

and dressed in a miserable dress. It took the king three days of fasting and confession before the pope pardoned him. Today, this claim of supremacy over leaders of the world continues to be upheld by the papacy: "The First See [papacy of Rome] is judged by no one. It is the right of the Roman Pontiff himself alone to judge…those who hold the highest civil office in a state…There is neither appeal nor recourse against a decision or decree of the Roman Pontiff." The Code of Canon Law.

5. The Roman Catholic Church persecuted Christians during the 1260-year period: During this period of history (also known as the Middle Ages), the Roman Catholic Church held a strong sway over Europe, and every citizen was required to be a Roman Catholic. Anything short of total submission to the pope was punishable by torture or death. This led the Roman Catholic system to become one of the most persecuting religions the world has ever known, according to Vicars of Christ: the Dark Side of the

papacy, by Peter de Rosa, p. 180.

"For professing faith contrary to the Church of Rome, history records the martyrdom of more than one hundred million people." Brief Bible Readings, p. 16.

"We must rank the Inquisition… as among the darkest blots on record of mankind." Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, vol. 4, p. 78.

6. The Roman Catholic Church will fully recover from its 'deadly wound' and the whole world will wonder after it:

When Pope Pius VI died in captivity in France in 1799, the world expected an end to the Roman Catholic Church. However, God told us, about 2000 years ago, that the beast would recover from its deadly wound. Here is how the New York Times reported the healing of the beast, the papacy: