Life Discovery Series

The Mark Of The Beast

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Jim Reinking

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Series Code: LDS

Program Code: LDS000014


00:34 The Mark of the Beast and of course the question is
00:36 when you come to the Mark of the Beast
00:39 who is beast or what is the beast,
00:41 and what is the significance of his is mark?
00:46 And specifically how about that number 666,
00:48 what is that all about?
00:50 Now these are some of the questions
00:52 we want to answer tonight
00:53 as we again turn our attention
00:55 to that apocalyptic Book of Revelation.
00:58 You know, the Bible
00:59 in contemning this apostate power
01:01 gives us one of the strongest mornings
01:03 anywhere in scriptures.
01:06 We find it and it's gonna be on the screen to night
01:07 Revelation 14:9,10 where it says "And another angel"
01:13 that would angel translates out to be messenger aggelos
01:16 the Greek word means actually messenger.
01:19 "And another angel, a third one,
01:21 followed them, saying with a loud voice,
01:23 'If anyone worships the beast and his image,
01:28 and receives a mark on his forehead
01:31 or upon his hand,
01:32 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
01:35 which is mixed in full strength in the cup of his anger."
01:38 I mean, this eminently is very strong language,
01:41 isn't it?
01:42 And then it goes on to say
01:43 "And he will be tormented with fire and brim-stone
01:47 in the presence of the holy angels
01:48 and in the presence of the Lamb."
01:51 My friend, we do serve a God of love
01:54 but a God of love that in the end
01:57 is going to take action to eliminate and destroy evil.
02:01 It is a cancer and it must be dealt with.
02:06 But again we know that He's gonna do everything
02:09 that He possibly can to say as many who will.
02:13 But we all have the choice in this, don't we?
02:15 And when it comes down to the issue of the mark
02:17 we have a choice in all of this.
02:20 And so if we make the right choice
02:21 and our love for Jesus Christ
02:23 my friend, we have nothing to fear about the end times,
02:26 we have nothing fear about the beast
02:28 and the mark and all of these issues.
02:30 Again I remind you the promise is that,
02:33 you know, Jesus said I am with you always
02:36 even to the end of the age or the end of the world.
02:40 But the Lord clearly as given us warning
02:43 to keep us from being deceived
02:45 and receiving the terrible judgments
02:48 and the final destruction in the lake of fire
02:50 for those who receive the mark of the beast.
02:53 And so tonight we're going to--
02:56 our subjects divided into two parts.
02:57 We're going to first of all identify the beast
03:01 and we're going to do that
03:02 by taking seven identifying characteristic
03:06 straight out of the Book of Revelation Chapter 13.
03:09 And then the later part of the presentation
03:12 we'll examine what the Mark of the Beast is all about.
03:15 And we will spend near as much time on the mark
03:19 it's very important of course.
03:22 But we will not spend as much time in the mark
03:24 as we do in the identity of the beast
03:27 because that is essential for us to be clear on.
03:29 Won't you agree?
03:31 And by the way for those who thought there
03:33 we're gonna get a presentation
03:34 as we come to the Mark on the issue of the mark
03:36 whether it's a literal mark.
03:39 I do not deny the possibility
03:41 that they could be a literal mark
03:42 I believe however that it represents a choice.
03:49 He says Mark in the forehead,
03:51 I think they are those
03:52 who are gonna buy into this last deception
03:54 I think that's what he's represented there.
03:57 And then it says those--
03:58 and those who are received it in their hand
04:01 and that is they are going to go long
04:03 not because they are so convinced
04:06 but you do understand,
04:07 you know, unless we have the Mark we can buy or sell.
04:10 There's consequences that follow if you don't have the mark.
04:13 So some are just gonna go a long.
04:15 So let's look at this matter the beast
04:17 as we turn to Revelation Chapter 13
04:19 and we look at verses 1 and 2
04:21 where it says "And I stood"
04:23 John says "I stood upon the sand of the sea,
04:26 and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea,
04:29 having seven heads and ten horns,
04:33 and upon his horns ten crowns,
04:35 and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
04:38 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard,
04:41 and his feet were as the feet of a bear,
04:45 and his mouth as the mouth of a lion,
04:47 and the dragon gave him his power,
04:50 and his seat and great authority."
04:53 It's great composite beast is what we have in Revelation 13
04:59 and it's important to take note of the fact
05:02 that the dragon is involved with the beast
05:05 and the dragon it says gave him his power,
05:09 his seat and great authority.
05:12 That's gonna be important in our identity
05:15 of the beast as we move into it.
05:18 So anyway this idea beast,
05:20 remember again in the Book of Revelation
05:21 as we noted on numerous occasions
05:24 this is a book that is filled with prophetic symbolisms,
05:28 right.
05:29 It's coded but we can as we study
05:33 we can understand the great things
05:35 that we find in the Book of Revelation.
05:37 In fact as we talk about the symbolisms
05:40 these Prophetic symbolisms
05:42 we're not unfamiliar with this kind of symbolisms.
05:45 In fact, when you look at the bear
05:47 what great countries represent by the bear?
05:50 Yeah, Russia you've got it.
05:52 And let's go on how about the Lion,
05:54 what country is represented by the lion?
05:56 And my friend, the answer is
05:59 that represents Great Britain doesn't it?
06:01 And now if you miss this one you plunge a course
06:05 because the bald eagle represents what great country?
06:10 It represents the United States.
06:13 So again, we know something about symbolisms
06:19 and we have them here and we can understand
06:22 what is behind the symbolisms.
06:25 But remember it said there in those first verses
06:28 "That the dragon gave the beast his seat,
06:30 his power and great authority."
06:33 And of course, the question
06:34 then naturally follows who is the dragon?
06:36 And we certainly had studied this one out, haven't we?
06:39 But less we be confuse about it.
06:41 Let's go to the chapter and verses its Revelation 12:9
06:45 where it says "And the great dragon
06:47 was thrown down, the serpent of old
06:49 who is called the devil and Satan,
06:51 who deceives the whole world,
06:52 he was thrown down to the earth."
06:54 And so the dragon represents whom?
06:58 It represent Satan, it represents the devil.
07:01 And I don't think if I-- well, let me ask you a question.
07:04 Anybody surprised to find out
07:06 that behind a beast is the devil?
07:10 No, I don't think we'll be surprise at all
07:13 but it's exclusively explained here.
07:15 And for the more in that some context
07:18 that is in Revelation 12 looking at verses 3-5
07:22 we see the conflict and we see the hatred of the evil one.
07:28 In verse 3 it says "And behold, a great red dragon
07:32 having seven heads and ten hors,
07:34 and on his heads were seven diadems.
07:38 And the dragon stood before the woman
07:41 who was about to give birth,
07:42 so that when she gave birth he might devour here child.
07:46 And she gave birth to a son,
07:49 a male child, who is to rule
07:51 all the nations with a rod of iron,
07:54 and here child was caught up to God and to His throne."
07:58 Well, who is that talking about?
08:01 It's talking about Jesus, isn't it?
08:03 And so we see the dragon,
08:05 he is anticipating the coming of Jesus.
08:09 Again the language here prophetic
08:11 but he certainly his anticipating
08:12 the coming of Jesus.
08:14 And what is his intention?
08:16 Well, he is-- what is rebelled it is evil.
08:21 And my friend, he knew everything
08:23 depended on the outcome of this conflict with Jesus.
08:27 And He was determined that word that is used here
08:30 that he would devour Jesus
08:33 when He came into the world.
08:36 And so we're going to trace this,
08:38 we're gonna see how this plate out historically
08:40 which will help us
08:42 again in identifying who the beast really is.
08:46 We need to take note
08:47 that the devil rarely operates in the open.
08:51 I mean, he is the great manipulator.
08:53 He works behind the scenes often manipulating individuals,
08:58 and manipulating powers and institutions
09:02 that's what we know of him.
09:04 And so he would seat to devour the Christ child
09:07 and we look at the historical the biblical record of it
09:10 and it takes us right back to the wise men.
09:12 Remember they've been following the star for the east.
09:15 They have been studying the prophecies
09:17 they predicted the birth of a king.
09:21 Unfortunately the people of God had not really been
09:24 keeping in touch with those prophecies.
09:27 But anyway they came to Jerusalem
09:28 following the star and they were asking.
09:30 They thought everybody would be excited about the fact
09:33 you know the king was gonna be born
09:35 and you know they again create
09:37 a quite a bit of activity within the city as they were
09:41 you know asking the question.
09:42 King Herod, King Herod, God word
09:46 of the stir that was happening in Jerusalem
09:49 from these strangers these mystic strangers
09:53 from the east.
09:54 And so he had to brought into his presents
09:58 and we've been through this little bit before
09:59 and he turn to his Jewish counselors
10:01 and he said you know do you have any idea where the king,
10:04 you know, the new born king would be born?
10:06 And they turned to the prophecy
10:08 of Mike 5:2 said it was gonna be Bethlehem.
10:11 And remember he said to the wise men, go find Him
10:15 and when you find Him send me word
10:17 so I too can come and worship.
10:20 Well, he didn't have worship in mind at all.
10:23 He perceived this is threat to his position.
10:27 He was the king, King Herod
10:30 and he was gonna have none of it
10:32 and remember when the wise man were told
10:37 to get out of Bethlehem
10:39 do not return to King Herod
10:42 and further more Joseph received a dream
10:45 and he said to take the child at his mother
10:47 and get out of town and head down to Egypt.
10:50 When that became apparent to Herod
10:53 he sent his soldiers into Bethlehem
10:55 and they destroyed every child, every male child
10:58 two years of age and under.
11:01 That has to go down in history
11:03 as one of the most dastardly deeds
11:05 in his attempts to destroy the Christ child.
11:08 And again the prophecy is that the devil,
11:10 the evil one would seek to devour the Christ child.
11:13 And again we see how he was manipulating behind the scenes
11:17 working in this case through King Herod,
11:21 but King Herod did not stand
11:23 upon his own authority is what we find.
11:27 In fact, it goes back to 37 B.C, 37 B.C.
11:31 The practice of the Roman Empire that period of time
11:33 was to establish these-- we will call them puppet states
11:37 on the frontiers of the empire
11:39 buffer states is what they were
11:41 buffer states to well lay beyond the empire.
11:45 And so Octavian
11:48 you know that word from history don't you,
11:50 Octavian and Mark Antony interestingly again in 37 B.C
11:56 sponsored Herod to become the king
11:59 of the state this buffer state.
12:02 Now the emperor-- empire was setting up
12:06 and the Roman senate conferred on Herod his kingship.
12:12 And so what was-- who is the power behind
12:15 the authority of King Herod?
12:18 My friend, it was Rome.
12:20 And we're talking about imperial or pagan Rome.
12:24 And we will discover
12:25 that imperial pagan Rome played a role, a part
12:28 it is not the beast but it played part
12:31 in this matter of seeking to destroy the Christ child.
12:34 I remind you that it was before a Roman governor
12:38 that Jesus was tied and condemned
12:41 that was by Roman soldiers
12:42 that He was crucified on the cross of Calvary
12:45 and at the tomb there was Roman God and Roman sealed
12:48 that was put over the tomb.
12:50 So imperial Rome plays a major role
12:53 in this matter of the transparence
12:56 of the dragon seat and power and great authority.
13:00 In fact, Constantine played a major role in this.
13:04 This is going into the early 4th Century the 300s
13:09 and it was Constantine
13:10 who transferred the seat of his power
13:13 from Rome the City of Rome to Constantinople.
13:18 He established the city in the east
13:20 and part of the empire and he named it after himself.
13:22 He did that in 330 A.D is what the Bible
13:26 as what history tells us.
13:28 And in the resulting vacuum in Rome--
13:32 papal Rome gradually became more dominate
13:37 assuming both civil and religious authority,
13:42 again is what the Bible indicates to us.
13:45 Let me share a couple of statements
13:46 historically that we bear this out
13:48 Labianca from the University of Rome
13:51 may this observation he said
13:53 "To the succession of the Caesars
13:54 came the successions of the Pontiffs in Rome.
13:57 When Constantine left Rome
13:59 he gave his seat to the Pontiff."
14:03 And then we move on to Abbots Roman History
14:05 page, 236 where he says
14:07 "the transference of the emperor's residence
14:10 to Constantinople was a sad blow to the prestige of Rome,
14:14 and at the time one might have predicted her speedy decline.
14:19 But the development of the Church,
14:21 and the growing authority of the Bishop of Rome,
14:24 or the pope, gave her a new lease on life,
14:27 and made here again the capital
14:31 this time the religious capital of the civilized world."
14:34 Then it is a historical fact, papal Rome.
14:40 And my friend, key to the immersions of papal Rome
14:44 in this position of dominates
14:46 was the influence of Constantine.
14:50 Constantine had a dramatic influence on--
14:55 in the immersions
14:57 under development of the papal system.
15:00 So was through the influence of Constantine
15:02 coupled with the disintegration of the empire over time
15:08 these two factors were major in the emergence
15:11 and the development of papal system.
15:14 And so as we examine the Biblical evidence
15:17 it clearly points to papal Rome
15:19 as the only possible power or institution
15:23 that immerge out of disintegration of pagan Rome
15:27 that fulfills the prophecy here of Revelation Chapter 13.
15:31 So papal Rome in Herod it is seed
15:33 and powerful imperial Rome
15:35 another historically event that is important
15:38 in the emergence of the papal system.
15:40 Came in the 6th Century the 6th Century,
15:44 when the emperor Justinian,
15:47 Justinian made a decree 538 AD
15:51 in which he settle the issue of the supremacy
15:55 of the Bishop of Rome over the church universal.
16:00 But churches of the east had been resisting
16:02 the authority of the Bishop of Rome.
16:05 And so 538 was important.
16:08 And so 538 is a key date
16:12 in the establishment of the papal system.
16:15 And by the way that decree went into effective 538,
16:20 when the strangle hold of the Ostrogoths
16:25 with the city of Rome was broken, was broken 538 A.D
16:32 and that day we will come back to.
16:34 So again remember we're gonna be looking
16:36 at seven identifying characteristics,
16:37 so we have just started.
16:39 Let me just put the evidence together
16:41 both biblically and from the historical record.
16:43 But we go on back into Revelation 13
16:46 and looking at verses 5and 6
16:47 as we pick up another identifying characteristic
16:50 where it says "And there was given unto him
16:52 a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.
16:56 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,
16:59 to blaspheme His name, and his tabernacle,
17:03 and them that dwell in heaven."
17:06 I mean, this is quite an outstanding passage isn't it.
17:10 Blasphemy it would guilty a blasphemy
17:13 could that possibly be true of the papal system.
17:18 And what is blasphemy anyway? How would you define it?
17:23 Well, we have to do it biblically, don't you think.
17:26 Let's get a cup of biblical definitions of blasphemy.
17:28 In John 10:33 that chief priest describes accuse Jesus of this
17:34 it says "The Jews answered Him, saying,
17:36 'For a good work we do not stone You,
17:39 but for blasphemy, and because You,
17:42 being a man, make Yourself God."
17:46 Now they were correct on the principal of it.
17:49 No human being as right to take those purgatives
17:53 and take those claims
17:54 that belong to God alone, to God alone.
17:59 So they were right in the principal
18:01 they were wrong in the application of it,
18:03 to Jesus Christ,
18:05 who clearly is God.
18:07 We've studied that haven't we? He is God.
18:09 Look at some of the claims
18:11 that are made by the papal system
18:14 this is from the, Extracts from Ferraris,
18:16 Ecclesiastical Dictionary it's an Article on the Pope.
18:20 "The Pope is of so great dignity
18:22 and so exalted that he is not a mere man,
18:27 but as it were God, and the vicar of God.
18:30 He is likewise, the divine monarch
18:34 and supreme emperor and king of kings."
18:38 By the way does the Bible tells is the king of kings.
18:43 Jesus is the King of Kings.
18:45 I mean really fantastic extraordinary claims
18:49 as you really study out again the papal system.
18:51 It goes on to say
18:52 "So that if it were possible
18:54 that the angels might err in the faith,
18:56 or might think contrary to the faith,
18:58 they could be judged and excommunicated by the Pope."
19:02 Even claims of the authority
19:05 over the angels of God in heaven, think of that.
19:10 Truly as I said a moment ago, extraordinary.
19:12 Pope Leo XIII said very simply
19:15 "We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty."
19:21 And my friend, you can multiply many of these kinds of claims
19:25 but I think it's a sufficient for our study this evening.
19:29 I had privilege of being there that is in Rome.
19:33 It was kind of trip that was kind of pull together
19:35 at the last moment
19:37 decided I want to get to the holy land
19:39 and I could get three days in Rome.
19:41 What do you do with three days in Rome?
19:44 Well, if you're me and interested in history
19:47 as I am you know you've got compact
19:51 a lot of you know sightseeing
19:54 in three days and I prepared for it.
19:57 I knew the things I want to see in Rome
20:00 and I was not really interested in the fountains
20:02 of some of the typical thing that many sightseers
20:06 would have been interested in
20:07 but I was particularly interested
20:10 in visiting the Vatican.
20:12 And so the last day that I was there,
20:14 there was general people audience
20:16 and I determine I was gonna be there.
20:19 We were flying out the very next morning.
20:21 And so I came
20:22 this is the entrance to St. Peter's Square
20:27 and let me tell you the security was out in force.
20:31 It was, they had this they put up this fences
20:35 and entrances only at certain places
20:38 where you could go into St. Peter's Square.
20:41 And they were looking crowd over intently.
20:45 In fact, as I bring this picture up
20:46 you will see this man right here,
20:48 you see with his arms up
20:50 lifted like this they're searching him.
20:52 Again you believe it they stopped me.
20:56 They did.
20:58 Well, you see I was carrying this bag
21:00 it was about this long and about this bigger island
21:04 and they just had to see what was in it
21:06 and so I open it up and I said see its a tripod.
21:10 You know, I have my camera there.
21:12 I have big camera bag on one side of me
21:14 with all the lenses and stuff
21:16 that we use to do with 35 millimeter cameras
21:18 and I had a tripod.
21:21 I came two hours early and this was as close
21:25 as I could get, believe or not.
21:29 And then you know there was stirring
21:31 and before we knew what was happening
21:33 the people in front of us was guard
21:36 we're all on standing on top of their seats
21:40 and some of them have brought banners
21:42 you would have thought they--
21:44 were you at a super bowl game.
21:47 You know, and they were just ecstatic.
21:51 And we couldn't see anything
21:54 because they were standing on their seats
21:56 and we wanted to see what they were so excited about.
22:00 And so, you know, I don't speak Italian
22:02 but you know it wasn't really we're going gregarine chant
22:05 but they began to pick up this chant around me
22:08 I knew what they were saying,
22:09 so I added my English tongue.
22:12 We were shouting sit down, sit down.
22:16 Yes, we did.
22:18 And they were enough of us
22:19 that we got the attention of some of them
22:21 on the back seats, they looked back
22:24 but didn't make any difference that all.
22:26 But finally they settled down
22:28 and when they did sure enough he was there Pope John Paul II.
22:34 And praise the Lord for telephoto lens
22:36 when you are that far back.
22:38 And he gave various greetings in quite a few languages.
22:43 You know, it's this cathedral,
22:46 it's this temple that was so fascinating.
22:48 It is the largest cathedral in Christendom.
22:52 And I want to tell you it is magnificent.
22:54 The architecture and the art that went into this cathedral
22:59 and it was huge.
23:03 You know, I am not good estimating crowds
23:05 not crowds like that where
23:06 in that particular cathedral that day
23:08 but I wouldn't be surprised to hear
23:10 there were 10,000 people inside of that cathedral.
23:14 It was just jammed paked full.
23:17 And so, you know, I was with my group,
23:19 I was with my group
23:20 that I just been a week with in the holy land
23:23 and it was our first day.
23:25 Now I'll take you back a little bit.
23:27 It's the first day I was there twice.
23:30 And so we have an official tour of the Vatican.
23:33 And we had this tall Italian he stood ahead
23:37 and almost shoulders above the rest of the crowd
23:39 wearing a black hat
23:42 and he sometimes put on his umbrella
23:43 so we wouldn't get lost in the crowd
23:45 as we are trying to find
23:46 and he was explain this and that and micro Angelo
23:49 and what he did here and there.
23:51 And eventually we got down
23:53 to the main altar there in St. Peter's Cathedral.
24:00 And I want tell you its pretty fantastic.
24:02 This is the seat of St. Peter
24:05 I guess it would be the proper way to refer to
24:07 it is the official thrown of the pope.
24:11 And the only time did he ever sits on that
24:14 is when he speaks ex-cathedral
24:17 that is with the final word of authority
24:19 for the papal system.
24:23 And to my knowledge put John Paul II
24:25 never sat in that seat
24:27 and Pope Benedict XVI has not either.
24:30 So it's a rare occasion.
24:32 But I mean, look at that.
24:34 I mean, that is just pretty fantastic
24:37 when you take look at it.
24:38 Well, I saw that a prophecy came to my mind
24:42 a prophecy that Paul made in 2 Thessalonians 2
24:46 beginning with verse 3 where he said
24:48 "Let no man deceive you in any way,
24:50 for it will not come."
24:52 Remember that's talking about the coming of Jesus.
24:54 "For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first
24:59 and the man of lawlessness is revealed,
25:02 the son of destruction who opposes and exalts himself
25:06 above every so called God or object of worship
25:08 so that he takes his seat in the temple of God,
25:13 displaying himself as being God."
25:18 Now you understand why I made that connection
25:21 when you look at this particular statements scripture
25:24 and I will take you back
25:25 to what we read in Revelation 13:6.
25:29 I want to remind you something we just read.
25:32 It said that "He would open his mouth
25:35 in blasphemies against God, and His tabernacle."
25:41 What is God's tabernacle? What's another word for that?
25:46 God's temple and remember we've been studying
25:49 about that Friday night particularly
25:51 we're studying about how the earthly temple
25:54 with symbolic of the heavenly temple.
25:56 How the earthly temple system was done away with
26:00 with the sacrifice of Jesus and then his ascension
26:03 into the heavenly temple as our intercessor.
26:06 And there is a connection here
26:08 when he talks about he open his mouth in blasphemy
26:10 against his tabernacle against the temple of God.
26:14 Remember Hebrew 8:1, 2
26:16 it says "We have such a high priest,
26:18 who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne
26:21 of the Majesty in the heavens,
26:23 a minister in the sanctuary, which the Lord pitch not man."
26:28 And so my friend, we have two systems
26:31 one if Heavenly, one if Earthly.
26:34 And the earthly system here is counterfeit of the heavenly.
26:38 In heavenly system we have our high priest
26:42 the one that pay the price of our redemption
26:45 split his blood on the cross of Calvary for us
26:50 who has we noted already ascended into heaven
26:53 and now functions as high priest in the heavenly temple
26:57 that counterfeit has its temple.
27:00 I told you I was gonna show that temple to you
27:02 and I just done it,
27:04 and we haven an earthly temple
27:06 in which operates or functions a counterfeit high priest.
27:11 Now I know this is really kind of laying it out, isn't it?
27:16 But I remind you he spent three weeks
27:18 and there is lot of things we've studied
27:20 that really prepared the background
27:22 for our study to night.
27:25 And I just want to go on record
27:26 we're talking about an institution tonight.
27:29 We're not here to talk about the people.
27:32 I mean, undoubtedly.
27:35 You know there are probably are more sincere Christians
27:40 in the Roman Catholic Church than any other church.
27:44 Again we're not here to talk about the people
27:48 because they are many sincere people
27:51 in the Roman Catholic communion that loved the Lord
27:55 and I believe many of them are gonna be saved
27:57 as I believe in many,
27:59 you know, I think that's true of all churches, don't you.
28:02 We're not to be exclusive about this.
28:04 However the prophecy does makes it pretty clear
28:08 that is talking about a system
28:09 and this is not new novel interpretation,
28:12 this an interpretation that goes back
28:14 to great reformers beginning with Martin Luther.
28:17 Now listen, his language was not always temper
28:19 when it came to this issue but anyway this is what he said.
28:23 "Let the great day of God come
28:25 and destroy the devil's nest at Rome."
28:27 I don't really like that kind of language, do you?
28:30 But, you know, I didn't live through
28:32 what Martin Luther live through.
28:34 He says "There sits the man
28:36 of whom Paul said he shall act as God,
28:38 the man of sin and the son of perdition."
28:42 Quoting 2 Thessalonians 2 as we just did.
28:45 Each of the reformers without exception
28:49 may the application of these prophecies
28:51 in reference to the antichrist
28:53 to the Church of Rome to the papal system.
28:57 And we don't hear this so often today.
29:01 But he said delicate issue it is delicate to be sure.
29:06 John Calvin for those of us
29:08 who may be from a reform background
29:10 and his Institutes, volume 2 page, 410
29:13 said "Some people think us too severe and censorious
29:17 when we call the Roman Pontiff antichrist
29:21 His kingdom will consist in speaking great words,
29:24 or blasphemies against the Most High."
29:27 And in The Blessed Hope page, 33 it observes
29:30 "Many of the great Christians of Reformation
29:32 and post-Reformation times
29:34 shared this view of prophetic truth
29:37 and identified the antichrist with the Roman Papacy.
29:40 "Among adherents of this interpretation
29:42 were the Wilderness, the Hussites, Wyclif,
29:46 Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Melanchton"
29:49 an associate of Martin Luther
29:51 "the Baptist theologian John Gill, the martyrs"
29:54 of course the martyrs we would expect that
29:56 "Cranmer, Tyndale, Latimer, and Ridley."
29:59 So my friend, this is not a new or novel interpretation
30:04 it may be to us if we never heard it
30:07 and we just really have gotten started.
30:09 So let me just line them up.
30:11 You know, when you study the--
30:13 when you study Bible truth
30:14 its like have you ever built a fence?
30:18 You know I did built a fence once I had help with it
30:21 but you know your laying down a post,
30:24 you are laying down the post,
30:25 and when you put the first post in
30:27 you know, casual observer may not have any idea
30:30 just really where you are going with that
30:31 but, when you put down the second
30:32 and third and fourth post
30:34 you began to get a sense of the line
30:37 of direction that you are heading.
30:38 And my friend, that's what we do when we study the word of God.
30:41 We take a Bible text,
30:42 its like putting a post in the ground
30:44 then you take another relevant Bible text
30:46 and you put in place and then another
30:48 and then you began to see the line of truth
30:51 and that's what we were doing
30:52 as we're looking at the seven identifying characteristics
30:55 as we get each one into position, into place.
31:00 Now, there's another definition of blasphemy
31:03 that we find in Luke 5:21 where it says,
31:05 "And the scribes and the Pharisees
31:06 began to reason, saying,
31:08 'Who is this man which speaks blasphemies?
31:10 Who can forgive sins, but God alone?'"
31:14 And again, they write on the principal,
31:17 they were just wrong and making it an application to Jesus.
31:22 No one has the authority to forgive sins.
31:27 Notice this from the Dignity and Duties of the Priest,
31:30 volume 12, page 27 where it says,
31:33 "God Himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of His priest,
31:37 and either not to pardon or to pardon,
31:40 according as they refuse or give absolution.
31:43 The sentence of the priest precedes,"
31:45 it goes first, "and God subscribes to it."
31:48 That's secondary. That's official teaching.
31:52 This is from The Catholic Priest, pages 78, 79,
31:55 "Seek where you will, through heaven and earth,
31:57 and you will find but one created being
32:00 who can forgive the sinner, that extraordinary being
32:02 is the priest, the Catholic priest."
32:05 And my friends, I found them all
32:07 through Saint Peter's Cathedral, the confessional.
32:10 Individuals, I don't know what they had on their hearts
32:12 it wasn't my business to know that
32:15 nor do I think it's any other human's business
32:18 to know that outside of somebody as I said, who has been wronged.
32:21 Let me share with you
32:23 what the Bible teaches about this matter.
32:25 In 1 Timothy 2:5 it says, "For there is one God,
32:28 and one Mediator" what" mediator or intercessor
32:32 "between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
32:39 My friends, as I already noted it
32:40 in our study the other night
32:42 temples came to an end
32:45 when Jesus ascended to heaven and to the heavenly temple.
32:48 Earthly priest came to an end
32:51 with the heavenly priesthood of Jesus Christ.
32:54 But my friend, when we have sinned
32:56 we can go directly to Jesus and we can confess our sins
33:02 and we know how we will be received
33:05 because we know something
33:06 about he depths of His love for us.
33:10 Forgiveness and pardon is freely extended
33:13 to every one of us.
33:15 It's marvelous as you look at the plan of salvation.
33:20 This one in Revelation 13:7, it says,
33:23 "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,"
33:26 to make war with the saints-- with the people of God,
33:29 "and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds,
33:32 and tongues, and peoples."
33:35 Making war with the saints, persecuting the saints,
33:38 could that be true of papal system?
33:41 And my friends, sadly history does bear testimony to that
33:46 and to his credit Pope John Paul II
33:48 acknowledged that historically
33:50 the church have been guilty of some of these things.
33:52 I mean, that took some crunch on his part to acknowledge that.
33:56 Don't you think?
33:57 Now I'll give you one or two examples
33:59 of what we are talking about historically.
34:01 It was Pope Pius V
34:03 and this was when the reformation
34:05 was really taking hold in Europe
34:08 and they were shaking the church.
34:09 It shook the church down to its very foundations
34:12 and Pope Pius V gave to the king of France 100 crowns
34:18 if he would eliminate the Protestants from his realm.
34:23 They were called Huguenots.
34:25 And the king of France agreed.
34:30 In Paris alone it is estimated
34:32 some 70,000 Huguenots were put to death
34:37 because of the insistence of the Church of Rome.
34:41 And the general persecution and martyrdom
34:46 of the reformation followers
34:49 proceeded for the next two months.
34:52 I mean, I take no pleasure in sharing this
34:56 but it is historically what happened,
34:58 exactly what happened.
35:00 The church was guilty of seeking to put society
35:03 to cleanse society of decadence.
35:07 It's estimated by historians that between 1540 and 1580
35:11 some 900,000 people were put to death by the Church of Roman.
35:15 I mean, that's just
35:16 kind of blows your mind, doesn't it.
35:18 And during the 30 years of the Spanish inquisition
35:21 it is estimated some 150,000 were put to death.
35:27 Now we have to be balance about this,
35:29 there were occasions in which
35:31 the reformers also were guilty of persecuting Catholics.
35:37 Let's be clear in that.
35:39 But my friend, it was never to the extent
35:41 that it was by the Church of Rome
35:43 who saw its authority
35:45 being undermined by the reformation.
35:50 And then I take you on Revelation 13:5, 6.
35:53 We have looked at this in part
35:55 but it says here, "And he was given a mouth
35:57 speaking great things and blasphemies;
36:00 and he was given authority
36:01 to continue for forty-two months."
36:04 That's a prophetic time period, 42 months.
36:07 And remember, we've been looking at time prophecies
36:10 so this not to you know,
36:12 it's not gonna be foreign territory to most of us.
36:15 So again as we done
36:17 when we looked at the 70 week prophecy
36:20 just yesterday
36:22 we're gonna break it down to prophetic days
36:23 and in a prophetic month there are exactly 30 days.
36:27 So we multiply 42 by 30
36:30 and the resulting number is 1,260
36:33 prophetic days or years, okay.
36:38 Is what we find, that's based on the principles
36:40 of Ezekiel 4:6 where it says,
36:42 "I have given you a day for a year."
36:47 1,260 years.
36:49 So when we'll begin that prophetic period of time?
36:52 Well, my friend, I gave you the date
36:54 of the decree made by Justinian in 538.
36:59 And so it stretches from 538,
37:04 1,260 years down to 1798.
37:10 And if you look at that period of time
37:12 and you thinking to yourself, well, that's the Dark Ages.
37:17 My friend, it is largely the period of the Dark Ages.
37:21 And the papal system has to accept
37:25 some major responsibilities, not exclusively
37:27 but some major responsibility for that dark period
37:31 of superstition than in developed Europe.
37:36 1,260 years.
37:39 Furthermore back in verse 3 it says,
37:41 "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death,
37:43 and his deadly wound was healed
37:45 and all the world wondered after the beast."
37:47 Interestingly, this part of the prophecy
37:50 was fulfilled in 1798.
37:52 What was going on in 1798?
37:55 Well, my friend, this is what was going on,
37:57 Napoleon was going on,
37:59 Alexandre Berthier has in 1798 was sent by Napoleon
38:05 and he abolished the papal government,
38:08 he abolished the papacy standing army.
38:14 I mean, this is kind of hard for us to grasp
38:17 that the church had at that time a standing army.
38:21 They had to disarm them, they had to dismiss the troops.
38:26 And out of it came the emergence of the republic of Italy.
38:31 And this is what it says in The Modern Papacy,
38:33 "Berthier entered Rome on the 10th February, 1798,
38:37 and proclaimed a republic.
38:39 Half Europe thought Napoleon's veto would be obeyed,
38:42 and that with the Pope the Papacy was dead."
38:46 That's what they thought
38:48 would happen and in fact,
38:49 this is the copy of the actual document
38:53 that was executed by Berthier in
38:57 and I get abolished the papal government
39:00 in establishing a republic.
39:02 You will find this on the website
39:03 if you look for it.
39:05 You will actually be able to see it.
39:07 And so that's what happened
39:09 and it was Pope Pius VI
39:11 that was taken into exile and died in exile.
39:15 And people really thought
39:17 that the church really was pretty much done in.
39:21 They received a deadly wound.
39:23 But remember the prophesy said,
39:24 it would-- it would be healed.
39:27 And my friend as we look at it,
39:29 yeah, there it is, Revelation 13:3,
39:31 "And his deadly wound was healed."
39:33 And again, we can trace this out historically.
39:37 This happened in the year 1929
39:39 as reported here in the San Francisco Chronicle,
39:42 February 11, 1929.
39:44 This is what the article said, the report said,
39:46 "The Roman question tonight was a thing of the past,
39:49 and the Vatican was at peace with Italy.
39:51 In affixing the autographs
39:53 to the memorable document healing the wound,
39:55 extreme cordiality was displayed on both sides."
40:00 And I have a photograph of the signing of this agreement
40:04 between the Italian government
40:07 and representatives of the Vatican.
40:09 On one hand is Cardinal Gasparri and on the other,
40:14 do you recognize him?
40:16 It's Mussolini.
40:19 And he restored the church and established the sovereignty.
40:23 Recognize the sovereignty of the church.
40:24 I mean, on a very reduce scale,
40:28 you know, its not--
40:31 you know, it's not a very large at all.
40:34 But then we move on, Revelation 13:7,
40:36 it says, "An authority was given him over every tribe,
40:39 and tongues and nations."
40:41 My friend, Revelation 13 tells us
40:44 that what has happened in the past
40:45 is going to be repeated in the end time.
40:48 History is going to repeat itself
40:51 under the papal system.
40:52 And can you imagine any deadlier
40:55 deception than that, that comes--
40:57 than that which will come to us in the name of Christ?
41:00 Well, there is, that says,
41:02 "The whole earth would be amazed."
41:05 Would be amazed.
41:06 My friends, this is in development.
41:10 And we can really talk about the pope and circumstance
41:13 and I mean, you know it's something else
41:16 when you consider it.
41:17 I mean, there we see the representatives
41:19 of our government and past presidents
41:22 who were there at Pope John Paul II's burial.
41:27 Interesting as you look at it.
41:29 And the tapestries of the position
41:34 representing the authority
41:36 is something to really behold.
41:39 And we remember when Pope Benedict XVI
41:42 visited this country just a year or two ago.
41:45 Remember?
41:46 And of all of the world representatives
41:49 that have ever come to this country
41:52 our President George Bush
41:54 gave the pope an official red carpet
41:57 welcome at the airport.
42:00 He had never done that for any other,
42:04 again, representative of any other country.
42:08 And so you know, you would be amazed,
42:10 he spoke before the U.N. week ago, on and on.
42:12 Couldn't we?
42:14 But there's one other--
42:15 there's one other identifying characteristic
42:18 and yes, it's that number.
42:19 We find it in Revelation 13:18
42:22 where it says, "Here is wisdom.
42:23 Let him who has understanding
42:25 calculate the number of the beast,
42:27 for it is the number of a man,
42:32 His number is six hundred and sixty-six."
42:35 Now notice this from Our Sunday Visitor,
42:39 it asks the question,
42:40 "What are the letters inscribed in the pope's crown or mitre?
42:44 And what do they signify if anything?"
42:46 And here's the answer, Vicarius Filii Dei,
42:49 which is Latin for Vicar of the son of God.
42:51 And indeed this is one of the official titles
42:55 of the head of the Church of Rome
42:57 of the papal system Vicarius Filii Dei.
43:00 And when you work it out
43:02 according to the simple Roman numerals,
43:05 guess what, it's in your notes,
43:06 it comes out to exactly 666.
43:10 And my friends, the evidence just lines up from the Bible.
43:13 One and-- you know, it could be coincidental
43:16 but when you have all seven
43:18 clearly historically lining up, this is not coincidental.
43:24 It's not.
43:26 And remember, this comes out of the apostasy.
43:29 I've not really gotten into this
43:31 but the church went through apostasy
43:33 and allowed the counterfeit system.
43:37 So we come to what is the mark.
43:40 What's the Mark of the Beast? Let's look at that.
43:42 Daniel 7:25 deals with the same identifying characteristics
43:46 as it relates to the system.
43:48 But it adds one important one.
43:50 Daniel 7:25, it says,
43:51 "And he shall speak great words against the most High,
43:54 and shall wear out the saints of the most High,"
43:58 we saw that, didn't we
43:59 in little bit different language.
44:00 And furthermore, "And think to change times and laws."
44:05 He would think to change times and laws.
44:07 Now I don't know Latin
44:09 so but here is where the statement is taken from
44:12 and it's from the Episcop Cap,
44:16 I can read that.
44:17 It's from the church, a formal declaration.
44:21 It says, "The Pope has the power to change times,
44:24 to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things,
44:28 even the precepts of Christ."
44:32 I tell you, the papal system has some extraordinary claims
44:36 and there's a totally different authority base
44:39 in the papal system
44:40 than there is in any other church.
44:43 Most other churches would profess
44:47 that the authority of faith comes from the Bible.
44:52 The papal system does not feel bound at all
44:55 to the authority of the Bible.
44:57 They believe their authority stands above that of the Bible.
45:01 And so the decleration of the church to the pope
45:06 and the decleration of the church councils
45:09 and as it embodied in cannon law
45:13 is the final authority.
45:15 And yet I find most Roman Catholics,
45:17 I mean in this country
45:19 yet have a high regard for the Bible
45:22 and believe that really we ought to take the Bible
45:25 very seriously in the matters of faith.
45:28 So they think to change times and laws.
45:30 What laws? Human laws come and go.
45:33 Devine Law?
45:34 There's only one what that would be of significance
45:37 and when we think of the commandments,
45:39 when we think of the law of God,
45:40 which commandment deals with the issue of time?
45:43 Do you think they change times and laws.
45:45 There's only one,
45:46 and it's the one that deals with the Sabbath.
45:48 This is from The Convert's Catechism,
45:51 the question is, "Which is the Sabbath day?"
45:53 The answers is "Saturday is the Sabbath day."
45:56 Question, "Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?"
46:00 Answer, "We observe Sunday
46:02 instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church
46:06 transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."
46:12 And my friends, the Church of Rome admittedly,
46:14 and the documentation historically is absolutely clear
46:20 was involved in tampering with the commandments.
46:23 Father Enright in a lecture declared,
46:25 "It was the holy Catholic Church
46:27 that changed the day of rest
46:28 from Saturday to Sunday, the first day of the week.
46:31 And it not only compelled all to keep Sunday,
46:33 but at the Council of Laodicea,
46:35 in 364 AD, anathematized
46:38 all who kept the Sabbath and urged all persons to labor
46:42 on the seventh day under the pain of anathema."
46:45 Which is one step short of being excommunicated.
46:52 Why did the church feel it was necessary
46:53 to declare an anathema
46:56 except that it bears testimony,
46:58 there was a significant number of Christians
47:00 who did not embrace Sunday but still honor the Sabbath.
47:04 Another saying from The Catholic Mirror,
47:06 "The Catholic Church for over one thousand years
47:09 before the existence of a Protestant
47:13 changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.
47:16 The Christian Sabbath"
47:17 and they are talking about Sunday
47:19 "is therefore to this day,
47:20 the acknowledged offspring of the Catholic Church
47:23 without a word of remonstrance from the Protestant world."
47:26 That's not quite true, there are 15 million of us
47:28 Sabbath keeping Christians that are saying,
47:31 this is not what the Bible teaches.
47:34 Something is wrong here.
47:37 Again, from the Catholic Record, "Sunday is founded,
47:39 not on scripture, but on tradition,
47:41 and is distinctly a Catholic institution."
47:45 And my friends, if the change
47:48 is not documented in the scriptures
47:51 and it is not, nobody has come to me with that text
47:56 and I've been preaching this a long time.
47:58 They never come with a text because it's not there.
48:01 And my friend, if it is not in the Bible the change
48:04 then we have to turn to the historical record.
48:06 And this is what the historical record tells us.
48:09 It's the church that assumed
48:11 the authority to make the change
48:15 contrary to what the Bible actually teaches.
48:18 You know, there's a lot of documentations,
48:19 I was-- I just a year ago in Modesto, California.
48:23 I had a very devout young woman that was attending,
48:26 very devout woman, catholic.
48:28 She's sitting in the very back, she was there every night
48:30 and when she heard this presentation of the Sabbath
48:34 the next day she was at her-- she was at mass
48:38 and after the mass she took her priest aside
48:41 and she said, "Father, is it true that the church
48:45 changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday?"
48:48 She came back and told me,
48:49 she said, "I was shocked, he told me,
48:51 'Yes, the church changed it.'"
48:54 I will tell you after a few conversations
48:57 of that nature with her priest
48:59 and she had known him for a long time,
49:01 she made a decision to become a Sabbath keeping Christian.
49:05 And she was in a baptism.
49:08 I mean, that is really sincerity of faith.
49:11 Don't you think, 26 years of age,
49:13 bless her heart.
49:15 Young people, I can share a lot of statements with you
49:19 and you have a lot of them in your notes.
49:22 But I take you to our Catholic Records,
49:23 it says, "Sunday is our mark of authority.
49:26 The church is above the Bible,
49:27 and this transference of Sabbath observance
49:30 is proof of that fact."
49:34 Sunday keeping is the Mark of the Beast.
49:40 These things have not come into focus yet,
49:43 this is our future.
49:46 And my friends, to be clear about it
49:48 I mean, there are so many
49:50 sincere Sunday keeping Christians
49:52 that love the Lord, they are born again,
49:55 the issue of their salvation is not in question.
49:59 You know, most Christians don't really understand
50:01 why they keep Sunday it's just the established
50:04 and traditional practice.
50:05 That's' all they know.
50:07 And so we're not condemning
50:10 you know, those who are doing it without knowing.
50:12 But my friend, there is an issue of truth here
50:16 and that's what I am trying to get at.
50:18 It's just like that, you know, it can't be a day,
50:21 it can't be the issue
50:22 the Sabbath or Sunday the Mark.
50:26 Oh, my friend, think this over again.
50:27 Think about the tree of the knowledge
50:28 of good and evil.
50:29 You can say of that fruit, it's just a piece of fruit.
50:32 And as I said a number of times,
50:34 it was not just a piece of fruit
50:36 it is what it represented.
50:39 And my friends, so it is with the Sabbath
50:41 and this issue of Sunday, it is what it represents.
50:45 Sabbath represents loyalty to God and to His word
50:48 and to the commandments and to Jesus.
50:52 Sunday represents apostasy.
50:56 It carries with it the marks of the apostasy
50:59 for it was out of the apostasy
51:01 of the church that this pagan day
51:04 that dedicated to sun was embraced.
51:08 Are we just gonna go by that which is convenient?
51:11 I like this, sounds good to me over here,
51:13 I embrace this, I like--
51:16 I don't know about this,
51:18 because again, something's go against
51:19 the natural inclination of our natural hearts.
51:25 Is that true? It does.
51:29 We say, we believe that the Bible
51:32 is the only rule of our faith and practice.
51:35 But my friend, are we consistent?
51:37 So on one hand we have the declarations of the church,
51:41 on the other we have the declarations of scripture.
51:45 And my friend, where is our first loyalty?
51:48 Is our first loyalty to the church?
51:51 You think so or is our first loyalty to Jesus,
51:55 who is the head of the church
51:57 and to the teachings of His word?
52:02 And I remind you it is one of the commandments.
52:04 Exodus 20 says, "Remember the Sabbath day,
52:07 to keep it holy.
52:08 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,
52:10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord
52:13 your God in it you shall not do any work,
52:16 you, nor your son, nor your daughter,
52:18 now your male servant, nor your maidservant,
52:20 nor your cattle, nor your stranger
52:22 who is within your gates.
52:24 For in six days" I mean, it's a long one, isn't it.
52:27 "For in six days the Lord made heavens and earth,
52:30 the sea, and all that in them is,
52:32 and rested the seventh day.
52:34 Therefore the Lord blessed
52:35 the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."
52:37 Again I can imagine somebody saying,
52:39 well, it can't really be this, it can't really be this.
52:42 I am gonna show you in context,
52:45 in reference to the warning about the Mark of the Beast
52:47 that it is this issue and I am gonna read it again
52:50 going back to Revelation 14.
52:52 Remember what we read at the beginning,
52:53 "And another angel, a third one,
52:55 followed them, saying with a loud voice,
52:57 'If anyone worships the beast and his image,
53:00 and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
53:04 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
53:07 which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger
53:12 and he will be tormented with fire"
53:14 this language is really pretty tough, isn't it?
53:16 "With fire and brimstone
53:18 in the presence of the holy angels
53:20 and in the presence of the Lamb.
53:22 And the smoke of their tormen
53:23 goes up forever and ever,
53:25 and they have no rest day and night,
53:26 those who worship the beast and his image,
53:29 and whoever receives the mark of his name.'"
53:33 Next verse, right in the context,
53:36 in contrast to those at the end time,
53:39 this is all future,
53:40 who sell themselves out to the apostasy
53:42 of which this is represented by this pagan holiday.
53:48 Notice in contrast to those who receive the mark,
53:51 God's people are identified.
53:53 Verse 12 says, Here "Here is the perseverance of the saints
53:58 who keep the commandments of God
54:01 and their faith in Jesus."
54:04 So in contrast of those who receive the mark,
54:06 what are God's people noted for?
54:08 And there are two significant things
54:11 and the most significant of them is the last one.
54:15 There will be noted for their faith in whom?
54:19 Their faith in Jesus.
54:22 And as I said early, it takes a lot of faith in Jesus
54:26 sometimes to make some of the changes
54:29 in our lifestyle to bring ourselves into harmony.
54:32 By His grace we do this in harmony
54:34 with the teachings of principles of scripture.
54:36 Does it take faith in Jesus to do that?
54:40 Absolutely.
54:42 And the other identifying characteristic here
54:45 is that they keep the Commandments of God.
54:48 How many do you think
54:49 that by their faith in Jesus they keep?
54:54 What do you think?
54:56 All by the grace of Jesus
54:58 which leads us to the conclusion,
55:02 that they are keeping all by His grace
55:04 they are seeking to enter into the rest of the Sabbath.
55:11 And Jesus said it, "If you love me,
55:13 you will keep My commandments."


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Revised 2014-12-17