The Falling Away
Jack Van Impe Presents Transcript 7-23-95
“Because 1 Timothy 4:1 says that in the latter days some shall depart from the faith. And in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 it says, “Let no man deceive you, for that day Christ’s return shall not come except there come a falling away first,” an apostasia in the Greek, an apostatizing, turning away from the truth. And Pope John Paul II is very alarmed, and he’s even making the colleges toe the line now in the near future. They cannot be teaching there if they don’t teach the truth.”
Announcer: “John Paul II asks for forgiveness. Stay tuned for this and much more on Jack Van Impe Presents.”
Rexella: For several weeks now we’ve been promising to share so startling news with you, and very important news from the Christ community, and I don’t think that Jack has ever studied so hard for problem as the one you are about to see right now. And you know Jack, I really admire that. Thank you for spending hours and hours.
Jack: Rexella, I have attempted to read one book a day and have already covered 10 thousand volumes in my lifetime. I used to use Halley’s Pocket Bible Handbook and the Two Babylons by Hisslop to knock my brothers and sisters in other denominations and then the Spirit God started to do something in my heart about 10 years ago, and I’m different man, and I,just in the last four weeks, have read 25 volumes on the Catholic Church, and the pope, and here’s just a few of them so you know what I’m talking about. So, don’t write to me and say, “Hey, you don’t know what you’re talking about ” and try to correct me because know everything there is to know about Christianity, Catholicism, Protestantism.
I used to be an opponent and worked against other brothers and sisters in Christ but this book, The Catechism, really opened my eyes. I used to hear it said that Catholics were not allowed to read the Bible. In the Catechism, (this new one), there’s seven to ten thousand Bible verses and everything this pope says, even his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope is backed by the Word of God. And, I’m going to say some things that will shock you today. Ten years ago when I started my quest for unity, I lost all my support. The churches cut me off. I faced bankruptcy but God pought us back. I’m willing to pay any price, any price, even if I have to go off the air again, to take this stand I’m going to take today of my love for my brothers and sisters in the Catholic and all the different Protestant churches, if we take our stand for Christ which the majority of churches do.
Rexella: Hmmm, I don’t think we’ll have to go off, Jack. I think that the people out there really want to know what you have to say on this subject of unity in the body of Christ.
Jack: Well, I know the price we paid before as fundamentalists and I know where I stand now on the Word of God. It’s the Word of God, not a man-made label that counts.
Rexella: Before we get into the in-depth studies that Jack has done, I want to just ping to your attention some things that religion, so-called religion, might do. Now, Professor Donald Kagen has long taught a course at Yale University on the Origins of War. With such impressive credentials, Kagen has produced a book entitled On the Origins of War, an excellent general study on how wars start, and you know, friends, I am astounded to know that so very, very many wars even going on right now, are produced by people who are fighting over religion. Religion, Jack!
Jack: I’m sure Kagen’s book is great but it can be answered from one verse from God’s Word, James 4:1, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members.” We lust for power, we lust for fame and I discovered, Rexella, that presently there’s 20,728 denominations in the world, believe it or not. I got that figure from Christianity Today. Think of it! 20,728 and in every city in America we have one of the leaders of one of these denominations say, “I’m the only one who’s preaching the truth. The other twenty thousand seven hundred and some are all wrong, but we are right.” God deliver us from that kind of mentality.
What’s wrong? I’ll tell you. Jesus detested some of the leaders of His day. He didn’t speak out against the publicans as sinners. He had a heart for them but, oh, He talked against the denominations, and at that time they had the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians and the Essenes but the Pharisees were the fundamentalists, as the Islamic and some of the Christians, and they were constantly bitter, always finding fault, always trying to tear everyone apart so Jesus, in Matthew 23 beginning with verse 1, used their denominational label to rebuke them in front of a great multitude and in verses 13,14,15,16, 23, 25, 27, 29, eight times. He said, “You scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites. Scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites,” calling them by their denominational tag.
Look at chapter 23 verse 14. He said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widow’s houses, and for a pretense (show) make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” Verse 15 says, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, (convert), and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” Wow, what preaching from the lips of Jesus! And when He gets to verse 33, He says, “You serpents, you generation of snakes (religious leaders) how shall you escape the damnations of hell?” Because they were always promoting bigotry, prejudice and hatred. How true.
You know what Jesus said in Luke 6 verses 27 & 28, this ought to be all of us in our daily actions with people, even if they’re not Christians, even if they’re not of our religion, Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them which curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”
Rexella: I have here an article which says, “Satan cannot get to us if we really and truly love. He can find no foothold, It is when we are critical, antagonistic and uncharitable that he is able to swiftly move in and affect all” (Pope John Paul 11). We need that love, don’t we?
Jack: Look, please, forget your theological moorings. Forget your labels. Let’s base our Christianity on what this Book says. Jesus said. This is the proof you really have it. I don’t care if you are Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal, Nazarene, Christian Reformed, Catholic “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another” John 13:35.
The Holy Spirit penned those words, and who is your pother? Jesus said in Mark, the third chapter, “Whosoever shall do the will of God is my pother and my sister.” That’s a great definition. If they’re Christ’s brothers and sisters they better be ours. Let’s forget our labels-over 20,000 of them and come together in love and the pope has called for that, as we’re going to see in a moment. But, Rexella, the fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal. 5:22). When we really are dominated, controlled, motivated by the Holy Spirit, love comes forth.
Oh, yea, but over there in the book of Jude 1:3 we are to earnestly contend for the faith; yes, but we’re not to be contentious – mean, bitter – and when we do take a stand for the Faith, we’re to speak the Truth in love. Eph. 4:15. Listen, some of you great defenders of the Faith who will have nothing to do with any other Christians because they disagree on some secondary point. Ha, can you have any sacrifice in your life that’s greater than dying for the cause of Christ? Of course not. Listen to 1 Cor. 13:3, “Though I give my body to be burned (for Christ) and have not love, it profits me nothing.” This is zilch – zero. That’s what Christianity is all about. Not your ravings and rantings about orthodoxy and interpreting every little word according to your viewpoint. God forgive you.
Rexella: That’s a very, very good check – loving. We’re going to take quick peak right now to tell you how to receive our offer of the week and we come back we’re going to talk about the pope’s apology but first, Jack, you might want to say a word about our offer of the week.
Jack: This pope loves people. He’s issued an apology. You’ll get weak when you hear it. It’s so moving. At the same time he’s having problems with some of his bishops who no longer believe what he’s trying to do or no longer back him. In this book I read, the Pope tells of why held this emergency consistory to get in cardinals who will elect a pope who believes what he does rather than a liberal, and even this pope believes that the next pope could be the anti-pope of the final days. Amazing how he and I agree. All right, we’ll take a quick peak right now. offer titled “Pope John Paul II. Startling Revelations.”
Announcer: This pope is burdened about the future of his church. In this stunning video, Dr. Jack and Rexella Van Impe, following hundred of hours of research, present the 264th pope’s astonishing views concerning his church’s global disobedience wracked by defection and gross betrayal of Christ by some of its bishops. Discover the most shocking news in 2000 years of Christianity. In this one hour 40 minute video “Startling Revelations – Pope John Paul II,” the Pontiff’s thirty incredible revelations will stun you, especially his alarming warning about the next pope. The Bible predicts that a final global religious Judas will rise from the seven hills of Rome. Pope John Paul II believes that moment is near. Discover the most stunning news ever released. Learn the Pontiff’s prophetic views on this astonishing and exciting video “Startling Revelations-Pope John Paul II.” The incredible revelations of the 264th pope will stun you. His predictions regarding the return of Christ and the end time-millennial game are astonishing.
Jack: Now, Pope John Paul II was not the first to speak about ecumenicalism and unity. Actually, Pope John 23rd was the first to speak about it. But, as you well know, this pope continues the theme so very, very much. In fact, we cannot remain separated. This is his cry and from the Vatican Magazine-“that they may all be one.” Now, inside of this magazine he carries on the theme, “This task I cannot carry out by myself.” He’s saying this, of course, to his cardinals. And, then another cover, “For the sake of Unity in a dramatic gesture and ending centuries of Christian division, Pope John Paul II offers to change the way papacy primacy functions. Can the papacy change? A very big question.”
Rexella: He says, “yes, I will even pass out authority to bishops, to others if we can unite in Jesus and be one.”
Bible believers should not be deceived by this amazing offer of Pope John Paul II to change the way papacy primacy functions. Why? Because the pope, like so many other religious leaders, often has entirely different messages for different groups. As one example of this duplicity, note the following statement of Pope John Paul II contained in the Roman Catholic publication Catholic Moment (9/10/95):
“Christian unity will not become a reality unless all churches accept “the authority Christ entrusted to St. Peter and his successors. Unity in Christ is based on following His will.
This unity will not be fully manifested until all Christians accept Christ’s will for the Church and acknowledge the apostolic authority of the bishops, in communion with the successor of Peter.
The Church is also catholic [universal], although its universal dimension must be constantly strengthened through missionary activity, adaptation to various cultures and an ecumenical outreach to other Christians…The Church’s structure of authority and service, based on Christ’s mandate to Peter and the other Apostles, is an essential part of fidelity to Christ’s will.
What a contrast and contradiction! Yet, Dr. & Mrs. Van Impe were completely taken in by it. Now we return to the transcript of the Van Impe tape.
Rexella: Alright, and now, the article that I promised you. This is from Inside the Vatican. “Today I, the pope, ask forgiveness Today I, the pope of the church of Rome, in the name of all Catholics, ask forgiveness for the wrongs inflicted on non-Catholics during the turbulent history of these people. May this day mark a new beginning in a common effort to follow Christ; His Gospel; His law of love; His supreme desire for the unity of those who believe in Him that they may all be one.” John 17:21 is the verse that he quoted. What a moving message.
He did go on by saying this, “I say to you, the faithful of the Catholic church, and to you my brothers and sisters of the other churches and ecclesiastical communities, mend your ways, encourage one another, live in harmony and the God of love and peace will be with you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11-13). He constantly quotes from the Bible This is probably one of the greatest confessions that’s ever been made.
Jack: I tell you, I wanna weep, it’s so moving, and I want to ask for forgiveness too. In 1976, I was invited to Scotland to be the evangelist for the World Congress of Fundamentalists. It was headed up by Ian Paisley as far as the European segment was concerned and this is the man who often leads the Protestants to the front and they kill one another-a minister of the Gospel. When I was there, I was to preach a sermon on Dangerous Evangelism and knock Billy Graham, because he would often unite with Catholics. I couldn’t do it. While I was there, I constantly heard the speakers, Ian Paisley and his associates, call Catholics rats, papist rats, and I came home 19 years ago and I said there’s something wrong with what I’ve got. I searched my heart, the Lord changed me, and I lost my support. For years I faced bankruptcy but then we came back and started preaching love because of saying we should love our Catholic brothers and sisters and all Protestant brothers and sisters who are washed in the blood of Christ. I paid this price. But the Lord made something out of me and I wrote this book Sabotage in the World Church. I had 400 verses on love. I had 50 command words to love one another, work together. This is based on Scripture. The Bible means what it says.
The Holy Spirit declares in Eph. 4 beginning with verse 3, we are to “Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. For there one body, and one Spirit, One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God al father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all .” I wasn’t doing that, I was dividing the Christians. I ask for your forgiveness. Till I die I will proclaim nothing but love for all my brothers and sisters in Christ, my Catholic brothers and sisters, Protestant brothers and sisters, Christian Reformed, Lutherans, I don’t care what label you are, when you come to Christ and trust in the work at Calvary’s Cross, this Book says, which I recorded in my Sabotaging the World Church, that we are one body “For by one Spirit are ye all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13). We a one family. For we are all one in Christ Jesus – all the children of God Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26). We have one label-Christian (Acts 11:26) and we are members of one citizenry-Heaven (Phil. 3:20). Oh, folks, I wish I could get into all the verses I was preaching in those days because I was painwashed that we should “Mark them and avoid them” (Rom 16:17 We were to come out from among them and be separate (2Cor.6:17) we were to rebuke them (Eph. 5:11) and withdraw ourselves from them (Tim. 6:5) and to have no fellowship with them (2 Tim. 3:5). But in this book I wrote, through 65 theologians covering 100 years that these interpretations were wrong and I called the chapter The Errant Interpretation of the Inerrant Word. And we’ve all been washed in one blood (John 1:7), we’re all redeemed through that Blood (Eph. 1:7), we’ve all been reconciled and all have been made into new creations through Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17). Rexella, what really moves me is that when we come to Jesus, immediately we become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet.1:4). God comes in, Christ comes in, He comes into the heart of Catholics, and Lutherans, and Baptists, and Pentecostals, and with God in us, partakers of the divine nature, we can fellowship with one another. God forgive us! Look at me. I’m not going to ask you to pray to get saved today. I’m going to ask you to pray and ask God to forgive you for your bigotry. Heavenly Father, thank you for this message. I needed it. Change me Lord. Help me not to listen to bigoted religious leaders, but to your precious Word. I love you Jesus. I love all those who love you in all denominations. Make me different from this day onward. In Christ’s Name, and in the name of unity I pray this. Amen.
“I was deeply moved as Pope John Paul II opened his humble heart of love to all of us. Billy Graham calls him the moral voice of the 20th century and I agree.”
Rexella: Amen. And you know, Jack, there are so many other Protestant ministers who are doing the same thing as you, like Bill pight of Campus Crusade, and Chuck Colson. Southern Baptists are trying to unite the body of Christ, those who really know and love the Lord.
Roman Catholicism, Unity, The Pope & Endtimes
Rexella: Friends, if you watch our program, you know that we quote many, many sources. Our Protestant friends such as Billy Graham, who refers to the coming of the Lord frequently in his messages; our Jewish sources that say Messiah is coming very, very soon.
Today we’d like to be quoting some Catholic sources, primarily the Pope, who says that Jesus is coming very soon. But first I would like to refer to something where he makes a very compelling plea, and you see him there in deep prayer that this plea might be fulfilled. It’s from the L’Osservatore Romano that I would like for you to see the plea that he is making. “We must overcome our differences.” Again, “Credibility of our witness depends on Christian unity.” And again, “From dynamic prayer flows love for others.”
He has been referring to the coming of the Lord, but he’s also been referring to the need to have love in the body of Christ, in Christianity. This is something that you’ve been referring to also, Jack.
Jack: Rexella, for years I was very bigoted and I knew every separatist text there was. Romans 16:17, “Avoid them,” 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers,” 2 John, verse 8, “If there comes any unto you and ping not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God’s speed.” And I attacked many wonderful Christians, many wonderful Catholic Christians, and those in other groups. But about 15, 16 years ago, the Holy Spirit poke my heart to show me how wrong this all was, that all Christians from all denominations, including our wonderful Catholic brothers and sisters are members of that one body, for by one Spirit are we all, all baptized into one body, 1 Corinthians 5:13; that we’re all members of the pide of Christ, Revelation 19:7; and our God is not a polygamist, having two pides, two wives, Catholics and Protestants, but we are one. And I saw Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for pethren to dwell together in unity.” And I saw the prayer of Jesus in John 17:21 where He said, “Father, I will that they all might be one, that the world might believe that You sent Me.” And I saw the command of God, of God, in Ephesians 4:3-6, where it says we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, for there is one body and one Spirit. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all Who’s above all and through all and in you all.
God started to change me. I remember our papers in my separatist movement, how they constantly attacked Billy Graham because of his love for Catholics. One time they tore him apart, because Billy said “the cross on the Catholic church is the same cross that I have on my Protestant church.” And I said, “How can Billy Graham sleep at night.” Oh, the bitterness that they heave out against this man.
But that man changed me and I saw that love. And then I appreciated the Southern Baptist Convention, because Billy was one of the members of their group, and they never once objected to his proclaiming love for Catholics and all of God’s children. Thank you, Billy and the Southern Baptist Convention.
Rexella: Jack, you know what? People come to me now and they say “What denomination are you? What denomination is Jack?” You know what I like to say? “I’m a Christian.”
Jack: Yeah, Acts 11:26, “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”
Rexella: So Protestants should love Protestants, we should love Catholics, Catholics should love Protestants, we should love the Greek Orthodox.
Jack: We’re all members of the one body. All the different denominations represent these different fingers. But some folks won’t let us do this: get together.
Rexella: Okay. Let’s see how we get into that one body despite certain tendencies today to place ourselves in the position of saying “We are worthy outside of the Lord. We can enter heaven outside of the Lord.”
Here’s some beautiful sermon titles that Pope John Paul II gave in L’Osservatore Romano. “Jesus Christ the Source of Hope.” Look at the next one. “Christ Makes the Cross a Tree of” – what? – “a Tree of Life.” Again, “Put the Cross of Christ in Your Life.” And then, “Be Men of Supernatural Faith and Royalty Through Christ.”
And then at St. Peter’s Basilica, December 12, 1997, the Pope had this to day: “I exhort the pastors of the American continent to proclaim ceaselessly the living Christ our sole salvation.” Now he had a burden for some of the priests here in the United States that they continue preaching the only way of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, and I think that was pretty important.
Jack: Oh, I have such respect for Pope John Paul II. I read every one of his sermons that bear witness with my spirit. I get stimulated, stirred, blessed, and he often uses John 14:6, that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and John 12:31, “If I,” Jesus said, “be lifted up, I’ll draw all men unto Me.”
In the beginning of the 20th century a group of men got together from all denominations and said if anyone accepts these five fundamentals of the faith, he is a fundamentalist. So originally it was a wonderful term. And our Catholic brothers and sisters agree totally with us on these five points: That Jesus Christ was God from all eternity, 1 Timothy 3:16; that He came through the womb of the virgin Mary, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23; that He died on the cross and was buried and rose again the third day for our sins, 1 Corinthians 15:3; and that it was through the shedding of his precious, efficacious blood that we’re washed, Ephesians 1:7 and Revelation 1:5; and that He rose again the third day, 2 Timothy 2:8 and that He’s coming again. For He said, “If I go away, I will come again and receive you unto Myself,” John 14:3.
So we preach the same bible. I read the New Catechism, 1,800 points. I accept 99% of it. Why should we divide over 1%? A lot of Protestant groups, I have as much as 1% disagreement with, you know. So we need to love one another and put aside the secondary things and stick to the fundamentals of Jesus, Jesus, He death and resurrection and coming again.
Rexella: Well, we all have our distinctives in the different denominations, but, as you said, Jack, it’s those five things that we can agree upon.
Well, from the magazine entitled The Challenge which comes out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, they reported on an article from 1938 which had a prophecy in it by the Blessed Fastina. And it goes like this: “Out of Poland will come that spark that will prepare the world for the second coming of Christ.”
Jack: That spark was Pope John Paul, and you know, he is the first Polish pope in history, and out of Poland he would arise to prepare the people for the second coming. That’s why he believes in it with all of his heart.
Rexella: He’s the first one in all history?
Jack: The first Polish pope.
Rexella: Out of Poland. Well, in his book, The Keys of This Blood, Malachi Martin indicates that the current pope believes the world is very close to witnessing unusual latter-day events. Now we have heard, I’m sure you have, of Hal Lindsey. He’s a good friend of ours, best-selling author or The Late, Great Planet Earth, and a close friend of Malachi Martin. And he reports that Pope John Paul II expects the return of Christ in his lifetime. Now, Jack, he is an elderly man.
Jack: 78 years old.
Rexella: Yes, and he says that it could be in his lifetime. That’s quite a statement!
Jack: Oh, it really is! Rexella, I read his Easter sermon in L’Osservatore Romano, and he’s talking about the resurrection using John 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in which all that are in the grave shall hear His voice and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.”
But he blessed my heart when he quoted Philippians 3, verses 20 and 21, “Out citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who, when He comes, will change our lowly bodies that they might be fashioned like His glorious body.” And of course, in bible prophecy, that has to do with the rapture.
Now this may shock some of you: the rapture cannot be found in my King James bible, but it can be found in the Latin Vulgate translated by Jerome. He’s the first one to ever use the term rapture, from rapturo[sp] in the Latin. And that’s when He says, “Come up hither,” Revelation 4:1. “And then the dead in Christ shall rise and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord.” That’s 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18. And that will all happen in the twinkling of an eye, 1 Corinthians 15:52. And it’s great to know that he’s talking that way, but more so, he’s talking about Christ’s return to earth as we’re going to see.
Rexella: Yes, well up front in the program I did mention that the pope is talking a great deal about the coming of the Lord, and certainly he prays for the coming of the Lord to be very, very near and here you see him. He’s proclaiming this in the L’Osservatore Romano. Pope John Paul II in the closing ceremony of his twentieth anniversary prayed, “Come, Lord Jesus, to establish the Kingdom in the world, the Kingdom of Your Father and our Father, a Kingdom of life and salvation, a Kingdom of justice, love and peace.”
Jack: He prayed that two months ago.
Rexella: Yes, he did. And then another article that he gave in the magazine The Vatican, he says, “Within the dimension of time the history of salvation unfolds, and its goal is the glorious return of the Son of God.” Now, I know you will agree he is speaking frequently about the return of the Lord.
Jack: And Malachi Martin, that great Jesuit, states that much of this talk about Jubilee 2000 has in mind that the Lord could come at any time.
This glorious appearing of Christ is described in Matthew 24:27, “As the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth unto the west, so also shall the coming of the Son of Man be.” And when He comes, His feet will touch down upon the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, Zachariah 14:4. And He will then come regally and royally on that white horse, Revelation 19:11, and the armies in heaven follow Him. That’s those who were taken previously. “The Lord cometh with 10,000s of His saints,” Jude 14. When He comes, He comes, and you’ve heard me say this week after week, as the King of kings and Lord of lords and He will rule and reign for 1000 years, Revelation 20:4. Rexella, this was the teaching of the Catholic church for the first 430 years of Christendom. In the year 325, 318 bishops of the church gathered from all over the world for the Council of Nicea and re-affirmed the doctrine of the 1000 year reign of Christ upon the earth, that great Millennium. Then, sorrowfully, error crept into Christendom later, and it’s in all of our groups today, that when Christ comes, the world blows up, it’s over. That’s not what the church taught for 430 years. Let’s go back to our foundation, our roots, and we’ll see more about this in a moment.
Rexella: Ted and Maureen Flynn have written a book titled The Thunder of Justice. There you see it. And I have chosen four of the prophecies that they have given out of here, and we’re going to deal with them very, very quickly, go back and forth here, and the first one is that “the first sign of the spread of errors which leads to the lose of faith and apostasy.” Now these errors are being propagated by false teachers, by renowned theologians, and they say even within “our church,” which is the Roman Catholic church. Now, Jack, being Roman Catholics, this is a Catholic book, they’re saying that some of their teachers are spreading some false errors.
Jack: Challenge Magazine, out of Canada, Inside the Vatican magazine, The New Oxford Review, all Catholic periodicals, say there is a real battle with the Cardinals and Bishops now. Some are for the pope, some are against, some believe what he’s teaching, some don’t. Some like what he says about the return of Christ. Others are doing everything they can to work against it. Why? Because 1 Timothy 4:1 says that in the latter days some shall depart from the faith. And in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 it says, “Let no man deceive you, for that day Christ’s return shall not come except there come a falling away first,” an apostasia in the Greek, an apostatizing, turning away from the truth. And Pope John Paul II is very alarmed, and he’s even making the colleges toe the line now in the near future. They cannot be teaching there if they don’t teach the truth.
Rexella: Great, Jack. Is that happening in some of our Protestant churches too?
Jack: We’ve had it since 1900. We’ve been way ahead of the Catholics in apostasy.
Rexella: The second sign that they dealt with in this book is the outpeak of wars. We see that everywhere.
Jack: That’s Matthew 24:7-8, Mark 13:7-8, and, of course, the message of Fatima was, and it was sort of revealed in Germany when the pope spoke for Cardinal Rathsinger[sp] that that third secret has to be with Russia sending a plague across this world. That’s when she marches against Israel, Ezekiel 38 and 39.
Rexella: The third sign is the blood persecution of those who have been faithful to Jesus and His gospel.
Jack: “You shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake,” Matthew 24:9. “The time will come when whosoever kills you will think he’s doing God a service,” John 16:2. Of course, millions are slaughtered in Revelation 13:15 and Revelation 20:4. “I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for Jesus and for the Word of God.”
Rexella: Mmmm, so very well said, Jack. And the fourth sign is the horrible sacrilege perpetrated by the antichrist.
Jack: This next statement will shock you! Malachi Martin, the great Jesuit scholar, who taught at the Vatican, who’s a close friend of Pope John Paul II, said we will probably see the New World Order, a world government, by the year 2000 or shortly thereafter, but Pope John Paul II wants nothing to do with it, but he’s afraid that his successor, the future pope, might.
Isn’t that what the bible teaches? Do you know that under sacred tradition, and Bishop Sheen took his statement from sacred tradition, that the final pope is to defect from the faith. That is what the Catholic church has always taught and this pope is afraid that his successor might join in with the New World Order, a world government. That world government arises, Revelation 13:1, the revived Roman Empire, the European Union. And there’s a religious leader in Revelation 13:11 who has the two horns of a lamb but speaks as a dragon. The two horns of a lamb identifies him with the Lamb of God, Jesus, John 1:29, but his speech as the speech of a dragon identifies him with the power of Satan, Revelation 20:4. Exactly what sacred theology teaches in the Catholic church. And the pope is afraid that this might happen very, very soon. But let’s see why.
Rexella: Well, you know what, Jack, there have been many articles written on who might be the next pope, and here’s the cover of U.S. News and World Report. “The Next Pope: The Surprising Steps John Paul II Has Taken to Shape the Choice of His Successor.” He had this to say: “We are standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced. We’re now facing the final confrontation between the church and the antichurch.” Very powerful statement.
Jack: He’s speaking about Cardinals within the movement who are liberals, and he’s afraid that one of them could be that next pope. Now, this is tremendous! In the book Thunder of Justice, and the book After the Darkness, it says there will only be three more popes after Pope John XXIII. Who were they? Pope Paul VI, number one, Pope John Paul I and Pope John Paul II, so the final one after that would be the defector. It was the archbishop of Ireland in 1133 called Malachi, later St. Malachi, who gave the predictions of all the popes, 111 of them, covering 850 years, and when he got to number 111, it was Pope John Paul II, and the one following him would probably be Peter Romano, the defector from Christianity, which would fit right in to Revelation 13:1, 13:11, when it is the tribulation hour defined in Revelation chapters 6 to 18, but Christ would soon appear after that, within months. That’s how near it all is, folks, for His coming to the earth.
Rexella: You know, friends, I think this program is one of the most needed programs we’ve had in a long time. I don’t want to go home, seeing the Lord, hating anybody, Jack.
Jack: No, I don’t know if we can go home that way, Rexella, because we know we’ve passed from death unto life because we love the pethren. Whosoever hates his pother is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (Jack Van Impe Show, January 27, 1999)
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Galatians 1:6-10