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“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” (Revelation 13:1)
May 26, 2003 - God has been pleased to unveil to his own people a particular truth about His sovereign timing. We have examined the Testimony of the Holy Spirit regarding Antichrist, and we have also examined the DOCTRINE of the Papal Antichrist as it is plainly unveiled to us in scripture. “That Day”, known to us as The Day of the Lord, shall not come until AFTER the man of sin has been revealed. The attention of all of history ought to be focused on this revealing as it is a necessary time cue. It can be known to us that some time after this revealing, we may expect The Day of the Lord to come.
Having previously examined the antichrist nature of the Papacy, and after having marked that Roman system as Antichrist, it is now necessary for us to watch this system as it passes through known history, so we can then highlight our place on God’s temporal timeline, and know the fullness of joy that is to be had in anticipating the soon return of our King.
The first beast who ascends in Revelation Chapter 13 is distinct from that which is mentioned in Revelation chapter 12. The chapter 12 monster is the devil. He is portrayed as a red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns. This previous picture of the pagan Roman Empire serves as a model for us as we examine this later creature, a beast (or kingdom) which will have on its heads the name of blasphemy. This creature is NOT that red dragon which isshown to us in chapter 12, but it says here in Chapter 13 that this beast receives his POWER and seat and authority from that red dragon, the devil. The seat and authority of that dragon was Rome, and the pagan Roman Empire consisted of ten kingdoms and sat on seven hills, and all power and authority in the known world came from the Caesarean dragon which sat on that throne in Rome. We showed in the last section where Pagan Rome gave her power and even the title Pontifex Maximus unto the Bishop of Rome, who re-united the ten kingdoms under his temporal and spiritual power, and reigned from the same seat of authority in Papal Rome following the casting down of Rome pagan. This beast is seen to rise up out of the sea, which usually prophetically represents the people and emphasizes the antichrist nature of fallen man whose number is 6, and who without regeneration cannot attain to Godliness, nor can the “house” they build be the house of God. It is the Lord Jesus alone who builds and heads His own house. The number 6 is the number of man, and the ruler of unregenerate men is the perfection of all that is evil in men, he is three sixes, and rules over the kingdoms of men.
The new revived Roman monarchy (Revived in the form of the Papal religion) has seven heads, meaning it not only reigns from the City of Seven hills (Rev. 17:9), but also is seven “heads” to mean kingships or ruling types. I have found much wisdom in the interpretation put forth by the great commentator John Gill on this issue. Gill determined these seven heads to be seven types of rule which would reign over the world from Rome.
1) Kings
2) Consuls
3) Dictators
4) Decemvirs
5) Tribunals
6) Emperors
7) “Christian” Emperors
***POPES***
Gill notes on his commentary to Chapter 17, that at the time when John wrote his Apocalypse, five of the heads had passed away, the sixth then reigned (Emperors), the seventh would soon come, and they would continue for a short time. An eighth form of rule would come from the seventh, that is the Roman POPES. This eighth authority would become the 7th, being OF the seven, and this papacy would remain until the whole Antichrist system is cast into perdition.
We must recall now from our last section that at the time that the Roman Papacy came to power, the Roman Empire had divided into ten kingdoms:
1.The Kingdom of the Vandals.
2.The Kingdom of the Suevians.
3.The Kingdom of the Visigoths.
4.The Kingdom of the Alans.
5.The Kingdom of the Burgundians.
6.The Kingdom of the Franks.
7.The
Kingdom of the
8.The Kingdom of the Huns.
9.The Kingdom of the Lombards
10.The Kindom of Ravenna.
These ten crowns gave their kingdoms and authority to be ruled over by the Roman pontiff, as it says in Revelation chapter 17, verse 12: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.” They had not received their kingdoms as John was writing his Apocalypse, but they arose with the power of the Roman Bishops, so they continued for a short time with the beast, but soon disappeared into him as parts of his overarching kingdom.
“And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” (Rev. 13:2)
Just as the Grecian empire is symbolized as a leopard for the swiftness of its war machine, the Papacy is compared to it here as being like a leopard. And just as a leopard is known by its spots, the Papacy is known by all those who rightfully hate it by its spots and sinfulness, its rebellion and its terrorism. Just as the Persian Empire is likened to a bear, the weapons of the Romish religion are likened to the feet of a bear, ripping to shreds with its claws all those that oppose it or who do not cower in fear from the blasphemies spewed from its mouth. The key attribute is this blasphemous mouth, which is as the mouth of a lion. The Babylonian empire is likened to the lion in the prophecies of Daniel, and the mouth of that lion spewed the blasphemies of the Babylonian Mystery religion, which is revived here as the Papacy of Rome and the false religion of the devil.
“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” (Rev. 13:3)
One of the heads of the Roman beast, the eighth which is of the previous seven, that being the Papacy in all its foul false glory, receives a deadly wound. Now here we have another important element that will give us a critical understanding of the TIME ELEMENT of fulfilled and unfulfilled prophecy. The great Reformation, the sword of the Lord, had been building and growing in its power to destroy the Papacy since the early 1520’s. This movement culminated in between 1789 and the early 1800’s with the destruction and removal of all temporal power from the Pope of Rome. There are some eerie prophetic implications to this. In 529 a.d. the Emperor Justinian codified the Pope’s temporal and ecclesiastical power through his decree of Papal supremacy. 1260 years later, the Pope’s temporal power lay in ruins after the French Revolution. By the early 1800’s, the Pope’s temporal power had been stripped from him. A deadly wound, delivered via the Sword of the Word of God, had been delivered unto the Antichrist’s head (his power). So what is left but the healing of this deadly wound? Can anyone deny that through the Jesuits, through the Jesuit controlled Intelligence agencies of the world, through the machinations of the Vatican Bank (the richest entity in the world) and through silent subterfuge, that the Roman church has been healing itself of this deadly wound? Can anyone deny that behind every ruling temporal power today we can find the evil hand of the Romish church?
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
All these attributes we can find throughout history pertaining to the Pope and his power. The Pope’s healed head rules over his temporal kings, like the current King of America, such that the whole world wonders after the beast, saying “WHO CAN MAKE WAR AGAINST HIM?” Do we not see this prophecy fulfilled in our time? Examine the recent wars in which the Pope’s American Kings have trounced their enemies. Who has not either said or thought, “WHO CAN MAKE WAR AGAINST HIM?” It was the same prior to the Popes fall in 1789. Who could make war against the beast? The beast continued in temporal power for 1260 days (of years), which is forty and two months. During this time he blasphemed God, took upon himself God’s mantle and titles and power and authority. He blasphemed God’s tabernacle, the Temple of His Body, called the TRUE CHURCH, calling them heretics and anathema, and burning their bodies with fire. He has made relentless war against the saints of God, and has overcome them temporally as he has taken unto himself power over all nations, and tongues and peoples.
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.” (Rev. 13:8-9)
And here we see the culmination of the issue of Antichrist. All those that dwell upon the earth, who are not written specifically and particularly in the Lamb’s book of life, will worship according to the Antichrist Pope of Rome, according to his foul, free-will doctrines, and according to his tyrannical methods and madness. This will be seen to be true in both the pagan unbeliever, and in the “professing” believer. The unbeliever worships himself as God of his own life, and worships his own so-called free-will, by which he blasphemes and demotes the Sovereign God of Heaven. The “professing” believer (almost all that erroneously call themselves “Christian” today), worship the God of their own minds according to free-will doctrines put forth and codified by the Catholic Church in their evil and pernicious Council of Trent in 1563. It is here was also find God’s sovereign sword at work in time. God has declared in his Holy Word, that ELECTION is the protection of His people. That He wrote the names of His elect in the Lamb’s book of life FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. If any man have an ear, let him hear. The elect were chosen by God before the creation itself was founded. His elect were given unto Jesus Christ by the Father before Man’s federal head (Adam) utilized the tool of the will to rebel against God. The elect are held by Christ! They will recognize the Antichrist and revile him. They will not worship according to his doctrines. They will not give their power and voice unto his throne. They will not resign from God’s kingdom to ignorantly serve the beast. They will not deify their own wills while following doctrines that demote God and enthrone the Antichrist.
God’s grace is to be magnified in that the only difference that can be seen between the children of the true King, and the children of the Devil, is the GRACE AND MERCY of Almighty God. God has made us to be different. He has chosen us for our time and place. He has given us the information we need to identify and to be at warfare with His enemies, and He has promised us the ultimate victory over them.
May we have the heart and thoughts of God’s servant David:
“Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.” (Psa 139:19-22)
May we sing along with fearless David the song of God’s sovereignty:
“For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psa 149:4-9)
“That Day” of the Lord is soon to come. The Papacy has reconstituted her wicked powers. Her deadly wound is being healed before our eyes and she will soon pursue and attempt to destroy the righteous woman (His Church) who has come out of the systems of false institutional religion, and who has been purified in the Blood of the Lamb, and who has not defiled herself with the false and unfruitful so-called “churches” of the land. May we rest on Jesus Christ so that we may be found faithful unto the end.
I remain your servant in Christ Jesus,
Michael Bunker