Dear Friend, the following is an in depth and detailed analysis of Daniel 7
and is the first part of a Scriptural study I would like to share with you and
anyone who has an interest in the prophecies concerning the anti-Messiah.
Let’s begin with the premise of why Elohim (God) gave us prophecy.
Yahonan (John) 13:19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to
pass, ye may believe that I am [He].
Yahonan (John) 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that,
when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Clearly, prophecy is given that we may believe that Yahoshua (Jesus) is the
ha MaShiach (Messiah) that takes away the sins of the world by His favor
through faith and that “The Scripture”, as given by Elohim (God), is the
infallible, inerrant, inspired Word of Elohim (God) and is profitable unto all
things in this lifetime and the one to come!
Seven different times in the book of the prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah) it tells
us that Elohim (God) tells us the end from the beginning! Here is just one
example:
Yeshayahu 46:10
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from
ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall
stand, and I will do all My pleasure!
Revelation 19:10b “
worship Elohim (God): for the testimony of Yahoshua
(Jesus) is the ruach (spirit) of prophecy.”
Is it fair to say that the distortion of Yahoshua's testimony is the ruach
(spirit) of false prophecy or the anti-ha MaShiach (anti-Messiah) ruach
(spirit) of this world?
Listen closely to the following… It is the quote from the introduction of
Brave Heart the movie.
Narrator: “I shall tell you of William Wallace. Historians from England will
say I am a liar, but history is written by those who have hanged heroes. The
king of Scotland had died without a son, and the king of England, a cruel pagan
known as Edward the Longshanks, claimed the throne of Scotland for himself.
Scotland's nobles fought him, and fought each other, over the crown. So
Longshanks invited them to talks of truce - no weapons, one page only. Among
the farmers of that shire was Malcolm Wallace, a commoner with his own lands;
he had two sons, John and William.”
Whose version of history has the church been led to believe? The version
which was passed down to us by the heroes of the faith, those who have been
martyred for their faith in Yahoshua ha MaShiach (Jesus the Messiah), or those
who martyred them for their faith?
Before we begin our study, one final thought. Our enemy, (identified clearly
in Ephesians 6:12), is more than 6,000 years old, does not sleep, has
accumulated and assimilated great volumes of knowledge and with it has been
conspiring to destroy mankind, Elohim's people, (the assembly according to His
favor), and Elohim's Word of prophecy, deliverance and salvation all throughout
the ages!
The fact that mankind has not been completely destroyed by our enemy, nor
has the assembly of His favor succumbed to their devices is overwhelming
sufficient evidence of the goodness of Elohim toward us! Finally, even though
our enemy has done everything imaginable to destroy Elohim’s Prophetic Word
,“The Scriptures”, it is still the same today and it is published world-wide
more than ever before in human history! This proves yet again that Elohim
really does exalt His Word above all else.
He loves us so very much.
Mismore (Psalm) 138:2b “for thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy
name.”
Yahonan 3:16 “For Elohim so loved the world.”
WHAT ARE THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR
FAITH?
Mismore (Psalm) 11:3 “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the
righteous do?”
Ibrim (Hebrews) 5:12-6:2 teaches that there are five foundational doctrines
of the body of ha MaShiach! It also teaches all who do not have these doctrines
are spiritual babes and not able to discern good from evil! Most of these
foundational doctrines have been destroyed in the sense that the church of
grace has forsaken them in mass due to great spiritual confusion and delusion
amongst it’s leadership!
These 5 foundational doctrines of the body of ha MaShiach are as follows.
These are the first oracles of Elohim.
1. The foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward Elohim.
2. The doctrine of baptisms.
3. The doctrine of laying on of hands.
4. The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.
5. The doctrine of the everlasting judgment.
For your convenience I have provided the link to the full study directly
below.
http://robertarthurmcduffie.blogspot.com/2011/05/five-foundations-of-christian-faith.html
“The Scriptures” clearly tells us what Elohim has to say about the pastors
who forsake the sound and pure doctrine of His Word!
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 56:10-12 “His watchmen [are] blind: they are all
ignorant, they [are] all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down,
loving to slumber. Yea, [they are] greedy dogs [which] can never have enough,
and they [are] shepherds [that] cannot understand: they all look to their own
way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, [say they], I will
fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall
be as this day, [and] much more abundant.”
The end result is thus:
“they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for
this cause Elohim shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a
lie.” 2Thessalonians 2:10b-11
By the time we are done you will see very clearly that these verses apply
more aptly than you know right now in the exact context of the usage!
First of all I would like to share with you a secret of all “Scripture”
prophecy students. In the Set-apart Word of Elohim the book of Daniel helps us
to understand the book of Revelation. Likewise, the book of Revelation helps to
explain the book of Daniel.
Furthermore, all prophecy is understood by thus saith the Master Yahweh and
nothing else!
2Kepha (Peter) 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of “The
Scripture” is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old
time by the will of man: but set apart men of Elohim spake [as they were] moved
by the Ruach ha Chodesh (the Set-apart Spirit).”
Finally, whenever the foundation of prophecy has been laid it is our
Father’s prerogative to expound upon it and explain it further, but He will
never contradict the foundations previously given.
For example: The vision of Daniel 7 is a further expounding and detailed
explanation of the vision revealed in Daniel 2. In addition, Daniel Chapters
8-12 are further detailed explanations of Daniel 7. Once this principle is
understood it becomes a whole lot clearer what Daniel chapters 7-12 is all
about.
The Master Yahweh has given His people a prophetic legend / key that is
found all throughout “The Scripture”! In the same way a good map has a legend /
key for understanding it’s symbols universally all over the map, “The Set-apart
Scriptures” also have a legend / key for understanding prophecy’s symbols
universally all over “The Scriptures”! This is what is meant by the verses in
2Kepha-Peter 1:20-21.
All of this only goes to prove that Elohim knows everything from the
beginning to the end of time. Now let us listen to the prophet speak, as
recorded in Daniel 7:2:
"Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the
four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea."
Now using your imagination, visualize the events exactly as Daniel saw them.
Picture this great sea the prophet was looking at. The four winds of heaven are
blowing upon the waters, causing the waves to beat against one another like a
sea frenzied by a hurricane.
Now what does this stand for? No guessing, remember, we only want the
Scriptural answer from the prophecy legend / key. First, let's take the waters.
Remember our secret? In Revelation we find our explanation as we turn in “The
Scriptures” to chapter 17 and read:
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore
sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."
Revelation 17:15.
Elohim made this simple to understand. Waters represent peoples, multitudes,
nations, and tongues. How often we have used the expression "a great sea
of faces" when describing a crowd of people.
The second fact we need to know concerns the wind. In the prophetic
scriptures the designation of wind has always been used as a symbol of
war.
"Thus saith the Master, Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and
against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a
destroying wind .... Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans,
and they that are thrust through in her streets." Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah)
51:1,4.
This is the setting. The sea of waters represents the peoples of the earth.
The wind blowing upon the waters reveals the people to be in a state of war.
From such a condition we would expect the political climate of the people to
change, and this is exactly what happens.
"And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from
another." Daniel 7.3.
Now, what is a beast according to the prophetic key/legend? Daniel 7:17
"These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise
out of the earth."
Do you see how simple it is to understand prophecy? “The Scripture” explains
itself!
"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the
wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand
upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it." Daniel 7:4.
Who is this lion? Elohim supplies information through His prophet. We read:
"The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed
feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail. Behold,
he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of
the strong." Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 50:43,44.
The Babylonian Empire arose in the year 606 B.C. But what of the wings? In
the British Museum you will find a great stone taken from the ancient city of
Babylon-which portrays a lion with wings! This was actually the symbol of the
old city of Babylon.
This first “beast” kingdom of Babylon was first revealed to Daniel as the
head of gold in the dream king
Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar
had been given by Elohim. Daniel 2:1-38
"and behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up
itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth
of it. and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh." Daniel 7:5.
The bear is Elohim's caricature of the next world power.
Persia conquered the world in the year 538 B.C. You observed the bear, that
it was devouring three ribs in its mouth. Old Babylon was composed of exactly
three provinces, namely, Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. The conquering power of
Persia destroyed all three. It is amazing that Elohim gives us such details.
He says the bear raised himself on one side. When Medo-Persia became strong,
the Persians overthrew the Medes. In addition, once Persia overtook the Medes
there were only three successive kings before it was conquered by Greece. From
the Bereshith (Genesis) account we know the rib is representative of man as it
was taken out of Adam and Eve was created. Adam was the very first king.
Yahweh used animal caricatures to represent each of the differing kingdoms
to Daniel. Even in our modern era we still use animal caricatures to represent
the kingdoms of the world. For example: the bald eagle is internationally
recognized to represent the United States of America, the bear represents
Russia, the lion represents Great Britain, etc.
This second “beast” kingdom of Medo-Persia was first revealed to Daniel as
the chest and arms of silver in the dream king
Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar
had been given by Elohim. Daniel 2:32 & 39
Further detailed revelation is given to Daniel concerning this 2
nd
“beast” kingdom in Daniel chapter 8.
v.3
“And I lifted my eyes and looked and saw a ram standing beside the river, and
it had two horns, and the two horns were high. And the one was higher than the
other, and the higher one came up last. v.4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and
northward, and southward, so that no beast could stand before him, and there
was no one to deliver from his hand, while he did as he pleased and became
great.”
v.20
“The ram which you saw, having two horns, are the sovereigns of Media and
Persia.”
"After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon
the back of it four wings of a fowl, the beast had also four heads; and
dominion was given to it.” Daniel 7.6.
The next universal power in world history was that of Greece, which
developed in the year 331 B.C. In Daniel's vision this beast had four wings to
indicate that it would swiftly conquer the world. In addition, every time you
see the words fowl, fowls of the air, birds, birds of prey, etc., remember they
are always synonymous with ha Satan, the demonic host, death and judgment! This
is yet another Scriptural universal key/legend of understanding prophecy! All
of these kingdoms in Daniel’s prophetic dream are ha Satan’s dominion! See,
Mattithyahu (Matthew) 13:4, 19; Revelation 19:17-21; Bereshith (Genesis)
40:17-19 for examples.
(Authors note: One of my favorite ways to study “The Scriptures” is to search
out a word or phrase and see its usage throughout the entire Scripture!
www.blueletterbible.org is my preferred web site for doing this. I also like
www.e-sword.net)
Alexander the Great conquered the world in only twelve years, without the
aid of anything like our modern methods of warfare or travel. This was
considered a miracle in that day. Now look closely. This beast had four heads.
Elohim never leaves any reason for doubt. History reveals that Alexander died
at the early age of 33. He conquered the world but could not conquer his own
temper. He died of fatigue and disease, without leaving any posterity to carry
on the kingdom. So his realm was divided among the four generals - Cassander,
Lysimachus, Seleucus, Ptolemy-who would continue to rule the world until the
fourth beast would arise. Isn't it amazing how Elohim foretells the future?
Then Elohim said another world power would soon appear.
This third “beast” kingdom of Greece was first revealed to Daniel as the belly
and thighs of bronze in the dream king
Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar
had been given by Elohim. Daniel 2:32 & 39
Further detailed revelation of this kingdom is also given to Daniel in
Daniel chapter 8.
v.5
“And I was observing and saw a male goat came from the west, over the surface
of all the earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous
horn between his eyes. v.6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I
had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him in the rage of his power.
v.7 And I saw him come close to the ram, and he became embittered against him,
and smote the ram, and broke his two horns. And there was no power in the ram
to withstand him, but he threw him down to the ground and trampled on him. And
there was no one to deliver the ram from his hand. v.8 And the male goat became
very great. But when he was strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of
it four conspicuous ones came up toward the four winds of the heavens.”
v.21
“And the male goat is the sovereign of Greece, and the large horn between its
eyes is the first sovereign. v.22 “And that it was broken and four stood up in
its place: are four rulerships arising out of that nation, but not in its
power.”
This
detailed prophecy is confirmed again to Daniel in Daniel chapter 11.
v.3
“And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do
according to his will. v.4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be
broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his
posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall
be plucked up, even for others beside those.”
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful
and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured
and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was
diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns."
Daniel 7:7.
This fourth beast represents old pagan Rome which began its reign in the
year 168 B.C. It was a dreadful power-as Elohim described it-having great iron
teeth. The historian Edward Gibbon, in writing of its history, describes the
Roman enemies as broken by the iron monarchy of Rome.
This fourth “beast” kingdom of Rome was first revealed to Daniel as the two
legs of iron in the dream king
Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar
had been given by Elohim. Daniel 2:33 & 40
We have now come in history to the time of the cross. Pagan Rome was ruling
the world when Yahoshua (Jesus) was born, and it was under pagan rule that He
was so cruelly tortured and crucified in AD 30. At this time world affairs had
reached their lowest ebb, and men were about to be swallowed up in pagan
philosophy. They were dying without a hope for the future, but Yahoshua came to
deliver men and women and to show them the way of life. How wonderful Elohim
is! He never fails us!
Almost all of Christendom is in universal agreement that the rise and fall
of the world dominating empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome is the
fulfillment of the first four beasts of Daniel 7. With hind sight, being the
20/20 vision that it is, we can see more comprehensively and accurately that a
beast in prophecy is a world dominating empire in direct succession of the
previous world dominating empires of history.
At this point in our study there are either one of two possibilities
concerning the rest of Daniel 7 as a whole from our perspective today. Either
Elohim revealed to Daniel history as it would unfold in perfect continuity
right up until the return of Yahoshua to rule and reign for 1000 years or He
left a gap of approximately 1600 years between the fall of Rome and the rise of
the anti-ha MaShiach (anti-Messiah) empire right before Yahoshua ha MaShiach's
return.
Following are at least ten identifying clues of who this last ruler, known
as the little horn, is / will be.
1.) Out of the Roman empire this power called the little horn would
eventually arise. v.7, 24
2.) There would rise up ten regional kings who would rule a divided Rome.
v.7, 24
3.) An altogether different kind of ruler would rise to power. v.24
4.) He would subdue and conquer three of the ten kings. v.8, 24
5.) He would dress more stoutly (proudly) than all the rest of the rulers.
v.20
6.) He would blaspheme Elohim. v.25
7.) He would make war with and overcome the saints of Elohim. v.21, 25
8.) He would think to change the times. v.25
9.) He would think to change the law. v.25
10.) He would rule for 1,260 prophetic days. i.e. 42 months, three and a
half years or a time, a times and a half of time. v.25
There are at least 10 major prophetic clues that Elohim gave us so we could
know when these prophecies were fulfilled that we might believe the Word of
Elohim, that Elohim may be glorified and the assembly of grace may be edified
and encouraged in our most set apart faith.
Following the science of probability, the odds that all of these prophetic
clues could be fulfilled in any one seat of governmental authority must be at
least a billion to a billion to one! It would look like this. 1 in
1,000,000,000,000,000,000
To illustrate the impossibility of this happening by random chance or
coincidence: If you were able to fill up the entire state of Texas in the
United States of America (or the nation of S. Africa or France) two feet high (61
centimeters) with silver dollar coins. Now drop a single silver dollar painted
with a red x in the pile randomly while flying over the state by plane.
Next, we’ll use earth moving equipment to mix up all of the coins and then
finally we’ll fly you by helicopter anywhere in the state / country you want to
go and while you’re blind folded you have to pull out the one red painted
silver dollar on the first attempt.
I submit to you that all of these prophecies have been undeniably fulfilled
in irrefutable argument and the assembly (church) of Yahweh’s favor has either
been spiritually blinded to this reality or they are just willingly ignorant of
it! (Greek speak for, "dumb on purpose"! 2Kepha / Peter 3:5)
“I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another
little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the
roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth
speaking great things.” Daniel 7:8
Just what is a horn in prophecy? From Daniel 7:24 we find our answer.
“And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise:
and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and
he shall subdue three kings.”
Now do you understand? A horn in
prophecy is always a king or a ruler.
Let’s review: A beast in prophecy = a succeeding world dominating empire.
Daniel 7:17 A beast head in prophecy = a king. Daniel 8:22 A horn in prophecy =
a king. Daniel 7:24
Amid these scenes of war and strife, Elohim (God) provides us with images of
assurance and hope.
v.9
“I was looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days was seated.
His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like clean wool,
His throne was flames of fire, its wheels burning fire. v.10 “A stream of fire
was flowing and coming forth from His presence, and a thousand thousands served
Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him, the Judge was
seated, and the books were opened. v.11 “I was looking. Then, because of the
sound of the great words which the horn was speaking, I was looking until the
beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning fire, v.12 and
the rest of the beasts had their rule taken away. But a lengthening of life was
given to them, for a season and a time. v.13“I was looking in the night visions
and saw One like the Son of Enosh, coming with the clouds of the heavens! And
He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. (Footnote:
1Son of Enosh - This Aramaic term is similar to the Heḇrew ‘Ben Aḏam,’ but not the exact equivalent of it.
However, this Aramaic term indicates the same One!) v.14“And to Him was given
rulership and preciousness and a reign, that all peoples, nations, and
languages should serve Him. His rule is an everlasting rule which shall not
pass away, and His reign that which shall not be destroyed.”
All
of Christendom is in unanimous agreement that “the little horn” power of Daniel
7 is in fact the “anti-Messiah” of “The Scriptures”. Their disagreement is over,
their many varying opinions of, who exactly the anti-Messiah is / will be.
Does
“The Scriptures” give us any clues to specifically identify the anti-Messiah?
Anti-Messiah
can mean “against the Messiah” or “in place of the Messiah”; attacking the
Messiah’s character, specifically with regard to love expressed in obedience to
the commandments. (Strong’s G500 & G473)
Clues #1 & 2
1) Out of the Roman empire this power called the little horn would
eventually arise.
2) There would rise up ten regional kings who would rule a divided
Rome.
Daniel 7:24a “And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that]
shall arise.”
Out of Rome's decline there were ten kingdoms. Geographically, they are
pretty much the same today as they were in the 5
th century AD. Seven
out of the original ten nations are still in existence geographically. They are
Germany, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland.
By the year 476 A.D. the Roman Empire had been broken up into exactly ten
kingdoms. "The historian Machiavelli, without the slightest reference to
this prophecy, gives the following list of the nations which occupied the
territory of the Western Empire at the time of the fall of Romulus Augustus
(476 A.D.), the last emperor of Rome: the Lombards, the Franks, the
Burgundians, the Ostrogoths, the Visigoths, the Vandals, the Heruli, the Suevi,
the Huns, and the Saxons: ten in all. This is just as Elohim declared. What a
marvelous fulfillment of prophecy!
Clues #3 & 4
3) An altogether different kind of ruler would rise to power.
4) He would subdue and conquer three of the ten kings.
“and he shall be diverse from the
first, and he shall subdue three kings.” Daniel 7:24
A different kind of ruler arose an army and conquered three of these
kingdoms. History reveals that through the Papacy three of the ten kingdoms
were destroyed, which were as follows. (1) The Heruli in A.D. 493, (2) the
Vandals in A.D. 534, (3) the Ostrogoths in A.D. 538. From The Question Box, by
Conway, on page 166, we read that the Roman Catholic church admits destroying
three powers in securing her temporal sovereign. I quote:
"The distance from Constantinople, the interrupted communications with
the Exarch of Ravenna, the constant fighting against the Goths, the Huns and
the Lombards, the putting down of rebellions against the Emperor in Rome
itself-all tended to turn the Pope willingly or unwillingly, into a temporal
sovereign (Hodgkin, Italy, v., 355)."
This ruler was diverse because he was a spiritual ruler. He was the bishop
of Rome and his name is known to us today as Pope Gregory the 1st. This is
exactly what the prophet foretold would happen. The Roman bishop was given his
political seat of authority in 538 A.D. by the Roman Emperor Justinian.
Clue #5 He would dress more stoutly (proudly) than all the rest of the
rulers.
Daniel 7:20b “whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.”
The pope's all throughout history have dressed more impressively than all
the other rulers of the world. This phrase means, “he dresses for success”! The
papacy’s dress greater and more impressively than all the other leaders of the
world by outward appearances. They always have throughout history. In addition,
every single outfit the papacy wears has a specific meaning and purpose from
the crown of his head to the sole of his foot. Each outfit has a specific time
and place that it must be worn, too. The following is a good place to start if
you want to further investigate this very important point:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_regalia_and_insignia
Clue #6 He would blaspheme Elohim.
Daniel 7:25a “And he shall speak [great] words against the most High,”
The papacy has always said that when they speak it is the very Word of
Elohim! (The doctrine of infallibility has been confirmed by every pope that
has ascended to the throne including the present pope, Benedict.) The pope's
title had always been Vicarius Fillii Dei, Which is the "Vicar of
Messiah" or "in place of the Son of Elohim". They have always
maintained, as ha MaShiach is seated in the heavenlies the pope sits as ha
MaShiach over the earth. By the doctrine of the trinity, because, the pope is
ha MaShiach and ha MaShiach is Elohim the pope by default must be Elohim! He
accepts worship as Elohim, he forgives sins as Elohim and when he speaks, he
speaks as Elohim! Could anyone speak more boastfully or blasphemously against
Elohim?
“The Scripture” defines blasphemy as:
A. A man claiming to be Elohim. (Yahonan (John) 10:33)
B. Claiming the ability to forgive sin (Luke 5:21)
C. Receiving worship as Elohim (Revelation 19:10 & 22:8)
A.) A man claiming to be Elohim.
(Yahonan (John) 10:33) & C.) A man receiving worship as Elohim
(Revelation 19:10 & 22:8)
Again we quote from authentic Catholic writings: "All names which in
the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that
he is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope."-R.F.
Bellarmine, On the Authority of Councils, vol. II, book 2, chap. 17, p. 266
(ed. 1619). "The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not
a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God."-P.F.L. Ferraris,
Ecclesiastical Dictionary, art. On the Pope.
"For thou art the shepherd, thou are the physician, thou art the
director, thou art the husbandman, finally thou art another God on earth."
Labbe and Cossart's "History of the Councils," Vol. XIV, col. 109.
For the title "Lord God the Pope," see a gloss on the Extravagantes
of Pope John XXII, title 14, chapter 4, Declaramus.
In an Antwerp edition of the Extravagantes, the words, "Dominum Deum
Nostrum Papam" (Our Lord God the Pope") occur in column 153. In a
Paris edition, they occur in column 140. "Hence the Pope is crowned with a
triple crown, as king of heaven, and earth, and purgatory." Prompta
Bibliotheca," Feraris, Vol. VI, pg. 26, article "Papa."
In a passage which is included in the Roman Catholic Canon Law, Pope
Innocent III declares that the Roman pontiff is "the vicegerent upon
earth, not of a mere man, but of very God;" and in a gloss on the passage
it is explained that this is because he is the vicegerent of Christ, Who is
"very God and very man." See Decretales Domini Gregorii Papae IX
(Decretales of the Lord Pope Gregory IX), liberi, de translatione Episcoporum,
(on the transference of Bishops), title 7, chapter 3; Corpus Juris Canonice
(2nd Leipzig ed., 1881), col. 99; (Paris, 1612), tom. 2, Decretales, col. 205.
Among the twenty-seven propositions known as the "Dictates of
Hildebrand" (under the name of Pope Gregory VII) occur the following:
" 2. That the Roman pontiff alone is justly styled universal.
" 6. That no person . . . may live under the same roof with one
excommunicated by the Pope.
" 9. That all princes should kiss his feet only.
"19. That he can be judged by no one.
"22. That the Roman Church never erred, nor will it, according to the
scripture, ever err.
"27. That he can absolve subjects from their allegiance to unrighteous
rulers.
B.) Claiming the ability to forgive
sin (Luke 5:21)
"...you will find but one created being who can forgive the sinner, who
can free him from the chains of hell,...the Roman Catholic priest...the priest
not only declares that the sinner is forgiven but he really forgives him...So
great is the power of the priest that the judgements of Heaven itself are
subject to his decision." - The Catholic Priest, p.78-79
Clue #7 He would make war with and overcome the saints of Elohim.
Daniel 7:21 “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and
prevailed against them;” Daniel 7:25b “and shall wear out the saints of the
most High”
"The church may by divine right confiscate the property of heretics,
imprison their person, and condemn them to the flames. In our age, the right to
inflict the severest penalties, even death, belongs to the church. There is no
graver offense than heracy, therefore it must be rooted out." Public
Eccliastical, Vol. 2, p.142
The pope's have led inquisitions of war against the peoples of the world and
especially the assemblies of Yahweh’s favor! It is estimated that 500 million
people were killed throughout the dark ages because they would not bow to the
popes and acknowledge the church of works as the only means of divine favor
with Elohim!
"Under these bloody maxims, those persecutions were carried on, from
the eleventh and twelfth centuries almost to the present day, (written in
1845), which stand out on the page of history. After the signal of open
martyrdom had been given in the canons of Orleans, these followed the
extirpation of the Albigenses under the form of a crusade, the establishment of
the Inquisition, the cruel attempts to extinguish the Waldenses, the martyrdoms
of the Lollards, the cruel wars to exterminate the Bohemians, the burning of
Huss and Jerome, and multitudes of other confessors . . . the extinction by
fire and sword of the Reformation in Spain and Italy, by fraud and open
persecution in Poland, and the massacre of Bartholomew, . . . besides the slow
and secret murders of the holy tribunal of the Inquisition." T.R. Birks,
M.A. The First Two Visions of Daniel, (London: 1845) pg. 258, 259.
"The number of the victims of the Inquisition in Spain, is given in
'The History of the Inquisition in Spain,' by Llorente, (formerly secretary of
the Inquisition), pgs. 206-208. This authority acknowledged that many millions
suffered persecution in Spain alone, of whom tens of thousands died in the
flames. Millions more were slain for their faith throughout Europe."
Printed in Bible Readings For the Home, (Washington: Review & Herald Pub.
Assoc., 1942) p. 221.
"The church has persecuted. Only a tyro in church history will deny
that . . . one hundred and fifty years after Constantine, the Donatists were
persecuted and sometimes put to death . . . . Protestants were persecuted in
France and Spain with the full approval of the church authorities . . . . When
she thinks it good to use physical force, she will use it." The Western
Watchmen (Roman Catholic), of St. Louis.
Here are a couple of factual accounts as recorded in “Smokescreens” by Jack
Chick
On August 22, 1572, the bloody St. Bartholomew massacre began. This was to
be one fatal blow to destroy the Protestant movement in France. The king of
France had cleverly arranged a marriage between his sister and Admiral Coligny,
the chief Protestant leader. There was a great feast with much celebrating.
After four days of feasting the soldiers were given a signal. At twelve o'clock
midnight, all the houses of the Protestants in the city were forced open at once.
The admiral was killed, his body thrown out of a window into the street where
his head was cut off and sent to the pope. They also cut off his arms and
privates and dragged him through the streets for three days until they finally
hung his body by the heels outside the city.
They also slaughtered many other well known Protestants. In the first three
days, over ten thousand were killed. The bodies were thrown into the river and
blood ran through the streets into the river until it appeared like a stream of
blood. So furious was their hellish rage that they even slew their own
followers if they suspected that they were not very strong in their belief in
the pope. From Paris, the destruction spread to all parts of the country. Over
eight thousand more people were killed. Very few Protestants escaped the fury
of their persecutors.
A similar massacre occurred in Ireland in 1641, The conspirators picked
October 23, the feast of Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order. They
planned a general uprising for the whole country. All Protestants would be
killed at once. To throw them off guard while the plan was being made, extra
acts of kindness were shown to the Protestants. Early in the morning the
conspirators were armed and every Protestant they could find was immediately
murdered. They showed no mercy. From children to the aged, they were killed.
Even invalids were not spared. They were caught by complete surprise. They had
lived in peace and safety for years and now found no place to run. They were massacred
by neighbors, friends, and even relatives. Death often was the least they had
to fear. Women were tied to posts, stripped to the waist, their breasts cut off
with shears and left to bleed to death. Others who were pregnant were tied to
tree branches, their unborn babies cut out and fed to the dogs while the
husbands were forced to watch.
What you've just read is fully documented and historically factual. It is
found in Foxe's Book of Martyrs. I want you to notice that both of these
murderous assaults by the Vatican against the Christians in France and in
Ireland followed a similar pattern. Before the attacks, there was a time of
healing when the Roman Catholics became friendly and warm, and in both cases
the Christians were so relieved that they let their guard down and assumed the
Vatican had changed. This was their fatal mistake and it cost them their lives.
I pray to Elohim you will not forget what you've just read.
“That the Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other
institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no
Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history.” - W. E. H. Lecky, History
of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, (reprint: New
York: Braziller, 1955), Vol. 2, pp. 40-45.
Clue #8 He would think to change the times.
Daniel 7:25c “and think to change times”.
“The times” is the Hebrew word mow'ed (SH4150), i.e, “The Feasts of Yahweh”
from Leviticus 23.
Strong’s
H4150 ~ From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time
or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by
implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose);
technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting;
also a signal (as appointed beforehand): - appointed (sign, time),
(place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed,
due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).
The papacy throughout the millennial have thought to change the times. The
calendar in use throughout most of the world is the Pope Gregory calendar! It
is properly called the “Gregorian calendar”. The Gregorian calendar is the most
widely used calendar in the world today. It was first proposed by the Calabrian
doctor Aloysius Lilius, and decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom it was
named, on 24 February 1582 by papal bull Intergravissimas.
From the time of the fall of man our heavenly Father has commenced His
prophetic calendar of redemption. The Yubilee calendar! Now, if the pope has a
calendar and our Heavenly Father has a calendar, whose calendar do you suppose
all of Heaven is going to go by?
In addition, they have by their own word and power exchanged every prophetic
“Feast of Yahweh” , as found in Way yiqra (Leviticus) 23, for the pagan feasts
of the ancient world including those originating in Babylon, Persia, Greece and
Rome.
Hear the Word of Yahweh!
“Speak unto the children of Yisrael, and say unto them, [Concerning] the
feasts of Yahweh, which ye shall proclaim [to be] holy convocations, [even]
these [are] my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day [is]
the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work [therein]: it
[is] the Sabbath of Yahweh in all your dwellings.” Way yiqra (Leviticus) 23:2-3
"The pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense
with all things, even the precepts of Christ."-Decretal de Translat,
Episcop. Cap
"The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence
of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday
to Sunday." - Catholic Mirror, Sept. 23, 1893.
You will notice in this information that the Church declares that it was not
Elohim Who changed the day from the Sabbath to Sunday but that they, the
papists, were the ones who made this change.
The Sabbath was officially changed by the Papacy at the Council of Laodicea
on March 7, 364 A.D. That was 43 years after Constantine declared Sunday the
day for Christians to honor as a rest day.
In the year 321 A.D. Constantine, yielding to the suggestion of the Roman
Church leaders passed the first Sunday law! Here it is, straight out of the
record:
"Let all the judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades
rest on the venerable day of the sun" - Edict of March 7, 321 A.D. Corpus
Juris Civilis Cod., lib. 3, tit. 12, Lex. 3.
"Question. - Have you any other way of proving that the church has
power to institute festivals of precept?"
"Answer. - Had she not such power, she could not have done that in
which all modern religionists agree with her,-she could not have substituted
the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of
Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural
authority."- Rev. Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism, p. 174.
This quotation emphasizes the fact that since the world accepts Sunday as a
day of worship, this acknowledges her supremacy. "I have repeatedly
offered $1,000 to any one who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am
bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of
the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says, 'Remember that thou keep holy
the Sabbath day. ' The Catholic Church says, 'No; by my divine power I abolish
the Sabbath day, and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.' and
lo! The entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command
of the holy Catholic Church." - Priest Enright, C.S.S.R., Kansas City, Missouri.
There is no question concerning the changing of Sabbath the seventh day to
Sunday the first day by the Papacy. You can readily see that there is nothing
to be found in “The Scripture” about changing the day of worship from Saturday
to Sunday. The Papacy is correct in stating that they changed the day.
"In reply to a letter of October 28, 1895, to Cardinal Gibbons, asking
if the church claimed the change of the Sabbath as her mark, the following was
received: 'Of course the Catholic church claims that the change was her act
.... And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in
religious matters.' - C.F. Thomas, Chancellor."
“The authority of the church could
not be bound to the authority of the Scriptures, because the church had
changed… the Sabbath to Sunday, not by command of Christ, but by it’s own
authority”. ~ Cannon and Tradition pg. 263
“The Church,… after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath, or
Seventh day of the week, to the first, made the third commandment refer to
Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord’s day.” ~ Catholic Encyclopedia
Volume 4 pg. 153
Universal acceptance of Sunday as a premiere day of worship is a definite
mark of authority of the Roman Catholic Church. We will soon see, while it is
not
the “Mark of the Beast” it is most certainly
a "Mark of
the Beast." Of this there is absolutely no question, either in the Word of
Elohim or in history. Are protestant churches aware of these facts? Do they
agree that there is no Scriptural authority for Sunday keeping?
Let us now turn to the various Protestant churches and hear from them.
Presbyterian: "The Christian Sabbath (Sunday) is not in the Scripture,
and was not by the primitive church called the Sabbath.'Dwight's theology, vol.
4, p. 401.
Congregational: "There is no command in The Scripture requiring us to
observe the first day of the week as the Sabbath." Fowler, Mode and Subjects
of Baptism.
Lutheran: "The observance of the Lord's day (Sunday) is founded not on
any command of God, but on the authority of the church."-"Augsburg
Confession of Faith," quoted in Cox's Sabbath Manual, p. 287.
Episcopalian: "The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was
always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intentions of the
apostles to establish a divine command in this respect, far from them and from
the early apostolic church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday."
- Neander, The History of the Christian Religion and Church, p. 186, translated
by Henry John Rose, B.D. (Philadelphia: James M. Campbell & Co., 1843).
Methodist: "it is true there is no positive command for infant baptism
.... Nor is there any for keeping holy the first day of the week." - Rev.
Amos Binney, Theological Compend, pp. 180, 181, 1902 ed.
Baptist: Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, author of The Baptist Manual, before a group
of ministers, made this candid admission: "There was and is a commandment
to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will be
said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred
from the seventh to the first day of the week, with all its duties, privileges,
and sanctions. Earnestly desiring information on this subject, which I have
studied for many years, I ask, Where can the record of such a transaction be
found? Not in the New Testament, absolutely not. There is no Scriptural
evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first
day of the week. "Of course," he continues, "I quite well know
that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day, as
we learn from the Christian fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it
comes branded with the mark of Paganism, and christened with the name of the
sun god, when adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a
sacred legacy to Protestantism!" - From a paper read before a New York
Ministers' Conference, held Nov. 13, 1893.
Furthermore, it is an absolutely honest statement that if there had never
been a papal power in the history of the church we would of never had any of
the modern holiday traditions that have all been derived and contrived from
paganism and rebranded “Christian”. By the word of the papacy alone we
celebrate Christmas, New Years, Easter and many, many more festivals
originating in pagan worship. This is an irrefutable fact that can easily be
verified by a plethora of sources.
The “Feasts of Yahweh” were given to us to prophetically reveal the
unfolding of His glorious plan of salvation and deliverance! Each feast is a
Heavenly appointment that Elohim is keeping with mankind. The pagan substitutes
speak only to that which has already been fulfilled and not to that which is
still yet to come.
For example: The first feast found in Way yiqra (Leviticus 23) is the
Sabbath of Yahweh. First this speaks prophetically to the rest everyone finds
when they come into the saving knowledge of Yahoshua ha MaShiach (Jesus
Christ).
Secondly, this feast speaks to the rest that all of creation groans for at
Yahoshua’s 2nd coming! (Ibrim (Hebrews) chapters 3&4 and Romans 8:19-23).
Sunday has zero prophetic significance as it does not pertains to the
fulfillment of any certain future event in Yahweh’s plan of redemption as
revealed it in His Set-apart feasts.
However, it was on the first day of the week Yahoshua ascended to Heaven and
it was on the first day of the week Ruach ha Chodesh was given and the assembly
of Yahweh’s favor was re-born. The first day of the week agrees with the Hebrew
number 8 which is the number of Yahoshua ha MaShiach and means “all things are
made new” or “new beginnings”. Because of the fulfillment of these two feasts
we can a.) go directly to our Father’s throne in prayer and b.) we can be
baptized by and filled with Ruach ha Chodesh when we trust in Elohim’s plan for
our salvation alone by His favor through faith!
The next “Feast of Yahweh” is Pasach (the Passover). This speaks to Yahoshua
the Pasach (Passover) Lamb of Elohim that takes away the sins of the world.
Yahonan 1:29 From the extra Scriptural accounting of Josephus and “The Talmud”,
(a Jewish commentary) we know that the Pasach (Passover) sacrifice for Yisrael
was offered by the high priest of Yahweh in the temple at 3:00 p.m. every year.
From “The Scriptures” we know it was exactly at 3:00 p.m. that Yahoshua said,
"it is finished", and died as He was looking into the temple from His
vantage point of the Mt. of Olives. Thus Yahoshua kept the first of 8 total
appointments that are understood from the annual Set-apart days known as the
“Feasts of Yahweh! The 2nd annual appointment is the “Feast of Yahweh” called
"Unleavened Bread".
From “The Scripture” we know it was on the eve of this feast that Yahoshua
was buried. Unleavened bread is pierced through multiple times and then striped
with seasoning and then was placed in a stone oven for a short period of time.
Yahoshua is our matzah (unleavened bread) of sincerity and truth. Leaven is
sometimes used in “The Scripture” as a representative of sin and of course
Yahoshua never, ever sinned. (1Corinthians 5:8; Ibrim (Hebrews) 4:15) Thus, the
second prophetic appointment was fulfilled!
Yahoshua also fulfilled the feast of the “First Fruits of Yahweh” and the
“Feast of the Shavuot” (Pentecost) of Yahweh respectively at the exact
appointed time, Yahrushalayim (Jerusalem) time.
All of this is covered extensively in “The Scripture” Study, “The Passover
Feast “the Whore” and “the Beast”.
http://robertarthurmcduffie.blogspot.com/2010/11/passover-feast-whore-and-beast.html
Isn’t it reasonable to conclude that if our Master Yahoshua fulfilled the
first four “Feasts of Yahweh” at the exact split second Yahrushalayim
(Jerusalem) time the first time He came that He would also fulfill the next
four “Feasts of Yahweh” at the exact split second Yahrushalayim time the second
time He comes?
The assemblies of Elohim by and large do not even know what these feasts (mow'ed)
are. They have bought the lie that these feasts are Jewish feasts and have
nothing to do with the assemblies according to His favor.
They are not the
feasts of Yahudim. They are the “Feasts of Yahweh”! These feasts all have
future prophetic significance (Col 2:17) and most of the “church” is completely
ignorant to what is going to be fulfilled at our Master’s return. Wouldn't it
be wise for us to know these feasts and understand their significance?
If Elohim has prophetic feasts on His calendar and the pope has pagan feasts
on his own calendar whose calendar do you think Elohim is going to go by? If
Yahoshua has appointments to keep on His prophetic set-apart days and the pope
also has his own established appointments to keep on his holidays whose days do
you think Elohim is going to set-apart and regard?
Clue #9 He would think to change the law.
Daniel 7:25d “and think to change laws.”
Men change man made laws every day. However, the papacy has thought to
change the laws of Elohim.
"The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify,
explain, or interpret even divine laws. The Pope can modify divine law, since
his power is not of man but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth
with most ample power of binding and loosing his sheep."-P.F.L. Ferraris,
Ecclesiastical Dictionary, art. On the Pope.
“The pope's will stands for reason. He can dispense above the law, and of
wrong make right by correcting and changing laws." - Pope Nicholas, Dis.
96.
The Roman Catholic Church has been taught and has taught for years that the
law was done away with at the cross of the Master Yahoshua ha MaShiach. The
proof text for this claim is Colossians 2:14.
“Blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that was against
us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His
cross;”
For more than a 1,000 years the word definition for “the handwriting” was
lost, buried and unknown. Only in recent history has the definition been
rediscovered through archeological findings. The word is only used once in all
of “The Scriptures”.
Strong’s 5498
Cheirographon - a note of hand or writing in
which one acknowledges that money has either been deposited with him or lent to
him by another, to be returned at the appointed time.
So,
the cheirographan is the original note of indebtedness that is
individually owed and obligated by the debtor!
According to this
verse it was the debt that I personally owed Heaven, for all of my sin against
Elohim, that was nailed to the cross of Calvary! This corrected
understanding is 100% in agreement with the whole counsel of “The Scriptures”!
Question: Which law(s) was / were done away with at the cross? Was it… 1.)
The Ten Words of the Covenant (commonly called the Ten Commandments)? 2.) The
Ceremonial Laws? 3.) The Civil Laws? 4.) The Food Laws? Let’s look at each one
individually & separately.
1.) The Ten Words of The Covenant (The Ten Commandments) - You may search
high and low and you cannot find a single instance where one denominational or
organizational structure of "the assemblies of His favor by faith"
that will testify “The Ten Commandments” have been done away with or “nailed to
the cross”.
2.) The Ceremonial Laws - Yahoshua did not come to do away with the priestly
ceremonial and sacrificial laws of the Tabernacle and the Dwelling Place as
found in the books of Bereshith (Genesis), Shemoth (Exodus), Wayyiqra
(Leviticus), Bemidbar (Numbers) and Debarim (Deuteronomy). Yahoshua ha MaShiach
came to fulfill “The Torah” (law)! (Mattithyahu (Matthew) 5:17) Yahoshua
fulfilled all the provisions of the ceremonial law in and through His death,
burial, resurrection and ascension back to Heaven. For further understanding of
this glorious Truth I refer you to the excellent resource, “The Secrets of
Golgotha”, by Earnest L. Martin
3.) The Civil Laws - The civil laws found in the books of the law from
Bereshith (Genesis) to Debarim (Deuteronomy) pertain to the governing of
damages, reparations, restitution, and restoration between family, neighbors
and community. I do not think anyone in their right mind would argue that
Yahoshua died that we may live our lives without governing civility in our
communities. Every civilization throughout the world has laws that govern
damages, reparations, restitution and restoration. This is just common sense.
Question: Does anyone believe that Yahoshua came to die on the cross in order
to do away with civil law?
4.) The Food Laws - The dietary provisions were given to the people of
Elohim in Way yiqra (Leviticus) 11 as a reminder of the dietary provisions
already sanctioned by Elohim in Bereshith (Genesis) 6-9. Elohim commanded His
people Yisrael to eat clean foods and not to eat unclean foods. All of the
“church” has traditionally taught that since the Brit ha Dashah (NT) assemblies
of Acts we are free to eat whatever we please. This doctrine comes primarily
from the perverse interpretation of Acts 10. For more than a 1,000 years the
church has taught this figurative literal teaching by prophetic vision /
revelation to the apostle Kepha (Peter) was / is also meant to be understood as
a plain literal teaching.
There is not one other instance in all of “The Scriptures” where the “church”
claims a figurative = a literal interpretation of a prophetic vision / dream /
revelation and a literal = a literal interpretation! e.g, a literal lion with
wings, a literal four headed leopard with four wings, etc.
In the 21st century we finally have the micro science technologies to know
what is healthy to eat and what is not. In addition we now have multiple
controlled scientific 20 year studies of groups of people eating differing
diets, including, vegetarian diet, traditional western diet, (where you can eat
anything at all that is labeled a food), and finally, the Scriptural diet. For
the inquiring, open mind it is absolutely undisputed and irrefutable that the
Scriptural diet, (as given by Elohim) is the superior diet in this sin cursed, sin
filled and fallen world. It is the only diet without any naturally occurring
long term side effects.
Question: Why did Elohim give His people the dietary provisions of “The
Torah”?
Answer: Because of His favor!
His benevolent Fatherly heart loves us and wants the very best for His
children. He knew everything, pertaining to dietary health sciences, 3,500
years ago at Mt. Sinai and 4,500 years ago, after the world-wide flood, which
our modern science is just now beginning to discover. Our Heavenly Father
always knew which foods were the most beneficial for our bodies and which ones
were poisonous.
Does it make any sense at all to the intellectual thought that Yahoshua came
to suffer and die so that we could put food in our bodies that was completely
adverse to our health and well being? Is that love? Is that the nature of a
benevolent Heavenly Father toward His children?
Without fear of any contradiction I can say unequivocally the reason many in
the “church” today consume every deadly, toxic, poisonous and unclean thing in
their diet is because of the direct and indirect influence of thus saith the
pope(s) over the last 1500 + years of history and not thus saith the Master
Yahoshua ha MaShiach of “The Scriptures”!
All of the first century wittings (NT) were written by “Torah” observant
men, who feared Elohim and believed in Yahoshua as ha MaShiach (the
Messiah). To their minds anything
labeled unclean by the authority of “The Scriptures” would have never been
considered food. Rav Shaul (the apostle
Paul) reiterated this with all clarity when he wrote to Timothy.
“Because
every creature of Elohim is good, and none is to be rejected if it is received
with thanksgiving, for it is set apart by the Word of Elohim and prayer.”
1Timothy 4:4-5
Q: Where, in the full counsel of the
writ of “The Set-apart Scriptures”, is meat set apart for man’s consumption?
A: In Yahweh’s Torah! Bereshith
(Genesis) 6-9 and Way yiqra (Leviticus 11)
Most believers never stop and
consider that Noah knew what animals were for meat and which animals were not
for meat because of how many of them he brought upon the ark. Yahweh told him to only bring two of each of
the unclean animals, a male and a female, and fourteen of each of the clean
ones, seven pairs of males and females. Bereshith (Genesis) 7:2 If Noah or his family had eaten a pig, a dog
or a cat when they came down off the ark there would be no pigs, dogs or cats
in the world today!
If you will take the time to read the context of 1 Timothy 4:4-5 you will
readily see the apostle was refuting the devilish doctrines of Gnostic
vegetarianism and not making a halachic ruling that any and all meat was now
considered acceptable for dietary consumption.
A very good rule of thumb for studying and understanding the Brit ha Dashah
(NTestament) is, “There is nothing new, only True”! If you disagree with this statement
then please let me know in specific communication and I will be glad to further
explore this with you.
If Yahoshua came to pay the debt I owe for my sin and not to do away with
the law, then how come the law has been done away with?
If you will turn to any catechism published by the church of Rome, you will
discover that the Ten Point of the Covenant (the Ten Commandments) have been
changed. The second commandment is completely left out. This is the commandment
that states, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image." But
you will also quickly note that they do have ten commandments. This was
accomplished by dividing the last commandment and making two out of it. Again
we see that the predictions of Elohim are fulfilled in this little horn. This
is true of the Lutheran Catechism also, which was passed down directly from the
papacy! Now why in the world would the papacy want to do away with the second
command?
I appreciate the candid admission of Cardinal Newman in his book
“Development of Christian Doctrine” in which he notes the origin of the
doctrines of the Catholic Church by saying: "Confiding then in the power
of Christianity to resist the infection of evil, and to transmute the very
instruments and appendages of demon-worship to an evangelical use .... the
rulers of the Church ... were prepared ... to adopt, or imitate, or sanction
the existing rites and customs of the populace, as well as the philosophy of
the educated class.”
We are told ... by Eusebius, that Constantine, in order to recommend the new
religion to the heathen, transferred into it the outward ornaments to which
they had been accustomed in their own. ... The use of temples, and these
dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of
trees; incense, lamps and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness;
holy water; asylums; holy days and seasons, use of calendars, processions,
blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (shaving of the
head), the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date,
perhaps the ecclesiastical chant ... are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by
their adoption into the Church." - Pages 371-373.
Time and time again I have met a variety of pagans in their different guises
of witchcraft, wicca, sorcery, etc. I have asked many of them if it was their
belief that Christianity had adopted pagan beliefs, traditions and holidays to
make it easier for the pagan world to make the conversion to the Christian
religion. Invariably, they enthusiastically agree that this is what they
believe to be true.
Next I ask, if they have ever considered that just maybe “Christianity” was
the true faith of the living Elohim of heaven and earth. Therefore, ha Satan
and the demons of hell used the Roman emperors to try to destroy the assemblies
by issuing an edict of death to all followers of Yahoshua ha MaShiach 10
different times in the first 300 years of the history of the assemblies of
Yahweh’s favor.
Ha Satan and his host soon found out they could not destroy the assemblies
of His favor by direct assault and that it was also the case that the more the
assemblies were persecuted the more they multiplied like rabbits! They had to
try another approach to destroy Elohim’s called out one’s! In a stroke of
genius they gave a demonic vision to Constantine who through the course of time
successfully married paganism and the Messianic belief more than any other
person before him.
Constantine made his pagan brand of “Christianity” the official religion of
Rome and gave Messianic believers a much desired reprieve from persecution unto
death. Thus, paganism came in like a flood and greatly diluted the true faith
and power of the assemblies of the Elohim of heaven and earth.
Next, I ask the pagan if they ever considered this as a possibility for the
real reason “Christians” are so pagan. Of course the answer is always, no! I
then assure them that this is because they are pagan. “The Scripture” teaches
that the pagan mind cannot know the truth!
1Corinthian 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of Elohim: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them],
because they are spiritually discerned.”
Consider the following quote from a very well known authority on the Wiccan
(pagan) religion.
“As we grew up we questioned the religious beliefs
of our parents and eventually many of us found our way back to the old gods and
the old religion. Some of the most
wonderful traditions practiced by our parents and grandparents are purely Pagan
in origin. So go ahead and celebrate the
customs of your childhood. Send
Valentines, dye Eostre’s (Easter) eggs, bring a fir tree into your house and
decorate it with ornaments that came down in the family, and know that in your
Pagan heart that what you do is a traditional way of honoring the Old Pagan
gods. And when someone says to you, “I
thought you were a Pagan. Why do you
have a Christmas tree in your house?” You can look them straight in the face
and say, “Because it’s a Pagan tradition – WHY DO YOU?” – Ancient Ways: Reclaiming
Pagan Traditions (pg 220) By Pauline Campanelli
As amazing as all this is to consider, it is even more amazing to consider a
far more important law of Elohim the papacy has always sought to change.
Throughout the ages they have tried to abolish the true law of salvation, by
faith through the favor of Elohim alone, and replace it with their own law of
salvation by the religious works of the Roman Catholic Church. The papacy has
always affirmed that there is no means of salvation except through the Roman
Catholic Church!
Finally, as a failsafe that the pope’s authority would stand above all else
it was necessary for the papacy to outlaw the very book which exposes every lie
of the popes. Thus, war was declared on “The Scriptures” by the papal authorities
all throughout their reign even up until the modern era.
In the Council of Toulouse, the church leaders ruled: "We prohibit
laymen possessing copies of the Old and New Testament . . . We forbid them most
severely to have the above books in the popular vernacular." "The
lords of the districts shall carefully seek out the heretics in dwellings,
hovels, and forests, and even their underground retreats shall be entirely
wiped out." Concil Tolosanum, Pope Gregory IX, Anno. Chr. 1229.
The church Council of Tarragona ruled that: "No one may possess the
books of the Old and New Testaments in the Romance language, and if anyone
possesses them he must turn them over to the local bishop within eight days
after the promulgation of this decree, so that they may be burned." D.
Lortsch, Histoire de la Bible en France, 1910, p.14
After the Bible societies were formed they were classed with Communism in an
amazing decree. On December 8, l866, Pope Pius IX, in his encyclical Quanta
Cura issued the following statement: "Socialism, Communism, clandestine
societies, Bible societies . . . pests of this sort must be destroyed by all
means."
Clue #10 He would rule for a time, a times and a half of time.
i.e. 1,260 prophetic days, 42 months or three and a half years.
Daniel 7:25e “and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times
and the dividing of time.”
In Daniel 12:7 and Revelation 12:14, the time given is "time,"
"times," and "half a time."
This equals a total of 3 and a 1/2 times. From Daniel 4 we learn that a
"time" equals one literal year. In that chapter you'll find that King
Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind as Daniel predicted, and crawled around in the
field for "seven times." He was in that condition for a 7 literal
years. So 3 and a 1/2 times would equal 3 and a 1/2 years. A month in
Scriptural reckoning contains 30 days. A year contains 360 days. This is the
formula for understanding all prophetic time. (3 and a 1/2 years contain 1260
days).
Seven verses in “The Scriptures” mention the 1260 day time period and they
are all speaking of the same power which persecutes Elohim's people. These
texts are as follows: Revelation 11:2, 11:3, 12:6, 12:14, 13:5 and Daniel 7:25
& 12:7.
The key that unlocks the time prophecies is the principle given in Yehezqel
(Ezekiel) 4:6 and Debarim (Numbers) 14:34. These verses reveal to us that one
day in prophecy equals one literal year of affliction of the people of Elohim.
For this reason all time prophecies must be first broken down into days. Using
this prophecy "key," the time of the prophecies work out perfectly
and become easy to understand.
Revelation 11:3 and 12:6 plainly gives the time as 1260 days (that the beast
would persecute Elohim's people). Using the day for a year principle found in
Yehezqel 4:6 and Debarim 14:34, we see that this power would rule for 1260
years before receiving its "deadly wound." When we take a look at the
beast power, we see that this is exactly what has happened. For Elohim to
repeat this time period seven different times shows the importance which He
places upon it.
Revelation 11:2 and 13:5 describes this power as reigning for 42 months. (42
months with 30 days to each month would equal 1260 days.)
Daniel 7:25 and 12:7, and Revelation 12:14 describe the beast as reigning 3
and a 1/2 "times," or years. (3 and a 1/2 prophetic years would also
equal 1260 days.)
Revelation 11:3 and 12:6 describes this persecuting power as reigning 1260
days.
All seven texts describe this power as reigning 1260 prophetic days which
would be 1260 literal years.
You will recall that the Papacy arose to temporal rule in AD 538 and the
Word of Elohim declares that the little horn would rule for exactly 1260 years.
At this time it would receive a deadly wound. (Revelation 13:3) As students of
“The Scripture”, we would expect something devastating to happen to the Papacy
in this year, according to the prophecy.
This is most easy to discover. Many volumes have been written about it. For
on February 10, 1798, the exact year predicted by Elohim, the Papacy received a
mighty blow. Berthier, Napoleon's French general, entered Rome and took the
pope prisoner and he died in exile.
The papacy went from being the very seat of power, before which all of the
kings of the world bowed down, to having no power or authority, whatsoever,
almost overnight. The papacy has not had any temporal rulership over any city,
state or country outside of the Vatican since AD 1798!
“In 1798 he (Berthier) … made his entrance into Rome, abolished the papal
government and established a secular one.” ~ The Encyclopedia Americana, 1941
Edition
This witness is duplicated by equally significant historical events,
concerning the papacy, which transpired in 590 A.D. and 1850 A.D. If you are
interested in reading a detailed account about this second witness I have
provided the link for your convenience.
http://www.ccg.org/English/s/p122.html
I believe that Elohim did this because these prophecies are so central to
understanding so much of the prophetic Word of Elohim that He made sure there
would be two witnesses to this time frame so we would be sure not to miss it.
He knew ha Satan would do everything in his power to steal this prophetic
fulfillment from the people of Elohim!
Did the fathers of the Protestant
Reformation know of these prophetic fulfillments in the office of the papacy?
Did they recognize the papal authority of the Vatican as the anti-Messiah?
Martin Luther (1483-1546) ~Lutheran~
"We here are of the conviction
that the Papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist... personally, I
declare that I owe the Pope no other obedience than that to
Antichrist."(1520) ~
The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Froom
John Calvin (1509-1564) ~Presbyterian~ "Some persons think us too
severe and sensious when we call the Roman pontiff Antichrist... I shall
briefly show that Paul's words (2Thes 2) are not capable of any other
interpretation than that which applies them to the Papacy." - Institutes
John Knox (1505-1572) ~Presbyterian~ "...[the Pope] should be
recognized as the very Antichrist, and the son of perdition, of whom Paul
speaks." - The Zurich Letters
Cotton Mather (1663-1728) ~Congregationalist~"The oracles of God
foretold the rising of an Antichrist in the Christian Church; and in the Pope
of Rome, all the characteristics of that Antichrist are so marvelously
answered, that if any who read the Scriptures do not see it, there is a
marvelous blindness upon them." - The Fall of Babylon
Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) ~Anglican~ "Whereof it followeth Rome to be
the seat of antichrist, and the pope to be very antichrist himself. I could prove the same by many other
scriptures, old writers, and strong reason." – Works
John Wesley (1703-1791) ~Methodist~ "He [the Pope] is in an emphatical
sense, the Man of Sin... and he is, too, properly styled as the Son of
Perdition... He it is that exalteth himself above all that is called God... claiming
the perogatives which belong to God alone." - Antichrist and His Ten
Kingdoms
Roger Williams (1603-1683) ~1st Baptist Pastor in America~ "[The Pope
is] the pretended Vicar of Christ on earth, who sits as God over the Temple of God,
exalting himself... over the Spirit of Christ, over the Holy Spirit, yea and
God himself... thinking to change times and laws: but he is the son of
perdition." - The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Froom
So why doesn’t the “churches” today believe and proclaim the fulfillment of
these prophecies concerning the anti-Messiah? I believe this question is best answered
by the article “Left Behind By The Jesuits” by Pastor Steve Wohlberg.
http://www.lmn.org/magazine/170/Jesuits.html
At this point in our study I would like for us to examine the remaining anti-Messiah
prophecies in “The Scriptures” and see how they line up with our understanding
of “the little horn” of Daniel 7.
1Yahonan (John) 2:18 “Little children, it is the last
hour. And as you have heard that the anti-messiah is coming, even now many anti-messiahs
have come. This is how we know that it is the last hour. v.19 They went out
from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have
stayed with us – but in order that it might be made manifest that none of them
were of us. v.20 And you have an anointing from the Set-apart One, and you know
all. v.21 I did not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because
you know it, and because no falsehood is of the truth. v.22 Who is the liar,
except the one denying that יהושע is the Messiah? This is the
anti-messiah, the one denying the Father and the Son. v.23 No one denying the
Son has the Father. The one confessing the Son has the Father as well. v.24 As
for you, let that stay in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you
heard from the beginning stays in you, you also shall stay in the Son and in
the Father.”
From this passage of Scripture we learn several important truths.
1) The apostle Yahonan recognized that a certain specific anti-Messiah was
still yet to come sometime in the near future. v.18
This was written hundreds of years before the first pontiff of Roman
Catholicism would appear. Of course their “church” tradition teaches the papal
line of succession goes all the way back to Peter, (Shimon Kepha). It is
interesting to note, and perhaps embarrassing to Roman Catholics, that when Rav
Shaul closes his letter to the Roman assembly he greets many saints by name ,
however, he does not greet Kepha at all? Could it be that Kepha was never in
Rome?
2) There were / are many anti-Messiahs in this world. v.18
Yahonan is speaking of anyone who is operating in the spirit of
“anti-Messiah” in this present world. By definition this would be anyone who
opposes Yahoshua Messiah and His ministry directly or anyone who tries to
substitute Yahoshua and / or His teaching with a counterfeit replacement.
Another Yahoshua, with a different doctrine!
Listen
to the many stern warnings of Rav Shaul (the apostle Paul) to the assemblies.
Galatians
1:6-9 “I marvel that you are so readily turning away from Him who called you in
the favour of Messiah, to a different ‘Good News,’ v.7 which is not another,
only there are some who are troubling you and wishing to pervert the Good News
of Messiah. v.8 However, even if we, or a messenger out of Heaven, bring a
‘Good News’ to you beside what we announced to you, let him be accursed. v.9 As
we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone brings a ‘Good News’ to you
beside what you have received, let him be accursed.”
2Corinthians
11:3-4 & 13-15 “But I am afraid, lest, as the serpent deceived Ḥawwah (Eve)
by his trickery, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is
in Messiah. v.4 For, indeed, if he who is coming proclaims another יהושע, whom we have not proclaimed, or if you receive a different
spirit which you have not received, or a different Good News which you have not
accepted, you put up with it well enough!”
v.13
“For such are false emissaries, deceptive workers, masquerading as emissaries
of Messiah. v.14 And no wonder! For Satan himself masquerades as a messenger of
light! v.15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as
servants of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works!”
Acts
20:28-31 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which
the Set-apart Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of Elohim
which He has purchased with His own blood. v.29 “For I know this, that after my
departure savage wolves shall come in among you, not sparing the flock. v.30
“Also from among yourselves men shall arise, speaking distorted teachings,
to draw away the taught ones after themselves. v.31 “Therefore watch,
remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not cease to warn each
one with tears.”
From the full counsel of “The Scriptures” we see an alarming picture
developing. Whether in ignorance, willfully or presumptuously, if we have
believed in another Yahoshua and if we have preached another Yahoshua we too
are operating in the spirit of anti-Messiah. As you have read through this
study if you have found yourself agreeing with the doctrines, beliefs and holy
days of the Papacy, and disagreeing with the authority of “The Scriptures” of
Yahweh, then you too are deceived by the spirit of anti-Messiah and if you do
not repent you are one of many anti-Messiahs according to “The Scriptures”.
3) From 1Yahonan 2:19 and Acts 20:30 we see that the anti-Messiah spirit has
always been present and operating in the assemblies of favor through
faith.
Historically, the most grievous and dangerous wolves have not come from
outside the assemblies of Elohim, but from within. If we say we believe in
Yahoshua, but we are not willing to submit to Him in obedience according to His
Word, “The Scriptures” and we tell others to do the same, we need to seriously
examine our selves in the light and mirror of “The Scriptures”.
v.13
“For such are false emissaries, deceptive workers, masquerading as emissaries
of Messiah. v.14 And no wonder! For Satan himself masquerades as a messenger of
light! v.15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as
servants of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works!”
1Corinthians
11:27-28 “So that whoever should eat this bread or drink this cup of the Master
unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Master. v.28 But let a
man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.”
4)
Those who are not willing to walk in obedience to Yahweh according to His Word
as revealed in “The Scriptures” do not truly belong to Messiah Yahoshua. v.19
5)
The Set-apart Spirit is the teacher of the assembly of Yahweh. v.20
6)
Any teaching contrary to “The Scriptures” cannot be from the Set-apart Spirit
of Yahweh because He will only teach us the Truth. v. 21
7)
The anti-Messiah is a liar and will deny Yahoshua ha MaShiach. v.22-24
Those
of discerning spirit will readily see the pope(s) throughout history have
denied Yahoshua and His teaching and substituted Him with another Jesus and a
different doctrine. The pope has become the head of the Roman Catholic Church
and he alone is the final authority of the faithful adherents of Catholicism
and sadly most of “Christendom”, regardless of their persuasion or
denomination.
1Yahonan
(John) 4:3 “and every spirit that does not confess that יהושע Messiah has come in the flesh is not of Elohim. And this is the
spirit of the anti-messiah which you heard is coming, and now is already in the
world.”
Within every pagan belief system throughout the world there has always been
two very different beliefs taught and practiced by their adherents. The first
belief system is the exoteric beliefs that are taught to the ignorant masses.
The second belief system is the esoteric beliefs which are taught only to the
elite initiates of the inner circles of power. They are merely using the
exoteric beliefs to manipulate their followers to do whatsoever they please.
The highest levels of Roman Catholicism practice the esoteric belief of
Gnostic mysticism. They do not believe “Yahoshua” actually came in the flesh,
but rather appeared to have come in the flesh. This is the spirit of
anti-Messiah according to “The Scriptures”! This warning is repeated by Yahonan
in 2Yahonan v 7.
“Because
many who are leading astray went out into the world who do not confess יהושע Messiah as coming in the flesh. This one is he who is leading
astray and the anti-messiah.”
The last “Scriptures” we will closely examine, concerning the anti-Messiah,
come from 2Thessalonians 2
v.3
“Let no one deceive you in any way, because the falling away is to come first,
and the man of lawlessness is to be revealed, the son of destruction, (Footnote:
1Some texts read sin instead of lawlessness.) v.4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is
called Elohim or that is worshipped, so that he sits as Elohim in the Dwelling
Place of Elohim, showing himself that he is Elohim. v.5 Do you not remember
that I told you this while I was still with you? v.6 And now you know what
restrains, for him to be revealed in his time. v.7 For the secret of
lawlessness is already at work – only until he who now restrains comes out of
the midst. v.8 And then the lawless one shall be revealed, whom the Master
shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth and bring to naught with the
manifestation of His coming. v.9 The coming of the lawless one is
according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of
falsehood, v.10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing,
because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be
saved. v.11 And for this reason Elohim sends them a working of delusion, for
them to believe the falsehood, v.12 in order that all should be judged who did
not believe the truth, but have delighted in the unrighteousness.”
From Rav Shaul’s letter we receive several more stern warnings that we will
consider one by one.
1) Yahoshua will not return for His bride until the great falling away
(apostacy) happens and the anti-Messiah is revealed. v.3
Today we are witnesses to the fact that the overwhelming majority of
“Christendom” for the last 1500 years has believed in a works based religious
system of justification properly called “Roman Catholicism”. In 2012 over 1
billion people identify themselves as Roman Catholics while only 500 million (estimated)
identify themselves as “Christian” (non-Catholics). Obviously, the Roman Pontiff ‘the
anti-Messiah” has been revealed to the world for more than 1500 years now.
2)
The anti-Messiah is identified as “the lawless one” or “the man of sin”. v.3
1Yahonan
(John) 3:4 ~ “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is
the transgression of the law.”
We
have seen throughout the great majority of this study that the Roman Pontiff
has consistently throughout history abolished “The Torah” (the law). In
addition, he has tried to destroy “The Scriptures” by legislation and decree,
by keeping them from the common man, and by perverting their intended meaning
with every foul (fowl) doctrine of hell.
3)
The anti-Messiah is also called “the son of destruction” or “perdition”. v.3
There
is only one other person in all of “Scripture” who is also called “the son of
destruction”.
That
person is Yahudah who betrayed Yahoshua to the priestly authorities to be
crucified.
Yahonan
John 17:12 “When I was with them in the world, I was guarding them in Your Name
which You have given Me, and I watched over them, and not one of them perished
except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be filled.”
I believe this is another huge clue as to who the anti-Messiah would be.
A) Yahudah was considered to be a trusted follower of Yahoshua, however he
betrayed Him. (Matt 10:2-4, 26:14-16)
B) He was one of the Levitical priests of the sons of Aaron. (Matt 27:3-5)
C) He was the one who was trusted with all the collections of the saints.
(Yahonan 13:2)
D) He was a thief! (Yahonan 12:6)
E) He thought the kingdom of Heaven could only be advanced by force. (Yahonan
18:2-3)
F) All of his grand delusions led him to despair and ultimately to his
death. (Matt 27:5)
In the light of everything we have previously covered in this study it is
very easy to see How Yahudah is an anti-type of the anti-Messiah who was to
come.
4) The anti-Messiah opposes Elohim. v.4
Is that not what the papacy has done all throughout History? Opposing the
true doctrine of Messiah and His Father as recorded in “The Scripture” and
replacing it with the cannon of the “church”.
5) The anti-Messiah exalts Himself above Elohim. v.4
Is this not what the papacy has done by exalting his word above the Writ of
“Scripture”? Contrast this attitude with Yahweh’s character as described in
Mizmore (Psalm) 138:2b
“
for
thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”
6) The anti-Messiah exalts Himself
above all that is worshipped as elohim. v.4
By syncretism the papacy incorporated almost every element of “Sun” worship
throughout the ages and then he demanded all allegiance be to him and not to any
other elohim.
7) The anti-Messiah sits in the dwelling place (the temple), showing that he
is Elohim. v.4
In the first century the dwelling place of Elohim moved from the physical
structure in Yahrushalayim into the hearts of men. The body of Messiah is now
the dwelling place of Elohim.
1Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are a
Dwelling Place of Elohim and that the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you?”
(Footnote: See 1Cor 6:19, 2Cor 6:16)
For over 1,000 years the papacy was the head of the “church” in the place of
Elohim Yahweh Yahoshua. I personally do not believe there will be any dwelling
place (temple) built in Yahrushalayim before Yahoshua’s return. I believe this
a modern day ruse to deceive the assemblies of Yahweh Elohim’s favor that the
anti-Messiah “Scriptures”, that have already been fulfilled, cannot be
fulfilled until the literal physical dwelling place is built.
This modern interpretation of “Scripture” comes directly from the Jesuit
priesthood through Protestant Free Masonry. Please refer to the previously
linked study “LEFT BEHIND BY THE JESUITS” for more detailed information on this
most important subject.
One of the reasons this interpretation has become widely accepted is because
of Yahoshua’s prophetic words as recorded in the gospels of Mattithyahu and
Mark.
Matt 24:15-20 “So when you see the ‘abomination that
lays waste,’ spoken of by Dani’ĕl the prophet, set up in the set-apart place” –
he who reads, let him understand – v.16 “then let those who are in Yahuḏah flee to the mountains. v17 “Let him who is on the house-top not come down to
take whatever out of his house. v.18 “And let him who is in the field not turn
back to get his garments. v.19
“And woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing children in
those days! v.20 “And pray that your flight does not take place in
winter or on the Sabbath.” (Footnote: See Mark 13:14-18)
Most
who read these passages of prophecy do not know their history and thus do not
understand the context of the words spoken by Yahoshua and thus their fulfillment.
Antiochus Epiphanies was an anti-type, anti-Messiah, whose reign of destruction
was foretold in Daniel 8. He too was described as a “little horn” so that
Yahweh’s people would be able to make the connection between this wicked Greek
king as a foreshadowing of the wicked Roman Pontiff (king).
Daniel
8:9-14 And from one of them came a little horn which became exceedingly great
toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the Splendid Land.
v.10 And it became great, up to the host of the heavens. And it caused some of
the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and trampled them down. v.11
It even exalted itself as high as the Prince of the host. And it took that
which is continual away from Him, and threw down the foundation of His
set-apart place. v.12 And because of transgression, an army was given over to
the horn to oppose that which is continual. And it threw the truth down to
the ground, and it acted and prospered. v.13 Then I heard a certain set-apart
one speaking. And another set-apart one said to that certain one who was
speaking, “Till when is the vision, concerning that which is continual, and the
transgression that lays waste, to make both the set-apart place and the host to
be trampled under foot1?” (Footnote: 1See Daniel 11:31)
v.14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days, then that which
is set-apart shall be made right.
Up
until the mid 1800’s all Protestant Bibles also had a copy of the Apocrypha in
between the Old Testament and New Testament “Scriptures”. Everyone knew these
books were not “Scripture”, however, they kept them because they were deemed to
have historical value. The books of Maccabees are the historical record of the
time period when Antiochus Epiphanies reigned, in terror over the Yahudim,
approximately 200 years before Yahoshua spoke the words found in Matt 24.
I
believe these books were removed from the Protestant’s Bibles intentionally to
keep “Christians” from discovering the fulfillment of the prophecies of Daniel
8 and thus prohibit their understanding of the anti-type fulfillment in the
Roman papacy.
The
disciples would have been very aware of what happened during this time period and
many of the Yahudim people in AD 30 believed that Antiochus was the fulfillment
of the “little horn” (anti-Messiah) prophecy of Daniel 7. It does not take too much imagination to
understand why this was. When you compare the anti-type of Antiochus and the
fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the papacy the parallels are striking.
Consider
prayerfully, King Antiochus forbid all the Yahudim to worship the one true
Yahweh Elohim. He drove out the temple priesthood and then he set up an image
of Zeus in the temple and then he sacrificed a pig on the altar of Yahweh.
In
addition he forbid the Yahudim to practice circumcision and he forced them to
eat pork. He put to death all who would not comply with his new religious laws.
Then he made up his own ten anti-commandments.
1)
You shall not worship Yahweh Elohim.
2)
You shall bow down before graven images to worship them.
3)
You shall bring the name of Yahweh to Elohim to naught.
4)
You shall not keep the Set-apart Sabbath.
5)
You shall not honor your father and mother.
6)
You shall murder.
7)
You shall commit adultery.
8)
You shall steal.
9)
You shall bear false witness against your neighbor.
10)
You shall covet your neighbor’s possessions and your neighbor’s spouse.
This
was truly the darkest hour in the history of Yahudah. The temple was left desolate
for 1,150 days. This was the 2300 evenings and mornings the temple sacrifice
for sin was not performed unto Yahweh. Nowhere in the ancient manuscripts does
it read 2,300 days in Daniel 8. It reads evenings and mornings! This is very
significant, to correctly understanding this prophecy, because in context it is
speaking of the desolation of the dwelling place (the temple).
From
the time Antiochus desecrated the dwelling place and the altar until the time
the Maccabees rededicated the dwelling place was exactly 1,150 days just as it
was foretold to Daniel. 1,150 days x’s two sin sacrifices a day = 1,150! i.e.
the 2300 evenings and mornings.
The
Roman Vatican is very well aware that Antiochus is the fulfillment of “the
little horn” of Daniel 8 and that is why in the notes of many of the modern
English translations of “The Catholic Bible” you will find the little horn of
Daniel 7 and Daniel 8 identified as Antiochus Epiphanies.
Without
the least bit of imagination anyone can easily see why the Papacy is the
perfect anti-type of “the little horn”, Antiochus, especially when it is
considered in the light of the entire body of this study.
When
we prayerfully consider the words of Yahoshua, as spoken in Mattithyahu 24, in
the light of the rest of “The Scriptures” and the light of history we will soon
see there are multiple correct understandings to this prophecy. Yahoshua was
very specific when He spoke of “the abomination that lays waste”. He said it
would come in the days of the Roman siege of Yahrushalayim. (Luke 21:20-23)
In
AD 62 / 63 the half brother of Yahoshua was martyred. Around this same time the
city of Yahrushalayim was besieged by the Roman armies. The Roman government
had decided they had, had enough of the Yahudim revolts led by different
Yahudite Zealots who each fancied himself as the Messiah of Yisrael. Almost
unbelievably, the Roman army left Yahudah and they were basically given a seven
year reprieve. Rome would return in AD 70 and finish the job! However, based on
the prophetic word of Yahoshua the Messianic believers seized hold of the opportunity
to flee for their lives and never returned.
Luke
21:20 “And when you see Yerushalayim surrounded by armies, then know that its
laying waste is near. v.21 “Then let those in Yahuḏah flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the
midst of her go out, and let not those who are in the fields enter her.”
From
just before the time Yahoshua walked the earth the high priest of the dwelling
place (temple) was appointed by the Roman government. From around AD 62 / 63
the entirety of the dwelling place was under complete Roman control. Yahweh can
only be worshipped in spirit and in Truth. (Yahonan 4:23) The Yahudim record
the Spirit of Yahweh left the dwelling place in AD 30 and from that time
forward the service of the dwelling place became more and more corrupted until
it’s ultimate destruction in AD 70.
The
phrase “the abomination that lays waste” is a Hebrew idiom for anything at all
that would prevent us from worshipping the Yahweh Elohim of Yisrael in Spirit
and in Truth. The only function of the dwelling place (temple) is to worship
Yahweh in Spirit and in Truth. If we are not fulfilling our function as His
dwelling place then what He has called an abomination has made all our worship
to Him as refuse (heaps of garbage). Every abomination had filled the temple by
the time it was destroyed and thus the worship had become refuse and very
shortly afterward the dwelling place would also become refuse (wasted).
It
is very interesting to note that the statue of St Peter in the Vatican is
openly admitted to be an ancient statue of Zeus, the very same Zeus whose image
Antiochus Epiphanies set up to be worshipped in the dwelling place of Yahweh.
The Roman Pontiff is the very one who is responsible for bringing in every
abominable practice, belief and holy day into the “Christian” faith. Thus he has
laid waste the true worship of Yahweh Elohim and also Yahweh’s people who would
desire to continue to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
8)
The anti-Messiah shows he, himself is Elohim. v.4
I
have already documented extensively in this study how one of the ways the
papacy blasphemes Elohim is by claiming He is in fact Elohim. When he speaks,
he speaks as Elohim, he forgives sins as Elohim and he is worshipped as Elohim.
9)
The anti-Messiah would not be revealed until what restrains is taken out of the
way. v.6 & 7
The
earliest Messianic believers understood until the Roman government was taken
out of the way the anti-Messiah would not be revealed. This not only makes
perfect logical sense it is exactly what was revealed to Daniel over 500 years
previously. It was not until western Rome was divided into 10 separate kingdoms
that “the little horn” could rise up and uproot three of the other horns
(kings). Daniel 7:7-8
10)
The anti-Messiah will do the work of the devil. v.9
The
work of the devil is to deceive people to follow after any other belief,
tradition and holy day except the belief, tradition and set-apart days of the
one true Yahweh Elohim of Yisrael. We have seen demonstrated time and time
again in both this study and the second part of this study, Revelation 13, how
the papacy has led all of “Christendom” astray all over the world and straight
away into apostate worship.
11)
The anti-Messiah will come with all power. v.9
Earlier
in this study it was demonstrated how the pope(s) throughout history have
always regarded murderous force as a necessary means to root out all Messianic
believers who would worship Elohim in Spirit and in Truth. Without any
conscience countless millions were slaughtered by the authority of the papacy
for their crime of refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of the Roman Pontiff
and the Roman church.
12)
The anti-Messiah will come with all signs. v.9
The
word for sign here is sēmeion. It is G4592 in the Strong’s. This is the Greek
equivalent to the Hebrew words ot (H266) and moed (H4150). Ot is also
translated into English as mark. It is used four different times in “The Torah”
to proclaim “the mark of Elohim” which is found in the forehead and hand of His
people. I have written about this mark extensively in the blog, “The Mark of
Elohim”.
The
anti-Messiah also has a mark that is found in the forehead or hand of all the
people who follow after him. Once Yahweh’s people are absolutely certain
concerning His mark, the anti-Messiah’s mark becomes readily obvious.
Moed
is the Hebrew word translated as feasts in the English language. Under an
earlier section of this study we witnessed how “the little horn” would think to
change the times (moed) of Yahweh. It has been marvelously demonstrated by the
historical records that the pope(s) all throughout time immemorial have
abolished every single “Feast of Yahweh” proclaimed in Way yiqra (Leviticus) 23
and “The Torah”. In exchange they have substituted their own pagan feasts,
white-washed and rebranded “Christian”.
13)
The anti-Messiah will come with all wonders of falsehood. v.9
The
lying wonders that accompany the Roman Pontiff and his church are truly without
number. It is astonishing how many miraculous phenomenons are claimed by the
Vatican. Most of these wonders truly are nonsensical. Crying statues, stigmata
wounds that refuse to heal, apparitions of saints in obscure places, visions,
dreams and all manner of mysticism, most of which cannot be verified by the
honest skeptic. Yet the true believers make their annual pilgrimages by the
tens of millions to witness these wonders and proclaim them to all who will
listen.
Because
the great masses all over the world refuse to receive the love of the Truth,
i.e., the testimony of Yahoshua and Yahweh’s Torah, they cannot be saved. Once
you reject the Truth what else is left? Yahweh Elohim will send delusion into
your life so that you will continue to love the lies of the anti-Messiah and
hate “His Instructions”, conversely. All will be judged in righteousness
because they delighted in unrighteousness.
From this teaching from the full counsel of “The Scriptures” it is plainly
and easily seen that all of the anti-Messiah prophecies are so marvelously
fulfilled in the Pontiff of Rome, one truly has to be given over to strong
delusion by Elohim, ( Debarim / Deuteronomy 13), to not be able to see it.
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me
anytime. Part 2 of this study is posted on this blog site. Revelation 13 picks
up exactly where Daniel 7 left off.
http://robertarthurmcduffie.blogspot.com/2010/06/anti-christ-unmasked-part-2.html
Blessings
and Shalom - Mizpah!
Robert
A. McDuffie, Galatians 6:14 & 2:20
7rapturesrobert@gmail.com
(941)
227-5433 ph#
