Truly the voice of the dragon behind the mask of the lamb; the Papal wolf in sheep's clothing.
"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had the power to do." Revelations l3:13,14
These are undoubtedly the same false miracles attributed to the Man of Sin in 11 Thessalonians Chapter 2 where they are described as "signs and lying wonders." Now Rome is the epitome of counterfeit miracles, her entire religious system is built upon the fraudulent claim, that the priests of Rome can by their magical words of consecration at the Mass, turn a wafer of flour and water into the actual body and blood of the Lord Jesus.
In the Dark Ages before the Reformation every Church had its miraculous relics and statues, pilgrimages to shrines were the order of the day, when graven images bled, spoke, wept and cried; truly Popery had deceived those who dwelt upon the earth. Bishop Ryle tells us about such objects of superstition as:-
The Bones of Mary Magdalene and Salome.
The Hand of St. James.
An Angel's Wing.
The Spear that pierced Jesus' side.
Enough pieces of the True Cross to build a Noah's Ark.
Enough articles of the Virgin's clothing to clothe multitudes.
Together with thousands of thorns from the crown of thorns our Saviour wore.
At Repton Monastery, people put their head inside the Bell of St. Cuthloe to cure deafness, whilst at Dale Abbey near Derby, expectant mothers worshipped a vial containing the Virgin Mary's milk.
Even as recent as 1988 the so-called Holy Shroud of Turin, which has been venerated by pious Romanists as the actual burial shroud of the Lord Jesus, bearing the imprint of His crucified body, has been shown to be a product of these dark Middle Ages when the Papacy held sway.
Amongst the most persistent of Rome's lying wonders are the supposed Apparitions of the Virgin Mary. At Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal, Guadeloupe in Mexico, and Knock in Ireland to name but a few. Who in Ireland in these enlightened 1990's has not heard of the Statue of the Virgin of Ballinaspittle, which thousands claimed to see moving, but which was unable to avoid the hammer blows wielded on it by a Pentecostal Pastor. In Spain a statue of the Virgin has been weeping since 1983, whilst an image of the Madonna at Akita in Japan, both bleeds and speaks. Truly this Beast system is one of lying wonders. Even in the modern United States city of Lubbock, Texas, thousands claimed to be daily witnessing an Apparition of the Virgin Mary, during August 1988. When I read of the Beast calling down fire from heaven, I called to mind the special Pentecost or Whitsun Mass celebrated by the Pope during his visit to England in 1982. A huge banner adorned the platform proceedings, which proclaimed "Send the Fire," but like the priests of Baal on Carmel's Mount, whose successor the Pontiff is, his prayers failed to produce any miracles, let alone fire from heaven.
Many students of prophecy have been puzzled by the following phrase in the chapter under scrutiny in which the Second Beast or Ecclesiastical Papacy is recorded as:-
"Saying unto them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by the sword and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." Revelations 13:14,15
If the First Beast which equates with the Little Horn of Daniel is the Political Papacy, and if the Second Beast which equates with the Antichrist described by Paul in 11 Thessalonians as the Man of Sin; who or what is this Image of the Beast. Our problem I believe was solved over two centuries ago, by that great exponent of the Protestant Historist School of Prophecy, Bishop Newton, who wrote as follows:-
"The influence of the two-horned Beast or corrupted clergy, is farther seen in persuading and inducing mankind to make an image to the Beast, which had the wound by the sword and did live. This image and representative of the Beast is the Pope. He is properly the idol of the Church. He represents in himself the whole power of the Beast and is the head of all authority, temporal as well as spiritual.
He is nothing more than a private person, without power and without authority till the two-horned Beast or corrupted clergy by choosing him as Pope, give life unto him, and enable him to speak and utter his decrees, and to persecute even to death, as many as refuse to submit to him and worship him.
As soon as he is chosen Pope, he is clothed with the Pontifical robes, and crowned and placed upon the altar, and the Cardinals come and kiss his feet, which ceremony is called 'adoration.' They first elect and then they worship him, as in the medals of Martin V, where two are represented crowning the Pope, and two kneeling at his feet, with this inscription, QU-EM CREANT ADORANT 'WHOM THEY CREATE THEY ADORE.' He is the principle of unity to the Ten Kingdoms of the Beast, and causeth as far as he is able, all who will not acknowledge his supremacy to be put to death."
So we see each individual Pope to be the Image, or personification of the Beast, chosen by the Cardinals to be the spokesman of the System. When the Image of the Beast, or Pope steps out of line he can just as easily be removed and replaced as in the case of Pope Clement XIV who in 1774 suppressed the Jesuit Order and died of suspected poisoning a short time later; or in our own lifetime Pope John Paul I whose reign lasted a mere 3 days, ending in suspicious circumstances, just as he was coming close to uncovering the financial scandals of the Vatican (see David Yallolys book "In God's Name" and Avro Manhattads "Murder in the Vatican").
How then did the Second Two-Horned Beast, or Ecclesiastical Papacy, cause its Image, the individual Popes, to come to life and speak. History show us that this was brought about by means of Church Councils. All of the Pap Bulls and Decrees, have been framed for the Pope by his Hierarchy. He then speaks them forth from the so-called Chair of Peter. One example of this would be what is known as the Creed of Pope Pius IV which was not his own workmanship but had been drawn up by the Papal Clergy during their deliberations at the Council of Trent.
Another example is the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, proclaimed by the Pope (the hierarchy's talking image), after not merely years, but centuries of debate by his clergy and Church Councils. Similarly in 1870, it was the votes of the clergy assembled in Council which decided that the Pope was infallible when speaking ex-cathedra on faith or morals. The decision being taken, it was then proclaimed by the Pontiff himself (the speaking image). Even the Canonization of Rome's saints takes place in the same way.
Now this Second Two-Horned Beast - the religious manifestation of the Papacy also had power to persecute and kill those who refused worship and obedience to its Image, Head or spokesman and mouthpiece, the Pope. Let us now deal with this aspect of the prophecy.
Concerning this we read that the Ecclesiastical Papacy would:-
"Cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast (Pope) should be killed."
Revelations 13:15
The persecutions of Protestants by the Ecclesiastical Papacy, differ from those by the Political Papacy, in that whilst the victims whom the Church regarded as heretics were often handed over to the secular authorities execution, their persecutions came not as a result of wars, civil wars uprisings, but at the hands of the clergy, by torture, assassination and judge murder as in eg. the Inquisition and the martyrdoms in England during Bloody Mary's reign. The methods were just as cruel, violent and merciless as we shall now go on to see. First we must establish that the spirit of persecution is inherent in the Romish system. According to the solemn oath sworn by every Roman Catholic Bishop, Archbishop and Abbot, he must promise that:-
"ALL HERETICS, SCHISMATICS AND REBELS AGAINST OUR LORD (THE POPE) OR HIS AFORESAID SUCCESSORS, I WILL PERSECUTE OR ATTACK TO THE UTMOST OF MY POWER"
As evidence, we reproduce herewith the relevant page from the Roman Pontifical, Chief Service Book of the Roman Catholic Church, giving the Oath in Latin with the translation alongside.
This page is from the "Roman Pontifical," chief Service Book of the Roman Catholic
Church, and the Oath is taken by every Bishop, Archbishop and Abbot.
Haeseticos, schismaticos, et rebelles eidem Domino nostro vel successoribus praedictis pro posse persequar et impugnabe.
Now let us see how the Ecclesiastical Papacy puts its principles into action, firstly through:-
THE INQUISITION
The Inquisition or Holy Office as it was styled, was founded during the reign of Pope Innocent III by the Monk Dominic who was subsequently elevated to sainthood by the Papacy. Dominic, whose real name was Dominigo de Cuzman was born in the late 1100's to Joanna of Aza who had a dream that she would give birth to a dog carrying a fiery torch or brand in his mouth to set the world-on fire. He was to form the dreaded Dominican Order which spawned the Inquisition. No amount of stories of his personal virtue or saintliness can compensate for the cruelty he was responsible for instigating against those who dared to follow Jesus instead of the Pope. The Inquisition became synonymous with terror and cruelty of the worst kind.
Responsible for the deaths of millions, the Inquisition was suppressed, in Spain, during the Napoleonic era of history. When French troops occupied the headquarters of the Inquisition about five miles outside Madrid, they uncovered the Hall of Judgement, in the centre of which was a large block and a chain fastened to it. On this the accused had been placed chained to the seat. On the other side of the room was the elevated Throne of Judgement which was occupied by the Inquisitor General. Adjacent to the Hall of Judgement were the cells, wretched places of solitary confinement, where the victims were confined until death released them. In many of the cells the French soldiers found skeletons of Rome's victims still chained to
1. A machine by which the victim was confined, and then beginning with the fingers, every joint in the hands, arms and body was broken until the victim died.
2. A box in which the head and the neck of the victim were confined by a screw so that they could not move either way. Over the box was a vessel from which one drop of water fell upon the head of the victim. Every successive drop fell on precisely the same spot, and soon circulation was suspended putting the victim in the most excruciating agony.
3. A machine laid horizontal to which the victim was bound. The machine was then placed between two beams, in which there were scores of knives, so fixed that by turning the machine with a crank, the flesh of the victim was torn from his limbs in small pieces.
4. More fiendish than all the other instruments of torture was that sometimes called the Iron Virgin, another of which was discovered in Nuremberg. The machine appeared on the exterior like a beautiful woman, arms extended to embrace her victim, who upon passing a semi-circular line around the machine, touched a spring which caused the diabolical instrument to open; the victim was clasped by its iron arms and cut to pieces by the multiplicity of sharp knives which were now revealed. Before passing on let me describe to you readers just one incident of torture in the long, brutal history of the Inquisition, taken from the book "The Brand of Dominic" by the late Rev. W H. Rule.
"Donna juana Bohorques was suspected of heresy ... instantly seized and thrown into the castle of Triana. As they found that she was soon to become a mother they allowed her to remain in an upper apartment until the birth of a male child which was taken from her and after a lapse of seven days she was thrown in a dungeon ... they were not slow in applying torture ... to bind her arms and legs with cords, and to gash the limbs with successive strainings by the levers, or to dislocate her joints by swinging her from pulleys ... the savage tormentors passed a cord over her breast, thinking to add new pangs ... her frame gave way, the ribs crushed inwards, blood flowed from her mouth and nostrils and she was carried to her cell, where life lingered for another 'week ... the accusation of heresy had not been proved. If hell can be upon earth, it must be in an Inquisition."
MARIAN MARTYRS
With the death of King Edward VI, England passed under the control of his sister Mary Tudor, known in history as Bloody Mary. During her brief reign (1553-1558) some 300 men, women and children were martyred for their Protestant beliefs, almost all of them being burned alive.
One particularly horrible crime will suffice to sum up those dark days when the Beast held sway even in Britain. It is the story of The Guernsey Martyrs. On the 14th July 1556, in the town of St. Peter Port, on the island of Guernsey, three women were tied to stakes to be burned alive for their Protestant faith, and for their denial of the Romish doctrines of Transubstantiation and the so-called "Real Presence."
The women were Katherine Cawches and her two daughters Guillemine and Perotine. The latter of these was pregnant at the time of her burning, and she gave birth in the fire. A man called House at once pulled the baby boy from the flames and laid it on the grass; but the Romish persecutors ordered it to be thrown back into the fire to be roasted alive with its mother, aunt and grandmother. So the little baby was both born and died a martyr. Foxe the great martyrologist describes the Guernsey Burnings as:-
"a spectacle wherein the whole world may see the Herodian cruelty of Popish tormentors"
Surely we can add no more to prove our point, the hands red with Protestant blood are ungloved at last. They are the hands of the Papal Beast.
In our study we read the following of the Beast that:-
"He causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name." Revelations 13:16,17
So we see that the Beastly Papal System has a distinguishing mark, or symbol, and that there was an era in Church History, when those who refused the mark, and defied the Popes were denied civil and religious liberty, the right to buy and sell and carry on their normal everyday activities.
First let us establish that the Apocalypse is a book of symbols, this mark does not necessarily have to be in the literal hand or forehead. The Mark upon the hand speaks of control over the actions of men, whilst the Mark upon the forehead speaks of mind control. The word used for Mark in the original Greek text of this passage, means to engrave so as to indicate that the person who receives the Mark is the property of the person or organization which engraves it upon him.
In the days in which John wrote, it was the custom for slaves to be marked in the right hand or forehead by branding or burning. The verses in question show that all ranks of society were enslaved by the system, small and great, rich and poor, bond and free. Once again the hand suggests those who earn their living by manual labour, whilst the forehead suggests the earning of the living by the intellect.
Now what was this Mark that the slaves of the Beast System were stamped and marked with? Does the Beast or Papacy have one distinguishing sign,. symbol or mark? The answer is a resounding yes; it is the Latin Cross. This is the emblem with which Romanism stamps its deluded followers from the cradle to the grave.
At baptism, the priest makes the Sign of the Cross on the breast, shoulders, ear and nose of the baby but the placing of the mark upon its forehead is the chief sign of initiation into Romanism, as it was in Chaldea long ago. The Rubric actually states,,-
"The priest shall make with his thumb the Sign of the Cross on the forehead. saying 'Receive thou the Sign of the Cross as well on thy forehead as in thy heart'."
Later he:-
"Crosses him that is to be baptized with his thumb on the forehead saying And never thou accursed devil dare to violate this Sign of the Holy Cross which we give to his forehead . '
In the Roman Pontifical as edited by order of Popes Clement VIR and Urban VIII we read:-
"Having dipped the extremity of his right hand in the chrism he says, 'I sign thee with the Sign of the Cross;' while he says this he draws with his thumb the Sign of the Cross on the forehead... and proceeds, And confirm thee with the chrism of salvation."
If the forehead is important in the initiation of a child, the hand is given great prominence in the ordination or initiation of a priest into the Papal mysteries. Again we turn to the Roman Catholic Rubric which states:-
"They that are to be ordained, successively kneeling one by one before him, he anoints with the catechumenal oil, both the hands joined together of each one in the form of a cross thus - he draws his right hand thumb... two lines on the joined hands, namely from the thumb of the right hand, to the forefinger of the left hand, and from the thumb of the left hand to the forefinger of the right."
He then:-
"draws with his right hand the sign of the cross upon the hands of him whom he ordains."
This anointing of the hands with the Sign of the Cross is an essential part of the ordination of Roman priests and of Bishops.
The Latin cross STAMPS the entire Papal system, it is used at the Mass; church prayers are interspersed with the magic sign, it adorns the priestly vestments, the church furniture and architecture, whilst the idol of the Latin Cross is according to the dictates of the Ecclesiastical Papacy, the Two-Horned Beast, to be given Rome's highest form of worship, accorded only to God Almighty, and to the Host or Wafer-god.
When the poor deluded Roman Catholic comes to die, and to receive the Last Rites, Rome's Seventh Sacrament they are once again anointed with the Latin Cross. We have all seen the pious Roman Catholics who on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, have the Mark of the Beast or Latin Cross put on their forehead in., oil and ashes.
As we have written before, many will object to our statements, claiming that the Latin Cross is the symbol of Christianity and the sacrificial work achieved by Christ at Calvary. Such is not the case, the Latin Cross like most other Papal errors had its origin in the Chaldean Mystery Religion. In ancient Babylon, it was placed on the hands and foreheads of the initiates of the cult; it adorned the vestments of the Baal priests; it was worn suspended on a chain around the necks of the Vestal Virgins of Pagan Rome; it was associated with the Babylonian Messiah, Tammuz and it was worshipped in ancient Egypt as the Crux Ansata or Sign of Life.
A study of the original language shows us that the Latin Cross is referred to in Greek as KRAUO and in Latin as CRUX. Neither of these two words is used to describe Calvary's tree where our Saviour bled and died. The two Greek words used of the instrument of our Lord's death, are STAUROS and XULON, which refer to a tree or single piece of wood or stake, never to a T-shaped Latin Cross.
The cross in which Bible Christians glory is the cross WORK of Christ, His finished sacrificial atonement when He poured out the life that was in His precious blood, the just for the unjust to pardon our sins, with His hands crucified above His head on an upright stake or pole, a treelike gibbet. Never will we bow in worship before the Latin Cross the idol of the Papal Beast, or join the dupes of Rome in superstitious worship, saying as they do:-
"Behold the Wood of the Cross.
Come let us adore it ...
Behold sweet wood, sweet nails.
Come let us adore them."
We now need to discover if there was ever a period in history when the unmarked who refused obedience to the Popes and their false doctrine, were denied the right to buy, sell or carry on a normal everyday existence. Such a time did exist in the Dark Ages when the Papacy held undisputed sway. In 1179 AD the Lateran Council commanded that no man "exercise traffic with heretics," and so Protestants were driven from the market places of cities, towns and villages. In 1184 Pope Alexander W passed a similar law forbidding commerce with the Waldenses and Albigenses.
Again in 1414 a similar decree was issued by the Papal Council of Constance. Protestants were even to be denied a decent burial by the Papal Decree, Quicurque Hiereticos. Treated as outcasts from society the poor Protestants were driven from homes and livelihood, to be hunted down like animals, and cruelly put to death. Such was the persecuting power of the Papal Beast, and the tactic of boycott of Protestants has survived to this very day in Ireland.
Protestant Martyrs were branded with the Mark of the Beast before Execution.
Not only does Papal Rome, the Beast System of the Apocalypse have a distinguishing mark, it also has a name and a number. Thus we read:-
"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred, three score and six." Revelation 13:18