Participants: David Down
Series Code: DUTP
Program Code: DUTP000020
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00:01 Today we return to Rome visiting the Vatican; that small,
00:05 independent city-state of less than one square 00:08 kilometer in area. 00:11 This time David explains the prophecy of the man with the 00:14 mysterious number 666, and the woman adorned in 00:18 purple and scarlet. 01:00 Well, we are back at St. Peter's in Rome again today, and we're 01:04 looking at the Vatican, not so much as a religious 01:08 organization, but rather a political organization, 01:11 for that's what it is. 01:12 You see, around the wall, around the Vatican are walls, 01:16 and everything within that wall is a separate state. 01:18 It's just as much a different country to Italy as Australia 01:22 is from New Guinea, or the United State of America 01:25 is from South America. 01:27 It is an entirely separate country. 01:29 And the Pope is not only the head of the church, he is the 01:32 king of a country. 01:34 And he has Ambassadors in just about every major city and 01:39 country around the world. 01:40 And so this is a separate state. 01:42 It has its own Postal system; its own postage stamps. 01:46 It has its own radio, and it has its own police, and its own 01:50 Swiss guards. 01:51 In other words, it is just a separate state altogether. 01:55 And that is the way in which we want to look at it 01:59 in this program. 02:00 In Revelation 12:2 it says, the dragon gave him his power, 02:07 and his throne, and his great authority. 02:10 In other words Pagan Rome was to hand over its throne 02:13 and authority to Papal Rome. 02:15 This happened in the fifth century AD when the Roman 02:20 Emperors were obliged to the Papal Rome, and the vacuum was 02:23 filled by the Pope of Rome. 02:25 One of the titles of the Roman Emperor was Pontifix Maximus, 02:29 meaning Great Bridge or Great Head. 02:33 You will notice that above this door there is the same title 02:37 applied to the Pope of Rome: Pontifix Maximus. 02:47 I'm standing in front of the Church of St. John Lateryn 02:50 in Rome. 02:51 This is one of the oldest, very oldest churches in Christendom. 02:56 At the front of the church is an inscription which says that 03:00 this is the Mother and Head of all churches, which seems to 03:04 fit the prophecy very significantly. 03:07 This prophecy also speaks about this woman adorned in purple 03:11 and scarlet. 03:12 And these, of course, are the colors of the 03:14 Roman Catholic Church. 03:16 The cardinals wear scarlet, brilliant scarlet robes, 03:19 and the bishops wear purple. 03:22 Revelation 17:4 also says, the woman was arrayed in purple and 03:27 scarlet, and adorned with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. 03:32 Inside Saint Peters of Rome is a treasury and you've just got 03:38 to go in there to believe just some of the fabulous 03:41 treasures you see. 03:42 It really puts the crown jewels in London into the shade. 03:45 You see, whenever a Pope dies all his jewels, his crown, 03:50 his precious things are all stowed in the treasury. 03:53 They're not passed onto the next Pope. 03:54 The next Pope, of course, will have his own. 03:56 And so you've got all of these things. 03:58 And even what the visitor sees there is only the tip 04:00 of the iceberg. 04:01 It is just a fabulous treasury. 04:15 Now at the head of this church is a man. 04:17 And it says in Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. 04:23 Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the 04:26 beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is 666. 04:32 Now, it tells us here in the Bible that it is the number of 04:38 his name, or title that means. 04:40 Now the Pope of Rome has many titles, but one of them is 04:45 Vicar of the Son of God. 04:47 Now you know that Latin letters also have numerical value. 04:52 So it's just a matter of adding up the numbers in the title 04:58 that I'm referring to. 04:59 Now this title, Vicar of the Son of God, in Latin is written 05:04 this way: VICARI U, which is always a V in Latin, S. 05:16 Son of, FILll of God, DEl. 05:27 Now anyone reading Latin will see not only letters here, 05:30 but they'll see numbers, you see. 05:32 For instance, I think you know that V is 5, I is 1, C is 100, 05:38 A has no value, R. 05:40 This is 1. 05:41 V is 5, and S has no value. 05:46 So, what have we got here? 05:47 112; is that right? 05:50 112. 05:53 Over here is 1, and L is 50, and 1 and 1. 06:00 So what have we got here? 06:01 53. 06:03 Alright, you with me? 06:05 And D is 500, E is nothing, and I is 1. 06:10 So we have here 501. 06:14 Now putting them all together we've got 53 and 112. 06:21 And if you've got your calculators handy add it up. 06:24 And what have you got? 06:25 666! 06:29 The scripture says it is the number of the man, 06:32 and it's his title, or name, and it is 666. 06:38 In Revelation 17, and in verse 6, John says, And I saw the 06:46 woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood 06:50 of the martyrs of Jesus: And when I saw her, I marveled 06:54 with great amazement. 06:55 John just couldn't believe his eyes, to think that a professing 06:59 Christian church represented by the woman would be drunk with 07:04 the blood of God's saints. 07:05 But, of course, that's what happened. 07:07 Going into the Church of the Jesuits in Rome and there's a 07:11 large statue of the woman with hand upraised, and beneath 07:17 her, she's trampling on them, are the bodies of 07:20 Luther and Calvin. 07:22 Now these were great men of God who protested against the 07:26 abuses of the Roman Catholic Church. 07:27 And the church is depicted by herself as destroying them. 07:32 And that, of course, is what it has done to millions of the 07:35 martyrs of Jesus. 07:36 They have perished in terrible agony. 07:40 And no wonder John saw this woman drunken with the 07:44 blood of the saints. 07:45 In Revelation 17, and in verse 4 it says... the woman was 07:50 arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and 07:54 precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden 07:57 cup full of abominations. 08:00 Now what are the abominations that were in the golden cup? 08:04 Well, obviously, they are the false teachings of this church. 08:07 And what are they? 08:09 Well, I'll just mention a few. 08:10 Take, for instance, the question of salvation by works. 08:13 At St. John Laterin Church, just across the other side of the 08:18 road, you will find there what is known as Pilot's Staircase. 08:23 And there you will find people going up there on their knees. 08:27 Have you ever tried to walk up a staircase on your knees? 08:30 I suggest you try sometime. 08:31 It's a difficult thing. 08:32 And I respect the piety and the sincerity of people who do this, 08:38 but to me, it is a sad thing that they have lost sight of the 08:42 wonderful truth that great peace have they that keep 08:47 thy commandments, and the just shall live by faith. 08:51 And here are people trying to be justified by their good works. 08:56 Whatever their motive is, it's the wrong teaching. 09:00 And then there's the Confessional. 09:02 You know, it says over here in the book of Timothy, 1 Timothy 2 09:07 and in verse 5, There is one God, and one mediator between 09:11 God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 09:14 This is only one mediator and that is Jesus. 09:17 And so it is quite improper for a priest to mediate between 09:22 God and man, but that's what the Confessional is all about. 09:25 And then, of course, you've got the doctrine of the immortality 09:29 of the soul. 09:30 In Rome there is a church called the Church of the 09:34 Capuchin Fathers. 09:35 And there, inside are some very beautiful bones. 09:40 Actually there were 4,000 members of holy orders that were 09:45 buried there. 09:46 And then their bones were placed on the ceiling, on the walls, 09:50 all over the place, making all these beautiful designs. 09:52 And what was the idea? 09:54 In front of the altar of this church there is an inscription 09:58 which says: dust, ashes, nothing. 10:03 And that's the concept of this present real life. 10:08 It all ends. 10:09 And the concentration is on the immortality of the soul. 10:12 This is a wrong doctrine. 10:14 It's based on tradition and certainly not on the Bible. 10:18 But then, of course, you've got Sunday keeping which is 10:22 certainly not supported by the Bible. 10:23 So here in this golden cup are all these false teachings. 10:29 Now it says here in Revelation 17, and in verse 5, 10:33 And upon her forehead a name was written, MYSTERY, BABYLON 10:36 THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS... 10:38 So this is the mother church. 10:40 ...AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 10:44 Alright now, if this is the mother church, who are these 10:46 daughters that are mentioned here? 10:48 Well, wouldn't I be justified in saying that these daughters 10:53 would be any church that follow the teachings of Rome contrary 10:57 to the Bible? 10:59 Isn't that fair enough? 11:00 I think so. 11:01 So what does the divine message have to say about this? 11:05 In Revelation 18, and in verse 1 it says, After these things I 11:10 saw another angel coming down from heaven having great 11:13 authority; the earth was illuminated with his glory. 11:16 And he cried mightily with a loud voice saying, 11:18 Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen... 11:21 I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, 11:24 my people... 11:25 Now God has many of his own dear children in these churches; 11:31 in the Roman Catholic Church, and in those churches who follow 11:34 her teachings. 11:35 They are His people, but he says, Come out of her my people. 11:39 Now, if they come out of that woman, where do they go? 11:43 Well, they go to the other woman of Revelation 12, 11:46 the woman who keeps the commandments of God, 11:49 and has the testimony of Jesus Christ. 11:51 And that, I believe, is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 11:55 Now, if you attended a Seventh-day Adventist Church 11:59 what would you expect to find? 12:08 Sabbath School usually begins at 9:30 a. m. and consists of 12:12 Bible classes for both adults and for children. 12:15 And the children just love it! 12:17 It's like Sunday School. 12:27 Most churches commence their church service at 11:00 o'clock, 12:31 and it includes the preaching of the Bible. 12:45 Some churches have a fellowship lunch following 12:48 the church service, and it's a great way to make new friends. 12:56 Where would you find a Seventh-day Adventist Church 12:59 in your town? 13:01 Well, you could look in the phone book under 13:03 Seventh-day Adventist Churches, or in your street directory 13:06 where all the different churches are listed. 13:09 If you have a friend or a neighbor who is a Seventh-day 13:12 Adventist, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to tell you 13:15 where their nearest church is. 13:17 I know that you'll find a warm and friendly welcome waiting 13:20 for you there. |
Revised 2014-12-17