Participants:
Series Code: TPP
Program Code: TPP000018A
|
00:11 Welcome back.
00:13 Have you been enjoying our study together? 00:16 Praise the Lord. 00:18 Well, we're gonna do part two 00:21 of the subject "A Judas in the church." 00:26 Sounds kind of strange doesn't it, 00:27 Judas in the church? 00:29 This presentation is quite long. 00:33 I'm gonna do my best to cover all the material. 00:35 We might have to synthesize some things. 00:38 But let's attempt to do as much as we can. 00:42 But before we do, we wanna pray. 00:44 Father in heaven, as we study part two 00:47 of this very important subject, A Judas in the Church, 00:51 we ask for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit 00:53 and the willingness to embrace the truth 00:56 as you express it in Your Word. 00:59 Thank You Father 01:00 for the promise of Your presence, 01:01 we claim that promise in the precious name of Jesus, 01:05 amen. 01:08 In our first study together, 01:09 we discussed the emergence of the man of sin. 01:13 We noticed that the spirit of the Antichrist 01:16 was already manifesting itself 01:18 in the days of the Apostle Paul. 01:21 It was already operational, 01:23 but it was under the radar. 01:27 It could not be openly seen. 01:29 But the Apostle Paul was saying that the time would come 01:33 when that which was concealed 01:35 even in his day would be revealed. 01:40 Now the question is, 01:41 why didn't this man of sin manifest himself 01:45 openly in the days of the Apostle Paul? 01:49 Well, 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 01:53 tell us why this man of sin did not manifest himself openly 01:59 but his spirit was already wanting to manifest itself 02:03 in the days of the Apostle Paul. 02:05 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 02:07 tells us that something was restraining the man of sin. 02:12 Someone was restraining this man of sin 02:16 from being able to openly reveal himself. 02:20 It says in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, 02:24 the Apostle Paul says to Thessalonians, 02:26 "And now you know what is restraining", 02:30 by the way that is neuter in Greek. 02:32 It's something not someone at this point. 02:36 So it says now you know what is restraining that he, 02:42 now this is masculine, 02:45 masculine, he, individual, 02:47 "That he may be revealed in his own time." 02:51 So you notice there's something that was restraining, 02:55 what? 02:57 And there was someone that was restraining, 02:59 who? 03:00 It continues saying in verse 7, the Apostle Paul, 03:03 "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work." 03:07 See, it was already at work in his day. 03:10 Only he who now restraints, 03:14 which we notice that it's a what as well, 03:16 it's a he and a what, that's important. 03:19 He who now restrains 03:22 will do so until he is what? 03:26 Is taken out of the way. 03:29 So in other words, there was something 03:30 in the days of the Apostle Paul 03:32 that was restraining this man of sin 03:35 from openly manifesting himself. 03:39 It was a what, 03:41 and it was a he and the question is, 03:44 what was it? 03:46 The bottom line folks is that at this time, 03:50 the Roman emperors, 03:53 this is the he, ruled over the Roman empire 03:59 and the man of sin could not occupy the throne 04:03 of the empire 04:04 unless the one who occupied the throne at that time 04:08 would be removed first. 04:11 So that he is the emperor 04:14 and the what was restraining was what? 04:18 Was the empire over which the emperor ruled. 04:22 Romans 13:4 is a very important verse, 04:26 it speaks about who was ruling at that time. 04:29 Here the Apostle Paul says, 04:32 for he, speaking about the Roman empire, 04:35 he's speaking about the emperor 04:37 but he's not talking about one specific emperor, 04:39 he's talking about a succession of emperors. 04:42 He says, "For he is God's minister 04:45 to you for good. 04:47 But if you do evil, be afraid for he," 04:50 that is the civil authority, 04:51 "does not bear the sword in vain. 04:54 For he", the civil authority, "is God's minister, 04:57 an avenger to execute wrath on him 05:00 who practices evil." 05:02 Now when it says that he executes, 05:04 you know, wrath on him who practices evil. 05:09 Is the word him they're referring to one individual? 05:13 No, it means to whoever practices evil. 05:16 So when it says here 05:17 that he is God's minister for your good, 05:22 he does not bear the sword in vain, 05:24 It's not talking about specific individual, 05:26 it's talking about all of the emperor's of Rome 05:30 that bear the sword to preserve the civil order. 05:34 Now the question is, 05:36 what is it that release the man of sin? 05:39 What is it that took away the restraint 05:41 from the man of sin, 05:43 so the man of sin could openly reveal himself, 05:46 come from under the radar, and openly proclaim himself? 05:52 The answer is found in Daniel 7:23-24, 05:57 the prophecy to which the Apostle Paul is referring. 06:00 Daniel 7:23-24, 06:04 "Thus he said, 06:06 'The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, 06:10 which shall be different from all other kingdoms, 06:12 and shall devour the whole earth trample it, 06:15 and break it in pieces.'" 06:17 Which kingdom is that? 06:19 The Roman empire. 06:21 Was that the empire that was ruling in Paul's day? 06:23 Yes. 06:25 So is Daniel 7:23 on the same page 06:29 as 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2, same time frame? 06:33 Absolutely. 06:34 But now notice what was gonna happen to the empire. 06:36 It says in verse 24, 06:38 "The ten horns are ten kings or kingdoms 06:41 that shall arise from this kingdom." 06:44 In other words, 06:45 the fourth empire was going to be what? 06:47 Was going to be divided 06:50 and when the empire was divided, 06:52 it says, "And another shall rise after them." 06:56 So in other words, a little horn 06:59 does not specifically exist in the days of Paul 07:02 but it's going to rise 07:04 after the Roman empire is dismembered. 07:06 Are you with me or not? 07:08 So it says, "Another will rise after them, 07:12 he shall be different from the first ones 07:14 and shall subdue three kings." 07:16 So you have the Roman empire, 07:17 which was the empire that ruled in the days of Paul, 07:21 later than that, 07:22 ten kingdoms would come from this empire. 07:25 In other words, the empire would be divided 07:27 and then after the division of the empire, 07:30 you would have the rise of the little horn, 07:32 which is the man of sin, or the Antichrist. 07:36 Now I wanna read an interesting statement 07:39 that we find here 07:42 in the Catechetical lectures of the Nicene 07:46 and Post-Nicene Fathers. 07:48 This is a comment by an individual 07:52 called Cyril of Jerusalem. 07:54 He was an early church Father. 07:55 He lived from 318 to 386 A.D. 07:58 He understood this prophecy 08:00 because he was living in the time 08:01 of the fragmentation of the Roman empire. 08:03 Notice how precise he was, 08:06 "But this aforesaid Antichrist is to come 08:11 when the times of the Roman empire 08:13 shall have been fulfilled, 08:16 and the end of the world is drawing near." 08:17 So he didn't know that history was gonna go on 08:19 for 2000 years like we already noticed. 08:22 "There shall rise up together ten kings of the Romans, 08:27 reigning in different parts perhaps, 08:30 but all about the same time 08:33 and after those an eleventh, the Antichrist, 08:38 who by his magical craft 08:40 shall seize upon the Roman power, 08:44 and of the kings who reigned before him, 08:47 three shall he humble and the remaining seven, 08:51 he shall keep in subjection to himself.'" 08:55 Did he have it straight? 08:56 You better believe he had a straight 08:58 and he was living during that period. 09:01 By the way, the Book of Revelation 09:03 describes this transfer of power 09:06 from the dragon which is the fourth beast 09:09 to the beast, which is Papal Rome. 09:12 Let's read roman chapter 09:16 Revelation 13:2, 09:19 now the beast which is a symbol of the papacy, 09:21 that ruled 42 months, 09:23 "Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, 09:26 his feet were like the feet of a bear, 09:29 his mouth like the mouth of a lion. 09:31 The dragon, which has been identified 09:33 in the previous chapter as the Roman empire 09:35 that tried to kill the child, remember? 09:38 That's the Roman empire. 09:39 So it says here, the dragon gave him, 09:43 that is the beast, the papacy, 09:45 his what? 09:46 His power, what else? 09:48 His throne and what else? 09:51 Great authority. 09:52 So was the beast that came from the sea 09:55 going to receive power 09:57 from the dragon or the Roman empire? 09:59 Absolutely. 10:01 Notice Ellen White's comment on this, 10:03 Great Controversy page 54, 10:05 Great Controversy page 54, Ellen White states, 10:09 "In the sixth century 10:11 the papacy had become firmly established. 10:14 Its seat of power was fixed in the imperial city, 10:18 and the bishop of Rome was declared to be the head 10:21 over the entire church. 10:24 Paganism had given place to the papacy. 10:28 When she's speaking about paganism, 10:29 she's talking about the Roman empire. 10:31 Paganism had given place to the papacy 10:34 and then she quotes Revelation 13:2, 10:36 "The dragon had given to the beast, 10:38 his power and his seat and great authority," 10:42 and now began the 1260 years of papal oppression 10:47 foretold in the prophecies 10:49 of Daniel and the Revelation. 10:53 So the question is, 10:55 who was it that was restraining the manifestation 10:58 of the papacy as the Antichrist? 11:01 It was the Roman empire. 11:03 As long as the empire stood, 11:07 the man of sin could not rule 11:10 but once the empire and the emperor would remove, 11:14 were removed, 11:16 then this man of sin could rise to rule himself. 11:21 Now, let me give you a little bit of history. 11:24 In the year 330 A.D., 11:27 Emperor Constantine moved the seat of the Roman empire 11:32 to Constantinople. 11:34 Today, it's Istanbul. 11:37 And thus, the political power of the west 11:40 was greatly weakened. 11:43 In fact, around the end of the fourth 11:46 and early fifth centuries, 11:48 not only that Constantine 11:50 had Constantine removed the empire, 11:52 the seat of the empire to Constantinople in the east, 11:56 but also at the end of the fourth 11:57 and early fifth centuries, 11:59 hordes of barbarian tribes from the north 12:03 invaded what had been the Roman empire 12:06 and carved it up into pieces. 12:09 In the year 476, 12:10 the last Roman emperor was deposed from Rome. 12:15 His name was Romulus Augustulus. 12:19 Thus there was no longer an emperor 12:22 in the Western Roman empire. 12:26 The man of sin could now rise to occupy the throne. 12:31 I wanna read you from a historian. 12:34 This is a historian that describes this period. 12:39 You can find the reference when we do the DVDs, 12:41 you're gonna find all of these quotations 12:43 on the screen even though we don't have them here. 12:45 This is what this historian has to say. 12:48 "When the insignificant Romulus Augustulus was deposed in 476, 12:54 there was no longer a titular emperor. 12:58 In other words, there was no longer an emperor. 13:01 Now what happened as a result? 13:03 As a result without an emperor, 13:05 the Roman empire became a mess. 13:09 Civil society fell apart, 13:13 the abandonment of Rome 13:15 by Constantine to Constantinople 13:18 and the deposition of the emperor in the West 13:24 turned the empire upside down 13:26 because it no longer had a civil ruler. 13:29 In this chaotic situation, 13:33 the Bishop of Rome 13:34 was enticed by the barbarian tribes, 13:38 to not only rule over them in religious affairs 13:41 but to rule over them in spiritual affairs as well. 13:46 And thus the Bishop of Rome, which today we call the pope 13:49 now is not only the civil ruler 13:52 to bring order in what had been the Roman empire, 13:55 but it also is the ruler in religious affairs. 13:59 Let me read you the description 14:01 that is given by a Roman Catholic Cardinal, 14:03 one of those Cardinals 14:05 that abandon the Catholic Church. 14:07 They were Anglicans 14:08 and they became Roman Catholics 14:10 and they were given the Cardinal's hat. 14:12 One of them was John Henry Newman. 14:14 You remember we mentioned him, 14:15 the other one was John Henry Manning, 14:18 and I want you to notice what he had to say. 14:20 This is not a Protestant scholar, 14:22 this is not me, it's him about what happened 14:25 when the barbarians invaded the empire 14:27 and how the barbarians asked the pope 14:30 to take over the civil ruler ship 14:33 and not only the religious ruler ship. 14:35 This is what he wrote, 14:37 "But from the hour when Constantine, 14:40 in the language of the Roman law, 14:43 'Deo jubente,' by the command of God," 14:47 listen carefully, 14:48 "translated the seat of power to Constantinople, 14:53 from that moment, 14:55 there never reigned in Rome, 14:57 a temporal prince to whom the Bishops of Rome 15:01 owed a permanent allegiance. 15:05 James P. Conroy, 15:07 another historian describes it this way, 15:10 "Long ages ago, 15:12 when Rome through the neglect of the Western emperors 15:17 was left to the mercy of the barbarous hordes, 15:21 the Romans turned to one figure for aid and protection, 15:25 and asked him to rule," asked him to rule over them. 15:29 "And thus, in this simple matter, 15:32 the best title of all to kingly right, 15:35 commenced the temporal sovereignty of the popes." 15:38 See, the barbarians asked him to rule over them. 15:42 He continues saying, listen carefully, 15:46 "And meekly stepping to the throne of Caesar, 15:50 the vicar of Christ, or the vicar of Christ 15:54 took up the scepter 15:56 to which the emperors and kings of Europe 15:59 were to bow in reverence through so many ages. 16:04 Here's another one from another historian, 16:07 Carl Conrad Eckhardt, 16:10 he wrote, 16:11 and he's recognizing the three stages of Rome here, 16:16 "Under the popes, 16:21 the popes had no temporal powers," 16:22 is what he says, 16:24 "But when the Roman empire had disintegrated," 16:27 that's the second stage, 16:30 "and its place had been taken by a number of rude, 16:33 barbarous kingdoms, 16:35 the Roman Catholic Church," stage number three, 16:37 "the Roman Catholic Church 16:39 not only became independent of the states 16:41 in religious affairs, 16:43 but dominated secular affairs as well." 16:47 These are not Adventist historians. 16:51 Let me read you another statement, 16:53 R.W. Southern, 16:54 Western Society in the church in the Middle ages. 16:56 This is very interesting, he says, 16:58 "During the whole medieval period 17:00 there was in Rome, 17:02 a single spiritual and temporal authority, 17:07 exercising powers which in the end 17:11 exceeded those that had ever lain within the grasp 17:15 of the Roman emperor." 17:17 Here's another one from John N. Figgis. 17:20 This is an interesting statement. 17:22 He says, "In the Middle Ages the church was not a state, 17:26 it was the state or rather, the civil authority 17:32 was merely the police department of the Church." 17:36 Are you catching the picture? 17:38 Who had risen to the throne 17:40 to rule not only in religious affairs 17:43 but in political affairs? 17:44 The Bishop of Rome, who is called the pope today. 17:49 In 1302, Pope Boniface VII 17:53 wrote a very interesting bull. 17:56 By the way, the word bull, 17:58 means a personal letter of the pope. 18:00 So in 1302, Pope Boniface VIII writes a letter, 18:06 a bull and the title of the bull 18:08 is Unam Sanctam, in Latin, 18:12 and this is what he wrote, 18:14 "We are informed by the texts of the gospels 18:19 that in this Roman Catholic Church 18:22 and in its power are two swords." 18:26 So the Catholic Church, he says, 18:27 has how many swords? 18:29 Two swords, 18:31 "Namely, the spiritual and the temporal. 18:36 Both, therefore, are in the power of the church, 18:39 that is to say, the spiritual and the material sword, 18:43 but the former, that is the spiritual, 18:45 by the way, it's the Bible, 18:48 but the former is to be administered for the church. 18:53 But the latter that is the temporal, 18:54 the civil Bible Church, 18:57 the former that is the spiritual 18:59 in the hands of the priest, 19:01 the latter by the hands of the kings and soldiers, 19:05 but at the will and sufferance of the priest. 19:11 Are you catching the picture? 19:14 Cardinal Manning, you got to listen to this statement. 19:18 You remember that the Antichrist, 19:22 the man of sin was restrained right? 19:25 He was, in other words, he was bound 19:28 by the Roman empire. 19:30 Now listen to this statement 19:32 by this Roman Catholic Cardinal, 19:34 "Now the abandonment of Rome 19:36 was the liberation of the pontiffs." 19:41 He doesn't know he's commenting on 2 Thessalonians 2. 19:45 The abandonment of Rome 19:47 was the liberation of the pontiffs. 19:49 Whatsoever claims to obedience the emperors may have made 19:54 and whatsoever compliance the pontiff may have yielded, 19:58 the whole previous relation, 20:00 anomalous and anulled again and again 20:03 by the vices and outrages of the emperors, 20:06 was finally dissolved by a higher power. 20:10 The providence of God, listen carefully, 20:12 the providence of God permitted a succession of eruptions, 20:16 Gothic, Lombard, and Hungarian, to desolate Italy, 20:20 and to efface from it every remnant of the empire." 20:26 Now listen carefully, 20:27 "The pontiffs found themselves alone, 20:31 the soul or the only fountains 20:34 of order, peace, law, and safety. 20:38 And from the hour of this providential Liberation", 20:42 liberation from what? 20:44 From the Roman empire. 20:46 "From this providential liberation, 20:49 when, by divine intervention 20:52 that chains fell off 20:54 from the hands of the successor of Peter." 20:58 Are you catching the picture? 21:01 So what happens when the emperor is removed? 21:03 The barbarians carve up, 21:05 you know, society, it becomes a mess. 21:08 And so now the pope steps to the throne of Caesar. 21:11 How does he describe this? 21:12 He says the chains fell off. 21:15 What to chains do? 21:17 They restrain. 21:18 And he speaks of providential liberation. 21:21 So it says, "When, by a divine intervention, 21:23 the chains fell off 21:25 from the hands of the successor of Peter, 21:27 as once before his own, from his own, 21:30 no sovereign has ever reigned in Rome 21:33 except the Vicar of Jesus Christ." 21:37 Here's another statement by Manning, 21:40 "The papacy waited 21:42 until such a time as God should break its bonds asunder, 21:47 and should liberate it 21:48 from subjection to civil powers, 21:51 and then enthrone it in the possession 21:53 of a temporal sovereignty of its own." 21:57 Notice once again, the terminology, 22:00 break its bonds, 22:02 liberated from subjection to civil powers 22:06 and enthrone it 22:07 with a temporal sovereignty of its own. 22:11 He's commenting on the restrainer 22:14 and the man of sin, 22:16 who when the chains fall off, 22:18 he openly manifest himself. 22:20 Now Manning is saying 22:22 that when the emperor Constantine 22:24 moved the seat of the empire to Constantinople 22:28 and the barbarians carved up the Roman empire, 22:32 there was a vacuum in the civil authority. 22:37 And so the barbarians asked the Bishop of Rome, 22:40 not only to rule in religious affairs, 22:42 but to rule also in civil affairs. 22:46 And Manning describes this 22:48 as breaking bonds asunder 22:52 and the chains falling off. 22:56 Let me read you a comment by Albert Barnes. 22:59 Albert Barnes was a Bible Commentary, 23:02 commentator, a very famous Bible Commentary commentator, 23:07 and he wrote the following about this restrainer 23:10 and the manifestation of the man of sin. 23:13 He says, "The supposition 23:15 which will best suit this language is, 23:18 that there was then some civil restraint, 23:22 preventing the development of existing corruptions, 23:26 but that there would be a removal 23:28 or withdrawal of that restraint 23:31 and that then, 23:33 the tendency of the existing corruptions will be seen. 23:37 It is evident as Oldshausen remarks, 23:41 that this resisting or restraining power 23:44 must be something out of the church 23:47 and distinguished 23:49 from the anti-Christian tendency itself. 23:52 It is necessary therefore, to understand this, 23:55 of the restraints of civil power. 23:58 Was there, then, any fact in history 24:00 which will accord with this interpretation?" 24:02 He asks, 24:04 "The belief among primitive Christians 24:06 was that what hindered the rise of the man of sin 24:10 was the Roman empire, 24:12 and therefore 'they prayed for its peace and welfare 24:16 as knowing that when the Roman empire 24:19 should be dissolved and broken in pieces, 24:21 the empire of the man of sin will be raised on its ruins.'" 24:26 So they prayed to Lord, preserve the Roman empire 24:29 because when it falls apart, 24:31 the man of sin is gonna be revealed. 24:33 The early Fathers believed that. 24:35 Now let me read you 24:36 what Ellen White has to say 24:39 about the removal of the restraint. 24:42 In Great Controversy page 49, she wrote, 24:45 "The spirit of compromise and conformity," 24:49 she's speaking about the early church, 24:51 "was restrained," 24:54 was what? 24:56 "Restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions 25:00 which the church endured under paganism." 25:02 When she says paganism, it's the Roman empire. 25:05 Then she says, "But as persecution ceased, 25:09 and Christianity entered the courts 25:11 and palaces of kings," 25:14 see, involved in the civil ruler ship of the nation, 25:17 she says, "She laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ 25:19 and His apostles for the pomp and pride 25:22 of pagan priests and rulers, 25:24 and in place of the requirements of God, 25:26 she substituted human theories and traditions." 25:31 She also wrote in Manuscript Releases Volume 1, page 50, 25:35 "The vast empire of Rome crumbled to pieces, 25:39 and from its ruins rose that mighty power, 25:42 the Roman Catholic Church. 25:45 This church boasts of her infallibility 25:48 and her hereditary religion. 25:52 Now let's read once again, 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 25:56 and try and make some sense out of this 25:58 in the light of what we've already read. 26:02 The Apostle Paul says, 26:04 "And now you know what is restraining," 26:09 according to what we're studying, 26:10 what is it that was restraining?" 26:13 The empire, what? 26:16 And then he says, 26:18 "That he may be revealed in his own time." 26:21 That's the Antichrist, 26:23 "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, 26:26 only he, which would be the emperor, 26:29 but it's not one emperor, it's a succession of emperor's 26:32 as we've noticed the meaning of the word he, 26:34 but only he who now restrains 26:38 will do so until when? 26:40 Until he is taken out of the away. 26:42 So was the papacy taken out of the away? 26:45 Was the Roman empire taken out of the away 26:47 by the barbarians? 26:48 Absolutely. 26:50 Now, some people say, "Well, 26:51 why didn't the Apostle Paul just come right out and say, 26:54 you know, the Roman empire is gonna be removed 26:56 and that the Antichrist will be manifested. 27:00 Well, it's quite obvious that if Paul had told 27:04 the church members 27:05 that the Roman empire was gonna be removed 27:08 and replaced by the papacy, 27:10 he would be accused of sedition against the Roman empire. 27:14 The Roman emperors would say, What do you mean 27:16 that we kind of be removed, 27:18 and somebody else is gonna rule the empire. 27:20 And so he had to speak in an indirect way. 27:24 He says, "You know what is restraining, 27:28 you know, who is restraining 27:30 and you know, that when that restraint was removed, 27:33 the man of sin will manifest himself, 27:35 but it doesn't come right out and say 27:38 that Rome is going to be removed, 27:40 because if he said that, 27:41 he would be accused of sedition. 27:45 Incidentally, the way futurists interpret 27:50 this restrainer is they say 27:53 that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit. 27:56 And when the Holy Spirit is removed, 27:59 then the man of sin can manifest himself. 28:02 Even the Andrews University study Bible 28:04 says that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit. 28:07 I believe that what the early church Fathers believed 28:11 was much more accurate. 28:13 In fact, let's read some statements 28:14 from the early church Fathers 28:16 who lived slightly before the Roman empire fell apart, 28:21 and some of them at the time 28:23 that the Roman empire was falling apart. 28:25 Let's begin with Tertullian. 28:28 He lived it from the year 160 to the year to 240 A.D. 28:33 This is what he wrote, 28:35 "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work. 28:39 Only he who now hinders must hinder, 28:43 until he be taken out of the way." 28:45 And now comes his interpretation. 28:48 What obstacle is there but the Roman state, 28:52 the falling away of which, 28:55 by being scattered into ten kingdoms, 28:57 shall introduce Antichrist upon its own ruins?' 29:02 And then shall be revealed the wicked one.'" 29:05 Did you have it clear, 29:07 the meaning of his prophecy? 29:09 He most certainly did. 29:10 Tertullian also wrote the following, 29:13 "The end of all things 29:16 threatening dreadful woes 29:19 is only retarded by the continued existence 29:23 of the Roman empire." 29:26 Lactantius, 29:28 one of the Church Fathers wrote in the fourth century, 29:31 the following words, 29:33 "The subject itself declares 29:35 that the fall and ruin of the world 29:38 will certainly take place, 29:41 except that while the city of Rome remains, 29:45 it appears that nothing of this kind is to be feared." 29:50 You understand that? 29:52 Continues writing, 29:53 "But when the capital of the world shall have fallen, 29:58 and shall have begun to be a street, 30:00 which the Sibyls say shall come to pass, 30:03 who can doubt that the end has now arrived 30:05 to the affairs of men and the whole world? 30:08 It is that city, 30:10 that only, 30:12 which still sustains all things." 30:16 Let me read what Ambrose had to say, 30:18 another early church father. 30:19 He died in the year 398A.D. 30:22 This is near the time 30:23 when the barbarians are invading the empire 30:26 and carving it up. 30:28 He wrote the following, 30:29 "After the falling or decay of the Roman empire, 30:35 Antichrist will appear." 30:38 Let me read you what Chrysostom had to say. 30:40 He died in the year 407A.D, 30:43 this is what he wrote, 30:45 "When the Roman empire is taken out of the way, 30:49 then he shall come." 30:51 That is the Antichrist. 30:52 "And naturally, 30:54 for as long as the fear of this empire lasts, 30:58 no one will willingly exalt himself." 31:02 That's why Paul didn't say it's the Roman empire 31:04 because if he says that he's accused of sedition, 31:08 and it shortens his ministry. 31:10 He continues writing, 31:14 "And naturally, 31:15 for as long as the fear of this empire lasts, 31:17 no one will willingly exalt himself, 31:20 but when that is dissolved, 31:21 in other words, when the empire is dissolved, 31:24 he will attack the anarchy, 31:25 and endeavor to seize upon the government 31:28 both of man and of God. 31:31 Is that what happened with the papacy? 31:33 Did they take over the government of man 31:34 besides the government of God? 31:37 Absolutely. 31:38 Notice what Jerome had to say. 31:40 He's the one who translated 31:41 the vulgate version of the Bible, 31:44 which is the official Roman Catholic version 31:46 of the Bible for the vulgate. 31:48 He died in the year 420 A.D, he wrote this, 31:51 "He that letteth," that's the word 31:53 that's used in the King James for restrain. 31:56 "He that letteth is taken out of the way, 32:00 and yet we do not realize that Antichrist is near." 32:03 He lived when the barbarians were invading the empire. 32:06 He's said it's happening. 32:08 He's saying that you know, the empire is falling, 32:12 and we do not realize 32:15 that the Antichrist has come 32:18 or in the process of coming. 32:20 Are you understanding 32:21 what the early church Fathers are saying? 32:24 They're saying that what restrains 32:26 is the emperor and the empire 32:30 but when the last emperor is deposed, 32:33 when the seat of the empire is moved to Constantinople, 32:36 and society is a disaster, 32:39 they need a civil ruler and not only religious ruler. 32:43 And so now, 32:44 the restrainer haven't been taken out of the way, 32:48 the Bishop of Rome can come 32:50 and occupy the throne that was left vacant. 32:53 Now let's go to 2 Thessalonians 2:6, 32:56 is this making sense? 32:58 Yes? 32:59 Is it historical? 33:01 You can go to the history books and read it. 33:04 2 Thessalonians 2:6, 33:07 the Apostle Paul says, 33:08 "And now you know what is restraining, 33:11 that he may be revealed 33:13 in his own time." 33:18 Was there a specific point of time 33:20 when this antichrist was going to begin his rule? 33:23 Yes. 33:25 What time would be referred to here? 33:28 The 1260 years. 33:31 Is that a specific time prophecy 33:33 of the period in which this power would rule? 33:37 538 to 1798. 33:39 In other words, what Paul is saying 33:41 is this Antichrist system 33:44 is gonna rise at the specific time 33:46 in which God placed on his calendar, 33:50 not before and not after, 33:52 he will rise in his own time. 33:55 And then in Chapter 2, verse 7, 33:58 he says, "For the mystery of lawlessness 34:00 is already at work." 34:02 So in his day, 34:04 the Antichrist spirit was already at work. 34:07 Only He, this is the emperor or the succession of emperors, 34:11 "Who now restrains will do so until he," 34:15 that is a succession of emperors, 34:17 "is taken out of the way." 34:23 However 2 Thessalonians 2 is not the end of the story. 34:29 We now need to go beyond 2 Thessalonians 2. 34:33 You see, the Apostle Paul only describes 34:37 the first stage of the Antichrist system. 34:41 The stage where the Roman empire 34:44 is taken out of the way, 34:45 the emperor was taken out of the way, 34:47 the emperor that was ruling 34:49 goes to the east against to Constantinople, 34:52 the barbarians carve up the empire, 34:54 the Bishop of Rome steps to the throne. 34:57 He becomes Caesar as many writers say, 35:00 he occupies the throne of Caesar. 35:03 He rises in his own time and rules for 1260 years. 35:08 That is the perspective that the Apostle Paul gives. 35:10 But he hints at the fact 35:13 that there's gonna be another stage to this power. 35:16 Because this power is destroyed 35:18 by the brightness of Christ's coming, 35:22 which means that this power is going not only to exist 35:25 in the days when it rises to the throne in 538, 35:29 but it is going to rule till the very end of time. 35:34 Now, Paul does not specifically discuss 35:37 the second stage of this Antichrist. 35:42 So we need to go beyond this. 35:47 As far as we know, 35:50 the papacy and this is, 35:53 I shouldn't say as far as we know, 35:56 we know that the papacy ruled from 538 to 1798. 36:01 In 1798, the papacy received a deadly wound. 36:06 Many people misunderstand what the deadly wound is. 36:10 They say, well, the deadly wound 36:11 is that the papacy was, 36:13 you know, the Roman Catholic Church 36:15 was going to cease to exist. 36:17 Well, the Roman Catholic Church didn't cease to exist in 1798. 36:21 Did people still take their children to mosque? 36:24 Did they still baptize them? 36:26 Did they still go to the confession room? 36:29 Did they still participate in the Eucharist? 36:31 Absolutely. 36:33 The Catholic Church didn't disappear in 1798. 36:37 What the deadly wound 36:38 was that the civil authority of the papacy 36:42 was removed by France. 36:44 France said "You're not going to rule 36:47 civilly anymore. 36:50 You can be a spiritual ruler but not a civil ruler. 36:54 In other words, that deadly wound 36:55 the Bible says was given to the papacy with the sword 36:59 that the papacy used to kill with. 37:01 He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. 37:06 Now, what does the sword represent? 37:08 Well, people say this sword represents the Bible. 37:11 But in this case, that can't represent the Bible. 37:15 Because the papacy didn't use the Bible to kill people. 37:18 And the very sword that the papacy used to kill 37:21 was the sword 37:23 that was gonna give the papacy its deadly would. 37:24 So the sword must represent something else in this context. 37:29 In Romans Chapter 13, 37:30 we see that it's the civil power 37:32 that has the sword. 37:34 In other words, in 1798, 37:35 France took away the sword from the papacy, 37:37 they said, "You're not gonna use the civil powers 37:39 of the world anymore. 37:43 You can be a ruler of the church, 37:45 but you're not gonna be able to use the states 37:47 to accomplish your purposes." 37:49 That is the deadly wound. 37:52 So let me ask you. 37:53 Was the papacy 37:55 put under restraint again in 1798? 38:01 Do you know what Revelation calls that? 38:03 The deadly wound. 38:08 Was the papacy restrained 38:10 from using the civil power in 1798? 38:13 Absolutely. 38:14 Has the papacy been under restraint 38:17 ever since then? 38:21 Pretty much so. 38:22 Let me read you some statements 38:24 from the writings of Ellen White 38:26 where we are told that the papacy now is inactive 38:32 and when you say inactive, 38:34 well, the pope is traveling here, there and everywhere. 38:36 Yes, but the papacy is not able to persecute 38:38 like it did in the past. 38:40 Why? 38:41 Because in the past, they used the civil powers to persecute, 38:46 but in 1798 the civil power was removed from it, 38:49 the sword was removed from it. 38:51 And not until it recovers a sword, 38:53 will it be able to behave as it did in the past? 38:56 Are you understanding me? 38:58 Let me read you some statements from the Spirit of Prophecy, 39:02 "The influence of Rome 39:04 in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion." 39:10 There in the 1260 years, 39:12 is still far from being destroyed 39:15 and prophecy foretells a restoration of her power." 39:20 Then she quotes, 39:22 I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, 39:25 and his deadly wound was healed: 39:26 and all the world wondered after the beast." 39:31 So does the beast have two stages of dominion? 39:34 Yes, 1260 years 39:36 when the civil power is taken away, 39:38 and now it can use the civil power to persecute 39:41 and to do what it wants. 39:44 The power is removed in 1798. 39:48 In other words, the shackles are put back on. 39:51 The papacy is thrown into prison so to speak. 39:55 And as a result, 39:56 the papacy cannot use the civil powers of the world. 40:00 But Revelation and Ellen White 40:02 tells us that the papacy will recover 40:06 the power they lost. 40:08 Who is gonna return the sword to the papacy? 40:12 The United States of America. 40:14 Has the deadly wound been healed yet? 40:17 No, the deadly wound is healed 40:19 when the papacy has the sword again, 40:22 the sword of civil power. 40:24 And the Bible tells us that the United States 40:26 is gonna be the nation 40:27 that will first return the sword to the papacy, 40:30 and Ellen White states that every country on the globe 40:33 will follow the example of the United States. 40:36 That's why Pope Francis is so intent 40:39 on getting the support of the rulers of the world 40:41 by using the talking points that they like. 40:45 Climate change, poverty, immigration, 40:51 those are the topics that the civil rulers enjoy. 40:55 This pope doesn't talk about euthanasia, 40:58 and about abortion, and about gay marriage. 41:02 In fact, when they asked him about gay marriage, 41:04 he says, "Who am I to judge?" 41:07 You remember that? 41:08 Those talking points, civil rulers don't like those. 41:12 But they love it when you talk about poverty, 41:15 when you talk about immigration and about climate change. 41:19 He wants to earn the support 41:21 of the civil powers of the world, 41:23 beginning with the United States. 41:24 The only problem is Donald Trump 41:26 was a bump in the road 41:29 because he's totally opposite 41:30 of the pope in every particular. 41:33 I believe God has given us time. 41:36 God is saying, "Get down to business 41:38 and tell people about this." 41:42 Another statement by Ellen White, 41:44 volume five of the Testimonies, page 712. 41:48 She says, "When our nation 41:49 shall so abjure the principles of its government 41:53 as to enact a Sunday law, 41:56 Protestantism will in this act 42:00 join hands with popery," 42:02 and listen carefully now, 42:04 "it will be nothing else 42:07 than giving life to the tyranny." 42:11 Why would you have to give life to the tyranny? 42:15 You only give life to that which is dead, hello. 42:19 That's talking of the dead, healing of the wound. 42:22 "Giving life to the tyranny 42:25 which has long been eagerly watching 42:28 its opportunity to spring again into active despotism." 42:33 Spring again means 42:34 the deadly wound will be healed. 42:37 In another statement, Signs of the Times, page, 42:40 actually June 12, 1893. 42:42 She wrote, "Protestants will throw 42:44 their whole influence 42:46 and strength on the side of the papacy 42:48 by a national act," by the way, that's an act of Congress, 42:52 "by a national act enforcing the false Sabbath, 42:55 they will give life and vigor." 42:57 There you have again, the healing of the wound. 42:59 "They will give life and vigor to the corrupt faith of Rome, 43:03 reviving," there's the healing of the deadly wound, 43:07 "reviving her tyranny and oppression of conscience. 43:11 Then it will be time for God to work in mighty power 43:13 for the vindication of his truth." 43:19 Now, 43:21 I wanna read you a very interesting statement. 43:24 This statement was written by a Roman Catholic Jesuit, 43:29 who died a few years ago, 43:31 you're gonna recognize his name, Malachi Martin. 43:34 He wrote the book, "The Keys of This Blood." 43:37 He was an intimate personal friend 43:38 of Pope John Paul II. 43:41 In 1986, he wrote a very significant statement, 43:45 which he didn't even realize what he was commenting on, 43:49 but it's a powerful statement. 43:52 He's speaking about the deadly wound 43:54 that was given to the papacy and the healing of the wound, 43:56 although he doesn't realize it. 43:58 This is how it reads, 44:01 "For 1500 years and more, 44:04 papal Rome had kept as strong a hand as possible 44:10 in each local community around the wide world." 44:15 So how long had papal Rome kept stronghold 44:18 on every community in the world? 44:20 Every local community, 44:22 he says for 1500 years. 44:24 Now notice what he says, 44:26 "By and large, and admitting some exceptions." 44:30 He's writing this in 1986. 44:33 That has been the Roman view, 44:36 what had been the Roman view? 44:38 "Keeping a strong a hand as possible 44:40 in each local community around the wide world. 44:45 That had been the Roman view 44:47 until 200 years of inactivity 44:53 had been imposed upon the papacy 44:56 by the major secular powers of the world." 45:00 Are you understanding 45:02 the significance of that statement? 45:04 What he's saying is that for the last 200 years, 45:06 he's writing in 1986, 45:08 the papacy has been inactive. 45:13 Now talking about the Catholic Church, 45:15 talk about the papacy, 45:18 why is it been inactive? 45:20 He explains it, 45:22 200 years of inactivity 45:24 has been imposed upon the papacy 45:26 by the major secular powers of the world. 45:29 They put the handcuffs back on. 45:33 Incidentally, you know, what's interesting 45:35 about this statement of Malachi Martin 45:39 is if you go back from 1986, 45:43 200 years, 45:45 you're at the French Revolution. 45:49 What he's saying without realizing it 45:51 is that the French Revolution 45:53 actually imposed 200 years of inactivity 45:59 upon the papacy, 46:00 the major secular powers of the world. 46:04 So how will the handcuffs come off? 46:09 How are the handcuffs gonna come off? 46:13 Listen, folks, 46:15 not only did France withdraw its support of the papacy, 46:19 after France 46:21 withdrew its civil support of the papacy, 46:24 every nation in Europe 46:26 began establishing democratic governments 46:28 independent of the papacy. 46:30 Let me read you a statement here from Cardinal Manning. 46:33 He wrote this in 1862. 46:36 And he's lamenting the fact 46:39 that the countries in Europe 46:41 have forsaken the papacy in 1862. 46:44 This is what he wrote, 46:46 "See this Catholic Church, 46:49 this church of God, 46:51 feeble and weak, 46:53 rejected even by the very nations called Catholic. 46:59 There is Catholic France, 47:01 and Catholic Germany, 47:03 and Catholic Italy, 47:06 giving up this exploded figment of a temporal power 47:09 of the Vicar of Jesus Christ." 47:11 Those have given up the idea 47:13 that the Vicar of Christ has temporal power. 47:16 "And so because the church seems weak," why? 47:21 Because it has a deadly wound, of course, 47:22 he doesn't know he's commenting on this. 47:25 "And so, because the church seems weak 47:28 and the Vicar of the Son of God 47:29 is renewing the passion of his master upon earth," 47:32 because he's being persecuted, 47:34 "therefore, we are scandalized, 47:36 therefore we turn our faces from him." 47:42 Not only was the papacy forsaken by France, 47:47 all of the civil powers of Europe 47:49 and the United States withdrew their support 47:55 and chained the papacy once again. 47:59 Now, what about the healing of the deadly wound? 48:03 The history of the papacy in order to complete, 48:05 the man of sin will manifest himself in a second stage. 48:07 You have to go beyond 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2, 48:10 to understand this. 48:12 Revelation Chapter 17 presents the scenario 48:15 how it's going to happen. 48:17 Revelation 17 speaks about a harlot, 48:22 that's the papacy. 48:24 Her name is Babylon, 48:27 worldwide system even according to Dave Hunt the futurist. 48:31 She sits on many waters, what does that mean? 48:35 Oh, she rules over nations, tongues and people. 48:40 She has an adulterous spiritual relationship 48:42 with the kings of the earth. 48:44 She fornicates with the kings of the earth, 48:46 it says there. 48:48 She has in her hand, 48:50 a golden cup full of her abominations, 48:55 wine, fermented wine, 48:57 which represents false doctrine. 48:59 She's adorned with purple and scarlet, 49:01 have you ever noticed the colors 49:02 that the papacy uses, 49:04 they never use blue 49:06 because blue represents the law of God. 49:10 It's always purple and scarlet. 49:13 So it says, she's clothed in purple and scarlet 49:16 filled with gold and precious stones. 49:19 And by the way, she has daughters, 49:21 because she is the mother of harlots. 49:25 So you have this trilogy, 49:27 the kings of the earth, 49:29 she fornicates with the kings of the earth, 49:31 and she has daughters that do her bidding, 49:37 and she's gonna be filled with the blood of the saints 49:39 and the martyrs of Jesus according to Revelation 17:6, 49:42 she's gonna do what she did in the past. 49:45 Let me read you a statement from Ellen White. 49:49 Great Controversy 564, 49:50 Ellen White tells us 49:51 how the restraint will be removed, 49:53 how the papacy will receive its power again. 49:56 If the deadly wound means 49:58 that the civil power withdrew its support, 50:00 the healing of a wound means that the secular power 50:03 is gonna give the support again. 50:05 Listen to this statement, Great Controversy, page 564. 50:09 "Let the restraints 50:12 now imposed by secular governments 50:15 be removed." 50:18 What? 50:20 Let the What? 50:21 The restraints imposed by whom? 50:26 By the secular governments upon whom? 50:29 Upon the papacy. 50:32 "And Rome be reinstated." 50:36 What does reinstated mean? 50:40 Once again occupy the position that she had. 50:44 Let the restraints now imposed 50:46 by secular governments be removed 50:49 and Rome be reinstated in her former power, 50:53 and there would speedily be a revival 50:56 of her tyranny and persecution." 50:59 What is that that restraints the papacy today? 51:03 The secular government, 51:05 but if the secular governments remove that restraint, 51:10 it will be a revival of her tyranny and persecution 51:13 because she will use the civil powers 51:15 like she used them in the past 51:18 and that is the ultimate goal of the papacy, 51:23 even though it's not overt, 51:25 you can't see it on the surface 51:27 but that is ultimately the purpose. 51:31 Now, the best way in the Bible to understand this binding 51:36 and unbinding of the papacy 51:40 is by going to the Bible itself. 51:43 You know, we read statements from historians, 51:45 the early church fathers. 51:47 We read this statement from Ellen White 51:48 where she says that the civil powers 51:50 were the ones that restraint 51:51 and if the restraint is taken away, 51:53 in other words as the civil power 51:55 support the system again, 51:56 she's going to act like she did in the past. 51:58 So we've read from historians and from Ellen White. 52:00 How do we get this from the Bible though? 52:03 The best way is by going to Revelation Chapter 20 52:07 where you have a mention of chains and prison. 52:13 By the way does Revelation 13 say that he 52:15 who leads into captivity will be taken into captivity? 52:20 He who wounds with a sword will be wounded with the sword. 52:23 So it's speaking about the papacy 52:24 going into what? 52:26 Into captivity in 1798. 52:30 What does that mean? 52:31 It's gonna be thrown into what? 52:33 Prison. 52:35 Why was the papacy thrown into prison in 1798? 52:38 Because she lost in support of what? 52:41 Of the civil powers. 52:43 Now, Revelation 20 is the key to understand this. 52:47 Let me ask you, does the devil have a lot of power these days? 52:50 Does he have a lot of power? 52:52 He's got plenty of power. 52:54 Where does the power of the devil reside? 52:57 In the fact that he's able to use 52:59 the civil powers of the world to accomplish his purpose. 53:04 How did he accomplish the intent to kill Moses? 53:09 By using Pharaoh. 53:11 How did he attempt to kill Jesus when He was born? 53:15 By using Rome. 53:17 So as long as Satan has the support 53:21 of the kings of the world, he's free. 53:26 Are you with me? 53:29 But in Revelation 20, it says 53:31 that he is gonna be thrown in prison 53:33 and he's gonna be chained. 53:35 What does that mean, 53:37 he's gonna be thrown in prison and he's gonna be chained? 53:41 We already studied the millennium. 53:44 It means that all of his power base 53:47 is going to be what? 53:50 Is gonna be killed when Jesus comes. 53:53 Is he going to have any kings to deceive? 53:56 What is the power base of the devil? 53:59 The power base of the devil is using the civil powers 54:03 to accomplish His purpose. 54:05 But when Jesus comes, all of the nations of the earth 54:09 will be destroyed 54:12 and therefore Satan, will be what? 54:14 Bound. 54:16 What does the losing of Satan mean after the millennium? 54:21 After the millennium, what happens 54:23 with his power base? 54:24 All of those that he was deprived 54:25 of at the second coming? 54:28 Oh, now they all resurrect. 54:31 And he says, "Hey, I got my kings back. 54:36 I got the civil power back." 54:39 So for the devil to be bound 54:41 means that he loses his power base. 54:45 To be loosed means 54:47 that he has the power base back. 54:51 Revelation itself explains what the deadly wound is 54:54 and how the deadly would is healed. 54:57 It has to do with whether the papacy 54:58 is able to use civil powers of the world or not. 55:04 So this is the second stage 55:08 which the Apostle Paul doesn't directly describe, 55:11 but we can understand that he's also including 55:13 that because the Bible tells us that this system, this power, 55:18 this man of sin will be destroyed 55:19 by the brightness of Christ's coming 55:21 so he must be ruling at the Second Coming. 55:23 But Revelation tells us that he has two stages 55:26 and in between there's a period of inactivity. 55:30 Is this making sense? 55:32 It's biblical. 55:33 The Adventist view is rock solid, folks. 55:37 The world needs to know it. 55:38 It's historicism. 55:41 It's not futurism, futurism, you know, 55:44 it's like sitting on a limb and sign it up 55:49 because you have no place to begin. 55:51 You say, okay, you know, 55:53 it carries you to the Roman Empire. 55:55 And then the prophecy is suspended 55:57 How do you know when it begins again? 56:01 History is irrelevant 56:03 because you don't have any reference point 56:06 but when you have historicism, 56:09 it makes all the sense in the world, 56:10 Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, the Roman Empire, 56:13 the ten divisions of Rome, 56:16 the little horn, 1260 years, 56:19 1798, the civil powers withdraw their support, 56:23 the deadly wound is imposed for the last 200 years 56:27 plus there's been peace because the papacy 56:31 is not been able to use its civil powers of the world, 56:33 but the United States 56:35 will return the sword to the papacy 56:37 and the papacy will act the way she did in the past. 56:42 Is it making sense? 56:45 And then will come the time of trouble 56:47 such as never has been seen in the history of the world 56:52 and when it appears that God's people 56:53 are gonna be wiped out, 56:56 Michael is gonna stand up. 56:58 When the king of the north comes to seek to annihilate 57:01 and destroy many, according to Daniel 11, 57:03 the last few verses, 57:04 Michael is gonna stand up and say, 57:06 "Hey, those are my people, don't touch him. 57:10 If you touch them, you touched the apple of my eye." 57:14 And so Jesus now rises to defend His people. 57:18 That doesn't mean that God's people 57:19 are not gonna go through the time of trouble. 57:21 The prophecy says that God's people 57:22 will go through a time of trouble. 57:23 Jesus will not allow them to die, 57:25 but their faith will be tried 57:29 but then finally at the end of trouble, 57:31 of the time of trouble, 57:33 Jesus will deliver His people. 57:36 And by the way, the final deadly wound 57:40 is when the kings of the earth according o Revelation 17:16, 57:43 when they discover that the harlot has deceived them, 57:47 the Bible says that they will turn against the harlot 57:49 and they will make her naked and desolate, 57:53 and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 57:55 That means that they're going to be really mad. 57:59 She will lose the support of the civil powers once again. |
Revised 2019-11-21