CHAPTER III ROMAN CATHOLICISM SLAYS FUTURE

 CHAPTER III 

ROMAN CATHOLICISM SLAYS 

FUTURE 

  The finger of God's clock of prophecy is moving at a momentous velocity toward the hour of judgment! The accurate alarm is soon to be sounded and the unfolding Word of the Lord shall be revealed to all mankind! 

 One of the most amazing observances of the trend of the times is the growing prominence of Romanism! Like a mighty rolling avalanche, she is increasing and encroaching upon us! Woe be to mankind when she strikes. 

   This statement is evinced as we see many politicians of the world ready to call an international round table conference with the pope as the chairman! European statesmen and others are guilty of this. James Farley, the Postmaster General of the United States, went over to Rome to kiss the pope's toe, and "heroically" sent us word that "the pope is in a position to make a great contribution towards the maintenance of peace because of his knowledge of the world through his travels, especially to the United States and South America." I feel sure that the voice of the true American people to Romanist "Jim" is that we don't need and don't want the pope dabbling in world politics. It is high time the pope started preaching a bit of old-time gospel and pointed men and women to the Saviour of mankind! If Farley knew anything about history, he would know enough about papal politics to stay at home and leave the pope and his influence in Rome. 

  Further, many religious bodies of the world are almost ready to compromise every principle of their constitutions and trample the blood of their foreparents under foot to join with the Roman Church. To their own destruction, they are seeking protection, prestige, and power under her wing. This represents the outward dissolution of prostituted organized religion. The inward disintegration is seen in the following (I shall present two statements to affirm this fact): 

(1) According to "Signs of Times," in the House of Lords, following the dissolution of the Czech state, the archbishop of Canterbury announced his intention of appealing to the pope to lead all Christian communions in Europe in a concerted effort for peace. "It is obvious,"he said, "that His Holiness would be entitled to choose his own times and ways if he were willing to make such a declaration, but I can safely promise all the leaders of the Orthodox Anglican and Protestant church would give simultaneous support." Can you reconcile your heart to believe that the Episcopal Church of England has forgotten the sixteenth century? 

(2) I was visiting in the great and famous cathedral of York Minster in England. As I wandered about the grand building, admiring the marvelous edifice, I came to a door that had a sign tacked on it stating "Confessions by arrangement!" Try to conceive, if possible, a Protestant church backsliding to such degree. 

   Would you care to view God's prophetical portrait of this apostate church, which is to be made up of all apostate Christians-Romanists and non-Romanists? Read with me in the Revelation (chapters seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen, verses 1-6). You will find by perusing these most fascinating chapters at least thirty direct and pointed references to these allied, prostituted churches, Rome being the chief! 

  By way of introduction to these gloriously illuminating chapters, the period of history is during the Great Tribulation. It is a time of reckoning between God and earth-dwellers! An angel is assisting in the pouring out of judgments and is the revealer of the mysteries. John, the Lover, is the human transmitter of these facts to us. 

As chapter seventeen opens, a party is under divine discrimination. Without the least apology, the Messenger declares the accused to be a Great Harlot (R.V.). 

   What is a harlot? The Oxford Dictionary says,"A prostitute, or one who sells herself for base gain." 

  Who is the harlot? Verse nine says,"The woman sits on seven mountains." Verse eighteen says, "And the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth." We need no deliberation about who she is: Rome is set on seven hills, and she does, in a measure, and will, eventually, completely rule over the kings of the earth. 

  This plainly discloses that Rome and her allies have sold their vital strength, as a harlot. The eternal life that should flow through a spiritual organism has been drained and sold for earthly gain! What an indictment for God Himself to bring against a society! 

  The last clause of verse one gives us the position of the harlot:"She sitteth upon many waters." Verse fifteen of the same chapter, giving the interpretation of this figure of speech, says,"The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." This reveals the universal domination of Romanism. Note that she sits upon them! They are suppressed, subjected and enslaved to her! 

  Verse two comments, "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication." This is Romanism's political situation. What is fornication? The Oxford Dictionary states:"A sexual intercourse with an unmarried woman." This typifies the illegitimate union of a professed-to-be spiritual society entangled with the kings of the earth. Has not Romanism done this for a millennium and a half? Is she not maneuvering for a leading place in world politics this very day! 

  The latter part of verse two gives the effect of this illegal union upon the earth-dwellers:"The inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." Her wild, wicked, power-seeking love affairs with political giants have given birth to intemperate children! God said that these "children of fornication" were drunk on her wine of political revelry. Drunken people lose their equilibrium. Their decisions are not intelligent. Their mental capacities are distorted. The sparkling wine of earthly power, authority and dominion, which this union gave, intoxicated her children. They are earth-minded rather than spiritual. 

  Especially note in verse three that the harlot, though officially seated upon the multitudes of the earth, is seen riding "a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." This portrays the political position of Rome during the Great Tribulation. The beast is her carriage of state! 

   Who is represented by this beast? 

Verse eight explains that this beast ascends out of the bottomless pit. He is to go into perdition - or ruin and damnation. 

Verse nine tells us that his seven heads are the seven mountains that Rome is seated upon. 

Verse twelve informs us that the ten horns foreshadow ten kings, which have no kingdom (dictators), but receive authority as kings for one hour-- or short period-- with the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and they shall be smitten by the Lamb, Who is Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords! 

  Revelation 19:20 gives the ultimate end of the beast, cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. Every student of prophecy agrees that the beast is the Antichrist, the super-dictator who has been prophetically destined to appear since the dawn of the Gentile Age (Daniel 7:19; II Thessalonians 2:1,4). 

  In a nutshell. ecclesiastical Romanism during the Great Tribulation is allied or seated upon the Anti-christ. 

  Verse four of chapter seventeen describes the earthly glory of the harlot-church. She is arrayed-- glamorously clothed -- in purple and scarlet, her outward glory; garments made red by the blood of the martyrs! She is bedecked with gold and precious stones. How literally true of this rich society! From the pope's crown to a distant church altar, gold and precious stones are a part of papalism's worship! She can say, "I am increased with goods and have need of nothing." In the scarlet-clothed harlot's hand is seen a golden cup, which is full of abominations, and filthiness of her fornication. This is her special diet! The glistening golden cup, beautiful without, is filled with the filthiness of her corruption within. My dear friend, if you could see inside Rome's nunneries, monasteries, private institutions, etc., you would be able to understand just what the Lord is speaking of here! If you were permitted to see behind her sinister political intrigues, horrible dregs of corruption would be revealed to you. 

  If we observe the harlot closely we find that God has branded her (verse five). On her forehead is indelibly inscribed  -- "MYSTERY." This is her hidden nature. The world cannot tell what she is. Her subtle, "foxy"activities baffle the keenest brains of the world. In intellectual America, she demands schools to educate her youth, but in countries where she has ruled for centuries, ninety per cent of the people cannot read nor write! In our country, she calls herself the "mother of mercy," but in other lands she kills, beats, and be 

means our people. MYSTERY? Yes, she is a mystery to the entire world! 

  God's further title for her is BABYLON THE GREAT. This is her political nature. As Babylon of old was the "head of gold" and the mistress of the nations, so Rome is called the modern Babylon the Great. She is to supersede ancient Babylon in power and dominion. But as the mighty metropolis of antiquity was wrecked while her leaders were in a drunken stupor, so will this modern Babylon be cracked and crumbled while feasting and celebrating her greatness. The handwriting is soon to appear! The balances are ready to weigh her! Her doom is certain! 

  The brand of God further calls the apostate church, "MOTHER OF HARLOTS." This is her religious nature. The Lord here unfolds her craftiness in leading other communions into her harlot life. We see in Britain and America an increasing friendliness toward Rome. The State Church of England, in doctrine and sympathy, is getting nearer and nearer Rome! 

  "ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" concludes the brand of God. This represents her moral nature. (That which is detestable or loathsome is an abomination.) Surely a prostituted religious society is detestable in the sight of God. Rome's loathsome immorality is a cancer to the world. The testimonies of ex-nuns and ex-priests are numerous; they were obliged to leave this obnoxious society because of her plague of social wickedness. The Lord brands her as an abomination to the entire earth. He should know! 

  The following verse is blood curdling! The harlot is drunk; she reels and staggers! Her intoxication is from the blood of the saints! History states that Rome is guilty of murdering two hundred million in her "holy" inquisition. Surely the precious life blood of this multitude of martyrs has intoxicated the harlot! 

  How amazing! Even awe-inspiring! The harlot's lovers turn upon her.They whom she wooed and with whom she committed fornication now turn with unearthly hatred to devour her! Verse sixteen says, "The kings hate the harlot." With hearts bursting with rage, they set themselves against her. 

  (First) " They make her desolate." They take her friends from her, leaving her alone. The queen of four hundred million shall be made desolate! Her prestige shall be divested abruptly. Hoards of worshipers shall forever cease to enter her doors.

 (Second) "And naked"! The angry paramours, not satisfied with taking her adherents from her, turn and strip her bare of her gorgeous garments and rob her of her immense fortunes. They seize her "usurped power" from her control. She stands rebuked and bared of every glory of which she so proudly boasts today. 

  (Third) "Eat her flesh." Like unto Jezebel's awful fate, this prostituted society is to be devoured by the ones whom she formerly domineered. Like ravenous beasts, the kings shall tear her limb from limb; then feast on the carcass of Romanism! 

  (Fourth) "Burn her with fire." Heaps of flaming, burning, consuming coals are to finish the remains of the harlot. She is to have a taste of what she has given others for many centuries! No doubt her sense of remembrance will be her strongest nerve-center during this ordeal. The horrible end of this long-lived, tyrant society is the ultimate end of all who walk the road of perdition! 

  Why does the harlot church end thus? Verse seventeen says,"For God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will." Her destiny was the determination of  Almighty God! Every person, community, or society has a reckoning day with their Creator! Friend, it pays to walk humbly and meekly before the omnipotent God! The papal system is to end in God's day of judgment. 

  Chapter eighteen deals with the result of the fall of this mighty giantess. After her "human fall," by the power of the kings, verse two states that the curse of God is pronounced against the Vatican. It is to become a "ghost city." The foul spirits that have inhabited it for centuries will rule it after the complete fall of ecclesiastic Romanism! The Lord says it will be the "habitation of devils." It will be a hell on earth. The imps from the underworld shall roam through its streets. They shall laugh and scream, "Rome is fallen! Ha! Ha! Ha! The proud mistress of the world is cracked and crumbled. Ha! Ha! Ha!" The fiends of hell will jubilantly celebrate as the world's greatest religious empire lies in ruins. Further, the verse says Rome is to be the "hold of every foul spirit." The headquarters for Lucifer's sentinels! Their bulwarks are to be the ruins of the magnificent papal edifices! She is to be the "cage of every unclean and hateful bird." How severe are the judgments of the Lord! He endures long, but ultimately metes to everyone their just recompense of reward! 

  The Lord is careful in verse three to let us know the exact reason of this judgment. She had satiated the nations with corruption; she had polluted the kings of the earth with no spiritual scruples; she made the merchants of the earth rich with the abundance of her wantonness! My friend, if you have any eyes to see world conditions, you will be able to determine that the Roman religion has fulfilled this verse to the very letter. 

  Verse four constitutes one of the greatest and most forceful calls of the ages for separation:"Another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues! For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." The Maker, Who will not judge the innocent with the guilty, is giving a clarion and final call to all who are adherents of prostituted, backslidden, spiritually dead religion, whether it be Romanist or non-Romanist! 

  If you are an honest person,and your heart desires pure, eternal truth, God forewarns you to abandon these worldly harlot churches and cleave unto the Christ Who has purchased you by His own blood. The day of calamity is near and is hastening with an awful rapidity. Come out at once, I plead. Get into the Word of God, The Message of the Hour,

   Rome's allies moan and wail over her utter fall. They stand afar off, amazed that it was possible for her to be conquered! Her traffic in commerce, ranging from gems and precious stones to the souls of men (verse 13), when divinely crashed, paralyzed the commercial world. The spectacle was so stupendous that, as she lay in ruins, heaven and earth stood by and witnessed her last end! 

  Chapter nineteen, verse three, gives us the eternal remembrance of the wicked harlot: "And her smoke rose up for ever and ever." Eternal remembrance, eternal judgment, eternal destruction, eternal hell! 

   Thus the all-righteous, wholly pure, eternally just, almighty Judge of the universe dispensed with an enemy of almost two thousand years' grievance! 

PAPALISM IS DEAD! 

  What reaction to her destruction is there in heaven? Chapter nineteen, verse one, says: "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand." Verse four:"And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying: Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and life through Jesus Christ our Lord!" 

Hallelujah! the Lord God OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH! 

Finis

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