With the sudden resignation of the Pope it seems appropriate to reflect on some of the Papal and Biblical prophecies that may be implicated by this event. Before we begin I would like to make clear that the following is from research alone and not to considered Divinely inspired. I would expect that each of you would read and then search your own hearts through prayer and meditation for what God would reveal to you. Now let's begin our discussion.
Pope Benedict XVI announced to the world today that he will be stepping down on February 28th of this year sighting poor health as his reason. This immediately leaves millions wondering who the next head of the Catholic church will be, and a good place to begin our search is with the prophecy of Saint Malachy in 1139. Malachy had been summoned to Rome by the reigning pope and while he was their it was said that he experienced a vision of all the popes to come. Many claim that another person authored the prophecy, and some even claim that famous Nostradamus was responsible for its creation. Regardless of who the author of the work was, it's been eerily accurate as to who was to be the successors of the Papacy.
According to wikipedia, "They purport to describe each of the Roman Catholic popes (along with a few anti-popes), beginning with Pope Celestine II (elected in 1143) and concluding with current pope Benedict XVI's successor, a pope described in the prophecy as "Peter the Roman", whose pontificate will end in the destruction of the city of Rome." Many prophecy scholars claim that this 'final' pope will be the harlot that revelations speaks about as being the leader of the one world religion. If that is indeed the case than this puts a very evil man into a very powerful position and we must all be on our guard so that we are not deceived. John Phillips describes the false prophet as follows, "The Dynamic appeal of the false prophet will lie in his skill in combining political expediency with religious passion, self-interest with benevolent philanthropy, lofty sentiment with blatant sophistry, moral platitude with unbridled self-indulgence. His arguments will be subtle, convincing, and appealing. His oratory will be hypnotic, for he will be able to move the masses to tears or whip them into a frenzy....His deadly appeal will lie in the fact that what he says will sound so right, so sensible, so exactly what unregenerate men have always wanted to hear." Frightening indeed.
Whether the next pope is going to be the false prophet, or will be a Jew as some suggest, it is important to see what his ultimate goal is. According to Revelation 13:12, “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” So the false prophet's main goal is to get the masses to worship the beast or antichrist. This unholy trinity will have the power to mimic the miracles that the two witnesses from God perform. The ultimate goal will be that every man, woman, and child on earth declare that the beast is God. He will eventually sit on the throne of God in the third temple and proclaim that he is god and sacrifice a pigs on the altar.
This altar and throne will be located on the temple mount in Israel when the third temple of Solomon is rebuilt. Many think that the idea of the Muslims allowing a Jewish temple to be built next to the dome of the rock is absurd and unlikely, but there are today Jew's in the Holy Land that have already made the temple utensils and some of the building blocks in anticipation of the new temple. The Bible talks about a 7 year peace treaty being signed between Israel and its' enemies, and after 3 1/2 years the treaty will be broken. Some suggest that the treaty will include the Jew's being able to rebuild Solomon's temple.
This whole scenario is not as unlikely as it may seem. The so-called 'Arab Spring' may have been the first domino to fall in the prophetic calendar leading up to the 'Ezekiel War' where God supernaturally saves Israel from the invading armies. When we look closely at the countries that participated in this revolution there is one thing that stands out very clear. The only nations where the 'Arab Spring' was 'successful' were Islamic countries that had secular governments in place that allowed a certain amount of religious freedom. After they were able to topple their dictators, the Muslim Brotherhood was quick to snatch power from the people and attempt to implement Sharia Law. So the question is this, why did America and the west not support the uprisings in Iran and Saudi Arabia? The answer from a Biblical standpoint is clear, and it is because those nations were already governed by Islamic theocracies. So the pieces are now in place for what is to come next.
In Ezekiel 38:19-22 it states, "In My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: "Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the fields, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground". I will call for a sword against Gog (Russia) throughout all My mountains," says the Lord God. "Every man's sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgement with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on many peoples who are with him (Arab nations), flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone." As you can see, Russia (who has long hated Israel) and an Arab alliance will come against Israel and be destroyed by God. Already we can see the signs of a military strengthening on the part of the Arab nations as reported by the New York Times, "The agreements with Saudi Arabia included the purchase of 84 advanced F-15 fighters, a variety of ammunition, missiles and logistics support, and upgrades of 70 of the F-15 fighters in the current fleet. Sales to Saudi Arabia last year also included dozens of Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, all contributing to a total Saudi weapons deal from the United States of $33.4 billion, according to the study. The United Arab Emirates purchased a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, an advanced antimissile shield that includes radars and is valued at $3.49 billion, as well as 16 Chinook helicopters for $939 million. Oman bought 18 F-16 fighters for $1.4 billion." Many cite the reason for this military 'bulking up' as a response to the growing threat from Iran, but to Christians it should signal something far different. War is coming to Israel and with everything that has been going on in the region it seems likely that it is coming very soon. Our President is visiting Israel this week, and right before his arrival the state of Israel has approved more new settlements, which will undoubtedly cause an uproar among the Arab and Persian nations.
So if we really are living in the end times, what are we to do? Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, "But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape." It is apparent from this passage that we must be on the constant look out, especially when peace is cried out loud and far.
These times may seem to be full of fear, but God has made promises to those who call on Him. As David Jeremiah writes in Living With Confidence In A Chaotic World, "A particularly wonderful aspect of the Bible is its many promises. When God makes a promise, it is our rock. Jesus comforts us with this promise: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also"(John 14:3)" My advice to all Christians, whether pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib, is to live your life as God intended. If you're in school, stay in school. If you want to have a baby, by all means be fruitful and multiply. Don't ever let fear of the end prevent you from having all that God has promised to you! Now to those of you who do not believe in Christ I would like to offer you the opportunity to make Him Lord of your life. Just tell Him that you're a sinner in need of His saving grace and the sacrifice that He went through on the cross. Let Him know that you will make Him Lord of your life. If you have confessed to Christ all this and confessed that He is the Son of God, then I would like to welcome you into the family of God. Now join a good church and read the Bible for all its wonder and promises!
By Jeffrey Brandon Lee
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