I do not want to ever confuse anyone when speaking from or about the scriptures. Roman Catholicism and the papacy do figure largely in the prophecies of the end time. Rome is a prominent entity in Daniel and Revelation. Roman Catholicism and Islam have been at loggerheads with one another for centuries – that’s what the Crusades were all about, Roman Catholicism fighting Islam to reclaim lost territory. That’s what the Bosnian War was all about – Roman Catholicism fighting to push back Islam from encroaching any further in Eastern Europe. I believe Islam’s inroads into Central and South America, as well as the United States, is the prime reason the most recent pope was chosen to be such as he is a South American.
My intense study of Daniel, Revelation and all the other prophets convinces me that there is probably not an infant alive on earth today who can possibly live long enough to witness the return of Jesus Christ. I do NOT believe we are yet in the last days. Paul very clearly points out in the 2nd Thessalonian letter that TWO dramatic events must first occur before the Lord can return: 1) There must be a great falling away from Christianity to another philosophy or religion, and, 2) The “man of sin,” also called “the son of perdition” and “the false prophet” MUST BE REVEALED. Paul says the one singular event that reveals this man to be who he is is his setting his throne in God’s temple! That means the temple MUST be rebuilt before Jesus returns! (Zechariah 14:20-21 reveals that there will be a temple in Jerusalem at the time of Christ’s return).
Those preachers and theologians who say every prophecy that must be fulfilled before Jesus returns has already been fulfilled have been blindsided by Satan – at least in this matter. Revelation says every one on earth will be duped into worshiping the beast and the false prophet. That’s not going to occur in a handful of years. How is every atheist in China, Korea, Russia, etc. going to be swayed to become super-religious and worship the beast and false prophet in a handful of years??? How is this going to be accomplished with every Hindu, Buddhist, professing Christian, Shintoist, etc., in a handful of years??? Christian missionaries have been trying to bring everyone into the Christian fold for 1900 years without success. Still many countries are only 2 to 5% Christian, others less than 20%, and I am to believe everyone is brought under the umbrella of one FALSE religion in three-and-a-half to seven years!!!!!!
Why don’t these “theologians” THINK when they read the scriptures? They are “locked-in” to their presently held beliefs and just won’t entertain the thought for a single second that they could be in error. I do believe the process of getting everyone to embrace one false religion will be speeded up, so to speak, by the decimation of earth’s inhabitants via nuclear war and multiplied natural disasters prophecy says will escalate at the time of the end. And when that end time religion beheads all dissidents, the adherents of that diabolical “religion” will surpass infidels in numbers. Such events will also cause the survivors to look in any direction for a “strong man,” so to speak, to help save the world. Plus, if one reads carefully the “years” given in Daniel’s prophecies and counts forward they will find the year of the resurrection of Daniel and his companions goes well past 2019 or even the 22nd Century, whether one uses a lunar calendar or solar calendar to do their computing and whether they start their computations from Jesus’ birth, His baptism, His crucifixion, His resurrection, or His ascension. (Theologians in the past have used each event as their starting point for computing Daniel’s prophetic years). Try it and see what year you arrive at! That’s WHY I confidently say there is not an infant alive on earth right now who can possibly live long enough to witness our Lord’s return. Hope this doesn’t shake your faith. It causes mine to swell and grow ever stronger.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley