Those words were written a long time ago. It was the beloved disiple of Jesus, John, who got this words through revelation. This words were written before anybody had ever heard the word «papacy» or «the Roman Catholic Church».
Thouse who have read our tracts, documents and papers, will have recognized that we have been examining Rev. 13. This chapter reveals what the Bible calls «the beast». All the identifying marks of this «beast» fits the papacy to the least detail. Therefore, what we just read in Rev. 13:8, means that in the end of time, the papacy will get an enormous influence and power, and today we are actually seeing the beginning of the fullfilment of this prophecy.
One of the clear signs to this end was taking place in England in June, 2002.
On June 2nd 2002, an ecumenical service was held in St George's Chapel, Windsor, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth ll. The press reports showed her Majesty presiding over the signing of a covenant by four of the major protestant religions in England to express their unity, and their desire to work towards unity with the Roman Catholic Church. It was summarised on the news as the beginnings of a single Christian community for Britain.
If we go back to history, we will discover England as a contry housing some of the most prominent protestant reformers. But were are the true Protestants in this new millenium? Can the Protestants not see the danger in this agreement made in England, june 2002?
Today we see the strategy: First the fallen protestants join together. Then they seek unity with the Catholic Church. We have seen this among others in the «Poorvo-treaty» and then in the «Joint Declaration». Now we experience the same strategy in England. The prophecy of the Bible is gradually being fulfilled - the dragon (Satan), the beast (the papacy), and the false prophet (fallen protestantism) are going together and it is spirits of the Devil that are standing behind (Rev. 16. 13-14).
The Catholic Church calls itself «the Mother of Churches». A woman is in the Bible used as a symbol of a church (2. Cor. 11. 2) In Rev. 17 we read about an «unclean woman» (an «unclean», apostate church) - a whore. The whore in the Bible is called the mother of whores, or Babylon the great (Rev. 17. 5).All the identification marks fits the papacy. The whore has whore children - the fallen protestant churches. The Bible tells that they will fight against God and they that have the faith of Jesus and keep His commandments (Rev. 12. 17; Rev. 17. 14).
Because the fallen protestant Churches are going together with the Catholic Church, we must give the message of the Bible: «Come out of her, MY people» (Rev. 18. 4). We have to trust in God, and not in the whore and in the whore daughters.
The endtime prophecies are being fulfilled. Who will help to give the last message, as we find it in the Bible (Rev. 14. 6-12)?
It is true that Christ calls for unity among His people, but He also gives us the fundament on which to build such a unity. It is in the gospel of John, chapter 17, that we find Christ well known appeal for unity, but in the very same chapter the foundation is laid: «Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.» True unity will always be built upon a «thus saith the Lord». The unity sought today in the ecumenical circles are far away from this concept. To unite with the Catholic system is in itself an accept of a false unity, since the Catholics openly admit that they do not only believe in the Bible, but also in Catholic tradition. The matter of fact is that this Church unfortunally holds their traditions above the Bible. So, to find a common ground for unity, the ecumenical movement are uniting themselves upon a few doctrines that they hold in common, and other, more testing truths are laid aside. This is not the unity Christ calls for. It is actually a treath to TRUE christian unity.
The Bible gives us a clear warning in Rev. 18:1-4: «Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen... Come out of her my people...». The word Babel means confution - and the religious confution of today is here clearly described. But God still has His children inside this corrupted system. Even in the Catholic Church there are many honest believers, and we have to warn them, and all the other members of the Babylonical system of the danger they are in. «Come out», is the call. Do not keep your membership in this fallen denominations. But more than this: Let us seek the Lord with all of our hearts to know His will in these last days. Seek the Word of God more than ever before, to be able to discern the movements taking place today, and to obtain the true unity, based on the only safe platform: The Word of God.
In the European Union, there is also a call for common religious laws. The leader of the Union, Romano Prodi, who is a Catholic, is one of the strong promotors for such laws.
Concerning this we have earlier written in one of our publications:
«We have seen the development in EU. They first wanted to unite the nations on the economical platform. The next step was to unite Europe politically, with a common policy and common laws. The last step - which is probably the most important for the catholic system - is to unite Europe on the religious platform, with common doctrines...»
In the European Union (EU), they lobby to make Sunday the common day of rest. Jaques Delors, a Catholic, and former president of the EU, calls for "one spirit, one opinion and one spirituality in the European institutions." (The Norwegian newspaper «Dagen», 09/29/1992) In the EU they continue to build on this model, and Sunday as the day of rest will, they think, bind them together in one spirituality. They try to find common points to agree upon in the Union, and Sunday as a common day of rest, is something both Catholics and most Protestants can agree upon.This is a smart move by the Catholics, because the exaltation of Sunday is in reality an effort by the Catholic establishment to strengthen the mark of their authority (Sunday) in all the nations.