COGWriter

Today is the Roman Catholic feast day for “Our Lady of Fatima”.

Here is some of what the reported about it:

May 13

Our Lady of Fatima

Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese children received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. (See February 20 entry for Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto).

Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners and for the conversion of Russia…

Mary gave the children three secrets. Since Francisco died in 1919 and Jacinta the following year, Lucia, who later became a Carmelite nun, revealed the first secret in 1927, concerning devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary….

Pope John Paul II directed the Holy See’s Secretary of State to reveal the third secret in 2000; it spoke of a ‘bishop in white’ who was shot by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows into him. Many people linked this to the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981.

The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in 1930; it was added to the Church’s worldwide calendar in 2002. Sister Lucia died in 2005 at the age of 97.

Comment:

The message of Fatima is simple: Pray. Unfortunately, some people—not Sister Lucia—have distorted these revelations, making them into an apocalyptic event…

(The Comment above is from the American Catholic website.)

Of course, I do not believe that Mary actually appeared before those children, but do accept that they could have seen some type of apparition.

But it is true that various ones affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church have indicated that the Fatima message had more to say than most Catholics have been told.

Here is what Wikipedia reports:

The Vatican withheld the third secret until June 26, 2000 – despite Lúcia’s declaration that it could be released to the public after 1960. Several sources, including Canon Barthas and Cardinal Ottaviani, said that Sr. Lúcia insisted to them it must be released by 1960, saying, “by that time, it will be more clearly understood.” When 1960 passed without any such announcement, immense speculation over the content of the secret materialized.

Some sources claim that the third part of the secret revealed in the year 2000 was not the real secret, or at least not the full secret. This was long suspected because it was known that the third part of the Secret began with the words, “In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved etc.” Sister Lúcia revealed this in her Fourth Memoir. These words and even this theme were not reflected by the version released by the Vatican on June 26, 2000…

Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) said in November 1984 that the Secret would cause “sensationalism” and dealt with the “end times.” This comment could not be understood if the Secret referred to the assassination attempt in 1981.

On November 11, 1984, as reported in the Pauline Catholic magazine Jesus, Cardinal Ratzinger stated that he had “read the text of the Third Secret.” When asked why he had not revealed it, he replied that “in the judgment of previous Popes, it adds nothing to what Christians must know respecting what is stated in the Book of Revelation.”

This followed the report in the October 1981 issue of the German Catholic magazine Stimme des Glaubens of a discussion at Fulda in November 1980 when Pope John Paul II had stated to a select group of German Catholics, in response to the question why he had not revealed the Third Secret of Fatima, “If you read that the oceans will inundate continents, and millions of people will die suddenly in a few minutes, once this is known, then in reality it is not necessary to insist on the publication of this Secret.” (Our Lady of Fatima. Wikipedia. Viewed 4/15/08).

Furthermore, here are some comments from a Catholic priest:

How often we hear the questions, in the context of all the confusion in the Church, the troubles in the world, “What is it leading to? Where will it end?” We know exactly where it’s going to end, because Our Lady of Fatima said, “In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph …”…

The very substance of that chastisement is set forth in the Third Secret of Fatima. What is the Third Secret of Fatima?…But the Third Secret properly, so called, is not that vision — that pertains to the Secret — it is part of the Secret, but the Secret consists of Our Lady’s words…

“The False Church of Darkness”

This is what Our Lady meant when She said that the Holy Father would be persecuted; the Church would be persecuted. Anne Catherine Emmerich, the stigmatic Augustinian nun, described the counterfeit church, what she called the “False church of darkness”. The errors of Orthodoxy and of Protestantism will be embraced by that false church, it will be an ecumenical church because the Anti-Pope will be recognized by the world — not by the faithful, but by the world — by the secular world and the secular governments.

The Anti-Pope will be recognized as the legitimate Pope of the “church,” and the legitimate head of the Vatican State. That “church” will be united with all the false religions. They will be united together under the universality of the Masonic umbrella. In that motley ecumenical union will be the established religion of the so-called civilized world. This is how we will get into the time of great persecution such as the world has never seen.

In the Third Secret we have in some very cut and dry detail, exactly what will be the nature of that Great Chastisement…

Pope John Paul II, at the Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia in 1976, when he was not yet Pope — he was still Cardinal Wojtyla — he spoke about that chastisement, that which is the substance of the Third Secret of Fatima. And he said that the Church must undergo a great trial, it will be the struggle between the Church and the anti-Church; the Gospel and the anti-Gospel.

And shortly after he was elected Pope in 1981, he returned to that same theme, and this time he spoke explicitly of this being the substance of the Message of Fatima, the Secret of Fatima. And he reiterated that the Church must soon undergo great trials.

Are They Lying to Us?

So what is in the Third Secret of Fatima? On the twenty-sixth of June, 2000, five years ago, the Vatican published a vision which they claimed was the entire Third Secret of Fatima. I was talking with a Brazilian Bishop, and he asked me, “Well if there’s more to the Third Secret than the vision, are they lying to us, because they said that was the whole Third Secret?” I answered, “Cardinal Ratzinger is using a mental reservation. The entire Secret is implicitly contained in that vision. In that sense, in that very restricted sense, it is the whole Secret.”

But the Third Secret properly, so called, is not that vision — that pertains to the Secret — it is part of the Secret, but the Secret consists of Our Lady’s words. As Father Valinho, the nephew of Sister Lucy, pointed out, that phrase “in Portugal the dogma of the faith will always be preserved, etc.” is where the Third Secret begins…

Proof: “Truly That Was Not All of It”

What was revealed on June 26, 2000, was four pages of Sister Lucy describing a vision. It was not the words of Our Lady. It is such a well known fact that the Secret is divided into three parts, and we have the text of the first two parts. And therefore, where that text ends, in mid-sentence, with the “etc.”, that’s where the Third Secret begins. It’s a matter of common sense, one does not have to be a philologist, and get into a great deal of analysis of textual criticism, to reach the conclusion that this is where the Second part of the Secret ends, and the Third part begins.

But there is really no doubt about it. On the 2^nd of September, 1952, when Father Schweigl had been sent personally by Pope Pius XII to Coimbra, to interview Sister Lucy on the Third Secret, he spoke personally with Sister Lucy, authorized by the Pope to do so. He returned to Rome and at the Russicum, where he lived, he told his confreres, when they asked him about the Third Secret of Fatima: “I cannot reveal anything of what I learned at Fatima concerning the third secret, but I can say that it has two parts: one concerns the Pope. The other, logically — although I must say nothing — would have to be the continuation of the words: In Portugal the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved.”

So it is a quite certainly established fact that the words of Our Lady of Fatima continue after that “etc.” And in the memoir of Sister Lucy, after that “etc.” she puts in parenthesis the words, “Here begins the third part of the Secret“.

Those who have studied Fatima know that what was published five years ago, on the 26^th of June, is not the whole Secret; it simply is not. The night before, I should say the early morning of the 26^th of June, I went to bed; I left the instruction: it doesn’t matter how early it is, as soon as that Secret is published, bring it to me — wake me up if you have to…

The Third Secret is About Vatican II

This professor is a priest that I know personally, and a number of people that I know, know this priest personally. He pressed on further for an answer, he would not back off. And he demanded, “What is in the Secret? If that’s not all of it, well, what is there?” Ratzinger’s answer makes it clear. There’s no longer any mystery why they have kept it hidden for so many years. And why the Vatican officials, during the pontificate of Pope John XXIII, said in their press release that, “It may never be published,” it may not ever be released. Ratzinger said that in the Third Secret, Our Lady warns that there will be an evil council. And She warned against the changes: She warned against making changes in the liturgy; changes in the Mass. This is explicitly set forth in the Third Secret…

Pope St. Pius X said he had a vision, and he saw in the vision his successor fleeing over the dead bodies of his brethren, and that this Pope would have to go into exile. He would go into hiding, he would have to wear a disguise to conceal his identity. He would live in retirement, but then he would be discovered, and he would suffer a cruel death.

I think we can safely conclude that these prophecies may be fulfilled in this Pontificate of Benedict XVI…

“The False Church of Darkness”

This is what Our Lady meant when She said that the Holy Father would be persecuted; the Church would be persecuted. Anne Catherine Emmerich, the stigmatic Augustinian nun, described the counterfeit church, what she called the “False church of darkness”. The errors of Orthodoxy and of Protestantism will be embraced by that false church, it will be an ecumenical church because the Anti-Pope will be recognized by the world — not by the faithful, but by the world — by the secular world and the secular governments.

The Anti-Pope will be recognized as the legitimate Pope of the “church,” and the legitimate head of the Vatican State. That “church” will be united with all the false religions. They will be united together under the universality of the Masonic umbrella. In that motley ecumenical union will be the established religion of the so-called civilized world (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004. THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/15/08).

Here is information from another Catholic source:

Father O’Connor quotes from Holy Scripture, the stunning prophecies of St. Vincent Ferrer, Pope St. Pius X, St. Francis of Assisi, St. John Eudes, Sr. Lucy of Fatima, Pope Pius XII and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. Father explains how God will and is punishing the world for sin, and that the Fathers of the Church all wrote that the False Prophet would be a Catholic Bishop who will become an invalid anti-pope while the real Pope dies a cruel death in exile.http://www.catholictreasures.com/cartdescrip/20104.html 10/12/07

“This final false prophet will be a bishop of the church and will lead all religions into becoming one.” - Father O’Connor (http://www.geocities.com/rebornempowered/ApparitionsofMary.htm 10/12/07)

The truth is that the final Pope, will be demon-influenced, hence in that sense he will be an antipope, as well as anti-Christ.

FWIW, I have long felt that many Catholic prophecies about an old pope fleeing and then dying seemed to possibly be pointing to Pope Benedict XVI (especially, because according to the Malachy prophecies, there is only one pope listed after the Benedictine pope, see Bander, Peter. The Prophecies of St. Malachy. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973).   And according to another “private prophecy” (Helen Wallraff, 19th century) a pope is supposed to flee and die in Cologne, Germany (Dupont Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 78)–and Germany would seem to be a place that a German pope may flee to (Pope Benedict XVI is German).

Another, considered fringe, Catholic named Kathleen Keating has stated:

You asked if the next pope would be the antipope. Valid prophecies seem to think so, but there are a few prophecies that indicate there might be another pope before the antipope arrives. It’s really up to God, but we also have to add in the One World Order crowd and what they are doing to bring the antipope to power. God of course, takes all that into consideration. How will we know the next pope is the antipope? All we have to do is to observe him, and discern what he says and does.

It will be quite clear if the man is the antipope if he systematically abolishes tradition, changes the Mass or incorporates a new practice, a new faith on the premise of it being much more conducive to our modern way of life.

With the conditions the ways they are today, the next pope could very well be the antipope…

Right now there is a concerted effort to cast a dark shadow over the Fatima prophecies (Keating K. Audio Update Transcript - 10/13/2004; Written by admin Friday, 16 June 2006. http://kathleenkeating.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=61&Itemid=2 viewed 4/15/08).

Notice the following from the stigmatic nun Anne Catherine Emmerich on May 13, 1820:

Then I saw the connection between the two Popes and two temples…in authorizing the erection of false temples, he had allowed the only true God , the only true religion to be lost among so many false gods and false religions…

I saw the fatal consequences of this counterfeit church ; I saw it increase (Schmöger Carl E. The Life and Revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich, Volume 2. Approbation: Bishop of Limbourgh Peter Joseph. TAN Books, reprint 1976, pp. 280,281).

Hence, prior to Fatima, there were Catholic visions that an “anti-pope” would arise towards the end. And it is true that the last “Pope” will be demon-influenced, will appear ecumenical, and will be the final Antichrist.

Those interested in what church is, and will remain, faithful, may wish to read the following articles:

Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist. This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet”.
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Catholic writings indicate this, but what does the Bible show?

COGwriter

In its Good News magazine, UCG reported:

Europe’s first president: Prophetic significance?

In January 2009 the United States will inaugurate its 44th president. The selection process has been underway for many months. But few realize that, across the Atlantic, it’s quite possible that the European Union (EU) may see its first president also assume office in January of next year, beginning a 2½-year term.

Currently the two primary candidates are former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jean-Claude Juncker, current prime minister of Luxembourg. The EU process of selection runs roughly parallel with this year’s U.S. presidential race, although the methods are vastly different. The much less democratic EU selection will be by a “council of chiefs of state and government created by the Lisbon Treaty” (International Herald Tribune, Jan. 22, 2008).

Europeans who oppose Tony Blair’s candidacy point to Britain’s ambivalence about its EU role in general. The U.K.’s choice to reject the euro as a national currency doesn’t help his cause either. Britain’s participation in the Iraq War is yet another important factor. However, in January Mr. Blair delivered a strong pro-Brussels speech in the French language at a Parisian conference in the presence of the new president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Prime Minister Juncker’s reputation is “that of a European federalist or super-state advocate” (ibid.). Many in Britain oppose his candidacy. Perhaps a compromise choice will eventually emerge.

The term of office and the powers of this new EU presidential office are definitely limited in scope for the present time. Still, many European observers consider it a groundbreaking move forward for Europe. This is just one more step in the steady EU progression towards greater political union with a European military force firmly in the EU vision. In retrospect, the progress made in the last 50 years has been nothing short of astonishing.

And the reality is that not only has Europe’s unification “progress” been astounding, it is even more astounding when one considers the fact that the European peoples themselves (specifically the Western ones) have generally not approved the plans for this unification. (It is also astounding that Tony Blair became a Catholic last year, which would tend to help his chances, see also UCG: What About the President of the European Union? and Tony Blair a Catholic EU Leader?).

Now another source has reported the following:

Secret deal between EU-3 blocks Blair as EU president

EUobserver - April 21, 2008

UK prime minister Gordon Brown has agreed to a secret deal with Germany and France which effectively rules out Tony Blair as a new EU president but the British ex-leader is also interested in the new role of Europe’s foreign chief, a UK daily is reporting.

And while Tony Blair may or may not be the first EU President (and thus may or may not actually be blocked), he most certainly will NOT hold onto power as the EU will eventually destroy his native land.

Biblical prophecy shows that a Beast-power will arise, will invade the Anglo-Saxon powers, and Europe (for many reasons) is the logical place for the location of this Beast-power. And the Church of God has been warning about this for over 60 years!

We in the Living Church of God will further continue to warn people that the Beast-power is forming in Europe and will eventually destroy the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand–as well as impose its new order religion on the rest of the world.

Two articles of related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? What kind of religion will he attempt to impose on the world? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin?

COGwriter

Adventist scholar Samuele Bacchiocchi wrote:

The Roots of Eternal Security Are Found in Gnosticism

Some scholars trace the roots of eternal security back to the Gnostic teachings that found their way into the early church, especially through Augustine. For example, Jeff Paton notes: “Ultimately, the roots of eternal security are in the Gnosticism that preceded Augustine. But it was Augustine that has the unwelcomed honor of leavening the whole lump.”⁵

Gnosticism was a religious movement that flourished during the second and third centuries A. D., and presented a major challenge to Christianity. Most Gnostic sects professed Christianity, but their beliefs differed sharply from those of the majority of the early Christians. The term Gnosticism is derived from the Greek word gnosis (“revealed knowledge”). The Gnostics taught that sparks or seeds of the Divine Being were imprisoned into certain human beings. Reawakened by knowledge, the divine element in humanity can return to its proper home in the transcendent spiritual realm.

The gnostics divided mankind into three categories: the spiritual (pneumatic), the carnal (hylic), and the in-between (psychic). The spiritual Christians were a special or higher class than the ordinary Christians. They were said to be saved regardless of what they did because they had received, as the elect of the good deity, a divine spark into their beings that allowed them to be redeemed. This teaching is strikingly similar to the Calvinistic doctrine that God elected some people to be saved and others to be lost.

The second class, the carnal, were assumed to be beyond salvation, because their lives were governed by material wants and desires. The in-betweens were believed to be capable of salvation if they followed the Gnostic teachings.

It is not difficult to see the striking similarity between Gnostic and Calvinistic teachings. There are some differences, but the essence of their teachings is similar. Both Gnostics and Calvinists agree that Christians are saved not by means of their choice, but on account of their nature. Both taught that people are saved on account of their election. The Gnostic spirituals claimed to be the “elect seed,” because they had a divine spark in their being. Calvinists say that they are elected to salvation by the sovereign will of God. Both agree that their divine election is not affected in a negative way by their actions.

Both Gnostic and Calvinists taught that any sinful action does not affect their eternal salvation. The dualistic Gnostic teaching was illustrated by comparing their spiritual nature to a pure golden ring and their material body to a pile manure. The ring can be placed into a pile of dung, but is not affected by the filthiness of the dung. Its purity remains unchanged.

Both agree that there is nothing that can cause a saved persons to loose their salvation. The Gnostic took this teachings to its ultimate conclusion by pursuing their own lust and passions without restraints. Calvinists, however, believe that Christians who are saved grow in sanctification, though they would not lose their salvation, if they did not.

The similarities outlined above between Gnosticism and the Calvinistic doctrine of “Once saved, always saved,” are too numerous to be ignored. They serve to remind us that the teaching of eternal security is pagan in its origin and stands in open opposition to the teaching of the Bible.

A Biblical Evaluation of the Predestination of the Elect

The notion of God’s arbitrary predestination of some to salvation and other to perdition, is contrary to the overall teaching of the Bible. The message of the Bible is that God is both just and merciful…

Conclusion

The Bible clearly teaches that God wants every human being to be saved. Christ’s atoning sacrifice is for all, not for a selected few. The invitation and call of salvation is extended to all (Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D. ENDTIME ISSUES NEWSLETTER No. 197. “ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED”. April 2008).

And on the above he is correct.

And perhaps it should be pointed out that the Apostle Paul made it clear that he did not believe in once saved always saved as he wrote that he could lose his salvation:

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended (Philippians 3:12-13).

It was Gnostic heretics like the second century Marcion that essentially set the stage of Calvinism, Lutheranism, and certain other forms of Protestantism.

John Calvin himself was a heretic as he condoned the killing of Anabaptists (please see Persecutions by Church and State), endorsed infant baptism, taught against the millennium (please see Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?), and held to a variety of unbiblical doctrines.

If you are Protestant, this may be a good time to wake up and realize that the God of love really does have a plan to offer salvation to everyone who ever lived. And that it was from heretics that “once saved always saved” originated.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account?
Marcion: The First Protestant? Considered to have been an organized heretic, he taught against the Old Testament, the law, and the Sabbath. Some have considered him to be the first Protestant reformer. But was he?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

COGwriter

Notice the following news item:

It is nice that some group is trying to observe Pentecost–a day that Jesus and His disciples observed both before and AFTER His resurrection.

Yet, also notice what some Catholics teach:

Q. When Is Pentecost Sunday 2008?

From Scott P. Richert,
Your Guide to Catholicism…

Pentecost Sunday, which marks the end of the Easter season in the Christian calendar, celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.

A. Pentecost falls on Sunday, May 11, 2008.

However, because most Protestants and Catholics do not know when Passover was, they fail to count to the 50th day (Pentecost means 50th), thus have missed it by about a month. The 50 days begins the Sunday after the first day of unleavened bread (which comes one day after Passover).

Basically they misunderstand the date because Emperor Constantine declared:

“Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way” (Eusebius’ Life of Constantine, Book III chapter 18),

Basically because of antisemitism, mainstream churches observe Easter Sunday (as a version of Passover for the Catholics and Orthodox) intentionally on a different day than early Christians like the Apostle John and Polycarp did (please see Passover and the Early Church), thus they often do not observe Pentecost on the right day.

Passover occurred after sunset, April 18th, 2008. Pentecost this year will be June 8th, 2008.

Those interested in the truth about Pentecost, may wish to read the article Pentecost: Is it more than Acts 2?

Also consider: Pentecost Quiz This is a Pentecost quiz based upon the Old and New Testaments in the Bible.

COGwriter

As regular readers of the COGwriter news page are aware, I do not believe that the Great Tribulation can begin until at least 2012–and that it will most likely start in 2013-2017.

The reason for at least 2012 is biblical (comparing Daniel 9:26-27 to Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12) as there needs to be a certain 7 year deal that gets broken in the middle to be started before it can be broken–adding 1/2 of seven years to any date after June 30, 2008 brings one to 2012 or later (more details are in the article End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?).

Now part of the reason that I believe that the tribulation will NOT start until 2013 or afterwards is because I believe that since Satan knows when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, Satan has a pretty good idea of when his 6,000 year reign over humankind will be over.

I believe that Satan, thus, has inspired many throughout the ages to prophecy events to occur in 2012 and other periods so that when the true Church proclaims when the end is coming (which may be shortly after 2012) that the vast majority of humankind will dismiss those proclamations as more false prophecies.

USA Today reported the following in an article titled Does Maya calendar predict 2012 apocalypse?:

Journalist Lawrence Joseph forecasts widespread catastrophe in Apocalypse 2012: A Scientific Investigation Into Civilization’s End. Spiritual healer Andrew Smith predicts a restoration of a “true balance between Divine Feminine and Masculine” in The Revolution of 2012: Vol. 1, The Preparation. In 2012, Daniel Pinchbeck anticipates a “change in the nature of consciousness,” assisted by indigenous insights and psychedelic drug use…

Part of the 2012 mystique stems from the stars. On the winter solstice in 2012, the sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in about 26,000 years. This means that “whatever energy typically streams to Earth from the center of the Milky Way will indeed be disrupted on 12/21/12 at 11:11 p.m. Universal Time,” Joseph writes (G. Jeffrey MacDonald. Does Maya calendar predict 2012 apocalypse? USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-03-27-maya-2012_n.htm viewed 01/14/08).

What the records actually were intended to mean by the ancient Mayans is unknown and has been subject to a lot of debate.

When the Spaniards came across the Mayans, they considered them to have pagan practices associated with the devil. Because of that, once they conquered them, they began to burn and otherwise destroy most of the writings of their civilization (known as codices), most notably under the direction of Bishop Diego de Landa. One Catholic, however, intervened and prevented three from being destroyed. These Mayan codices are now known as the Madrid, Dresden, and Paris codices. There also is a fourth, the Grolier codex, whose authenticity is sometimes disputed, but may be genuine–only a few pages from it survive. From time to time, other fragments of Mayan writings of this period have also been found. The Dresden Codex contains the highest amount of astronomical observations and calculations of any of the surviving texts.

One writer (probably Robert Bast who has his own “wiki”) has stated this about the Mayans and the calendar:

Like the Aztec and Inca who came to power later, the Maya believed in a cyclical nature of time. The rituals and ceremonies were very closely associated with celestial/terrestrial cycles which they observed and inscribed as separate calendars. The Maya priest had the job of interpreting these cycles and giving a prophetic outlook on the future or past based on the number relations of all their calendars. They also had to determine if the “heavens” or celestial matters were appropriate for performing certain religious ceremonies (Mayan Civilization. http://2012wiki.com/index.php?title=Maya_civilization viewed 01/14/08).

The actual Wikipedia states:

The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar forms the basis for a New Age belief, first forecast by José Argüelles, that a cataclysm will take place on or about 21 December 2012 (Maya Calendar. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_calendar viewed 01/14/08).

The History Channel claimed:

The Mayan calendar seems to say that the world will end in 2012 (Crowley, Phil. 2012, Decoding the Past. Original air date 03/01/07).

So we see two interpretations from different sources that indicate that either something terrible or something very good will happen in or near the end of 2012 according to Mayan prophecies.

And while I believe that 2012 is just a little bit too early for the end, several divergent sources seem to point to that year for some type of major change.

Perhaps one of the more fascinating is related to the Chinese I Ching. Although some aspects of it slightly remind me of the so-called Bible Code, there have been some calculations made apparently based upon looking at all the 64 possible combinations one can obtain by throwing the three discs and plotting the associated full and broken lines from using the I Ching:

Fractal time and the I Ching…

Various fringe scientists have tried to calculate this point of infinity, giving us calculated dates ranging from 2010 to 2050. Dates that many of us will live to see. Perhaps the date is Dec 22, 2012. Ethnobotanists and fractal time experts Terrence and Dennis McKenna believe so, and they present their ideas in Invisible Landscape: Mind Hallucinogens and the I Ching (1993).

Their studies began with the I Ching, which is composed of 64 hexagrams, or six-line figures. It struck them that 6 x 64 = 384, which is exceptionally close to the number of days in 13 lunar months (29.5306 x 13 = 383.8978), and that maybe the I Ching was originally an ancient Chinese calendar. Further multiples had astronomical significance…

The McKenna brothers arrived at the 2012 end date by using fractals. Starting from a table of differences between one hexagram and the next, they developed a Mandelbrot fractal in which each level is 64 times greater then the one below it. They then laid this fractal pattern on top of a time scale. The peaks and troughs of the pattern relate to the level of connectedness or novelty in any span of time, whether it covers a day, millennia or even since the beginning of time. By matching the levels of the pattern with key periods in history, they determined it would fit best if the end of the time scale was December 22, 2012. This is the only point in which the level of novelty reaches its maximum, and everything that happens is new (Bast R. Survive 2012. http://survive2012.com/why_2012_fractal.php viewed 04/12/08).

So, some believe that December 22, 2012 was long known as the date for the world as we know it to end.

There is also a tradition from India:

It is interesting that this prediction of the emergence of a new world is prophesied to appear about the same time that the Mayans predicted it to come! The Mayan calendar began with the Fifth Great Cycle in 3114 BC and will end on 21 December 2012 AD. The Hindu Kali Yuga calendar began on 18 February 3102 B.C. There is only a difference of 12 years between the Hindu’s beginning of the Kali Yuga and the Mayan’s beginning of the Fifth Great Cycle. It is amazing that both calendars began at about the same time over 5,000 years ago and both calendars predict a totally new world and/or golden age after about 5,000 years into their calendars! We are definitely on to something with these Mayan and Hindu 2012 predictions. Historically, this is an amazing fact since these two ancient cultures did not have any contact…Lord Krishna’s Golden Age could easily begin in 2012! (Hindu Calendar. http://2012wiki.com/index.php?title=Hindu_Calendar viewed 01/14/08).

A source, related to the above India/Hindu comments, also stated:

The Hopi prophecy is an oral tradition of stories that Hopis say predicted the coming of the white man, the world wars and nuclear weapons. And it predicts that time will end when humanity emerges into the “fifth world.” The Mayan calendar predicts a similar end in 2012; some Hopis have said their prophecy roughly coincides with that time. The tradition says the years after 2012 could be a golden age with humans at peace. It also says the world will go through a time of trial, suffering and purification before a time of “one-heartedness” (Hopi Civilization. http://2012wiki.com/index.php?title=Hopi_Civilization viewed 01/14/08).

And although a Robert Bast is the source of many of those written quotes, a program (2012 episode of Decoding the Past) that The History Channel originally aired March 1, 2007, had a variety of sources that basically stated the same things that Robert Bast has written. And one of those was that the end of “the fourth world” in Hopi prophecy is about upon us.

I wish to make it clear that I do not believe that the world will end then or that a God-ordained golden age of peace will happen then either.

I should, add however, that Roman Catholics do believe that an “age of peace” is to arrive and, if the Malachy prophecies have merit (somewhat accurate predictions of all popes from the 12th century to present), there is only one pope listed to come after the current one (Bander, Peter. The Prophecies of St. Malachy. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973). Hence, the end of the predicted line of popes will occur soon. And it is likely that the final pope will come on the scene by 2012-2017.

But as I have stated before, I tend to believe that the great tribulation will occur sometime after 2012 and because 2012 will have had so much attention, when we in the Living Church of God claim that the Great Tribulation is about to begin, most will dismiss us as being less likely important than the Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/I Ching prophecies.

But the end will come whether people believe us or not. Will you be ready?

Two articles of related interest may include:

End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans and the Hindu Indians (who were not even on the same continent). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?

vs.
Ronald Weinland Says His Books Are What He Wants Potential Supporters to Closely Study. The COGwriter Site Instead Urges Those Interested in Him and End-Time Prophecies to Spend More Time Checking His Writings with the Bible.

COGwriter

April 17, 2008 is now well past. And although Ronald Weinland claimed that the 1260 days and the first trumpet blast of the Book of Revelation started then, this simply has not been the case.

Ronald Weinland and his followers have repeatedly relied on allegory over scripture and have sometimes confused events that may be related to “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8) with those that occur later in the great tribulation (Matthew 24:21).

If Ronald Weinland and his followers would have taken the passages in Daniel 9, 11, and 12 more literally, they would have realized that when the events the Bible shows needed to come to pass on the 1335, 1290, and 1260 days of Daniel 12 did not come to pass on February 2nd, March 18th, and April 17th (the dates that Ronald Weinland indicated that those days began respectively, see Ronald Weinland Announced When He Claims Jesus Will Return and RW’s Wife the 2nd Witness? Comparing 4/17/08 and the Bible to “2008 God’s Final Witness”) they would have all repented by now. Instead, those still with him are ignoring the Bible.

Notice what he taught in a sermon given March 29, 2008:

If by Pentecost I’m just going to make this real clear to everyone. If by Pentecost it is not powerfully and abundantly clear that there has been a great deal of destruction that will clearly encompass a third of all plant life in the US and at least the clear results of this mingled with blood the death of very much animal life and the beginning of large numbers of human life then I will stop preaching. Just so all the critics and everyone out there will understand. I am true to my word in these things. OK? And for all the critics if by the end of July and for most likely around Pentecost if nothing has clearly caused great destruction and death I will make it very clear that I was a false prophet. I will do exactly what I said I would do on all of those interviews that I have held; to do less, aah well, would be quite insane. To do less. Well. Would be quite insane (Weinland R. Three More Weeks–quote from near the 1 hour 28 minute point from the CGPFK website version. Sermon given March 29, 2008).

Since Pentecost in 2008 is June 8th, by mid-June Ronald Weinland has to stop preaching according to his own words. And by mid-July 2008 apologize and admit his error (there is a rumor that some of his followers will continue with others leading CGPFK, and that may be possible–furthermore, in his 4/26/08 sermon, see Ronald Weinland Changes and Delays, But Without Apology, he seems to contradict what he said in the 3/29/08 sermon–so when or whether he will step down is uncertain as his positions have changed).

Also Ronald Weinland, this time in an interview on April 10, 2008 (see Ronald Weinland: False Prophet by Mid-June), gave himself until mid-June 2008 to be a true or false prophet (see also Ronald Weinland Seems to Give Himself More Time, But Done By Labor Day), yet the fact is that now that it is May 2008 shows he is clearly a false prophet.

How?

Well, although there are many reasons (see for example Ronald Weinland: Nothing Happened March 18th Because What Happened Was Spiritual? and February 2008 is Past Ronald Weinland), one is that the dollar still has value.

Notice what Ronald Weinland claimed in a radio interview on December 15, 2007:

A little after April…a dollar bill won’t be worth anything…We’re going to be brought down the tubes, very quickly, starting in April…What happens when a nuclear weapon goes off in New York and Chicago?… If we come to the point in time where what I’ve said doesn’t come to pass, the reality is that I’m just a false prophet. That’s the bottom line… The reality is if it doesn’t happen, then you’re just false…I’ll acknowledge my error, my wrong, if I’m wrong…

It is now “a little past April”, the dollar still has value, and the great tribulation, simply did not begin. Furthermore, notice what he wrote on November 24, 2007:

Beginning in February, those thunders will increase dramatically, and by April this world will begin to be shaken to its foundations. Everything I am doing, and everything the Church of God - PKG is doing is geared towards these realities. There is no wavering and there is no hesitation!… February will be here soon! Don’t squander the time that is in front of you. Use it wisely!

I tried to use February 2008 “wisely” and without “wavering” or ”hesitation” as he advised, and posted several news items warning people not to follow him.

Notice two specific claims that Ronald Weinland made in April 2008:

…that has to do with the Catholic Church…He is going to be saying…He is going to be given special powers beginning April 17th when he is in Washington. D.C. (James Whale Interview. talkSPORT Radio. April 10, 2008).

And the 17th marked the identifying and the beginning of Satan’s direct power and influence of a great false prophet, the Pope of the Roman Catholic church (Weinland R. Begun–the 1260 Days Have Begun. Sermon April 19, 2008).

I, for one, have not noticed any “special powers” that Pope Benedict XVI supposedly received three weeks ago. Thus, another prediction from Ronald Weinland has not been fulfilled.

Ronald Weinland simply does not understand biblical prophecy, such as Daniel 11 which discusses future kings of the North and South. And as I have been warning people for a long time, partially because there is no King of the North or King of the South yet, the Great Tribulation CANNOT begin in 2008.

Furthermore, if Ronald Weinland understood, Daniel 9:26-27, he would see that the Great Tribulation cannot begin before 2012 as the “prince” (who will become the King of the North), has not yet made a deal with Israel–a deal that he will break after 3 1/2 years. If this deal is not made until after June 30, 2008 (and I do not believe that it can be made before the Fall of 2008, and a later year is more likely), then the Great Tribulation will not begin before 2012. And while the end is coming, Ronald Weinland and his followers seem to be a least 4-5 years premature.

Furthermore, as I wrote last month, Ronald Weinland immediately should do the following:

1. Apologize to leaders of various Churches of God to whom he sent letters warning them of their impending deaths about two years ago.
2. Apologize to his followers for misleading them.
3. Go back on the few radio programs he was on and apologize for his presumptuousness for appointing himself as a prophet and one of God’s two witnesses.
4. Apologize to me (and now others) for the disdain whereby he treated me two years ago, and how he has treated those that pointed out why he was wrong ever since. Calling for our slow deaths was also not nice (see Ronald Weinland Again Calls for Death).
5. Give me, Bob Thiel, the www.the-end.com URL since he misused it, while the cogwriter website has been properly explaining end-time events during the time he has been around.
6. Shut down the Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom organization so that it cannot continue. There are rumors that some wish to keep it going even AFTER Ronald Weinland’s latest dates prove to be false.
7. Spend a lot of time communicating with people he has misled to attempt to help them understand that he was wrong and that they should have relied much more on the Bible and not on his false interpretations of biblical prophecy.

And whatever else he and his wife can think of to try to minimize the damage that they have caused others and the Church of God.

It’s been three weeks since Ronald Weinland claimed that God began his and his wife’s 1260 day job as the two witnesses–but they have not been effective witnesses as they STILL are being basically ignored by the world (they have mostly had fringe coverage or none at all).

Nor are they close to converting millions like he indicated that they should be (for more details, see Ronald Weinland Prophesied Millions & Is Spending to Accomplish That) by now. Nor have they done any of the biblically indicated miracles that the two witnesses should be able to do (see Revelation 11:3-6).

Ronald Weinland has always been a SELF-appointed prophet. He is not one of God’s prophets, nor are he and his wife the prophesied two witnesses.

A few articles of possibly related interest may include:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008. Is he a false prophet? He has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the COG.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples ofthe United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans and the Hindu Indians (who were not even on the same continent). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

The Weekly Sabbath Begins Sunset on Fridays

The April/May 2008 edition of CG7’s Bible Advocate has the following question and answer:

Q. Doesn’t Colossians 2:16, 17 speak against Sabbath observance?

A. These verses read: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” If this puzzling text opposes the weekly rest day for Christians, it is the only one of sixty Sabbath references in the New Testament to give a negative witness to the seventh-day rest of creation and of Christ.

A closer look, however, shows that this text is not against Sabbaths any more than it is against food, drink, or festivals. No day is the problem here but the misuse of days for un-Christian purposes.

Exploring the background of this epistle, we learn that the first century church in Colosse was troubled by teachings that later became known as Gnosticism, a heresy that troubled the church in the first centuries after Christ. Gnosticism borrowed from Judaism, paganism, and Christian doctrine, combining them into an amalgam in which the person and work of Jesus were no longer central.

A reading of Colossians 2 suggests that the false teachers (early Gnostics) taught a philosophical form of faith (v. that mixed worship of angels (v. 18), ascetic practices of the body (vv. 20-23), and Jewish holy days, with the weekly Sabbath (v. 16). Some of Jesus was surely sprinkled in for good measure, but the resulting spiritual soup was actually a toxic mixture of man-made religion upon which repeated warnings are pronounced: “Let no one cheat [judge] you . . .” (vv. 8, 16, 18).

Speaking positively, Paul urges that Christ be preeminent in all things (vv. 2, 3, 6, 9, 10ff, 17; also 1:13ff). These verses are the heart of the apostle’s argument in this chapter. With our Lord at the church’s head and reigning in our hearts, the weekly Sabbath and every other proper teaching can assume their rightful place.

Taken in context, then, the message of Colossians 2:16, 17 is that the church must not elevate anything above the Lord Jesus Christ: not angels, not dietary practice or other forms of self-denial, not Hebrew festivals, and not even the weekly Sabbath. All are subordinate to Him who lived, died, and rose again for our eternal redemption. — Elder Calvin Burrell

And that is basically correct.

However, there is one main point that I would like to emphasize.

And that is that the reason that most who profess Christ do not know the truth about this is because nearly all translators have intentionally mistranslated these verses, thus most have been misled into thinking this verse is opposed to the Sabbath and the Holy Days (it also enjoins the Holy Days as much as the Sabbath, but CG7 is not a big fan of those, which may be why that point was not expounded upon in the article).

So, let’s examine one slight mistranslation of it:

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ (Col 2:16-17,KJV).

The above translation is close, however, it added a word that is not in the original Greek.

The word added is “is”. Truly literal translations leave it out as it is not in there. Notice the Strong’s words for verse 17:

3739. 2076 4639… 3588……. 3195 ………..3588.. 1161. 4983 9999 3588 5547
Which are a shadow of …things to come; …….the.. but.. body ….is…. of… Christ.
(Interlinear Transliterated Bible. Copyright (c) 1994 by Biblesoft).

It should be noted that 9999 means that there was no word in the biblical text. It should also be noted that #3588 is most often translated as “the”.

Because the same three Strong’s words (#4983, 3588, & 5547) are used four other times in the New Testament and in those times the KJV translates it as “the body of Christ” (Romans 7:4; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12)–as does the NKJV.

Therefore, if all the translators were simply consistent with themselves, they would have translated Colossians 2:16-17 to state:

16 Therefore let no man judge you in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; 17 for those things are a shadow of the things to come, but the body of Christ.

Or in other word, do not let those outside the body of Christ (the church, Colossians 1:18) judge you regarding holy days, but only the church itself. Colossians 2:16-17 is not saying that the holy days are done away. It is poor exegesis (biblical interpretation) to rely on a mistranslation to claim that the holy days are done away with.

It is sad, but most in the Protestant world have misunderstood Colossians 2:16-17 because translators who know better MISTRANSLATED it.

The truth, of course, is that the seventh-day Sabbath and the biblical holy days were not done away with in the New Testament. And, they were observed by Jesus, His original disciples, early Christians, and still are today by those of us in the Living Church of God.

Several articles of possibly related interest, for those who wish to see more of the truth, may include:

The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church?
Is God Unreasonable? Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
Church of God, Seventh Day: History and Teachings Nearly all COG’s I am aware of trace their history through this group. Whaid Rose is the president of the largest CG7 group (Denver). Do you know much about them?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

United Church of God council censures elder Aaron Dean
http://www.thejournal.org/issues/issue125/ucg-council-rebuffs-elder-aaron-dean.html

A firestorm has raged lately on Internet forums fueled by the recent decision by the council of elders of the United Church of God, based in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area, to “censure” one of its members.

The governing 12-man body sent a letter to members of the church’s general conference of elders (GCE) in March 2008 informing elders worldwide that Aaron Dean of Gladewater, Texas, a council member since January 1999, had been officially censured.

The council’s action means Mr. Dean is prohibited from speaking in any UCG congregation until after the 2008 Feast of Tabernacles.

Although the membership of the church was not generally aware of the council’s letter to the elders, word of the censure surfaced.

Mr. Dean, who served as a personal aide to Worldwide Church of God founder Herbert W. Armstrong from 1974 until Mr. Armstrong’s death, in 1986, delivered a sermon and answered questions at a meeting of a Church of God group in Huntsville, Texas, during the 2007 Feast of Tabernacles.

Mr. Dean’s speaking engagement in Huntsville violated a UCG policy about addressing other groups and brought about the censure.

COGwriter

While many Protestants and others believe that the final Antichrist will be a pope, it seems that certain Catholic writings support the idea that a final (or nearly final) pope will be ecumenical, be an antipope, and be the “false prophet” and/or the final Antichrist.

Furthermore, it appears that many Catholic prophesies suggests that it is an antipope that supports a new religious order:

Oba Prophecy. “It will come when the Church authorities issue directives to support a new cult, when priests are forbidden to celebrate in any other, when the highest positions in the Church are given to perjurers and hypocrites, when only the renegades are admitted to occupy those positions (Dupont Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 115).

Anna-Katarina Emmerick (19th century). “I saw again a new and odd-looking Church which they were trying to build. There was nothing holy about it…(Dupont, p. 116).

Yves Dupont (writer interpreting A. Emmerick), “They wanted to make a new Church, a Church of human manufacture, but God had other designs…An anti-pope shall be set up in Rome” (Dupont, p. 116).

The Prophecy of Premol (5th century) “…And I see the King of Rome and his Cross and his tiara, shaking the dust off of his shoes, and hastening his flight to other shores. Thy Church, O Lord, is torn apart by her own children. One camp is faithful to the fleeing Pontiff, the other is subject to the new government of Rome which has broken the tiara. But Almighty God will, in His mercy, put an end to this confusion and a new age will begin. Then, said the Spirit, this is the beginning of the End of Time.”

Comment: From this prophecy, it is clear that the true Church will be faithful to the Pope in exile; whereas the new Pope in Rome will be, in fact, an anti-pope…a large number of Catholics will be misled into accepting the leadership of the anti-pope. (Dupont, pp. 72-73). {Note the comment is from Dupont personally}.

Jeanne le Royer (d. 1978) I see that when the Second Coming of Christ approaches a bad priest will do much harm to the Church (Culligan, E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 128).

Yves Dupont {reader and collector of Catholic prophecies} “prophecies are quite explicit about the election of an anti-pope…Many prophecies predict an anti-pope and a schism” (Dupont, pp. 34,60-61).

Catholic priest and writer R. Gerald Culleton: “A schism of short duration is destined to break out…An antipope, of German origin, is to be set up, and finally Rome itself will be destroyed” (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 42).

Frederick William Faber (died 1863)…Antichrist…Many believe in a demonical incarnation–this will not be so–but he will be utterly possessed…His doctrine as apparent contradiction of no religion, yet a new religion…He has an attending pontiff, so separating regal and prophetic office (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 87).

Blessed Joachim (died 1202): “Towards the end of the world Antichrist will overthrow the Pope and usurp his See” (Connor, p. 76).

Merlin (7th century) “There will come a German Anti-Pope. Italy and Germany will be sorely troubled. A French King will restore the true Pope” (Culleton, p. 132).

St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226) “There will be an uncanonically elected pope who will cause a great Schism, there will be divers thoughts preached which will cause many, even those in the different orders, to doubt, yea even agree with those heretics which will cause My order to divide, then will there be such universal dissensions and persecutions that if these days were not shortened even the elect would be lost” (Culleton, p. 130).

Catholic writer and priest P. Huchedé (19th century): “…the false prophet…will not be a king, nor a general of an army, but a clever apostate, fallen from episcopal dignity. From being an apostle of the Gospel he will become the first preacher of the false messiah…” (Huchedé, P. Translated by JBD. History of Antichrist. Imprimatur Edward Charles Fabre, Bishop of Montreal. English edition 1884, Reprint 1976. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 24).

Priest Herman Kramer This false prophet possibly at the behest of Antichrist usurps the papal supremacy…His assumed spiritual authority and supremacy over the Church would make him resemble the Bishop of Rome…He would be Pontifex Maximus, a title of pagan emperors, having spiritual and temporal authority. Assuming authority without having it makes him the False Prophet…Though he poses as a lamb, his doctrines betray him (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny. Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 319).

St. Francis de Paul (1470)… “The time is coming when the Divine Majesty will visit the world with a new religious order of the holy Cross-bearers… This shall be the last religious order in the Church, and will do more good for our holy religion than all other religious institutions. By force of arms he shall take possession of a great kingdom. He shall destroy the sect of Mahomet, extirpate all tyrants and heresies. He will bring the world to a holy mode of life. There will be one fold and one Shepherd. He shall reign until the end of time…”(Culleton, pp. 160-162).

Comments from writer D.A. Birch on the above from his book “Francis…speaks in a series of letters to Simeon de Limena, Count of Montalto in great detail of a future Great Monarch who will be a Roman Emperor. Limena was a great patron of St. Francis’ order and also a great military protector of the Church…He is described as founding a new religious order. To the reader this may sound like he also become a priest. That is not the case. What happens is that he founds a religious order, part of which contains military men who take religious vows. He will be the head of the military arm of this order. In this sense it will be like the Knights Templar of the Middle Ages” (Birch, DA. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before During and After Antichrist. Queenship Publishing Company, Goleta (CA), 1996, pp. 267-270).

D. Birch (commenting further in his book), “Many of the prophecies speak of the fact that the Great King at first will not be well-liked, especially by the French clergy” (Birch, p. 276).

Laurence Ricci, S.J. (died 1775) “… At a time when the whole world seems doomed, God will intervene. With His aide a valiant duke will arise from the ancient German house which was humiliated by the French monarch. This great ruler will restore stolen Church property. Protestantism will cease and the Turkish empire will end. This duke will be the most powerful monarch on earth. At a gathering of men noted for piety and wisdom he will, with the aid of the Pope, introduce new rules, and ban the spirit of confusion. Everywhere there will be one fold and one shepherd” (Connor, p.37).

Notice that Francis de Paul prophesied that there will be a new essentially Roman Catholic religious order that will do more good for the Roman Catholic Church than all other religious institutions as it will eliminate nearly all opposition. (This is because the King of the North will successfully work with the Pope to make the world nominally Catholic.) However, notice that some of the Catholic clergy will at first oppose this new order, these changes to Catholicism, but that the (probably final) pope will embrace them.

Hence the idea of someone claiming to be a Roman pope, yet possibly being the final Antichrist is supported by several Catholic writings.

Thus while some Catholic prophecies praise a new religious order, others indicate that a new type of Catholicism will not be true to some of its beliefs. Furthermore, it needs to be understood that the Great Monarch would seem to be the same person as the ten-horned Beast (also known as 666). Thus, there are Catholic prophecies that support the idea that a Pope/anti-pope will accept changes that a new European military leader will implement. In addition, since most Protestants have no knowledge of Catholic prophecies, they do not grasp the danger of the “ecumenical” plans of the Roman Church. Because after all is said and done, the one we in the Living Church of God would consider to be the ten-horned Beast (also known as 666 and the King of the North), will, according to Catholic prophecy, eliminate Protestantism:

Father Laurence Ricci, S.J. (died 1775): “After the rule of Napoleon a time will come when the people will become poor and the world will be punished in three ways: wars, famines, and pestilences. At a time when the whole world seems doomed, God will intervene. With His aide a valiant duke will arise from the ancient German house which was humiliated by the French monarch. This great ruler will restore stolen Church property. Protestantism will cease and the Turkish empire will end. This duke will be the most powerful monarch on earth. At a gathering of men noted for piety and wisdom he will, with the aid of the Pope, introduce new rules, and ban the spirit of confusion. Everywhere there will be one fold and one shepherd” (Connor, p.37).

St. Francis of Paola (Born in Italy, 15th century). “By the grace of the Almighty, the Great Monarch will annihilate heretics and unbelievers” (Dupont, p.38).

Why? Because Catholics have long considered Protestantism, and all non-Greco-Roman Catholicism as false. Notice what one priest reported:

Pope St. Pius V teaches in his Catechism, the Roman Catechism — also known as the Catechism of the Council of Trent — that all of the Protestant religions are false religions, they’re inspired by the devil; and therefore their fruits are evil…The Protestant religions, as such, are inspired by the devil, as Pope St. Pius V teaches in his catechism (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004. THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/15/08).

Notice what some Catholics have written about their “ecumenical plans”:

D.A. Birch “The Pope calls an Ecumenical Council which will be viewed as the greatest in the history of the Church. The world is spiritually and materially prosperous as never before and many Jews, Mohammedans, heathens and heretics will enter the Church” (Birch, p. 555).

Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (Born in the 17th century, in Germany) …God will bind Satan for a number of years until the days of the Son of Perdition…there will be an ecumenical council which will be the greatest of all councils. By the grace of God, by the power of the Great Monarch, and by the authority of the Holy Pontiff, and by the union of the most devout princes, atheism and every heresy will be banished from the earth. The Council will define the true sense of Holy Scripture, and this will be believed and accepted by everyone (Dupont, p. 40).

Priest Herman Kramer “The thunders may mean the dogmatic declarations of the Church against infidels expressed in an ecumenical council…such as that of…the Infallibility of the Pope…The Seven Thunders may then be declarations of an ecumenical council clearing up all that was left unfinished by the magisterial office of the Church, before God will permit Satan to exert his supreme efforts to destroy her from without. The Seven Thunders will strengthen the faithful and loyal clergy”…(Kramer H., pp. 241-242).

Priest Paul Kramer “The errors of Orthodoxy and of Protestantism will be embraced by that false church, it will be an ecumenical church because the Anti-Pope will be recognized by the world — not by the faithful, but by the world — by the secular world and the secular governments. The Anti-Pope will be recognized as the legitimate Pope of the “church,” and the legitimate head of the Vatican State. That “church” will be united with all the false religions. They will be united together under the universality of the Masonic umbrella. In that motley ecumenical union will be the established religion of the so-called civilized world. This is how we will get into the time of great persecution such as the world has never seen (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004. THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/06/08).

Hence some Catholics are looking to a time that an ecumenical pontiff will appear. Some (like the first quotations above) are looking forward to that, while others (like the last quotation above) consider that this will be a sign of an Anti-pope. Notice that the last quote indicates that some of the “errors of Orthodoxy and of Protestantism will be embraced”, yet this will be a church ruled by some type of a Pope. That is where all of these “ecumenical discussions” are going to lead to as far as Catholic prophecies are concerned. The current Pope (Benedict XVI) has been working for ecumenical unity and is apparently setting the way for a more ecumenical pontiff to arise (for information, see the news items Pope Benedict XVI to Have “Ecumenical” USA Trip and Pope Trying to Appease the Orthodox and the Lutherans).

On a somewhat related note, the Pope who works with and/or precedes the Great Monarch is specifically prophesied to rule over the Eastern Orthodox Church as well—and re-establish Babylon! Notice the following:

Abbott Joachim (died 1202)…A remarkable Pope will be seated on the pontifical throne, under special protection of the angels. Holy and full of gentleness, he shall undo all wrong, he shall recover the states of the Church, and reunite the exiled temporal powers. As the only Pastor, he shall reunite the Eastern to the Western Church…This holy Pope shall be both pastor and reformer. Through him the East and West shall be in ever lasting concord. The city of Babylon shall then be the head and guide of the world. Rome, weakened in temporal power, shall forever preserve her spiritual dominion, and shall enjoy great peace…At the beginning, in order to bring these happy results, having need of a powerful assistance, this holy Pontiff will ask the cooperation of the generous monarch of France (Great Monarch)… A man of remarkable sanctity will be his successor in the Pontifical chair. Through him God will work so many prodigies that all men shall revere him (Connor, pp. 31-33).

“Prodigies” means miracles.

Interestingly, the Roman Catholics do realize that the expression, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!” (Revelation 18:2) is referring to Rome. And the Bible says this happens after the Antichrist comes. It needs to be understood that although the above quote is in a book with an Imprimatur (high level Roman Catholic approval), some Roman Catholics have somewhat distanced themselves from some of Abott Joachim’s writings (i.e. Birch, pp. 143,235, but other Roman Catholics writings tend to support the Abbott’s writings, but I do not recall seeing others that support “Babylon” as the head of the world).

Perhaps it might be helpful to note that while the Bible shows that the Beast and the False Prophet perform miracles (Revelation 16:13-14), Catholic prophecies indicate that one of the popes also does miracles:

Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century)…. “After the three days of darkness, St. Peter and St. Paul, having come down from Heaven, will preach in the whole world and designate a new Pope. A great light will flash from their bodies and will settle upon the cardinal who is to become Pope. Christianity, then, will spread throughout the world. He is the Holy Pontiff, chosen by God to withstand the storm. At the end, he will have the gift of miracles, and his name shall be praised over the whole earth (Dupont, p.45).

The following suggest that the Great Monarch may also perform some type of miracles:

Abbe Souffrand (died 1828): “The Great Ruler will perform such great and noble deeds that the infidels will be forced to admit the working of God’s Providence. Under this reign the greatest righteousness will be practiced and the earth will bear in overabundance…”(Connor, p. 37)

St. Thomas a’Becket (12th Century)…”A knight shall come from the West. He shall capture Milan, Lombardy, and the three Crowns. He shall then sail to Cyprus and Famagoste and land at Jaffa, and reach Christ’s grave where he will fight. Wars and wonders shall befall till the people believe in Christ toward the end of the world” (Birch, p. 255).

The parallels to the ten-horned Beast and the False Prophet are undeniable. And because of the wars, economic pressure, and wonders, many will be deceived into accepting the religion of the Beast and the False Prophet (Revelation 13). Sadly, also including many Protestants.

And part of this is because Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestants simply do not realize that true Christianity was from the beginning, and will be until the end of the Church era, opposed to participation in carnal warfare (Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?). Because nearly all who profess Christ do not really understand what happened to the true Church in the second through fourth centuries (and beyond), their foundation is on sand and thus their combined house shall fall greatly (c.f. Matthew 7:26-27).

Articles of related interest may include:

Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet”. Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Catholic writings indicate this, but what does the Bible show?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”?
The Antichrist Quiz Do you really know much about the Antichrist?
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.

COGwriter

Beliefs: How Was Early Christianity Practiced?

While scholars have a variety of opinions, this page itself will simply mention the following beliefs held by true Christians in the second century, with links to highly documented articles on each subject (which are primarily based on the Bible and early historical writings).

But first, notice what one Roman Catholic writer has written:

Protestants of many traditions are now espousing recent Protestant traditions and modern schisms; yet they all claim the early Church as their own–asserting that they are the rightful heirs to the teachings of our Lord, the apostles, and the Fathers of the apostolic Church. Are they? Do they have a legitimate claim to the theology of the early Church? Was the “early Church essentially Protestant” in her theology and polity, or was she Catholic? (Ray, Stephen K. Upon This Rock. St. Peter and the Primacy of Rome in Scripture and the Early Church. Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1999, p. 15).

Well, what if the early Church was the Church of God, which is neither Protestant nor Roman Catholic? What if that is what the Bible and early writings demonstrate?

Notice the following teachings of early Christianity–all of which are accepted by the true Church of God and only a relatively few of which are practiced/taught/still accepted by Roman Catholics or Protestants (though early leaders considered as “saints” by the Catholics also held them):

Baptism was by immersion and did not include infants.
The complete Bible with the proper Old Testament and New Testament was relied on by the true Church in Asia Minor.
A Binitarian view was held by the apostolic and post-apostolic true Christian leaders.
Birthdays were not celebrated by early Christians.
Born-Again meant being born at the resurrection, not at the time of conversion.
Celibacy for Bishops/Presbyters/Elders was not a requirement.
Christmas was not observed by any professing Christ prior to the third century, or ever by those holding to early teachings.
Deification of Christians was taught by the early leaders of the Church.
Duties of Elders/Pastors were pastoral and theological, not predominantly sacramental–nor did they dress as many now do.
Easter was not observed by the apostolic church.
The Fall Holy Days were observed by true early Christians.
The Father was considered to be God by all early professing Christians.
Holy Spirit was not referred to as God or as a person by any early true Christians.
Hymns were mainly psalms, not praises to Christ.
Idols were taught against, including the use of the cross.
Immortality of the soul or humans was not taught.
Jesus was considered to be God by the true Christians.
The Kingdom of God was preached.
Lent was not observed by the primitive church.
Military Service was not allowed for true early Christians.
Millenarianism (a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth, often called the millennium) was taught by the early Christians.
Monasticism was unheard of in the early Christian church.
Passover was kept on the 14th of Nisan by apostolic and second century Christians in Asia Minor.
Pentecost was kept on the same day that the Jews observed it by all professing Christians.
The Resurrection of the dead was taught by all early Christians
The Sabbath was observed on Saturday by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church.
Salvation was believed to be offered to the chosen now by the early Church, with others being called later, though not all that taught that (or other doctrines) practiced “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
God’s Six Thousand Year Plan for humankind to rule itself was believed by early professors of Christ.
Sunday was not observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians.
The Ten Commandments were observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians–and in the order that the Living Church of God claims they are in.
Tradition had some impact on the second century Christians, but was never supposed to supercede the Bible.
The Trinity was not a word used to describe the Godhead by the apostolic or second century Christians.
Unclean Meats were eaten by the early allegorists, but not by true Christians.
Leavened Bread was removed from the homes of early Christians when the Jews did the same.
The Virgin Birth was acknowledged by all true ante-Nicene Christians.

What About Today?

Almost none who profess Christianity hold to all of those beliefs.

The largest group (which happens to also be a “little flock”) that agrees with all the positions above, that were part of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) is the Living Church of God.

And unlike most groups today, it also specifically traces its history from the Apostles through Polycarp, Polycrates, and other leaders in Asia Minor.

Those interested in learning the truth about the early and true Christian church should prayfully study the following articles:

The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 Do they matter? Most say they must, but act like they do not. This article contains some history about the Church of God (sometimes referred to as the continuation of Primitive Christianity) over the past 2000 years.
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church.
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view? Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches? Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter!
Another Look at the Didache, Ignatius, and the Sabbath Did Ignatius write against the Sabbath and for Sunday? What about the Didache? What does the actual Greek reveal?
Ancient “Christian” Sermon This is believed to be the oldest complete surviving post-New Testament sermon. Have you ever read it?
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?