The woman in the above picture is an artistic rendition of the Biblical description of the End-time, Harlot Church. In Revelation chapter 17, the woman there depicted riding upon a scarlet-colored beast having seven heads and ten horns, is an allusion not to some hodgepodge of the world's religions, as many wrongly suppose. But that Whorish Woman, whose name is given in Scripture as "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth", is a composite picture of the Apostate Pseudo-Christian Church at the end of this present Church Age.
Although the above picture seems to portray that Whorish Woman in a position of great power and authority; yet, unknown to herself, she is just about to lose her own life. She imagines herself to be an invincible Queen, says the Word of God. But the very beast upon which she rides hates her, and is soon going to turn against her and utterly devour her.
No more shall here be said about the identity and nature of that beast upon which the harlot rides, except, that the beast represents Antichrist's political power base which, for a very short time, shall be employed to serve the interests of the End-time, Apostate Church. Who or what is that Apostate Church? And what is she going to do during the brief span of time that she will be enabled to ride upon the seven-headed beast? Those are two very important questions. Unfortunately, I can only address them but superficially, in the context of this post.
No more shall here be said about the identity and nature of that beast upon which the harlot rides, except, that the beast represents Antichrist's political power base which, for a very short time, shall be employed to serve the interests of the End-time, Apostate Church. Who or what is that Apostate Church? And what is she going to do during the brief span of time that she will be enabled to ride upon the seven-headed beast? Those are two very important questions. Unfortunately, I can only address them but superficially, in the context of this post.
The head of "Mystery, Babylon the Great", as Scripture calls the Apostate Church, is Roman Catholicism. For more than a thousand years the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) ruled most of the so-called civilized world, from about the 4th-Century until about five-hundred years ago, at which time (circa 1550+) the Protestant Reformation produced a flood-tide of protestations against, and departures from, the RCC. Those who left the RCC formed a number of fellowships, generically and collectively referred to as the Protestant churches. At length, Protestant:ism produced a number of mega-corporations, comprising the worldwide, mainstream, denominational churches. Those Protestant denominations, some to greater and others to lesser degree, carried the banner, as it were, of what may reasonably be called a Biblical worldview, until about the time of post-WWII.
After World War II, however, in large part due to a prolonged period of relative prosperity among the erstwhile Christian West (Europe and the Americas); and, driven by a sea-change of (global) consciousness favoring scientific-materialism over Biblical revelation: then began to appear a singularly important phenomenon, which the Bible indicates as a great, End-time Apostasy ('turning away' from the truth of Scripture and from the Person of Jesus Christ). Today that Apostasy is in full flower, as it were. The mainstream Protestant churches have apostatized to such a point that Biblical Christianity is anathema to them: thus, they have revealed themselves to be the harlot daughters of the RCC. Meanwhile the liberalism, the 'High-Church' ritualism, and the pseudo-Christian identity of Roman Catholicism, appeals to nominally Protestant churchgoers who have no use for the dead corpse of Protestantism, but who are allured by the intoxicating wine of Rome's sensual religion. And Rome has always stood ready to receive such 'wayward Brethren' back into the fold of the RCC. Formerly Protestant churches - even entire denominations - are returning like the outgoing tide, to place themselves under the leadership of the Pontiff of Rome.
Apostates nominally profess affiliation with the 'Christian religion'; but they are unwilling to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ and, so, they refuse to adhere to his commandments and precepts.
"They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate" (Titus 1:16).Thus while they masquerade as Christians, yet, their beliefs and practices are inimical to true Christianity. Their minds are not ambivalent, but they are hostile towards genuinely Christian persons. For, real Christians, because they are the true "light of the world" in and through Jesus Christ, expose the darkness and hypocrisy of mere 'professors of religion'. You can see a couple of examples of that seething hostility, on the part of apostates, toward Christians, here, and here. Such examples are not even the tip of the iceberg of the growing hatred of apostates toward the true Church of Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost explicitly warned about the danger to real Christians, posed by the merely 'religious':
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness...." (2 Timothy 3:1-5).They have a "form of godliness" - they are indeed religious, but they "despise those that are good". Moreover, they are "fierce, traitors, without self-control (incontinent)". That is why the Holy Ghost said that "perilous times" would come...in the last days. In other words, and in more ways than one -
the real danger to true Christians
in this present generation,
shall come from apostate 'Christians' in the apostate churches.
The following paragraphs (between the line break characters) are from a slightly outdated, but still relevant, article on the Internet, at this link.
Since 1986, many other groups have begun similar efforts. In 1993, Chicago hosted the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. This meeting generated a proclamation for a Declaration of Human Values. This declaration included those values common to all religions. The World Conference of Religion and Peace, organized in 1970, gathered at Melbourne, Australia, in July 1997. This organization stressed, "Acceptance, tolerance and collaboration" among all religions except those who hold to any form of exclusivity (i.e., "no man cometh to the Father but by me") or absolutism (i.e., absolute truth).
The One-World Church Is Nearing Fruition
The Pope and the Church of Rome are "seizing the moment" to finally grasp their goal of establishing the socalled "Kingdom of God" on earth. Absolutism and exclusivity are reapidly becoming labeled as intolerance and bigotry.. Many Christian leaders are busy making overtures of unity. In May 1994, the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) was authored by Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, and R.J. Neuhaus, former Lutheran, now Catholic priest. The document "laid the groundwork for Evangelicals to set aside their distinctive doctrines and unite with the Catholic Church and other religions. The ECT document was also signed by such notable Evangelicals as Bill Bright, Pat Robertson and Mark Noll.
Other Christian leaders have also been making statements that link them to this train of thought.
"I found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of an Orthodox Roman Catholic." - Dr. Billy Graham
"We (Catholics and Evangelicals) have differences, but on the ancient creeds and core beliefs of Christianity, we stand together." - Charles Colson
"I am eradicating the word 'protestant' from my vocabulary.. it's time for Catholics and non-Catholics to come together as one." - Paul Crouch
"In all the Pope's writings.. he has hundreds and hundreds of Bible verses. If I dare to say there are less [sic] than seven to ten thousand Bible verses in the new catechism, backing everything they say, I would't be exaggerating. And, he makes a statement and backs it with the Word of God." - Jack Van Impe
The above article shows how long ago that some of the most well known Evangelical and Charismatic church leaders were even then working to advance the ecumenical agenda of the RCC. Although it would have seemed unconscionable to me even twenty years ago, to accuse any one of the above-named celebrities of being an heretic; I would not hesitate to do so, today.
Now, here comes another one 'out of the closet', so to speak (although, his character - as William Bradford, the once-Governor of Plymouth Plantation would have said it, "is well known to ye godle and judicious"). Kenneth Copeland proclaimed his recent ministers' conference, which Copeland's church hosted, to be an "historic" event. Truly, it was. You really ought to watch this short video, to find out why (click on the picture):
The clarity of hindsight that is now possible, resulting from the wealth of materials produced over the course of several decades, by the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), enables any knowledgeable Christian to discern the long history of corruption and deception on the part of TBN - notably, to advance the Roman Catholic Church's ecumenical agenda (which the RCC still calls the "Counter-Reformation"). TBN has been a leading actor in setting the stage for the appearance in these last days for the emergence of the Harlot Church headed by the RCC and including apostate 'Christians' from every mainstream Protestant denomination.
Soon, I sincerely believe, the Pontiff of Rome (the Pope) will strike a bargain with a strong political leader from among the Muslim world. In exchange for supporting the Muslim leader's rise to power, as well as supporting the ensuing socio-political goals and authority of the Muslim leader; I expect, the Pope shall (temporarily) receive the reciprocal support of the Muslim leader, who will yield power over the soon-to-be re-structured international monetary order, to the Pope. That mutual agreement, I believe, shall be the essence of the relationship between this Pope and the soon-to-be-revealed Muslim leader; or, in other words, between the False Prophet (Pope) and Antichrist (Muslim Mahdi).
This Pope, as I just said, is moving rapidly to consolidate his power over all of the 'Christian' realms (the geographic regions that once constituted Western Civilization) - which, not incidentally, those regions comprise the lion's share of the developed nations and their global, economic power base. Whereas, the Muslim Mahdi shall control the vast human capital of the largely Muslim Middle and Near East. A 'union of convenience', so to speak, between the Pope and the Mahdi, would effectually (and actually, according to Scripture) create a politico-economic infrastructure that, by reason of their combined force, would not only constitute a de facto 'New World Order', but that would propel those two men to to a position of apparent dominance in world affairs. In fact, world domination has been the express goal of both of those entities (Roman Catholicism and Islam), from their beginning. And while those men and their respective constituents will be willing, for a season, each to use the other, for their own ends; nevertheless, it will soon thereafter become obvious that the Beast (Antichrist and his Kingdom) shall devour the unwitting hordes of apostate 'Christians' who foolishly followed the Pope, like lambs to the slaughter. Only, their 'destruction' shall mostly subsist in their receiving the 'mark of the beast', by reason of which, their souls shall be damned forever. Not insignificant is the fact, that it is the False Prophet - and not Antichrist - who shall institute the system incorporating the mark of the beast, which is a visible symbol (not an implanted microchip) that is intended to exhibit allegiance to the Beast System.
These are momentous times. We are now witnessing not the rise of the Harlot Church, for that has long been in the making. But we are about ready to see the curtain being lifted, as it were, upon the final scene of End-time events leading up to the Rapture of the Church!
Are you ready and watching for Jesus Christ? When that moment comes, there shall then be no more opportunity to prepare yourself to be received of Him, "without spot, or wrinkle, or blemish", "without blame before him, in love".
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