#18 Have you ever been swindled? Most people have at one time or another. Americans are a nation of liars and cheats. [TIME, June 9, 1997: LIAR, LIAR PANTS ON FIRE…PINOCCHIO] In fact, ever since the early New England settlers in 1626 traded $24 worth of colorful beads and cloth to the unsuspecting Indians for Manhattan Island we have been a nation of swindlers. Enron. Stock market scandals. World Bank. The record of swindling and fraud seems to run throughout our history. I’m embarrassed to admit it (especially to our world guests listening in by satellite), but con men in New York City still make thousands of dollars re-selling the Empire State Building – over and over –to gullible tourists and immigrants on their first trip to New York. Amusing? Perhaps. But it isn’t only the innocent, naïve, greenhorns who are victimized by con artists! The National Business Bureau says, “No matter how intelligent or careful you are, at least once in your life you will be swindled.” Unfortunately, it happens every day! Clever as these forgeries and con men are, they are “babes in the woods” compared with the granddaddy of them all – who stands without peer when it comes to swindling, cheating, and counterfeiting. Satan! Of course, he doesn’t work openly. He works through people, other powers and agencies. Under cover, sometimes masquerading in the very garb of religion - ingeniously mixing truth and error. With one purpose, one goal: to draw people away from the true worship of God. It’s been his all-consuming passion for thousands of years. The first con job, Genesis 3, was under the guise of “a talking snake.” “Psst! Disobey God’s Word, and ka-ching! You win – every time. Eve, you won’t die. Cash in your chips!” It was a deception! Eve did die! Not because she conscientiously believed a lie, but because she didn’t believe the truth about God’s warning and obey what He said. The lesson? Our only protection against the Great Pretender is obedience to God’s Word. Whatever contradicts God’s written Word, we may be sure it is not true! Someone says, “The devil can’t con me. I can hold my own.” Don’t be too hasty. The Devil’s been in the business for 6,000 years! Studying men’s and women’s weaknesses to design the best strategy to deceive. Lucifer deceived one-third of heaven’s angels: <Revelation
12:7, 9> When Jesus came to this world, Satan tried to con Him, too. Fasting forty days in the wilderness, who should happen to drop by for a friendly visit? Satan, masquerading in the guise of a helpful, loyal, supportive, heavenly angel. “Hey, Jesus! God’s Word says He’ll give you bread to eat. Here! Try this ‘stone-ground’ variety.” Same con-game. Find a way around God’s clear written Word. Tonight, as the Voice of Prophecy SPEAKS, Scripture warns us once again: “Be on your guard. The great imposter is out there! With deceptions so overwhelming: <Matthew
24:24> Peter warns: <1 Peter
5:8> Does God leave us at the mercy of this great pretender? No. In the Voice of Prophecy He’s given us special information to recognize this boogey-man. Prophecy unmasks his greatest deceptions of all time, to uncover the pervert pretender’s profoundest plot, and God’s strategy to defeat it. Ready? Evil’s masterstroke revealed, through the prophet Daniel. God foretold the devil’s master plan to delude the whole world during earth’s last hours when Satan would use this Book – the Bible! Don’t be surprised that his strategy includes churches; priests; ministers; rabbis. A powerful Spiritual Taliban movement claiming to follow God, claiming to speak for God, but surreptitiously and directly subverting Scripture! Daniel called this power the “little horn.” You will remember in our study of the second chapter of Daniel we saw how God accurately outlined world history in that big statue of the metal man: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. This evening as we look back into history of the Christian church, let’s remember this is our church we’re talking about. Mine and yours. We’re not going to pick on anyone’s denomination. We’re looking at ourselves in the mirror. The Bible points out trends and serious concerns to sound an alarm. Now if a prophecy does happen to step on our toes, whether it points to me as a Protestant or Catholic or Jew specifically – we will do each other the courtesy of always quoting from their own sources to be fair. Is that all right? So let’s proceed as good students looking at church history as outlined in prophecy. In Daniel Chapter 7 we find something new: four beasts coming up out of the sea or the populated areas of the earth. Daniel 7:17, 23 tell us these four beasts represent four world empires that would arise on the earth. First, Daniel saw a lion with eagle’s wings, and he explains this represents the ancient world of Babylon. The next beast, a lopsided bear, pictures the second world empire of Medo-Persia. Then followed a leopard beast with four heads and four wings – Greece, the Bible says. Under Alexander the Great. Fourth, the most frightening of all of the beasts made its way out of the water: <Daniel 7:7> We have identified this power as the old Roman Empire, of course, with its Caesars. Daniel had never seen an animal that even remotely resembled this fourth beast. But, as sensational and dramatic as its appearance was, one particular part of the fourth beast with the ten horns intrigued Daniel more than anything else. He said: <Daniel 7:8> Or, “blasphemy.” This “little horn” troubled Daniel so much because, <Daniel 7:21,
25> That’s when Daniel’s heart stopped cold. Daniel was stunned. This prophecy was more than a prediction of secular world history or politics. This prophecy concerned God’s people. The “little horn” power would make war against the saints and prevail against them over a long period of time. As Daniel realized the persecution and hardships God’s people would have to endure for centuries, it upset him so much he got sick. <Daniel 7:28> “Gabriel, what does this mean? Who is this little horn power?” As we examine more closely the Bible’s description of this little horn, we discover the New Testament characteristics of antichrist are identical with the “little horn” power of Daniel 7. So this becomes extremely serious. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians concerning the work of this power: <2 Thessalonians
2:4> In Revelation, John wrote, <Revelation
13:5, 6> Forty-two months is another way of figuring 1260 days or the “Dark Ages,” we discovered in our last session. And John the Revelator warned this power was already flexing its muscles during his lifetime: <1 John 4:3> Daniel says this power formally rises to superior political influence after the breakup of the fourth world empire Rome and then continues deceiving the world until the close of earth’s history! Who or what was this? What did the reformers believe and teach during the Reformation? Your pastors will tell you that all the great Protestant Reformation scholars agreed upon one thing: the identity of this “little horn” power. They believed it so strongly, it led them to break with the medieval church and ignite the Reformation. It was based on Daniel 7. Take for example this quote from Professor George Eldon Ladd of Pasadena’s Fuller Theological Seminary: “Many of the great Christians of Reformation and post-Reformation times shared this view of prophetic truth and identified antichrist with the Roman Papacy...Among adherents of this interpretation were the Waldenses, the Hussites, Wycliffe, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Melanchthon, Tyndale, Latimer, and Ridley,” Professor and scholar Roy Allen Anderson wrote, “Leaders such as Luther, Calvin, Knox, and Cranmer, pointed to Daniel 7 and Revelation 17, identifying the great apostasy with headquarters in Rome. The Scriptural message of Revelation 18:4 formed the basis of many of their sermons, ‘Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins.’” The whole issue of the Reformation was over the Bible! The Reformers shockingly concluded, “Listen! From God’s Word, it’s crystal clear: the papal power fulfills Daniel’s prophecies. John Wycliffe (who is called by historians, “the Morning star of the Reformation”) wrote: “The Pope is antichrist here on earth.” Let me remind you this was no easy position for a great reformer to take. It resulted in persecution. Hanging. Burned at the stake. Hunted down and tortured. Martin Luther said: “O, how much pain it has caused me, though I had the Scriptures on my side...that I should dare to make a stand alone against the pope, and hold him forth as antichrist...‘Twas so I fought with myself and with Satan, till Christ, by his own infallible word, fortified my heart against these doubts.” Were these reformers’ interpretations of Daniel’s prophecy mere speculation? Or, does history confirm it? Let’s examine the evidence from Scripture. There’s no need for question. When God outlines the unique characteristics of the “little horn” power, there’s only one logical conclusion! Like the photos you see of “Most Wanted” criminals at the post office. Or, the photos we’ve seen of Saddam Hussein and his double. When you match all the unique characteristics: color of the eyes, height, weight; scars, tattoos, warts, and the person’s thumb print and DNA. Bingo! No one else can match! That’s the way it is with the “little horn.” Only one system, one power on earth, can match all ten of God’s identifying characteristics clearly catalogued in the prophetic Book of Daniel. Let’s take a look at the Bible and what history records concerning the Little Horn’s fulfillment. When Daniel described the fourth world empire of pagan Rome, he said it would be: <Daniel 7:7,
8> What did the ten horns represent that Daniel saw in vision? Let’s have a text! <Daniel 7:24> But now something new! Instead of another fifth world empire in world history after Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, a major change. Bible prophecy clearly predicted there would be a division of the Roman Empire resulting in ten lesser kingdoms. We’ve discovered history confirms that the Roman Empire collapsed through internal strife, moral decay, prosperity, and ease. Rome fell apart at the seams under Barbarian invasions from the North. So that by A.D. 476 Rome divided up into basically our nations of modern Europe today. Historian Edward Elliott, in his book Horae Apocalypticae, reminds us ten barbaric tribes over-ran the Roman Empire from 351-476 A.D. And he lists each modern counterpart today: Alamanni –
Germans Suevi –
Portuguese So are we clear? These ten horns of Daniel’s fourth beast are the ten nations of Europe! But notice: according to the prophecy, the little horn was to rise to great power after the ten divisions of the Roman Empire were in place. In other words, watch for the emergence of the Little Horn after 476. <Daniel 7:24> Turning again to history, we find that three of the ten horns, or kingdoms, were an obstruction to the supremacy of the Roman Church because of their “religious differences.” Any preacher knows these tribes were called “Arian” kingdoms because they believed in a strange form of Christianity taught by a missionary by the name of Arias. He didn’t believe Jesus was fully divine. So the Bishop of Rome declared the Arians were heretics – and they were! Then history tells us with the help of Catholic emperors in the eastern empire, the church found ways to eliminate these three Arian powers. It’s fascinating history: The Heruli kingdom met its fate with the help of the Catholic Emperor Zeno in 493 A.D. Another emperor Justinian, exterminated the Vandals in 534 A.D., and then broke the power of the Ostrogoths in 538 A.D. Thus, the three horns of Daniel’s prophecy were “plucked up by the roots.” Making the rise of the church at Rome a reality. It was exactly at this time that the Roman emperor Justinian made a remarkable decree establishing the Bishop of Rome as the political and religious leader of Western Rome. Notice this amazing statement by historian Thomas Hobbes about the Vatican: “If a man considers the original of this great, ecclesiastical dominion he will easily perceive that the papacy is none other than the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire sitting crowned upon the grave thereof.” Are we together? The power, which came up after the other ten kingdoms of Europe, was none other than the Roman church of the Middle Ages. But it was not until 538 A.D. that the Emperor Justinian’s decree finally gave the Bishop of Rome political, as well as ecclesiastical, power. That’s when the “little horn” power became as Daniel prophesied: <Daniel 7:20> More powerful, more influential than the other horns or kingdoms. Historian Carl Conrad Eckhart wrote: “Under the Roman Empire the popes had no temporal power. But when the Roman Empire had disintegrated and its place had been taken by a number of rude barbarous kingdoms, the Roman Catholic Church not only became independent of the states in religious affairs but dominated secular affairs as well.” Daniel wrote that this power… <Daniel 7:24> Indeed it was. All previous world empires and kingdoms were political powers. But the “little horn” power was a church that wielded political power! Catholic historian, J. J. Ignatious von Dollinger, wrote: “Out of the ruins of the Roman Empire there gradually arose a new order of states whose central point was the Papal See. Therefore, inevitably resulted a position, not only new, but very different from the former.” You see, the finger of God’s prophecy seems to point unerringly toward the Roman Church as the “little horn” power of Daniel 7. “But,” you say, “what about other characteristics given in the prophecy? Do they, too, point to the papal power?” Consider what Daniel said next of this power: <Daniel 7:25> Or, “blasphemy,” some translations say. What is “blasphemy”? When Jesus was on earth He was accused of blasphemy. Why? On two counts: for claiming to be equal to God; and claiming to have power to forgive sin. Well! Since Jesus WAS God, He could claim to be equal with God; therefore, He could also forgive sins. No problem. But, can human beings claim to be God? Can any human forgive sins? We discover from their own teachings the Roman church makes these very claims. They claim to forgive sins and also to be equal with Christ. The Pope’s common official title is Vicarius Christi, Vicar of Christ, God on earth! But Daniel’s prophecy detailed more identifying specifics: <Daniel 7:21,
25> Has the Roman Church ever persecuted? Let’s read the church’s own writings (I quote): “The church has persecuted. Only a tyro (novice) in church history will deny that...We have always defended the persecution of the Huguenots and the Spanish Inquisition...when she thinks it good to use physical force, she will use it.” In the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre alone (August 22, 1572), 50,000 Protestants were dragged from their beds at the toll of the bell at midnight and slaughtered in the streets of Paris, by Catholics trying to destroy in one major stroke the Huguenots. We all know from history about the Inquisition. The crusades. Persecution of the Waldenses and Albigenses. The Thirty Years War. The rack, the dungeon. The flames of martyrs burned at the stake. All historically linked to the Roman Church during the “Dark Ages” of its supremacy. But remember, this is our church. We believers are looking at ourselves in the mirror here. The Little Horn power of Daniel Chapter 7 is none other than the Christian Church of the Middle Ages! Our Christian Church committed these crimes. But why such wholesale slaughter? The answer is one of conscience. Faithfulness to the Bible. The martyrs were unwilling to compromise their belief in God’s Holy Word. They refused to follow man-made teachings and traditions of the medieval church, and thus they were branded “heretics.” Tortured. Burned at the stake, guillotined, massacred – clear up to this past century. That’s why these Huguenots moved to North America – to Charleston, South Carolina! Listen to me, folks. This is your history, too. That’s why when Y2K and the new millennium came, remember the shocking news from the Vatican? An apology. In the March 20, 2000, issue of TIME magazine, p. 23, Pope John Paul II apologized to the world for the horrors committed by the Roman Church. It reads: “ACT OF CONTRITION: In the jubilee year and the season of Lent, Pope John Paul II confronts the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Holocaust, and other horrors in seeking to express regret for sins committed by Catholics in the past 2,000 years.” Friend, however disturbing these revelations and statistics may be, please remember God intended this prophecy to be a kind appeal and loving warning against this great apostate SYSTEM, but not to point fingers against individuals of that system. Never forget this was our church. And that there are loving and sincere Christians in every communion. Most Catholics put us to shame because they are consistent in what they believe. But there are more important distinguishing characteristics of this “little horn” power. And they are BIG! They affect you. Today. Prophecy predicted it would… <Daniel 7:25> Does this power claim to have the ability to change God’s times and God’s Holy Law? Quoting from official Catholic dogma: “The pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ.” We’ve discovered on previous nights papal power attempted to change God’s Divine Law. She freely admits it. In their catechisms they openly admit they have changed all the commandments except one! But to be fair, let’s quote from Catholic sources: The Catholic Encyclopedia, “The Church, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath of the seventh day of the week to the first, made the third Commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept as the Lord’s Day.” And this from
the Catholic journal, “Our Sunday Visitor” (Mar. 7,
1971): God explicitly says, <Malachi
3:6> <Psalm 89:34> Jesus said Heaven and earth would have to pass away before one jot or tittle of His Holy Law is changed (Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17). God cannot and will not change His Law. And no one else has the right to alter God’s law – ever! Forever! But there’s one final identifying mark of the “little horn,” in case there’s any shadow of a doubt. A thumb-print identity. Daniel specifically pinpoints WHEN this antichrist “little horn” would reign supreme. The length of time it would persecute the saints of God. Watch closely. <Daniel 7:25> More Bible symbols. But God’s Word supplies the “key” to solve the riddle. “Time” is simply an Aramaic word “iddan,” meaning a year. (360 days in Jewish calendars). “Times” signifies two years or 720 prophetic days. “Dividing of time,” would signify half a year, or 180 prophetic days. When we add a time (360), times (720), and the dividing of time (180), we arrive at a total of 1260 prophetic days. But remember Ezekiel’s formula? A prophetic day signifies a year. Ezekiel 4:6 and Numbers 14:34, “I have appointed thee each day for a year.” And voila! Once again history confirms the accuracy of this time period because the height of the Roman church’s papal supremacy lasted for 1,260 years. The “Dark Ages,” we call them. (538-1798) Stay with me one last time as we go back to history. It’s fascinating! The Ostrogoths, the last of the [three] Arian kingdoms to oppose the Roman Church, were overthrown in the year 538 A.D. – leaving the papacy free to develop her political and ecclesiastical power. Exactly 1,260 years later, Napoleon’s general, Berthier, broke the Roman Church’s political power in the year 1798 by taking the pope prisoner. Pinpoint accuracy of Bible prophecy! Let me show you how accurate. When France and its armies under Napoleon overthrew the power of the Roman church in 1798, Napoleon actually received explicit instructions to take the pope captive in 1797. But for some strange reason he waited; didn’t do it in 1797. But as soon as 1798 rolled around, he sent General Berthier to capture the pope and take him captive. Imprisoned him in Avignon, France. It’s a sad and unfortunate historic time in Catholic history. Because they didn’t know in Rome whether the pope was dead or alive in that French prison. So the cardinals elected a new pope in Rome. Now they had two popes. When the pope in France heard about this, he excommunicated the Roman pope, but he in turn excommunicated the other pope. And so they elected a new pope – so they now had three popes! A mess! It’s known in history as the “Babylonian Captivity of the Popes.” But listen. The papacy was crushed and received its “...deadly wound...” specifically prophesied in Revelation 13:3. Not one year too soon, because the Voice of Prophecy in Daniel 7 said 1798, not 1797. Every piece of evidence falls into place perfectly, because prophecy doesn’t make a mistake. But now what I’m about to say is very, very important! Fast-forward to the climax of Daniel’s great prophecy, for it has a very happy ending for the people of God. In our day. Daniel 7 isn’t about bad news, but good news! The bottom line is that even though in vision Daniel watched political and religious powers struggle for dominance. Even though he saw travesties this little horn power would do – wearing out the saints of God; changing times; trying to change God’s law. Yet Daniel saw something else. He saw this power would eventually come to an end. Daniel’s attention was suddenly shifted from earth and this great-pretender-power and all its corruption, to heaven. <Daniel 7:26,
27> Friend, the good news today is God is still in control! Prophecy tells us when you see all these historical events unfold, know for certain God’s eternal kingdom, the second coming of Jesus, is about to happen! <Daniel 7:13,
14> Hallelujah! (Amen?) What a contrast Christ’s kingdom is, to all the kingdoms this earth has ever known! No more armies, no police, no prisons, no poverty, no sickness or death! Just peace and love, and beauty from pole to pole. The Good News of Daniel 7 is Jesus wins! World kingdoms may look like the ruins of Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein’s banged-out Baghdad and the powder keg of the Middle East. The Stock Market may plunge society into chaos, and things look pretty grim. But God tells me, “Lonnie, hold on tight because I’m still in control. Kings may come and kings may go. Empires will rise and fall. World Trade Centers and Wall Street. But I haven’t forgotten you.” You know what else this means? It’s an invitation from Jesus. God’s word tells us all the world’s kingdoms (political and religious) have almost reached their complete fulfillment. The only solution to this planet’s global problems won’t be President Bush. It won’t be Tony Blair. Won’t be Coalition Forces. Neither will it be Osama bin Laden and the Moslems. Or, the Jews or the Arabs or North Korea or Indonesia. Or, Venezuelan oil. No! Jesus is the answer! Jesus is the solution. This prophecy of Daniel 7 is all about one thing for sure. Jesus. He’s coming – soon – to establish His kingdom. And right now He invites you to be a part of that kingdom. <Matthew
25:34> But friend, Jesus is a Gentleman. Jesus won’t force any person to choose Him. The decision is yours to accept Him. Invite Him to take full control of your life. Today. We don’t know about tomorrow. That is why this prophecy is given. On purpose. To help us realize we can’t hesitate. Time is running out. We don’t know about tomorrow. Soon Jesus will come. There will only be two classes of people in that day: those who’ve chosen to follow Christ and His Word, and those who have not. Not to decide, IS to decide – to follow the arch-deceiver – the antichrist. Won’t you just now make a conscious decision and say, “Yes, Jesus”? Take hold of those nail-scarred hands and tell Him, “Jesus, I want You to be My Lord.” Not a pretender. You business
men or women out there, discouraged. Concerned. Intoxicated with
getting “too busy” in the roller coaster of the stock
market. For the person
who is discouraged. Your heart breaking. You’re about to give
up. Friend, listen! Jesus is here. Jesus is still in control. Jesus
wants to take your life and give you His peace. His forgiveness.
His promised tomorrow. Jesus says to you, “I want you to be
part of My Kingdom.” I know you’ll decide right now
for Jesus.
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