Final World Events 2024
From Adventist Laymen
| PLEASE NOTE:
Any hyperlinks to documents on other websites are provided for access to those documents only, and do not constitute endorsement of any ideology, doctrine, theology, or political perspective promoted on the parent web sites. Links will be archived if possible. |
|---|
Bible Prophecy
That prophecy is part of God's revelation to man; that it is included in that Scripture which is profitable for instruction (2 Timothy 3:16); that it is designed for us and our children (Deuteronomy 29:29); that so far from being enshrouded in impenetrable mystery, it is that which especially constitutes the word of God as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (Psalm 119:105; 2 Peter 1:19); that a blessing is pronounced upon those who study it (Revelation 1:1-3); and that , consequently, it is to be understood by the people of God sufficiently to show them their position in the world's history and the special duties required at their nhands (1914 Yearbook, p. 293)
The Sure Fulfillment of Prophecy:
Major Eschatological Passages of Scripture
(Eschatology refers to the study of the final events in the history of the world or of humankind.)
An Indepth Study on the Newscorp Scandal
An Important Note:
Certain of the popular positions mentioned approvingly in some hyperlinked reports, essays, and blogs on this website will of necessity cause reactions of strong disagreement, or at the very least discomfort, on the part of many readers. Regrettably, these positions cannot be separated from the core issues in the reports which prove the fulfillment of major end-times prophecies, and may of themselves be fulfillment of the prophecy of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
2024 General Reports Updates
Satan Waging War with Lies and Deceptions, Blasphemy and Sacrilege, Causing Strong Delusion
Introduction
7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. (Revelation 12:7-12 King James Version)
Revelation 13 opens to view two powers of earth which are the end-time agents of the devil to wreak the diabolical cruelties of his wrath. They mark the culmination of the exaltation of man in Satan's rebellion against the true God of the Universe. Of these powers the Church of Rome is pre-eminent. From the description of the first beast of Revelation 13:1-2, it is established that it represents Rome, of which the verse 2 (last part) states that "the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."
The Beast and the False Prophet
In the Twelfth Chapter of Revelation, John heard a "woe" pronounced on "the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea." In the Thirteenth Chapter, two "beasts" are seen, one rising "up out of the sea," and the other "coming up out of the earth" (vs. 1,11) These two beasts are related in the text to the dragon. One receives "his power, and his seat, and great authority" directly from the dragon (v. 2). The other, "spake as a dragon" and exercised "all the authority of the first beast," which authority had been given it by the dragon. (vs. 11-12)
The commonality between the first beast and the dragon is further heightened in the imagery. Both have seven heads and ten horns (12:3, 13:1) However, there is a movement of one item in the symbols; the crowns are placed on the "horns" of the first beast, rather than remaining on the "heads." It must also be kept in mind that the book of Revelation presents a third beast with seven heads and ten horns. (17:3) No crowns are seen on this symbolism either on the "heads" or the "horns."
What is this telling us? If a "crown" is symbolic of reigning, then the "dragon" is portrayed as functioning through its seven heads from the time of the first gospel promise to the time of, and including the war with the "remnant of her seed." The first beast of Revelation 13 would then be operating at the time of the reigning of "the ten horns."
To further identify this beast, the description is closely associated with the vision given to Daniel (Chap. 7). The lion, the bear, and the leopard are followed by a nondescript beast. In Revelation 13, the nondescript beast is a composite, "like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion" (v. 2). This is the exact order as found in Daniel 7, only reversed. In the vision to Daniel, he saw that the dominion of the three beasts was "taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time." (7:12). The symbolic representation in Revelation 13, tells us that the lives of the three beasts of Daniel 7 lived on in the first beast...
The book of Daniel in the visions as recorded in Chapters 7 & 8 present both pagan and papal Rome as one continuous power. The "little horn" of Daniel 7, ever remains in and nourished by the nondescript beast (7:8). Further this beast is pictured as continuing "till ... slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame." (7:11) The problem then is to interrelate all of this data to the first beast of Revelation 13, for it is this beast along with the second which are consigned to "the burning flame" (Rev. 19:20)...
The identity of the second beast is analyzed here.
Lies and Deceptions
For 2,000 years Satan has waged war against the Word of God, and His people, by infiltrating early Christian Church with men who would "distort the Truth to draw disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30, Berean Standard Bible.)
Having distorted the Truth to draw disciples after them, these men had already revealed the spirit of Satan in them, of whom Jesus said, "when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44, last part.)
By lies and deceptions the Church of Rome has become corrupted as a Christian Church up to the third century, to a false religion identified in the Books of Daniel and Revelation as representing Satan in his opposition to Almighty God. The Roman Church is more pagan than Christian. How did this come about?
What is the origin of the Roman Catholic Church?
Excerpt:
The Roman Catholic Church contends that its origin is the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately AD 30. The Catholic Church proclaims itself to be the church that Jesus Christ died for, the church that was established and built by the apostles. Is that the true origin of the Catholic Church? On the contrary. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship/adoration of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix, petitioning saints in heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture. So, if the origin of the Catholic Church is not in the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, what is the true origin of the Catholic Church? For the first 280 years of Christian history, Christianity was banned by the Roman Empire and Christians were terribly persecuted. This changed after the "conversion" of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Constantine provided religious toleration with the Edict of Milan in AD 313, effectively lifting the ban on Christianity. Later, in AD 325, Constantine called the Council of Nicea in an attempt to unify Christianity. Constantine envisioned Christianity as a religion that could unite the Roman Empire, which at that time was beginning to fragment and divide. While this may have seemed to be a positive development for the Christian church, the results were anything but positive. Just as Constantine refused to fully embrace the Christian faith but continued many of his pagan beliefs and practices, so the Christian church that Constantine and his successors promoted progressively became a mixture of true Christianity and Roman paganism. Following are a few examples: Most Roman Catholic beliefs and practices regarding Mary are completely absent from the Bible. Where did those beliefs come from? The Roman Catholic view of Mary has far more in common with the Isis mother-goddess religion of Egypt than it does with anything taught in the New Testament. Interestingly, the first hints of Catholic Mariology occur in the writings of Origen, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, which happened to be the focal point of Isis worship. The Lord's Supper being a consumption of the literal body and blood of Jesus is not taught in the Bible. The idea that bread and wine are miraculously transformed into the literal body and blood of Jesus (transubstantiation) is not biblical. However, several ancient pagan religions, including Mithraism, which was very popular in the Roman Empire, had some form of "theophagy" (the eating of one's god) as a ritualistic practice. Roman Catholicism has "saints" one can pray to in order to gain a particular blessing. For example, Saint Gianna Baretta Molla is the patron saint of fertility. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals. There are multiple patron saints of healing and comfort. Nowhere is even a hint of this taught in Scripture. Just as the Roman pantheon of gods had a god of love, a god of peace, a god of war, a god of strength, a god of wisdom, etc., so the Catholic Church has a saint who is "in charge" over each of these and many other categories. Many Roman cities had a god specific to the city, and the Catholic Church provided "patron saints" for cities as well. The idea that the Roman bishop is the vicar of Christ, the supreme leader of the Christian Church, is utterly foreign to the Word of God. The supremacy of the Roman bishop (the papacy) was created the support of the Roman emperors. While most other bishops (and Christians) resisted the idea of the Roman bishop being supreme, the Roman bishop eventually rose to supremacy, again due to the power and influence of the Roman emperors. After the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed, the popes took on the title that had previously belonged to the Roman emperors- Pontifex Maximus. Many more examples could be given. These four should suffice in demonstrating the origin of the Catholic Church. Of course, the Roman Catholic Church denies the pagan origin of its beliefs and practices. The Catholic Church disguises its pagan beliefs under layers of complicated theology and church tradition. Recognizing that many of its beliefs and practices are utterly foreign to Scripture, the Catholic Church is forced to deny the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. The origin of the Catholic Church is the tragic compromise of Christianity with the pagan religions that surrounded it. Instead of proclaiming the gospel and converting the pagans, the Catholic Church "Christianized" the pagan religions and "paganized" Christianity. By blurring the differences and erasing the distinctions, the Catholic Church made itself attractive to the idolatrous people of the Roman Empire. One result was the Catholic Church becoming the supreme religion in the Roman world for centuries. However, another result was the most dominant form of Christianity apostatizing from the true gospel of Jesus Christ and the true proclamation of God's Word. Second Timothy 4:3-4 declares, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
End excerpt.
The pagan identity of the Catholic Church is a clearly established fact. This is now strangely ignored by the majority of Protestant churches.
History reveals that after Satan won his victory over Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, paganism became his primary vehicle to confuse humanity about the true God and His redemptive work of restoration for those whom He had made in His image. -
Pagan Influence upon Christianity
Excerpt:
Ancient Babylon was infamous for its pagan mystery religions, or cults, and the Bible makes various references to some of them. For example, in Jeremiah 51:7 we see a mysterious "Golden Cup"; in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 we read of a "Mystery of Iniquity"; and in Revelation 17:5, John refers to the "Mystery of Babylon the Great" in his prophecies of the end times. We will use enlightenment from the book, "The Two Babylons" by Alexander Hislop, to explore the origins of the ancient Babylonian cults, and then examine some of the apparent influences of those cults which have been carried over into Christianity. Ancient Mystery Religions In Christianity, we read about a man named Nimrod in the book of Genesis, and history tells us that he was the first King of Babylon, and that this is where the mystery religions originated. Genesis 10:9 tells us that Nimrod was a mighty hunter and a great archer. History has attached many different names to him, and the reading of the historical accounts of Nimrod is often complicated because of all these different names, including: Sogittarius; Bal; Bel; Belus; Kronos; the horned one; and the scatterer abroad. Nimrod was deified and was said to have taken the form of a gigantic horned man-bull, where his horns were a symbol of power, and a leopard was used to symbolize his deity. Sometimes he was known as Baal-aberin, the winged one, who was celebrated as the elevator of the heavens, and the emancipator and deliverer of mankind. In classical literature, Nimrod is sometimes called Ninus, but Ninus was probably, in fact, Nimrod's son, the builder of the city of Ninevah. Nimrod's wife was Semiramis, the Queen of Heaven, and sometimes her husband is called Ninus, while other times, Ninus is said to be her son. The confusion is related to the story of Nimrod's deification. The legend said that Nimrod was killed, but that he was resurrected as his wife's son, a feat which could have been orchestrated only by a god. Thus, began the mother/child cult religions. Semiramis, sometimes called Rhea, came to be known as the Great Mother of the gods, while her son Ninus, or Bacchus, or Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14) was known as The Lamented One. Tammuz is sometimes called Adonis or Dionysus. Other variations of the Babylonian gods of Rhea and Tammuz included Ceres (or Irene) and Plutus in Greec, Isis and Osiris in Egypt, Fortuna and Jupiter in pagan Rome, Isi and Iswara in India, Cybele and Deoius in Asia, Shing Moo in China, and the Goddess mother and son in Tibet. All of these boast similar stories of their gods, and it is easy to believe that all of the legends were derived from Rhea and Tammuz. In some literature, it is believed that Tammuz was known as Hercules the Lamenter, and he is sometimes confused with the Shem of the Bible, or at least with being his descendant. Some believe that the Crishna of the Hindus and the Budda of Japan are also derivations of these same Babylonian gods. It is not difficult to see how some of the traditions of these ancient pagan gods carried over into Christian Rome. Even in the first century, poems confused the pagan story of the divine father, mother, and son with the Christian story of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. In Japan, Spain, and India, there were pagan legends of three-headed gods which some confused with the trinity of the Godhead of Christianity. In many pagan lands, mother-worship prevailed and was supported by citing Genesis 3:15 as proof that the mother would bruise the heel of Satan, and that she indeed had power over him. In paganism, the Messiah is sometimes seen as only a mediator between the goddess and mankind, instead of as a savior as in Christianity... Deception It is interesting to note at this point that many of the stories of the pagans with the true story of Christ. They often refer to the birth of a divine son coincide, a mediatorial messiah, and his death and supernatural resurrection. Satan has managed to confuse the truth with enough lies so that the unsuspecting worshippers can easily be deceived. For example, Hercules was known as the deliverer of the human race. Infiltration into Christianity How could Christians have been so deceived? Hislop says, "To conciliate the pagans to nominal Christianity, Rome, Pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and pagan festival amalgamated and by a complicated but skillful adjustment of the calendar, it was found no difficult matter, in general, to get paganism and Christianity- now far sunk in idolatry-- in this as in so many other things, to shake hands." At the Council of Aurelia in about 519 AD, under the authority of Hormisdas, Bishop of Rome, a decree was granted that called for Lent to be solemnly observed before Easter. There had traditionally been fasting before the Nicene Council, but it never lasted for more than three weeks. Then Abbot Dionysius the Little set the Christian era as beginning four years from Christ's birth. This is why many scholars today believe that Christ was born in 4 BC according to today's calendar. In speaking of the Bible, Linacer, a physician during the reign of Henry VIII said, "Either this book is not true, or we are not Christians."
End Excerpt