The Beast Revelation

So lets look when this corrupt church that is from the dragon begins to come up..

Lets take a look at 2 Thessalonians 2:7

2 Thessalonians 2:7 King James Version (KJV)
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 (New International Version)
7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 (New Living Translation)
7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way

So what is this mystery of iniquity, this lawlessness already at work secretly, and what is holding it back. Well lets start with the power holding it back:

For more than 500 years, half a millennium, Rome was invincible. Its laws and legions stretched out from Rome and crushed those who would challenge it, but it too finally faded and it stopped holding back what prophecy had foretold.

Geneva Study Bible

2 Thessalonians 2:7 (7) He foretells that when the empire of Rome is taken away, the seat that falls away from God will succeed and hold its place, as the old writers, Tertullian, Chrysostom, and Jerome explain and interpret it... He who is now in authority and rules all, that is, the Roman Empire

2 Thessalonians 2:7 He will surely be revealed; for the mystery - The deep, secret power of iniquity, just opposite to the power of godliness, already worketh. It began with the love of honour, and the desire of power; and is completed in the entire subversion of the gospel of Christ. This mystery of iniquity is not wholly confined to the Romish church, but extends itself to others also. It seems to consist of,

1. Human inventions added to the written word.
2. Mere outside performances put in the room of faith and love.
3. Other mediators besides the man Christ Jesus.

The two last branches, together with idolatry and bloodshed, are the direct consequences of the former; namely, the adding to the word of God. Already worketh - In the church. Only he that restraineth - That is, the potentate who successively has Rome in his power. The emperors, heathen or Christian; the kings, Goths or Lombards; the Carolingian or German emperors.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

2 Thessalonians 2:7 7 He will surely be revealed; for the mystery - The deep, secret power of iniquity, just opposite to the power of godliness, already worketh. It began with the love of honour, and the desire of power; and is completed in the entire subversion of the gospel of Christ. This mystery of iniquity is not wholly confined to the Romish church, but extends itself to others also. It seems to consist of, Human inventions added to the written word. Mere outside performances put in the room of faith and love. Other mediators besides the man Christ Jesus. The two last branches, together with idolatry and bloodshed, are the direct consequences of the former; namely, the adding to the word of God. Already worketh - In the church. Only he that restraineth - That is, the potentate who successively has Rome in his power. The emperors, heathen or Christian; the kings, Goths or Lombards; the Carolingian or German emperors.


Jerome (347–420): "Says the apostle [Paul in the second epistle to the Thessalonians], 'Unless the Roman Empire should first be desolated, and antichrist proceed, Christ will not come.'"

So what is this mystery:

Revelation 17:5,9
5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
9And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

In the day of the Apostle John, the city of Rome was famed for its situation of encompassing seven hills, i.e., Capitolinus, Palatinus, Aventinus, Esquilinus, Coelius, Viminalis, and Quirinalis, as noticed by Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Claudian, Starius, Martial, and others.

The mystery of Babylon had been a power which brought corruption of man and lawlessness. It had been known more by what it did to deceive and substitute itself above God, but Paul now begins to point it out and tells others.

2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

So the man of sin, the son of perdition is being held back, but what is this exactly. In John 17:12 we see the name:
John 17:12
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

But Paul is not talking about Judas as he is already gone from the scene, so it must be the evil which comes into men. That which seeks to be like God and fights against Christ, a antichrist power. The word Antichrist occurs only five times and only in the books of 1st and 2nd John.

• 1 John 2:18-22 He is antichrist that denies Jesus is Christ. In John's time there were many antichrists and he says they went out from them (the Church) but were not of them or they would have continued with them. This tells us the Antichrist came from God's true Church but they went out on their own.
• 1 John 4:1-3 Test the Spirits. Every spirit that denies Jesus came in the flesh is the spirit of antichrist.
• 2 John 1:7 Those that deny Jesus came in the flesh are a deceiver and antichrist.
• Antichrist = "against or in place of Christ", attacking Christ's character (Gnosticism), specifically with regard to love expressed in obedience to God's Ten Commandments.

Satan seduced Eve with the bait of becoming "like the most High" (Isaiah 14:14) in "knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5). "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (3:5). What Satan failed to tell Eve, was the result of eating of the fruit that God had forbidden. "But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17)

Satan keeps putting into mans minds that they shall be like gods if they follow what he says, and he tries everything to get them to see themselves as worthy to be worshipped and with power to change what God has given mankind. Thus the Antichrist becomes what gets power from evil to go against Christ and take worship that does not belong to it.

The power that gives rise to the the Antichrist has always been at enmity with those that follow God.
"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 4:4).

Why does the Antichrist power have such animosity to God?

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:7).

For the carnal mind, Gods Law will be odious; and, the Antichrist will continue to persuade the masses of the indispensability of self-love, without the slightest hint of the necessity of seeking, trusting, loving, and obeying the Living God.

"Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created" (Revelation 4:11).

The bible identifies and shows us what it is and what will happen, you just have to have a ear that hears..

Revelation 13 (King James Version)
1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

It comes right at the time of the Early Church and overwhelms it and corrupts it into a persecuting power against the saints, and history clearly shows us who did this.

We have the text giving us the characteristics of what is Antichrist.
1 John 2:18
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1 John 2:22
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

1 John 4:3
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

2 John 1:7
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

But can we find the characteristics of the antichrist which is also referred to under other names. As we saw as Paul gives this clue in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and it has a name attached to it.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

"The son of perdition", who is the son of perdition? We see many who say it is Judas. But is it, Judas betrayed Christ for the thirty pieces of silver, but he doesnt fit the context given in the prophecy as Paul is talking to the Thessalonians about deception which Judas couldnt do as he was dead, and especially the 'falling away first'.

Second, "perdition" in the Greek is:
G684
ἀπώλεια
apōleia
ap-o'-li-a
From a presumed derivative of G622; ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal): - damnable (-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste.

G622
ἀπόλλυμι
apollumi
ap-ol'-loo-mee
From G575 and the base of G3639; to destroy fully (reflexively to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively: - destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.

We also see the "son of perdition" will do something in verse 4 of 2 Thessalonians 2. 'Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.'

Judas didn't sit in God's temple claiming to be God. So we look to see if this prophecy fits the devil after he fell.
Isaiah 14:12
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

"Lucifer" in the Hebrew is:
H1966
הילל
hêylêl
hay-lale'
From H1984 (in the sense of brightness); the morning star: - lucifer.

Christ is the true morning star:
Revelation 22:16
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Satan always wanted to be God and will do everything he can to pretend he is Christ when he's here to deceive the world.
Isaiah 14:13
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

The "north" is God's throne..
Ezekiel 8:3
And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

We see that the will be something Jerusalem, and provoke jealousy, it is Satan. So who is Satan provoking.
We see what God said in Exodus.
Exodus 20:3
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

And repeated it in Deuteronomy..
Deuteronomy 5:7
Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

When Satan is here and shows up in Jerusalem he will want the whole world to worship him as God as he has always wanted as Isaiah 14:14 shows.
Isaiah 14:14
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Again, Lucifer (satan) will be here claiming worship that belongs to God and wanting to be God. He did it in heaven and deceived a third of the angels and they followed him.
Revelation 12:3-4
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Ezekiel 28:2 also identifies Satan and what he desires.
Ezekiel 28:6
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;

"Tyrus" in the Hebrew means "rock"
There is a fake rock and the True Rock (Duet 32). Our True Rock is Christ, and not the fake rock, which is satan
The Prince and King of Tyre, in Ezekiel 28 are Satan.

Now we also see another name used for Satan. Revelation 9 gives us the name over the locust army. God gives it to us in both the Hebrew and the Greek so there is no way of missing it:
Revelation 9:11
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

"Abaddon" in the Hebrew is:
G3
Ἀβαδδών
Abaddōn
ab-ad-dohn'
Of Hebrew origin [H11]; a destroying angel: - Abaddon.

H11
אבדּון
'ăbaddôn
ab-ad-done'
Intensively from H6; abstractly a perishing; concretely Hades: -

Who is the destroying angel? Satan

"Apollyon" in the Greek:
G623
Ἀπολλύων
Apolluōn
ap-ol-loo'-ohn
Active participle of G622; a destroyer (that is, Satan): - Apollyon.

Apollyon comes from the same word as "perdition", as seen up above.

But is Satan the "son of perdition", no, he is the source of it, but someone else sits in Gods church with the characteristics of Satan, who is the "son of perdition" and as you can see 'that man of sin be revealed' is has a man at its head.

In the description of the man of sin, the son of perdition, who operates under cover for a time and is then revealed at the end, we are told opposes God, exalts himself above God, sits in the temple, and proclaims that he is God. Exalting himself above God and usurping God’s place in the heavenly temple recalls the little horn of Daniel 8. Showing himself to be God recalls Satan in scripture in Isaiah and Ezekiel, but it also points to the blaspheming power of Daniel and Revelation.
Daniel 7:11
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

Daniel 7:25
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Revelation 13:6
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

So, the description of the man of sin contains elements pointing to both Satan himself and a wicked agent of Satan in the course of Christian history. Through much of Christian history he has operated to undermine God’s law, in particularly the Sabbath, and to usurp powers that belong only to Christ. In passages such as Daniel 7 showing the little horn power and Revelation 13 showing the Beast from the sea, we see this same power operates after the fall of the pagan Roman Empire, combining both religious and secular authority to persecute the saints of God. Many interpreters and Bible Scholars from the Middle Ages, and even to this day, have designated this entity that has all the characteristics as the antichrist. The only power in history that fits all the specifications of these prophecies and characteristics is the power in the church of Rome, the Papacy.

This antichrist entity is out there today telling the leaders and the world how they must do and act, and imposing its Mark of authority on all the nations. Here is a good description from my friend amo. 'it is the unity of all humanity under the direction of the Church of Rome. A thing which the scriptures never ever call for, but Rome continues to insist upon. The gospel is to be given to the world, that those who accept it may be called out of this world, to wait upon their returning Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who will Himself set up the kingdom of God.

There is no call from the scriptures for God's people to unify with the all the other false religions and governments of this world, to create some type of the undivided city of God. It is not possible to bring about the city of God by compromise with that which is not from Him. It is only the anti-christ and final beast power of the book of revelation that does these things.

Perhaps you can show me from scripture, where it teaches that the Church is to unify all of humanity without converting the same, before Christ returns. No, but the false Christ and the final beast of biblical prophecy have this goal in mind.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. Rev 13:16-18 (KJV)

8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Rev 14:8 (KJV)

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Rev 17:2-5 (KJV)

2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Rev 18:2-4 (KJV)

9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. 14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! 17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! 19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. 20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. Rev 18:9-20 (KJV)'

Now in Revelation 18, Babylon is described in detail and the call made to come out of her before her coming destruction, and the warning given that "God hath remembered her iniquities."

Revelation 18:1-5
1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Judgment on Babylon is God’s way of liberating His people. Babylon’s fall is an opportunity to “come out.” It’s the time to leave an entity that once dazzled the world by its power and dominance, but rejected God.

Babylon’s adulterous relationship with the kings of the earth points to religious syncretism, a system creating its own way of salvation. The Babylonian system of worship has deceived many of God's people, as it looks and relies on salvation by works than on salvation by grace.

Moreover, the description given in the book of Revelation clearly identifies the attributes of Babylon. Most Protestants of the Reformation and Post Reformation era referred to it as spiritual Babylon, the great enemy of God's people. The woman that rides the beast in Revelation 17 also has all the identifying features :
Revelation 17:4-5
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

In the Bible the symbol of a woman represents the church.
Jeremiah 6:2
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.

Isaiah the prophet extends the symbol of a woman to that of a bride. The pure bride represents the pure church:
Isaiah 62:5
For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

Turning to the New Testament the same symbolism is employed:

...for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2

Babylon is described in Revelation 17:5 as the "mother of harlots" (apostate religious systems or churches), "Mystery" and the "abominations of the earth". Obviously if God's people are the chaste woman faithful to her husband, then Babylon is the opposite of this symbol or that system of worship which is unfaithful to God, and has a mystery religion and teaches and practices abominations.

When Peter wrote his first epistle, he concluded by saying, "The church that is in Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you" (1 Peter 5:13, KJV). In the Roman Catholic Douay Version of the Bible, the footnote to this verse says, 'Babylon. Figuratively Rome.' During the Protestant Reformation all leaders taught essentially the same, from Luther onward that Babylon was Rome, the apostate church. We see the rise of the woman on the scarlet-colored beast which is Babylon, clearly the Papacy, the doomed spiritual entity that Gods people must come out of. We see its ultimate literal destruction...

Revelation 18:6-21
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

This antichrist entity and all that follow it and have its Mark will go into destruction, its time to wake up and see what Gods Word gives us...

Now the Beast is the temporal or civil side so thus you see one of its horns or the little horn which is the religious side grows out of the temporal side. So the Papacy or Papal Rome comes up out of Pagan Rome. So its not any religious entity that is not connected to the temporal power that came from Rome, so its not Russia, China, Iran any of those powerful religious entities in the world today
we see fighting in the Middle East today, not Sunni, Shia, Jewish, Orthodox or non-Orthodox, or even the holders of the 'sacred sites' where millions make pilgrimage to. Prophecy told us that this religious entity would come and though it was wounded would recover to great amazement. So lets look closer in Revelation and see what it shows..

Revelation 13:3
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

France Abolished the Temporal Power of the Pope 1798 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

1798: Pope Captured and Taken from Rome | History.info

Prophecy foretold the persecution of the saints by this entity and many martyrs would result...

Revelation 17:6
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static...killed.pdf?token=6rP1VZSoLKfFGBpLeB5t910305M=

Protestants, Heretics and Religious Persecution - Het Utrechts Archief

And this religious entity has come out the Roman Empire and not only survived its deadly wound but become what you could class as the most powerful and influential in the world today...

Revelation 17:8
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The most powerful Church in the world and why - Opera News

The 10 Richest Religions in the World

BBC - Religions - Christianity: Roman Catholic Church

Gods Word is true and history confirms it and we shall see the end results of its corruption of the earth with her fornication and destructive works as given in prophecy.

The bible identifies and shows us a clue to what and who it is and we can find it if we look..

Revelation 13 (King James Version)
1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

So what was the deadly wound, history shows us when Napoleon sent his forces with General Berthier of France to topple this power.

Napoleon was the most powerful force at that time as he defeated all the forces arrayed against him, and notice what he says about the Pope in his letter to him,,,

“Tell them that I have my eyes open. That I am only fooled inasmuch as I let myself be fooled. That I am Charlemagne, the sword of the Church and their Emperor. And that I should be treated as such. […] I have briefly laid out my intentions. If he does not reply, I shall reduce him to the condition of his predecessors before Charlemagne.”

.....Napoleon and the Pope: from the Concordat to the Excommunication - napoleon.org

On February 15, 1798, the French troops entered Rome and their commander, General Berthier, under orders from Napoleon, deposed Pope Pius VI. One historian, wrote that on January 11, 1798, "a definite order was issued by the French government to its troops to march on Rome and occupy it. The army accordingly marched southwards under General Berthier, with orders from Bonaparte to expel the Pope and set up a republic in Rome." Ludwig Freiherr von Pastor, The History of the Popes, From the Close of the Middle Ages, Vol. XL, trans. E. F. Peeler (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1953), p. 332.

The Pope was taken down, his temporal power ceased, the Papacy got what seemed a mortal wound, it looked like for all intents and purposes, it had ceased to exist...

Here is a good explanation by Professor Walter Veith:


"....In Revelation 13, two beasts are described that will dominate world events at the end of time. The first arises out of the sea and the second out of the earth. Moreover, the second beast pays homage to the first beast by causing all that dwell upon the earth to worship the first beast and in so doing they receive the mark of the beast. Again, by applying the Biblical definitions to the symbols employed in this great prophecy, we can unravel its mysteries...."

"....The core symbols are beasts, heads, horns, sea, dragon and earth. A beast is a king or a kingdom (Daniel 7:17) and the two beasts of Revelation 13 thus represent two kingdoms or political powers that dominate world events in the last days. The first beast arose out of the sea, representing the nations, the multitudes, peoples, and kings as defined in Revelation 17:15 where the waters were said to symbolize the nations of the earth. In contrast, the second beast arises out of the earth thus representing the opposite of nations, multitudes and kingdoms; therefore, it must arise in areas of the world where nations, multitudes, and kings were not established.

The first beast has ten horns, which remind us of the fourth beast in Daniel 7 which referred to Rome with its ten horns. The seven heads of the first beast represent historic time periods, but the number seven is also the divine number thus indicating that this beast lays claim to deity. The attributes of the beast are further described, and the similarities with the little horn power of Daniel 7 are seen to be the same as those of this beast. They must be seen as one and the same and we are thus dealing with Rome in its papal form ..... This beast has leopard, bear and lion characteristics, which we recognize again from Daniel. The order in which these three beasts appear here in Revelation is the reverse seen in Daniel. This is because Daniel was looking ahead and John was looking back.

... and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat and great authority. Revelation 13:2

The dragon is identified as Satan in Revelation 12:9.

The little horn power of Daniel 7 had the following attributes in common with the first beast of Revelation 13:
-it spoke great things and blasphemies (Verse 5)
-it made war with the saints (Verse 7)
-it overcame the saints (Verse 7)
-it was more stout than its fellows, or authority was given him over every tribe, tongue and nation (Verse 7)
-it was given authority to continue forty-two months/1260 days (Verse 5)
John's vision parallels that of Daniel 7 and the imagery and attributes of the beast out of the sea link it directly with the little horn power. However, the imagery is enlarged, in that the beast also incorporates components of the lion, the bear, the leopard and the terrible ten-horned beast, which were symbols of the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. There is a distinct reason for this, as the Church of Rome has incorporated and refined many of the systems of worship and styles of governance of the kingdoms of antiquity into its own systems. The absolute power of the ruling monarch, the infallibility of his decrees, the total subservience of his officers, the hierarchy of its elite and the many secret organizations that make her power absolute are all inherited from the kingdoms of old. Rome also maintains many of the rites and vestments of the bear; the triple crown worn by the Pope, made of solid gold, is of Persian origin- 'King of Heaven, and of Earth, and of the Nether World,' as well as the rites and titles of Mithraism. The rites and ceremonies dating from the Grecian and Babylonian periods form the basis for most of the liturgies, festivals and grand ceremonies observed by the Roman Church. Even the titles used by presentday Popes are the same as those used in early pagan religions and by the monarchs who were seen as representatives of the gods and even as gods themselves.

As the power of pagan Rome declined, the power of papal Rome increased as the church accumulated more and more power and influence. When the emperor Constantine accepted the veneer of Christianity and Paganism and Christianity blended into one, Rome became the religious capital of the world.

Abbot's Roman History, p.236 declares:
The transfer of the emperor's residence to Constantinople was a sad blow to the prestige of Rome, and at the time one might have predicted her speedy decline. But the development of the Church, and the growing authority of the Bishop of Rome, or the pope, gave her a new lease on life, and made her again the capital � this time the religious capital � of the world.

From 538 A.D., when the emperor Justinian issued a decree, proclaiming the pope to be supreme in religious matters he assumed the garb of representative of Jesus Christ on earth. When Constantine moved his seat to Constantinople, the popes inherited the power of the Roman emperors - their prestige, and even their titles. The most significant of such titles was that of: 'Pontifex Maximus' a pagan title for 'Bridgebuilder between Heaven and Earth'. Moreover, the Roman clergy also wore the same vestments of the priests of Dagon, the fish-god. The fishhead mitre, worn by bishops and popes is also the same as the ancient mitre used by the priesthood of Babylon. The keys of the pagan female and male god figures have also become a symbol of the papacy, as are his staff, which is the symbol of the snake, and was carried by ancient emperors from Babylonian through Egyptian to Roman times. The keys became the 'keys of Peter' and the staff became a shepherd's staff, christianizing these pagan artifacts. The papacy is but the ghost of the Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon its grave. Stanley's History, page 40.

The symbol of the forty-two months that the beast power would have authority (Revelation 13:5) is the same time period as that of the little horn power in Daniel 12:7. The little horn would rule for a 'time, times and half a time.' Time, times and half a time, forty-two months, and 1260 days are the same time period written in different forms. This can be deduced from Hebrew parallelism. In Revelation 11:2,3 we have the parallelism of a pagan power that would tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months, but that God's witnesses would witness and prophecy during those 1260 days, thus equating forty-two months with 1260 days. A further example we find in Revelation 12:6 where the woman fled into the wilderness, and was taken care of for 1260 days. As the woman stands for a church, this represents the church being taken care of in the solitary places of the world, during the period of papal supremacy. The parallel text to this is found in Revelation 12:14 where again the woman flees into the wilderness to be taken care of for a time, times, and half a time, thus equating the 1260 days to a time, times, and half a time. The Bible mentions this prophetic period seven times and in each case it refers to the papacy. It began in 538 A.D. and ended in 1798 when the Papacy appeared to receive a deadly wound. Papal supremacy of the Middle Ages ended in the year 1798, exactly 1260 years after the establishment of the papacy as the supreme Christian power in 538 A.D. by Justinian's decree. In 1798, General Berthier, Napoleon's general, took the pope captive and put him into exile.

During its period of supremacy, the pope wielded more power than did even the emperors of Rome. The historian Gibbon said that Pope Innocent III was more supreme in the world than any Caesar that ruled the empire. Kings laid their crowns at the feet of the pope, and had him crown them. They kissed the pope's slipper to show their subjection. Any king who rebelled was dethroned. King John of England was one example, and he was excommunicated by the pope. The only way he could be reinstated was to lie a day and a night on a cold marble floor naked. The king complied. Henry the IV, emperor of Germany, had to stay four days in the rain and snow before the pope would grant him an audience. The pope was supreme over all nations and peoples.

And his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast. Revelation 13:3

Since the papacy had apparently lost its political status after the pope's capture in 1798, the beast, which represents a kingdom or political system, was, for all intents and purposes, dead. It could only be resurrected as a beast if it regained its viable political status. In 1929, Mussolini and Gaspari signed an Accord whereby the Pope had to pledge his own political party's support to Mussolini in exchange for the return and acknowledgment of his papal seat and power. From 1929 onward, the political status of the Vatican was thus reinstated and the apparent wound could heal. Since then the power and influence of the papacy has again grown to worldwide proportions,..

Papal Rome had always been an ecclesiastical as well as a secular power, combining church and state. It was also able to enforce any laws it wished. When she wielded power during the middle ages she claimed:
The Church may by Divine Right confiscate the property of heretics, imprison their persons, and condemn them to the flames.

This statement emphasizes the power which Rome wielded, and will once again wield upon the earth. In one of his encyclicals, Dies Domini, issued on May 7, 1998, Pope John Paul asked for civil legislation to support the observance of Sunday, although the sanctification of Sunday rests only on papal premises.

When, through the centuries, she has made laws concerning Sunday rest, (109) the Church has had in mind above all the work of servants and workers, certainly not because this work was any less worthy when compared to the spiritual requirements of Sunday observance, but rather because it needed greater regulation to lighten its burden and thus enable everyone to keep the Lord�s Day holy. In this matter, my predecessor Pope Leo XIII in his Encyclical Rerum Novarum spoke of Sunday rest as a worker�s right which the State must guarantee ... Therefore, also in the particular circumstances of our own time, Christians will naturally strive to ensure that civil legislation respects their duty to keep Sunday holy. (DIES DOMINI).

In a further Apostolic letter,AD TUENDAM FIDEM, issued on May 18, 1998, the pope uses the term heretic for the first time since the healing of the wound and warned disobedient members of the flock that they will be punished if they do not accept papal authority in matters of doctrine.
Can. 1436 � 1. Whoever denies or places in doubt any truth that must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or repudiates the Christian faith as a whole, and does not come to his senses after having been legitimately warned, is to be punished as a heretic or as an apostate by major excommunication; a member of the clergy, furthermore, can be punished by other penalties, not excluding deposition. 2. Aside from such cases, whosoever rejects a doctrine proposed, as definitively to be held, by the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops exercising their authentic Magisterium, or else accepts a doctrine condemned by them as erroneous, and does not come to his senses after having been legitimately warned, is to be punished by an appropriate penalty. AD TUENDAM FIDEM
Imperceptibly and stealthfully, Rome is preparing to once again enforce her decrees, just as the Bible predicts. In the secret recesses of her grand buildings and in the legislative halls of the world's political powers the stage is being set for the final confrontation between those aligned with the Prince of Darkness and those who stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel.

In Daniel 7 and Revelation 13:5, it states that the beast power would be a blasphemous power. Pope Leo boasted:
We hold upon earth the place of God Almighty. God Himself is obliged to abide by the judgments of His priests on whether to pardon or not to pardon. The pronouncement of the priest precedes and God subscribes to it St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Dignities and Duties of the Priests, New York: Benziger Brothers, 1888, p. 27,28

Not one of these statements has been rescinded in recent years, even since Vatican II.
Know you not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are, to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. Romans 6:16
A final attribute of the sea beast is that it has a number, and this number is the number of a man.
Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred, threescore and six. (666) Revelation 13:18

Modern interpretations of this prophecy apply the 666 in many ways. The questions we need to ask ourselves are: Did this entity persecute the saints for 1260 years? Did it say it was God? and Does it claim to forgive sins? The text clearly states that it is a man�s number, but also that of the beast. Does the number 666 apply to the papacy, and is it the number of a man, bringing it in line with the 'man of sin' recorded in the Scriptures?

One of the official titles of the pope is VICARIUS FILII DEI "Vicar of the Son of God". This can be verified in the papal canons issued during the past years.
Latin letters have a numerical value and the title Vicarius Filii Dei adds up to 666. (V=5,I=l,C=100,U=5,L=50 and D=500). Greek letters also have numerical value. And if the official titles of the Roman Church in both her secular and religious capacity are examined, then the number 666 is again prominent. The title ITALIKA EKKLESIA (I=10,T=300,A=1,L=30,I=10,K=20,A=1,E=5,K=20,K=20,L=30,�=8,S=200,I=10,A=1) meaning "Italian Church" totals 666.The Greek title [SIZE=-1]HE LATINE BASILEIA[/SIZE](H=0,E=8,L=30,A=1,T=300,I=10,N=50,E=8,B=2,A=1,S=200,I=10,L=30,
E=5, I=10, A=1) meaning "The Latin Kingdom" also totals 666 as does the title "Dux Clerici" (D=500, U=5, X=10, C=100, L=50, E=0, R= 0, I=1) meaning "head of clergy", and "Lateinos" (L=30,A=1, T=300,E=5, I=10,N=50,O=70,S=200) meaning "latin speaking man"....." excerpts from 'Truth Matters' by Walter Veith.