WHEN the iron monarchy of pagan Rome went to pieces, it was the destruction of Satan's most colossal success in world empire building. Rome was the embodiment of the devil's scheme of a universal empire. He had but one fell purpose in it all — the enslaving of the souls and bodies of mankind. Through it to persecute to the death the Lord Jesus Christ and His followers through all the ages, and to blot from the earth the knowledge of God, was his supreme ambition, his soul-inspiring passion.
When the year A. D. 476 arrived, the empire of Rome perished. Henceforth there was naught of the pagan Roman Empire but a memory and a name. In its place were ten kingdoms, all young and aggressive. World empire of the old sort was obviously out of the question, for the present at any rate.
Were Satan human, he must needs have been abashed, confused, and utterly disconcerted. As it was, the Scriptures say, "He took his stand on the seashore." (See Twentieth Century New Testament, Rev. 12: 17; Rotherham's New Testament, id.; Syriac New Testament, id.) In utter despair, because his idol empire was broken in pieces, he took his stand upon the seashore, and may be pictured as saying to himself, "What now can I use, what now can I use?" He took his stand upon the seashore, and waited to see what new form of world-wide, centralized power could be made to arise.
Usurps the Power of the Almighty
NOR did he have to tarry long, for soon there was seen "a beast of prey" coming up from the sea. Here is the record: "And I saw a beast of prey come up from the sea, having ten horns, and seven heads; and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy. And the beast of prey which I saw, was like a leopard; and his feet like those of a wolf, and his mouth like those of lions; and the dragon gave him his own power and his throne and great authority. And one of his heads was wounded as it were to death; and his deadly wound was healed. And all the earth wondered after the beast of prey. And they worshiped the dragon, because he had given authority to the beast of prey; and they said, Who can make war upon him? And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies: and authority was given him to operate forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy toward God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, and them who dwell in heaven. And authority was given him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation: and it was given him to wage war with the saints, and to overcome them." Rev. 13: 1-7, Syriac New Testament.
Here now was a new power — a power which seeks to destroy everything that antagonizes it, for it is "a beast of prey." It does its will through many agencies, governments, and nations, for it had "ten horns and seven heads." It entered the realms of the spiritual, it commanded the soul, it invaded the sanctuary of the conscience, which belongs to God alone. Thus did it usurp the power of the Almighty. It did this through the powers of earth that it compelled to do its bidding: for "upon his horns" were "ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy."
POPE LEO III CROWNING CHARLEMAGNE AT ROME IN 800 A. D.
It was so swift to strike that it was "like a leopard"; so cunning and so stealthy in its movements that its feet were "like those of a wolf," or of a bear. Its mouth was "like those of lions," strong and greedy to tear and devour.
This is the description of the beast of which it is further written that "the dragon gave him his own power and his throne and great authority." Moreover, he was a world power; for "authority was given him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation." Yet again he was an antichristian power; for "it was given him to wage war with the saints, and to overcome them," and "to operate forty and two months."
Crush Him at One Blow
HENCE this was a new universal power, a world church instead of a world empire, a church holding universal sway, and commanding submission to itself, and making war against the saints of God.
Which then is this church? The one which rose at about that time, and operated forty and two prophetic months, or one thousand two hundred sixty years (538-1798), was the papacy. She calls herself the "Holy Catholic Church." The word "Catholic" signifies universal. Hence the Roman Catholic Church is simply the Roman Universal Church. And in this it was simply the application in a different form of the principle which Satan desired to carry into effect, first at Babel, on the plain of Shinar, and later in the Babylonish, Medo-Persian, and Roman empires. It was so that whenever and in whatever clime a man should arise, and, inspired by the living God, should preach the gospel of Christ in deed and in truth, this all-powerful, universal church should crush him at a blow; and because of her power over kings and kingdoms, no land on earth should afford him sanctuary, asylum, or refuge.
Drunken with Blood
JOHN the revelator says: "I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. . . . And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." Rev. 17: 3-6.
There can be no question but that in the past, Rome has been drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. At the present time, Roman Catholicism is regarded by non-Catholics with much more favor than in years gone by. Outwardly Rome is taking a more conciliatory course, but at heart she still holds that she did right when she persecuted heretics.
If only the restraint now imposed by the secular arm were removed, and Rome reinstated in her former power, she would be obliged to persecute and tyrannize as in days of old. And this is what is certain to follow if she has her way to the full in the settling up of the great war, and in the re-establishment of her own temporal power. In that day, the nations that did not come under her sway in religious matters, she plucked up by the roots. Three of them, the Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths, perished because of this.
When this was done, the bishop of Rome asserted his sole authority over the estates of the church. The territory surrounding Rome was created into the Roman duchy, and the bishops of Rome claimed sole jurisdiction over it.
The pope was then not only a pope, but also a king. He had a definite territory over which he ruled, to a certain extent at least, in things temporal as well as spiritual. Later he received a letter from the emperor Justinian confirming him in his position. By this letter and the overthrow of the Ostrogoths, the last of the Arian kingdoms, the temporal authority of the papacy was established.
Then began that "fatal policy of the Roman see," herself now a world power, possessing territory over which she exercised temporal dominion, and by virtue of which she could contend with other kingdoms, and upon the same level. "Henceforth kings and emperors were her tools, and often her playthings; and kingdoms and empires her conquests, and often only her traffic."
In the prophecy of the seven churches in the book of Revelation are seven letters addressed by the Lord to His own church in the seven phases of the complete cycle of her experience, from the first advent of our Lord to His coming again in the clouds of heaven.
The Keystone of the System
IN the letter to the church in the third phase of her experience, there is given the keystone of the whole papal system as a world power. There is here mentioned with commendation by the Head of the church, Christ Jesus the Lord, the fact that His church had held fast His name, and had not denied His faith, "even in those days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr."
Now the word "Antipas" is not the name of a person. It designates rather a condition of the times. It is made up of two words, anti and pappas. "Anti" means against, and "pappas" means papa. This word papa is simply the word pa repeated, and is the origin of the word "pope."
And so it comes about that "Antipas"—"against 'pas' or 'papas'"—denominates6those who opposed the arrogance and usurpation of the bishop of Rome. It is evident from the Scripture, and history substantiates it, that many were put to death for their opposition to this monarchial power and world-wide church.
Thus over a bloody path bestrewn with the ruin and wreck of kings and kingdoms, reeking in the blood of martyrs, came the papacy to be established as a world power. Well indeed has a great philosopher said: 'No one can study the development of the Italian ecclesiastical power without discovering how completely it depended upon human agencies, too often on human passion and intrigues; how completely wanting it was of any mark of the divine construction and care—the offspring of man, not of God, and therefore bearing upon it the lineaments of human passions, human virtues, and human sins.' (Schaff.)
