THE PAPACY IN PROPHECY by ABDIEL

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Dec 26, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 50.

THE PAPACY IN PROPHECY

By ABDIEL

FUTURE RESTORATION.

ONE of the great remedies which the world has ever exalted as a panacea for all superstition and religious perversity, is knowledge, enlightenment, education. We have been told in divers ways at divers times that all that the world needs to save it from Roman Catholicism or the influence of the Papacy, was knowledge, education. It has been vainly fancied that because the fold of the Catholic Church contained so many in its spacious enclosure who were grossly ignorant, it was, therefore, a religion of the ignorant and unenlightened.

But those who so reason do not recognize what history shows to be a patent fact, that intellectuality has but little to do with religion or superstition. Some of earth's greatest and keenest in intellect and learning have been most superstitious. Such an eminent man as Sir Thomas More, as Macaulay remarks, "was ready to die for the doctrine of transubstantiation." And many others have followed the most foolish fancies. The great English writer again remarks: "A very common knowledge of history, a very little observation of life, will suffice to prove that no learning, no sagacity, affords a security against the greatest errors on subjects relating to the invisible world. Johnson . . . would not believe in the earthquake at Lisbon, but he was willing to believe in the Cock Lane ghost. For these reasons we have ceased to wonder at any vagaries of superstition. . . . The history of Catholicism strikingly illustrates these observations."

Bible Evidence.

These observations find, and will more and more find, ample demonstration in these last days. Moreover, the "sure word of prophecy" clearly predicts the restoration of the Papacy to a greater influence and power than she possessed in the Dark Ages; and it clearly shows that the Papacy will be a persecutor even to the end. We will not attempt to exhaust the Bible evidence upon this; five scriptures must suffice.

1. The closing career of the little horn of Daniel 7, which those who have followed these articles know, has been demonstrated to be the symbol of the Papacy, the spiritual lord over the ten-divisioned kingdom of Rome, the wearer out of the saints, the changer of the law of God; and its long period of triumph numbered a time, times, and a half, or 1,260 years. This period began in 538 when the bishop of Rome became, under Justinian's decree, "the head over all the churches," and "true and only corrector of heretics," and continued till 1798, when the power of the Papacy had become effectually checked by the influence of the Reformation and the action of Catholic France and Austria.

The prophet is told the length of this career, and the fact is implied that the persecution of this period would come to an end. But the little space, the valley, so to speak, between the mountain peaks of papal supremacy and papal restoration the prophet does not see nor mention, tho we may learn it by faithful study of this chapter. But he very clearly predicts the papal restoration by pointing out its character and work at the end of the world: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." Dan. 7: 21, 22.

It is at the coming of the Lord, and not till then, that the saints will sit in judgment, and will enter upon their inheritance. 1 Cor. 4: 5; Matt. 25: 31; 16: 27. Therefore the little horn power, the Papacy, will be a persecutor when Christ comes.

2. The beast-power of Revelation 13, under the head which endured forty-two months—1,260 years—was wounded to death, and died, never more to rise, thought many. But the prophecy declares differently; the deadly wound is to be healed. Rev. 13: 3, 12. The healing of that beast-power means the restoration of the Papacy.

3. The last phase of the great threefold message of Rev. 14: 6-14 warns equally against the beast and his image, two living, active powers in opposition to God down to the very end of probation. Rev. 14: 9-20. Of what force would be a warning message against a power which does not exist?

4. The visitation of the plagues of God's wrath upon sin and wickedness occurs just before Jesus comes. The first of these plagues falls upon the worshipers of the beast, and the fifth upon his kingdom. Rev. 16: 1, 2, 3, 10. This shows that the Papacy is a living, active agency right down to the time when probation closes and the nations are judged.

5. The great apostate church is represented in Revelation as a woman, Babylon by name. Just before Christ comes she will say: "I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow." Rev. 18: 7. Ever since the Catholic Church was cut off from its spiritual worship over civil powers, she has bemoaned her widowhood. The seventeenth chapter of Revelation declares that the civil powers will restore her to the position she lost. Then she will utter the sentiment quoted above. She will be widow no longer. The whole world is at her feet.

That time is near to come. As never before the nations of earth are falling under her influence. France may be breaking chains; Rome is more than making lost ground in Germany and the United States. In a little while the song of triumph will be sung, the Papacy will be restored, and persecution will be renewed.

Then God gives us what will then occur—"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." Rev. 18: 8. Here the evidence is left with our readers. Let them weigh it in the light of the judgment.