Romes Global Ambitions · November 01, 2008
Dear Friends,
This month we have another important message to share with you about how prophecy is being fulfilled to the very letter. In some of our recent sermons we have looked at the way in which Rome has developed incredible political power in the United States particularly through the president’s office, the Congress and the Supreme Court. The United States is in the process of making the image to the beast by coordinating domestic laws and policies with the Vatican so that they mirror Rome’s principles. For example, we have documented how U.S. policies have mirrored Rome’s historical inquisitional principles including torture in secret prisons, domestic surveillance and judicial changes that deprive detainees of their personal rights. This has been done in the name of fighting terrorism and is in partial fulfillment of Revelation 13:14 that tell us that “they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by the sword and did live.”
However, Rome is not satisfied to merely infiltrate and manipulate the United States for her own ends within its borders. Rome wants global power. She wants to use the United States and other western nations to accomplish her global purposes. You will be amazed as you listen to these developments that fulfill, in our day, some of the most important prophecies in the Bible.
But before we begin, let us bow our heads in prayer and ask for God’s direction and blessing. Our dear Father in heaven, thank you for giving us Jesus who died for us to save us. Thank You that He has given us prophecy so that we may be prepared for the time of trouble that is coming upon the world and so that we can meet him when He comes in the clouds of glory. We see the onward marching events in the news and we see their connection to the things You have warned us about in Your holy word. We sense that we are getting steadily closer to the great time of trouble in the world, which will also bring a little time of trouble upon Your faithful people. May Your Holy Spirit show us today how prophecy reads like the daily news. May we sense Your presence. Show us what we must do to get ourselves ready and also our families. In Jesus holy and precious name I pray, Amen.
To understand how subtlety and stealthily the United States is being used to advance the goals of the Vatican, it is important to first see what Jesus through the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy says will happen. Let us read from Daniel 8:23 through 25. “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.”
I like the end of those verses. The great end of Rome is brokenness. After all, Rome has nothing to offer the true follower of Christ. All her superstitions, and all her pilgrimages, and all her indulgences amount to nothing and are useless. All her rites and rituals, feasts and festivals are powerless to save the soul. All her high days and holy days are useless in gaining entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
Yet, she will prosper for a time. Notice that her prosperity is gained by peace. In other words, by her craft and politics, she will work for peace at least openly and will be seen as the broker of peace in the world’s conflicts. But Rome actually uses war to her own benefit. It gives her the opportunity to be the peace broker, and she stands to gain political and economic benefit by it.
Notice too that the prophet Daniel says that the Papacy will be “mighty, but not by his own power…” What does this mean? It means, my friends, that the Vatican will have great influence and power in world politics, but she is not able to enforce her political powers by her own military. You see, a nation can only have as much influence on global politics as they have a military to support it globally. So, nations with a large and sophisticated military have a lot power in global politics while nations with no military have very little influence as a general rule. Of course there are exceptions. For example, nations that have a strategic location or strategic resources like oil, still have some influence because of those specific strategic reasons.
Rome does not have a military, so she has no way of enforcing her policies on other nations or achieve global political power by traditional means. However Rome has other resources. One of the most important strategic resources she has is that she is not only a nation state but also a religion. And she has more than a billion followers scattered in every country of the world. This means that other nations have to treat her like any other nation. But it also means that she is treated differently than every other nation of the world because of her religious character. In nation states where there are a lot of Roman Catholics Rome has a lot of power over the people and to a large extent over the leaders of the nation. It is actually because of her religious status that she doesn’t have to have a military in order to have geopolitical influence.
By her religious nature, the Papacy has a sanctimonious covering for her political power plays and everybody seems to think that her purposes are good. They think that all is well with Rome because she apologizes for the wicked sex scandals of the bishops and because she apologizes for the Inquisition and for her other iniquitous deeds in the past.
Notice this statement from inspiration. This is from the book Great Controversy, page 571. “The Roman Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike garments; but she is unchanged. Every principle of the papacy that existed in past ages exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The papacy that Protestants are now so ready to honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men of God stood up, at the peril of their lives, to expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High.
Do Protestants honor the Papacy today? You bet they do. By the way, Protestants no longer call themselves Protestants because they don’t want to be seen as protesting anything. They are now called Evangelicals, and they are very supportive of Rome. In fact, Rome has invited them to join her in fighting corruption in society like abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage and other moral issues. Rome has been nice to them and called them separated brethren instead of heretics. And in response, evangelicals have decided that they can no longer protest Rome’s false doctrine and use the Bible’s clear condemnation against her any longer. They think that Rome has changed, so what they once believed about her was wrongheaded, or at least that it no longer applies.
But actually Rome never changes. She has carefully adjusted her image, like a chameleon adjusts her skin to her surroundings, and now she talks about unity and love and even religious liberty (for which, by the way, Rome has its own definition). And guess what, most churches or pastors who don’t understand the principles of prophecy also talk about love and unity too. Who can be against that? They don’t want to be seen as promoting bigotry by identifying Rome as the beast of Revelation 13 or the great whore of Revelation 17. They don’t apply any of that to her any more.
Once they dropped their condemnation of Rome she can actuality use them to assist her in building up her strength and power. Notice that Daniel said that she will be mighty, but not by her own power. Do you know who is giving Rome her power? Revelation 13:2 says that the dragon is the source of her power. Speaking of the beast, the verse says, “the dragon gave him is power, and his seat, and great authority.” But Satan knows that he has to give Rome power over the other churches and nations. It is the former Protestants who are no longer protesting, but instead they are actually helping her by making her very popular.
Did you see how much the Methodist president George W. Bush, and the people of all faiths adulated the pope when he visited the United States in April? Did you notice how 500,000 people cheered and fawned over Pope Benedict in Australia when he went there for World Youth Day in July? Did you notice the thousands of people in France that excitedly welcomed the pope when he came to that rather irreligious country in September? What about the hundreds of thousands in Brazil and the hundreds of thousands in Austria in 2007. The list could go on and on.
My friends, the scriptures says that “all the world wondered after the beast.” Revelation 13:4. And it is happening. They love Rome. Remember, the beast represents that end-time power that opposes Jesus Christ and misrepresents his sacrifice and salvation, and the principles of His righteous character. If ever there was a power that does this and takes the glory away from Christ and takes it to himself, it is the Pope who sets himself up as God on earth. Benedict is getting nearly as much adulation and support as John Paul II. This is prophetic in is implications because it means that as the pope gets more popular, he will have more political power over the leaders of the nations. All the world wondered after the beast in his opposition to Jesus and His holy law. And as Rome gains more geopolitical power through her craft, it breeds still more global respect and still more power. Gradually Rome will rise to the height of power, not just in Europe, but in world-wide credibility and influence.
But it is more than that. The Vatican gains more power by cooperating with national leaders to accomplish her purposes. She is very skilled at manipulating them, often without them even realizing it. That is another reason why her power is not her own. For example, the cooperation of Rome helps the United States, but in turn the United States is also helping Rome. When President Bush met with Benedict in Rome on June 9, 2007, USA Today reported that President “Bush said the pope is worried about the fate of Christian communities within Iraq, and that the meeting featured an array of issues ranging from AIDS to immigration…” USA Today went on to say that ”the Vatican issued a three-paragraph statement saying Benedict and Bush had ‘cordial discussions’ about ‘the international political situation,’ as well as ’contemporary moral and religious issues.’ The statement expressed hope for ‘a regional and negotiated solution to the conflicts and crises’ of Iraq and the Middle East.”
Obviously Benedict understands that by working with the United States in finding a solution to the problem in Iraq, she can insert herself in that region as a peace broker and even a political player. Of course she is interested in the fate of Christians in Iraq, but it is much, much more. Note that they also spoke of the “international political situation.” This could, of course, include almost anything that is important to the Vatican. There should be no doubt that President Bush was not visiting the Vatican because he wanted to instruct the pope concerning what the Vatican should do. He was there to receive instruction concerning how the United States can serve the interests of the Vatican.
As Rome gains more credibility with worldly people, her power and influence in world politics grows. But by publically cooperating with the most powerful nation on earth, the United States, she is building her resources so that she can one day persecute God’s people. Once the image to the beast is given life, then persecution begins, according to Revelation 13:15-17.
Listen to this statement from the book Great Controversy, page 581. ”God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution.”
And what are her secret purposes? Here it is from Great Controversy, page 573. “In the movements now in progress in the United States to secure for the institutions and usages of the church the support of the state, Protestants are following in the steps of papists. Nay, more, they are opening the door for the papacy to regain in Protestant America the supremacy which she has lost in the Old World. And that which gives greater significance to this movement is the fact that the principal object contemplated is the enforcement of Sunday observance—a custom which originated with Rome, and which she claims as the sign of her authority. It is the spirit of the papacy—the spirit of conformity to worldly customs, the veneration for human traditions above the commandments of God—that is permeating the Protestant churches and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exaltation which the papacy has done before them.”
All the surface activity that you see between the United States and Rome is that which is driving up Rome’s power in the world so that one day soon, she, in cooperation with the United States, will oppose the law of God and persecute God’s people. Make no mistake about it, this prophecy will come true, just as the others have been coming true. Perhaps Protestants are already too far entangled with Rome and it is too late to escape the snare.
Rome is working to bring about a lot of mischief to God’s people. She is working to overthrow them and to make life terribly miserable for them. Most people wouldn’t really care, since they are not part of God’s last church on earth. So long as they can continue their lives without any trouble from the government or from the economy, they don’t really care what happens in world politics, or to God’s people. They just want to be able to watch their TVs, their football games, and their movies, or listen to their dancy music – religious or secular, eat their meat and drink their beer, and do a few other things that make them feel good.
Meanwhile, Rome stealthily gains power and strength from their leaders who discuss with the Vatican and the pope, how they can help her accomplish her objectives. They see the Papacy as a beneficial entity so their cooperation is very willing. They benefit from her. After all the Bible says in Revelation 18:9 that the kings of the earth “live deliciously with her.” Listen to the words of holy scripture. “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.”
This destruction is future. Right now it doesn’t look like Rome is burning. The only smoke you see over Rome is when the cardinals are in conclave to elect a new pope. Rome is not burning. So right now is the time when the kings of the earth are committing fornication and living deliciously with her. What does it mean to commit fornication in the spiritual sense?
Jesus said “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:21. Jesus was saying that church and state have two separate fields in which to work and that they are to be separate. Human beings owe allegiance to both, but the higher allegiance is to God. When church and state unite, they are committing spiritual fornication. They are doing that which is forbidden. Even the Ten Commandments are divided between our obligations to God and our obligations to our fellow man. The first four commandments are related to our obligations to God and the last six are related to our obligations to our fellow man. The first four come first because they are the higher priority. Human laws, then, must not require a man or woman to do anything that would cause them to discontinue or breach their obligations to God.
Fornication has a temporary good feeling. That is why people do it. But it is wrong, and the Bible says that fornicators will not be in heaven. 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 says; “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
There could not be a better description of the mixing of church and state than fornication, for both parties feel good about it, at least temporarily. Moreover, Rome is described by the Bible as the mother of Harlots in Revelation 17. A harlot’s business income, or her economy is based in her fornication. Rome gains economically and politically by her forbidden relationship with the nations of the world. And we are watching this spiritual fornication take place very frequently as the pope visits nation after nation and receives their praise and adulation, and as the pope is visited by the leaders of the nations at the Vatican.
Now in order to understand the international political intercourse between Rome and the United States in accomplishing her global political goals, we have to go back in history a little and get the big picture. The way that the Papacy ruled in the Dark Ages, or the medieval period involved cooperation between church and state so that the state eventually became subject to the control of the church. The feudal kings eventually owed their kingdom to the sometimes fickle decisions of the reigning pope. The Vatican co-opted them in accomplishing her purposes.
When Islam invaded the empire from the East, Rome gathered the feudal kings and enjoined them the raise up armies to fight to defend her as well as their own dominions. Rome has never had an army of her own, and still doesn’t. Therefore, she needs the armies of her cooperative partners or subjects to defend her and even fight for her. The feudal kings had a vested interest in cooperating with Rome because they saw that the security of their own kingdoms and of the whole empire was dependent on the success of their efforts at the behest of Rome or at her command. The papacy had ready allies in the defense of the Holy Roman Empire. And as they cooperated together, Papal credibility, strength and power increased.
In more recent times, Rome has begun to use the United States as a cooperative partner with her in pursuing the Papacy’s global agenda. During the pontificate of John Paul the II, he and U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and then Ronald Reagan, held secret correspondence and meetings to overthrow a mutual enemy, eastern European communism. Both parties needed each other. Neither could accomplish the objective without the other. Carl Bernstein in his article for Time magazine February 24, 1992, titled the Holy Alliance, quoted U.S. National Security Adviser Richard Allen as saying the cooperation between the United States and the Vatican, or the President and the Pope, was “one of the great secret alliances of all time.” The effect of this cooperative endeavor helped to strengthen the ties between the United States and Rome. In fact, you may remember that it was just before the fall of eastern European communism that Ronald Reagan greatly strengthened diplomatic relations with the Holy See by sending an ambassador to the Vatican for the first time in history on January 10, 1984. Once the Polish communist party collapsed, the rest of the communist leaders were on shaky ground. One after another they too were overthrown. Ronald Reagan got the credit for the fall of communism, but it could not have happened without the cooperative effort with the Vatican. But that was only the beginning. They needed communism for practice, as a dray run, to prepare for their cooperation on a much more global war that was yet future. The U.S. and the Vatican were merely conducting join training exercises for the war with Islam.
Time Article
See Diplomatic Relations
But the Papacy has not stopped its meddling in geo-political affairs. The Holy See is always at work, through diplomatic means and through alliances and cooperation with nations to mature her agenda. Her goal is to use the United States to assist her in recovering the global dominance that she once wielded, and eventually establish herself as queen of the world again. Listen to Revelation 18:7. Rome says “I sit a queen, and am no widow and shall see no sorrow.”
Rome continues to play her political cards in such a way as to co-opt as many nations as possible to join her in her quest to gain control of the world. European leaders are very dedicated to assisting Rome in resurrecting the Holy Roman Empire in Europe. The cooperation of Angela Merkel of Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy of France, the two leading nations of the European Union, is especially significant. Germany was the home of the great reformer Martin Luther who stood up to Rome’s leaders and cut down her spiritual power over the people by exposing her corruption and spiritual blasphemy. Now the leader of Germany, Angela Merkel, a Lutheran, of all things, has done everything she can to place Rome back on the throne of Europe (We reported on this in a sermon called Germany Infuriates the Pope, which you can order if you did not receive it). She has strongly worked to have a reference to European Christian roots (that is: Roman Catholic roots) written into the constitutional documents of the European Union. She is trying to help establish Rome’s historical claim to Europe as her spiritual domain.
France, on the other hand, was the nation that cut down the temporal power of the popes in 1798 under the military dictatorship of Napoleon. The modern leader of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, a practicing Catholic, is also cooperating with both Merkel and Benedict XVI to restore the temporal domains of the papacy. Sarkozy has advocated reducing the separation of church and state in France. When Sarkozy visited the pope in December of 2007 he was made an honorary member of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church. That would be quite an honor for a Roman Catholic government leader of any nation. Rome is trying to blur the line of separation of church and state wherever she can. Imagine a Roman Catholic and a Lutheran cooperating together to resurrect and consolidate Rome’s spiritual and temporal power over Europe. What an alliance!
Angela Merkel
Nicolas Sarkozy
In his recent visit to France, Benedict and Sarkozy discussed the issue of the separation of church and state. Canada.com reported on the public remarks of the two cohorts. “Sarkozy, who spoke before the Pope, said it would be ‘madness’ for France, which ‘accepts its Christian roots,’ to ‘deprive ourselves’ of religion.” The pope responded by saying “In fact, it is fundamental to become more aware of the irreplaceable role of religion for the formation of consciences and the contribution which it can bring to… a basic ethical consensus within society.”
In other words, Benedict was saying that without the Roman Catholic Church informing the conscience in France, the French people will never be able to form an ethical consensus.
Benedict also said: “As we face the danger of a resurgence of old suspicions, tensions and conflicts among nations, which we are troubled to witness today, France, which historically has been sensitive to reconciliation between peoples, is called to help Europe build up peace within her borders and throughout the world.” Rome wants to extend her influence on French society and through them on other parts of the world. It is Rome that is the peace broker. This is nothing more than a bid to seize an opportunity to partner with France to promote their common interests.
Please note that Sarkozy said that France acknowledges its Christian roots. The Christian roots of France go all the way back to the time of Clovis in the late fifth century. So in essence, Sarkozy was saying that France, though quite secular, recognizes its obligations to the Papal authority.
Benedict’s visit to France
But the United States is the prize for Rome. It is a protestant country that she has never ruled, but whose separation of church and state has kept America free from excessive meddling by Rome. But since 9/11 America is obsessed with security. This is a perfect opportunity for Rome to cooperate with the United States in accomplishing her purposes abroad. For example, One of Rome’s spiritual opponents is Islam, particularly radical Islam. If Rome can cooperate with the United States in dealing with radical Islam, particularly its religious aspects, she can shape the discussion with Islam and the West, particularly with the United States, by inserting herself between them. At the same time she can help shape America’s response to radical Islam in harmony with her own principles, including torture in secret prisons, inquisitional justice, cannon law, and thus gradually and in the name of fighting terror undermine further the U.S. Constitution and replace it with an inquisitional mentality followed by inquisitional law. Furthermore, she can shape the overall U. S. and western response to Islam at large. Let me restate this very important principle. Rome can manage the religion side of the issues with Islam by itself. At the same time, she can use the U.S. and other nations to assist her with their military and political powers.
No doubt the Vatican helped President Bush think through his arguments for the war in Iraq. In his 2005 inaugural speech at the beginning of his second term, Bush said, “The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world… So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world…” This is language the Papacy can understand and it is a reason with which the Vatican can support.
In a recent article in Newsmax, called “The Great Crusader,” the author, Brad Minor says that “as the world’s last global superpower, American political hegemony can help the church’s global efforts.” What does he mean? He is saying that the United States’ world power combined with its cozy relationship with the Vatican can assist the Holy See in increasing its global influence and political power.
While Rome is officially against war, nevertheless, war can be very helpful to Rome if it helps her accomplish her goals. This kind of war she defines as a “just war,” by claiming that it is necessary to accomplish larger humanitarian good such as freedom and justice and other nice-sounding words.
The article in Newsmax went on to say, “The Pope’s visit to America also has strategic importance, as the Church races to solidify its position against Islam.” In other words, the Vatican is attempting to use it’s historical diplomatic methods to coordinate with the United States and increase its own presence and influence in the Middle East. The new ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon commented to Catholic News Service on March 14, 2008 that the “the Holy See is now fully supportive of U.S. efforts to rebuild the country and to establish peace in the region.”
Glendon’s remarks
At first the Holy See under John Paul II was strongly opposed to the war in Iraq. But in more recent times, under Benedict XVI, that has changed. Why? Though it was not one of the original reasons for the war in Iraq, one of the more recent justifications is to spread democracy and freedom. This appeals to Rome. This reason provides an opportunity for Rome to piggyback on to America’s efforts in order to accomplish her own objectives in the Middle East. So now Rome has changed its tune.
The Georgia Bulletin, a Roman Catholic publication in Atlanta reported on the change in 2005. “After presenting his credentials to Pope Benedict XVI Nov. 12, the new U.S. [ambassador] said he was convinced that the United States and the Vatican are natural allies on a host of modern issues. On questions like terrorism and human trafficking, on foreign assistance and AIDS treatment, the Vatican and the U.S. government are on the same page… Even the war in Iraq, which was strongly opposed by the Vatican, has moved into the category of shared objectives,’ the ambassador said. ‘We’re in a new day here, with the Vatican and the United State supporting each other as we work together to support the people of Iraq,’ he said. ‘When it comes to nation-building in Iraq,’ he said, ‘the Holy See is there to lend its voice of support, in developing a free, particularly religiously free, country that is based upon freedom and democratic principles.’”
Rooney interview
Notice that the ambassador was saying how important the cooperation between the Papacy and the United States is by calling them “natural allies.” That has not come easily. 200 years ago, the United States would have never seen itself as a natural ally with the Vatican. But things have changed dramatically. Benedict sees the effort to establish democracy in Iraq as in Rome’s best interests. In essence he sees the war as helpful to his own objectives in the Middle East. Democracy is important to the Holy See because she can then more easily build her churches and cathedrals and through them influence the state. Also democracy is built on the idea that the majority rules. It’s called majoritarianism. Whenever Rome can control the majority, she has gained her footing. In getting there, she tries to control the dialogue, so that she can shape the outcome. Rome is essentially resorting to her historic role in which she shares political power with nation states to put herself in a position to manipulate them if she cannot outright control them. She is actually helping the United States to forcefully rebuild the nation of Iraq as a democratic nation. If this doesn’t fulfill Revelation 18:9 which says that the kings of the earth commit fornication with her, I don’t know what does.
And Rome’s changing attitude is paying off. As the Holy See dialogues with some Middle East nations, particularly those working closely with the U.S. and other Western countries, she is reaping considerable rewards. In November 2007, Saudi Arabia’s king Abdullah, while on a tour of Europe visited Pope Benedict at the Vatican. This was a first ever meeting between a Saudi king and a pope. Now the Saudi king is lending his support for the construction of the first non-Muslim place of worship in the kingdom, a Catholic Church. Approximately 800,000 Catholics live and work in Saudi Arabia, mostly Filipinos. Catholic News said that Vatican officials confirmed that the pope “pressed for permission to open a church in the kingdom, and said that opening a Catholic parish in the Islamic land would be ‘a historic achievement’ for religious freedom and a major step forward for inter-religious dialogue.”
Saudi King and Pope
Catholic Churches in Saudi Arabia
While Rome is working hard to build relationships with every national leader possible, she needs to bring the strength of the western nations, particularly the United States to her aid. She works closely to help them with national security issues, and they work closely with her on social issues.
National security has always been one of the key reasons for nations to go to war, even in distant lands. President Bush has made national security one of the key platforms in defending his war in Iraq. Joining with the Holy See to defend national security against radical Islam resurrects the ancient and historical relationships that the Vatican used in the middle ages to manipulate and control the states under her dominion. If this is not leading to Rome’s dominion over the United States, and advancing her geopolitical ambitions, I cannot think of anything else that would.
So the war in Iraq has now become a cooperative effort to accomplish “shared objectives” between the U.S. and the Vatican. In other words, the Vatican is supporting the U.S. effort to force a democratic or majoritarian government on the people of Iraq, all in the name of freedom, particularly religious freedom. While this sounds good to Americans who love their liberty, it is actually being accomplished by the very means that the Bible predicts, a cooperation between church and state, Rome’s historic relationship with earthly governments. This cooperation, though appealing to westerners in dealing with resurgent Islam, is a dangerous mix that will eventually lead to persecution. Rome wants freedom of religion for Catholics of course, and in the mean time she is willing to extend it to others. But the Bible tells us that all the world will wonder after the beast (Rev 13:4); and that the United States will require all men to receive the mark of the beast and worship according to Rome’s requirements, (vs. 14-17).
Bendict’s visit to the United Nations elevated the papal image and influence among the nations. Rome is a “permanent observer” to the United Nations, which sounds like Rome is not involved in the political aspects of the UN, the truth is quite the opposite. Rome’s permanent observer status carries with it “the right of reply and the right: to participate in general debate, to issue communications and to co-sponsor draft resolutions,” said the National Catholic Register, April 6, 2008. So the Vatican can in fact, be very involved in UN global politics. And this just suits Rome perfectly. Through the United Nations, as well as in her cooperation with the United States, Rome can advance her global political agenda. She is working all fronts at the same time. The fact that Benedict visited both the United States and the United Nations on the same trip is not insignificant. Let us remember that Rome’s interests are both domestic in the United States, and global throughout the rest of the world. Rome intends to become the queen of the earth. Benedict came to speak to the issues that the global community of nations should respect as well as speak to the people of the United States.
Rome’s Enhanced UN Status
Popes have frequently sought advice from former U.S. government leaders and others to advise them, or the various branches of the Holy See on matters of international politics, economics and social matters. Nixon administration Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was asked by Benedict XVI to become a “political adviser” wrote the National Catholic Register on November 22, 2006 “and Kissinger has accepted… The Nobel laureate was asked at a… private audience with the Holy Father to form part of a papal ‘advisory board’ on foreign and political affairs.” Henry Kissinger, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, has much experience dealing with Israel, Islam and the nations of the Middle East. He is well versed in the politics of the former soviet empire, and is intimately familiar with U.S. politics and foreign policy. From the Vatican’s point of view, Kissinger, a Jew, would be an ideal candidate to assist the Holy See in its international political ambitions.
The Register reported that other key former players in the U.S. administration have also been asked to assist the Vatican in achieving its global goals. The Register said that Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National security Adviser to U.S. President Jimmy Carter was a close confidant of John Paul II. In more recent years, the Vatican has drawn in men like Paul Wolfowitz, former President Bush adviser, and American Economist Jeffrey Sachs, who also happens to be Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. While the Holy See is not exclusive in its choice of former U.S. administration officials as Vatican advisers, it no doubt sees them as vital to its ongoing global political agenda. What is more, they know how to choose the most connected among the globalist elites. Their CFR connections will keep the Vatican well informed on the planning going on behind the scends by the global elites.
N C Register
N C Register 2
Jeffrey Sachs
My friends, those who are carefully watching prophecy can see the strategic alignment between the United States and the Papacy that most evangelicals cannot see. They think they are doing a good thing by exalting the papacy. Yet their very ecumenical attitude is opening the way for Rome to gain more strength and power by cooperating especially with the U.S. government and fulfill some of the most important prophecies ever written in the Bible.
May God help us prepare for the events to unfold as we near the coming of Jesus. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, through Jesus we come to You asking that You will show us how to prepare our lives for the coming events that will herald the coming of Jesus in the clouds of glory. I pray that we will be more faithful in our daily experience with Christ, so that our lives will reflect the piety of those who are truly followers of Jesus and who keep all of His commandments. May Your Holy Spirit teach us how to live righteous lives before God and man. And when trouble comes upon us, we pray that we will have confidence in Jesus and His love, His tender care, and His sustaining power. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Source: http://www.ktfministry.org/sermons/308/romes-global-ambitions
Dear Friends,
This month we have another important message to share with you about how prophecy is being fulfilled to the very letter. In some of our recent sermons we have looked at the way in which Rome has developed incredible political power in the United States particularly through the president’s office, the Congress and the Supreme Court. The United States is in the process of making the image to the beast by coordinating domestic laws and policies with the Vatican so that they mirror Rome’s principles. For example, we have documented how U.S. policies have mirrored Rome’s historical inquisitional principles including torture in secret prisons, domestic surveillance and judicial changes that deprive detainees of their personal rights. This has been done in the name of fighting terrorism and is in partial fulfillment of Revelation 13:14 that tell us that “they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by the sword and did live.”
However, Rome is not satisfied to merely infiltrate and manipulate the United States for her own ends within its borders. Rome wants global power. She wants to use the United States and other western nations to accomplish her global purposes. You will be amazed as you listen to these developments that fulfill, in our day, some of the most important prophecies in the Bible.
But before we begin, let us bow our heads in prayer and ask for God’s direction and blessing. Our dear Father in heaven, thank you for giving us Jesus who died for us to save us. Thank You that He has given us prophecy so that we may be prepared for the time of trouble that is coming upon the world and so that we can meet him when He comes in the clouds of glory. We see the onward marching events in the news and we see their connection to the things You have warned us about in Your holy word. We sense that we are getting steadily closer to the great time of trouble in the world, which will also bring a little time of trouble upon Your faithful people. May Your Holy Spirit show us today how prophecy reads like the daily news. May we sense Your presence. Show us what we must do to get ourselves ready and also our families. In Jesus holy and precious name I pray, Amen.
To understand how subtlety and stealthily the United States is being used to advance the goals of the Vatican, it is important to first see what Jesus through the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy says will happen. Let us read from Daniel 8:23 through 25. “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.”
I like the end of those verses. The great end of Rome is brokenness. After all, Rome has nothing to offer the true follower of Christ. All her superstitions, and all her pilgrimages, and all her indulgences amount to nothing and are useless. All her rites and rituals, feasts and festivals are powerless to save the soul. All her high days and holy days are useless in gaining entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
Yet, she will prosper for a time. Notice that her prosperity is gained by peace. In other words, by her craft and politics, she will work for peace at least openly and will be seen as the broker of peace in the world’s conflicts. But Rome actually uses war to her own benefit. It gives her the opportunity to be the peace broker, and she stands to gain political and economic benefit by it.
Notice too that the prophet Daniel says that the Papacy will be “mighty, but not by his own power…” What does this mean? It means, my friends, that the Vatican will have great influence and power in world politics, but she is not able to enforce her political powers by her own military. You see, a nation can only have as much influence on global politics as they have a military to support it globally. So, nations with a large and sophisticated military have a lot power in global politics while nations with no military have very little influence as a general rule. Of course there are exceptions. For example, nations that have a strategic location or strategic resources like oil, still have some influence because of those specific strategic reasons.
Rome does not have a military, so she has no way of enforcing her policies on other nations or achieve global political power by traditional means. However Rome has other resources. One of the most important strategic resources she has is that she is not only a nation state but also a religion. And she has more than a billion followers scattered in every country of the world. This means that other nations have to treat her like any other nation. But it also means that she is treated differently than every other nation of the world because of her religious character. In nation states where there are a lot of Roman Catholics Rome has a lot of power over the people and to a large extent over the leaders of the nation. It is actually because of her religious status that she doesn’t have to have a military in order to have geopolitical influence.
By her religious nature, the Papacy has a sanctimonious covering for her political power plays and everybody seems to think that her purposes are good. They think that all is well with Rome because she apologizes for the wicked sex scandals of the bishops and because she apologizes for the Inquisition and for her other iniquitous deeds in the past.
Notice this statement from inspiration. This is from the book Great Controversy, page 571. “The Roman Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike garments; but she is unchanged. Every principle of the papacy that existed in past ages exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The papacy that Protestants are now so ready to honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men of God stood up, at the peril of their lives, to expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High.
Do Protestants honor the Papacy today? You bet they do. By the way, Protestants no longer call themselves Protestants because they don’t want to be seen as protesting anything. They are now called Evangelicals, and they are very supportive of Rome. In fact, Rome has invited them to join her in fighting corruption in society like abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage and other moral issues. Rome has been nice to them and called them separated brethren instead of heretics. And in response, evangelicals have decided that they can no longer protest Rome’s false doctrine and use the Bible’s clear condemnation against her any longer. They think that Rome has changed, so what they once believed about her was wrongheaded, or at least that it no longer applies.
But actually Rome never changes. She has carefully adjusted her image, like a chameleon adjusts her skin to her surroundings, and now she talks about unity and love and even religious liberty (for which, by the way, Rome has its own definition). And guess what, most churches or pastors who don’t understand the principles of prophecy also talk about love and unity too. Who can be against that? They don’t want to be seen as promoting bigotry by identifying Rome as the beast of Revelation 13 or the great whore of Revelation 17. They don’t apply any of that to her any more.
Once they dropped their condemnation of Rome she can actuality use them to assist her in building up her strength and power. Notice that Daniel said that she will be mighty, but not by her own power. Do you know who is giving Rome her power? Revelation 13:2 says that the dragon is the source of her power. Speaking of the beast, the verse says, “the dragon gave him is power, and his seat, and great authority.” But Satan knows that he has to give Rome power over the other churches and nations. It is the former Protestants who are no longer protesting, but instead they are actually helping her by making her very popular.
Did you see how much the Methodist president George W. Bush, and the people of all faiths adulated the pope when he visited the United States in April? Did you notice how 500,000 people cheered and fawned over Pope Benedict in Australia when he went there for World Youth Day in July? Did you notice the thousands of people in France that excitedly welcomed the pope when he came to that rather irreligious country in September? What about the hundreds of thousands in Brazil and the hundreds of thousands in Austria in 2007. The list could go on and on.
My friends, the scriptures says that “all the world wondered after the beast.” Revelation 13:4. And it is happening. They love Rome. Remember, the beast represents that end-time power that opposes Jesus Christ and misrepresents his sacrifice and salvation, and the principles of His righteous character. If ever there was a power that does this and takes the glory away from Christ and takes it to himself, it is the Pope who sets himself up as God on earth. Benedict is getting nearly as much adulation and support as John Paul II. This is prophetic in is implications because it means that as the pope gets more popular, he will have more political power over the leaders of the nations. All the world wondered after the beast in his opposition to Jesus and His holy law. And as Rome gains more geopolitical power through her craft, it breeds still more global respect and still more power. Gradually Rome will rise to the height of power, not just in Europe, but in world-wide credibility and influence.
But it is more than that. The Vatican gains more power by cooperating with national leaders to accomplish her purposes. She is very skilled at manipulating them, often without them even realizing it. That is another reason why her power is not her own. For example, the cooperation of Rome helps the United States, but in turn the United States is also helping Rome. When President Bush met with Benedict in Rome on June 9, 2007, USA Today reported that President “Bush said the pope is worried about the fate of Christian communities within Iraq, and that the meeting featured an array of issues ranging from AIDS to immigration…” USA Today went on to say that ”the Vatican issued a three-paragraph statement saying Benedict and Bush had ‘cordial discussions’ about ‘the international political situation,’ as well as ’contemporary moral and religious issues.’ The statement expressed hope for ‘a regional and negotiated solution to the conflicts and crises’ of Iraq and the Middle East.”
Obviously Benedict understands that by working with the United States in finding a solution to the problem in Iraq, she can insert herself in that region as a peace broker and even a political player. Of course she is interested in the fate of Christians in Iraq, but it is much, much more. Note that they also spoke of the “international political situation.” This could, of course, include almost anything that is important to the Vatican. There should be no doubt that President Bush was not visiting the Vatican because he wanted to instruct the pope concerning what the Vatican should do. He was there to receive instruction concerning how the United States can serve the interests of the Vatican.
As Rome gains more credibility with worldly people, her power and influence in world politics grows. But by publically cooperating with the most powerful nation on earth, the United States, she is building her resources so that she can one day persecute God’s people. Once the image to the beast is given life, then persecution begins, according to Revelation 13:15-17.
Listen to this statement from the book Great Controversy, page 581. ”God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution.”
And what are her secret purposes? Here it is from Great Controversy, page 573. “In the movements now in progress in the United States to secure for the institutions and usages of the church the support of the state, Protestants are following in the steps of papists. Nay, more, they are opening the door for the papacy to regain in Protestant America the supremacy which she has lost in the Old World. And that which gives greater significance to this movement is the fact that the principal object contemplated is the enforcement of Sunday observance—a custom which originated with Rome, and which she claims as the sign of her authority. It is the spirit of the papacy—the spirit of conformity to worldly customs, the veneration for human traditions above the commandments of God—that is permeating the Protestant churches and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exaltation which the papacy has done before them.”
All the surface activity that you see between the United States and Rome is that which is driving up Rome’s power in the world so that one day soon, she, in cooperation with the United States, will oppose the law of God and persecute God’s people. Make no mistake about it, this prophecy will come true, just as the others have been coming true. Perhaps Protestants are already too far entangled with Rome and it is too late to escape the snare.
Rome is working to bring about a lot of mischief to God’s people. She is working to overthrow them and to make life terribly miserable for them. Most people wouldn’t really care, since they are not part of God’s last church on earth. So long as they can continue their lives without any trouble from the government or from the economy, they don’t really care what happens in world politics, or to God’s people. They just want to be able to watch their TVs, their football games, and their movies, or listen to their dancy music – religious or secular, eat their meat and drink their beer, and do a few other things that make them feel good.
Meanwhile, Rome stealthily gains power and strength from their leaders who discuss with the Vatican and the pope, how they can help her accomplish her objectives. They see the Papacy as a beneficial entity so their cooperation is very willing. They benefit from her. After all the Bible says in Revelation 18:9 that the kings of the earth “live deliciously with her.” Listen to the words of holy scripture. “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.”
This destruction is future. Right now it doesn’t look like Rome is burning. The only smoke you see over Rome is when the cardinals are in conclave to elect a new pope. Rome is not burning. So right now is the time when the kings of the earth are committing fornication and living deliciously with her. What does it mean to commit fornication in the spiritual sense?
Jesus said “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:21. Jesus was saying that church and state have two separate fields in which to work and that they are to be separate. Human beings owe allegiance to both, but the higher allegiance is to God. When church and state unite, they are committing spiritual fornication. They are doing that which is forbidden. Even the Ten Commandments are divided between our obligations to God and our obligations to our fellow man. The first four commandments are related to our obligations to God and the last six are related to our obligations to our fellow man. The first four come first because they are the higher priority. Human laws, then, must not require a man or woman to do anything that would cause them to discontinue or breach their obligations to God.
Fornication has a temporary good feeling. That is why people do it. But it is wrong, and the Bible says that fornicators will not be in heaven. 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 says; “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
There could not be a better description of the mixing of church and state than fornication, for both parties feel good about it, at least temporarily. Moreover, Rome is described by the Bible as the mother of Harlots in Revelation 17. A harlot’s business income, or her economy is based in her fornication. Rome gains economically and politically by her forbidden relationship with the nations of the world. And we are watching this spiritual fornication take place very frequently as the pope visits nation after nation and receives their praise and adulation, and as the pope is visited by the leaders of the nations at the Vatican.
Now in order to understand the international political intercourse between Rome and the United States in accomplishing her global political goals, we have to go back in history a little and get the big picture. The way that the Papacy ruled in the Dark Ages, or the medieval period involved cooperation between church and state so that the state eventually became subject to the control of the church. The feudal kings eventually owed their kingdom to the sometimes fickle decisions of the reigning pope. The Vatican co-opted them in accomplishing her purposes.
When Islam invaded the empire from the East, Rome gathered the feudal kings and enjoined them the raise up armies to fight to defend her as well as their own dominions. Rome has never had an army of her own, and still doesn’t. Therefore, she needs the armies of her cooperative partners or subjects to defend her and even fight for her. The feudal kings had a vested interest in cooperating with Rome because they saw that the security of their own kingdoms and of the whole empire was dependent on the success of their efforts at the behest of Rome or at her command. The papacy had ready allies in the defense of the Holy Roman Empire. And as they cooperated together, Papal credibility, strength and power increased.
In more recent times, Rome has begun to use the United States as a cooperative partner with her in pursuing the Papacy’s global agenda. During the pontificate of John Paul the II, he and U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and then Ronald Reagan, held secret correspondence and meetings to overthrow a mutual enemy, eastern European communism. Both parties needed each other. Neither could accomplish the objective without the other. Carl Bernstein in his article for Time magazine February 24, 1992, titled the Holy Alliance, quoted U.S. National Security Adviser Richard Allen as saying the cooperation between the United States and the Vatican, or the President and the Pope, was “one of the great secret alliances of all time.” The effect of this cooperative endeavor helped to strengthen the ties between the United States and Rome. In fact, you may remember that it was just before the fall of eastern European communism that Ronald Reagan greatly strengthened diplomatic relations with the Holy See by sending an ambassador to the Vatican for the first time in history on January 10, 1984. Once the Polish communist party collapsed, the rest of the communist leaders were on shaky ground. One after another they too were overthrown. Ronald Reagan got the credit for the fall of communism, but it could not have happened without the cooperative effort with the Vatican. But that was only the beginning. They needed communism for practice, as a dray run, to prepare for their cooperation on a much more global war that was yet future. The U.S. and the Vatican were merely conducting join training exercises for the war with Islam.
Time Article
See Diplomatic Relations
But the Papacy has not stopped its meddling in geo-political affairs. The Holy See is always at work, through diplomatic means and through alliances and cooperation with nations to mature her agenda. Her goal is to use the United States to assist her in recovering the global dominance that she once wielded, and eventually establish herself as queen of the world again. Listen to Revelation 18:7. Rome says “I sit a queen, and am no widow and shall see no sorrow.”
Rome continues to play her political cards in such a way as to co-opt as many nations as possible to join her in her quest to gain control of the world. European leaders are very dedicated to assisting Rome in resurrecting the Holy Roman Empire in Europe. The cooperation of Angela Merkel of Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy of France, the two leading nations of the European Union, is especially significant. Germany was the home of the great reformer Martin Luther who stood up to Rome’s leaders and cut down her spiritual power over the people by exposing her corruption and spiritual blasphemy. Now the leader of Germany, Angela Merkel, a Lutheran, of all things, has done everything she can to place Rome back on the throne of Europe (We reported on this in a sermon called Germany Infuriates the Pope, which you can order if you did not receive it). She has strongly worked to have a reference to European Christian roots (that is: Roman Catholic roots) written into the constitutional documents of the European Union. She is trying to help establish Rome’s historical claim to Europe as her spiritual domain.
France, on the other hand, was the nation that cut down the temporal power of the popes in 1798 under the military dictatorship of Napoleon. The modern leader of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, a practicing Catholic, is also cooperating with both Merkel and Benedict XVI to restore the temporal domains of the papacy. Sarkozy has advocated reducing the separation of church and state in France. When Sarkozy visited the pope in December of 2007 he was made an honorary member of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church. That would be quite an honor for a Roman Catholic government leader of any nation. Rome is trying to blur the line of separation of church and state wherever she can. Imagine a Roman Catholic and a Lutheran cooperating together to resurrect and consolidate Rome’s spiritual and temporal power over Europe. What an alliance!
Angela Merkel
Nicolas Sarkozy
In his recent visit to France, Benedict and Sarkozy discussed the issue of the separation of church and state. Canada.com reported on the public remarks of the two cohorts. “Sarkozy, who spoke before the Pope, said it would be ‘madness’ for France, which ‘accepts its Christian roots,’ to ‘deprive ourselves’ of religion.” The pope responded by saying “In fact, it is fundamental to become more aware of the irreplaceable role of religion for the formation of consciences and the contribution which it can bring to… a basic ethical consensus within society.”
In other words, Benedict was saying that without the Roman Catholic Church informing the conscience in France, the French people will never be able to form an ethical consensus.
Benedict also said: “As we face the danger of a resurgence of old suspicions, tensions and conflicts among nations, which we are troubled to witness today, France, which historically has been sensitive to reconciliation between peoples, is called to help Europe build up peace within her borders and throughout the world.” Rome wants to extend her influence on French society and through them on other parts of the world. It is Rome that is the peace broker. This is nothing more than a bid to seize an opportunity to partner with France to promote their common interests.
Please note that Sarkozy said that France acknowledges its Christian roots. The Christian roots of France go all the way back to the time of Clovis in the late fifth century. So in essence, Sarkozy was saying that France, though quite secular, recognizes its obligations to the Papal authority.
Benedict’s visit to France
But the United States is the prize for Rome. It is a protestant country that she has never ruled, but whose separation of church and state has kept America free from excessive meddling by Rome. But since 9/11 America is obsessed with security. This is a perfect opportunity for Rome to cooperate with the United States in accomplishing her purposes abroad. For example, One of Rome’s spiritual opponents is Islam, particularly radical Islam. If Rome can cooperate with the United States in dealing with radical Islam, particularly its religious aspects, she can shape the discussion with Islam and the West, particularly with the United States, by inserting herself between them. At the same time she can help shape America’s response to radical Islam in harmony with her own principles, including torture in secret prisons, inquisitional justice, cannon law, and thus gradually and in the name of fighting terror undermine further the U.S. Constitution and replace it with an inquisitional mentality followed by inquisitional law. Furthermore, she can shape the overall U. S. and western response to Islam at large. Let me restate this very important principle. Rome can manage the religion side of the issues with Islam by itself. At the same time, she can use the U.S. and other nations to assist her with their military and political powers.
No doubt the Vatican helped President Bush think through his arguments for the war in Iraq. In his 2005 inaugural speech at the beginning of his second term, Bush said, “The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world… So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world…” This is language the Papacy can understand and it is a reason with which the Vatican can support.
In a recent article in Newsmax, called “The Great Crusader,” the author, Brad Minor says that “as the world’s last global superpower, American political hegemony can help the church’s global efforts.” What does he mean? He is saying that the United States’ world power combined with its cozy relationship with the Vatican can assist the Holy See in increasing its global influence and political power.
While Rome is officially against war, nevertheless, war can be very helpful to Rome if it helps her accomplish her goals. This kind of war she defines as a “just war,” by claiming that it is necessary to accomplish larger humanitarian good such as freedom and justice and other nice-sounding words.
The article in Newsmax went on to say, “The Pope’s visit to America also has strategic importance, as the Church races to solidify its position against Islam.” In other words, the Vatican is attempting to use it’s historical diplomatic methods to coordinate with the United States and increase its own presence and influence in the Middle East. The new ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon commented to Catholic News Service on March 14, 2008 that the “the Holy See is now fully supportive of U.S. efforts to rebuild the country and to establish peace in the region.”
Glendon’s remarks
At first the Holy See under John Paul II was strongly opposed to the war in Iraq. But in more recent times, under Benedict XVI, that has changed. Why? Though it was not one of the original reasons for the war in Iraq, one of the more recent justifications is to spread democracy and freedom. This appeals to Rome. This reason provides an opportunity for Rome to piggyback on to America’s efforts in order to accomplish her own objectives in the Middle East. So now Rome has changed its tune.
The Georgia Bulletin, a Roman Catholic publication in Atlanta reported on the change in 2005. “After presenting his credentials to Pope Benedict XVI Nov. 12, the new U.S. [ambassador] said he was convinced that the United States and the Vatican are natural allies on a host of modern issues. On questions like terrorism and human trafficking, on foreign assistance and AIDS treatment, the Vatican and the U.S. government are on the same page… Even the war in Iraq, which was strongly opposed by the Vatican, has moved into the category of shared objectives,’ the ambassador said. ‘We’re in a new day here, with the Vatican and the United State supporting each other as we work together to support the people of Iraq,’ he said. ‘When it comes to nation-building in Iraq,’ he said, ‘the Holy See is there to lend its voice of support, in developing a free, particularly religiously free, country that is based upon freedom and democratic principles.’”
Rooney interview
Notice that the ambassador was saying how important the cooperation between the Papacy and the United States is by calling them “natural allies.” That has not come easily. 200 years ago, the United States would have never seen itself as a natural ally with the Vatican. But things have changed dramatically. Benedict sees the effort to establish democracy in Iraq as in Rome’s best interests. In essence he sees the war as helpful to his own objectives in the Middle East. Democracy is important to the Holy See because she can then more easily build her churches and cathedrals and through them influence the state. Also democracy is built on the idea that the majority rules. It’s called majoritarianism. Whenever Rome can control the majority, she has gained her footing. In getting there, she tries to control the dialogue, so that she can shape the outcome. Rome is essentially resorting to her historic role in which she shares political power with nation states to put herself in a position to manipulate them if she cannot outright control them. She is actually helping the United States to forcefully rebuild the nation of Iraq as a democratic nation. If this doesn’t fulfill Revelation 18:9 which says that the kings of the earth commit fornication with her, I don’t know what does.
And Rome’s changing attitude is paying off. As the Holy See dialogues with some Middle East nations, particularly those working closely with the U.S. and other Western countries, she is reaping considerable rewards. In November 2007, Saudi Arabia’s king Abdullah, while on a tour of Europe visited Pope Benedict at the Vatican. This was a first ever meeting between a Saudi king and a pope. Now the Saudi king is lending his support for the construction of the first non-Muslim place of worship in the kingdom, a Catholic Church. Approximately 800,000 Catholics live and work in Saudi Arabia, mostly Filipinos. Catholic News said that Vatican officials confirmed that the pope “pressed for permission to open a church in the kingdom, and said that opening a Catholic parish in the Islamic land would be ‘a historic achievement’ for religious freedom and a major step forward for inter-religious dialogue.”
Saudi King and Pope
Catholic Churches in Saudi Arabia
While Rome is working hard to build relationships with every national leader possible, she needs to bring the strength of the western nations, particularly the United States to her aid. She works closely to help them with national security issues, and they work closely with her on social issues.
National security has always been one of the key reasons for nations to go to war, even in distant lands. President Bush has made national security one of the key platforms in defending his war in Iraq. Joining with the Holy See to defend national security against radical Islam resurrects the ancient and historical relationships that the Vatican used in the middle ages to manipulate and control the states under her dominion. If this is not leading to Rome’s dominion over the United States, and advancing her geopolitical ambitions, I cannot think of anything else that would.
So the war in Iraq has now become a cooperative effort to accomplish “shared objectives” between the U.S. and the Vatican. In other words, the Vatican is supporting the U.S. effort to force a democratic or majoritarian government on the people of Iraq, all in the name of freedom, particularly religious freedom. While this sounds good to Americans who love their liberty, it is actually being accomplished by the very means that the Bible predicts, a cooperation between church and state, Rome’s historic relationship with earthly governments. This cooperation, though appealing to westerners in dealing with resurgent Islam, is a dangerous mix that will eventually lead to persecution. Rome wants freedom of religion for Catholics of course, and in the mean time she is willing to extend it to others. But the Bible tells us that all the world will wonder after the beast (Rev 13:4); and that the United States will require all men to receive the mark of the beast and worship according to Rome’s requirements, (vs. 14-17).
Bendict’s visit to the United Nations elevated the papal image and influence among the nations. Rome is a “permanent observer” to the United Nations, which sounds like Rome is not involved in the political aspects of the UN, the truth is quite the opposite. Rome’s permanent observer status carries with it “the right of reply and the right: to participate in general debate, to issue communications and to co-sponsor draft resolutions,” said the National Catholic Register, April 6, 2008. So the Vatican can in fact, be very involved in UN global politics. And this just suits Rome perfectly. Through the United Nations, as well as in her cooperation with the United States, Rome can advance her global political agenda. She is working all fronts at the same time. The fact that Benedict visited both the United States and the United Nations on the same trip is not insignificant. Let us remember that Rome’s interests are both domestic in the United States, and global throughout the rest of the world. Rome intends to become the queen of the earth. Benedict came to speak to the issues that the global community of nations should respect as well as speak to the people of the United States.
Rome’s Enhanced UN Status
Popes have frequently sought advice from former U.S. government leaders and others to advise them, or the various branches of the Holy See on matters of international politics, economics and social matters. Nixon administration Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was asked by Benedict XVI to become a “political adviser” wrote the National Catholic Register on November 22, 2006 “and Kissinger has accepted… The Nobel laureate was asked at a… private audience with the Holy Father to form part of a papal ‘advisory board’ on foreign and political affairs.” Henry Kissinger, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, has much experience dealing with Israel, Islam and the nations of the Middle East. He is well versed in the politics of the former soviet empire, and is intimately familiar with U.S. politics and foreign policy. From the Vatican’s point of view, Kissinger, a Jew, would be an ideal candidate to assist the Holy See in its international political ambitions.
The Register reported that other key former players in the U.S. administration have also been asked to assist the Vatican in achieving its global goals. The Register said that Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National security Adviser to U.S. President Jimmy Carter was a close confidant of John Paul II. In more recent years, the Vatican has drawn in men like Paul Wolfowitz, former President Bush adviser, and American Economist Jeffrey Sachs, who also happens to be Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. While the Holy See is not exclusive in its choice of former U.S. administration officials as Vatican advisers, it no doubt sees them as vital to its ongoing global political agenda. What is more, they know how to choose the most connected among the globalist elites. Their CFR connections will keep the Vatican well informed on the planning going on behind the scends by the global elites.
N C Register
N C Register 2
Jeffrey Sachs
My friends, those who are carefully watching prophecy can see the strategic alignment between the United States and the Papacy that most evangelicals cannot see. They think they are doing a good thing by exalting the papacy. Yet their very ecumenical attitude is opening the way for Rome to gain more strength and power by cooperating especially with the U.S. government and fulfill some of the most important prophecies ever written in the Bible.
May God help us prepare for the events to unfold as we near the coming of Jesus. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, through Jesus we come to You asking that You will show us how to prepare our lives for the coming events that will herald the coming of Jesus in the clouds of glory. I pray that we will be more faithful in our daily experience with Christ, so that our lives will reflect the piety of those who are truly followers of Jesus and who keep all of His commandments. May Your Holy Spirit teach us how to live righteous lives before God and man. And when trouble comes upon us, we pray that we will have confidence in Jesus and His love, His tender care, and His sustaining power. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Source: http://www.ktfministry.org/sermons/308/romes-global-ambitions
