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More About the One-World Church

Rev. 17:1-6

 

4 words to describe the one world church:

 

  1. Powerful

Mental intoxication=people not thinking for themselves/mind control!

        Why Bible refers to us as sheep…we need a shepherd!  We are directionless/defenseless…and in the absence of true shepherds the world will follow a wolf in sheep’s clothing!

 

Powerful…

 

  1. Perverted

NO LESS THAN THE ANTICHRIST!  And the great whore is riding upon this beast in 17:3.

 

The 1 world church and antichrist will work together in concert.  He will be to that church what Jesus is to us!

 

“Scarlet colored”… descriptive of his bloody ascent to power…

 

This church is powerful and perverted…in cahoots w/ antichrist!

 

This one world church will be powerful, and perverted…

 

  1. Prosperous        

v. 4  This “whore” is decked out to the max, deceptive!  Sounds more like a “call girl” type of floozy!

 

        Where will all this prosperity come from?

  • From this unholy union between church and state [v. 2a “w/ whom kings…”]

Church and state…this has never been a happy marriage! 

Separation of—discuss…[means to keep state out of church, not the other way around]

 

Throughout history you can see where political leaders have used the church for their own selfish purposes…it always turns out bad!  [If I were the Pope, I'd be so tired of politicians using Catholicism, only to prove they don't have the backbone to promote the good morals publicly.  "I personally believe this...but..."]

        But since this false church will be willing to use its power for the purposes of the antichrist, the state will pour lots of money into their coffers!

 

  • Plus, the appeal of the church will be strong--saying things like, we’re finally rid of those narrow minded bigots…the church will easily pull in great masses of people [mentally intoxicated] who will contribute to their cause.  Money will not be a problem for that church!

But notice v. 4b—what’s in the cup?

        Reminds me of what Jesus said to the Pharisees:  “You remind me of a white-washed sepulcher, you look great on the outside but inside you’re like dead men’s bones!  You’re like a pot that’s clean and shiny outside but filthy within!”

 

We’d do well to remember that prosperity and purity do not necessarily go hand in hand!  Even today here in America, people gather together in great cathedrals and magnificent buildings w/ incredible stained glass/carvings/pipe organs, and yet God is nowhere near the place!  Here we are to adore one another/compare/make jealous/talk about/play church!

 

Joke—farmer visited high society church…saw women in mink stoals/men in formal wear w/ tophats/farmer walked in w/ straw hat and overalls/end of service came down aisle!/distinguished pastor: sir, why have you come?/I’d like to join!/pastor, knowing it wouldn’t work said, why don’t you go home and pray about that at least a week…thought he’d gotten rid of him/but a week later there he sat in the pew once again/came fwd. again/why have you come back?/I wanna join!/did you pray about it?/sure did!/what did God tell ya?/God said if I could get in this here church I oughta go for it…He’s been trying to get in to it for years and hasn’t been able to!

 

Seriously, we should thank God for the beautiful building He’s given us…some here tonite had a major part in it…many of us just inherited it! 

        We should take pride and take care…the sky is the limit on what can be done…first class, not high class, but something God would be pleased with!

 

        But let’s be clear that if ever we have to compromise the Word of God in order to have nice things…we aren’t willing to make that exchange!

 

We want to grow and offerings to grow, but not at the expense of purity for prosperity!  We need to focus on continuing to do what’s right and let the numbers all add up however they may!

 

The one world church will be very prosperous.

        powerful, perverted, prosperous…

 

4.     Persecuted

v. 6  admiration=astonishment/wonder

        According to this verse, this church is drunk, not w/ wine, but w/ blood of saints!

 

A reminder that in the tribulation, those who won’t follow antichrist, but rather stand for Jesus Christ, WILL pay w/ their lives!  Elsewhere in Revelation…the old fashioned guillotine will be revived/off w/ their heads!

 

There’s been a lot of persecutions since Jesus’ time…more since 1900 than for 2k years previous combined!  But there is coming a time of unequaled bloodshed! 

 

Though we won’t go thru the tribulation, those events may cast their shadow upon us before they are “fully come!”  Are you prepared to die for Christ?  Will you live for Him?

 

We need to get as many on the ark as we can, before floods of judgment fall from the sky!

 

Here’s 3 more details to consider about this church’s ruler/region/reversal at mid-point.

 

  1. The Ruler

The antichrist, v. 7 [read]

        The marriage of church and state is in effect…the woman rides upon the beast!

v. 8          He exists/goes away for a while/then returns to the scene…what does this all mean?

 

        When Jesus came to earth He did the same thing, he came, then died and was buried/left awhile, then arose/returned.  This is a prediction of an amazing event which will take place in the trib…in which the antichrist will try to imitate the very resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Mt. 13 talks about counterfeit Christians

II Cor. 11—counterfeit ministers

Gal. 1— counterfeit gospel

 

Now a counterfeit resurrection!

v. 2/16-17        so, why will these leaders and peoples of the earth do all this?  Because of this staged resurrection!

 

[it will be a mortal wound to the head, [rev. 13:3] perhaps an assassin’s bullet, or shrapnel, and he will seemingly die and rise again!]

 

now v. 8 makes more sense…

 

and what ascends out of the pit is probably an incarnation of Satan himself!  He will become what II Thess. 2 says literally:  the son of perdition!

 

Here’s more references to go along w/ this:

Rev. 13:3/v. 12/v. 14

 

Here’s what we don’t know about this Satanic miracle:

Actual or simulated [as it were?]

        Some of today’s “miracles” fit into each category…sometimes God allows something like that to happen, but not by His power!

 

Whichever is true, we know this:  the world believes it’s real and the antichrist gains the followship of the whole world!

 

The ruler of the church…now:

 

  1. The Region

v. 9-13     The birthplace and headquarters of the one-world church will be Rome [7 hills]/the revived Roman empire/the united states of Europe [very much in existence today!]

 

7 hills:  Palatine, Aventine, Capitoline, Quarinal, Viminal, Esquiline and Caelian

 

Or, how about Istanbul in Turkey, also a city known for its 7 hills, and the headquarters for Islam!  Interesting, but I believe it to be Rome.

 

v. 10        Reference to revived Roman emperor

        5 emperors had fallen by the time John wrote this:

Julius Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero

        …and 1 is: [sitting on the throne now, while this was being written…that was Domitian!]

        …and the other is not yet come:  the antichrist!

 

He is the 7th!

        But here’s the mind-twister:

v. 11        But it’s easy to understand when you think of the fact that #8 is #7 resurrected/possessed…Satan incarnate?!

 

v. 12        United States of Europe will be 10 nations during the tribulation period. [10 toes in Dan. 9]

[27 members of European union right now, but 10 in Western EU!]

One hour=metaphor:  short period of time…their 15 minutes of fame! [Jesus said, mine hour is not yet come]

 

v. 13        They will believe the antichrist to be God, will unite and…

v. 14        Make war w/ the Lamb!  That’s the battle of Armageddon!

v. 14b      We don’t need to have headline hysteria, look, we win!

 

Jesus came TO His own: Bethlehem

FOR His own:  Rapture

WITH His own:  Armageddon!

        But HE will do all the fighting, w/ one word they will be decimated, like in the Garden of Gethsemane, “I AM”, and they all fell down!

 

The ruler, the region…

 

  1. The Reversal

 

v. 15-16a         hate the whore=hate the church!  The woman was riding on the beast/there was a marriage of church and state, but now after 3.5 years, the antichrist turns to the church and says, I want a divorce!

        Common in history:  political bodies using the church to advance themselves…but once they get what they want, they turn on the church…that’s what the antichrist will do!

 

Then he will build upon himself:  the abomination of desolation=setting himself up in the temple as God…that’s what’s described in 16b…he doesn’t need the church, he throws her away!

        That’s how Satan feels about you…you’re disposable…he’ll use you for his own selfish purposes, chew you up and spit you out!

 

v. 17a      don’t you love that!  God’s in control of it all…it’s all foreordained of God!  He’s still calling the shots!  These people are just pawns in His hands…His will WILL NOT be thwarted!

 

v. 18        reminder of who the one-world church is, today:  the only umbrella large enough for all religions to fit under, the Roman Catholic Church, that great city of v. 9.

 

The year 1948:  big things happened…

The world council of churches/European economic society/Israel became a nation…and a generation will not pass before Jesus returns [however you interpret that!]

 

Reading the newspaper is like reading Revelation…we should be surprised every time the sun sets w/ out His return…we are to be busy, working, watching, waiting…can you see the handwriting on the wall?

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