In Loving Memory
April 29, 1947 - September 5, 2020
Update: On Saturday, September 5th, 2020, the founder, administrator, and head moderator of this forum, Valerie S., went Home to be with the Lord. Her obituary can be found on https://memorials.demarcofuneralhomes.com/valerie-skrzyniak/4321619/index.php.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing .
"Fair Use for Information and Discussion Purposes"
By Pastor F. M. Riley
September 16, 2015
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of Christ…verse 2 ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first [apostasia…apostasy] , and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God,
2 Thesssalonians 2:3-4.
“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts [living creatures], saying, Come and see.
And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that set on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer,”
Revelation 6:1-2
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate,”
Daniel 9:27
“And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries,”
Daniel 11:21
“He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his father’s fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time,” Daniel 11:24
Introduction
I do not know whether our readers have seen all five of these inspired passages together in one study previously, but if any reader hasn’t, then my time will have been well spent. I wanted these passages set before my readers together, so that the reader can easily see that all five passages are speaking of the anti-christ who was prophesied to come on the world scene in these last days.
Well folks, he is here! And in the remainder of this study, it is my intention to prove this truth for all readers who have “seeing eyes and hearing ears.” Read on…..
Each one of these Scripture texts should be carefully STUDIED by our readers.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
In these Scriptures the inspired Apostle Paul explicitly told the Lord’s church at Thessalonica that “the day of Christ” [the Lord’s coming at the time of the resurrection
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and rapture] will not come until the time in church history when two other events have first occurred…..
There would be an apostasy or “falling away” from the faith that would occur in the churches and the ranks of Christianity. I refuse to exchange or replace this Greek word, “apostasia,” in this Scripture for some other word, as some have done in the past and some still insist on doing today.
Just because some so-called “church father” took it upon himself to replace this word with a totally different word early in church history, does not mean that I have an obligation to follow his example, and I refuse to do so! Revelation 22:18-19 is still in the Bible in case some readers haven’t read it lately.
The inspired writer also clearly stated that “the man of sin” would be revealed, and just in case some might not understand whom he was referring to, he further described the man as the one “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped...,” 2:4. Now who could that be?
Both of these events are predicted to happen BEFORE “the day of Christ” occurs. In other words, before the resurrection and rapture of New Covenant believers occurs. Have they happened, or are they happening now? Let’s give this question some serious thought…..
The Apostasy or “Falling Away”
Folks, I am old enough to remember when the churches were packed with people attending church services. This was the situation during and for several years after the end of the Second World War. During the Second World War people filled the churches, praying for the Lord’s protection for their sons and husbands who were fighting in Europe against the Nazis and in the Pacific against the Japanese. After the war ended in 1945, many people continued to attend church services right on through the rest of the 1940’s and into the 1950’s.
But the 1950’s brought something new into the homes of America; TELEVISION. Television stations were erected all over America during the 1950’s, and everywhere a TV station went on the air, church attendance declined sharply. The “falling away” had begun, and it continued right on into the 1960’s, and is still going on today.
Over these past 65 years hundreds of churches in America closed their doors and went out of business for our Lord, because the people in a given neighborhood were no longer attending the services and supporting the rhurch.. Instead, they had their favorite “slop” opera or “bawl” game to watch on TV. Sic!
And yet some today try to explain this “falling away” by claiming that this is actually referring to the rapture. Excuse me! Have even those who claim to be God’s people today, lost all their sense of observation, memory, and spirital discernment? Folks, there has been, and still continues, a great apostasy in the churches and the ranks of Christianity today, whether some want to believe it or not. Your unbelief won’t change the truth!
The “Man of Sin” Revealed
And now here as the very end of this present church age is swiftly approaching, JUST BEFORE the “day of Christ” is to occur with the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the Roman Pope suddenly rises to world prominence by making “a covenant” with the Palestinians and demanding that Israel’s land be divided.
It is my understanding that the Pope intends to have his “covenant” with the Palestinians “confirmed” by the United Nations world body when he speaks before the U.N. later this month. All of his actions are clearly what is prophesied of the coming anti-christ in the inspired Word, Daniel 9:27. .
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Oh, let’s not forget that the Roman Pope carries with him what is commonly referred to as his “Shepherd’s Staff;” the Papal “bow,” everywhere he goes in public. Compare Revelation 6:2. And yet some readers still have a hard time believing that a Roman Pope
will be the prophesied anti-christ.
I would also point out that the Roman Pope is commonly referred to in Catholicism as
the “Vicar of Christ.” This literally means that the Pope claims to be the sole infallible representative of God and Christ upon the earth in all spiritual matters. Now read again 2 Thessalonians 2:4, and let the truth soak in.
Folks, what this does is present Scriptural evidence for God’s people [true believers] that this Roman Pope is the anti-christ predicted to come in the inspired prophecies, exactly as our Christian forefathers believed and taught during the several centuries of the “Dark Ages.” With all of this Scriptural evidence, then why do some have their “belief system” bogged down in the Satanic desert of unbelief? Well…???
Objections
Over and over again I have had some tell me that the Roman Pope has to be “the false prophet.” Now where is that written in the Scriptures, book, chapter, and verse, please? Is it just too hard for some of these “prophecy teachers” to understand that “the false prophet” doesn’t even show up on the world scene until the last half of the Tribulation? Read it for yourself in Revelation 13:11. But the Roman Pope has come to prophetic prominence RIGHT NOW, doing exactly those things long predicted in God’s Word that the future anti-christ would do. Well….???
Folks, I have already wrote four Bible studies pointing out that our Christian forefathers taught for centuries during the “Dark Ages” that a future Roman Pope would be the prophesied anti-christ. Now here he is, doing exactly the things predicted for the anti-christ to do.
Perhaps, some of these “super spiritual “ superior “scholars” would like to explain this to the rest of us peons, who simply believe in taking God’s Word at face value for what it actually and literally says. I’m breathlessly waiting for their explanation!
Revelation 6:1-2
When the Lord Jesus opens the first seal in Heaven, He is granting permission for the anti-christ to come on the world scene during the Tribulation period, There is no contradiction here in the Scriptures whatsoever. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 the anti-christ is revealed to God’s people; true believers, BEFORE the rapture occurs and the Tribulation begins.
But here in Revelation 6 the anti-christ is revealed to the whole unsaved lost world, shortly AFTER the beginning of the Tribulation, right at the time appointed for him to be revealed, 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12. Take heed!
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He appears on the world scene as a man of “purity” and “peace;” the very image he wants to project to those he desires to deceive with his “false religion” and “false teachings.” He is seen here as coming forth riding “a white horse;” the horse commonly chosen by ancient kings to ride in triumph before their subjects.
This clearly suggests that as the anti-christ
comes on the world scene, he sees himself as a benevolent king who is going to seize control over the New World Order for the good of all mankind. Sic! But remember the warning given by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:15-20. While he presents himself in Revelation 6 as a “pure holy man of God,” with the best interests of the people on his heart, nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, he is a great deceiver, and all
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who choose to give their allengiance to him during the coming Tribulation, will have all
eternity to regret their choice.
Notice that “a crown is given unto him.” This statement perfectly harmonizes with Daniel 11:21, which indicates that the New World Order Kingdom will not simply be turned over to him to rule, but rather that “he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.” In other words, he will present himself to the lost world as “a man of peace.” Since that is exactly what the lost world is looking for, they will make concession after concession to him, until he has control over the whole one-world kingdom.
Daniel 9:27
This is perhaps the most well known Scripture dealing with the anti-christ in God’s Word. And how very “up to date” this Scripture is, in view of recent events which have occurred in the Middle East.
The Roman Pope has made “a covenant” or agreement with the leadership of the Palestinians, in which he recognized them as having a legitimate right to the west bank of Israel, and a right to have half of Jerusalem as their nations capitol.
Many Christian readers are not yet aware of this, as the liberal news media, to the best of my knowledge, has never said a word about it on the news. The government of Israel is certainly aware of it, for on September 9the, the Jewish San Hedrin Court placed the Roman Pope on trial in absentia, charging him with the crime of attempting to destroy the nation of Israel by dividing their land and their beloved capitol city without so much as even consulting them.
Now what the Pope wants to do, according to information I have received, is to go before the United Nations and ask them to ratify his agreement with the Palestinians, thereby making it International Law. If the U.N. votes to do this, then his “covenant” will be “confirmed with many” exactly as predicted in Daniel 9:27. Folks, it is a lot later than some claiming to be “Christians” would like to believe. Hello!
Daniel 11:21
I have already briefly mentioned this passage, as noted at the top of this page. There is going to be a series of wars during the first half of the Tribulation, exactly as prophesied in Revelation 6:3-4 and Daniel 11. The anti-christ Pope will use these wars to his own advantage, working deceitfully and becoming “strong with a small people,” Daniel 11:22-24.
Who is in a better position to have the whole world listen to him, and to influence the whole world system, than the Pope in Rome, who is the “religious” leader of more than one and a half BILLION people in the world today? Hello!
This Scripture plainly states that he will “obtain the kingdom by flatteries.” In other words, he will ultimately become ruler over the whole New World Order one world Government. This has been a prize long sought by the Roman Popes, and during the Tribulation period, a Roman Pope is finally going to achieve it.
The inspired Word also tells us that he will also set his palace “between the seas in the glorious holy mountain,” Daniel 11:45. Yet this same Scripture also states that “he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” Our Lord Jesus spoke of this same thing in Matthew 16:26 when He said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” The Roman Popes for centuries have
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lived in absolute luxury, while robbing the poor deceived people whom they have convinced to follow them. And finally one of the Popes, as the anti-christ, is going to become the ruler of the whole world for a short time. But what will it all have amounted to, when he wakes up to find himself in hellfire and eternal ****ation?
Daniel 11:24
I have already discussed this under the other Scripture headings. When the anti-christ Pope finally gains power over the whole New World Order kingdom, he will literally loot the world of its riches, especially the land of Israel. In doing so, he will reach the utter depths of human depravity, committing such heinous crimes as “his fathers have not done, nor his father’s fathers.”
He will scatter among his followers “the prey, and spoil, and riches.” Nevertheless he will come to an end, when the Lord returns in His glory, and the anti-christ in his proud arrogance makes the mistake of attempting to make war against the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. His ignoble future is plainly written in God’s Word in Revelation 19:19-20 and 20:10.
Someone once wrote, “Only one life; T’will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” I couldn’t agree more! Glory to God!
Conclusion
This next week the Pope is scheduled to arrive in the United States of America on September 22nd. He is schedulaed to meet with President Obama on the 23rd. On the 24th he is scheduled to speak before the U.S. Congress. On the 25th he is scheduled to speak before the United Nations in New York.
Dear readers the very fact that all of these events involving the Roman Pope will be
occurring this next week right here in America, ought to cause every true believer in this country to realize the we have arrived at the end of this present dispensation, and our Lord’s coming could occur at any minute of any day or night now. ARE YOU READY?
I have presented in this study Scriptural evidence that the Pope is also the prophesied anti-christ, and is doing the very things the inspired prophecies of the Word said that the coming anti-christ would do. My prayer is that the Lord God will graciously give some readers “seeing eyes and hearing ears,” so that they in turn can warn and witness to others.
This may very well be our last opportunity to win lost loved ones, friends, and neighbors to a saving knowledge of Christ just before the rapture occurs. Don’t blow your opportunity! I am looking forward to meeting my loved ones in glory, and I also want to meet every reader in glory when our Lord comes for us. Please don’t disappoint me.
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Until our Lord comes all closing information remains the same as on my previous Bible Studies. May our precious Lord Jesus bless this study to the hearts and minds of every reader is my prayer. Meet me in glory! In the love of Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord. Pastor F. M. Riley
