Identification Points of the Antichrist The 1260 Year Prophecy "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Daniel 7:25 Several things need clarification in connection with this point: 1. A time is a year, times is two years, and the dividing of time is a half-year. The Amplified Bible translates it: "Three and one-half years." 1 2. This same time period is mentioned seven times (Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; 13:5) in the books of Daniel and Revelation: three times as a time, times, and half a time; twice as 42 months; and twice as 1,260 days. Based on the 30-day calendar used by the Jews, these time periods are all the same amount of time: 3 1/2 years = 42 months = 1,260 days. 3. One prophetic day equals one literal year (See Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34). 4. Thus, the little horn was to have power over the saints for 1,260 prophetic days or 1,260 literal years. 5. The rule of the papacy began in A.D. 538, when the last of the three opposing Arian kingdoms was uprooted. Its rule continued until 1798 when Napoleon's general, Berthier, took the pope captive with hopes of destroying both Pope Pius VI and the political, secular power of the papacy. This period of time is an exact fulfillment of the 1,260-year prophecy. The blow was a deadly wound for the papacy, but that wound began to heal and continues healing today. It is plain to see that this point, likewise, fits the papacy. Side Note: This period of time is referred to by historians as the "Dark Ages". It was a time when Christ's faithful followers were persecuted, the reading of the scriptures, "a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105" was banned, and the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church were forced upon the people by the strong arm of Civil Governments. The medieval game of chess was developed during this time period with the powerful bishop pieces located to the right and the left of the King and the Queen, subtly reminding us of the power the church wielded. 1 The Amplified Bible , Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 1962. Centuries of Religious Persecution That the Roman Catholic church did persecute is a well-known fact. The papacy clearly admits doing so. "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Revelation 13:7 Much supportive evidence of the persecution exists. Even conservative historians claim that the Roman Catholic Church probably destroyed at least 50 million people over matters of religious conviction. We will quote here from several sources: "That the Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history. W. E. H. Lecky, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, Volume 2 , p. 40. "From the birth of popery to the present time, it is estimated by careful and credible historians, that more than fifty millions of the human family, have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy by popish persecutors..." John Dowling, The History of Romanism , pp. 541-542 Religious Freedom That the Roman Catholic church attempts to manipulate governments from the inside is a well-known fact. The Chinese were recently quoted as saying that "China was willing to establish relations with the Vatican, provided that it... undertook to refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs." The Times, March 9, 2000, Vatican admits to courting Chinese, by Richard Owen. Liberty of Conscience and Religious Freedom Regarding Liberty of Conscience and Religious Freedom we will let the Roman Catholic Church speak for herself. 'The absurd and erroneous doctrines or ravings in defense of liberty of conscience, are a most pestilential error--a pest, of all others, most to be dreaded in a State.' Pope Pius IX., in his Encyclical Letter of August 15, 1854. The same pope, in his Encyclical Letter of December 8, 1864, anathematized 'those who assert the liberty of conscience and of religious worship,' also 'all such as maintain that the church may not employ force.' "The pacific tone of Rome in the United States does not imply a change of heart. She is tolerant where she is helpless. Says Bishop O'Connor: 'Religious liberty is merely endured until the opposite can be carried into effect without peril to the Catholic world." "The archbishop of St. Louis once said: 'Heresy and unbelief are crimes; and in Christian countries, as in Italy and Spain, for instance, where all the people are Catholics, and where the Catholic religion is an essential part of the law of the land, they are punished as other crimes." "Every cardinal, archbishop, and bishop in the Catholic Church takes an oath of allegiance to the pope, in which occur the following words: 'Heretics, schismatics, and rebels to our said lord the pope, or his aforesaid successors, I will to my utmost persecute and oppose." Speaks Great Words Against God "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. Daniel 7:8, 20 The leader and spokesman for the Roman Catholic church is called the "Pope". The governing body of the church is called the "Holy See". Blasphemy has two definitions in Scripture: 1. Claiming to forgive sins (Luke 5:21). 2. Claiming to be God (John 10:33). Evidence for it claiming to forgive sins: "Does the Priest truly forgive the sins, or does he only declare that they are remitted? The Priest does really and truly forgive the sins in virtue of the power given to him by Christ."1 The papacy further undermines Jesus by setting up a system of confession to an earthly priest, thus bypassing Jesus, our High Priest (Hebrews 3:1; 8:1, 2) and only Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Evidence for it claiming to be God: "We [the popes] hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty." 2 Here is another: "The pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ, Himself, hidden under the veil of flesh." 3 John Paul II wrote: "The leader of the Catholic church is defined by the faith as the Vicar of Jesus Christ (and is accepted as such by believers). The Pope is considered the man on earth who "takes the place" of the Second Person of the omnipotent God of the Trinity." 4 It's obvious this point, likewise, fits the papacy. 1 Joseph Deharbe, S.J., A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion (New York: Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss, 1924), p. 279. 2 Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter "The Reunion of Christendom" (dated June 20, 1894) trans. in the Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII (New York: Benziger, 1903), p. 304. 3 Catholic National, July 1895. 4 Crossing the Threshold of Hope, p. 3, 1994. Habitation of Devils "The Pope played a leading role in a systematic cover-up of child sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests, according to a shocking documentary to be screened by the BBC tonight. (9-30-2006) In 2001, while he was a cardinal, he issued a secret Vatican edict to Catholic bishops all over the world, instructing them to put the Church's interests ahead of child safety. The document recommended that rather than reporting sexual abuse to the relevant legal authorities, bishops should encourage the victim, witnesses and perpetrator not to talk about it. And, to keep victims quiet, it threatened that if they repeat the allegations they would be excommunicated." For more amazing evidence please read this entire article here: London Evening Standard - Pope led cover-up of child abuse by priests Plucked Up By the Roots Does the Vatican fit this point too? Yes, The emperors of Western Europe were largely Catholic and supported the papacy in its growth and authority. Three Arian kingdoms, however, did not support the papacy--the Vandals, Heruli, and Ostrogoths. So the Catholic emperors decided they must be subdued or destroyed. Here is how Dr. Mervyn Maxwell, a theologian and historian, described the results in volume 1, page 129, of his book God Cares: "The Catholic emperor Zeno (474-491) arranged a treaty with the Ostrogoths in 487 which resulted in the eradication of the kingdom of the Arian Heruls in 493. And the Catholic emperor Justinian (527-565) exterminated the Arian Vandals in 534 and significantly broke the power of the Arian Ostrogoths in 538. Thus were Daniel's three horns' the Heruls, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths--'plucked up by the roots.' The divisons of the empire were as follows: — Alamanni became the Germans — Anglo Saxons became the English — Bergundians became the Swiss — Franks became the French — Lombards became the Italians — Suevi became the Portuguese — Visigoths became the Spanish — Heruli - Now Extinct — Vandals - Now Extinct — Ostrogoths - Now Extinct See The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire by James Cardinal Gibbons or any older encyclopedia for more information.