Revelation Chapter 12
Verses 13 “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.”
The “dragon”—and it was angry—instead of directing its hostility against the “man-child,” directed it once again against the “woman” (the Church) that gave birth to it! And, strange as it may seem, little by little the outcast Devil (the dragon) and the “man of sin” became allies in the persecution of the Church; in fact, the civil powers soon “took orders” from this “Michael”— the “man of sin.” And, stranger yet, the civil powers, and the ecclesiastical, became wedded to each other (about 260 years later), and after A.D. 800, became known as “the Holy Roman Empire”! “Notes on the Revelation of Jesus Christ”, Page 201
“Remember, therefore, that hereafter the dragon (i.e. the serpent called the Devil and Satan) represents the empire or military power (civil power) under the control of its ecclesiastical head (the man-child or “man of sin”).”
“The civil power relished its job of cooperating with the man of sin in putting down all “heresies.” Heresies, of course, were the truths promulgated by the “woman” (covenant) and those (the true followers of the Lord) being developed under her.”
“When the dragon was cast down to the earthly plane, it persecuted the woman at the prompting of the papal power. Previously the dragon, as Pagan Rome, gave the orders; after 539 it carried out the orders. In Justinian’s time the emperor recognized and asserted that of the four Christian churches—Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Rome—the Roman bishop was supreme. Two and a half centuries later, in Charlemagne’s day, the papal office attained a still higher level of authority which it more or less sustained until 1799. Sometimes this period of highest attainment and influence (that is, from A.D. 539 to A.D. 1799) is referred to as the papal millennium.”
“Roman Catholics hold that they set up the kingdom of God about the year 800 A.D.; first by dividing between clergy and laity, and exalting the clergy to a special class; then, the Roman Church having great power, and the kings of the earth being comparatively weak, Papacy established a spiritual rule over the kings and princes of earth in the name of Christ—the popes being recognized as Christ’s vice-gerents, as reigning instead of Christ, as his substitutes.
“The kings and princes of earth were informed that they might continue to rule the people if they would be obedient to the Papacy; that in that event they would be kingdoms of God; but if they should fail to be obedient to Papacy, the latter would inform the people that such kings were no longer to be recognized, but were disowned by God’s spiritual kingdom, and would appoint other kings and other princes in their stead. The rulers of Europe readily assented to this partnership, by which the people would recognize them as having divine authorization to rule.” (R 5829:3)
Continued with next post.
Verses 13 “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.”
The “dragon”—and it was angry—instead of directing its hostility against the “man-child,” directed it once again against the “woman” (the Church) that gave birth to it! And, strange as it may seem, little by little the outcast Devil (the dragon) and the “man of sin” became allies in the persecution of the Church; in fact, the civil powers soon “took orders” from this “Michael”— the “man of sin.” And, stranger yet, the civil powers, and the ecclesiastical, became wedded to each other (about 260 years later), and after A.D. 800, became known as “the Holy Roman Empire”! “Notes on the Revelation of Jesus Christ”, Page 201
“Remember, therefore, that hereafter the dragon (i.e. the serpent called the Devil and Satan) represents the empire or military power (civil power) under the control of its ecclesiastical head (the man-child or “man of sin”).”
“The civil power relished its job of cooperating with the man of sin in putting down all “heresies.” Heresies, of course, were the truths promulgated by the “woman” (covenant) and those (the true followers of the Lord) being developed under her.”
“When the dragon was cast down to the earthly plane, it persecuted the woman at the prompting of the papal power. Previously the dragon, as Pagan Rome, gave the orders; after 539 it carried out the orders. In Justinian’s time the emperor recognized and asserted that of the four Christian churches—Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Rome—the Roman bishop was supreme. Two and a half centuries later, in Charlemagne’s day, the papal office attained a still higher level of authority which it more or less sustained until 1799. Sometimes this period of highest attainment and influence (that is, from A.D. 539 to A.D. 1799) is referred to as the papal millennium.”
“Roman Catholics hold that they set up the kingdom of God about the year 800 A.D.; first by dividing between clergy and laity, and exalting the clergy to a special class; then, the Roman Church having great power, and the kings of the earth being comparatively weak, Papacy established a spiritual rule over the kings and princes of earth in the name of Christ—the popes being recognized as Christ’s vice-gerents, as reigning instead of Christ, as his substitutes.
“The kings and princes of earth were informed that they might continue to rule the people if they would be obedient to the Papacy; that in that event they would be kingdoms of God; but if they should fail to be obedient to Papacy, the latter would inform the people that such kings were no longer to be recognized, but were disowned by God’s spiritual kingdom, and would appoint other kings and other princes in their stead. The rulers of Europe readily assented to this partnership, by which the people would recognize them as having divine authorization to rule.” (R 5829:3)
Continued with next post.
