The Prophecy of Revelation 13 and the Identity of the Catholic Church

Last time we studied about the identity of the Roman Catholic Church through Daniel 2, 7. The prophecy of Daniel, among what I have studied at the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG), comes as the most shocking truth to me. However, that is not all. God shows us the identity of Satan, the devil, more clearly through the prophecy of Revelation. Today, as we continue from the last time, let’s find out the identity of the Roman Catholic Church prophesied in Revelation 13.

Before studying the prophecy of Revelation, we need to understand the principle of studying the Bible. When God recorded the Bible, He made people study the verses by finding its mated verse in the Bible.

Isaiah 34:16 Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together

Every verse in the Bible has its mate, which means that we should interpret the Bible by the Bible so that we can understand the truth without any inconsistencies. We should study the prophecy of Revelation in that manner. Many parts of the prophecy of Revelation are connected to the prophecy of Daniel. Therefore, in remembering what we have studied from the prophecy of Daniel we should interpret Revelation while connecting it to the prophecy of Daniel in order to come to the right truth. Then, let’s see the prophecy about the one who stands against God in Revelation 13.

Rev 13:5~7 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

If you remember the prophecy of Daniel 7 you can remember these expressions as well. But to be sure, let’s check the prophecy of Daniel.

Daniel 7:25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.

In the prophecy of Daniel, it says “He will speak against the Most High”, but in Revelation, it says  “He opened his mouth to blaspheme God” directly. Also In the prophecy of Daniel, it says, “oppress his saints”, but in Revelation, it is said “slander those who live in heaven”. In addition, in the prophecy of Daniel, it says “for a time, times and half a time”, but in Revelation, it says “42 months” Three and a half years converted into months is, 42 months.

In this aspect, we can easily understand that the prophecy of Daniel and the prophecy of Revelation 13 foretold about the same organization, the Roman Catholic Church. Then, what does Revelation 13 prophesy about the Roman Catholic Church? Let’s take a look at it from verse one in detail.

Revelation 13:1 And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion.

Here, it says a beast came out of the sea. The sea, here, means people of the world (Rev 17:5). This beast is grotesque in form. As we studied, the beast coming out of the sea is the little horn in Daniel 7, the Papacy. Then, why does the Bible describe the Roman Catholic Church as a grotesque beast having ten horns and resembling a leopard with feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion?

First of all, ten horns is a feature of the beast representing the Roman Empire in Daniel 7. As we can understand from its name, “the Roman Catholic Church”, the Catholic Church is a religious organization that originated from Rome. God said the beast has ten horns in order to make us know that. The Leopard in the prophecy of Daniel 7 stands for Greece. Greece was very famous for philosophy. Therefore, the fact that the beast resembles a leopard implies that the Roman Catholic Church accepted Greek philosophy. In reality, the Roman Catholic Church adopted Greek philosophy and systemized their doctrines according to it. In this way, the Catholic doctrines mixed with Greek philosophy are the patristic and the scholastic philosophy. The patristic philosophy adopted Plato’s philosophy and the scholastic philosophy adopted Aristotle’s philosophy.

Furthermore, the feet of the beast resemble those of a bear. Which kingdom does the bear represent? In Daniel 7, the bear represents Media-Persia. It is described in that way to inform us that the Roman Catholic Church has features of Media-Persia. The Medo-Persian Empire worshiped the sun-god, Mithra. Therefore, the fact that the beast resembles a bear shows that the Roman Catholic Church accepted the sun-god worship from Media-Persia. Sunday and Christmas are the typical examples. Sunday is the holy day of Mithraism and Christmas originated with the birthday of the sun-god, Mithra.

In addition to that, the mouth of the beast looks like that of a lion. Which kingdom does the lion represent? The lion, in Daniel 7, represents Babylon. Babylon intensely worshiped idols. So much in fact that the beast looks like a lion means that the Roman Catholic Church accepted the idolatry of Babylon. As prophesied the Roman Catholic Church worships various idols such as the cross and the statue of the Virgin Mary. The cross originated with the first letter (Tau) of the god Tammuz worshiped in Babylon and the Virgin Mary worship originated with the Mother and Child worship of Babylon.

Judging from what we have seen, the Roman Catholic Church made their doctrines by adopting philosophy and idolatry from Babylon, Media-Persia and Greece. Though the Roman Catholic Church appears to believe in God, it is an assembly of detestable idolatry. Revelation 13 clearly shows this. What is more surprising is that the Catholic Church receives their power from Satan, the devil, not God.

Revelation 13:2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

Revelation 13:4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”

God said that the beast, the Roman Catholic Church receives their power from the dragon.  Then, whom does the dragon represent in the Bible? Satan, the devil.

Revelation 12:9 The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

The Roman Catholic Church is the religious organization receiving power from Satan, not God. On the outside it appears to believe in God but on the inside it is the place which is full of lawlessness and idolatry. Unfortunately many people can’t recognize its identity and have been following it with adoration.

Revelation 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

How vexing it is. It is said that all inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast because they can’t recognize its identity – the organization going against God. Therefore, it is so important to recognize the identity of the beast for our salvation. God gave us one more definite evidence which is an undeniable fact that the Roman Catholic Church receives their power from Satan.

Revelation 13:18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.

The number 666 is the number indicating the beast. In other words, it shows the identity of the beast. Then, what does the number 666 show us about the identity of the Papacy? The last phrase of verse 17 says “the number of his name”

The Pope has the title “Vicar of the son of God” In Latin, which is the official language of the Vatican, it is “VICARIUS FILII DEI”. Some of the Latin letters have a numerical value. The Roman numbers, I, V, X, L, C, D and M are used as numbers. Their numerical values are 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 respectively. When Revelation was written, the alphabet U did not exist. However, it was made later and replaced the “V” which had been used as a vowel. So, the letter “U” should be counted as “V”. Now let’s take a look at the title of the Pope numerically.

What do all the numbers add up to? They add up to exactly 666. How accurate the prophecies in the Bible are. So, the beast that appears in Revelation 13 is the Roman Catholic Church without a doubt. The Roman Catholic Church originated in Rome, accepted religion and philosophy from Babylon, Greece and Media-Persia, and it is the only religious group in the world that has the title, 666. The Roman Catholic Church receives power from Satan, not from God. This prophecy tells us that we can never receive salvation if we belong to the Roman Catholic Church or follow the doctrines made by them. Can we consider the Catholic Church as a religious group believing in God though the Bible reveals the identity of the Roman Catholic Church through many undeniable evidences?

2 Thessalonians 2:3~4 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

We have to realize that the prophecy ‘he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God’ has been fulfilled by the Roman Catholic Church now. Before, we have studied about the identity of Satan, the devil – the Roman Catholic Church prophesied in Revelation following the prophecy of Daniel. What is God’s will that He repeatedly shows us such a prophecy in Revelation 13 again for our salvation, though the prophecy of Daniel is enough to recognize the identity of Satan? Is it not an earnest desire of God that God’s people are not led astray by Satan? We must come out of the Roman Catholic Church and run quickly to the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG), Zion, where God dwells.