Episode Transcript
Welcome to God's. Last message to the world. Presented by Dr.
Allan Lindsay. This is an eight part series showing the certainty of Bible prophecy. The accurate fulfillment of past prophecies give confidence in those that are yet to be fulfilled.
This presentation is entitled its content revealed. Hello, and I'm very pleased to be with you today. We have some very serious things to talk about together, and I'm very glad to be able to welcome each one of you, those of you who are in the studio and those who may be anywhere in the world who seems to be watching this program today.
Welcome. I'd like to introduce you to, first of all, our prayer. And then we'll follow and let's bow our heads.
Our loving Father in Heaven, we thank you for the wonderful privilege we always have to open Your Word. We thank you for its clarity, for its power. We thank you for its revelation of Jesus.
And I pray that this morning, the Holy Spirit particularly, may be present in this gathering, that he will bless me and give me the words to speak that you would have spoken. And may he guide us today into all truth is my prayer. In Jesus precious name.
Amen. Amen. Some of you who are watching may remember seeing Keepers of the Flame, which was recorded, I hate to say more than 30 years ago, but I was only thinking the other day that in that program we spoke about some things that were going to happen in the future.
And as I look back over 30 years and more recently to recent times, I realized that those things that we talked about would happen in the future have happened. And that's the way it is with Bible prophecy. And so today I make no apology for opening God's word and particularly the prophetic parts of it, to guide us into God's Last Message to the World.
A most important topic, according to a report that was published by the center for the Study of Global Christianity, located in the Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in mid 2014. Now, this is going to surprise you. I hope it will even shock you that in mid 2014 there were over 45,000 different Christian denominations and Christian groups in the world.
Now, think about that 45,000. Each group thinking that they were right and separated from everybody else. But that report also said that the number was increasing at the rate of 2.2
denominations or groups every day since 2014. Which means, and I had to calculate this out, that by mid 2020, the number would be 49,818 different groups within Christendom, within the Christian Church. Among the total number of Christians that are in the world, which they tell us is two and a half billion people.
Over 49,000 religious groups with different beliefs that have separated them from what other people believe. Let me give you a few illustrations. You know, many people, many Christians are divided into what happens when we die.
Some believe that the Spirit goes straight to heaven or to hell or to purgatory when they die. But there are other many, many people who believe that when you die, you sleep in the grave until the resurrection. But then, what about those who keep holy a special day in the week? There are some who keep Saturday the 7th day of the week, but there are many, many more millions who keep holy day as Sunday, the first day of the week.
Some say concerning baptism, that they baptize little babies as soon as they're born, they're sprinkled with water. But there are others who believe that baptism is only for adults and they can act by faith when they choose Jesus as their Saviour. And when they're baptized, not just sprinkled with a little water, but baptized completely under the water.
There are over 1 billion people who believe today that Mary and the saints are the mediators between sinners and God. But there are many millions of people who believe that Jesus is the only mediator who stands between us and God. I read a recent report entitled the American Worldwide Inventory, and they were reporting that 68% of Christians no longer believe that Jesus is the path of salvation.
And instead they believe that just being a good person is sufficient. And they also reported that 59% believe that the Bible is not God's true and authoritative word. Clearly, dear friends, these and many other examples that I could give you this morning present a very confusing picture of what is truth for those who are seeking it.
Can all these teachings that I've just mentioned and many more, can they all be true when they contradict each other? Is the Bible so confused that it doesn't reveal what is truth? Or has God provided a clear answer to that question? I remember two, Timothy three, verse 16, which says all Scripture, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. And I think of the words of Jesus when that one, in that wonderful prayer that he prayed in John chapter 17, where he addressed his Father and said, your word, the Bible is truth, is truth. And then the words of Jesus.
Remember what he said in John chapter 14 I am the way, the truth and the life. If God is the author of the Bible and what he's written in the truth as truth, does the Bible give us a clear direction through the maze of conflicting ideas that we see in the world today? Has God revealed a message that is true and that will guide us through all the multitude of confusing ideas and prepare us for the second coming of Christ? This question becomes more urgent and essential in view of the many warnings the Bible gives us, that in the days just before Jesus comes, they are going to be days of great deception. And when I'm deceived it's something I believe to be right when it is really wrong.
Think of these texts. First of all. In Matthew chapter 24, verse three, the disciples are coming to Jesus and they're asking him a very important question in verse three.
Now, as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us, when will these things be? Now Jesus had just spoken about his second coming and the end of the world, and the disciples came with that question when's this going to happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? I was interested to read again. How did Jesus answer that question? Well, Jesus answered and said to them, there are many, take heed to yourselves, for many will come in my name saying I am Christ and I will deceive many. Jesus is warning us that the last days would be a time of great confusion.
Many would make great claims that would not be true. Then he says in verse eleven, then many false prophets will rise up and deceive. Notice that word many.
And then in verse 24, for false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders, miracles. Why? To deceive, if possible, the very elect. And when Jesus said that, he was referring to these deceptions would be so powerful that even God's people run the risk of being deceived.
These are warnings that the Bible gives us. And listen to the words that the Apostle Paul wrote. Now the Spirit expressly says the Holy Spirit, that in latter times, that is, in the last days of earth's history, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and to the doctrines of demons.
For these reasons, dear friends, during this series of eight presentations, we're going to open the Bible and I'm going to put on the screen a prophetic chart. And all that you see and all that you will see on this chart is based upon Bible prophecy, where the Lord is revealing in his word the future, particularly as it reveals the last message God is ever going to send to this world. Because if Jesus is coming soon, and I believe that he is, it's a God of love who says, I'm going to send a warning to the world that they can be ready for that wonderful day.
As we view this prophetic outline and as we deal with the foundation today provided by Bible prophecy, I remember these words, and I want you to remember these words too, the words of Jesus when he said this. And now I have told you before it comes that when it does come to pass, you may believe what's the purpose of Bible prophecy? And after all, the Bible is filled with hundreds and hundreds of Bible prophecies predictions of the future. But why are they written? Because God loves you and he wants you to have faith.
And he wants you to believe in his word. He wants you to believe that God exists. Why? Ultimately because he wants you to be with Him in his kingdom.
So let's turn to one of the Bible's greatest books of prophecy, and incidentally, one of Jesus'favorite books. Why do I say that? Because it's the only book in the Old Testament that Jesus ever quotes by name the Book of Daniel. And he takes his favorite title from the Book of Daniel.
Jesus used to love to refer to Himself as the Son of man. And that's taken from the Book of Daniel. But Daniel is also a unique book, because in no other book and there are 66 books in the Bible, but in no other book is the author told at the end of writing the book the words of Daniel, chapter twelve and verse four.
But thou, Daniel, but you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until a particular time. Now I want you to notice these words. Now remember, as I said, this is the only book in the Bible where the author is told that shut up your Book of Daniel that you've written, particularly a proportion of the Book of Daniel that deals with prophecy and seal it up until the time of the end.
The time of the end. There are two expressions that I want to just clarify in your thinking. First of all, today there are two expressions like the end of time and the time of the end.
What's the difference between those two? The end of time is referring to that event that comes when time ends and eternity begins. It's really the time that we refer to as the second coming of Christ. When Jesus comes ends human history, and then eternity begins.
So the end of time is the second coming of Christ, the time of the end. It's a period of time before the end of time. It's a period of time that leads up to the second coming of Christ.
And the strange thing is that I want to remind you of this morning is that the book of Daniel was to be closed up, sealed. Particularly a particular portion of the Book of Daniel that deals with prophecy was to be closed up, sealed, not really understood until the time of the end. Which means that when that time of the end comes, the little book of Daniel is going to have great significance, particularly the prophecies in that book.
So when would this time of the end begin? It's most important today that we understand it. So when does it really begin? Well, the Book of Daniel in chapter twelve and verse four, we've just read seala book until the time of the end. If you look at that verse in Scripture, you'll find that straight after it there is a conversation between two heavenly beings, two angels in conversation.
They're talking with a man clothed in linen and that man clothed in linen who looks like a man. In Daniel, chapter ten, it identifies him as Jesus. You say, well, how come Jesus? And to the book of Daniel, 500 years before Jesus was born? Because we know today, of course, that Jesus has always existed and he existed in Old Testament times and sometimes appeared in the Old Testament stories.
And so there's Jesus present in this conversation. And you'll notice it says in Daniel twelve, verse six and one said, one of those two angels said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river, how long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be? In other words, they were asking, they'd just heard the word said, closed up the book until the time of the end. And so the question is, with all the wonders we've just described in the book of Daniel, how long will it be before the time of the end comes and the fulfillment of all these wonders? And I want you to notice the answer in verse seven.
Then I heard the man clothed in linen, that's Jesus, remember, who was above the waters of the river when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever. So he's taking an oath on this. The answer is so important that it shall be for a time and times and half a time.
Strange words. Obviously it's referring to a period of time, but using strange words that the time of the end will come at the end of the time, times and half a time period. Now, I need to point out to you that this is the second time in the book of Daniel that those words are used.
So I want to go back to the first time where we read time, times and half a time to see if we can get any close to an answer to that question. Well, let's look at it. Daniel seven.
Here's the first time that that expression is found. But I want you to notice how it's worded. He referring to some particular kingdom represented by a person.
He shall persecute the saints. Notice the words of the most high. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for how long? Persecution.
And the saints will be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. Well, remember, if we can find out when this period, how long that period is, and if we can find out when the period begins, then we can find out when it ends. And when it ends, it's the beginning of the time of the end.
That's why it's important to see the answer. And you might say, well, those are strange words. How can we ever find the answer? Because always remember, the Bible provides an answer in private prophecy.
If there's some things that we don't understand, god provides. Somewhere in the scriptures the clue, the key, if you like, as to when that period of time may be fulfilled. So let's go to the only book.
And again, this is one of these statements like the only book, the only book in the Bible. And this is a surprising thing for me to say the only book in the whole of the Bible that pronounces a special blessing on those who read the book and those who keep in their hearts the things that are written in the book. Is the book of Revelation.
Many people today think the Bible, the Book of Revelation is a confusing book. But here it's the only blessing. Read it.
Revelation, chapter one, verse three, sometime a blessing on those who read the Book of Revelation. So let's claim that blessing today. And we're going to turn to a particular chapter in the Book of Revelation, chapter twelve.
Chapter twelve is an interesting chapter. It's a prophecy. It's one of the visions that John received in writing the Book of Revelation.
And in writing this up, he wrote that the woman in that chapter was really a symbol of God's church you'll find that often mentioned in Scripture. And here is this beautiful woman clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, a crown of twelve stars, the church symbolized as a woman who is pregnant. Let's have a look at this text.
In verse 13. It says about this woman, she's pregnant, she's about to give birth to Jesus. If you read the chapter, revelation one, verse Revelation twelve, verse five.
But down in verse 13 and 14, as it continues to unfold the future of the Christian church, it says, when the dragon saw that he'd been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the child, to the male child, to Jesus. So this is sometime after Jesus is born. Here is a picture of the dragon.
And that chapter tells us that the dragon represents Satan, the devil, that he persecuted the church and that had given birth to the male child. And then in verse 13 it says, but the woman after that persecution was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent. So here we find in Revelation Twelve a picture of the church being persecuted for a time, times and half a time.
In Daniel, chapter seven. That verse we read a moment ago, it's describing a power that would be doing the persecuting. But notice it's the same period of time.
A time, times and half a time. Well, how do we know? You might say, well, we're still none the wiser. It's still a time, times and half a time.
Well, have a look at this verse because it refers to that time, times and half a time as a period of 1260 days. Because I read in revelation chapter twelve, and where it describes it in verse six, then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that they should he feed her there for 1260 days. A little later in the chapter, it says that 1260 days is equivalent to a time times than half a time.
And if we remember the Bible principle that in Bible prophecy one day stands for one year, this is referring to a period of persecution of 1260 years. And when that ends, it's the beginning of the time of the end. Well, how do we understand what that time period is? 1260 years.
When did it begin? Now, in order to do this, I need to do something fairly quickly to revise and to review with you two chapters in the book of Daniel. First of all, Daniel, chapter two. Now, in Daniel chapter two, you see there on the screen a great image.
And in Daniel chapter two, this amazing prophecy actually foretells and listen to this world history for two and a half thousand years. The one chapter, oh, it's not going into a lot of great detail, but the detail it gives us really confirms that God is in control of the world. And that's a message we need to hear today.
God is still in control. And in Daniel two, you'll notice that the image has a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, thighs of brass, bronze, legs of iron, and feet and toes, part of iron, part of clay. If you read the whole chapter, it goes on to say that these four metals represent four kingdoms that are going to rise in the world.
This was given way back nearly 600 years before Christ. And in this amazing prophecy, it's foretelling that in the future there's going to be four great world kingdoms. And then after the fourth kingdom, it's not going to be followed by a fifth or a 6th, it's going to be divided up into ten divisions.
Ten divisions. And in the days of those ten divisions, jesus is going to set up his kingdom on the earth, the second coming of Christ. Now, Daniel actually interprets what that means.
He tells us in Daniel chapter two that the four metals, listen to this, represent four world kingdoms that are going to come on the earth ahead of gold. And since Daniel is talking to Nebuchadnezzar, who's king of Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar Neza's, surprise, daniel turns to him and says, you're the head of gold, you're the first kingdom. Then after you, there'll be a second kingdom represented by the silver, and then the third kingdom represented by the bronze.
And a fourth kingdom, the iron legs will be as strong as iron in the world. But then what happened to the fourth kingdom? Was it going to be conquered by fifth? No, the remarkable thing in this chapter is that the fourth one is going to be followed by a period of division into ten smaller divisions, the feet and toes. And then it says that in the days of the feet and the toes, a stone is going to come and it's going to strike that image on the feet and the toes.
And notice the whole image will be destroyed. And the Bible tells us that that stone is the second coming of Jesus setting up his kingdom, and it will become a great mountain that fills the whole earth. Now, remembering that, I'm going to then very quickly go to Daniel and we're going to look at Daniel chapter seven, because that was the chapter where it said that he shall persecute God's people for a time, times and half a time.
So we need to look a little bit more closely at Daniel chapter seven, daniel seven. And can I just remind you of this principle that in the book of Daniel there are four visions. And the relationship between each vision is that the second one gives more detail than the first one, and the third one gives more detail than the second one and so on with the fourth one, it covers the same period of time.
They all cover the same period of time, but in greater detail. Now, I've just referred you to the first vision, daniel, chapter two. When we go to the second vision, notice more detail that is given in this chapter in Daniel seven, it tells us that it was given in the reign of Belshazza, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, and round about 550 years before Christ, this vision is given.
And in this vision he sees, and let me just remind you of it in Daniel seven and verse four. You'll see there the great image of four beasts. The first is like a lion having two wings of an eagle, and that's equivalent to the head of gold, because remember, it's more detail.
Now, Daniel is describing the first of those four kingdoms, Babylon, equivalent to the head of gold. And then there was to be a great significance to the book in terms of Babylon being the ruler of the world. I had the privilege some years ago of visiting the Pergaman Museum in Berlin.
And what they've done there, as you see on the screen, they've taken the bricks that were once the gates, the main gate into Babylon. They've taken the bricks and they've made that beautiful reconstruction of the wall that once entered into the city of Babylon. And what I was interested to notice is that along the wall they had lions.
You can see them there, made out of the tiles in the entryway to Babylon. Significant that God uses the lion as a symbol of Babylon. But then there was to be a Medo Persian kingdom represented by a bear.
And this was a very powerful kingdom that was to conquer the kingdom of Babylon, the Medo Persian, a dual kingdom. And then there was to be a Greek empire the third kingdom of bronze. You'll notice the equivalence there on the screen there's the bronze thighs and then also the bronze representing this third kingdom of Greece.
Then after it, you remember the legs of iron. There was to come the iron monarchy, as it's sometimes called in history, the iron monarchy of Rome. The great Roman Empire was to conquer Greece.
And there you see the equivalent. But in Daniel seven, the fourth beast is an ugly looking beast, whereas I've always been interested that the first was like a lion, the second one was like a bear, the third one was like a leopard, though not like a leopard that we normally see because it had four heads. And then comes this terrible beast with ten horns on his head representing the Roman Empire.
And then it was to be divided up into ten divisions. The Bible tells us in Daniel, chapter seven that the horns represent kingdoms that would break away and follow the Roman Empire. When it broke up.
You remember I mentioned before that the Roman Empire wasn't conquered by another world empire. It was divided up into what we call today, dear friends, the nations of Europe, and that those nations would remain divided even though some people would attempt to unite them, which is interesting until Jesus comes. And at the end of the vision of Daniel seven, we see a beautiful picture of what Jesus is going to do in the future with his second coming of Christ.
Then, of course, there would be out of the ten horns, it describes the rise. And let me read this to you in Daniel seven and verse eight that I was considering the horns and there was another horn, a little one coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. Now remember, I'm giving you a lot more detail than we read in Daniel chapter two.
But here it's describing that out of those ten divisions of Western Europe, europe, as we call it today, there would arise a horn, a little horn, which is identified as another kingdom that would rise up among the ten and push three of the first kingdoms up out by the roots. And so here is this little horn growing up. And that little horn would do very serious things in the world.
In fact, the rest of the chapter, dear friends, focuses upon that little horn. Now, you'll understand why I'm saying this as we consider the rest of history, the marvellous predictions that are in this chapter. Because this little horn would arise among the nations of Europe, it would be another kingdom that would rise up and it would become the major focus of the prophecy and the major influence in European affairs for well over, well, nearly 2000 years.
So what kingdom, I ask you, is referred to by the symbol of this little horn? Let's have a look at what the Bible gives us. It gives us actually nine identifying characteristics. Let's have a look at them, first of all, in verses, and I'm not going to read these verses, but if you're taking notes, you may like to jot this and read it afterwards, because it's amazingly written as a prophecy of the future that reaches down to our day.
This little horn would arise out of the fourth beast, out of the Roman Empire. It rose to prominence after the ten horns. It was little at first, but it became the greatest of the horns.
Keep that in mind. And remember, a horn represents, as the Bible tells us, a kingdom that rose out of the Roman Empire. Then it was to be different from all the other kingdoms.
Then two, three kingdoms were to be uprooted as it rose to power, as it gained more influence in world affairs. It had a mouth speaking boastful words against God. It was to make war and prevail against God's people.
A tragic aspect of this little horn power, that it would make war on the saints. You'll remember, as we read earlier, it was to think to change God's times and law. God's law.
This power would think to change it was to persecute for a time. There it is. And a times and half a time, this is this same little horn power.
Well, let's now identify what power in history what power in history has been fulfilled in the descriptions of this power, dear friends, there is only one, only one in the world. And the only one in the world that fulfills all of those nine characteristics is the Church of Rome. Now, having said that, my dear friends, I really want to say something very important.
God here is predicting the rise of a religious system that would begin well. Please notice those words that would begin well, because after all, the Apostle Paul wrote one of the major books of the New Testament to the Church in Rome. It's the Book of Romans.
But afterwards it would begin to change and accept and teach doctrines that were no longer found in the word of God. Let me make something very clear, dear friends. Today, God here is not condemning faithful members of this church.
Please notice that people who love the Lord and live up to all that they believe to be right. God, rather, is describing a system of organization, if you like, a hierarchy of power that would eventually come to dominate. Listen to my words, the world.
I can say to you today that I've met many wonderful Christians, wonderful Roman Catholics in my life, who can put other Christians to shame by their love for Jesus and their commitment to service. I think of Mother Teresa and the blessing she was in India. But I also have thought very much of how Jesus had to react to a religious organization in his day that was doing a lot of damage to what Jesus.
Was trying to teach. And I'm referring, of course, to the Pharisees. They were a religious group that appears a lot in the story of Jesus in the Gospels.
But Jesus in Matthew, chapter 23, there's a whole chapter there where he condemns these religious leaders. Condemns them because even though they were some of the most religious people of the time, they were far away from teaching the truth of the principles of God. And if you read the Gospels, dear friends, it was the Pharisees that led the people to crucify Jesus, a religious organization believing in God and yet crucifying Jesus.
And I read in Matthew 20, chapter 23, where he's talking to the religious leaders of this religious group that were so powerful in his day. He calls them hypocrites. Seven times he calls them blind, five times he calls them serpents, twice he calls them a brood of vipers.
And yet, dear friends, and please remember this jesus loved individual Pharisees after all, simon the Pharisee in the New Testament, nicodemus the Pharisee. And let me merely remind you the Apostle Paul, who does such wonderful things and writes so many books of the New Testament, he once was a Pharisee. I want you to remember that.
Why did all the reformers of the 16th century and scores of other Bible students down through time identify the Church of Rome as the little horn? Why? I want to just put on the screen very quickly those nine characteristics that identify who the little horn represents. And I want you to see how they can only point to one power in human history. Let's have a look at them in identifying the little horn.
First of all, it arose out of the fourth beast. Remember, we read that not in the east, not in the United States, not in Australia, but arose out of the Roman Empire, the fourth beast. We must remember that this power is called the Roman Catholic Church.
The official language of the Church until very recently is Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. They use Roman numerals in their documents. Their headquarters are in the city of Rome, the ancient headquarters for the Roman Empire.
Then it was to rise to prominence after the ten horns. So that power remembered was to be divided up into ten kingdoms, the kingdoms of Europe. And it would rise, not rise into prominence, until after those divisions had been established in Europe.
476 years. 476 Ad is the year for the last Roman Emperor. And then you see the divisions into Europe being established.
There was a Christian church in Rome from the first century, but gradually, as the power of the emperors weakened, the Bishop of Rome rose up and asserted more and more influence in Europe. I want you to look at these words written by Carl Eckhart. Under the Roman Empire, the Popes had no temporal power.
Notice that. But when the Roman Empire had disintegrated, notice those words and its place had been taken by a number of rude, barbarous kingdoms. Notice those words.
The Roman Catholic Church not only became independent of the state states in religious affairs, but dominated secular affairs as well. Well, it rose to prominence after the horns. And notice it was little.
Remember we said that it was little at first would become the greatest of the horns. Dear friends, we've just noticed the quotation there that fulfills this prediction that it was started small, but it soon became very influential. If you know anything about the history of the Middle Ages, as we call them, you would know of the tremendous power and the influence of the bishop of Rome in secular affairs, sometimes bringing kings to their knees.
It would be little, but then it would become the greatest of all the kingdoms of Europe in its influence. Then, number four, it was to be different from all the other kingdoms. All the other kingdoms were political kingdoms, england and France and Germany and those nations that traced their origin back there.
But this power was to be a religious and a political organization, and certainly history bears that out. But then also it was to uproot three kingdoms as it rose to power. A remarkable little detail.
Did it? As the bishop of Rome rose to power in influence in Europe. Three of the first ten kingdoms opposed the rise of the bishop of Rome. They did so because they were what we call Aryan in belief.
They believed that Jesus was only a created being, whereas the Bible teaches that he's always existed. And because of that, they were opposed by the Church of Rome. And so gradually, the bishop of Rome used his influence with the emperor to destroy those three kingdoms.
And you find that they are finally removed from history. Who were they and when were they uprooted? The herali in 493. The vandals from which we get the word vandalism because they were such a cruel people in 534.
And the Ostrogoths were finally removed from Rome in 538 Ad. 538 Ad. Well, there had been a decree by the Emperor Justinian five years earlier in 533 that the bishop of Rome was now to be the head of all the churches.
Notice those words. But that couldn't go into effect so long as the Ostrogoths were still occupying the city of Rome when they were removed in 538. It meant that now the bishop of Rome was the leading kingdom in Europe that was to grow in its power and influence over the next thousand years.
Yes, but then let's look at number six. It would speak great things and boastful words against God. Look at this.
Lucius Ferraris, an 18th century Roman Catholic divine, wrote in a very encyclopedia kind of work called Prompter Bibliotheca. The Pope is of so great dignity and exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were, God and the Vicar of God. Boastful words boastful words.
And then in a letter that Pope Leo Xi wrote in June 1894, he wrote these words we, the Pope, hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty. Hence the pope is crowned with the crippled crown as king of heaven and of earth and of the lower regions. Great words for a mere man to say.
But then it was to make war against God's people and speak such boastful words. I don't like speaking very much about this one. I must confess, dear friends, because if you've ever heard of the actions of the Inquisition and the burning of heretics over the hundreds of years of the Church of Rome's existence there's a tragic fulfillment of this prediction.
In fact, look at these words written by the historian Leckie when he says the Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind. That really moves me, dear friends, to think that a church claiming to be God's church would execute and burn at the stake when they're still alive. Do you know how many the lowest recommendation that I've ever read in history is 50 million.
The highest number I've ever read is 120,000,000. But 50 million men, women and children burned at the stake sent to a cruel death. I want to take you very quickly to Oxford.
In Oxford. In England, we have the Martyrs Memorial. And you'll notice it there on the screen a very impressive monument.
And there are the pictures of the three men who were burned at the stake near this spot back in 1555 and 1556. And you'll notice that on one of the sides of the memorial there is the words that are written to explain what the monument is all about. And here are these words.
Listen. Read them. To the glory of God and in grateful commemoration of his servants.
Thomas Cranmer, nicholas Ridley, hugh Latimer Praylats in other words, leaders of the Church of England who near this spot, yielded their bodies to be burned, bearing witness to the sacred truths which they had affirmed and maintained against the errors of the Church of Rome and rejoicing that to them it was given not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake. This monument was erected by public subscription. Notice that, dear friends.
And just after I took these photographs I walked into Broad Street, very nearby and there I read this sign that on the cross in the middle of Broad Street and there it is. And I stood on that cross, dear friends, in the middle of the street and thought of all that had happened right there at that spot where Nicholas Hugh Latimer, one time Bishop of Worcester, Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury was burned for their faith in 1555 and 1556. Oh, dear friends, it would make war on the saints and prevail against them.
Then it would also think to change God's times and laws. In that same work that we noticed before, we have these words the Pope is of so great authority that he can modify, and that means change, explain, or interpret even divine laws. And then, dear friends, finally, it was to think to change God's times and laws.
It claims that it has done that. In fact, in Roman Catholic catechisms, they've put the second commandment of the ten God's law with the first, and then they've completely changed the fourth commandment. And we'll talk more about that in a later presentation.
And then they've divided the 10th commandment into two to make up ten commandments. But they would think to change God's holy law, and prophecy says and you can read it in any catechism change, particularly the fourth commandment, and then finally, it would persecute the saints. And then for a time and times and half a time, when would this period begin? You remember the time? Times and half a time was 1260 years.
When did it begin? It began when those three horns were uprooted, who were opposing its rise. Once they were out of the way, as it were, then that little horn could become greater and greater in power in European affairs, which history bears to be so true. And we know when that little the last of those horns were uprooted.
Do you remember the year? 538 Ad. That was when its power was finally established. Having removed the last of those three horns, march 538 is the year.
If we add 1260 years to 538, what year do we come to? 1790, 817 98. And do you remember and I know you may be thinking, I've taken quite a while to establish this, but I wanted you to see this in Scripture, because the Bible is to be the source that guides us through the confusion of the last days. And in 1798, if this prediction is true, as I have explained it to you today, then something should have happened in 1798 to bring this great Church power and organization to an end, at least temporarily.
And did it? Did it? Let's have a look. 538 down to 1798. What happened in 1798, dear friends? Right on time.
1260 years after 538. Right on time. In February 1798, the French Revolutionary government.
And if you know anything about history, you know that the 1790s was the time of the great French Revolution, when they were rebelling against anybody in authority. And the French government decided that the Church of Rome was in opposition to all that the French government was now trying to establish. And so they sent a French general, general Bertier is his name.
There he is, down to Rome to take the reigning Pope prisoner, Pius VI, and they took him into imprisonment. And in February, they proclaimed a Roman Republic, and that the power and authority of the Pope was at an end. Please notice this a remarkable event.
Exactly 1260 years after the beginning. And on February 20, after taking the Pope prisoner, they took him on a long journey to France, Valence, the city of Rolands, where he died the following year. And Napoleon said, there will be no more Popes elected.
Can I just hasten to say he wasn't a student of Bible prophecy? Because, as I will show you in a future presentation, that was only temporary. Much greater things remained for the Church of Rome to do. That will feature in God's last message to the world.
And as we will learn more about that as we go. But there I had a visit to the Vatican Museum some time ago, and as I was walking down the corridor, I looked up and to my amazement, I saw that painting that you see on the wall. It was just above a door, and I walked through the door.
But before I walked through the door, I took a photograph of the painting. Why did I take a photograph of the painting? Because that was there to commemorate. And this surprised me, that it was in the Vatican Museum.
This was there to commemorate, you see the Pope and General Bertier and others. He's saying goodbye to Rome. He's being led to the chariot on the right hand side, and there he's going to be taken to France.
A long journey in those days for an old man. And he died, as I said, in 1799. Notice these words of the historian George Trevor in his book Rome from the Fall of the Western Empire.
A remarkable statement talking about the events of 1798. The papacy, the rule of the Church of Rome, was extinct. Not a vestige of its existence remained.
And among all the Roman Catholic powers, not a finger was stirred in its defense. The Eternal City had no longer prince or pontiff. Its bishop was a dying captive in foreign lands in France.
And the decree was already announced by Napoleon that no successor would be allowed in his place. A remarkable fulfillment right on time at the end of the 1260 years. That brings us, dear friends, can I remind you as we come to a close today, that the 1260 years ending in 1798 was the beginning of the time of the end for the world.
And just as Jesus revealed in the Book of Daniel that at the end of the 1260 years, the time of the end would begin, and the great events the Bible predicts in the time of the end that we're going to deal with in our next program will take place. Dear friends, the Book of Daniel was to be opened particularly prophecies in the Book of Daniel in the time of the end. And in our next presentation, we're going to look at one of Daniel's prophecies where Daniel actually says, this one is to be fulfilled in the time of the end.
This is the longest time prophecy in the Bible, and it's this prophecy included in the explanation predicts. And this, to me is amazing. It's this prophecy that predicts the very year, 500 years in advance, when Jesus would appear in the world.
It's a remarkable prediction. Imagine, Mike, what's I giving a prophecy now and saying, what's going to happen in the year 2500? The future, as you know, is as close to you even tomorrow. We may think what we're going to do, but we may not do it because of other series of events, but let alone predict what's going to happen one year in time or ten years in time on the very year.
But I'm going to show you in our next presentation and unfold that remarkable prophecy in Daniel that not only fixes the very time when Jesus would appear, but fixes the very time, the very year when God is going to give his last warning message to the world. That's why I've spent this time together with you this morning laying that foundation, because in this wonderful book pointing to the time of the end, 1798, you and I have been living in the time of the end for quite a long period of time. But because it's the time of the end, we know that when that time it finishes, Jesus is going to come a wonderful hope.
And I believe that in this world today, filled with so much pandemic, so much disease, where people are afraid of what the future holds. I'm reminded of those words of Jesus when he said that in the last days, men's hearts will be failing them for fear as they look at the things that are coming on the earth. Is that a condition of the world today? It certainly is.
And it's so wonderful that the Bible gives us a hope, a blessed hope, that all the troubles in this world are going to be finished when God sets up that kingdom. You remember the stone that smoked the image on the feet and toes in Daniel, chapter seven? Daniel describes, and I don't think we read the text, that at the end of this reign of this little horn, jesus is going to come in power and great glory, bring the world to an end. Yes, but he's going to bring it to an end only to establish a brand new world where there'll be no more pain, no more death.
We're going to live forever with Jesus. I can't think of a more wonderful hope that is in front of us all. So I would urge you to come next time for our next presentation.
Those of you who are listening in other parts of the world, I hope you'll tune in too, as we look at this longest time prophecy that fixes the very year when God's last warning message is going to be presented to the world. So come, let us bow our heads in a word of prayer. Our loving Father in Heaven, we thank you so much for what you have written in Your Word.
Help us to know and to understand that it is only because you love us so much, each one of us, no matter what we've done or how bad sinners we've been, that you love us so much that this message is given in the word that each one of us might take notice to believe in you and believe in God, as Jesus reminded us. I have told you things before they come to pass that when they come to pass, you may believe. Help us, dear Father, to believe, to trust your word.
And we thank you for it in Jesus precious name. Amen. You've been listening to God's last message to the world.
A production of 3ABN Australia Television presented by Dr. Allan Lindsay. For more information, visit GLM.3abnaustralia.org.au
