THE KINGDOM OF ROME AND THE ANTICHRIST, THE FOURTH KINGDOM (Ancient Rome) (Vatican) (Prophecy) (Pope Francis) (New World Order) (Caesar) (Fall of Rome) (Roman Empire) (Final Pope)

The Kingdom of Rome and the Antichrist, the Fourth Kingdom [Print Document]

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The Roman Empire was the most powerful empire of the ancient empires. It controlled vast amounts of territory around the Mediterranean Sea. Its roads, many buildings, and aqueducts still exist today, revealing how well-designed they were. But, Rome's legacy never ended. In this article, we will show how Rome never truly ceased to exist as a powerful, multicultural, and geopolitical empire. We will show how the Roman Empire is alive and well in a form that one may not expect.

Daniel 7:7-8

“[7] After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. [8] 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.”

The kingdom or Empire to succeed the Greek kingdoms was Rome. After years of fighting on and off with Greece, Rome was able to conquer the Greek city-states, which were not always friendly with each other. Rome spread its control around the Mediterranean Sea and all the way up to Britain. But, the European tribes did not like their conquerors. Later, when Rome was weakened and slowly collapsing, disgruntled Germanic tribes (Goths and others) attacked Italy. The western Roman empire eventually was divided up into small countries or regions controlled by Germanic tribes, including the Franks, Goths, Visigoths, Vandals, and others. But, many of these tribes adopted some of the culture and customs of the Romans.

Diocletian Divides the Empire

(Diocletian divided the empire.)

A couple centuries earlier, when the empire became somewhat weakened and it could not effectively control its vast territories, the emperor Diocletian divided it in two (in 284-285 A.D.), fulfilling the prophecy in Daniel 2. In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a statue, symbolizing major empires that existed through history during Daniel’s time and afterward. It reveals that the Roman Empire, the legs of iron, would be divided into two realms.  These are represented by the two legs of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

Daniel 2:33 says: “His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.”

Daniel 2:40 says: “And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.”

After Diocletian divided the empire, the western Roman empire continued to struggle with moral, economic, and social issues, and its administrative power eventually collapsed under the weight of its own corruption. The Apennine Peninsula was captured by Germanic tribes who divided up the land into weak kingdoms. However, Charlemagne, the king of the Franks, became the first “Holy Roman Emperor.” Pope Leo III announced, in 800 A.D., that Charlemagne was the Western Roman Emperor or the Emperor of the Romans. So, in actuality, Rome did not end at this time. Its administrative grip over the land was transferred to the political and religious influence of the Roman Catholic Church, and to the weak Holy Roman Empire.

(A map of a divided Roman Empire)

Rome Continues to Exist

Meanwhile, the eastern Roman empire, called the Byzantine Empire, lasted for centuries until it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks. During this time, while the Holy Roman Empire existed, the main power in Europe was the influential power of the Catholic Church, which influenced the way people lived and the politics of their countries. This organization claimed to get its origin from the 12 apostles, whom Jesus Christ appointed. But, its origin is found in the religions of Egypt and Greece, which got their beliefs from Babylon thousands of years ago, around the time that all the tribes of the world were located in the Middle East when it was more fertile. (Note: I write this article not to attack Catholics but because I care about them, and want to point out some historical facts to challenge readers. I present this information to encourage readers to think for themselves about this subject, and to seek God about it.)

(A ziggurat) 

In Genesis 11, the Bible tells us how Nimrod and the people in his area built a city and a great tower. This tower of Babel was being constructed by people who all spoke the same language. But, when God saw how they wanted to corrupt themselves with idolatry and with a desire to become like God, He changed their languages so that they spoke different languages. These languages are the parent languages of the modern ones that exist today.

The Egyptians brought from that early culture ideas about a goddess with a child that they worshiped as Isis and Horus. In the Middle East many people of different ethnic groups worshiped Ashtoreth (or Astarte, Ishtar), a goddess of “love,” fertility, the moon, and other attributes, including being the supposed “mother” or “creatress” of mankind (Reference “Ashtoreth”). She was worshiped in connection with Baal.

The Catholic Church took the concept of a motherly goddess and paired that concept with a child god to form their version of Mary with her son. This baby is by no means Jesus. This baby would be the son of the goddess, which pagans from many cultures would be familiar with.

The pagan Romans did not actually worship a mother goddess with her child in the exact way that Catholics do, but the Egyptians did, and the Greeks had the concept of a powerful mother goddess from ancient times. Long before the cult of Zeus was accepted by ancient Greeks, they worshiped a goddess called Hera (Sidwell), a so-called “great goddess,” or a “mother goddess.” Much later, when they adopted the cult of Zeus, the Greeks made Hera into a wife of Zeus, and no longer worshiped her as a great “mother goddess.”

An article by Robert T. Sidwell details how Hera was worshiped as a powerful goddess before the cult of Zeus emerged in Greece. He wrote:

“Hera, however, was originally connected to an older matrifocal world far more ancient than the cult of Zeus in Greece-a world in which she held a powerful and important status in her own right.” [End quote] (Sidwell).

Early Catholics adopted the concept of a mother goddess for their religion by taking pagan teachings from other religions and bringing them together into many of the doctrines of the Catholic Church. They modified the scriptures or twisted them to suit their pagan beliefs. For instance, Catholics often pray to a statue or a picture of Mary with a halo over her head. The halo can be found in pre-Christian artwork, such as a Roman floor mosaic of Apollo with a halo about his head (right). There are many examples of halos found on ancient vases prior to the time of Catholicism.

Pagan festivals and gods were assigned different names and incorporated into the Catholic Church. Easter is an example. Nowhere in the Bible does it teach that Christians should keep Easter. The Easter egg is not found in the Bible. It comes from pagan festivals. The Encyclopedia Britannica (1991) mentioned that:  “...folk customs have collected, many of which have been handed down from the ancient ceremonial…symbolism of European and Middle Eastern pagan spring festivals…for example, eggs…have been very prominent as symbols of new life and resurrection”[.]  

The Catholic Church Is the Incarnation

of Its Predecessor, the Roman Empire.

Daniel Chapter 6 — The Lion’s Den Expounded (Daniel in the Lion’s Den)

Daniel Chapter 6 — The Lion’s Den Expounded (Daniel in the Lion’s Den) [Print Document]

In the book of Daniel, chapter 6, we read the true story of a man who left all for the sake of God. There is no mention that Daniel ever was married or had children (and of course, there is nothing wrong with marriage). We know he loved God and served God faithfully. Because of this and because King Darius favored Daniel to appoint him to be over all the realm of Babylon, the presidents (saraks or high-level officials) of Babylon despised Daniel and wanted to have him killed.

They requested that Darius sign a law that would prohibit anyone in Babylon from asking a request of any god or man (except for Darius) for a period of 30 days (Dan. 6:7). By doing this, these wicked men thought that they could have Daniel killed, since they knew he faithfully prayed to and sought God. With pride in his heart, the king signed the law, which promised death by lions to anyone who would break this law. But, Darius had been ignorant of the true intentions of these wicked officials. Let’s see what happened next.

Daniel 6:10-11

“[10] Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. [11] Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.”

When the matter was brought to the king’s attention, Darius was grieved because he knew he could not change or alter the law of the Medes and the Persians. He urgently sought some legal way to release Daniel from going to the lion’s den (Daniel 6:14). But, he found none. Reluctantly, after the presidents urged Darius to maintain the law, Darius ordered Daniel to be thrown into the lion’s den. He told Daniel these words…

Daniel 6:16-20

“[16] Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. 17. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. 18. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

19. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?”

The King Visits Daniel

Fire Worship, the Illuminati, and Babylon (Masons and Mystery Religion Exposed)

Fire Worship, the Illuminati, and Babylon

At the time that men were scattered across the face of the earth, dispersed from the Tower of Babel when God confused their languages, they brought with them the pagan religion Nimrod and his mother started. This religion was adopted by Egyptians, Hindus, Greeks, Romans, Caananites, etc. Nimrod, a very wicked leader of idolatry, was killed by his uncle Shem (1). 

When his son, Tammuz, was born, the son's mom, Semiramis (or Ishtar, Isis, Ashtoreth, etc.), told the Babylonians that Tammuz was a "reincarnation" of Nimrod and that he was a "god". She then, being the mother of this "god" was called the "Queen of Heaven." Tammuz was called Baal, (i.e. "master"), by Caananites and was worshiped as the "sun-god". Fire was part of this solar-deity-worship (1).

In the 1911 edition of Theurgia: Or, The Egyptian Mysteries, this marginal note says:

*Proklos remarks of the Perfective Discipline, "that, as the Oracles teach, it obliterates, through the divine fire, all the stains derived from generated existence." The Chaldaean Oracle [sic] also says: "The mortal drawing near the sacrificial fire will have light from Divinity." (Iamblichus. Theurgia: Or, The Egyptian Mysteries, 1911. pg. 202) (bold / underline added)

These ancient pagans worshiped fire because fire was thought to purify away sin (note: think of Purgatory). The Bible teaches that only Jesus Christ's blood cleanses away sin (see 1 John 1:7, Acts 4:12). These fire-worshipers believed that fire also gave "light from Divinity" (ibid). This light can also be called "illumination". Those who have been "illuminated" are called the "Illuminati." (Note: "illuminati" comes from the Latin word "illuminatus").

The Illuminati existed long ago, long before the time of Adam Weishaupt, who started a group he called the "Illuminati". Before they were called the "Illuminati" they had different names.  In the past, they were the elite priesthood of the ancient mystery religions (in Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome, etc.). These high-ranking priests of Babylon, Egypt, Greece, etc. hid secrets in plain sight in the form of symbols, images, rituals etc. They kept the real meanings of their rituals, symbols, etc. to themselves and made up explanations to tell the "common people" and the lower-ranking priests. 

Freemasons and Mystery Religion

The Freemasons have secret handshakes, secret sayings, and secret meetings which no one (but who they allow) can observe, just as did the mystery religions. Manly P. Hall, a high-ranking, 33rd degree mason, wrote:

"Freemasonry is a fraternity within a fraternity -- an outer organization concealing an inner brotherhood of the elect ... it is necessary to establish the existence of these two separate and yet interdependent orders, the one visible and the other invisible. The visible society is a splendid camaraderie of 'free and accepted' men enjoined to devote themselves to ethical, educational, fraternal, patriotic, and humanitarian concerns. The invisible society is a secret and most August  fraternity whose members are dedicated to the service of a mysterious arcannum arcandrum." [Manly P. Hall, Lectures on Ancient Philosophy, p. 433]

This "invisible society" Manly P. Hall writes about, which is "dedicated" to a "arcannum arcandrum" (or a "secret" or a "mystery"), also worships Lucifer. How so? Albert Pike, a 33rd degree mason explains:

"The Masonic religion should be, by all of us initiates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the Luciferian doctrine. . . . Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay  [God the Creator] is also God. ...for the absolute can only exist as two Gods: darkness being necessary to light.... The doctrine of Satanism is a heresy; and the true and pure philosophic religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of Adonay [God the Creator] ; but Lucifer, ... is struggling for humanity against Adonay, the God of darkness and evil." Albert Pike (quoted by A.C. De La Rive in La Femme et l'enfant dans la Franc-Maconnerie Universelle, p. 588; Lady Queenborough, Occult Theocracy pp. 220-221.) 

The Truth from the Bible

This twisted statement from this high-ranking mason makes the Creator God look evil and makes Satan (or Lucifer) look good. It also reveals how Satan-worshipers view God: they hate Him. Lucifer (Satan) is not equal to God in any way. Jesus Christ, (the Word) created all things.

Colossians 1:3 

3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 

Colossians 1:16-18 

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

John 1 tells how Jesus Christ (the Word) created all things.

John 1:1-3  

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

To twist things around, these evil men have called God evil and Satan good. 

Isaiah 5:20 

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 

These "initiates of the high degrees", who Albert Pike speaks, of are serving Satan, the fallen angel who rebelled against God, who wanted worship for himself. God clearly tells us in His word that only God is to be worshiped and that only He is God. 

Isaiah 45:5

5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

Jesus Christ said...

Matthew 4:10  

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

HOW TO GET SAVED and KNOW GOD:

1. If you believe and confess aloud, genuinely from your heart, that Jesus Christ has paid for all your sinswith His precious blood and has risen from the dead (…knowing that you cannot earn this free gift of salvation) (Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5; and Colossians 1:14);

2. And if you repent from your sins (You do this by confessing only to God Himself that you are a sinner and that you want to turn away from sin.) (Romans 3:23; Acts 3:19; and 1 John 1:8-9);

3. And if you have made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, you are saved (Jesus cannot be your Lord if you are serving yourself and living selfishly. If He is not your Lord, you would have another master. Jesus said in Luke 16:13: “No servant can serve two masters…”) (Romans 10:9-10 and Luke 16:13).

4. Now seek God with all your heart. Seek to know Him and you will (Jeremiah 29:13).

John 17:3 says: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

Jeremiah 29:13 says, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

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(Feel free to go to 19justinbrown88.yolasite.com for more good info.)

(1) Click to see The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop.

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Questions and Answers About Masonry (Freemasonry), Catholicism, and Mystery Religion

Q: What is Freemasonry?

A:

Manly P. Hall, a 33rd degree freemason, writes:

" Freemasonry is a fraternity within a fraternity -- an outer organization concealing an inner brotherhood of the elect ... it is necessary to establish the existence of these two separate and yet interdependent orders, the one visible and the other invisible. The visible society is a splendid camaraderie of 'free and accepted' men enjoined to devote themselves to ethical, educational, fraternal, patriotic, and humanitarian concerns. The invisible society is a secret and most August [defined as 'of majestic dignity, grandeur'] fraternity whose members are dedicated to the service of a mysterious arcannum arcandrum [defined as 'a secret, a mystery']." [Hall, Lectures on Ancient Philosophy, p. 433]

Albert Mackey, 33rd Degree Mason writes this in his "Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry", 1873:

"Visible Masonry: In a circular published March 18, 1775, by the Grand Orient of France, reference is made to two divisions of the Order, namely, Visible and Invisible Masonry ... by 'Invisible Masonry' they denoted that body of intelligent and virtuous Masons who, irrespective of any connection with dogmatic authorities, constituted a 'Mysterious and Invisible Society of the True Sons of Light', who, scattered over the two hemisphere, were engaged, with one heart and soul in doing everything for the glory of the Great Architect and for the good of their fellow-men."
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Q: What is the All-Seeing-Eye?

A:


"This ubiquitous image is most often referred to as the all-seeing eye or 'eye of providence.' The eye, usually depicted in the sky looking out upon the earth, is an ancient symbol of the sun, and historically has been used as a symbol of omniscience. The idea of the solar eye comes to us from the Egyptians, who equated the eye with the deity Osiris; the human eye in its ability to perceive light was viewed as a miniature sun.” (From “All Seeing Eye” definition at SymbolDicionary.net) (Emphasis Added)

"The eye plays a most important part in occult symbolism and probably owes its origin in western magical designs to the Eye of Horus, which was one of the most frequently used of Egyptian magical symbols.” (Fredrick Goodman, Magical Symbols p. 101, 1989) (Emphasis Added)

Alice Bailey, an occultist and author of 24 books wrote:

"The Masonic Movement ... is the custodian of the law; it is the home of the Mysteries, and the seat of initiation.  ... The methods of Deity are demonstrated in its Temples, and under the All-seeing Eye the work can go forward.  It [Masonry] is a far more occult organisation than can be realized, and it is intended to be the training school for the coming advanced occultists." (Alice Bailey, Externalization of the Hierarchy, p. 511) (Emphasis Added)
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Q: What is the Phoenix?

A:

 "The Phoenix, of Bunnu is believed to be a divine bird going back to Egypt… This Phoenix destroys itself in flames and then rises from the ashes. Most occultists believe that the Phoenix is a symbol of Lucifer who was cast down in flames and who… will one day rise.... This [idea] also relates to the raising of Hiram Abiff, the Masonic [false] ‘Christ’.” (William Schnoebelen, Satan’s Door Revisited, p. 4)(Emphasis added)

Manly P. Hall writes:

Mystery Babylon – The Great Harlot (What is Mystery Babylon?)

Mystery Babylon – The Great Harlot

Revelation 17:1-6

17 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

(Note: You can press ctrl and the + buttons to enlarge the font.)

Mystery Babylon and the Tower of Babel

The name, Mystery Babylon carries with it a sense of wonderment and intrigue. What is the “mystery” of Mystery Babylon? Babylon was an ancient city located some miles from Baghdad in modern Iraq. It later became an extensive empire that controlled the Middle East and beyond, but, what is this “Mystery Babylon”?

The land of Mesopotamia is called the “Cradle of Civilization”. It was here, in the land of Shinar, or Babylon, that Nimrod set up the tallest tower in the ancient world: the Tower of Babel. Babel, a city founded by Nimrod, according to Genesis 10:10, was the center of a world government that served Nimrod, the mighty hunter. This kingdom centered in Babel was started sometime after Noah, his wife, and Noah’s three sons and their wives arrived with enough animals to repopulate the world. Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah and the son of Cush (see Genesis 10). He started a religion of sun-worship that led people away from the true God, the Creator, to serve and worship the creature (the sun, the moon, stars, etc.).

According to the writings of many ancient historians, traditions, and numerous facts, we have learned that Nimrod started a religion that spread throughout the whole world, as a result of the division of tongues (or languages) that happened at the tower of Babel, when God confused the languages. Prior to this dispersion, people everywhere had the same language.

Genesis 11:5-9

⁵ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

⁶ And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

⁷ Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

⁹ Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

The Phoenix Bird known to the Mysterious
(including Masons) can be found in this Cathedral.

“Ye shall not surely die,” whispered the serpent. That is the first lie. If we disobey God, that is sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Sin produces death, spiritual and physical. Spiritual death is being cut off from God. Physical death is being cut off from the land of the living.

The next lie Satan told the Earth as recorded in the Scriptures can be said as, “You are all gods, so is it bad that some of you should be worshipped as gods?” The truth is, we have an ability to discern the difference between good and evil, but we will die like men.

Psalm 82:6-7

⁶ I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

⁷ But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

We are still human and mortal and not to be worshipped. God forbids the worship of anyone and anything but Himself. God told the children of Israel these words, which are the Ten Commandments that apply to all.

Exodus 20:1-3

20 And God spake all these words, saying,

² I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

³ Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

God takes this serious. Those who broke this commandment (who didn’t repent) were to be stoned to death according to Old Testament law. Of course, this law has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ, who died for our sins on the cross of Calvary (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

The Structure of Mystery Religion

Notice the woman on his mitre with the halo?

God was not pleased with Nimrod and Semiramis’ idolatry. According to the research of Alexander Hislop and others, Nimrod’s grand-uncle, Shem, and a group of patriarchs felt called by God to put to death the wicked Nimrod. They cut up his body into pieces and sent the pieces to various places as a warning to others (see Hislop, pp. 62-64). After this, the worshippers of Nimrod and Semiramis made their religion more secretive and mysterious.

Thus, it was known as mystery religion. This religion was arranged in a pyramidal design with the “Pontifex Maximus” (Hislop) as the top. The next level included other “pontiffs”. Then, down the pyramid were various clergy--including “priests”-- and finally the common people. The common people were never allowed to understand what the priests knew unless they went through the training to become a priest. This pyramidal system can be found in the structure of the Catholics, Masons, and other “Mystery” organizations.

Alexander Hislop, the author of the well-known work, The Two Babylons, wrote: “The College of Cardinals, with the Pope at its head, is just the counterpart of the Pagan College of Pontiffs, with its "Pontifex Maximus," or "Sovereign Pontiff," which had existed in Rome from the earliest times, and which is known to have been framed on the model of the grand original Council of Pontiffs at Babylon.”

This “Council of Pontiffs at Babylon” is the system set up by Semiramis after the death of Nimrod. In this system, the bottom-of-the-barrel commoners went to a priest to make a confession of his or her sins, exactly the way Catholics do today. This practice has its roots in Baal worship and is found in nearly all the Mystery Religions.

Hislop writes that:

 “…a mysterious power was attributed to the clergy, which gave them "dominion over the faith" of the people--a dominion directly disclaimed by apostolic men (2 Cor 1:24), but which, in connection with the confessional, has become at least as absolute and complete as was ever possessed by Babylonian priest over those initiated in the ancient Mysteries. The clerical power of the Roman priesthood culminated in the erection of the confessional. That confessional was itself borrowed from Babylon.”

Confessionals were around in ancient Babylon.
Semiramis and her people started them in order to
gain control over the people. We need to repent from
sin and not just confess it to someone.

Babylon held its power by getting people to confess their sins to priests who never confessed their sins to the people. This is unbiblical and wrong. James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” We confess our faults to those we have wronged and we need to repent before God. In Babylon and in Catholicism, the priest does not confess his sins to the people, but they confess their sins to him, putting them under his control.

Having the fear of the priest knowing one’s secret sins holds people under his power. The next method of control involved seeking God, or not seeking God. The priests told the people in Babylon that they had the answers from God, and so also Catholic priests do the same. But, the people were never encouraged to seek God and find out what God had to tell them. In Jeremiah 29:13, God says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

James 4:8

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Amos 5:4

For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

But, the Catholics and the Babylonian Baal worshippers did not encourage people to seek God. They could not hold sway over the people if the people were seeking God for themselves. Rituals, mass gatherings (masses), repetitive prayers to “the queen of heaven”, and going to confessionals were what Babylonians, and other Mystery religions performed in order to know they were going to Heaven.

“Queen of Heaven” or “Queen of Deception”

Notice the trident on the baby's head?
This belongs to Neptune, the Roman god.
This is only found in pagan circles.
You cannot find anything like this
being promoted in the Bible.

Now, who was the “queen of heaven”? Many ancient cultures have a goddess who they call “the queen of heaven”. In Babylon, the woman and her son were called Ishtar and Tammuz. In India, they were named Isi and Iswara. The Chinese called her Shing-moo with child. The Scandinavians named the mother and child Frigga and Balder. The Greeks called them Ceres or Irene and Plutus. The Phoenicians named them Ashtoreth and Baal. Babylonians gave them the nomenclature Ishtar and Tammuz. Egyptians worshipped the mother and child as Isis and Horus (Veith).

Semiramis took her son, the son of Nimron, and called him a god. She also called herself a god and men worshipped her. Her religious system of Baal worship embraced all kinds of sin, including orgies, pagan revelry, and other perversions, not to mention idolatry. The very fact that she married her own son, Nimrod, shows her depravity.

The Catholic Church and Paganism

Notice the all-seeing-eye behind his head?

As the tribes of mankind spread out through the Earth, the pagans brought Baal-worship with them. This system was in place during the time of the Roman Empire and after it. When Constantine, one of the last Emperors of Rome, came into power, Christianity had grown tremendously and had spread across his empire. Paganism was still firmly entrenched. To solidify his power base, Constantine, a sun-worshipper, needed to have a single religion to preside as head over. The German historian Heggtveit writes:

“Constantine labored at his time untiringly to unite the worshippers of the old and the new faith in one religion. All his laws and contrivances are aimed at promoting this amalgamation of religions. He would by all means melt together a purified heathenism and a moderate Christianity…His injunction that the ‘Day of the Sun’ should be a general rest day was characteristic of his standpoint…Of all his blending and melting together of Christianity and heathenism, none is more easy to see through than this making of his Sunday law. The Christians worshipped their Christ, the heathen their sun god; according to the opinion of the Emperor, the objects for worship in both religions were essentially the same” (Edwardson).

This can be argued to be the foundation for the Roman Catholic Church. It was from this point forward that lukewarm “Christians” compromised with the pagans to form a new conjoined religion. But, as many researchers have shown, it was merely Babylonian-based paganism dressed up to look somewhat like “Christianity”. For instance, “Pontifex Maximus”, the title used by popes today was also used by Roman Emperors long before Constantine’s reign (Hislop, pg. 206).

Other examples of the pagan roots of the Catholic Church can be found in their buildings. The all-seeing-eye of Horus, found in masonic lodges, and on the back of the dollar bill, can be found in the masonry and imagery of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches (which are really Catholic churches formed after the Roman Empire was divided in two). You will even find masonic imagery on the walls of Catholic Churches. Phoenix birds, satanic pentagrams (five-pointed upside down stars), masonic square and compass symbols, and pagan tridents can be seen in some Cathedrals throughout Europe and even in South America.

The halo, or nimbus, that sits behind the heads of many statues and paintings in the Catholic Church can be found on the statues of Greek and Roman gods. Apollo is depicted with a halo around his head. Circe, another Roman god, has a halo, as does the Catholic Mary. What is the significance of a halo or nimbus?

George Clarke, author of Pompeii, writes: "This glory was called nimbus, or aureola, and is defined by Servius to be 'the luminous fluid which encircles the heads of the gods. It belongs with peculiar propriety to Circe, as the daughter of the Sun. The emperors, with their usual modesty, assumed it as the mark of their divinity; and under this respectable patronage it passed, like many other Pagan superstitions and customs, into the use of the [Catholic] Church."

Christmas, Yule-day, and Saturnalia

Other pagan associations are found in the holidays, such as Christmas. How can Christmas be pagan? After all, isn’t it about the birth of Jesus?  Or, is it?

Christmas is sometimes called “Yule-day.” Yule, is the Chaldean word for an “infant” or “little child” (Hislop). Pagan Anglo-Saxons celebrated Yule-day long before Christian influences came to England. The day called “Christmas Eve” was called “Mother-night”. They worshipped the female sun goddess and a male moon god during the December 25^th period (Hislop, pg. 94). This was the celebration of the winter solstice and the worship of the Babylonian sun god Baal, who was considered to be an incarnation of the sun (Hislop, pg. 96). The Roman’s celebrated this same festival as the feast of Saturn, or Saturnalia (Hislop).

Odin is sometimes pictured as riding a horse
through the sky.
Perhaps he inspired a concept for Santa Claus.
He has a long, grey or white beard.
Apollo is known for riding a chariot through the sky.
 Pagans have decorated trees to
worship Baal for a long time. 

Some similarities to how Christmas is celebrated today include candles, the yule log in the hearth, a Christmas tree, wreaths, red and green colors, and the date (25 of December). The burning yule log symbolized the dying god (Nimrod / Baal) before he was to rise from the dead reincarnated in the form of his son, Tammuz. The standing Christmas tree symbolized this reincarnation and coming back to life (Hislop).

During this sun-worshipping feast, drunkenness and immorality were prevalent in ancient Rome and elsewhere. People sacrificed geese and pigs to Baal (or the equivalent deity). These same animals are found in many European dishes on Christmas Day (Veith, Festivals).

What is more, Santa Claus has some attributes of pagan deities. Santa is said to ride across the sky in a sleigh. The Egyptian sun god Osiris was born on the winter solstice (identical to Baal). He was said to ride on a chariot through the heavens, and Helios, the Greek sun god, rode in a chariot across the sky. In more northern cultures, reindeer pulled the chariot. The East is not to be left out. The Hindus had a god called Sûrya, who also rode across the sky in a horse-drawn chariot (Veith, Festivals). (Christmas is said to be about Jesus Christ, but it is not. CLICK HERE to see what the Bible has to say about Jesus Christ.)

Easter and Ishtar

Like Christmas, Easter comes from pagan origins, as should be no surprise. Easter is the same as Astarte, Ishtar, Beltis, the “queen of heaven” (Hislop). Ishtar is a name found on Assyrian monuments (Hislop), proving that Ishtar is Assyrian.

The feast called Ishtar or Easter occurred each spring on a Sunday, near the time of the vernal equinox. With the pagan influences surrounding them, compromising Christians moved the time of the Passover (as recorded in the Bible) to the time Easter was celebrated, (Goubej) and linked the two together.

One powerful symbol of paganism is stamped over Easter, the Easter egg. How could an egg be pagan?

Hyginus, the “keeper of the Palatine library at Rome” (Hislop) writes in his book called Fabulae: "An egg of wondrous size is said to have fallen from heaven into the river Euphrates. The fishes rolled it to the bank, where the doves having settled upon it, and hatched it, out came Venus, who afterwards was called the Syrian Goddess” (Hyginus). Venus, as we’ve seen, is the same as Ishtar (or Semiramis).

Another Easter symbol was the rabbit (Goubej). The rabbit is known for producing a lot of offspring in a short amount of time and can be thought of as a fertility symbol. These fertility symbols were to celebrate the goddess of fertility, Ishtar, Ashtaroth, Isis, Semiramis, the mother of Nimrod, who called herself the “queen of heaven”. This same person is adored by the Catholics as “Mary, the queen of heaven.” This is blasphemy against God, for God the Creator alone is to be worshipped (see Exodus 20:4-5). God does not want us to worship graven images (such as statues of Mary or Saints) (see Exodus 20:4-5).

Exodus 20:4-5

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

A statue of the "queen of heaven."

Catholics and Protestants both accept Christmas and Easter as legitimate festivals to celebrate Jesus Christ. Knowing now that they were based on pagan festivals, a follower of Christ needs to evaluate why he or she celebrates them. (I took a long time to change my beliefs, but after looking into it more, I realized how pagan these celebrations really are. I encourage you to seek God and to see what God’s Word has to say about all of this.).

If you, the reader, are a Catholic, I encourage you to take time away from the Church and seek God with all your heart and get a copy of the Bible and read it (I encourage you to read the King James Version). God wants to have a relationship with you through His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, God the Son. The priests of medieval Europe kept the common people from reading the word of God. They read it in Latin, but not in the common language. They kept people from reading the scriptures or having it translated into their own languages. Why? You may find out if you seek God and read the Bible. The Bible tells us how to be saved through Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23), how to know God’s name (Psalm 9:10), how to experience true peace, and so on.

If you are a Protestant Christian, I encourage you to seek God with all your heart and read the Bible. In it are the words of life. God wants to have a relationship with you. Seek him fervently, seek to know God. Jesus Christ has died to pay for your sins and has risen from the dead. Seek to know him better and He will reveal Himself to you. If you have sins you need to repent from, repent from them. They keep us from seeking God. Seek God and God will give you a heart after His heart. God said this of King David: “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will” (Acts 13:22).

If You Would Like to Have a Relationship with God, Be an Adopted Child of God, and Go to Heaven…

God loves us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and shed His precious blood to pay for all of these sins (John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians. 15:3-4). And He rose from the grave on the third day (1 Cor. 15:4).

The Bible says this about Jesus and Salvation:

John 14:6 (bold added)
 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

1 Timothy 2:5 (bold added)
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

Acts 4:12 (bold added)
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

HOW TO GET SAVED and KNOW GOD:

• 1. If you repent (turn away) from your sins (Acts 3:19),

• 2. and believe and confess aloud that Christ has paid for your sins with his precious blood and has risen from the dead (Romans 10:9-10),

• 3. and have made Him your Lord and Savior (again Romans 10:9-10) you are saved.

• 4. Now seek God with all your heart. Seek to know Him and you will (Jeremiah 29:13).

John 17:3 says: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

SEE THE APPENDIX and WORKS CITED HERE