The Fulfillment of the Apostasy 2 Thess 2

The Fulfillment of the Apostasy 2 Thess 2: 1 -12

The Fulfillment of the Apostasy = falling away from the faith

The Fulfillment of the Apostasy In Connection with the Apostasy, a Man will be Revealed o man of lawlessness- what he advocates 3 o son of destruction- what his actions will accomplish 3 o opposes and exalts himself above every object of worship 4 o takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God 4 o something (someone) restrained him at that time 6 -7 o his coming is in accord with the activity of Satan 9 o he will use signs and false wonders 9 o he will deceive those who do not love the truth 10 -12 o the Lord will slay him at His coming 8

The Fulfillment of the Apostasy The Mystery of Lawlessness Was Already at Work 7 Acts 20: 28 -32; Rom 16: 17 -18; Gal 1: 6 -9; 2 Tim 3: 13 -16; 1 Jn 2: 18 -24; Jude 3 -4

The Fulfillment of the Apostasy The N. T. Gives Other Warnings of Future Apostasy 2 Tim 4: 1 -5; 2 Pet 2: 1 -3 One of the most explicit is 1 Tim 4: 1 -3 The Holy Spirit predicts 1) the introduction of dietary laws 2) a commanded celibacy

Forbidding to Marry • See the Catholic Catechism, pages 528 -530

Dietary Laws • See The Catholic Catechism, pages 555 -559

The Pope is the Man of Lawlessness Revealed • The Pope exalts himself to the place of God “In virtue of his office, that is, as Vicar of Christ and pastor of the whole Church, the Roman Pontiff has full, supreme, and universal power over the Church. And he is always free to exercise this power. ” Catholic Catechism, p. 223 “It is altogether necessary for the salvation of every creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff. ” Pope Boniface VIII as affirmed to be true in the Catholic Catechism, p. 247

The Pope is the Man of Lawlessness Revealed • "The pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man (. . . ) he is as it were God on earth, sole sovereign of the faithful of Christ, chief of kings, having plenitude of power. " -Lucius Ferraris, «Prompta Bibliotheca» , 1763, Volume VI, 'Papa II', pp. 25 -29 • "The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, he is Jesus Christ himself, hidden under the veil of flesh. " Catholic National July 1895. "We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty". . . Pope Leo XIII Encyclical Letter of June 20, 1894, • The title "Lord God the Pope" is found within a gloss of Extravagantes of Pope John XXII, title 14, chapter 4,

A Hindu on the Pope Swami Balendu • The main point that I wanted to make though is that Catholic Christians say that they don’t do any human worship but when I talk against human worship, I also consider their main priest like any of our Hindu Gurus: the Pope. What do you do if not worship him? Have you ever seen how those masses of people come together to see him and maybe even be touched by him when he comes out to speak the Easter blessing? Or how many people gather to have a look at him when he comes to their town or anywhere close-by? How many of those believers long for just a single touch, just one word or a look of him? It is the same thing again! How can that not be human worship? He even has the attribute of being impeccable. What he says and writes has to be accepted as the truth, just like the words of any Guru!

The Pope is the Man of Lawlessness Revealed • Development of such a position was restrained by the Roman Empire (or Emperor) 6 -7 Christians suffered from sporadic and localized persecutions over a period of two and a half centuries. Their refusal to participate in Imperial cult was considered an act of treason and was thus punishable by execution. The most widespread official persecution was carried out by Diocletian. During the Great Persecution (303– 11), the emperor ordered Christian buildings and the homes of Christians torn down and their sacred books collected and burned. Christians were arrested, tortured, mutilated, burned, starved, and condemned to gladiatorial contests to amuse spectators. [5] The Great Persecution officially ended in April 311, when Galerius, senior emperor of the Tetrarchy, issued an edict of toleration, which granted Christians the right to practice their religion.

The Pope is the Man of Lawlessness Revealed • Development of such a position was restrained by the Roman Empire (or Emperor) 6 -7 In 313 Constantine and Licinius announced "that it was proper that the Christians and all others should have liberty to follow that mode of religion which to each of them appeared best", [11] thereby granting tolerance to all religions, including Christianity. • The Edict of Thessalonica was delivered on 27 February 380 by Theodosius I, Gratian, and Valentinian II in order that all their subjects should profess the faith of the bishops of Rome and Alexandria.

The Pope is the Man of Lawlessness Revealed • Development of such a position was restrained by the Roman Empire (or Emperor) 6 -7 The bishop in the early church was considered one of many bishops who were equal to one another in rank, power, and function. Between 313 and 450 the Roman bishop came to be acknowledged as the first among equals. But, beginning with Leo I’s accession to the Episcopal throne in 440, the Roman bishop began to claim his supremacy over other bishops… Later Boniface III was recognized as the first Universal Bishop of Rome in the year A. D. 606.

False Signs and Wonders 9 • Will Huysman, Roman Catholic Theology Major at Fordham University lists the number of “miracles” from the 11 th century through the 20 th century 11 th - 8 16 th - 4 12 th -10 17 th- 8 13 th -15 18 th- 5 14 th - 6 19 th- 13 15 th - 4 20 th- 35

False Signs and Wonders 9 Some Eucharist “Miracles” A. D. 700 Italy- Eucharist turns into Christ’s body and blood A. D. 1125 Italy- Hungry mule did not eat the Eucharist, but knelt down, bowed its head in front of it A. D. 1345 Holland- Eucharist thrown into the fire overnight but was not burnt or damaged A. D. 1991 Venezuela- The bread bled on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

False Signs and Wonders 9 Miracles and Sainthood Saint Aldebrandus of Fossombrone (Hildebrand) A. D. 1119 -1219 Once in bed with an illness, he was brought a cooked partridge; it happened to be a day of fasting. So Aldebrandus prayed over the cooked bird which returned to life and flew away. A Feast in his honor is held on May 1 st.

False Signs and Wonders 9 God bears witness to truth Heb 2: 3 -4 It must be Satan who is bearing witness to the apostasy! Those who do not love the truth will be deceived! 10 -12

The End of the Apostasy When Jesus returns He will personally and powerfully deal with the Pope, the Man of Lawlessness, and the apostasy of which he is the head. 2 Thess 2: 8; cp. Mt 15: 13