The Coming One World Religion - Part 1

A one-world religion is developing rapidly, and it will be an all-encompassing religion. Satan will energize this one-world religion and work through the lawless one, better known as the Antichrist. He has two purposes:

1. To play the role of God and have people worship him. He will sit “in the temple of God displaying himself as being God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
2. To kill the true Christians and Jews. “… and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:15).

My last article, posted on 2-2-09, was titled The Last Generation. The purpose of that article was to illustrate the acceleration of world developments during the last generation beginning with the birth of Israel in 1948. That article helps set the stage for this article.

The Last Generation briefly covered all three pillars of a united world system that will need to be in place by or immediately following the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period. The three pillars are:

• ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT
• ONE WORLD ECONOMY
• ONE WORLD RELIGION

The pillar of the One World Government was given the most attention in the first article.

The focus of this article is to expand on the pillar of the coming One World Religion. I personally believe that the pillar of a global religion is the foundation for both of the other two pillars—government and economy. What a group of people believe will determine their actions, such as economic and political decisions. The world economic system gives the fuel needed to activate a complete world governmental control. This could be illustrated by the following diagram:

Belief System [One World Religion] + Money [One World Economy] = Political Decisions [One World Government].

It has been said that politics and religion don’t mix. They don’t in the long run. But during most of the seven-year tribulation period, politics and religion will go hand in hand. One current example of mixing religion and politics is the government of Iran. It is primarily run by the religious clerics.

During the great tribulation (the last 3.5 years of the 7 year tribulation period) this buddy system of Antichrist (Political Ruler) and False Prophet (Ruler of World Religion) will break down. The One World Government, led by the Antichrist, will destroy the One World Religion, led by the False Prophet. The “beast” destroys the “harlot” (see Revelation 17:16-17).

This article was taken mainly from my recent book titled, The Last Generation: Prophecy, Current World Events, and the End Times. Ordering information for this book will be given at the conclusion of the article.

Today, in this generation, we have seen the foundation being laid for a one-world religion. This world religion is symbolized in Scripture by “… the great harlot who sits on many waters” (Revelation 17:1) and by the “… woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names …” (Revelation 17:3).

HALLMARKS OF A FALSE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM

In order to determine the validity of a religious belief system, it will prove helpful to look at some of the hallmarks of a false religious system.

The hallmarks of a false religious system include, but are not limited to, the following four characteristics:

1. Compromise of Doctrine: One of the key phrases used in the European Union, as well as in the United States, is “Unity in Diversity.” This sounds good on the surface. It means we are a unified but diverse group of people—all of the hallmarks of tolerance. This kind of unity in a world religion necessitates a compromise of doctrine.
   
   This great tolerance is promoted in almost every area. The major exceptions are biblical Christianity and Judaism. The world religion will be tolerant of everything but the TRUTH.
   
   
2. Experience Based: “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You” (Matthew 12:38). There is an escalating trend worldwide toward an experience-based religion and an experienced-based Christianity. More people are traveling to many places where they say God is manifesting Himself through signs and wonders. These manifestations are, in many cases, apparitions of Mary, the mother of Jesus, or of angels, but rarely of Jesus. It is important for us to remind ourselves that biblically based Christianity is always founded on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
   
   Paul warned the Galatians not to be fooled by people distorting the gospel of Jesus Christ. He states: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
   
   In many cases, there are reported apparitions of Mary witnessed by Christians, unbelievers, and Muslims. The messages are oftentimes contrary to God’s Word. One of the tests of the validity of a reported vision and the credibility of the messenger (in recent years these visions are usually apparitions of Mary) involves:
   
   
   • The content of the message given. If the message contradicts God’s Word, the Bible, the message is not valid.
     
     
   • The credibility of the messenger. If the message is not valid, this takes away from the credibility of the messenger. It is important to remember that “… Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).
     
     
3. Provides a Broad Road to Salvation: One rapidly growing belief system is that of universalism, which is another lie. It promotes the belief that there are many paths to God. While this may be a “politically correct” theology in our day, it is the neo-paganism of the New Age. This belief is addressed by Jesus when He said, “… I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). This “all roads lead to Rome” belief is very common today. It runs against the grain of unbelievers and, in many cases, Christians don’t believe or don’t want to believe what Jesus said (there is only one way). It is probably not the best way to begin sharing the gospel with an unbeliever unless you really believe that God is leading you in that direction.
   
   
4. Counterfeit Miracles: Miracles are powerful! A miracle will convince an individual of the validity of a particular belief system faster than anything else. Consider the False Prophet found in the Book of Revelation (16:13; 20:10). He is the Antichrist’s right hand man. He is symbolized as the second “beast” (Revelation 13:11-12). The first “beast” is the Antichrist (described in Revelation16:1-10). The False Prophet “… performs great signs [miracles] … he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs …” (Revelation 13:13-14) [brackets added].
   
   Satan has the ability to perform miracles, but his tendency is to counterfeit God’s miracles. One example of Satan counterfeiting miracles can be found in Exodus, Chapter Seven. Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Through God’s power Moses and Aaron perform miracles, i.e., Aaron’s staff turns into a serpent. The magicians of Egypt “did the same with their secret arts” (Exodus 7:11). The Lord tells Moses to direct Aaron to stretch out his staff, and he turns the rivers, streams, and pools into blood. The False Prophet “performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men” (Revelation 13:13).

Over the last ten to fifteen years, there has been a greater orientation toward the supernatural. This can be good in some cases. Unfortunately, it also opens the door to Satan to perform visions and apparitions that appear to come from God. The Marian apparitions are appearing worldwide and the message is peace, unity, and tolerance. The impact of these apparitions has been so powerful that they have cut across religious denominations worldwide, INCLUDING ISLAM.

Points 2 and 4 above are both experientially based. In essence, both points say that a person’s experience dictates their theology. This is putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. A person’s theology should be the criteria for evaluating their experience. When this is reversed, every imaginable heresy will be the outcome. We are living in an experience-based society. This society determines their beliefs based on their experience. This has been a characteristic of this last generation.

THE MUSLIM CONNECTION: THE MISSING LINK

One of the common questions concerning a one-world religion is this: “If the coming one-world false religion is characterized by tolerance and diversity (exceptions: Christians and Jews) how will the Muslims integrate into this system?” [I realize that I briefly covered this in my first article on January 31. My purpose in this article is to go a little deeper into this topic.]

The answer: There needs to be a common denominator between Muslims and the one-
world religion. This common denominator may very well be Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Koran exalts Mary, not Jesus. The Roman Catholics also exalts Mary. This along with the numerous alleged apparitions of Mary witnessed by both Muslims and Catholics creates a link between the two religions. These two religions together take in a sizable portion of the human race.

The Marian apparitions, including the ones in Egypt and Africa, have an underlying message. According to Mary, this message is, “All religions are the same. We are the ones causing division.” This message is easily identified under the third hallmark of a false religion, namely, “Provides a Broad Road to Salvation.” Mary’s message is proven invalid because it contradicts Scripture. The only way to God is through Jesus (John 14:6). Since it is clearly demonstrated to be a false message, we can conclude that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was not the one delivering the message. Mary would never contradict her Son.

According to a British-Catholic magazine, “A Marian revival is spreading throughout Africa with alleged apparitions of Mary, finding a following among the Muslims.” Although African Muslims are supposedly seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary, they “are not required to become Christians to follow her.”

Most of the spectators who witnessed the Marian apparitions in Zeitoun, Egypt, were Muslim. This apparition of Mary appeared for several nights each week for years and was viewed by millions of Muslims.

Mary appears to be the missing link that helps answer the previous question about how the Muslims could ever integrate into a one-world religion.

THE MARY / FATIMA CONNECTION

Bishop Fulton Sheen, back in the 1950s, was the first Catholic on television [with his own religious talk show]. He wrote a book predicting that Islam would be converted to Christianity. In the same era, the 1950s, Bishop Sheen also wrote a book titled The World’s First Love. He stated in his book: “But after the death of Fatima (Muhammad’s daughter), Muhammad wrote, ‘Thou shall be the most blessed of all women in paradise after Mary.’ ” This connection with the Muslims through Mary was predicted about fifty years ago.

Bishop Sheen was head of his time, at least as it relates to the future of Islam. The Muslims will be included in the coming One World Religion, but it will not be Christianity.

KEY PLAYERS AND LOCATIONS: MARY / FATIMA SCENARIO

The key players are: Mary, the mother of Jesus; Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad; and Pope John Paul II. The key locations include Fatima, Portugal, and St. Peter’s Square, Rome.

The Portuguese Village of Fatima is named after Muhammad’s daughter. Bishop Sheen mentioned how remarkable it was that our Lady had the foresight to appear in the Portuguese Village of Fatima, named after Muhammad’s daughter, and thus became known as Our Lady of Fatima.

In October of 2000, Pope John Paul II ordered the actual statue of Our Lady of Fatima to be moved from Fatima, Portugal, to St. Peter’s Square in Rome. His purpose was to signify “his great devotion to Mary.” He credits her with saving his life in an assassination attempt on May 13, 1981. This story is recounted in chapter six of The Last Generation: Prophecy, Current World Events, and the End Times.

Also in the year 2000, Pope John Paul II gathered 1,500 bishops from around the world, the largest group to assemble since Vatican II. They were there to entrust the world and the millennium to “Our Lady of Fatima,” not to Jesus, not even to God, but to Mary.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS?

1. There appears to be a clear connection between the Catholic Church and the Muslim faith.
   
   
2. The Doctrine of Compromise is apparent. Examples: Pope John Paul took a compromising approach to other religions, which included Shamans, witch doctors, Hindu gurus, and voodoo. This sounds very familiar to the Catholic evangelists in the early days of Christianity.
   
   
3. The Broad Road to Salvation is emphasized. Examples: The underlying message, according to Mary, i.e., through the alleged Marian apparitions, is “all religions are the same.”
   
   
4. Counterfeit Miracles, i.e., Marian apparitions are rampant. These so-called miraculous apparitions of Mary, the mother of Jesus, fail the validity test. If the visions are not really Mary, we can conclude that Satan is disguising himself as an angel of light. He has an agenda, which includes leading humanity into a One World False Religion of his making where he will be worshiped.
   
   
5. Experience-based Miracles and apparitions seem to be the motivating factor and key decision-making factor for most people.
   
   

The above article is taken primarily from my recent book, The Last Generation: Prophecy, Current World Events, and the End Times. Part 2 of this article will be posted within 7-10 days. Included are topics such as: the paganization of Christianity, the final popes, and the connection between ancient Babylon and modern Babylon. Any facts that originated from other sources are footnoted in the book. This book can be ordered at the following sites: http://www.focalpointpublications.com or Amazon.com.

GO TO PART 2

The Coming One World Religion - Part 2

... ANCIENT BABYLON TO MODERN BABYLON

The ancient Babylonian “mystery religions” never really died. They had their beginnings in the Book of Genesis, which gives the account of the building of the Tower of Babel under the leadership of Nimrod. It reaches both its zenith and its destruction in the Book of Revelation.

The False Prophet, referred to as “another beast,” “… exercises all the authority of the first beast [Antichrist] in his presence, and he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast …” (Revelation 13:11-15 brackets added). The False Prophet will head the coming One World Religion under the authority of the Antichrist. The Babylonian “mystery religions,” in a disguised form, will comprise this false religious system. These mystery religions are the alpha and omega of paganism and idolatry. Babylon of the Old Testament and Babylon of the New Testament are related and can be linked and traced.

The following historical information includes elements of mythology in some of the accounts. It is important to remember that mythology is usually a distortion of actual facts or events.


ORIGIN OF MYSTERY RELIGIONS OF BABYLON

The following information is drawn from both the Bible and accounts outside of biblical sources. As a brief overview, the key characters will be listed with a short explanation showing their connections to certain pagan deities, along with some common denominators that run through the different cultures.

The three original key characters are: Nimrod, Semiramis, and Tammuz. The chart below indicates the spread of the Mother-Child Babylonian cult throughout other locales with the names of the gods and goddesses that originate from these three characters.

These were the original names of the Mother-Child cult. Semiramis was Nimrod’s wife, and Tammuz was their son.

We know that Nimrod was the founder of Babylon (Genesis 10:9-10). It was Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis, who founded the secret religious rites of the Babylonian mystery religions. Semiramis claimed that she conceived, through an alleged miraculous conception, a virgin-born son who would be the salvation of mankind. She named him Tammuz [see Ezekiel 8:14]. In effect, this was a false fulfillment of the promise of the Seed that was given to Eve in Genesis 3:15.

The Two Babylons, authored by Alexander Hislop, chronicles the spread of the ancient Babylonian cult of the “queen of heaven.” Jeremiah warned the Israelites against offering sacrifices to the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19, 25).

CHART 9

According to Hislop’s research, the Babylonian worship of the queen of heaven found its origin in Semiramis following the death of Nimrod. [For details of this story, see pages 148-149 of The Last Generation: Prophecy, Current World Events, and the End Times.]


THE “MOTHER AND CHILD” AS GOD CULT

As strange as this seems to the Western mind, the son of the mother oftentimes plays a dual role. He is son of the mother, and he can also be husband of the mother.

The Babylonians worshiped Semiramis, the wife, as Rhea, “The Mother Goddess.” Her connections with her husband, under the name of Ninus, or “The Son,” originated the peculiar worship of the “Mother and Son.” Ninus is sometimes called the husband and sometimes the son of Semiramis. The same confusion can be seen between Isis and Osiris, the mother and child of the EGYPTIANS. One of Osiris’ titles of honor and dignity was the name, “Husband of the Mother.” This leads to the question, “What does this have to do with early Christianity or the One World Religion?”


THE PAGANIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY

After the Persians took over Babylonia in 539 B.C., they discouraged the continuation of the mystery religions of Babylon. As a result, the Babylonian cultists moved to Pergamum (or Pergamos) where one of the seven churches of Asia Minor was later located.

The chief priests of the Babylonian cult honored the fish god by wearing crowns in the shape of a fish head. The crowns bore the words, “Keeper of the Bridge.” This was symbolic of the “bridge” between man and Satan.

The Roman Emperors adopted the Latin title Pontifex Maximus, which means “Major Keeper of the Bridge.” The bishop of Rome later used the same title. The pope today is called “pontiff,” which means pontifex. Even today the term Pontifex Maximus can be found throughout the Vatican and numerous cathedrals in Rome.


PAGANIZED CHRISTIANITY TAKES ROOT IN ROME

When the teachers of the Babylonian mystery religions later moved to Rome, they were influential in paganizing Christianity. The Roman Empire included the geographical area known today as the European Union.

In the early Christian Church there was no confusion between Christians and Pagans. Christians were burned at the stake for entertainment. The problem came when there was a joining of Church and State.

Constantine legalized the practice of Christianity. Emperor Theodosius went on to make it the state religion in the year A.D. 381. Constantine converted to Christianity, which also included a loyalty to paganism. He had granted the “Freedom of Worship” for citizens of the Roman Empire.

The clear dividing line between Christianity and paganism became blurred [this dividing line is becoming more blurred in our day, but it will be clear again in the tribulation period]. The glorification of Mary as “Queen of Heaven” and the worship of the Mother/Child religion had entered the Christian Church from the mystery religions of Babylon.

The evangelistic zeal to spread Catholicism to the heathen lands resulted in a compromise with paganism. Christianity became interwoven with the Babylonian mystery religions. This new form of paganized Christianity was now endorsed as the official state religion.


CATHOLICS EVANGELIZE PAGAN WORLD

The Roman Catholic Church declared Mary the “queen of heaven” as a result of the miraculous birth of Christ. The Old Testament clearly condemns the worship of the queen
of heaven (Jeremiah 7:18).

Statues of Mary with the baby Jesus became very popular within Roman Catholicism. More emphasis was put on these statues than statues of Jesus or the cross. The mother-child cult preceded the birth of Jesus by centuries. It did not originate with Roman Catholicism.

The Catholic evangelists began evangelizing the pagan world. In the process, they kept encountering statues of pagan deities and Madonna figures. The Catholic evangelists let them keep their pagan figures of goddess and child, but merely renamed the mother/child statues “Mary and Jesus.” Instead of pagans they were renamed Catholics.

The Roman Catholic Church is moving toward an ecumenical world religion. This one-world religion will be based on compromise and experiences, such as the Marian apparitions.


POPES IN THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

As discussed in the previous article, there are two key figures that will come to power in the end times. The Bible refers to these key figures as two beasts (Revelation 13:11-15). The first one is the Antichrist who will be the political and economic messiah. The second one will be the False Prophet who will be a religious leader and miracle worker. For many years prophecy scholars have taught that the False Prophet would be a final apostate pope.

The pope, also considered the “bishop of Rome,” is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Only the pope would have the power and influence necessary to bring all the religions together. No other major world religion (or any religion) has a religious leader with the authority, influence, and power combined with a worldwide influence that even comes close to the pope. He has the authority to make doctrinal changes in the Catholic Church even if it is contrary to the Bible. His authority is placed above biblical revelation. It would make sense for the False Prophet, the global religious leader, to have this authority and power.


POPE JOHN PAUL II

Pope John Paul II was briefly reviewed in part one of The Coming One World Religion. We saw his connection to Mary, Fatima, Our Lady of Fatima, and the dedication entrusting the world and millennium to Mary [see part 1 for more details]. Two central themes characterize his time in office:

1. His role in elevating Mary to a much higher position than previously recognized. Pope John Paul II, without a doubt, was the most Marianistic pope of all time. His devotion to Mary is made evident by his motto, Totus Tuus. In Latin this means, “totally yours.” This is not a reference to Christ but to Mary. His consecration to Mary was an established fact. He had the letter “M” embroidered on all his garments, showing his devotion to Mary.

2. His role as the great unifier. He attempted to bring all religions and faiths together [see part 1]. He was also known as the “great unifier.” As mentioned previously, Pope John Paul II took a compromising approach to other religions, which included Shamans, witch doctors, Hindu gurus, Buddhist monks, and voodoo. This sounds very similar to the approach of the Catholic evangelists in the early days of Christianity. The pagans were allowed to keep their statues of Isis and Horus, or other Mary/Child statues, and simply rename them Mary and Jesus. History is repeating itself in the end times of the last generation.


POPE BENEDICT XVI

Prior to becoming Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was head of the Roman Catholic Church’s Congregation for the Doctrines of the Faith (CDF) back in 1984. During this time, he made the following statement: “One of the signs of our times is that the announcements of ‘Marian apparitions’ are multiplying all over the world.”

Benedict XVI made it clear that he wanted to follow the trajectory of his predecessor Pope John Paul II. His pledge was to work to unify all Christians and all religions. He continued in Pope John Paul’s footsteps toward a One World (False) Religion.

Jewish leaders were encouraged by the prospect of Benedict continuing to build relations between Christians and the Jewish nation. Given the fact that anti-Semitism is at an all time high, especially in Europe, this would be very appealing to Jews. They would be open to such a pope. This would also fit the prophetic picture.

When Cardinal Ratzinger became pope, he modeled his name after Benedict XV (1914-1922). He chose this name to honor him. Benedict XV embraced the Muslims, which was an unprecedented choice for his time. Benedict XVI likewise embraced the Muslims. He is seeking world peace and is destined to bring the Roman Catholic Church and Muslims together.


TWO POPES FROM JUDGMENT DAY

The following prophetic account is not a biblically based account. The content, however, and the predictions, are not contrary to the Bible. The fulfillment of the predictions has a high success rate; they are too accurate to be ignored and are, therefore, worth our consideration. For the sake of time and space, I will give a brief overview of this account. [For a more detailed account, see chapter 6 of my book, The Last Generation: Prophecy, Current World Events, and the End Times.]

In 1139, a Catholic named St. Malachy set out from Ireland on a pilgrimage to Rome. John Hogue, author of The Last Pope: The Decline and Fall of the Church of Rome, gave the following account. “On sighting the eternal city, he fell to the ground and began murmuring Latin verses, each signifying the future destiny of the popes. His words were suppressed for over three hundred years by the Vatican, yet, to this day, ninety percent of the saint’s prophecies have come true, unfolding in chronological sequence … for Malachy foresaw an end to the Roman Catholic Church and predicted the fates of the popes until Judgment day.”

St. Malachy worked all night by candlelight until he concluded the 111 Latin phrases. He explained that God had given him a vision of every pope to reign after the current pontiff, which was Innocent II, until the end of time when God would judge the world.

If his assertion is true, the papal succession is finite … we are but two popes away from Judgment Day. That was written while Pope John Paul II was still alive. If this prediction is true, we are now only one pope away from Judgment Day.


THREE FINAL POPES

According to St. Malachy, there are three final popes. All 111 prophecies make one small identifying statement. Each can be validated through the years in regard to the successive popes. John Paul II was the 110th pope. He is referred to as “the Marian Pontiff.” His devotion to Mary is legendary. Pope Benedict XVI is the 111th pope. He is referred to as “The Glory of the Olive.” As Cardinal Ratzinger, he wrote a book called, God in the World. This, along with Hogue’s book, The Last Pope, illustrates that he has a special interest in Israel as symbolized by the olive branch. [See chapter 6 for quotes from both books showing his interest in Israel.] “The olive branch is a symbol for Israel … the motto might imply that this pope will champion the cause of the Jews” (John Hogue).

After St. Malachy’s 111 Latin phrases, each giving clues to the reign of each pope, he gives a final prophetic declaration naming an apostate pope (the 112th pope) and calling him “Peter of Rome.”

Pope number 111, Benedict XVI, will probably not live long due to his advanced age (81). This means that the final pope, “Peter of Rome,” the 112th pope, will be the final one before judgment day at the end of the tribulation period.


RESPONSE OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Roman Catholic Church’s official position is that there could be many popes
between 111 and the final one. Given the fact that St. Malachy has been right on 111 popes in a chronological sequence, why would there be “many popes” between the 111th and the 112th pope? It would make sense that the Catholic Church would not want to place their stamp of approval upon any declaration that says their church is soon to end.

St. Malachy’s final declaration states: “During the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there shall sit Petros Romanos (Peter of Rome), who shall feed the sheep amidst many tribulations” [he will likely be the tribulation pope], “and when these things have passed, the city of seven hills shall be destroyed” (John Hogue).


IMPLICATIONS

Is it possible that the False Prophet (Coming One World leader) will be the next pope following Benedict XVI? If so, this is one more reason to believe that we are living in the last generation, which began with the birth of Israel (May 14, 1948). Israel is currently in its 60th year as a nation. How long is a generation?


WHEN IS THE RAPTURE?

No one can give the day, the hour, or the year of the rapture, but we are given a season (a general time frame). This season runs from 1948 to the Second Coming of Christ (not the rapture which is at least 7 years sooner) or the last generation. In my first article, The Last Generation and the last two articles titled, The Coming One World Religion (Parts 1 and 2), I have listed a sequence of events that have occurred since 1948 as evidence that the rapture is near. These different events, treaties, and current world events that I have listed are the tip of the iceberg. Given the evidence presented, it would be difficult to deny that the rapture may be a lot sooner than we think.

This article was extracted, for the most part, from my recent book titled, The Last Generation: Prophecy, Current World Events, and the End Times. All facts presented that originated from other sources are footnoted in the book. This book can be ordered from: http://focalpointpublications.com or Amazon.com.