Joe Crews: We're not guessing or speculating here, we are actually giving you the name of the only power in the world that could possibly be identified here because there's no other power that meets these nine points of identification. We're forced to this one conclusion and it's not personal, it don't have to do-
Speaker 2: The most devastating power in history has been specifically identified in an ancient prophecy today Amazing Facts crusade Speaker Joe Cruise proves beyond question that this power is operating in the world today as he continues his topic the, Beast of Revelation 13.
[music]
Joe: Now here's what I want to find out right now, who is this little horn, who is able to do these great things and who will do much more as we're going to read in just a few moments? Who is a little horn? Now God tells us friends but He does it in his own way, He doesn't just come out and call it by name so that you can read the words here in the Bible, but what He does is to give us the nine marks of identification. Nine points by which we can know exactly who it is, and the fact is that there is only one power in all the world that meets the nine characteristics that God is going to describe for us in the Bible.
He does not leave the door open for us to guess or speculate, there is no option for us. We must find the one power that meets all the nine things or else we'll not be able to make the identification. What I'm going to do right now is to read these from the Bible one by one and then we'll have these right in front of you so you can see for yourself and if you know anything about history you'll be able to make the identification without my even telling you because it would be so clear and so obvious as to who this power is.
Let's begin reading in verse eight now to get these nine marks of identification. He said, "I consider the horns and behold I came up among them another little horn." The little horn is located for us here geographically it comes right up there among those 10, which means that it has to be in Western Europe because that's where the 10 horns arose. The little horn then comes up among the 10 and it is all fixed and located for us right there in Europe.
Now if it comes up among the 10 it has to come up after the 10, isn't that right? They had to be there first. Now when did the 10 come up? 476 or this means a little horn then has to come out sometime after the year 476. So point number two is that the little horn will come up sometime after the year 476. Reading on it says before a horn there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots. When I told you the vandals the astronauts on the airline disappeared they were destroyed, they were uprooted and here's what happened to them. The little horn did it, he simply wiped them out.
Point number three is that the little horn uproots three, and then reading on it says behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man and a mouth speaking great things. You see friends there's a man at the head of this power who has the authority for it, who speaks for it and who controls this power, this system and so a man is at the head. Now all of these points are going to make it very easy for us to identify as soon as we have all of them in place.
Now coming further down in that chapter seven of Daniel to verse 24, it says and the 10 horns out of this kingdom are 10 kings that shall arise and another shall rise after them and he shall be diverse from the first and he shall subdue three Kings. Now, here's the little horn who subdues or uproots three, but it says also in this verse that he is diverse from those others, diverse from the first. What does that word diverse mean?
It means different, so this is a different power than those other 10 which went before it.
Now look on into verse 25 and we get some more identifying marks, and he shall speak great words against the most high. Now friends another text of the Bible speaking of the same power says that he will speak great words and blasphemy. That's what great words are, great swelling words against God, blasphemy. Now, let's find out from the Bible exactly what blasphemy is. We don't want to make any mistake in applying this identification friends.
Let's find what the Bible tells us concerning blasphemy. You may have your definition I may have mine but we all know what the Scriptures says. The first one is found in John 10. In John 10 Jesus is speaking in verse 30 and I want you to notice something most interesting because He actually supplies the key and the clue for us to know what blasphemy is. Jesus said I and my Father are one then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him, Jesus answered them, many good works have I showed you from my father for which of those works do you stone me?
The Jews answered him saying for the good work we stone the not but for blasphemy and because at thou being a man make a sized out God. Now friends listen it was not blasphemy for Jesus because he was God, wasn't he? He was a Son of God and he could claim to be God and it was not wrong there was no blasphemy involved but for any man to do that besides Christ would constitute this very grave sin of blasphemy. Now we need one more definition, come with to Mark 2:5.
In Mark 2:5 we read this, when Jesus saw their faith he said unto the sick of the palsy son dies sins be forgiven thee, but there were certain of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, why does this man thus speak blasphemous? Who can forgive sins but God only. Now mark this down friends, for anybody to claim to forgive sins is blasphemy according to the Bible. Jesus could do it, he was God He was the Son of God, it was not wrong for him to say I can do that but for a man to make such claims or for a man to be made of god on earth the Bible says that's blasphemy.
Now with these two things in mind we're going to put it here on our board that this little horn power will come up speaking these great words and these blasphemous and this will be very helpful for us in knowing exactly who the power is. Coming back again to Daniel 7:25, we continue reading here this list of characteristics. It goes on to say he shall wear out the saints of the most high, and you know what that word is I'm sure. If your daddy ever wore you out you know what that is. My daddy used to say I'm going to wear you out and we knew what that was. That means to do violence against, to persecute, the war against and this power would be a persecuting power.
That will be our next point after blasphemy. This power will persecute God's people, he fights God's people, he fights God's law, God's government and God's people by trying to destroy them. Then the next point in verse 25 is that, he shall think to change times and laws. Now this is something impossible to do of course nobody can change the Great law of God. It was hand written by the finger of deity, God inscribed those words my friends on the imperishable tables and they can never be erased or changed in any way but here's a power that's going to try to change God's law. It says he'll think to do it, that's our next point he'll try to change God's great law.
Then finally in verse 25 it even tells us here how long this power is going to rule over the earth. It says and they shall be given into his hand until the time and times and the dividing of time. Now that's a strange expression. We don't know what it means, it is a prophetic symbolic phrase but the Bible explains what it is. Even though we can't read it and understand it immediately let's go in our Bibles now to Revelation 12:14 and we'll find out exactly how long this period is. A time, times and a half a time.
Revelation 12:14, and to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness into a place where she's nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent. Now, here is exactly the same period in the book of Revelation instead of Daniel. This time a woman goes back and hides out in the wilderness for that length of time, but again it doesn't say how long, it gives that symbolic phrase or expression, but look at verse six now, and the whole thing falls under a beautiful focus and the woman fled into the wilderness where she had the place prepared of God that they should feed her there 1,203 score days 1,260 days she said should be back there, the other verse in verse 14 says she'd go back for a time, times and a half a time. Well, this is the same period, these two are equal. What does this mean then friends? It simply means this folks, that in Bible prophecy, in symbolic reckoning, a time is a year. Now, how do we know this? Because let's add it up and find out, we'll show that it's a year. All right? It's 1,260 and days, of course, we know that time, times and a half a time is 1,260 days, but how do we know that time is a year? All right, add it. Time is one, all right? Times plural is two. You get that now? Time is one, times is two and then a half a time as a half a year.
All right. When you add that up, what do you get? Time is one, times is two, that makes three and then a half makes three and a half, and how many days are in three and a half years? Exactly 1,260 you see, giving it the Bible rule of 30 days to the month. You see then that time, times and a half a time turns out to be exactly 1,260 days. There is one more very important principle of prophetic interpretation we need to understand here tonight, and that is this, That in symbolic Bible prophecy a day always stands for a year. Now, you find that in Ezekiel 4:6, God says there, "I have appointed thee each day for a year." Now, please remember, friends, this is only in the prophetic portions of the Bible.
Don't read your Bible and think every time you read the word day that means a year, it's not that way. It's only in Revelation and Daniel and Ezekiel and some of these places that give symbolic time that you have this principle demonstrated. The 1,260 days being in the prophetic portions of the Bible actually is literally 1,260 years, that'll be our last point to put on the board tonight. This little horn power is going to rule for a time, times and a half a time, which we found to be 1,260 years. Now, with these points in front of you, folks, you could go tomorrow morning and find out for yourself who this power is.
No problem at all because there's only one power in the world in the history of mankind that meets these nine marks of identity. You don't have time to go tomorrow to the library, I'm going to tell you who it is. Please don't misunderstand anything that said, your God is not talking about a persons here or individuals, He's talking about systems. We're forced to the conclusion friends, that the only power that these nine things describe is the power of the papacy. Now, let's look at it and make certain of what we're saying here tonight, it would come up among the 10. That means it would have to come up right there in Europe, right in the very midst of that territory controlled by the Roman Empire, and of course, Rome did.
The city of Rome is located right in the very heart of that, it would begin its rules sometime after the year 476 A.D., and sure enough, is within the year 538 A.D. that a decree of Emperor Justinian went into operation, which made the Pope the head of all religions in the world and gave him political power as well as ecclesiastical authority. That was in the year 538 A.D. that this special decree went into operation. All right, this little horn power will also uproot three of those ten. Now, I mentioned to you that the vandals the astronauts got from on the [unintelligible 00:13:47] disappeared, they were destroyed. Why were they destroyed? Who destroyed them? I'll tell you why and I'll tell you who friends.
They were Aryan powers and they resisted and opposed the Catholic Church doctrine, and so the armies of Rome marched over there and completely destroyed those three. The last of the three the astronauts was approved in the year 538, the very same year that this decree of Justinian went into effect making this power not only religious but political in its authority. It did uproot three, it did have a man at the head, of course it did. The Pope was to be the final authority and to speak ex-cathedrae in the place of God, making pronouncements for God Himself, according to the claims.
It was to be diverse from those other 10 powers. Well, of course it was, they were political powers. This one is a religious power, a combination of church and state, making it totally diverse from those others. It would speak blasphemies where we find out of course, what blasphemy was, it is for a man to be made a God, is for a man to claim to forgive sins. I read to you the other night statements showing that this is exactly what the church claims, it's not something that's been charged against or made an accusation, but it's something that is acknowledged by the church.
What about persecution? We don't have to look very far to find out that during the dark ages friends, over 50 million people were put to death. You look at the story of those awful inquisitions of Rome friend were the most conservative estimate of the historian is, that 50 million people died during those dark ages. What about trying to change God's law? Yes, we found that that's also been fulfilled. You look in any Catechism of the church my friends, you'll find a second commandment has been removed. It has been left out, there's nothing there about a graven image and about binder that graven image.
The third commandment has been moved up to the second position, and the fourth to the third, and the fifth of the fourth, and the sixth of the fifth and then the 10th commandment has been divided into two, so you still have 10 commandments, but one has been changed, one has been deleted in fact. There was an attempt made to change God's law, just as a prophecy said that it would have to be. Then finally this power would rule for a period of 1,260 years. Now, I told you is in the year 538 A.D. that the Pope was exalted to be the political as well as the religious head and to have authority.
You count from that day 538, you countdown 1,260 years, it'll bring you to the year 1798, what happened in 1798? Well, friends, a French revolution had taken place over in Europe, and then that very year General [unintelligible 00:16:42] marched into Rome and captured the Pope, pulled him off the throne, confiscated all the property of the church. The French directory government made a decree that there would never be another Bishop of Rome, no more Pope. As far as the world was concerned at that time and that year the power of the papacy had come to its end, exactly 1260 from the time it received its political power.
Now, there it is, friends, there's no question about the identity of that little horn. Now, some of you may be saying, "Well, brother Joe, I don't understand why you got off the subject, you started out talking about the beast, and then you diverted over into Daniel and started talking about the little horn of Daniel, what does that have to do with the Beast of Revelation 13?" Well, it has a lot because now please come with me in your Bible to Revelation 13 and let's notice something very, very intriguing. In Revelation 13, I am reading verse six, verse five, rather, and there was given unto him, this is describing the beast of Revelation, and there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy.
Does that sound familiar? Well, that sounds exactly like the little horn of Daniel, doesn't it? Then he goes on to say, and power was given unto him to continue 40 and two months. How many days in 42 months? Exactly 1,260 days. You see friends what we're saying here. The beast of Revelation is doing exactly the same as a little horn of Daniel. Not only that, but in verse seven, it says, "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints." This is a persecuting power, exactly like the little horn of Daniel. Not only that, but this beast gets a deadly wound just like the little horn did. Because in verse three it says, and I saw one of these heads as it were wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast.
Now that deadly wound came in 1798, I described it for you a moment ago, but this prophecy goes a little bit further and says that that deadly wound is going to be healed and that fine, that the whole world is going to wonder after the beast power. Well, that wound was largely healed back in 1929, when Mussolini made a [unintelligible 00:19:04] with the Pope and gave back this property and set up Vatican City. In fact, at that time, the political power of the Vatican City began to operate again, and much of the civil authority that had been taken away was restored.
Since that time, the wound has been healed more and more through the Ecumenical Movement, my friends, and eventually as we're going to learn further in our studies here and especially next Tuesday night, we're going to learn how the whole world is following after the beast tonight. What I'm saying is that the beast and a little horn of Daniel are exactly the same thing. Now folks, we have come here to the end of our message but I want you to look at something very interesting. I want you to see something that maybe you had not noticed before. Two things here about this animal, do you notice that this beast of Revelation 13 is actually made up of the four beasts of Daniel? You see that now? It has the body of the leopard, the feet of the bear, the mouth of the lion, and the ten horns of this fourth beast. Now, why does God represent this modern religious system that we have identified without question? Why does God represent this system by these old pagan kingdoms of the past, Babylon, Persia Greece and Rome. Now, that's what we're going to find out in our next program. I'm going to have to stop now. Our time is gone. Isn't it terrible to have to stop right here at this point? We need to be able to go on and explain to you why this beast is actually made up of these four animals, these old pagan kingdoms of the past. Something else, friends, that we need to understand that we'll also discover in our next study together and that's Revelation 13:2. It says, "The beast which I saw was like unto a leopard. His feet as the feet of a bear, his mouth as the mouth of a lion, and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Now, who is the dragon who gives his power, and seat, and authority to this beast so that he exercises all of this dominion putting 50 million people to death, etc, etc? We're going to find out in our next study who the dragon is. How he gives his power, seat, and authority to this beast.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Joe, for that powerful message on the Beast of Revelation 13. Friends, this is a fascinating prophecy in the Bible. We need to understand it. It's critical, really, for every Christian. To help you in your personal study, I think that you should have a copy of that in print from Joe's book, The Beast, the Dragon, and The Woman. I'll tell you in a minute how to get it, but, first, I would like to take Joe's message today and give hope to it by having you listen to The Messengers sing I'll praise His name higher and higher.
[singing]
[music]