The reason you are seeing an increase of the return to obedience to the Word of God in these last days, is this return was prophesied of the people of God immediately preceding the return of Messiah Yeshua to rule and reign. Before you get all excited, please note that “immediately” to God can be several years, even decades, for us (we do not know the day or hour – but we do know the season!) … but you will only see this sort of thing INCREASE as the time gets closer to the end, and not decrease. It is what the Spirit is saying to the churches in this hour. And with that, SHABBAT SHALOM!
Hitler’s Pope
The book I have in my library is by the same name, Hitler’s Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII by John Cornwell. It talks about the collaboration between the office of the Papacy and Hitler in the extermination of the Jews during the Holocaust. One of the characteristics of the ten horns of the Roman Beast is the cooperation in some way, of the imperial power with the spiritual power which came to represent or be represented by the office of the Papacy. That Hitler and the Pope cooperated is an important factor in determining whether Hitler was in fact one of the ten horns.
But you will notice that this book is absent from the Bibliography. It is because the only other information I could discover about this topic at the time was that the book was full of lies (The Myth of Hitler’s Pope: Pope Pius XII And His Secret War Against Nazi Germany by David Dalin). And at the time I was not sure who was telling the truth. However, since that time multiple witnesses have come to my attention which seem to confirm that the pope at the time did in fact collaborate with Hitler. Here is a list I am working on adding to my library:
Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews: A History by James Carroll
The Pilgrim: Pope Paul VI, The Council and The Church in a Time of Decision by Michael Serafian
God and the Fascists: The Vatican Alliance with Mussolini, Franco, Hitler, and Pavelic by Karlheinz Deschner
Hitler and the Catholic Church by Keelie Smith
The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican’s Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism by David I. Kertzer
The Catholic Church and Nazi Germany by Guenter Lewy
“But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’” Mat 18:16
To be fair, I also have on my list a book which has yet to be released:
Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History by Rodney Stark
I have not read this obviously. I will let you know as soon as I do.
SEPT. 14 UPDATE: This article was just released this week, with a link to a documentary National Geographic did about this very subject:
Pope vs. Hitler – National Geographic
What is the takeway? Well, the books and documentary were written to expressly debunk John Cornwall’s book, Hitler’s Pope. First Things is a Catholic publication. But National Geographic, presumably, is not. That there is so much still written about this after all this time, means that the question still persists of the Pope’s involvement. We do not want to bear false witness, so we might not ever be able to say who is right in a battle of he said / she said. But we see here even in the 20th century, the previously established pattern of connection and cooperation between Church and State with the end result in the fulfillment of the prophecy, no matter who intended what.
Three Forms of the Medieval Roman Empire
I apologize that I have been absent today! So many last minute details to finalize before the books ship! Whoo hoo! I am happy to announce that the endnote posting has resumed on the book website. This is one that was posted today:
The modern (actually, medieval) Roman Empire that we have been dealing with since Rev 13 is also in three parts: the beast of the sea, the land, and the image of the beast. The beast of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, is the representation of the kingdoms of this world, which are all patterned after Babel in their philosophy and operation. … So the kingdoms of this world are represented by Rome, the terrible fourth beast of Daniel’s vision.
The second third is the beast from the land, which we saw the Roman papacy fulfilled, and the third of the thirds is the image of the beast whose deadly wound was healed, which is fulfilled in the Holy Roman Empire. (pp. 195-196).
“The beast is the Roman power in three forms, Imperial, Papal, and the Holy Roman Empire. The beast with seven heads is the secular power of the Roman Empire; the lamb-like beast who looks like Jesus but talks like the devil is the Papacy; the image to the beast is the Holy Roman Empire.”
– Fred Miller, Revelation: A Panorama of the Gospel Age, Ch. 9, “The Seven Last Plagues: The Decline and Fall of the Papacy.”
The Three Forms of the Medieval Roman Empire
Posting this today actually solidified something in my mind that has been growing as I have finished working on this book. Just as there are three series of judgments, seals, trumpets, and bowls, there are three series of Roman incarnations that each set of judgments is poured out upon. The seals judge the ancient Roman incarnation, the trumpets judge the medieval Roman incarnation, and the bowls judge the modern Roman incarnation. The judgment of the Roman beast is almost done!
6th Bowl Poured out on the Euphrates
Daily musing, today on the 6th bowl of wrath poured out on the Euphrates. Its purpose is to prepare the way for the kings of the east, to respond to the call for the nations to gather at Armageddon. The Euphrates represents the Turkish Empire, the Ottoman Turks, who were dissolved at the conclusion of World War I in 1917. But today can the kings of the east march from Asia to Israel? No – because an Islamist Empire, held together by the Islamist ideology, holds sway there, and war is ongoing. What if the wrath poured out on the Euphrates means the destruction of Islamist ideology altogether, and not ONLY the Ottoman Empire? Even though Islamist ideology seems strong today, there is a huge revival going on at its foundation, among the common people, converting to faith in Messiah Yeshua. Just as in 100-300 AD, and the fierce persecution of Christian faith led to the collapse of the ruling power and its conversion to that faith, might we be seeing the same thing repeat?