The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith
According to Revelation 13:15 people will worship an image of the beast.
The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith is a section of the Roman Curia that was held at one time by Cardinal Ratzinger, present Emeritus Pope. The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith was originally called the Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition because it had the duty to defend the church from heresy.
I think it may be possible that the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith may be used by the Holy See Secretary of State (the other beast) in some way.
http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Inquisition&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1 When an inquisitor arrived, a month of grace was allowed to all who wished to confess to heresy and to recant; these were given a light penance, which was intended to confirm their faith. After the period of grace, persons accused of heresy who had not abjured were brought to trial. After 1254 the accused had no right to counsel, but those found guilty could appeal to the pope. The trials were conducted secretly in the presence of a representative of the bishop and of a stipulated number of local laymen. Torture of the accused and his witnesses soon became customary and notorious, despite the long-standing papal condemnation of torture (e.g., by Nicholas I); Innocent IV ultimately permitted torture in cases of heresy. Most trials resulted in a guilty verdict, and the church handed the condemned over to the secular authorities for punishment. Burning at the stake was thought to be the fitting punishment for unrecanted heresy, probably through analogy with the Roman law on treason. However, the burning of heretics was not common in the Middle Ages; the usual punishments were penance, fine, and imprisonment. A verdict of guilty also meant the confiscation of property by the civil ruler, who might turn over part of it to the church.”
Read more about the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_pro_14071997_en.html
The responsibilities of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith include:
(1) defend the church from heresy
(2) to promote and safeguard the doctrine on the faith and morals
(3) for this reason everything which in any way touches such matter falls within its competence
(4) congregation work is divided into four distinct sections: the doctrinal office, the disciplinary office, the matrimonial office and that for priests.
(5) spread sound doctrine and defend those points of Christian tradition which seem in danger because of new and unacceptable doctrines.
Here are some scripture in the New Testament that mention “false prophet“.
Acts 13:6
“And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:”
Revelation 16:13
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”
Revelation 19:20
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
Revelation 20:10
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
THE IMAGE
According to Revelation 13:15 people will worship an image of the beast. Right now I don’t know what this image will be like. I am going to list some speculations I have.
Revelation 13:15
“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”
Image – definition:
- an iconic mental representation; “her imagination forced images upon her too awful to contemplate”
- picture: a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface; “they showed us the pictures of their wedding”; “a movie is a series of images projected so rapidly that the eye integrates them”
- persona: (Jungian psychology) a personal facade that one presents to the world; “a public image is as fragile as Humpty Dumpty”
- prototype: a standard or typical example; “he is the prototype of good breeding”; “he provided America with an image of the good father”
- trope: language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense
- double: someone who closely resembles a famous person (especially an actor); “he could be Gingrich’s double”; “she’s the very image of her mother”
- the general impression that something (a person or organization or product) presents to the public; “although her popular image was contrived it served to inspire music and pageantry”; “the company tried to project an altruistic image”
- visualize: imagine; conceive of; see in one’s mind; “I can’t see him on horseback!”; “I can see what will happen”; “I can see a risk in this strategy”
- effigy: a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture); “the coin bears an effigy of Lincoln”; “the emperor’s tomb had his image carved in stone”
Here are some accounts of “image” in Revelation and in Daniel:
Revelation 13:14
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Revelation 13:15
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Revelation 14:9
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Revelation 14:11
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Revelation 15:2
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Revelation 16:2
And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
Revelation 19:20
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Daniel 2:31
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
Daniel 2:32
This image‘s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Daniel 2:34
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Daniel 2:35
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Daniel 3:1
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Daniel 3:2
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Daniel 3:3
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Daniel 3:5
That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
Daniel 3:7
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Daniel 3:10
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
Daniel 3:12
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Daniel 3:14
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Daniel 3:15
Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Daniel 3:18
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
My first speculation about the image is that the antichrist dies, possibly by martyrdom midway through the seven year tribulation. When he dies the Holy See Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone, canonizes him.
Canonization is usually a long process, but can be shortened by the Holy See.
The first step is when a bishop gives permission for an investigation to take place into a dead person’s life. Information is gathered on the life of the dead person to see what type of life they lived.
The second step is where the information is transferred to the Roman Curia.
The third step is a recommendation that the pope issue a title of “Venerable” to the dead person. At this point people can “pray” to the dead person for a miracle to happen. If a miracle happens to someone while they were praying to the dead person then the dead person is allowed “beatification”.
HOWEVER: If the dead person died as a martyr, or for the “cause of Christ” then the Holy See simply allows beatification. A miracle is not necessary if the person died a martyr.
If more than one miracle has happened during prayer to the dead person by a living person then the dead person can be then called a “saint” and canonization takes place.
IF a dead person’s process toward canonization stops at beatification then the dead person is only worshipped, or venerated, locally in the area where the dead person resided while living.
If a dead person is canonized then the worship of the dead person is universal or global.
I think the antichrist pope may die midway through the tribulation. Cardinal Bertone will then have the former pope canonized and an image made of him and his beast organization. This image will then be worshipped globally.
Being canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic church means that:
- The saint’s name is added to the catalogue of saints allowing worship of the dead person.
- The saint is invoked in public prayers
- Churches may be dedicated in the saint’s memory
- The Mass can be offered in the saint’s honor
- Feast days are celebrated in the saint’s memory
- Images of the saint are made in which his or her head is surrounded by a halo
- The saint’s relics (remains) are enclosed in vessels and publicly honored.
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/practices/honoring_saints/canonization.htm
Here’s where I got the information on canonization: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonization
Canonization (also spelled Canonisation) is the act by which a Christian Church declares a deceased person to be a saint, inscribing that person in the canon, or list, of recognized saints.
In the Roman Catholic Church, the act of canonization is now reserved to the Holy See and occurs at the conclusion of a long process requiring extensive proof that the person proposed for canonization lived, and died, in such a way that he or she is worthy to be recognized as a saint.
Beatification primarily differs from canonization in this: that the former implies (1) a locally restricted, not a universal, permission to venerate, which is (2) a mere permission, and no precept, while canonization implies a universal precept.
Current procedure in the Catholic Church for Canonization:
The process begins at the diocesan level, with the bishop giving permission to open an investigation into the virtues of everyone. This investigation may open no sooner than five years after the death of the person being investigated. However, the pope has the authority to waive this waiting period, as was done for Mother Teresa by Pope John Paul II and for John Paul II himself by his immediate successor, Benedict XVI.
When sufficient information has been gathered, the subject of the investigation is called “Servant of God”, and the process is transferred to the Roman Curia—the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints—where it is assigned a postulator, whose task is to gather all information about the life of the Servant of God.
When enough information has been gathered, the congregation will recommend to the pope that he make a proclamation of the Servant of God’s heroic virtue, which entitles him or her to receive the title “Venerable”. A Venerable has as of yet no feast day, but prayer cards may be printed to encourage the faithful to pray for a miracle wrought by his or her intercession.
The next step depends on whether the Venerable is a martyr. For a martyr, the pope has only to make a declaration of martyrdom, which then allows beatification, yielding the title “Blessed” and a feast day in the Blessed’s home diocese and perhaps some other local calendars. If the Venerable was not a martyr, it must be proven that a miracle has taken place by his or her intercession. Today, these miracles are almost always miraculous cures, as these are the easiest to establish based on the Roman Catholic Church’s requirements for a “miracle.” (The patient was sick, there was no known cure for the ailment, prayers were directed to the Venerable, the patient was cured, and doctors cannot explain it.)
To pass from Blessed to Saint, one (more) miracle is necessary. A saint’s feast day is considered universal, and may be celebrated anywhere within the Roman Catholic Church, although it may or may not appear on the general calendar.
In the case of persons that common usage has called saints from “time immemorial” (in practice, since before 1500 or so), the Church may carry out a “confirmation of cultus”, which is much simpler. For example, Saint Hermann Joseph had his veneration confirmed by Pope John Paul II.
My second speculation is the image could be a live cam broadcasted around the world. Here’s a live cam of the western wall in Jerusalem.
http://www.aish.com/wallcam/Window_on_the_Wall.asp
~It could be an image of the Pope and his beast organization on a television show broadcasted around the world so people can worship the first beast. Pope John Paul II, at one point, delivered his messages to pilgrims and faithful from his private library during a close circuit televised address to those gathering at the Vatican for the traditional Wednesday’s general audience, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005. The pontiff, still recovering after his hospitalization three weeks ago for breathing problems, gave his blessing by video after the Vatican cancelled his appearance at his apartment window while rain and winds lashed Rome.
Read about the Vatican Television, CTV http://www.vatican.va/news_services/television/
THE VATICAN TELEVISION CENTER http://www.vatican.va/news_services/television/documents/ns_ctv_doc_23102001_info-gen_en.htm
The principal aim of CTV is to contribute to spreading the universal message of the Gospel by using television to document the Pope’s pastoral ministry and the activities of the Apostolic See. (From the Statute of June 1st 1998) The main services offered by CTV are the following: live broadcasts, production, archiving, and daily assistance to other broadcasters.
Turn to Revelation 13:13
Revelation 13:13
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Satellite communication systems differ from terrestrial systems in one obvious but important way – the transmitter is moved from the ground to the sky. Because a satellite can see about one-third of the earth’s surface from its position in space, it is able to serve a very large geographical area, thus offering a number of advantages:
http://www.eutelsat.com/home/index.html
Could Revelation 13:13 be talking about the Vatican Television, CTV satellite service, called Eutelsat? Fire coming down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. Electric and magnetic fields traveling from the sky to earth so people might see the image of the antichrist.
Here are some definitions:
com·mu·ni·ca·tions satellite:n. An artificial satellite used to aid telecommunications, as by reflecting or relaying a radio signal.
Definitions of radio signal: a radio wave used to transmit and receive messages
Definitions of Radio Wave: A combination of electric and magnetic fields varying at a radio frequency and traveling through space at the speed of light.
The other beast may deceive the people that live on the earth by using the “miracle” of radio signals which he will have the power to transmit via the Vatican Television, CTV network. The satellite will have the power to transmit only in the sight of the first beast, the Vatican Television an organization fully associated with the Holy See.
The word “miracles” and “wonders” is the same Greek word n {say-mi’-on} which means 1b) a sign, prodigy, portent, i.e. an unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature 1b1) of signs portending remarkable events soon to happen . The wonders and miracles could be relating to the radio waves sent via the communications satellite.
It could be that part of the “other” beast is the Vatican Television network along with Eutelsat, the current Vatican Television communications satellite. The pope-antichrist may broadcast on the Vatican Television and tell everyone “that dwells on the earth” that they should start having daily time of religious worship via satellite from the Vatican in Rome. Their daily worship will include worship of the first beast including the pope-antichrist-Satan.
The “other beast” may monitor the worshipping of people via catholic diocese located in every country and town in the whole world. This would allow the monitoring of who is worshipping the television image of the antichrist. If a person does not worship the antichrist then they will be killed.
This could be where the UN Peacekeepers come in. Peacekeepers could kill anyone who is disrupting the peace of others by not worshipping the antichrist. These people that refused to worship the antichrist could be called terrorists. http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/index.asp
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/info/page3.htm Peacekeeping operations may consist of several components, including a military component, which may or may not be armed, and various civilian components encompassing a broad range of disciplines. Depending on their mandate, peacekeeping missions may be required to: Deploy to prevent the outbreak of conflict or the spill-over of conflict across borders; Stabilize conflict situations after a cease fire, to create an environment for the parties to reach a lasting peace agreement; Assist in implementing comprehensive peace agreements; Lead states or territories through a transition to stable government, based on democratic principles, good governance and economic development.
The Peacekeepers could also distribute the mark, or personal ATM, that allows people to buy food. DO NOT TAKE THIS MARK, TATOO, WHATEVER IT IS. IF YOU DO TAKE THE MARK YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO TO HEAVEN. SEE BELOW SCRIPTURE!!!!
Revelation 14:9
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Revelation 14:10
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Revelation 13:16
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Revelation 13:17
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
I’m stopping here. As current events unfold and prophecy is revealed I will include it here as long as I can. I plan on being taken in the rapture so I’m not sure yet how to get this information to those that will be left behind. But God will show me. Please study your Bible on your own and ask God to lead you. He will also show you what to do.
