Revelation 13:3 "... and all the world wondered after the beast."
Revelation 13:7 "... and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."
He dresses in his fine clothes and talks of putting the world to rights, calling all the different Christian and sometimes not so Christian groups into unity. He mingles with heads of state and has meetings and telephone calls with them; none are worshiped by the masses as is this man.
Five American presidents in a row eagerly sought audiences with Pope John Paul II, even when the pontiff expressed strong opposition to some of their policies. These presidents were Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. George Bush beat a path to the Vatican three times during the life of John Paul II and once more at his funeral, as the first US president to attend a funeral mass for a pope.
John Paul was eulogized and buried as if he were a king. Other dignitaries and political leaders who attended the funeral were: Islamic leaders from Iran, Syrian President Bashar Assad, Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and Metropolitan Kirill, the foreign minister for the Russian government, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, EU President Jose Manuel Barroso, the presidents of many of the former soviet bloc states and Britain’s Prince Charles, who postponed his Friday wedding plans to come to Rome (amazing) and lead the British delegation which included Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Notice that he shall be mighty, but not by his own power. The scripture says in Revelation 17 about the kings of the earth...
Revelation 17:12-13 "12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast."
In other words, the governments of the world will eventually give their power and strength to the Papacy. The Papacy is destined to rule the world, and the Pope is the figurehead that guides the Papacy. Therefore the nations of the world will one day use their power to support the directions and dogmas of the Pope and the Papacy. In order to accomplish this, the Papacy has to become immensely respected and popular. Everyone can see that this is exactly what is happening today.
Mark 12 - Would Become A Very Powerful Religious Power
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