Pope Fulfills Prophecy
Does Pope’s Message Fulfill Prophecy?
By now, I expect many Christians have seen the surprising viral video of Pope Francis’ recent appeal for unity with Protestants, presented at a Kenneth Copeland conference of charismatic leaders this past January.
This is not the first time the Catholic Church has made overtures for their “separated Protestant brethren” to return to the fold. What makes this appeal different is the directness and personal nature of the message.
Popes have always embedded these messages into their pontifical letters or as fleeting references in some official speech. This particular message was so homey and personal, however, it took everyone by surprise. Not many months ago, I wrote, “The world now has the first pope with the ability to unite the Catholic and Protestant world—even the press is calling him ‘the people’s pope’!” I think this message of unity speaks to that notion.
There are many probable reasons for his candid appeal to Protestants. And I expect some are as much religious as political. In recent years, the Catholic Church has been rocked by bad press—a financial scandal, mountains of litigation defending priests who have abused children, a mysterious murder in the Vatican, and the unprecedented resignation of a healthy pope.
Now put these things together with the fact that Islam and secularism/atheism are spreading across Europe—and many Catholic churches are virtually empty on Sundays. Yet at the same time, the Charismatic churches are growing in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Australia, and Asia. And, of course, the direction and funding for most of these churches come out of North America.
So is it any wonder the pope would reach out to charismatic leaders in America? The Catholic Church can certainly read the handwriting on the wall. They know if they are going to survive in this new millennium, they will need an alliance with other Christian denominations.
But whatever the cause, do not think that these appeals for unity will mean that the Roman Church is ready to surrender what she considers her rightful authority. In the pope’s message, he says he believes he is like Joseph in the Old Testament, mistreated by and separated from his brothers. Remember, it is the brothers of Joseph, coming to him begging for bread, who bow down before him and move to where he was in Egypt.
Almost as important as the pope’s message is the preamble given by his friend and envoy, Anglican Bishop Tony Palmer. You will hear him declare at least three times in his introductory remarks, “The protest is over,” speaking, of course, of the Protestant Reformation. He even was so bold as to add, “Maybe we are all Catholics now.”
We should also not miss the enthusiastic response to the pope’s message given by these leaders, including a return video message of blessing for the pope.
So is there anything prophetic about this message? Let’s not jump to conclusions—but I venture that it certainly matches the flow of the second beast of Revelation 13, Protestants in North America, making an image to the first beast, Roman Catholics in Europe.
In her book Christian Service, the writer E.G. White comments:
“When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with Spiritualism (the charismatic movement?) … then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near” (GC pp. 160, 161).
But remember, as Bible-believing Christians, we need not be afraid. The Word of God has told us these things must take place.
“Romanism is now regarded by Protestants with far greater favor than in former years. In those countries where Catholicism is not in the ascendancy, and the papists are taking a conciliatory course in order to gain influence, there is an increasing indifference concerning the doctrines that separate the reformed churches from the papal hierarchy; the opinion is gaining ground that, after all, we do not differ so widely upon vital points as has been supposed, and that a little concession on our part will bring us into a better understanding with Rome. The time was when Protestants placed a high value upon the liberty of conscience, which had been so dearly purchased. They taught their children to abhor popery and held that to seek harmony with Rome would be disloyalty to God. But how widely different are the sentiments now expressed!” (GC p. 563).
Perhaps this is what it looks like when prophecy is being fulfilled.
Doug Batchelor
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Pope To Copeland:
Catholics and Charismatics Must Spiritually Unite.
We are galloping toward a one-world melding of religions, and the ramifications are staggering. Pope Francis has now sent a video message to Word of Faith father Kenneth Copeland, urging a reconciliation between Catholics and Charismatics.
“The Catholic and Charismatic Renewal is the hope of the Church,” exclaims Anglican Episcopal Bishop Tony Palmer, before a group of cheering followers at the Kenneth Copeland Ministries. Palmer said those words are from the Vatican. Before playing the video message from Pope Francis to Kenneth Copeland, Palmer told the crowd, “When my wife saw that she could be Catholic, and Charismatic, and Evangelical, and Pentecostal, and it was absolutely accepted in the Catholic Church, she said that she would like to reconnect her roots with the Catholic culture. So she did.”
The crowd cheered, as he continued, “Brothers and sisters, Luther’s protest is over. Is yours?”
Even Kenneth Copeland finds this development incredible: Said Copeland, “Heaven is thrilled over this…You know what is so thrilling to me? When we went into the ministry 47 years ago, this was impossible.”
How can this impossibility be? Could the ears of those once aware of the evils of ecumenicism suddenly be sealing shut? What is even more gobsmackingly painful is the reaction from evangelicals, who seem quite thrilled with this unholy alliance.
Pope’s Words
Here is the transcript:
“Two rules: Love God above all, and love the other (neighbor), because he is your brother and sister. With these two rules we can go ahead. I am here with my brother, my bishop brother, Tony Palmer. We’ve been friends for years.
He told me about your conference, about your meeting. And it’s my pleasure to greet you. A greeting both joyful and nostalgic (yearning). Joyful because it gives me joy that you have come together to worship Jesus Christ the only Lord. And to pray to the Father and to receive the Holy Spirit. This brings me joy because we can see that God is working all over the world. Nostalgic (yearning) because but…it happens, as within our suburbs. In the suburbs there are families that love each other and families that don’t love each other. Families that come together and families who separate themselves. We are kind of…permit me to say, separated.
Separated because, it’s sin that has separated us, all our sins. The misunderstandings throughout history. It has been a long road of sins that we all shared in. Who is to blame? We all share the blame. We have all sinned. There is only one blameless, the Lord. I am nostalgic (yearning), that this separation comes to an end and gives us communion. I am nostalgic (yearning), of that embrace that the Holy Scripture speaks of when Joseph’s brothers began to starve from hunger, they went to Egypt, to buy, so that they could eat.
They went to buy. They had money. But they couldn’t eat the money. But there they found something more than food, they found their brother. All of us have currency. The currency of our culture. The currency of our history. We have lot of cultural riches, and religious riches. And we have diverse traditions. But we have to encounter one another as brothers. We must cry together like Joseph did. These tears will unite us. The tears of love.
I am speaking to you as a brother. I speak to you in a simple way. With joy and nostalgia (yearning). Let us allow our nostalgia (yearning) to grow, because this will propel us to find each other, to embrace one another. And together to worship Jesus Christ as the only Lord of History.
I thank you profoundly for listening to me. I thank you profoundly for allowing me to speak the language of the heart. And I also ask you a favor. Please pray for me, because I need your prayers. And I will pray for you, I will do it, but I need your prayers. And let us pray to the Lord that He unites us all. Come on, we are brothers. Let’s give each other a spiritual hug and let God complete the work that he has begun. And this is a miracle; the miracle of unity has begun.
A famous Italian author named Manzoni, once wrote in his novel, of a simle man amongst the people, who once said this, “I’ve never seen God begin a miracle without Him finishing it well.” He will complete this miracle of unity. I ask you to bless me, and I bless you. From brother to brother, I embrace you. Thank you.”
[Pope Francis]