Ecumenism Advancing
White Horseman Related to “Antichrist”
The Book of Revelation tells of a time that the first seal will be opened by Jesus. Notice what happens:
1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (Revelation 6:1-2)
In 1976, the old WCG taught:
In the book of Revelation we find a disturbing vision of four fearsome horsemen (Rev. 6:1-8). Each of these horsemen is a symbol of the four major punishments to be inflicted upon a rebellious mankind — probably in the not-too-distant future! (Ritter G. The First Horse, False Religion. WCG booklet, 1976).
LCG’s Dr. Meredith taught:
Rome’s constant promotion of the ecumenical movement—encouraging her wayward daughters to “come home”— will also resonate with increasing urgency throughout Europe and even here in North America. It is time for all Bible-believing Christians to WAKE UP! A MASSIVE religious/political union is now in the making in Europe.(Meredith RC. Is the —Beast— Awakening?, Tomorrow’s World, Sep-Oct 2000)
The relentless pressure of the ecumenical movement will also intensify.
The Great Mother Church will be calling with increasing fervor for her daughters to come “home.” Within the next several years, the “second” Beast of Revelation 13 will appear on the scene. We read of this man in Revelation 13:11–14: “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.” This coming powerful religious leader will look like a “lamb.” In Revelation 14 we see that Christ is described as the “Lamb.” So this coming religious leader will appear to be like Christ! But, John writes, he “spoke like a dragon.” (Meredith RC. Who or What Is—The Antichrist? LCG booklet, March 2008)
…even many evangelical Christians—and their ministers—will eventually be caught up in the euphoria of this powerful Babylonish system! For it will be part of the “ecumenical movement.” It will seem like “the thing to do.”(Meredith RC. The Two Babylons. Tomorrow’s World, May-June 2004)
LCG’s Richard Ames taught:
Some commentaries wrongly interpret the first seal to mean that Christianity will evangelize the world and conquer it spiritually. But when we examine Christ’s words in Matthew, we come to a very different conclusion. Jesus warns his followers: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4). Compare this to Revelation 6 and we can see that the first horse and its rider represent FALSE Christs and FALSE religion. (Ames R. Mystery of Revelation. Tomorrow’s World, Jul-Sep 1999).
LCG’s Dr. Winnail taught:
The Roman Church is leading an “ecumenical” drive to bring all professing-Christian churches together under one umbrella, even though it has made clear that it considers itself the one true Church (see Isaiah 47:1–8). The Roman Church is promoting a united Europe, in which it can regain the prominent role it played in the “Holy Roman Empire.”…
The history of medieval Europe sheds light on how a deceptive and militant false form of Christianity will operate when the first horseman of the Apocalypse begins his ride. We are watching these prophecies come alive today! (Winnail D. The Mysterious First Horseman. Tomorrow’s World, Nov-Dec 2004)
Two of the most significant events in the last 2,000 years of religious history were the Great Schism and the Reformation. In 1054ad, church leaders in Rome and Constantinople mutually excommunicated each other over doctrinal differences, creating the Great Schism that has separated the western Roman Catholic Church from the Eastern Orthodox Church for almost a thousand years. The 15th century saw the birth of the Protestant Reformation… Many ecumenically minded church leaders believe that the Holy Spirit is leading them toward greater unity. (Winnail D. A Return to Rome? Tomorrow’s World, Nov-Dec 2008).
There have been many interesting ecumenical developments since the Feast of Trumpets in 2009.
In September 2009, the Eastern Orthodox held a significant pan-Orthodox conference; working towards unity was one of the objectives (World Council of Churches Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Consultation Towards the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) Leros, Greece. 15-22 September 2009). By itself, the meeting does not seem like too much, but it was partially in response to the World Council of Churches and later Orthodox developments suggest that it might have been important.
On October 15, 2009, the Vatican’s then top ecumenical official reported:
The official dialogue between the Catholic Church and the mainline Protestant Churches — Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed and Methodist — is entering a new phase, says the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Cardinal Walter Kasper pointed this out Thursday during a press conference at the Vatican…(Cardinal Kasper on 40 Years of Dialogue Says Catholic-Protestant Relations Entering New Phase. Zenit, October 16, 2009)
Notice this was called “a new phase” in the official dialogue, suggesting that major changes were occurring. On the next day, the Vatican and the Orthodox began a new round of ecumenical negotiations.
The eleventh meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church took place in Paphos, Cyprus, a city with a rich history, having received three Apostles, Paul, Barnabas and Mark. The meeting took place from 16-23 October 2009…The Orthodox meeting discussed among other things the negative reactions to the Dialogue by certain Orthodox circles, and unanimously considered them as totally unfounded and unacceptable, providing false and misleading information. (Comminique. JOINT INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. 11TH PLENARY SESSION.Paphos, Cyprus, 16-23 October 2009. Paphos, Cyprus, 22 October 2009. http://www.ec-patr.org/docdisplay.php?lang=en&id=1124&tla=en).
The International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church has progressed in its reflection on the role of the bishop of Rome. The meeting was attended by 20 Catholic members; all Orthodox Churches were represented, with the exception of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria. The commission worked under the guidance of two co-presidents: the Catholic representative was Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; and the Orthodox representative was Metropolitan Ioannis Zizioulas of Pergamum. (Orthodox-Catholic Commission Studies Primacy of Peter Concludes 11th Plenary Session in Paphos. Zenit, October 23, 2009)
As reported here previously, I personally was told when I was in Istanbul in May of 2008 at the office of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, that the Vatican stated that it would compromise doctrine to attain unity with the Orthodox. The Vatican basically wants the Orthodox to bend on the primacy of Peter/Rome issue, as it is willing change on most of the rest of the doctrinal differences. So, it is interestingly that both groups had a major meeting on the “primacy of Peter” subject.
On October 20, 2009, the Vatican announced that it would amend its constitution to allow for the change to allow the Anglicans to be in communion with Rome–without the Anglicans really having to do much of anything. Obviously, the decision was made prior to this formal announcement. The timing of this seems to have been meant to send a signal to the Eastern Orthodox that if they want something like was offered to the Anglicans, Rome would also offer them unity while allowing their priests to be married, and without changes to their liturgy.
This decision to amend the Vatican’s constitution to allow for the Anglicans would have involved many Catholic leaders, and one of them might become the False Prophet (the final Antichrist). This Vatican announcement allowed married Anglican priests to remain married and still be part of the clergy. This is something that the Eastern Orthodox would also likely insist upon to end its “schism” with Rome.
Interestingly, even the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill started to sound “ecumenical” in later 2009. Yet, then Metropolitan Kirill was so opposed to unity with the Vatican, that a few days prior to his election to his current post in January 2009, he publicly stated “there is no room for compromise” with the Vatican. However, by mid-November 2009, he apparently changed his mind (Cooper R. Russian Orthodox and Catholic church may end 950-year rift. Telegraph, November 13, 2009).
In February 2010, leaders of the Ecumenical Lutherans had a:
“2010 Ecumenical Journey,” and…visited Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic world leaders…In its 22-year history, the ELCA has established full communion relationships with the Episcopal Church, the Moravian Church, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ, and most recently the United Methodist Church. (ELCA Delegation, Roman Catholic Ecumenists, Discuss Future Vision. ECLA News Service, February 14, 2010)
The Lutheran leaders met with the Vatican and others in that “ecumenical journey”.
Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople (who has a certain primacy among the “sees” of the Eastern Orthodox) even came out in an encyclical and publicly warned against those who would oppose Vatican-Orthodox unity in late February 2010 (Patriarch of Constantinople’s new encyclical defends Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. Catholic News Agency, February 20, 2010).
In May 2010, a meeting between the leaders of the somewhat estranged Eastern and Russian Orthodox (Kishkovsky S. Orthodox leaders meet to heal a rift. New York Times, May 24, 1010.). The top two leaders of this group, however, have long had a personal working relationship, prior to being elevated to their current positions (Lipich O. The visit of Patriarch Bartholomew to Russia is intended to strengthen intra-Orthodox ties. Voice of Russia, May 22, 2010). Ecumenism is blooming amongst the Orthodox (though there will likely be some problems).
Behind the scenes in early February 2010, a Catholic Bishop from the German-speaking portion of Switzerland, by the name of Kurt Koch, privately accepted Pope Benedict XVI’s offer to be president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. This was not publicly announced until July 1, 2010.
Zenit (a pro-Vatican news agency) reported two different, but interesting, but perhaps related, ecumenical items a little while ago:
Benedict XVI says that dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox is at a “crucial point” and invited heartfelt prayer to the Holy Spirit for progress to continue. The Pope said this today when he addressed members of a delegation from Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I… Benedict XVI highlighted the work of the Orthodox-Catholic mixed commission, saying it “is at a crucial point, having begun last October in Paphos…” (Pope Praises Orthodox Commitment to Unity. Zenit, June 28, 2010).
Bishop Kurt Koch of Basel, Switzerland, has been appointed to succeed Cardinal Walter Kasper as the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The announcement of Archbishop Koch’s appointment was made today, coming simultaneously with elevation to the dignity of archbishop…
The 60-year-old archbishop has already served on the pontifical council since 2002, as well as being a member of the International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. He also has formed part of the International Catholic-Lutheran Commission for Unity. (Swiss Bishop Tapped for Unity Office. Zenit, July 1, 2010.)
So, negotiations between the Vatican and the Eastern Orthodox were at a “crucial stage” a few weeks ago, and now a new Vatican leader for ecumenical matters has been installed.
Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, officially endorsed Archbishop Koch’s appointment in July 2010. Mark S. Hanson (presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit (general secretary of the World Council of Churches), and others also did so as well in July.
About his appointment, Catholic Archbishop Kurt Koch himself stated:
The Holy Father told me in February, in a personal audience, his desire that I would begin to lead this council. It is a great joy for me because ecumenism has always been in my heart since in my country, Switzerland, Protestants are very close to us and I have also had a particular interest in the Orthodox Churches…
The Holy Father has done much. In the first homily after his election he said openly that ecumenism is a challenge that comes from Jesus Christ and that, at this time dialogue finds good foundations in the documents of the Second Vatican Council.
In pastoral journeys he has always dedicated a part to ecumenism. Let us consider for example the trip to England, which will take place in September. It won’t be easy because the Anglicans’ situation isn’t easy. It’s said that Benedict XVI wishes especially to foster ecumenical dialogue with the Orthodox. For me it is impressive.
The Holy Father has asked me to do this work and an element that he has stressed much is that he wants a bishop who knows the churches of the Reformation not only in books but by personal experience. This tells us how close the Holy Father is to the churches of the Reformation. (Why a Swiss Bishop for the Unity Council. Zenit, July 13, 2010. http://www.zenit.org/article-29881?l=english)
Notice that Kurt Koch has his new position to get the Protestants (”the churches of the Reformation”) and the Eastern Orthodox to be part of an ecumenical deal (though he differs from Pontiff Benedict by calling the Protestant groups ”churches”). This is ecumenical plan is consistent with biblical, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox prophecies. And while he will likely have issues this month with many of the Anglicans in the UK, he and the pontiff plan to move ahead with their ecumenical agenda.
Almost amazingly the Catholics and Orthodox are being portrayed as “Europe’s Brothers”:
High-ranking representatives of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches embraced on Monday in a moment reflecting a will for unity between the two Churches.
A photo of the embrace between Cardinal Peter Erdo and Metropolitan Filaret was printed with the title “Europe’s Brothers.”
…The Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches are already united in their common stance on many issues affecting Europe… (Catholic, Russian Orthodox Churches Embrace: Cardinal and Metropolitan Show Will for Unity at Rimini Meeting. Zenit, August 24, 2010)
Thus, the idea of unity is becoming more and more public.
Perhaps I should state that the Eastern Orthodox have long believed that they will get the Vatican to change. Notice what my “2012” book reports:
The Orthodox have long taught that the Church of Rome (known sometimes as Latins) will change doctrines to those of the Orthodox. A document known as the Anonymou Prophecy of 1053 refers to this as the “Deferring of the Latins to the error-free faith of the Orthodox.”
Unity has long been both a Vatican and Eastern Orthodox goal. However until recently, it seemed more of a longing than something anyone would try to resolve. But now, that is changing.
The old WCG (Ritter G. The First Horse, False Religion. WCG booklet, 1976) and the current LCG recognize that the four riders in Revelation 6 are in the same order as the first four events Jesus listed as part of the “beginning of sorrows” in Matthew 24. Partially because of this, we understand that the rider of the first horse represents a deceiving religion that claims that Jesus is the Christ (e.g. Matthew 24:5; Revelation 6:3). Since the Bible, in several places, suggests a world-encompassing religion (Isaiah 47:6-9; Revelation 13:3-4; 13:12-17; 17:17-18; cf. Daniel 11:37-39), some type of ecumenical meetings likely need to take place before “ecumenical unity” is attained.
From August 27-30 2010, a conference was held by the Pope with Kurt Koch the primary speaker:
L’Osservatore Romano reported that the main speaker for this year’s study weekend will be Archbishop Kurt Koch, the new president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity The Swiss prelate will give two lectures, one on “Vatican II Between Tradition and Innovation” and another on “Sacrosanctum concilium” and the reform of the liturgy…
The topic chosen is central to Benedict XVI’s pontificate. He has often indicated that the council was not a rupture with tradition, but a deepening of the Church’s 2,000-year history.
In his first address as Pope to the Roman Curia, he pointed to two opposing interpretations of the council, which Archbishop Koch will address in his first lecture.
The Holy Father said…”On the other, there is the ‘hermeneutic of reform,’ of renewal in the continuity of the one subject-Church which the Lord has given to us. She is a subject which increases in time and develops, yet always remaining the same, the one subject of the journeying People of God.” (Ratzinger Students to Consider Vatican II. Zenit, 26 August 2010. http://www.zenit.org/article-30162?l=english).
Archbishop Koch’s intervention examined “The Second Vatican Council between tradition and innovation” and “Sacrosanctum concilium and the post-Conciliar reform of the liturgy.” (Pope and Past Pupils Interpret Vatican II. Vatican Radio. 31 August 2010. http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=419039)
Based upon what Zenit reported from the Pontiff, it appears that the Vatican is coming up with ways to rationalize how to change yet claim to be “always remaining the same”. This somewhat contradictory view is likely to be held by whoever becomes the final Antichrist (one who I believe will be an “antipope” in the sense that he will profess, but not truly believe, the Catholic religion).
Here is a report of a little of what Kurt Koch said (more details have been difficult to come by) in that conference:
Archbishop Koch told L’Osservatore Romano (LOR) on Wednesday that the meeting of the Pope’s former theology students was “a concrete, lively and positive experience.” He said that the participants’ conclusion after examining the reform of the Second Vatican Council over the weekend was that “(l)oyalty to tradition, openness to the future: is the most correct interpretation of Vatican II, which remains the magna carta of the Church also in the third millennium.”…
Although he shared few details of his audience with Benedict XVI on Monday morning, the archbishop did tell LOR that he and the Pope spoke about his “new ecumenical challenge because the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity is not independent (from the Pontiff) but it has a mandate from the Pope to see how dialogue may develop in the future.” (Archbishop Koch pledges unity with Pope as he assumes new Vatican post. Vatican City, Sep 1, 2010. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-koch-pledges-unity-with-pope-as-he-assumes-new-vatican-post/)
The use of “Vatican II” (a major meeting of the Church of Rome which opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI on 8 December 1965) to justify many things has raised questions for decades amongst those who consider themselves affiliated with the Church of Rome. Many Catholics have questioned how the Vatican can claim to be the same while making changes.
Now, it appears that Vatican II will be part of the cover being used to promote unity with other faiths.
Ecumenical Council?
On February 21, 2010, after blasting critics of Roman Catholic-Eastern Orthodox unity as “fanatical”, Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople stated that:
“union between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches…is not decided by theological commissions but by Church Synods” (Bartholomew I. Patriarchal and Synodal Encyclical on the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Prot. No. 213, February 21, 2010. http://www.ec-patr.org/docdisplay.php?lang=en&id=1168&tla=en). This is actually a hint that Bartholomew I expects an ecumenical synod, or what some in the Orthodox world have called the 8th synod or ecumenical council (the Orthodox accept seven councils as authoritative and ecumenical).
But he neglected to pointed out that theological commissions seem to be the vehicle that leads to synods. And that he likely expects such a synod. Interestingly, there is an old Orthodox prophecy and a Roman Catholic one, that Patriarch Bartholomew I should be aware of, which tells of a coming ecumenical synod/council:
Saint Nelios the Myrrh-Gusher (died 1592): During that time the Eighth and last Ecumenical Synod will take place, which will satisfy the contentions of the heretics…(Tzima Otto, Great Monarch and WWIII, Verenikia Press, Rock Hill (SC), 2000, p. 111)
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (Born in the 17th century, in Germany): There will be an ecumenical council which will be the greatest of all councils. By the grace of God, by the power of the Great Monarch, and by the authority of the Holy Pontiff, and by the union of the most devout princes, atheism and every heresy will be banished from the earth. The Council will…be believed and accepted by everyone (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 40).
This “synod” should not be looked forward to, but feared. By satisfying “heretics”, clearly this council compromises and changes the religion, which will be called “Catholic”.
A Catholic prophecy shows that after its church is changed (reformed below), the Orthodox will come back:
Roger Bacon (died 1294): There shall arise a…priest to reform the Church. The Greeks will return (to the Church)…there will be one fold, one shepherd. (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p. 149)
Also notice the following warning from a Catholic nun:
Anna-Katarina Emmerick (October 1, 1820): The Church is in great danger…The Protestant doctrine and that of the schismatic Greeks are to spread everywhere. I now see that in this place (Rome) the (Catholic) Church is being so cleverly undermined, that there hardly remain a hundred or so priests who have not been deceived. They all work for the destruction, even the clergy. A great destruction is now at hand…
(April 22, 1823): I saw that many pastors allowed themselves to be taken up with ideas that were dangerous to the Church. They were building a great, strange, and extravagant Church. Everyone was admitted in it in order to be united and to have equal rights: Evangelicals, Catholics, sects of every description. Such was to be the new Church (Dupont, pp. 66, 71).
Various events around the globe suggest that people of many faiths are getting to the point where they are likely to accept some type of ecumenical religion.
Notice carefully the following Catholic prophecy:
Frederick William Faber (died 1863):…Antichrist…Many believe in a demonical incarnation—this will not be so—but he will be utterly possessed…His doctrine as apparent contradiction of no religion, yet a new religion…He has an attending pontiff, so separating regal and prophetic office (Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 87).
That prophecy, which is in a book with an official imprimatur from a Catholic bishop (as well as others), suggests that there soon may be a change to the “Catholic” religion that will make it the religion of the final Antichrist.
This change will not seem to be a contradiction, but it will be a new religion—like a new order within the Catholic religion.
All (Catholic or otherwise) should be careful, compare their teachings with the Bible, pray to God, and not accept doctrines that are unbiblical for the sake of this coming ecumenical unity.
Since the Feast of Trumpets in 2009, many steps have taken place which appear to be setting the stage for the long expected ecumenical religion. And that seems to be an important event we should be watching for. Since the Red Horseman of war is listed after the White Horseman in Revelation 6, ecumenical issues logically were expected to intensify. Warring activity may increase as well relatively soon (Atonement) as much has happened on the ecumenical front already.
Those who wish to learn why the ecumenical discussions are dangerous may wish to read the following articles:
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The talks for unification involve compromise and the apparent rising up of a changed religion that no one should accept.
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
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