Economic road to 666
Sculpture of Constantine’s Head
(Photo by Jean-Christophe BENOIST)
Many credit the pagan Emperor Constantine’s edict in 313 to provide freedom of religion in the old Roman Empire.
Yet, he later decided that economic persecution should be employed against those who did not accept his preferred form(s) of religion.
Around 332, Constantine issued what is known as the Edict Against the Heretics,
Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to the heretics. “Understand now, by this present statute, ye Novatians, Valentinians, Marcionites, Paulians, ye who are called Cataphrygians, and all ye who devise and support heresies by means of your private assemblies …
And in order that this remedy may be applied with effectual power, we have commanded, as before said, that you be positively deprived of every gathering point for your superstitious meetings, I mean all the houses of prayer, if such be worthy of the name, which belong to 540 heretics, and that these be made over without delay to the catholic Church; that any other places be confiscated to the public service, and no facility whatever be left for any future gathering; in order that from this day forward none of your unlawful assemblies may presume to appear in any public or private place. Let this edict be made public.” (Chapters LXIV, LXV.—Constantine’s Edict against the Heretics. This document is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College).
This included persecution against real Christians.
Furthermore, this was done again later under the sanctions of Pope Leo. This was confirmed by the Third Lateran Council in 1179, which apparently also decided that economic blackmail was the preferred form of persecution:
As St. Leo says, though the discipline of the church should be satisfied with the judgment of the priest and should not cause the shedding of blood, yet it is helped by the laws of catholic princes so that people often seek a salutary remedy when they fear that a corporal punishment will overtake them. For this reason, since in Gascony and the regions of Albi and Toulouse and in other places the loathsome heresy of those whom some call the Cathars, others the Patarenes, others the Publicani, and others by different names, has grown so strong that they no longer practise their wickedness in secret, as others do, but proclaim their error publicly and draw the simple and weak to join them, we declare that they and their defenders and those who receive them are under anathema, and we forbid under pain of anathema that anyone should keep or support them in their houses or lands or should trade with them. (Third Lateran Council, Canon 27. 1179 A.D. Translation taken from Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, ed. Norman P. Tanner).
The Third Lateran Council took place under Pope Alexander III, Frederick I being emperor. There were 302 bishops present. It condemned the Albigenses and Waldenses (The 21 Ecumenical Councils. Source: The Catholic Encyclopedia, http://www.newadvent.org/library/almanac_14388a.htm 02/12/06).
Later, killing of those who were unapproved was authorized in Canon 3 of the Fourth Lateran Council which in 1215 decreed:
Secular authorities, whatever office they may hold, shall be admonished and induced and if necessary compelled by ecclesiastical censure, that as they wish to be esteemed and numbered among the faithful, so for the defense of the faith they ought publicly to take an oath that they will strive in good faith and to the best of their ability to exterminate in the territories subject to their jurisdiction all heretics pointed out by the Church; so that whenever anyone shall have assumed authority, whether spiritual or temporal, let him be bound to confirm this decree by oath (Twelfth Ecumenical Council: Lateran IV 1215, Canon 3. From H. J. Schroeder, Disciplinary Decrees of the General Councils: Text, Translation and Commentary, (St. Louis: B. Herder, 1937). pp. 236-296. as cited in: Medieval Sourcebook. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/lateran4.html viewed 04/08/10).
Jesus taught:
20 If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also (John 15:20).
Sadly, many of those who claim to be Christian do not keep Jesus’ word, have persecuted in the past, and will persecute in the future. And this will include real Christians:
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)
The “He” above is the European 666 Beast power. The above will last 3 1/2 years and take place during the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? ).
We are seeing signs in Europe and even in the USA of the use of economic pressures against those that government authorities have issues with.
In the case of the USA, we have seen various ones ‘deplatformed’ from YouTube who were generating at least part of their living from that. Some have also been stopped from having a PayPal account which is one way payments and donations are made over the internet.
It has been reported this Spring that Chase bank closed the accounts of one or more people for reasons that suggest that Chase did not agree with their political and/or religious views (see Chase Bank closes accounts of those with ‘conservative views’? BofA? A portend of 666?).
A Baptist pastor indicated that Bank of America closed his church’s bank accounts because of his views on aspects of sexual immorality:
Pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona said Monday on YouTube that Bank of America shut down all the bank accounts of his church.
“This morning, I found out that Bank of America shut down all of our bank accounts froze our accounts without notice and we can’t even get our money out,” Anderson said on YouTube. “We can’t even walk into the bank and withdraw our money they just froze everything, shut everything down.”
“They’re supposedly going to send us a cashier’s check in like two weeks for all the money that was in our church bank account but in the meantime they just took all our money away,” Anderson said.
Anderson has attracted controversy over the years due to his fundamentalist preachings on homosexuality. 04/15/19 https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=60066
While the banks deny that they use political or religious views as a determinant for closing accounts, the reality is that this does seem to be a factor. And in modern times, it is difficult to buy or sell without a bank account. Particularly if some or all revenue comes from people over the internet.
In Europe, the EU has set up massive fining systems to motivate places like YouTube and Facebook to remove content the government considers to be inappropriate. Now while I am NOT saying that all that the EU wants to be removed should be allowed, what I am saying is that this is helping set up the road for 666 dominance in the future.
Also in Europe, it has announced the desire to form two agencies that will be looking into and/or enforcing various financial laws. One has been called the ‘European FBI” (see German leaders pushing for European military, European FBI, ‘Christian values,’ and 666).
Here is some information about another:
In a major, first-of-its-kind move, the European Union is setting up a European-wide prosecutor’s office that will have power to investigate and charge people for financial crimes committed against the EU.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is expected to come into force next year or early in 2021. Akin to federal prosecutors in the United States, the new agency will consist of a central office in Luxembourg and satellite prosecutors’ offices in individual EU countries.
“Crimes involving EU funds are not a priority for national authorities, and that’s a problem,” said Carl Dolan, director of Transparency International EU, an anti-corruption Berlin-based watchdog group, in a telephone interview with Courthouse News. “There is a general perception that this is not anybody’s money, it comes from Brussels and therefore it doesn’t really matter what they do with the money.”
Though the EU prosecutors’ powers will be limited to going after financial crimes involving the EU’s financial interests, experts said this will be an improvement over assigning cases to national prosecutors. 01/16/19 https://www.courthousenews.com/%EF%BB%BFin-major-step-europe-sets-up-an-eu-prosecutors-office/
Governments have a tendency to expand enforcement, the reach of enforcement and investigative agencies. That will happen in Europe.
When I first learned of this EU plan, after thinking about the ‘666’ prophecy, I immediately thought of the Spanish Inquisition as this seemed to me to be a step towards having a persecutor (of course, nowadays being called a prosecutor).
The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:
The European Union is in the process of establishing the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.This is a major, first-of-its-kind move, with the EU setting up a European-wide prosecutor’s office that will have power to investigate and charge people for financial crimes committed against the EU. It looks like this type of office may end up persecuting those that do not have the mark of the Beast when they “buy or sell” as that will later be considered a financial crime in Europe. What does 666 mean? How has that name be calculated? How can we be certain that this is a prophecy for Europe and not Islam? Is the appointment of this new office of significant prophetic importance? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more by pointing to scriptures, news items, and historical accounts.
Here is a link to the sermonette video: EU Setting Up 666 Enforcer?
Now, here is the 666 prophecy:
15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:15-18)
The above prophecy suggests that there will be enforcers of the mark of the beast as well as for the control of buying and selling. We are also seeing things like electronic money, which did not exist a century ago, get more widespread acceptance. Electronic money will make 666’s enforcement possible.
And we see from Bible prophecy that 666’s plan will involve both economic and murderous persecution.
Now, it is true that Revelation 13 has to do with Europe, but what is happening in the USA with its big tech and banking rules is helping ‘pave the way’ for 666.
Economic blackmail and other forms of financial persecution have been used throughout history against many, including true Christians (see Persecutions by Church and State).
The road to doing this in the future is being established right now.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions Was the Church of Rome really responsible for this? What happened? A video of related interest is titled: The Past and Future Inquisition.
Internet Control, Famine of the Word, and 666 On October 1, 2016, the USA officially relinquished control over the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), despite objections from certain political leaders and former military officials. Might this lead to more censorship, imposition on non-biblical ‘community standards,’ and loss of first amendment rights? Could this transfer of control have any prophetic ramifications? Will the internet be a factor in the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28 and the coming ‘famine of the word’ that the Prophet Amos warned about? Will internet control be something that the 666 power will have? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more in this video.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the COG views this, and compares this to Ellen White. Here is a link to a prophetic video Six Financial Steps Leading to 666?
The Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
Mark of the Beast What is the mark of the Beast? Who is the Beast? What have various ones claimed the mark is? What is the ‘Mark of the Beast’?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous.
WTO/TTIP and the Babylonian Beast Will international trade agreements like WTO/TTIP/CETA lead to the fulfillment of end time prophecies concerning the Babylonian Beast power that the Book of Revelation warns against? What does the Bible teach? A related video would be WTO Trade Deal and the Rise of the European Beast Power.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Trade Wars: Are COG warnings coming to pass? Trade issues, tariffs, and talk of trade wars are in the news. Can trade wars lead to World War III like they did to World War II? Are the events going on with the USA, UK, Asia, and Europe consistent with warnings published by the true Church of God (COG) over the past several years and decades? Do Germany and China hope to take advantage of trade frictions involving the Trump Administration and the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement? What about Mexico and South America? Does the Bible teach that Europe will become a major trading power? Will the final European Babylonian trading power be destroyed? In this video, Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.
The End of US Dollar Dominance Is the USA losing its economic status? What about the petro-gold-yuan? A related video is also available: US Dollar being challenged by Gold-Petro-Yuan.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
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