"A REMARKABLE PROPHETIC FULFILMENT": The E.E.C. Prophetically Considered
A Sermon preached by Dr. Paisley on the Lord's Day 10th June 1984 before the European Elections
The Word of God is a light shining in the midst of darkness. It casts its light downward so that we can behold and take heed to the pitfalls and the temptations of life's pilgrimage. It casts its light upward so that we may behold the Wonder of God upon His Throne, and can look above the storm clouds of earth to the One who directs all things after the counsel of His own will. It also casts its light backwards so that we can come to a better understanding of the past, for as we understand what God has done in the past, so we can expect God to do the same in the future.
The Bible also casts its light forward, and amidst the encircling gloom of this final Gospel Age as the storm clouds of final judgment approach, and as this world staggers towards its climax and its conclusion, the people of God are given the privilege to understand the things that are going to take place. They can then nerve themselves for those great calamities which are approaching this world and they can have, like the men of Issachar, understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do.
We Must Understand
We are in the midst of this Second European Election. I delivered a series of messages during the first European Election, and I pointed out that the prophecy of Daniel and the prophecy of Revelation chapter 17 should be carefully studied in this connection. The great world kingdom of Babylon has long since disappeared. The great world kingdom of Media Persia has long since disappeared. The great world kingdom of Greece has long since disappeared, and the great world kingdom of pagan Rome has long since disappeared.
The toes, however, of the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw, which grew out at the bottom of that Roman Empire, being its final manifestation, [4] represent ten kingdoms which will be in existence, with tremendous political power in Europe, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes. The stone cut out without hands will smash the image on its feet. So it is quite clear that when Jesus Christ comes, there will be a ten kingdom confederacy controlling and dominating the era in Europe, and in that way controlling and dominating world affairs.
The Update of Antichrist's Kingdom
When we turn from Daniel chapter 2 to Revelation 17 we have an update of the kingdom of the Antichrist. We find that as the first kingdom was known as Babylon, the final manifestation will be known as Babylon. In the seventeenth chapter of Revelation we have a vision of that kingdom. The ten horns of the beast are the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar's image, the ten kingdom confederacy. Now we see something more, we see that the beast with these horns is controlled by a woman that sits astride the beast, and the woman is named in Revelation chapter 17, verse 5, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH".
What Is Happening
We need to keep our eye upon Europe and find out what is happening, and we have discovered that the European nations have been coming together in, what has been called, the E.E.C. or the European Economic Community. Slowly it has evolved.
First of all it was really an effort by Western Germany and France, and then Italy and the Benelux countries, but slowly we have seen the evolution in Europe of this great Common Market confederacy. Of course, it is spreading, it now includes Greece and it is stretching out to embrace Portugal and Spain, and before very long you will have in Europe a ten kingdom confederacy. We haven't seen the final draft of that confederacy at the moment, it is just evolving. It will all work out according to this Book, you can be absolutely sure about that. Astride that beast in Europe is the woman - the woman of Babylon - the bride of the Antichrist, the Church of Rome herself.
Deception
The Reformers away back in the 16th century had the vision, they saw the woman astride the beast. Then, of course, the Church of Rome started to sow her message of unbelief, and Protestant Churches that always held that Revelation chapter 17 was an exposure of Rome weakened their stand, [5] diluted their message, and so it is very unpopular for any preacher tonight to dare to tell a 'modern, well educated congregation' that the Church of Rome is described in Revelation 17. It is not the done thing, but as I read that Book I can see the Church of Rome in that chapter. I see her carefully, minutely portrayed by the penmanship of the Holy Ghost. Yes, and how accurately does the Holy Ghost portray Rome in that chapter!
A Startling Example of Fulfilled Prophecy
I never thought I would see it in this fashion, as we have seen it in the past weeks, for in the past weeks there has been issued a special stamp by Her Majesty's Government.
I was putting a stamp on a letter the other day, I don't often do that, because I have other people who lick my stamps for me and send out my mail, but I had to do it one night and I looked at the stamp bearing the inscription, 'Second Election European Parliament', and what did I see? I saw the seas with a fish swimming in them (Look at Revelation 17, verse 1 'The great whore that sitteth upon many waters').
When I looked at the stamp I saw a careful portraying by the artist of the many waters, one flowing one way and one flowing the other way, and then on the top of the seven waves of the sea (remember the seven hills of Rome - see Rev. 17:9) and over the fish that is in the sea there is the beast, carefully portrayed. The beast has upon its horns the insignia of sovereignty. It is decorated with the insignia of sovereignty.
The Harlot
Ah, but there is something else, the woman is sitting upon the beast, and the woman is not a pure woman. The woman is an evil woman. The woman is an unclean woman. The woman is a brazen woman, because her garments are 'see through' garments showing her naked breasts and naked legs. It is a whore that is upon the beast. The key to the stamp is the child, for this is the Madonna that is riding upon the beast.
I suppose about A.D. 90, sitting in the Isle of Patmos there in exile, John took up his quill and wrote Revelation 17, moved by the Spirit of God. He said that he saw the great whore sitting upon many waters. He saw the woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast. He saw that the woman was a harlot, and he wrote it down, and, bless God, the old Book is true, and men [6] preached about it and the world laughed, but I want to tell you, the world itself has confirmed the Bible message, and this night this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.
The Fish and Its Meaning
There is something else that we must note. There is a fish beneath the beast, and the woman is astride the beast. What does the fish represent? Well, you know that the Pope wears a mitre, you know what the mitre is? It is the replica of the fish's tail, it is made to symbolise the fish's tail. You say, 'Well, that is very strange, preacher, I thought that it represented the cloven tongues'. Don't be deceived, Rome says it represents the cloven tongues, but it came from Babylon, it came from the old pagan religion.
And I'm glad I've got my Bible, and I turn in my Bible to the fifth chapter of 1 Samuel, and I learn why the fish is on this stamp. Do you remember that the ark of God was taken, and when the ark of God was taken the Philistines were worshippers of the god Dagon - a Babylon deity. They brought the ark of God into the house of their god Dagon, and what happened?' Verse 3, 'And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him". If you have a marginal Bible you will find 'the fishy part'. The replica of the fish's tail in the mitre which crowns the head of the Roman Pontiff.
Understanding of the Times
He that has understanding of the times will understand what this stamp is about. That fish is going through the seas, and this trend of Paganism and Popery is polluting the people of the world. You are not supposed to say anything about it. I told, in an advert this past week that the Pope had made Mary the Madonna of the Common Market. I didn't ask the Pope to do that, he did it, and I pointed that out. John Hume took the rickets, he said, 'It is terrible, Paisley is a sectarian bigot telling the people that'. I'm just telling them the truth, and Sinn Fein said, 'It was an awful advert, for this man Paisley to say that about the Common Market'. It happens to be the Pope that did it, I didn't ask him to do it, the Pope did it. They don't want the Protestants to know what is happening, they don't want anybody to stand up and expose it. [7]
A Sermon preached by Dr. Paisley on the Lord's Day 10th June 1984 before the European Elections
The Word of God is a light shining in the midst of darkness. It casts its light downward so that we can behold and take heed to the pitfalls and the temptations of life's pilgrimage. It casts its light upward so that we may behold the Wonder of God upon His Throne, and can look above the storm clouds of earth to the One who directs all things after the counsel of His own will. It also casts its light backwards so that we can come to a better understanding of the past, for as we understand what God has done in the past, so we can expect God to do the same in the future.
The Bible also casts its light forward, and amidst the encircling gloom of this final Gospel Age as the storm clouds of final judgment approach, and as this world staggers towards its climax and its conclusion, the people of God are given the privilege to understand the things that are going to take place. They can then nerve themselves for those great calamities which are approaching this world and they can have, like the men of Issachar, understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do.
We Must Understand
We are in the midst of this Second European Election. I delivered a series of messages during the first European Election, and I pointed out that the prophecy of Daniel and the prophecy of Revelation chapter 17 should be carefully studied in this connection. The great world kingdom of Babylon has long since disappeared. The great world kingdom of Media Persia has long since disappeared. The great world kingdom of Greece has long since disappeared, and the great world kingdom of pagan Rome has long since disappeared.
The toes, however, of the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw, which grew out at the bottom of that Roman Empire, being its final manifestation, [4] represent ten kingdoms which will be in existence, with tremendous political power in Europe, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes. The stone cut out without hands will smash the image on its feet. So it is quite clear that when Jesus Christ comes, there will be a ten kingdom confederacy controlling and dominating the era in Europe, and in that way controlling and dominating world affairs.
The Update of Antichrist's Kingdom
When we turn from Daniel chapter 2 to Revelation 17 we have an update of the kingdom of the Antichrist. We find that as the first kingdom was known as Babylon, the final manifestation will be known as Babylon. In the seventeenth chapter of Revelation we have a vision of that kingdom. The ten horns of the beast are the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar's image, the ten kingdom confederacy. Now we see something more, we see that the beast with these horns is controlled by a woman that sits astride the beast, and the woman is named in Revelation chapter 17, verse 5, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH".
What Is Happening
We need to keep our eye upon Europe and find out what is happening, and we have discovered that the European nations have been coming together in, what has been called, the E.E.C. or the European Economic Community. Slowly it has evolved.
First of all it was really an effort by Western Germany and France, and then Italy and the Benelux countries, but slowly we have seen the evolution in Europe of this great Common Market confederacy. Of course, it is spreading, it now includes Greece and it is stretching out to embrace Portugal and Spain, and before very long you will have in Europe a ten kingdom confederacy. We haven't seen the final draft of that confederacy at the moment, it is just evolving. It will all work out according to this Book, you can be absolutely sure about that. Astride that beast in Europe is the woman - the woman of Babylon - the bride of the Antichrist, the Church of Rome herself.
Deception
The Reformers away back in the 16th century had the vision, they saw the woman astride the beast. Then, of course, the Church of Rome started to sow her message of unbelief, and Protestant Churches that always held that Revelation chapter 17 was an exposure of Rome weakened their stand, [5] diluted their message, and so it is very unpopular for any preacher tonight to dare to tell a 'modern, well educated congregation' that the Church of Rome is described in Revelation 17. It is not the done thing, but as I read that Book I can see the Church of Rome in that chapter. I see her carefully, minutely portrayed by the penmanship of the Holy Ghost. Yes, and how accurately does the Holy Ghost portray Rome in that chapter!
A Startling Example of Fulfilled Prophecy
I never thought I would see it in this fashion, as we have seen it in the past weeks, for in the past weeks there has been issued a special stamp by Her Majesty's Government.
I was putting a stamp on a letter the other day, I don't often do that, because I have other people who lick my stamps for me and send out my mail, but I had to do it one night and I looked at the stamp bearing the inscription, 'Second Election European Parliament', and what did I see? I saw the seas with a fish swimming in them (Look at Revelation 17, verse 1 'The great whore that sitteth upon many waters').
When I looked at the stamp I saw a careful portraying by the artist of the many waters, one flowing one way and one flowing the other way, and then on the top of the seven waves of the sea (remember the seven hills of Rome - see Rev. 17:9) and over the fish that is in the sea there is the beast, carefully portrayed. The beast has upon its horns the insignia of sovereignty. It is decorated with the insignia of sovereignty.
The Harlot
Ah, but there is something else, the woman is sitting upon the beast, and the woman is not a pure woman. The woman is an evil woman. The woman is an unclean woman. The woman is a brazen woman, because her garments are 'see through' garments showing her naked breasts and naked legs. It is a whore that is upon the beast. The key to the stamp is the child, for this is the Madonna that is riding upon the beast.
I suppose about A.D. 90, sitting in the Isle of Patmos there in exile, John took up his quill and wrote Revelation 17, moved by the Spirit of God. He said that he saw the great whore sitting upon many waters. He saw the woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast. He saw that the woman was a harlot, and he wrote it down, and, bless God, the old Book is true, and men [6] preached about it and the world laughed, but I want to tell you, the world itself has confirmed the Bible message, and this night this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.
The Fish and Its Meaning
There is something else that we must note. There is a fish beneath the beast, and the woman is astride the beast. What does the fish represent? Well, you know that the Pope wears a mitre, you know what the mitre is? It is the replica of the fish's tail, it is made to symbolise the fish's tail. You say, 'Well, that is very strange, preacher, I thought that it represented the cloven tongues'. Don't be deceived, Rome says it represents the cloven tongues, but it came from Babylon, it came from the old pagan religion.
And I'm glad I've got my Bible, and I turn in my Bible to the fifth chapter of 1 Samuel, and I learn why the fish is on this stamp. Do you remember that the ark of God was taken, and when the ark of God was taken the Philistines were worshippers of the god Dagon - a Babylon deity. They brought the ark of God into the house of their god Dagon, and what happened?' Verse 3, 'And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him". If you have a marginal Bible you will find 'the fishy part'. The replica of the fish's tail in the mitre which crowns the head of the Roman Pontiff.
Understanding of the Times
He that has understanding of the times will understand what this stamp is about. That fish is going through the seas, and this trend of Paganism and Popery is polluting the people of the world. You are not supposed to say anything about it. I told, in an advert this past week that the Pope had made Mary the Madonna of the Common Market. I didn't ask the Pope to do that, he did it, and I pointed that out. John Hume took the rickets, he said, 'It is terrible, Paisley is a sectarian bigot telling the people that'. I'm just telling them the truth, and Sinn Fein said, 'It was an awful advert, for this man Paisley to say that about the Common Market'. It happens to be the Pope that did it, I didn't ask him to do it, the Pope did it. They don't want the Protestants to know what is happening, they don't want anybody to stand up and expose it. [7]
Comment