Awesome Truths and Amazing Facts
Richard Vaughn

Today: “Prophecy – The future told in advance – Daniel 7 - Part 4”
Over the last two weeks we were studying the 9 identifying marks of the little horn power in Daniel 7:8,24 & 25.There has never been any other power on earth that met these 9 identifying marks other then Papal Rome. There has not even been one other power that even met a few. The odds of any other power meeting three would be astronomical. But Papal Rome met all 9 marks and God has identified this system for a reason.
This week we will take a closer look at identifying marks 4, the little horn rise to power and 6, what constitutes blasphemy, (great words against the most high)?  
The following are the steps of Papal Rome coming to power. In 330 AD, the emperor Constantine, who himself was a recent convert, moved the political power from Rome to Constantinople, which left the Bishop of Rome comparatively free of imperial control. The conversion of Clovis, leader of the Franks, to the Roman faith, about 496 AD, when most of the Barbarian invaders were still Arians, gave the Pope a strong political ally willing to fight the battles of the Church. For twelve centuries the sword of France, the "eldest son" of the Papacy, was an effective agent for conversion of men to the Church of Rome and for maintaining Papal authority.
In 533 AD, the emperor Justinian wrote two official letters, that had the force of royal edicts which, recognized the Pope's ecclesiastical supremacy as "Head of all the Holy Churches," in both the east and the west, and he legally confirmed the Bishop of Rome as the "Head of all the Holy Priests of God."
It was not until 538 AD that the Papacy was finally freed from all domination of the Arian kingdoms, that the decrees took effect. One by one and after much bloodshed, the other seven kingdoms became Catholic, and the Pope emerged as the leading figure of Europe. It's power continued until 1798. Exactly 1,260 years.
The spectacular victories of the armies of Napoleon in Italy placed the Pope at the mercy of the French Revolutionary government, which now advised that the Roman religion would always be a persistent enemy of the Republic. The government urged that Napoleon destroy the center of unity of the Roman Church, and he did just that. In 1798 the French General Berthier, with a French army, marched into Rome and took the Pope prisoner! Exactly 1,260 years after it's rise to power, it received a deadly wound. The Pope was removed to France where he died in exile.
Identifying mark 6 said the little horn power would blaspheme God. What constitutes blasphemy? In our next study, we are going to look at the beast power of Revelation 13. We will see how the little horn power of Daniel 7 is the same beast power of Revelation 13. For now, read Revelation 13:5,6 “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.” In order to see if this power blasphemes God, it is necessary to understand the Bible definition of blasphemy. See John 10:30-33 “I and My Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?  The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy, because He was a man claiming to be God. But since He was God, it was not blasphemy. Only a mortal man claiming to be God would be a blasphemer. Next, read Mark 2:7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy because He forgave sins. Mortal man cannot forgive sins, only God can. Since Jesus is God, He committed no blasphemy. A man claiming to forgive sins is a blasphemer. Does the Papacy claim to be God on earth and does he claim to have the power to forgive sins? Yes and yes. 
This shows that Papal Rome and only Papal Rome fits all 9 identifying marks that we have studied. With the information we have studied over the last six weeks, we are now ready to study the13th chapter of Revelation where we will clearly identify the beast referred to in Revelation 14:9,10 where the warning is given not to receive his mark.
Next Week: “Prophecy – The future told in advance – Revelation 13 - Part 1”

Next Week: “Prophecy – The future told in advance – Daniel 7 - Part 4”