Revelation 17

WHO IS THE TRUE BRIDE OF JESUS

LESSON 3-4:

ARE THE SACRAMENTS AND PURGATORY IN THE SCRIPTURES?

We are in our last two sessions of study on the Roman Catholic Church.

Remember Romanism is a deadly error. There are so many good people touched

by it, but it doesn’t lessen the evil of the blasphemous doctrine of Romanism.

Let me explain by way of review:

THE FIRST ROMAN CATHOLIC FALSE DOCTRINE IS THE MASS

Thank God that we can look back to what our Lord did on Calvary and know that He

completed the sacrifice for sins once for all, and that our salvation is not dependent

on the whim or arbitrary decree of any priest or church.  Any pretense at a continuous

offering for sin is worse than vain, for it is a denial of the efficacy of the atoning

sacrifice of Christ on Calvary.  So first, I am not Roman Catholic because of the

anti-Christian blasphemy of mass.  Don’t partake of it, if you know Christ!

THE SECOND FALSE ROMAN CATHOLIC TEACHING  IS THE DOCTRINE OF MARY

Do not avoid the truth here on the authority of Jesus Christ, “Whosoever shall do the

will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.”  And when one heard

Jesus and cried out, “Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast

sucked,” Jesus answered, “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and

keep it” (Luke 11:27, 28).  There is no hint in the Bible that New Testament Christians

ever regarded Mary as more than another good woman.  She had no authority among the apostles.

No one was taught to pray to her, to do her homage, to adore her, or to partake of the

unscriptural worship, which Catholics do, but call it by other names. Thus the Roman Church

has brought a plague upon itself by adding the commandments of men and traditions of men to

the commands of God.

THIRD, ROMAN CATHOLICISM IS FALSE  AND ANTI-CHRISTIAN BECAUSE IT HAS PERVERTED THE BIBLE AND

SUBSTITUTED TRADITION

I have not enough room here to discuss all the innovations, all the

strange and unscriptural doctrines and practices which have been invented by Roman Catholic

hierarchy.  In the Bible there was no pope and no papal authority, no papal infallibility.

There were no prayers to Mary, no doctrine of Mary’s Immaculate Conception or of her body’s

ascension to Heaven.  There was no penance, no indulgences, no confessions to priests, and

no orders of monks or nuns.  All of this is manufactured, not only without the Bible but

contrary to the plain teachings of the Word of God.

FOURTH, ROMAN CATHOLICISM IS FALSE AND ANTICHRISTIAN BECAUSE THE BIBLE PLAINLY FORBIDS

MAKING ANY IMAGE FOR WORSHIP AND BOWING DOWN TO ANY IMAGE.

And any honest reader knows that that Scripture forbids using an image in worship, bowing

down to it, praying before it, and serving it.  And yet the Catholic Church not only has images,

but also encourages people to pray to images, to the crucifix, to images of Mary, to images

of saints. Here Roman tradition violates the Bible, and the commandments of men take the place of the

commandments of God.  That is sin.

THE FIFTH REASON I AM NOT ROMAN CATHOLIC  IS BECAUSE OF THE SIN OF THE SACRAMENTS.

The first of the 7 sacraments is baptism, which is performed upon 98% of Catholics as infants.

It is declared in Canon 849 to be the means “by which men and women are freed from their sins,

are reborn as children of God….”  The Basic Catechism declares that baptism “is necessary for

salvation…cleanses us from original sin, makes us Christians….”  Another sacrament is the Mass,

which the Catechism declares to be “one and the same Sacrifice with that of the Cross, inasmuch as

Christ…continues to offer himself…on the altar, through the ministry of his priests.”  Canon 904

states  “the work of redemption is continually accomplished in the mystery of the Eucharistic Sacrifice,”

thus denying Christ’s triumphant “It is finished!” Tradition: Mt. 15:3-6 What a particular Catholic may

believe is not the issue, but rather the official teaching of Roman Catholicism.  That is found in The

Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent (1545-64) and Vatican II (1962-5).  Trent denied every

Reformation doctrine, from Sola Scripture to salvation by grace through faith alone.  It pronounced

125 anathemas (eternal damnation) upon anyone believing what evangelicals believe and preach today.

“No one can know with the certainty of faith…that he has obtained the grace of God [anathema to all

who claim they know]” (Trent, 6th Ses., Chap. IX).  “If anyone says that the sacraments of the new law

are not NECESSARY FOR SALVATION…but that without them…men obtain from God through faith alone the

grace of justification…LET HIM BE ANATHEMA” (Trent, 7th Ses., Canon 4).  Vatican II far from making

changes, reaffirmed Trent:  “This sacred council…proposes again the decrees of…the Council of Trent”

(Vol. 1, p. 412).  As for the “sacraments of the new law,” which Trent said were “necessary for salvation,

” Vatican II declared: “For it is the liturgy through which, especially in the diving SACRIFICE of the Eucharist,

the WORK OF OUR REDEMPTION IS ACCOMPLISHED” (Vol. 1, p. 1).

SIXTH, BECAUSE OF THE HORRIBLE LIE OF PURGATORY.

Here are a few more quotes from Vatican II, which prove conclusively that Roman Catholicism is a counterfeit gospel:

“Sins must be expiated…through the sorrows, miseries and trials of this life…otherwise…in the next life

through fire and torments…[because] our souls need to be purified…in purgatory the souls of those who died

in the charity of God and truly repentant but who had not made satisfaction with adequate penance for their sins

and omissions are cleansed after death with punishments designed to purge away their debt” (Vol. 1, pp. 634).

The Bible declares: “When he [Christ] had by himself PURGED our sins (Heb. 1:3)…By his own blood he entered

in ONCE into the holy place, HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION for us (9:12)…without the shedding of blood is

no remission [of sin] (9:22 – suffering in purgatory won’t do it!)…now where remission of these is, there is

NO MORE OFFERING (SACRIFICE) for sin (10:18)…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ

ONCE FOR ALL (10:10)…for by ONE OFFERING he hath perfected FOR EVER them that are sanctified” (10:14).  Catholicism

denies this Biblical Gospel!  Although Rome teaches that one must be “purged” by suffering for one’s own sins, it

offers “indulgences” to reduce or eliminate that suffering.  “Indulgences” can thus discharge what Christ’s death

could not.  Vatican II has 20 complex rules concerning when and how an indulgence may be obtained.  For example:

“The faithful who use with devotion an object of piety (crucifix, cross, rosary, scapular or medal) after it has

been duly blessed by any priest, can gain a partial indulgence.  But if this object of piety is blessed by the

Pope or any bishop, the faithful who use it with devotion can also gain a plenary [full] indulgence on the feast

of the Apostles Peter and Paul, provided they also make a profession of faith using any APPROVED FORMULA”

(Vol. 1, pp. 77-8).  “The Church…commands that the usage of indulgences…should be kept…and it CONDEMS WITH

ANATHEMA those who say that indulgences are useless or that the Church does not have the power to grant them…

[for] the task of WINNING SALVATION” (Vol. 1, pp. 71, 74).

FINALLY THE LAST REASON I CANNOT BE A ROMAN CATHOLIC IS BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE ASSOCIATION  WITH PAGANISM.

Did you know that many of the key elements of Romanism are directly taken from the pagan religions of the

ancient world? The robes, beads, candles and statues are all part of paganism and idolatry. Even more shocking

is the Mass. Even most Roman Catholics would be shocked to learn where the Mass originated. The proposal of the

Lord’s Supper as a sacrifice was first made by a Benedictine monk, Radbertus, in the ninth century and was the

subject of many fierce verbal battles by the bishops until Pope Innocent III declared it an official Roman

doctrine in 1215 AD.    As we examine the very principles found in this bloodless sacrifice of the Mass as it

is in the Church of Rome today we can trace them back through the labyrinth of paganism to the fountain of idolatry,

ancient Babylon.

Rome’s most blasphemous and massive religious fraud originated in

Chaldean idol worship and will continue until the time of the end when, according to Revelation 17 and 18, amid the

wonder and admiration of the World, Rome will be judged with violence and be thrown down and shall be found no more

at all, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. This brutal, bloody, and blasphemous harlot is none other than the

universal false church, the wicked wife of Satan!

God had no sooner begun the blessed work in preparing for himself a people than the Devil did likewise.  In fact,

the first baby to be born on this earth later became Satan’s original convert!  See Genesis 4:8 this is where religion

starts. As I John 3:12 explains Cain was the tool of Satan.  We shall now consider the historical, current, and future

activities of this perverted prostitute.  THE FALSE BRIDE OF SATAN  The harlot as viewed historically: Satan’s church

began officially at the tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9 this is the beginning of organized religion, nearly 24

centuries BC.  Here, in the fertile plain of Shinar, probably very close to the original Garden of Eden, the first

spade of dirt was turned for the purpose of Devil-worship.

* The first full-time minister of Satan was Nimrod,Noah’s wicked and apostate grandson (Gen. 10:8-10). Secular history

 and tradition tell us that Nimrod married a woman who was as evil and demonic as himself.  Her name was Semerimus.

Knowing God’s promise of a future Savior (Gen. 3:15), Semerimus brazenly claimed that Tammuz, her first son, fulfilled

this prophecy.

* Semerimus thereupon instituted a religious system, which made both her and her son the objects of divine worship.

She herself became the first high priestess.  Thus began the mother-child cult which later spread all over the world.

1. From Babylon it spread to Phoenicia under the name of Ashteroth and Tammuz.

2. From Phoenicia it traveled to Pergamos in Asia Minor.  This is the reason for John’s admonition to the church

of Pergamos in the book of Revelation:  “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is…”

(Rev. 2:13).

* In Egypt the mother-child cult was known as Isis and Horus.

* In Greece it became Aphrodite and Eros.

* In Rome this pair was worshiped as Venus and Cupid.

Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost writes, “Several years ago I visited an archeological museum in Mexico City.

A recent find had just been put on display, which Mexican archeologists had authenticated as belonging to the

period about 200 years before Christ.  The object was the center of religious worship among some of the early

Indians in Mexico.  To my amazement, it was an image of a mother with a child in her arms.  This Babylonian religion

spread abroad to become the religion of the world….”

THE EVIL FALSE TEACHING OF THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN

What was the teaching of Semerimus’ satanic church? That Semerimus herself was the way to God.

She actually adopted the title “Queen of Heaven.”

1. That she alone could administer salvation

to the sinner through various sacraments, such as the sprinkling of holy water.

2. That her son Tammuz was tragically slain by a wild boar during a hunting trip.

3. That he was, however, resurrected from the dead forty days later.  Thus, each year afterward the temple virgins

 of this cult would enter a forty-day fast as a memorial to Tammuz’ death and resurrection.

4. After the forty-day fast, a joyful feast {Easter} called Ishtar took place.  At this feast colored eggs were

exchanged and eaten as a symbol of the resurrection.  An evergreen tree was displayed and a Yule log was burned.

Finally hot cakes marked with the letter T (to remind everybody of Tammuz) were baked and eaten!

THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

About 2000 BC God called Abraham away from all this (see Joshua 24:2, 3)

and led him into the Promised Land.  But by the ninth century B. C. Israel had returned to this devil worship

under the influence of wicked Jezebel (see 1 Kings 16:30-33).  At this time the cult was worshiped under the name

of Baal.

* Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah warned against this hellish thing.  “Then he brought me to the door of the

gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz” (Ezek. 8:14).

* “The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the

 queen of heaven…to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her…” (Jer. 7:18; 44:25).

* By the time of Christ this cult had so influenced Roman life that the Caesars were not only crowned as emperors of Rome

 but also bore the title Pontifex Maximus, meaning, “high priest.”  They were high priests of the Babylonian satanic church!

* During the year A. D. 306 a very powerful enemy army threatened a Roman emperor named Constantine.  Realizing that his

 uneasy troops needed confidence, Constantine claimed to have seen a vision on the eve of the battle.  He saw a large blue

 flag with a red cross on it and heard a might voice which said in hoc signo vinces — “in this sign conquer.”  He thereupon

 marched his troops into a shallow river, claimed them to be officially baptized, and ordered the sign of the cross painted

 on all his weapons.  Thus inspired, he led his troops to victory and subsequently made Christianity the state religion of Rome.

* The Roman priests of Tammuz soon discovered that they could easily make the transition into Christianity (with certain

changes) and thereupon carried their traditions forward without interruption by promoting the Madonna-Child worship concept,

the holy water sacrament, etc.  For years the Roman Catholic popes have worn their well-known “fisherman ring.”

This symbol can be traced back to the Philistines, who worshiped the fish god Dagon (1 Sam. 5) along with Tammuz.

Thus for nearly 300 years the Devil had desperately attempted to destroy the church from outside by his terrible persecutions.

But with the advent of Constantine he changed his tactics, walking the aisle, applying for membership, and joining the church!

To this very day he holds his church letter!  The corrupted church was already flourishing in Christ’s day, and the Savior

delivered a scathing attack against some of its very deacons and elders!

See Matthew 23.

THUS SEVEN BIBLICAL REASONS I CAN’T EVER BE IN  THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

1.  The lie of The Mass

2. The lie of the role of Mary

3. The lie of Tradition over Scripture

4. The lie of Veneration (worship) of images

5. The lie of the false Sacraments

6. The lie of Purgatory

7. The lie to Paganism

“Only one life to live and soon is past

Only what’s done for Christ will last!”

Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.