The harlot – Roman Catholic Church (RCC) – of Revelation 17 is now identified as an end-time agent that persecutes and kills the saints (17:6). These saints are called “chosen” and “faithful” (17:14). The world, divided and controlled by ten kingdoms (horns), will provide power to and reign with the beast (the Vatican kingdom governed by that harlot). That Rome-centered creature was noted to have seven sequenced heads.

The last two of those beast heads are of critical importance to eschatological prophecy. Pope John Paul II, the sixth, was the pope that “is.” He was the papal head when a crucial alliance occurred between the United States and the papacy. That became a preliminary step in the prophetic groundwork for Revelation 13 to begin. It was then that diplomatic ties were created between the papacy (via Pope John Paul II) and the United States of America (via President Ronald Reagan), referred to as the “Holy Alliance.”[1]

Since that papal head died (April 2, 2005), the seventh papal beast head, Pope Benedict XVI, is now present. It will be during his tenure that the events of Revelation 13 occur. Throughout this saga, Satan is active. His driving force is to make the leaders of the world and all “that dwell on the earth” to wonder (17:8) after the Holy See (church and state). As we will see once again, the power to be given to the papacy is so great it rules over the peoples and nations of the whole world.

Pope Benedict XVI receives and counsels with world leaders on a weekly basis [Inside the Vatican magazine (Ignatius Press; Rome, Italy) reports every two months on those visits]. There are, however, significant executive meetings between the papacy and world leaders that have globalization overtones.

As one example: “Pope Benedict XVI (December 2006) invited the 83-year-old Henry Kissinger, a Jew and non-Catholic to be a consultant to the Holy See. Kissinger accepted the position. He, like the Pope, has analyzed the challenges of globalization and is providing special advice in this area. He is an active participant in the Bilderberger meetings where the new world order is a key agenda.

“Veteran Vatican journalist Sandro Magister noted: ‘Experts from a variety of disciplines, including the fields of economics, politics and philosophy, are regularly invited to advise Benedict and other Vatican officials on current affairs.’

“Recent individuals who worked with the Holy See have included Paul Wolfowitz, a former President Bush adviser and now president of the World Bank; Michel Camdessus, the former director of the International Monetary Fund; American economist Jeffrey Sachs and Hans Tietmeyer, former governor of Germany’s Central Bank.

“The pontifical academies also regularly call on academic luminaries as consultants, such as Nobel laureates Gary Becker, the successor to Milton Friedman at the Chicago School of Economics, and Italian medical researcher Rita Levi-Montalcini.”[2]

These are not simply “courtesy visits.” Vital world issues are being discussed in an atmosphere of intervention and resolution.

Benedict has reached into such a power base of world leaders so he can
broker globalization concepts out of Rome. Serious Vatican posturing regarding a New World Order officially began in 2001. It was then that the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences had a Plenary Session on globalization. That was followed by a publication: Globalization Ethical and Institutional Concerns (April 25-28, 2001). [ISBN 88-86726-11-2], Vatican City.

Then, under Pope Benedict XVI, a book was published called Globalization: A Christian Perspective (September 16, 2006), written by Bishop Giampaolo
Crepaldi, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He brought together some of the main points made by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI on the Roman Catholic Church’s interest in globalization.

Later, on May 5, 2008, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences conducted meetings with the theme: "Pursuing the Common Good: How Solidarity and Subsidiary Can Work Together." The general purpose of those meetings was to “give new meaning and application to the concept of common good throughout the world.” “Common Good” is a unique phrase promoted by the Vatican and found in its Catechism. It demands that global decisions must be made in the framework of the good for all humanity.  But, it deceptively appeals to the plea of Caiaphas made at the trial of Christ, “that it was expedient that one man should die for the people” (John 18:14). The “common good” of Israel would emanate from the death of Jesus. This concept is sinister and has suppressive overtones toward religious liberty.

In June, 2009, the Vatican’s International Theological Commission called upon world leaders to consider the … importance in peacefully uniting people of all backgrounds into a common mission based upon “natural law.” This concept, via Roman Catholic understanding, leans on “reason” to help pass judgment on the moral worth of various laws. The commission called for a unified global ethic. In a major document sent to world leaders entitled "The Search for Universal Ethics: A New Look at Natural Law," they questioned, "Are there objective moral values that can unite men and bring them peace and happiness?”  "What are they? How do we recognize them? How do we implement them in personal and community life?”[3]

They noted that “these perennial questions about good and evil are more urgent today than ever, to the extent that men have a greater consciousness of forming a single worldwide community." The Theological Commission also touched upon the Christian community's contribution to universal ethical traditions. [One, which the Vatican is currently promoting in the European Union, is to adapt Sunday as a day of universal rest. They want this to be part of the EU Constitution.][4]

“Throughout its history, the Christian community, in elaborating its own ethical tradition – led by the Spirit of Jesus Christ and in critical dialogue with the traditions of wisdom that it met – was also purified and developed this teaching on natural law as a norm fundamental for ethics." They wrote.:

The Roman Catholic Church is positioning itself as a moral force in the globalization moves rapidly going forward. It will succeed as becoming the “kingdom” that the world looks to outlined in this prophecy of Revelation 13.

The New World Order is in more than an “idea stage.” It is part of a serious plan to set up global units of power that individually handle everything from population control, food production and distribution, defense to economic stability and, as the Pope noted above, to address the “cultural and moral crisis” that is currently plaguing the world.

 Beyond the curious numbers of world dignitaries consulting with and admiring Rome come the people who make pilgrimages. The papacy reported that 2,215,000 people personally saw Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.[6]

It is within this backdrop that we are ready to look at what will soon occur during the dynasty of this powerful pope.

In ancient manuscripts, the last verse of chapter 12 of the KJV (vs 17) is part of the Revelation 13 prophecy. By linking these together, chapter 13 is seen as a final chronicle of the dragon’s wrath against God’s people. He calls into play his agents, and together persecution and death come to those saints.

This becomes possible because of globalization. The ten horns of the beast represent global world powers, which will soon give life and tyranny to the papal beast.

Franklin S. Fowler Jr., M.D.; Prophecy Research Initiative © 2009