Project 2025: Independence Tested-Will You Conquer or Cower?

"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act...where no church or church school is granted any public funds... where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source...and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all" - John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America

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I ended Part 1 by stating "Convincing SDA members to participate [in ecumenism] will pose a significant challenge, as we cannot compromise our observance of the Sabbath on Saturday, which stands in contrast to the Sunday worship practiced by other churches. This distinction not only forms the crux of Project 2025 but also represents the precursor to the emergence of the mark of the beast—a topic we'll explore in greater detail in Part II of our discussion."

To understand Project 2025, we must first understand the mark of the beast. We can find the mark of the beast in the books of Daniel and Revelation, but I will focus on Revelation, specifically the 13th chapter. I would like to note that if you are new to reading Revelation or are new to the prophecy on the mark of the beast, THIS IS FOR YOU! Please do not give up on understanding this. I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you understanding.

I will be referring back to this chapter a lot throughout this post, so be sure to give it a read. Click on the arrow icon below to read it in the King James Version:

Revelation 13 KJV

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Before we dive in, I would also like to emphasize Isaiah 28:10 "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" There will be times when you will have to read this post over again, and maybe search the scriptures on your own after reading this. Nevertheless, most of what Chapter 13 of Revelation speaks about can be supported by other chapters in Revelation and Daniel, so please be aware.

The Chapter Begins with "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." Are you scratching your head yet? John, the writer of Revelation sees a beast. And to put it into layman's terms a beast is a form of power. It is a form of power because if you re-read the first verse, it seems as though this beast has several things attached to its characteristics. But who is this power? John gives us many clues to lead us to our answer :

a. Rises out of the Sea

b. Has 7 heads and 10 horns

c. Has 10 crowns

d. Upon his head is the name of blasphemy

The sea here refers to over-populated, developed nations. We get this information from Revelation 17:15: "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Thus we get what Rev 13:1 says. This beast will arise from a place where people (nations; a large number of people) will dwell.

After it arises, it looks kind of weird. There are seven heads which represent seven mountains and 10 horns which represent 10 kingdoms. In Chapter 17 of Revelation, verses 9 and 12 say:

Verse 9: "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth".

Verse 12: "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast".

Now for the avid historian reader, I hope you are starting to unravel the great mystery. The beast arises out of a well-populated area, and sits on 7 mountains, but also has 10 horns (kings) that they (the beast) rule/control. Interesting.

Now verse 2 is where the real pushups are done. Where else in the Bible are various animals used to depict beasts? Daniel 7. However, a closer study of Daniel 7 reveals that the four creatures mentioned align with the prophecy that King Nebuchadnezzar received in Daniel 2. Thus, following verse 2 of Revelation 13, we find a timeline of the major nations and powers of our planet. To help you understand how the three chapters link to one another, I have arranged the biblical timeline for you below in the form of a mini chart :

Nation Sequence	Daniel 2	Daniel 7
Nation #1	Babylon (Head of Gold)	Babylon (A lion with eagle wings)
Nation #2	Medo-Persia (Breast and Arms of Silver	Medo-Persia ( A Bear)
Nation #3	Greece (Belly and Thighs of Brass)	Greece (Leopard with Fowl Wings)
Nation #4	Rome (Legs of Iron)	Rome (A "dreadful" and "terrible" beast (dragon) with Iron Teeth)
Nation #5	Rome Broken Apart (Iron and Miry Clay that shall never mix)	Rome Broken Apart

"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Lining up Revelation 13:2 to Daniel 2 and 7, it is clear where this power would be. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome are all in Europe. And since the last power (Nation #5) was created from Rome, we know that the ruler of Nation #5 has to be in its vicinity. Let's be real: A ruler can not rule without having housing nearby to rule.

"...and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Who is the Dragon?

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:9)

Notice that the Devil is referred to as the dragon. Thus the Devil, who deceives the whole world, gives this power HIS power, HIS seat, and great authority that is given by HIM. SO what shall we expect from this power? The same characteristics as the devil. If the Devil deceives, then we know this power deceives too.

In lines 3-10, we get to our answer. To keep it short, I will list the main characteristics of this beast:

1. "...his deadly wound was healed" (Verse 3)

2. "...a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given to him to continue forty and two months" (verse 5)

3. "...opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven"(verse 6)

4. "...to make war with the saints, and to overcome them"(verse 7)

5. "... all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him" (verse 8)

6. Leads some into "captivity" and/ kills "with the sword" (verse 10)
   

In summary, we observe a beast or power that suffered a wound but has since recovered. However, upon its recovery, it engages in blasphemy (one claiming to be God [John 10:33]) and warfare against the saints, demanding worship for itself. Let's illustrate this with a historical analogy. When King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine, it marked the end of the monarchy. Yet, this power is the total opposite as though it would fall, it would eventually heal, and power would be restored. Considering verse 3, this is exactly what happens to this power that was given its seat. Verses 6-7 give away who it is: the Roman Catholic Church and its Pope. But how? Didn't he have to be given power, a seat, and great authority?  Didn't he have to have his head wounded? Well, history gives us proof:

"At the time of Constantine’s dictatorship, he decided that he would move the main city of Rome to Constantinople. By leaving, he left space for another ruler to take over. With the Roman Empire so vast, in times past it was already a feat to bring every citizen into subjection, so Rome became that place of power. However, when it moved to Constantinople, it left a large hole to be filled. And of course, the Roman Catholic Church took the position...The power that rises out of Rome is a power that commands worship. It is a religious power. Revelation 13:3 declares that “all the world marveled and followed the beast.” Verse 4 says, “They worshiped the beast.” The organization described here is a religious power that grows into a universal system of worship." (Understanding Daniel and Revelation; Mark Finley)

Thus, we know that the Roman Catholic Church took hold of its seat in Rome during the time of Constantine. It demanded that it be given power and be regarded as a greater authority than other rulers.

So that it is not just an opinion, let me give you some more evidence, based on the word of God and world history:

"Rises out of the Sea" (verse 1)

To come out of the sea means coming out of a well-populated area. The Roman Catholic Church came out of the well-populated Roman Empire.

"Has 7 heads and 10 horns" (verse 1)

We know that 10 horns means 10 kingdoms/ kings and that 7 heads means 7 mountains according to the Bible which helps us to reveal this power written in Revelation 13. However, When you search to see if the Roman Catholic church sits on the 7 mountains of Rome, you can not find it. It sits on the other side of the Tiber River facing where those 7 mountains are. The other side has a hill named "Vatican Hill". However, when you hear the word "sit" in Revelation 17:15 which helped us to understand what the 7 heads meant, what do you think the word means in this context? According to the Bible, Matthew 19:28 says that by sitting on the 12 thrones the righteous shall not only judge but that the Son of man (Jesus) will sit on the throne, where he will rule. So even though the Vatican does not sit on the 7 hills of Rome, does not mean it hasn't ruled over the nation. It has ruled the 7 hills where Rome sits.

"Has 10 crowns" (verse 1)

Crowns means kings, meaning that this power rules over 10 kings. Historically, Henry VIII, a king of England, was ruled by the Roman Catholic Church. This can be proven after searching up the 10 Barbarian tribes that broke up Rome:

Alemanni, A.D. 351

Franks, A.D. 351

Burgundians, A.D. 406

Vandals, A.D. 406

Suevi, A.D. 406

Visigoths, A.D. 408

Saxons entered Britain in A.D. 449

Ostrogoths, A.D. 453

Lombards, A.D. 453

Heruli, in Italy A.D. 475, 476

Henry VIII was most likely a descendant of the Saxons, which had its neck tied closely to the Roman Catholic Church. His story is quite questionable, but it leads you to understand how powerful the Roman Catholic Church was. King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his first wife because she was not able to bare a male heir. However, the Roman Catholic Church told him that they would not grant such permission. Henry then took measures into his own hands by taking over the church itself so that he could have his way (look up Henry VII excommunicates Catholic Church 1534 ). As we get to the end of proving these sets of facts, you will see how the Roman Catholic church has a grip on not just the Eastern world, but the next power that verses 11-18 of Revelation 13 talk about.

"Upon his head is the name of blasphemy" (verse 1)

"The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." (John 10:33)

Blasphemy is claiming to be God when one is a man. If I could go further, man was created in God's image, which means that every WOMAN or MAN has a creator. Thus, we can not claim to be God who is our creator, and our redeemer (Genesis 2:7; Galatians 1:4)

However, The Pope does just that :

“The Pope is of so great dignity, and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God. And the vicar of God.”Ferraris Ecclesiastical Dictionary [testallthings.com]

The Pope is seen as the "vicar" or representative of God. But let's think for a second. When Jesus Christ saw the disciples for the last time before he ascended to his Father in heaven, what did he say? "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:25-26) so Jesus Christ never promised another human being. He promised the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the only representative of God here on this earth, and since he is a representative of God, he is God. Some may push back and say, what about the angels? Can they not be God? And the answer would be a straight no.

"...to make war with the saints, and to overcome them"(verse 7) & Leads some into "captivity" and/ kills "with the sword" (verse 10)

The Roman Catholic Church caused the death of many christians who professed to believe in Christ Jesus alone and not the doctrines of the Church. Those christians were burned at the stake, had their tongues cut off, or were killed in the most indescribable ways. Here is a small blurb about what happened in those days :

"Before the days of Huss, there were men in Bohemia who rose up to condemn openly the corruption in the church and the profligacy of the people. Their labors excited widespread interest. The fears of the hierarchy were roused, and persecution was opened against the disciples of the gospel. Driven to worship in the forests and the mountains, they were hunted by soldiers, and many were put to death. After a time it was decreed that all who departed from the Romish worship should be burned." (The Great Controversy, Page 97.2).

Thus, we see how serious the Roman Catholic Church was when it came to crossing their doctrine. Every person who shall be written in the Book Of Life (saints), will be head to head with the Roman Catholic Church aka the Pope, and some of them will and have been led into captivity or killed by the sword. However, God will recompense those who have died for his name's sake. He will give them a crown of glory for not falling for the blasphemy that man has created for their purposes.

"...his deadly wound was healed" (Verse 3)

 To expand on what I had said before about King Louis XVI and how bruising of one's head means the end of power, the Catholic Church had gotten its head bruised when in 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Rome during the French Revolutionary War and captured Pope Pius VII, bringing him to France, and ending the Roman Catholic Church as a major power in the eastern world. But this, of course, would not be the end, which brings us to today.

Stay Tuned for Part 3!

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