The great controversy between Christ and Satan is nearing its end. Do you see it? If you don’t, it’s time to wake up and recognize that this world is drawing to a close. Behind the veil of what we can see, the prince of this fallen world is gathering his demonic forces for the final, dreadful conflict. This is not the time to sit on the couch with a warm cup of tea—it is a time for personal reformation and revival. It is also the time to proclaim the three angels’ messages, the everlasting gospel, and the coming judgment upon this world.
Two Beasts
The sea beast and the earth beast—two powers with Christian roots described in Revelation 13—are nearly prepared to play their final prophetic roles. Since Christ’s death upon the cross to redeem and restore lost mankind and His glorious victory over death and over Satan, from the dawn of the Christian era, from the moment when the devil lost the battle against Prince Michael in heaven and was cast down to the earth, Satan has turned all his fury against the followers of Jesus—the bride of Christ. When the dragon failed to destroy the early Church through the bloody terror of pagan Rome, he brought the sea beast onto the stage of history.
The Sea Beast
This is indeed a strange and mysterious creature—unlike any other. It is a hybrid with the appearance of a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a dragon. This is a clear reference to the prophetic vision of Daniel 7, where the great geopolitical powers of the world rose one after another to rule the earth. Beginning with the Babylonian Empire, then the Medo-Persian Empire, followed by the Greek Empire, until finally reaching the most tyrannical and bloodthirsty empire of all—the Rome of the Caesars—it is evident that the Beast is the successor of all four world powers.
The Beast’s ten horns and seven heads echo the dragon of Revelation 12 and the symbolic imagery of Daniel 7, where a little horn arises from the dragon’s head, representing a religio-political institution with characteristics of the antichrist. The dragon here symbolizes both the Roman Empire and Satan himself. The beast emerges from the sea—a symbol of the nations of the earth in biblical prophecy (Revelation 17:15)—from which it receives its support. It rises to power after the fall of the Roman Empire, building its influence upon the structures of the old imperial authority and forming a religio-political empire. The beast blasphemes God and places itself on equal footing with Him. It persecutes the followers of Christ and dominates the Christian world until it receives a deadly wound. Yet this is not the end of its power. Ultimately, the beast’s wound is healed, and it regains political strength, expanding its influence, authority, and prestige across the entire world.1
The Dragon Gave Him His Throne …
“Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.” Revelation 13:2. Yet above all, the Beast reflects the character of the dragon, concentrating within itself his strength, his power, and his throne. The conclusion is clear and inescapable: the dragon—Satan—passes his persecuting power to the successor of pagan Rome, to ecclesiastical Rome, the Rome of the popes.2 Everything points in this direction: Rome as the seat of the papacy; the Roman Curia, whose origins can be traced back to the Roman Senate; the very name “the Roman Church”; the Latin language, used in the liturgy until the Second Vatican Council (with the Tridentine Mass—celebrated entirely in Latin—now experiencing renewed popularity). Latin remains the official language of the so-called Holy See and is still employed in official documents. The Roman Church also inherited aspects of Roman law, including the use of torture in earlier centuries. The popes surrounded themselves with the splendor, scarlet, and purple of the Roman emperors. After Constantine the Great, they continued to use titles such as Pontifex Maximus and Vicarius Christi.
The totalitarian system of the Roman Empire—in which political and religious authority were united in the person of the emperor—was continued in the papal church-state structure of the Middle Ages. The papacy, however, has remained consistent in one respect: it continues to represent a close union of religion and politics, of authority and wealth.3 The beast, embodying all the predatory traits of the previous empires, is indeed terrifying. Yet when we consider that this beast also accumulates the power, authority, and dominion of the dragon himself, its frightening nature becomes almost beyond human comprehension.
For Christians who have lived in ignorance of the true character of papal Rome, opening the mind to the truth of God can be an extremely challenging experience, often triggering the mind’s resistance to change. Yet the word of God shines relentlessly in the darkness, guiding us beyond the horizon of history to meet the Lord of the church and of history, Jesus Christ, coming in the clouds of glory. The only question we must ask ourselves, the only one that truly matters is: Am I ready to meet the holy God?
Lucifer’s Strategy
Satan has always hidden his true identity, disguising himself as Christ and taking His place in order to more effectively oppose Him. This is exactly what the word antichrist, composed of two parts, means: anti and Christ. In Greek, the word anti has two meanings: “in place of” or “against.” This definition reveals Lucifer’s strategy. It is completely misguided and futile to search for the antichrist among nations, religions, or systems that are openly opposed to Christianity. The very etymology of the word antichrist decodes its identity as a Christian institution (Revelation 13:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:4). The antichrist, therefore, is an apostate church acting in the name of Jesus—like a wolf in sheep’s clothing—which is why Revelation portrays it as a beast seeking to appear as a lamb.4
In the history of this world, only one power fits all the biblical descriptions of the little horn, the great harlot, and the sea beast: papal Rome—the center of Catholicism. Identifying the power of the antichrist with an institution that considers itself the earthly successor and representative of Christ, and which includes devoted clergy and sincere believers, may surprise or even shock some. After all, the Roman Catholic Church engages in efforts for world peace, calls for solidarity with the poor and oppressed, participates in humanitarian initiatives, and actively promotes ecumenical dialogue. At first glance, these actions of the Roman Church seem to contradict the prophetic interpretations.5 However, Paul warned that the apostasy would come from within the church (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4). Satan’s genius lies in imitating God’s work in order to more effectively deceive believers: “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 11:14, 156
The Prestige of the Papacy
What was the prestige of the papacy when Pope Pius VI was dethroned, arrested, and imprisoned by order of Napoleon in 1798?7 Today, such a scene is almost unimaginable. The event is so dramatic and yet so distant in history, who would remember it now except Bible history buffs, professors, teachers and preachers? After all, we live in a world where the pope is so highly respected that he seems to hold a near-divine status. However, the Bible foretold that the political power of the papacy would be restored. Today, the pope stands as an undisputed political, moral, and spiritual leader. Papal authority, popularity, influence, and prestige now have a global dimension. The international position of the pope is arguably even stronger today than it was in the Middle Ages when his political and religious power was largely confined to Europe. Who today dares to oppose the papacy? There is no force on earth that can.
The Era of the Papacy
Throughout the 19th century and much of the 20th, the papacy’s political position was too weak to play its prophetic role on the international stage. Interestingly, at the same time that the papacy lost political authority over the papal states, it gained unprecedented power within the Church itself. During the First Vatican Council (1869–1870), the dogma of papal infallibility was proclaimed, leading to a tremendous increase in the pope’s authority. In this way, the dictatorial power of the Roman popes was secured, and the pope became the absolute monarch of the Roman Catholic Church. The evolution of the primacy of the bishops of Rome reached its doctrinal culmination, and the history of the papacy entered a new era.8
A New Era of the Papacy
The tremendous popularity of modern popes began with the pontificate of Pope John Paul II—the Polish pope. His nationality was far from insignificant. The election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła from Poland, then under the iron grip of the Soviet Union, later revealed a very specific purpose. The papacy aimed to dismantle communism in Central and Eastern Europe. The pope best suited for this role was one who, being Polish, had a deep understanding of the conditions and realities of the socialist system in his own country and in the countries of the Eastern Bloc. Yet in the struggles between capitalism and communism, between East and West, the role of the pope was not initially taken very seriously.9 The objective of the papacy was ultimately achieved. Communism was overthrown and effectively dismantled across Europe. The papacy accomplished this goal through cooperation with the United States.10 It was then that the world witnessed the global authority of Rome. Since that time, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church on international politics has continued to grow.
The American Pope
On October 16, 1978, the election of a Polish pope surprised the entire world, as it was the first time in 455 years that a non-Italian bishop had ascended to the papal throne. It was also surprising that the new pope came from a country that, at that time, belonged to the Soviet Bloc.11 The true historical significance of this election and its impact on the world order only became clear over time. The choice made by the papacy accelerated the prophetic dynamics of Revelation 13. An obstacle to the fulfillment of the eschatological prophetic scenario was removed: the geopolitical power of the communist system was dismantled and effectively buried through the cooperation of two allies—the papacy and the United States. On May 8, 2025, when a new religious and political leader of the Roman Catholic Church was elected—American Cardinal Robert Prevost—the world was again surprised. Why? Because he became the first pope in history to come from the United States. This is especially striking given that the U.S. has never been a predominantly Catholic country and remains largely Protestant, with deep Protestant traditions and roots. Is the election of an American pope surprising to us as Adventists? If we trust the prophetic scenario of Revelation 13, it shouldn’t be at all. The political decision of the papacy to elect an American pope represents, by definition, a powerful acceleration of the prophetic dynamics described in Revelation 13. Would the election of a Filipino pope have carried the same prophetic potential? Likely not. In the prophetic scenario, there was no stagnation—or even regression—but a decisive movement forward toward the fulfillment of prophecy. For this reason, the election of an American pope could be historically groundbreaking, capable of changing the existing world order. Whether it will have that effect remains to be seen.
The Goal of the Papacy
The nationality of Pope Leo XIV is not—and cannot be—insignificant. Political choices made by geopolitical powers are never matters of chance; they are always carefully considered and planned to achieve a specific political objective. In the case of the papacy, of course, we are speaking of a political-religious goal. What, then, could that goal be? It is obvious that the absolute monarchy of the Vatican stands in direct opposition to the core ideals of the United States of America—especially the principle of separation of church and state, which guarantees both religious and civil freedom. Thanks to the American Constitution, the U.S. remains a republic of liberty, a country of free people. In the papal system, a totalitarian system controlling every aspect of human life, there can be no freedom. Perhaps no greater contrast exists between political systems than that between the papacy and the United States—except, perhaps, for the totalitarian communist regimes of China and North Korea. Yet, Revelation 13 foretells that these two systems will unite their forces to restore the papacy to greatness, enabling the papal model of government to become the prevailing model across nations. For there can be only one emperor. This means that in the future, the papacy will not become a liberal, democratic republic with a constitution guaranteeing religious freedom—that is absurd. And the idea that the Roman Catholic Church would relinquish its political sovereignty, join the ranks of other churches, and reform itself in the direction of Protestantism is an even more cosmic absurdity.
Rome Does Not Change
The eternal attitude of the papacy toward religious freedom and civil liberties can be easily verified by studying the history of the papacy. A clear example is the stance of Pope Leo XIII. As the Catholic historian Peter de Rosa writes: “In successive encyclicals on religious freedom, he expressed himself using exclusively medieval terminology. The Church in every Catholic country has the right to a monopoly on religion. Therefore, the spread of false opinions must not be permitted. … Wherever possible, the state—at the service of the Church—must implement the truth in practice. He insisted that the proclamation of the true faith should form the basis of official policy in every country.”12 The papacy’s attitude toward American religious freedom is strikingly illustrated by the chilling remark of Cardinal James Gibbons when he criticized the Spanish Inquisition. Attempting to defend himself against accusations of heresy from the papacy, he observed that in a perfect world, the traditional teachings of the Church regarding the church–state relationship would apply. In an imperfect world, such as modern America, the Roman Church must, reluctantly, accept the existing status quo.13 In light of Cardinal Gibbons’ words, de Rosa reaches a chilling conclusion: if movements for religious freedom continued to grow in the United States, the pope—or his successors—would be compelled to impose a medieval regime on America, in direct violation of its Constitution.14
Then the Prophecy Will Be Fulfilled
“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. … And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast.” Revelation 13:11, 12, 14
Remember this, dear reader: Rome does not change. Therefore, this can mean only one thing: America must change. And in fact, America is already changing. There is no doubt that the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV will aim to transform the United States into a state that dismantles and buries its Constitution. It is shocking and deeply sad that the papacy does not need to exert much effort to achieve this goal.
American citizens themselves—including united fundamentalist Protestants and Catholics, so-called Christian nationalists—are doing everything possible to help achieve this goal, with significant support from a largely pro-Catholic apparatus within the American government. Then a theocratic republic will emerge, in which church and state are united. The United States will become a model of papal theocracy. Religious laws will be enacted, including Sunday legislation enforcing Sunday observance. The Sabbath will become the center of religious conflict throughout Christianity. Religious persecution will begin against all who remain faithful to their conscience and their religious convictions, refusing to bow to the power of the “Christian state.” America will then pay homage to the papacy. The goal of the papacy will be achieved, and the papacy will triumph. At that time, the words of prophecy in Revelation 13 will be fulfilled. Whether this will occur during the pontificate of the current pope remains to be seen.
Jesus Is Coming
The prophetic perspective of Revelation 13 may fill us with apprehension and concern. Indeed, the final crisis is just before us. Yet the message of Christ does not end with this prophecy. Jesus has promised to come and take us back home. Let us trust our Saviour and focus our attention on Him. Let us use this time wisely. It is a time of preparation for the Bride to meet her Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Marcin Watras lives with his wife and two children in Katowice, Poland. He is interested in the philosophy of religion and trends in society.
Endnotes:
- Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, pp. 31, 32
- Alejandro Medina-Villarreal, Ujawnione tajemnice, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2007, p. 196
- Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, p. 42
- Ibiden, p. 29
- Jacques B. Doukhan, Kod Apokalipsy, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2007, p. 116
- Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, p. 47
- J. Grodzicki, G. Kotarbińska, M. Miller, Kościół dogmatów i tradycji, publishing house Nowa Reformacja 2017 pp. 436, 437
- Ibid., p. 438
- Clifford Goldstein, Dzień smoka, publishing house “Znaki Czasu”, Warszawa 1996, p. 28
- Carl Bernstein, “The Holy Alliance: Ronald Reagan and John Paul II”, Time, February 24, 1992, https://time.com/archive/6719650/the-holy-alliance-ronald-reagan-and-john-paul-ii/, accessibility: 11.11.2025
- Polonijna Agencja Informacyjna, https://wspolnotapolska.org.pl/wiadomosci.php?id=7289, accessibility: 16.11.2025
- Peter de Rosa, Namiestnicy Chrystusa, Ciemna strona papiestwa, publishing house Total-Trade 1995, p. 140
- Ibid., p. 140
- Ibid., p. 142