The following quotes are from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Revised and Updated, Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Edited by Robert C. Broderick, Copyright 1987. It bears the NIHIL OBSTAT and IMPRIMATUR of the Catholic Church, which are a declaration that the book is considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error.
ANTICHRIST ( page 40)-
There is no specific one person or thing indicated by the term. Rather the title of Antichrist may be given to any person, idea, or group of persons who opposed, are opposing, or intend to oppose Christ and His Church. In particular this title is applicable only to the one enemy who will appear before the Last Judgment and draw many faithful away before being defeated by Christ. St. Paul calls this enemy "the man of lawlessness" (2 Thes. 2:3); this is not to be considered literally but as apocalyptic language in keeping with Rv. (12:12). In brief, it is the one who will attempt to substitute himself for God.
The opinion of many scholars of Scripture is that the Antichrist is not the incarnation of antichristian hostility but rather an eschatological personage who will appear at the end of the world. The Church that Christ founded is of course guaranteed against any form of Antichrist until the end of time.
APOCALYPTIC NUMBER (page 43)
A mystical number, especially 666 as stated in Revelation 13:18, is the "number of the beast." It was an ancient practice to have the letters of the Greek or Hebrew alphabets stand for a number (thus A=1). Using this formula, a name could be stated as the sum of its letters, as the name of Jesus in Greek amounted to 888. The number 666 is explained thus: 777 being the perfect number and 888 meaning Christ or each unit of 7 augmented by 1, then 666, or each unit of 7 lessened by 1, was that of Antichrist. In the derived name then, it could be the sum of Nero. However, the number, apart from the many conjectures, might stand for any "Antichrist" or anyone who in the time would stand against Christ. This is a condemned form of numerology that has no place in the Christian understanding of the message of Christ.
BABEL, TOWER OF (page 63)
This structure was near the site of ancient Babylon, probably at what is today Bias-Nimrud. The inhabitants started to build this great stage- tower or ziggurat but could not complete it (Gn. 11:1-9). The popular story interprets the Hebrew world babel, which means "confusion." In this version, by miraculous intervention God introduced different languages among the population (Hebrew word balel) and thus effected the stopping of the work, which was one of pride and arrogance together with a will to intimidate enemies. The tower had risen to a height of 60 feet. It is more accurately accepted that because of discord and lack of harmony in settling on a policy, the work was halted and a migration started. As early as the fourth century, St. Gregory of Nyssa was emphatic in declaring that God did not impose a variety of languages upon mankind. Etymologically, the name babel means "gate of God."
Can you believe it??? The Roman Catholic Church is immune to the AntiChrist, investigating 666 in condemned, and the Bible relates a popular but unfounded story of God intervening and confusing the speech of the Babylonians by introducing the various languages. Clearly St. Gregory of Nyssa was THE authority on this matter, wasn't he?
Gen 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Gen 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Gen 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
The Bible has just been reduced to that of legend, fable, mythology in an officially endorsed publication of the Roman Catholic Church! Why? Simple, they don't want Catholics to know the truth about who and what the Catholic Church really is..... Mystery Babylon, the very lair of the AntiChrist and the source of doctrinal apostasy and confusion!
2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having
itching ears;
2 Tim 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be
turned unto fables.
See also:
What Does
the word Vatican mean?
666 - The
Number of the Beast, and the AntiChrist.
The Red
Dragon and Rome.
