Unmasking the Rise of Papal Supremacy
The Prophetic Framework: Understanding Jesus and Daniel
When the disciples asked Jesus on the Mount of Olives about the signs of the end (Matthew 24:1–3), He directed their attention back to the prophet Daniel, specifically regarding the "abomination of desolation" (Matthew 24:15). To identify what this power is, we must connect the historical clues across Daniel 7, Daniel 8, Daniel 11, and 2 Thessalonians 2.
2. The Hindering Power: Paganism
To understand how the papal power came to be revealed, we must look at what originally held it back. As Paul explains in 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8, there was a restraining power—"he who now letteth will let"—that hindered the "man of sin" from taking the throne:
Historically, that restraining power was pagan Rome and its pagan political setup.
Once paganism was shifted, modified, and taken out of the way, the path was cleared for the final apostate power to emerge.
3. The Transition: From Pagan Rome to Papal Rome
The prophecy in Daniel 8:13–14 and Daniel 11:31 points to the removal of the "daily" (which represents paganism) and the setting up of the abomination that makes desolate.
The Arian Political Setup: Historically, the Arian kingdoms in early Europe posed a political barrier to the complete unification and supremacy of the Roman bishopric.
The Union of Church and State: This barrier was broken down through key historical milestones, such as King Clovis I of the Franks getting baptized and making Roman Catholicism the official state religion (starting the 1,290-day prophetic period in 508 A.D.), followed by Emperor Justinian’s imperial enforcement of religious uniformity and Sunday observance (starting the 1,260-day period in 538 A.D.).
4. Characteristics of the Little Horn and the Desolating Power
When we compare the traits of the "abomination of desolation" with the "little horn" of Daniel 7:20–25, the identity of the power becomes unmistakable:
It speaks great words against the Most High.
It wears out the saints and makes war against them for 1,260 years (a time, times, and the dividing of time).
It presumes to "change times and laws."
5. Conclusion: The Setting Up of the Papal Power
While Matthew 24 had a literal, local application to the Roman armies surrounding and desolating Jerusalem in 70 A.D., its larger anti-typical fulfillment spans the Christian era.
By removing the old pagan political setup and uniting church and state, the way was paved for the papacy to step into the holy place. Standing where it ought not—and ultimately attempting to tamper with God's holy law and substitute His holy Sabbath—the papacy stands revealed as the true abomination of desolation.
1. Connecting the Historical Type to the End-Time Antitype
The Historical Type: In 70 A.D., the pagan Roman armies stood in the "holy place" (surrounding Jerusalem and desecrating the temple), acting as the initial abomination of desolation.
The Antitypical Shift: In the Christian era, the "holy place" is no longer a physical building in Jerusalem, but rather God's holy Law—specifically the 4th Commandment, which is the only commandment containing the word "Holy" ("Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy").
2. The Chain of Apostasy (From Paganism to Papal Power to Sunday Law)
Removing the Restraining Power (Paganism): As Paul noted in 2 Thessalonians 2, pagan Rome hindered the full revelation of the "man of sin". When paganism and its political barriers were taken out of the way (around 508–538 A.D.), the Papal system stepped into political and ecclesiastical dominance.
Attacking God's Law: The Papal power "thought to change times and laws" (Daniel 7:25) by substituting God’s Seventh-day Sabbath with Sunday worship—a human and pagan tradition elevated above divine law.
The Final Image to the Beast: Prophecy indicates that in the final conflict, political powers (civil government/state) will once again unite with apostate religious systems to enforce this counterfeit standard on a national and global scale.
3. The Final Conclusion: The Enforced Sunday Law as the Abomination
When civil governments step beyond their civil jurisdiction to legislate religious observance—enforcing Sunday sacredness under legal penalty—they repeat the exact pattern of Pagan and Papal Rome.
Standing "Where It Ought Not": The state/papal power stands in God's reserved place of authority by usurping His law and commanding men to worship on a day God never sanctified.
The Abomination: The legal requirement to observe Sunday over God’s Sabbath represents the complete union of church and state, turning human authority into an object of enforced worship—the ultimate setup of the abomination of desolation.
Summary
"Therefore, the ultimate fulfillment of the 'abomination of desolation' standing in the holy place is realized when human laws replace divine law—specifically through the national and global enforcement of Sunday sacredness. By taking the place of God's holy Sabbath and using state authority to mandate false worship, the Papal power—in union with civil government—reaches its final act of blasphemy."