Imitation and the Papacy
Koot van Wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)
G. Berkhouwer conceded that the
discussion of the imitation by the papacy could lie in the meaning of the word “anti”
in antichrist.[1] “In other words, is the
primary sense of ‘antichrist’ not someone bent on usurping the place of God and
Christ?” Berkhouwer indicated that scholars understood this imitation of the
Lamblike beast of the second beast of Revelation 13 in various ways: some
thought that the lamblike beast is Christ the Lamb and that the Antichrist will
imitate it.[2] Also E. Stauffer felt that
the Antichrist will pervert the Crucifixion of Christ by his wound and its
healing.[3] Ever heard of Adventist
scholars recently saying that the Book of Revelation portrays the “trinity” of
Satan as counterfeit of the Holy Trinity? Already in Ellen White’s days
Reformed Theologians were saying this, by name Louis Berkhof[4] and
Abraham Kuyper.[5] Berkhouwer does not
believe that this imitation is of the lamb because it says immediately
afterwards it spoke like a dragon.[6] Therefore
Berkhouwer wants to drag the false prophet in with sheepclothes to do this
work.[7] Sure enough. This is what the text
reads. This second beast, or the USA in Adventist historicism, will force/ask
the nations to make an “image to the beast”. Not the USA will make the beast,
the United Nations will decide to by strong request from the USA. It will be an
image “to the beast”. We cannot miss the Dative in this verse. It is the
creation of some kind of “protocol” with institutions that affects religion to,
economy towards, spirituality to, loyalty to, the first beast or Catholicism,
of which the wound has healed. So far Adventistm and historicism in this
paragraph. Image or imitation. The USA ask
nations to “create/make” this image of circumstances that focus the whole world’s
attention to the Catholic church and the papacy and force the world to worship
or pay allegiance to this new protocol expected by everyone to follow in honor
of the papacy. Slowly we are getting more understanding. The subject of the imitation by
the papacy in history should now get attention. Although an image to the beast
will be afforded by nations across the globe in the End Time when the wound of
the Catholic church is healed, the papacy is known from the earliest times to
imitate emperors. In an enlightening article on
the imitation of the papacy since Constantine and in the Middle Ages, three
scholars dealt with this topic.[8] The
scholars Hehl et al. in 2002 indicated that since the time of Constantine and
his gift to the papacy at the end of his life, the papacy started to “copy” or “imitate”
the emperor in his decrees that it started to pronounce with contractual
expectations.[9] In the portal of the Lateran
basilisk is a drawing of Constantine slightly with bended knees approaching the
papacy with a gift. The papacy is sitting on a throne.[10] Some
scholars wonder if this ever took place or whether this is just a later
magnifying of the papacy over the emperor propaganda? In the gift it appears as
if Constantine retreated to the East and left the West in the hands of the papacy
and the scholars talked about the words: ad imitationem imperii nostri.[11] This imitation of the emperor
was a reality in the papacy system of the Middle Ages.[12] Other
scholars studied the role of the imperial “image” upon the organization of the
papal court and administration was done by Reinhard Elze in 1982.[13] There is the evidence of this
phenomenon of “copycatting of the emperor of the world” in the Tractate of John
of Mantua in 1080 where the Bishop of Rome is called “imperator romanus and
also ruler of the “imperium petri”.[14] Imitation of superpowers by the
papacy. Now what about the USA as superpower after World War II? It is said by
Maleachi Martin in Youtube interviews and a number of other videos on the
papacy killings around 1956 that a transformation of the papacy was necessary
leading to the Vatican II that will make the face or image of the papacy to the
world look “more democratic” and more in line with freedom of religion, freedom
of thought, equality principles and universalism of the USA constitution. That
is why there are conservative sites online in the Catholic Church that is
calling all popes after 1956 antichrists. Their wish is to return to the
pre-1798 papacy style. Thus the papal-fascist. The papal-democrats-socialists
face of the papacy currently does not appeal to them. They call it apostasy. At
least Martin did in the interview in the 1990’s. Let us get our fact in line
here. The papacy was papal fascist imitating the emperors since Constantine.
They adopted their religious protocols including habits from pagan religions
like Sunday Worship. They dressed like them. They got their thrones set up.
They made seals like them. They also arrange their whole court-system and legal
system and punishment system [the teeth of the 1260 years of persecution until
1798] the same way. A good example is the 13/14th century “Church
Manual” like document to deal with heretics among the Franciscans. Every time
you see an anathema it is a canine tooth meant to rip deep. This was papal
fascism in action. But because the face of the emperor of the world change to
constitutionalism that are based upon equal right for all, freedoms of
religions and liberty for all to choose their destiny, therefore, the papacy
realized that the USA is the emperor of modern times in 1945 and started to
transform culminating at Vatican II in 1962-1964 shaping the way to become kind
of “democratic” or papal-democratic the socialist way. This went well with all USA
presidents who had to meet the pope since that time after inauguration. But
what about Trump? The Trump era is a new species.
It is a new transformation of USA politics. It is apolitical and more of a
politics in economy. Is it possible that democracy can be also fascist? Is
Trump as the representative of the Second Beast of Revelation 13 [inaugurating
final steps at the End Time maybe?] a kind of “econo-terrorist” that serves as
model for the nations of the World what kind of “image” they need to set up for
the papal-democracy of a socialist kind to transform into so that the USA gives
the world the Vorbild how the papacy should take the lead and all should obey
the papacy henchforth? Or is it the other way around. Because the papacy has
adopted democracy at Vatican II and because the USA has become more “fascistic”
recently in Trump economics or Trumponomics, is the post-Trump period, if he is
impeached in future [see Daniel 11:45 the last sentence “and he will come to
his end no one for him [Trump?]”, if he is impeached in future, will everyone
insist that a proper world leader, a spiritual “papacy of a democratic
socialist kind” should be voted in by the United Nations to be what Trump was
not? Is that what is waiting for us around the corner? If this is the case, Liberals
in Adventism might again grab their Great Controversies by Ellen White and read
them feverishly. And repent. The previous paragraph is meant
as creativity. It is brainstorming. Is it going to happen? Wait and see. It may
not at all. The analysis may be completely wrong. I was born with the gift of
extreme instant creativity and ever since my childhood days, adults would laugh
at the verbal creativity that was rolling out so fast. I sometimes did not even
know what I was saying. And that is the case sometimes today as well. [1]
Berkhouwer, 1972: 271. [2]
Foerster, in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, thērion,
III, 134ff. [3]
Stauffer, (1955). New Testament Theology, 215. [4]
L. Berkhof, CMH, page 115 saying “The Antichrist is the demonic reflection of
the Son in the pattern of a trinity made up of the dragon and the two beasts.” [5]
Also Abraham Kuyper, Van die Voleinding IV, 242ff. Op. cit. Berkhouwer,
1972: 272 footnote 33. [6]
Berkhouwer, 1972: 272. [7]
Bousset, Die Offenbarung des Johannes, 424 op. cit. Berkhouwer, 1972: 272. [8]
Ernst-Dieter Hehl, Ingrid Heike Ringel, Hubertus Seibert, (2002). Das Papsttum
in der Welt des 12. Jahrhunderts. Stuttgart: Thorbecke Verlag. Downloaded on
16th of August from 2018 at
file:///D:/Papal%20seals%20in%20the%2012th%20century.pdf. [9]
“Seit der Zeit Konstantins verfügte diese römische Kirche über kaiserliche
Rechte, und sie hatte ihre Tradition von den Anfängen bis zum gegenwärtigen Tag
bewahrt". Hehl, 2002: 291. For a complete bibliography on this subject of
the gifts to the papacy by Constantine, see Ixco Herklotz, (2000). Gli eredi di
Costantino. Il papato, il Laterano e la propaganda visiva nel Xll secolo. Rome.
My translation: “From the time of Constantine this Roman church claimed imperial
rights, and they have protected their tradition from the beginning to the
present.” [10]
Hehl, 2002 Image 17 after page 280. [11]
Hehl, 2002: 287. [12]
Percy Ernst Schramm, (1968-1971). “Sacerdotium und Regnum im Austausch ihrer
Vorrechte: ‘imitatio imperii’ und ‘imitatio sacerdotii’. Eine geschichtliche
Skizze zur Beleuchtung des ‘Dictatus papae’ Gregors VII., in Percy Ernst
Schramm, Kaiser, Könige und Päpste. Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Geschichte des
Mittelalters, Stuttgart, Volume 4, I, pp. 57-102. Also Percy Ernst Schramm, (1968-1971).
“Die Imitatio Imperii in der Zeit des Reformpapsttums.” In Percy Ernst Schramm,
Kaiser, Könige und Päpste. Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Geschichte des Mittelalters,
Stuttgart, Volume 4, I, pp. 180-186. [13]
Reinhard Elze, (1982). “Das ‘Sacrum Palatium Lateranense’ im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert.”
In: Reinhard Elze, (1982). Päpste, Kaiser, Könige und die mittelalterliche
Herrschaftssymbolik. London: 1982. [14]
Hehl, 2002: 286. See Schramm, Kaiser, Volume 4, I, page 183.