
DANIEL 11: REFORMATION
DANIEL 11: REFORMATION
“The 14th-century English reformer John Wycliffe boldly attacked the papacy itself, striking at the sale of indulgences, pilgrimages, the excessive veneration of saints, and the moral and intellectual standards of ordained priests.
“Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.” Verse 30.
“In the Scandinavian countries the Reformation was accomplished peacefully as Lutheranism spread northward from Germany. The monarchical governments of Denmark and Sweden themselves sponsored the reform movement and broke completely with the papacy. In 1536 a national assembly held in Copenhagen abolished the authority of the Roman Catholic bishops throughout Denmark and the subject lands of Norway and Iceland; and Christian III, king of Denmark and Norway, invited Luther’s friend, the German religious reformer Johann Bugenhagen, to organize in Denmark a national Lutheran church on the basis of the Augsburg Confession.” Infopedia
“In 1559 delegates from 66 Protestant churches in France met at a national synod in Paris to draw up a confession of faith and rule of discipline based on those practiced at Geneva. In this way the first national Protestant church in France was organized; its members were known as Huguenots. Despite all efforts to suppress them, the Huguenots grew into a formidable body, and the division of France into Protestant and Roman Catholic factions led to a generation of civil wars (1652-98). One of the notorious incidents of this struggle was the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, in which a large number of Protestants perished.” Infopedia
The Catholic Church, as you can see from the historical facts above, attempted to “vent his fury against the holy covenant.” He did this by fighting against the Protestant movement that was bringing people back to the holy covenant, the Bible and the Bible only and the Ten Commandments instead of church doctrine.
Verses 31 on through 35 explain the terrible time of persecution that the Catholic Church gave to those who refused to bow down to its teachings. The Catholic Church believed, and still does, that the pope is the head of the church and is “god on earth”. That is how it attempted to “abolish the daily sacrifice.” Verse 31. If Jesus is no longer needed to forgive sins, since the Catholic Church claims to have that power, then it does away with the daily sacrifice that Jesus has provided. It will “set up the abomination that causes desolation.” Verse 31.
The Catholic Church does this by setting up the church and its teachings in place of true Christianity and the teachings of Jesus. It does this by substituting the simple Lord’s supper with the pagan sacrament service.
“Less radical than the English church reformer John Wycliffe, Huss nonetheless agreed with him on many points. On a practical level, both men vigorously condemned church abuses and attempted, through preaching, to bring the church to the people. On the doctrinal level, both … regarded the Bible as the ultimate religious authority, and held that Christ, rather than any inevitably corrupt ecclesiastical official, is the true head of the church.” Infopedia
Verses 6 through 39 show us a better picture of the papacy and its wickedness. “He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods.” In Revelation 17:5 the papacy is called “Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots . . .” In prefiguring this “Babylon”, Habakkuk 1:7 states that “their only laws and rules are the ones they make up”.