Dave Hunt - A Woman Rides the Beast

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota

A WOMAN RIDES THE BEAST

Copyright 1994 by Dave Hunt

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon, 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hunt, Dave

A woman rides the beast: the Catholic Church and the last days / Dave Hunt.

p.m.

ISBN 978-1-56507-199-5 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-3244-8 (eBook)

1. Catholic ChurchControversial literature. 2. BibleProphecies. 3. Bible. N.T. RevelationCriticism, interpretation, etc. 4. End of the world. I. Title. BX1765.2H85 1994

All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of authors and publishers rights is strictly prohibited.

To the nearly 1 billion Roman Catholics
misinformed by their hierarchy;
to the 400 million Protestants equally ignorant
of the facts; and to the genuine martyrs
on both sides, this book is dedicated.

The most significant event in nearly 500 years of church history was revealed as a fait accompli on March 29, 1994. On that day leading American evangelicals and Catholics signed a joint declaration titled Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the 3rd Millennium. The document, in effect, overturned the Reformation and will unquestionably have far-reaching repercussions throughout the Christian world for years to come.

This startling development was the culmination of careful planning and negotiations over the previous two years. Each step was continuously monitored and approved by the Vatican. The New York Times release making the announcement, which was carried in newspapers across the country on March 30, said in part:

They toiled together in the movements against abortion and pornography, and now leading Catholics and evangelicals are asking their flocks for a remarkable leap of faith: to finally accept each other as Christians. In whats being called a historic declaration, evangelicals including Pat Robertson and Charles Colson [one of the chief originators] joined with conservative Roman Catholic leaders today in upholding the ties of faith that bind the nations largest and most politically active religious groups. They urged Catholics and evangelicals... to stop aggressive proselytization of each others flocks.

John White, president of Geneva College and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said the statement represents a triumphalistic moment in American religious life after centuries of distrust....

Other evangelical endorsers include the heads of the Home Mission Board and Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention [who acted in an independent capacity], the nations largest Protestant denomination, and Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ.... Mark Noll of Wheaton University... [Os Guinness, Jesse Miranda (Assemblies of God), Richard Mouw (President, Fuller Theological Seminary), J.I. Packer and Herbert Schlossberg].

Robert Simonds, Southern California chairman of the National Association of Evangelicals, applauded the declaration and said he hoped it would bring increased cooperation between evangelicals and Catholics.... Other evangelical leaders have since signed the declaration, while still others have denounced it as a betrayal of the Reformation. Ironically, this bold move to unite Catholics and evangelicals will divide evangelicals as nothing else couldand as its endorsers must have realized.

The 25-page document acknowledges, without compromise, some key differences between Catholics and evangelicals (such as the significance of baptism and the authority of Scripture). Unfortunately, the most important differencewhat it means to be a Christianis not mentioned. In fact, that such a difference even exists is denied. This compromise of the gospel lies at the heart of the agreement.

The key element behind this historic joint declaration is the previously unthinkable admission on the part of leading evangelicals that active participation in the Catholic Church makes one a Christian. If that is indeed the case, then the Reformation was a tragic mistake. The millions who were martyred (during a thousand years before the Reformation and since then to the present time) for rejecting Catholicism as a false gospel have all died in vain. If, however, the Reformers were right, then this new agreement between Catholics and evangelicals could well be the cleverest and deadliest blow struck against the gospel in the entire history of the church. Either way, the consequences are staggering. In praising the joint declaration, one leading evangelical declared:

[This document] has the potential to recast all the ecumenical discussions that have gone on through the years.... This is a new day. Our closest friends, as

The theological differences between Catholics and Protestants were once considered to be so great that millions died as martyrs rather than compromise them, and their Catholic executioners were equally convinced of the importance of such differences. How have these differences been dissolved? What has happened to cause leading evangelicals to declare that Catholicisms gospel, which the Reformers denounced as heretical, is now biblical? That gospel hasnt changed. Has conviction been compromised to create a huge coalition among conservatives for social and political action?

Evangelicals would decry the complacent attitude that everyone actively involved in a Protestant church is a Christian. How then did evangelical leaders consent to the view that all active Catholics are Christians and not to be evangelized? The document explains that both Catholics and evangelicals endorse the Apostles Creed: that Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. That creed, however, like the Nicean and other creeds, does not express the gospel that saves (Romans 1:16): that Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Mormons affirm the Apostles Creed, but they arent biblical Christians. Nor does embracing the Creed make Catholics (or Protestants) Christians. Furthermore, what Catholics mean by Christ dying for their sins is entirely different from an evangelical understanding of this truth, as we shall see in later pages.

Whereas Roman Catholicism was once the official state religion and the practice of all others was prohibited throughout Latin America and most of Europe, that is no longer the case. Therefore Rome uses other strategies. In some countries, such as France, the Catholic Church is pressuring the government to make it illegal to proselytizeexactly what the endorsers of this joint pact have agreed upon. In other places the Catholic Church is demanding that evangelicals sign an agreement similar to the one just signed here in the United States. A recent news report declared: