Cardinal Ratzinger's Rebellion -- A Mini-Biography And
Exposé On Pope Benedict XVI : Part 3

Copyright 1994 - 2008 Endtime Prophecy Net

Last Updated : July 23, 2006

Jewish Lineage Of Christ And His Followers, Growth Of Early
Church, Differentiating Between Chief Priests And Priests,
Annas Caiaphas And The Corrupt Core, Jewish Priestly Courses
Murderous Plot Of Chief Priests, Blood-Thirsty Jewish Mobs,
Instruments In God's Hands, God's Divine Purpose - Salvation
Jewish Remnant Shall Be Saved, Jesus' Sacrifice Cornerstone
Of Our Faith, Pro-Catholic ZENIT.org, Ambiguities & Mysteries
Can We Be Saved Without Acknowledging Christ?, Jesus' Central
Role, Key Points Of Our Faith, Pope Benedict XVI Like A God,
Blind Leading The Blind, Spirit Of Complacency, Lake Of Fire,
Destruction Of The Unbelievers, Global Evangelism, Brevity Of
Our Human Existence, Ratzinger's Rebellion And False Gospel



While I have chosen to highlight some of the more prominent
Jewish figures who were painted in a positive light by the
writers of the New Testament, let us not forget that Jesus
Himself was of Jewish lineage, at least after the flesh, as
were many of the original Apostles and Disciples. While the
vast majority of people have been conditioned to believe by
Hollywood movies that Jesus had only twelve followers, the
writer Luke informs us that, in actuality, in addition to
the main Twelve Apostles, the Lord appointed other people to
represent Him throughout the towns and cities of Israel as
well. Luke writes as follows:

"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also,
and sent them two and two before his face into every city
and place, whither he himself would come . . . And the
seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the
devils are subject unto us through thy name."
Luke 10:1, 17, KJV

In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, which many scholars
believe was a continuation of Luke's account from the Gospel
of Luke, Luke tells us that following the Lord's Ascension
to Heaven, there were at least one hundred and twenty people
who had joined the ranks of the Disciples. Luke writes:

"And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the
disciples, and said, (the number of names together were
about an hundred and twenty,)"
Acts 1:15, KJV

Of course, as we also know from Acts chapter two, following
the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost, the Apostles had even greater success at winning
new converts, and thousands more joined the ranks of the
Disciples.

Another important point worthy of mention here, is that
while Jesus had some very negative things to say about the
Jewish religious hierarchy who conspired against Him, and
who eventually killed Him, His words were not directed at
all of them. For example, we have already seen how certain
religious elders, such as Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathaea,
and Gamaliel, clearly lent their support to Jesus and His
followers. These three high-ranking officials were not the
only ones who either outright embraced the young new faith,
or at least offered a word of defense in its favor. Turning
again to the Book of Acts, Luke tells us that even many of
the priests were obedient to the faith, as we see here:

"And the word of God increased; and the number of the
disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great
company of the priests were obedient to the faith."
Acts 6:7, KJV

I believe that the previous verse requires clarification, as
some of you may possibly be a bit confused. Why? Because on
one hand, we are told that the High Priest, and the Scribes
and the Pharisees were clearly intent on killing Jesus, and
on the other, we are told that many of the priests actually
embraced the new faith. So which is it? Well, actually, it
is both.

You see, if my suspicion is correct, when Luke wrote that "a
great company of priests were obedient to the faith", he was
obviously not referring to the corrupt inner core of priests
who were members of the Sanhedrin. These were the villains
who were more concerned with maintaining the status quo, and
with guarding their positions of power, than in saving the
life of some itinerant preacher from Galilee, who not only
had fully exposed their sins, but was causing them one big
headache with the Roman authorities, whom they served. Luke
offers us an idea of who some of these evil schemers were in
the Book of Acts when he writes:

"And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and
Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high
priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem."
Acts 4:6, KJV

It is shortly after this verse, that they threaten Peter and
John and the rest of the Disciples, and command them to stop
preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. So these men, as well
as others who were loyal to them, were the ones who Jesus
probably accused of being a generation of vipers, as well as
children of Satan, children of hell, hypocrites, murderers,
thieves and the synagogue of Satan. Along with the Scribes,
they belonged to two main religious sects of the time, which
were the Sadducees and the Pharisees, who, from a doctrinal
perspective, were on opposite sides of the fence. If we go
back to the four Gospels, we also discover that Annas and
Caiaphas were concurrently the high priests, and that Annas
was actually the father-in-law of Caiaphas; so they were one
big happy family of vipers. It was apparently like a corrupt
family business, you might say. Consider these verses:

"Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God
came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness."
Luke 3:2, KJV

"And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law
to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year."
John 18:13, KJV

In contrast to this tight-knit group of murderous, religious
rogues, when Luke mentioned the great company of priests who
were obedient to the faith, he was probably referring to the
lower level of priests, who rotated throughout the year, and
performed their priestly duties in the temple. For example,
this is precisely what Zacharias, the father of John the
Baptist, was doing when the Angel announced John's coming
birth to him, as we see here:

"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a
certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and
his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was
Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking
in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was
barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And
it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office
before God in the order of his course, According to the
custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense
when he went into the temple of the Lord."
Luke 1:5-9, KJV

Another clue we are given in the Bible, which suggests this
distinction between the corrupt upper level priests, and the
lower level priests, is that in quite a few cases, when these
scheming devils are mentioned in the Scriptures, the writer
will often refer to them as "the chief priests", and not just
as "the priests", as we see by the following verses. There
are many more examples, so please use your Bible program's
search engine if you would like to find them:

"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his
disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer
many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and
be killed, and be raised again the third day."
Matthew 16:21, KJV

"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be
betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and
they shall condemn him to death,"
Matthew 20:18, KJV

"And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came,
and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from
the chief priests and elders of the people."
Matthew 26:47, KJV

"Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council,
sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;"
Matthew 26:59, KJV

"When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders
of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to
death:"
Matthew 27:1, KJV

"But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude
that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus."
Matthew 27:20, KJV

If you take the time to study the other three Gospels, you
will see the very same pattern. It is the chief priests, as
well as others, who are specifically named when discussing
the satanic plot against Jesus. In the Book of Acts, it was
also the chief priests who repeatedly persecuted the Lord's
Disciples, and who also gave Paul, (then known as Saul), his
authority to persecute the fledgling church. Ironically, it
was those very same chief priests who later persecuted Paul
as well, after he had embraced the Christian faith. A Jew
betraying another Jew was the biggest insult, and that was
apparently how the chief priests viewed Paul's conversion to
Christianity; so they were out to get him.

While I have spent several paragraphs discussing the evil
machinations of the corrupt Jewish priesthood of that era,
allow me to add that it would be unwise for anyone to assume
that the guilt stopped with the Jewish religious hierarchy.
They were indeed guilty, as was Judas Iscariot the betrayer,
but the Jewish masses were guilty as well. After all, were
they not the ones who allowed themselves to be whipped into
a religious fervor, and who demanded Jesus' innocent blood
before the seat of Pontius Pilate, while they clamored for
the release of a common thief and murderer named Barabbas?
It was also the Jewish mobs who cried out:

". . . His blood be on us, and on our children."
Matthew 27:25b, KJV

Clearly then, in discussing the cold-blooded murder of Jesus
Christ, and the persecution and the martyrdom of the Lord's
Prophets and Saints, there is plenty of guilt to go around.
In fact, as I have pointed out before, while the modern Jews
have tried to switch the blame for Jesus' Crucifixion to the
Romans, Jesus clearly cast the blame upon the unbelieving
Jews themselves, when He said to Pontius Pilate:

". . . Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except
it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered
me unto thee hath the greater sin."
John 19:11b, KJV

Who was it who delivered Jesus to Pilate? As we have already
seen, it was a money-minded Judas Iscariot; it was the chief
priests and their evil cohorts; and it was the unbelieving
mobs of Jerusalem. They all played a major role in our Lord's
Death. Of course, to add some balance to my words, it is also
important that we all look at the Big Picture and realize, as
Jesus said, that they could have had no power against Him, if
it had not been ordained from above.

In other words, while those evil Jews did indeed commit the
crime of killing the Son of God, as we all know, this was by
God's Design. God merely used them as His instruments. God
used the wickedness of their own evil hearts, in order to
accomplish His own Divine Purposes, which was the Salvation
of mankind. This does not by any means excuse the Jews, but
it does serve to remind each of us to check our own hearts,
and to realize that all have sinned, and that Jesus died for
us all, without exception.

In spite of their rebellion against Him, God is merciful;
and as I point out in other articles, such as "The Woman In
The Wilderness And The 144,000", "The Great Tribulation And
The Rapture", and "Is God A Racist?", the Scriptures do tell
us, that the day will come, when after a terrible period of
Great Tribulation, a small remnant of Jews will return to
their first love for the Father, and will finally embrace
Jesus Christ as their only Lord and Savior. But, they will
indeed be a small remnant, for as Jesus taught us, many are
called, but few are chosen.

Having now fully addressed all of these important concepts,
beliefs and issues concerning sin, Salvation, the universal
nature of God's Redemptive Plan, and the status of the Jews
and other non-believers, let us turn our attention to the
topic which actually served as the catalyst for my writing
this current series.

If you happen to be a knowledgeable Christian, then you will
already know that all of the verses which I have shared in
this series, are taken straight from God's Authoritative
Word, the Holy Bible, and that they constitute sound, clear
Christian doctrine. These verses, and many others like them,
form the very foundation, the very core, and the central
belief system of our Christian faith. If we remove Christ as
the Principle Figure, and if we eliminate His Sacrifice as
the Cornerstone of what we believe, then our faith becomes
essentially meaningless; and it is no different than any
other worldly religion which promotes peace, love, kindness
and good will towards men. Without Jesus' Atoning Sacrifice,
our faith becomes a dry religion of self-righteous works.

The other day, while conducting some online research, I came
across a certain news article, written not quite five years
ago, and published by zenit.org, which really left me rather
stunned. For those of you who are not familiar with ZENIT, on
their website, they describe themselves as an international
news agency, whose mission is "to provide objective coverage
of events, documents and issues emanating from or concerning
the Catholic Church". In other words, ZENIT is a staunchly
pro-Catholic news website. The article in question, which I
am reproducing in full below, is entitled "Are Believers Of
Other Religions Saved?", and deals with some remarks made by
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. In particular, I would like to ask
you to carefully note what Ratzinger states in the second
paragraph below.

----- Begin Quote -----

ARE BELIEVERS OF OTHER RELIGIONS SAVED?

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger Responds

ZENIT.org

September 5, 2000


VATICAN CITY, SEP 5 (ZENIT.org).- "How is it possible to
explain the unique character of Christ and of the Catholic
Church to a Jew or a Lutheran, a reporter asked Cardinal
Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith, during a press conference to
present the "Dominus Iesus" declaration, which is concerned,
precisely, with the unique and universal salvation of Christ
and the Church.

Referring to a believing Jew, Cardinal Ratzinger clarified
that "we are in agreement that a Jew, and this is true for
believers of other religions, does not need to know or
acknowledge Christ as the Son of God in order to be saved,
if there are insurmountable impediments, of which he is not
blameworthy, to preclude it. However, the fact that the Son
of God entered history, made himself part of history, and is
present as a reality in history, affects everyone."

The German Cardinal continued "I think it is important to
explain that Christ did not go away to heaven, but has
remained in history." Because of this, "we can say that the
hidden and real presence of Christ in history affects us
all, even those who are opposed or cannot encounter Christ.
This is a reality that transforms history; it is something
important for others, without violating their conscience."

In speaking of the universal character of the Church's
salvation with a Lutheran, Cardinal Ratzinger said that "we
all recognize objectively that the Church should be one, and
we should all desire to find ourselves in a renewed Catholic
Church on the road toward the future.

However, this objective necessity must be distinguished from
the state of conscience of persons who learn their faith in
their community and are nourished by the world of God in
it." This state of conscience impedes some Christians from
understanding the importance and necessity of unicity and
the unity of the Church.

----- End Quoted Article -----

As I said a moment ago, I was really taken back by the claim
that, in Cardinal Ratzinger's words:

"we are in agreement that a Jew, and this is true for
believers of other religions, does not need to know or
acknowledge Christ as the Son of God in order to be saved"

Right after that, Cardinal Ratzinger offers some other rather
confusing and ambiguous statements, the purpose of which, at
least in my view, seems to be to soften the harshness of what
he is saying in the portion I have quoted above.

I have noticed before, that some of these Catholic leaders
seem to have this propensity, that is, this special tendency,
for making confusing, semi-veiled remarks; so that when they
are done talking, one is not exactly sure what has been said,
or what is intended to be understood. They are rather astute
politicians. But then, as you may already know, the Catholic
faith, in general, seems to enjoy shrouding things within a
spirit of mystery; and the word "mystery" itself is found
frequently throughout their doctrines and belief system. But,
this is precisely what draws certain people to it, and they
surely know it!

But allow me to ask you . . .

Do you accept that statement as being Scripturally sound? Do
you believe that acknowledging Jesus Christ as the Son of
God is not necessary in order for one to receive forgiveness
of sins, and Salvation? Do you accept that Jews do not need
to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in order to
be saved? How about Buddhists, or maybe Muslims, or Hindus,
or Shintoists, or any other religious practitioner for that
matter? I most certainly don't! Yet that is precisely what
Cardinal Ratzinger appears to be saying. If I understand him
correctly, his statement is in total contradiction to all of
the Scriptures which I have shared with you in this series,
concerning the universality of God's Salvation Plan, and the
fact that Christ is the Key to it all, for everyone, without
any room for exceptions.

To reiterate the key points of our faith: All have sinned;
all deserve death according to God's own righteous Laws; all
require a Savior in order to escape the penalties of sin;
and Jesus Christ is God's one and only appointed Savior for
all of mankind. How truly sad that former Cardinal, Joseph
Ratzinger, doesn't seem to agree with this central Biblical
doctrine.

Is it any wonder that some non-Catholics have begun to think
that Pope Benedict XVI, (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), may be
the Antichrist or the False Prophet described in the Endtime
prophecies? Please understand that I'm not suggesting that I
agree with this particular point of view concerning the man,
but I must admit that I do find Cardinal Ratzinger's remarks
quite alarming, and naturally, totally unscriptural. What I
find equally alarming, is the fact that approximately one
billion Catholics worldwide, reverence this man, and look to
him for spiritual guidance. Pope Benedict XVI is like a god
to them. On one extremely pro-Catholic site which I visited
two days ago, they even went so far as to refer to Ratzinger
as "Lord Pope Benedict XVI", not to mention the usual "holy
father" bit.

Let us not forget that, prior to becoming Pope Benedict XVI,
as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger's job was to establish, and to
safeguard, Roman Catholic doctrine. It simply amazes me that
he could have gotten it right on such important issues as
marriage and divorce, abortion and birth control, stem cell
research, homosexuality, etc., and then turn around and fall
flat on his face, when it comes to the core element of our
Christian faith. Ratzinger, what are you thinking??? You are
really missing the mark!

Considering Ratzinger's own obviously apostate condition, is
this not a prime example of the blind leading the blind? As
Jesus said, shall they not both fall into the ditch? Sadly,
unless Pope Benedict XVI forsakes this devilish, misleading
doctrine, it is a sure thing that millions of people will
indeed fall into the ditch; that is to say, the very ditch
of hell, or more appropriately, the Lake of Fire.

Why do I say this? Quite simply, because the words of this
misguided Pope will help to further convince such people that
their false religions are just fine, and that there is really
no need for any of them to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord
and Savior. Thanks to the tragic apostasy of Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger, millions of people around the world will now fall
into a spirit of false complacency. They are going to fail to
recognize the urgency of their situation, and the dangerous
condition in which they are in, if they continue to refuse to
recognize and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Such people may now need the shock treatment. They need to be
made aware of the following Scriptural truth:

"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with
child; and they shall not escape."
1 Thessalonians 5:3, KJV

"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of
the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the
flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And
knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so
shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
Matthew 24:37-39, KJV

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God . . . For our God is a consuming fire."
Hebrews 10:31, 12:29, KJV

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he
that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath
of God abideth on him."
John 3:36, KJV

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth
in unrighteousness;"
Romans 1:18, KJV

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire."
Revelation 20:15, KJV

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Revelation 21:8, KJV

What a harsh picture indeed; but according to God's Word, it
is exactly what awaits everyone who continues to stubbornly
reject the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ until the end. As we've
already seen, God is indeed patient; and He is very merciful;
but He simply cannot wait forever. There must come a time
when, in a symbolic sense, He will draw in the fishing nets;
He will send forth His Harvesters; and He will gather His
true children unto Himself, and then burn up the unbelieving
chaff. As Jesus Himself said:

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the
world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end
come."
Matthew 24:14, KJV

In this present day of rapid global communications, Internet
technology, and widespread propagation of the Gospel, is it
possible that our job will soon be accomplished? If that is
indeed the case, what does that mean for those of you who
have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
How much longer will you procrastinate? How much longer will
you continue to resist God's Spirit speaking to your heart,
and beseeching you to accept the Sacrifice of His dear Son?
If you are one of such people, please consider the following
verses:

"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what
is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a
little time, and then vanisheth away."
James 4:14, KJV

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit
of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The
grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God
shall stand for ever."
Isaiah 40:7-8, KJV

"But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall
be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which
thou hast provided?"
Luke 12:20, KJV

Again, I ask you to please seriously consider the truth which
is found in the previous set of verses. You simply may not
have as long as you think. There is no guarantee of tomorrow
for any of us. If your day were to arrive, will you really be
ready for it? Will you have made your plans for the future?

So in conclusion, this, in my view, is Cardinal Ratzinger's
rebellion. If this is what he truly believes, and if I have
understood his words correctly, then according to the Holy
Scriptures, he appears to be a heretick of the first order.
Pope Benedict XVI, as Ratzinger is now known, is in direct
rebellion against the very Cornerstone of our Christian
faith. His words totally contradict the truth of the Bible.
Cardinal Ratzinger is preaching not just a perverted gospel,
but in fact a false gospel. He is preaching another "Jesus".
Based upon Ratzinger's own statements, it appears that the
"Jesus" he preaches, did not die for the sins of all men
everywhere. This, I do not accept, and you shouldn't either.
As God's Word plainly tells us regarding such deceivers:

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils;"
1 Timothy 4:1, KJV

"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 Timothy 4:3, KJV

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro,
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in
wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up
into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"
Ephesians 4:14-15, KJV

"Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For
it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace;
not with meats, which have not profited them that have been
occupied therein."
Hebrews 13:9, KJV

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause
divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye
have learned; and avoid them."
Romans 16:17, KJV

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from
the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh
preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye
receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or
another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well
bear with him . . . For such are false apostles, deceitful
workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of
Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into
an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15, KJV

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called
you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is
not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would
pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel
from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we
said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other
gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be
accursed."
Galatians 1:6-9, KJV

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome
words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the
doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud,
knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of
words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil
surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and
destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness:
from such withdraw thyself."
1 Timothy 6:3-5, KJV

"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of
Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of
Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come
any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not
into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that
biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."
2 John 1:9-11, KJV

Ratzinger's papal name may indeed mean "blessed", but unless
he repents of this foolishness, and forsakes this devilish
doctrine, in the end, many millions of people may discover
that rather than being blessed by following his words, they
will in fact be cursed, and cast out by the Father, because
they spurned the Son of God, and tread His loving Sacrifice
underfoot, and deemed the doctrines and traditions of men,
of more worth than the words of the Savior, who said:

". . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6b, KJV


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