Vatican Official's Comments on the Holy
See
Parallel Revelation 17
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Monsignor Pietro Parolin is the Vatican's undersecretary for relations with states, and his comments of November 21, 2007, given at the Argentinian Embassy to the Holy See, bear a striking parallel to Revelation 17.
In scripture a woman is used symbolically to depict the church (2 Cor 11:2, Rev 19:7,8). The woman of Revelation 12 is the true church, the woman of Revelation 17 is the apostate church. The apostate harlot church is uniquely described in Revelation 17 as riding a beast. A beast in scripture is symbolic of an empire or state (Dan 7:17). Examples of this are explained in Daniel 7, where a lion represented Babylon, a bear represented Medo-Persia, and a leopard represented Greece. Therefore, the woman of Revelation 17 riding a beast is symbolic of the combining of the ecclesiastical power of church (the woman) and political power of the state (the beast), i.e., a church in control of state power.
Now, regarding the Holy See:
He (Monsignor Parolin) explained that an adequate understanding of the Holy See, as such, requires two distinctions. First, one must bear in mind that the Holy See cannot simply be identified with the Church [woman], as a community of believers. And second, it cannot be identified with Vatican City State [beast], a geographical place that assures the freedom of the Roman Pontiff.
“The Holy See is the Holy Father himself inasmuch as he is an independent, universal, spiritual authority [woman - church], together with the organizations of the Roman Curia [beast - state authority] that collaborate with his mission,” he defined.
In other words, the Pope speaks with the combined authority of head of the church and head of state. So, according to Monsignor Parolin, just how common is this church-state union in the world?
“The Catholic Church is the only religious institution [church] that can enter into diplomatic relations and that interests itself in international rights, acting through the Holy See, an international sovereign subject [state] of singular characteristics," Monsignor Parolin said.
The Holy See thus requires a particular status, such as that given by the definition of “subject ‘sui juris,'" meaning the Holy See defines for itself its juridical organization and does not receive it from outside, and as such, can enter into relationship with other states.
RELATIONS WITH THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Unwittingly, Monsignor Parolin has clearly identified the Vatican as the only entity on earth that fits the prophecy of Revelation 17.
