THE ‘PROPHETIC NAME’ OF THE CHURCH AND THE ‘SEAT OF CHRISTENDOM’. . . .
I. “CHURCH’S PROPHETIC NAME” . THE CHURCH’S PROPHETIC NAME IS “CATHOLIC CHURCH”. SCRIPTURES TELL US THAT THE HOUSE OF GOD, THE CHURCH, WILL BE CALLED A UNIVERSAL CHURCH, i.e. A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS. SIMPLY, CATHOLIC CHURCH.
CATHOLIC MEANS UNIVERSAL.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build MY CHURCH; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.(Matt. 16:18, KJV)
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the HOUSE OF GOD, WHICH IS THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD, the pillar and ground of the truth.(1Tim. 3:15, KJV)
“…these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS.”(Isa. 56:7, NIV)
“And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.'”(Mark 11:17, NIV)
II. “SEAT OF CHRISTENDOM” . OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF GUARANTEED THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD WILL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM JERUSALEM, AND WILL BE GIVEN TO A NATION THAT WILL PRODUCE THE PROPER FRUITS. FROM JERUSALEM, IT WAS TRANSFERRED TO ROME. THAT’S WHY ROME BECAME THE SEAT OF CHRISTENDOM. INDEED, ROME PRODUCED THE PROPER FRUITS. THE CHURCH OF ROME HAS FAITH THAT’S BEING PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD.
Therefore say I unto you, THE KINGDOM OF GOD SHALL BE TAKEN FROM YOU, AND GIVEN TO A NATION BRINGING FORTH THE FRUITS THEREOF.(Matt. 21:43, KJV) .
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have TESTIFIED ABOUT ME IN JERUSALEM, so you must also TESTIFY IN ROME.”(Acts 23:11, NIV)
…to all who are BELOVED OF GOD IN ROME, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because YOUR FAITH IS BEING PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD.(Rom. 1:7-8, NASB)
III. “JESUS CONQUERED PAGANISM” . PAGAN ROME BECAME THE SEAT OF CHRISTENDOM BECAUSE IT WAS EXPOSED BY THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. ROME, A CITY SET ON A HILL, WAS ILLUMINATED AND BECAME LIGHT OF THE WORLD TOO.
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible–and EVERYTHING THAT IS ILLUMINATED BECOMES A LIGHT.(Eph. 5:13, NIV)
“You are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A CITY SET ON A HILL cannot be hidden;”(Matt. 5:14, NASB)
PRO DEO ET ECCLESIA!