At http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/dec2014/frankm1214.htm , Frank responded to my post at http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/nov2014/jovial1130-2.htm by saying, "I am not sure why you are not making the connection re the Catholics church position in these last days" and then arguing that the Catholic Church is the woman in Revelation.  I never argued either for or against that position.  I simply said I don't see where Rome is pulling any strings behind our government today.  Whether Rome is or isn't the woman riding the beast is a separate issue from whether Rome controls America behind the scenes today.

When the Beast rises to power, all present government will be gone.  People will worship the False Messiah and if any local government exists, such as a US Congress, it will be to implement the blueprint he provides them with.   There won't be any need for strings pulled behind the scenes.  The population will support the false prophet and the false messiah very openly.

IMHO, I think the enemy will be corrupting mainline organized religion, both in Rome and elsewhere, BEFORE the False Messiah is revealed, and the entire mask everywhere will come off when he is revealed.  The FM won't be trying to fool people.  He will be looking for open worship at the threat of death or financial obliteration. 

Even if I am wrong about that, if the pre-trib theory is true, there won't be any real believers left in ANY alleged Christian denomination, and the Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, etc will all be corrupt.  If the pre-trib is wrong, my guess is that they will still all have been corrupted by then.  If Rome is the city of the 7 hills, that could suggest there will be an unreformation.  But that is only if Rome is the city of 7 Hills.  If you want to go with the theory that America is Babylon and New York is the city of 7 hills (even though it does not have 7 hills), then there is no reason to conclude that the RCC will play any role more vital than any Protestant denomination in corrupting the world.  The whole idea that Rome is the great whore doesn't work if America is Babylon.

Shalom,

Joe