Please, someone explain to me HOW Rome cannot be the ULTIMATE Religious/Political system the world has ever known. After all, isn't that the whole point of Rome trying to bring about the kingdom of God on earth? A place from where He will govern the nations, and His followers will be a kingdom of priests? It's ALL about politics. Always has been, always will be. Unfortunately for ROme, they are NOT Israel. Never have been. Never will be. And CHRIST is going to set up His Kingdom, not Rome. It will be centered in Jerusalem, just as He said. And His 12 Apostles will be sitting on twelve thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
If Rome did not have visions of heading the governments of the world, why is it a sovereign nation, with ambassadors, an army, concordants that nations must sign, a special seat reserved for it at the UN, etc. She functions as a government, down to her own flag and coinage. What's the point if she is nothing more than a religious institution?
Why is the Vatican a sovereign nation? So that no individual nation other than the church itself controls the church. This is not really that hard to understand.
For example, Why is the Tea Party a separate group? So that no one pre-existing party controls it. Same thinking, really.