Chapter
44
A
Remarkable Symbol
At what time was Rome divided into ten parts?
Between the
years 351 and 483 A.D.
After the ten
horns had arisen, what was seen coming up among them?
"I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them
another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns
plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes
of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Daniel 7:8.
After
speaking of the subjugation of the three powers by the "little
horn," what comparison does he draw between the subduing power and
the others?
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall
arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from
the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Daniel 7:24.
How was this power to use its authority?
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and
shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and
laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and
the dividing of time." Daniel 7:25.
NOTE. - The
pope calls himself "the vicar of Christ." Leo X blasphemously
styled himself "The lion of the tribe of Judah." Leo XII allowed
himself to be called "The Lord our God." Pope Martin V called
himself "The most holy and most happy, who is the arbiter
of heaven and the lord of the earth, the successor of St. Peter, the
anointed of the Lord, the master of the universe, the father of
kings, the light of the world."
How has the
papacy worn out the saints?
By its relentless persecutions of Christians,
having put to death more
than fifty million during the period of its supremacy.
NOTE. - No
computation can reach the numbers who have been put to death, in different
ways, on account of their maintaining the profession of the gospel, and
opposing the corruptions of the Church of Rome. A million of poor
Waldenses perished in France; nine hundred thousand orthodox
Christians were slain in less than thirty years after the institution of
the order of the Jesuits. The Duke of Alva boasted of having put to death
in the Netherlands thirty-six thousand by the hand of the common
executioner during the space of a few years. The Inquisition destroyed, by
various tortures, one hundred and fifty thousand within thirty
years. These are a few specimens, and but a few, of those which history
has recorded. But the total amount will never be known till the earth
shall disclose her blood, and no more cover her slain." Scott's
Church History.
What change
has the papacy sought to make in the law of God?
It has
expunged the greater part of the second commandment, in order to
establish the adoration of images, dividing the tenth to complete the
number ten. It has also abolished the fourth commandment (as far as its
power extends) by substituting the first day of the week for the seventh.
See Catholic
Catechisms; also "Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today,"
page 213; "The Catholic Christian Instructed," chapt. 23;
"A Sure Way to Find out the True Religion," pages 95, 96.
How long was
the papacy to have power over the saints, times, and laws?
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall
wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:
and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the
dividing of time." Daniel 7:25.
Where is this
expression of time found in the New Testament?
"And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she
might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for
a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the
serpent." Revelation 12:14.
How is this same period again represented?
"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place
prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred
and threescore days." Revelation 12:6. (These days, being in symbolic prophecy, are
themselves symbolic.)
What is the
rule for reckoning symbolic days?
"Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall
of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it
shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a
sign to the house of Israel. Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay
the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of
the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I
have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number
of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the
iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie
again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of
Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year."
Ezekiel 4:3-6. (See also Numbers 14:34).
NOTE. - "So
Ezekiel 4:6, 'I have appointed thee each day for a year: where the prophet
was symbolically to bear the iniquity of Israel as many days as they had
sinned years. In this usage we find authority for interpreting days in
prophecy as denoting years." George Bush, Prof: of
Hebrew and Oriental Literature in New York City University, Notes on
Numbers
14:34.
What event
marked the close of this period?
In February, 1798, Berthier entered Rome
at the head of the French army, and taking Pope Pius VI prisoner, established a republic in Rome. The pope died in exile the following year. For
over two years there was no pope. See Chambers's Cyclopedia, art. Pius.
What was to
take place before the dominion should be entirely taken away?
"But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." Daniel 7:26.
Where in this
chapter is this judgment first spoken of?
"A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand
thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood
before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened."
Daniel 7:10.
How soon
after this did the pope lose his temporal dominion?
In September, 1870,
when Rome, no longer supported by the French, who had been defeated by the
Germans, surrendered to Victor Emmanuel. Possession of the pope's dominion
was formally taken Oct. 2, 1870. -See Chambers's Cyclopedia, art. Italy.
By what means
is the beast to be destroyed?
"I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the
horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body
destroyed, and given to the burning flame." Daniel 7:11.
What is the
"burning flame" that is to destroy the papacy?
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming." 2 Thessalonians 2:8.
THE 1260 DAY
PROPHECY
A.D. 538 through
A.D.
1798
THE PROPHECY OF DANIEL
"Daniel
spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds
of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up
from the sea, diverse one from another." Daniel 7:2,3.
"After
this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and
terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured
and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it
was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another
little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by
the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a
mouth speaking great things." Daniel 7:7,8.
"I came
near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this.
So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things."
Daniel 7:16.
"Then I
would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the
others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of
brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his
feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which
came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and
a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his
fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and
prevailed against them;" Daniel 7:19-21.
"And he
shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they
shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of
time." Daniel 7:25.
THE PROPHECY
OF REVELATION
"And I
stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,
having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon
his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a
leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the
mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and
great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;
and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the
beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and
they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able
to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great
things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and
two months." Revelation 13:1-5.
The Bible
predicted that the terrible little horn power of Daniel 7 and 8 was to
rule the world for 1260 years. It has been well-known for centuries that
this little horn of Daniel 7 and the first beast of Revelation 13
symbolize the papacy. Also called the "man of sin" (2 Thessalonians
2:3,4), and the "antichrist" (1 John 4:3) ,
the papacy was definitely prophesied to have this ruling power for 1260
years. When did this predicted time span begin and when did it end? Read
on.
THE AMAZING
1260 DAY
PROPHECY
Here is the amazing prophecy of the 1260 days; also
called the "time, times, and dividing of time," and the
"forty-two months."
A day stands
for a year in Bible prophecy (Numbers 14:34, Ezekeil 4:6). A
"time" in prophecy is the same as a year (Daniel 11: 13, margin
and Revised Version). This time-span prophecy is first mentioned in Daniel
7:25, where we are told that it is the length of time that the terrible
"little horn" power was to bear rule and destroy God's people.
During that time it would also try to change God's Law: "And he
shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they
shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of
time." Daniel 7:25.
This, in
Hebrew, equals "a time, 2 times and half a time." Using the
ancient reckoning of 360 days to a year, 360 + 180 + 720 = 1260. And since
a day is equivalent to a year in Bible prophecy, this little horn power
would rule for 1260 years. In Revelation 12:6 we are told that the
persecution would continue for "a thousand two hundred and threescore
days:" which is 1260 prophetic days, or years. (Also note Revelation 11:3).
The God of
heaven gave this important prophecy in yet a third way: The little horn of
Daniel 7 and 8 is the same as the first beast of Revelation 13: "And
there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies;
and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."
Revelation 13:5. (Compare Revelation 11:2.) Forty-two months
equals 1260 days. And Revelation also calls this time prophecy the
"time, and times, and half a time" (Revelation 12:14), just as
Daniel does.
When did the
little horn, symbolizing the papacy, have this rule? The decree of the
emperor, Justinian, in A.D. 533, recognized the pope as the "head of
all the holy churches" (Code of Justinian, Book 1, title 1, section
4). The overwhelming defeat of the Ostrogoths in the siege of Rome, just
five years later (A.D. 538) was a death blow to the third of the three
horns that were uprooted (see Daniel 7:8). With the year 538, then, begins
the 1260 years of this prophecy of papal domination, which would extend to
1798. In that year as the Reign of Terror continued in the French Revolution and the Roman Catholic religion was set aside in France, the French
army, under Berthier, entered Rome and took the pope prisoner. The date:
February 10, 1798. The imprisoned pope died in exile the following year in
Valence, France. A great cry was heard, "Catholicism is dead." The
papacy had received the "deadly wound" of Revelation 13:3.
But we are told that the wound is to be healed, and that the time is
coming when all the world will "wonder after the beast."
(Revelation 13:3).
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