Adventist World, 01.01.2019, Nicholas P Miller, Understanding the 1,260-year Prophecy
https://www.adventistworld.org/understanding-the-1260-year-prophecy/
White, in The Great Controversy (1911) simply wrote that in the sixth century ‘the bishop of Rome was declared to be the head over the entire church. Paganism had given place to the papacy. The dragon had given to the beast his power, and his seat, and great authority.’ Rev. 13:2. And now began the 1260 years of papal oppression. …Dan. 7:25.”
A careful study of Daniel 7:24-26 and some related prophetic passages reveals that the decisive events of the terminal moments of the 1260 years should be understood primarily legally, rather than militarily. Once this legal framework is understood and given its due weight it becomes clearer how the 538 event relates to the 1798 event. In a nutshell, the Justinian Code, which was completed in 534, “enacted orthodox Christianity into law,” place the pope as the formal head of Christendom, “ordered all Christian groups to submit to [his] authority,” and gave him civil power of life and death over heretics. Durant, p 112.
This code, however, did not become legally promulgated and enacted on the ground until the siege of Rome was lifted in 538. Justinian’s general, Belisarius, had enter Rome unopposed at the end of 536, but shortly thereafter the Ostrogoths came and laid siege to Rome. After about a year the siege was broken, and Belisarius had control of Rome and its environs. Ibid, p. 109. It was then that the provisions of the code elevating the Papacy could actually be implemented by Belisarius beyond the boarders of Rome itself. The Gothic Wars continued, with the Ostrogoths being finally driven out in 553. Ibid, p. 111.
Key verse: Daniel 7:25 says that the saints shall be, “given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” The focus is on the time that the little horn is “given” certain authority and dominion.
Extract from: Pagan and Papal Rome by Ellet J. Waggoner
In Daniel 2 there is no distinction made between pagan Rome and Papal Rome, but in every other prophecy the distinction is clearly marked. In the seventh chapter, pagan Rome is represented by the ‘dreadful and terrible’’ beast with teeth of iron and nails of brass. Papal Rome is represented by the ‘little horn’ which came out from this beast. In reality, the beast, after the rise of the little horn, is papal Rome, i.e., Rome under the popes.
In the 12th and 13th of Revelation the Roman power is brought to view. It is not difficult to identify the red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. It is represented as standing ready to devour a certain child as soon as it was born. This child we know is Jesus, from the fact that he is to ‘rule all nations with a rod of iron’ (verse 5, compared Ps. 2:7-9), and he was “caught up to his throne.” These particulars will apply to no one but Jesus. And Rome, through Herod as its representative, stood ready to slay Jesus when he was born. See Matt 2. The dragon, represents Rome. The question is, Does it represent the whole of Rome, or only a part? This can be answered when we have identified the next beast.
Revelation 13:1-2, 5-7 [referenced the quote rather than typing it]. Compare this description with what we are already familiar in Dan. 7, and there will be no difficulty in deciding that it also represents Rome. What! Two symbols in succession representing the same thing? The answer must be that they represent two phases of Rome. Now we know that Rome in the time of Christ was pagan; therefore this second phase, represented by the leopard beast, must be papal Rome. Notice its blasphemous words, and its work of persecuting saints, and compare with the description of the little horn of Daniel 7. Notice also a time during which it was to have power to continue – “forty and two months.” This, at thirty days to the month is just 1,260 (as prophetic symbols, years), which we have already learned was the period of papal supremacy. Here, then, as in the seventh of Daniel, the prophecy marks a change from pagan to papal Rome.
https://www.1888mpm.org/articles/pagan-and-papal-rome
Disclaimer: THE PLAIN WORD may quote an outside article(s) or provide references to outside materials, which indicate that we stand behind the content of that particular article, topic or reference; but it is not an endorsem*nt by The Plain Word of the author’s opinion, lifestyle or work published elsewhere.
2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” AND 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
The Plain Word Comments
LEGAL. The article by Nicholas P. Miller focuses on the legal aspect of Rome whereby the Justinian Code which was completed in 534AD, “enacted orthodox Christianity into law,” placed the pope as the formal head of Christendom, “ordered all Christian groups to submit to [his] authority and gave him civil power of life and death over heretics.” Durant, p. 112. This code, however, did not become legally promulgated and enacted on the ground until the siege of Rome, was lifted in 538AD.
MILITARY. E.J. Waggoner references the ten horns in brief and the ‘little horn’ on a larger scale in his complete work.
We know that the ‘little horn” plucks up three of the ten horns as it rises to power according to scripture. The historical record identifies three Germanic tribes that were ‘uprooted’ by the influence of the Catholic Church and they were the Vandals, Heruli, and Ostrogoths. These three tribes were Catholic, but had conflict with the Church over the nature of Christ and the Godhead. The tribes were Arian. The Ostrogoths were the last of the three horns that were plucked up by the roots.
Note: The ‘little horn rose after the divisions of the western Roman Empire in 476 A.D. Remember, the ‘little horn’ starts out small but rises. We will find that the ‘little horn’ rose to full supremacy in 538 A.D. A future post will be forth coming titled, Divided Nation: The Ten Division of Western Roman Empire.
The Ostrogothic Papacy was a period from 493 to 537 where the papacy was strongly influenced by the Ostrogothic Kingdom, if the pope was not outright appointed by the Ostrogothic King. The selection and administration of popes during this period was strongly influenced by Theodoric the Great and his successors Athalaric and Theodahad. This period ended with Justinian I’s (re)conquest of Rome during the Gothic Wars (535-554), inaugurating the Byzantine Papacy (537-752).
The Ostrogothic Papacy was still opposed to the Roman Catholic Church at large because of their view of the nature of Christ. So, when Justinian drove out the Ostrogoths from Rome in 537, he puts in his own pope who is favorable to the Catholic Church. He, in essence, introduces the Byzantine Papacy bringing the Ostrogothic Papacy to an end. The last pope of the Ostrogothic Kingdom was Pope Silverius. He was bishop of Rome from 8 June 536 to his deposition in 537, a few months before his death (2 December 537). Why is this important? Justinian appointed Pope Vigilius while Pope Silverius was still living. According to Catholic tradition, you could not have two popes living at the same time so there was controversy over Vigilius’ placement as pope. It was not until Silverius died in December of 537 that Vigilius was OFFICIALLY seen as the pope. This brings us to 538, and a new papacy.
Both the legal and the military events arrive at 538. Then when we apply the 1,260-year prophecy, we arrive at 1798 A.D. On February 10, 1798 Pope Pius VI is taken prisoner by General Berthier. Berthier demanded the pope to abandon his temporal authority over Rome and the Papal States and leave Rome itself for good. Source: The Pope Dragged from Rome. catholictextbookproject.com.
The persecution that continued for 1,260-years to be exact, came to an end. This is what the Bible speaks of as an appearance of a ‘deadly wound’. The Bible also says that the wound would heal…more on that later.
The Law and the Prophets
It is important to note, that even though the word of God was suppressed and Bibles were forbidden among the people through the Dark Ages (1,260-years), the Bible speaks of two witnesses that still shinned their light. Psalm 119:105 tell us, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” It was the word of God that was testifying despite what the papacy was doing during the Dark Ages. The witnesses were the Old and New Testaments.
2 Peter 1:19 says, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:” Again, we have a comparison to a candlestick.
Psalm 119:130 says, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Through His word we gain light…we gain understanding. God opens up his word so that we can see.
And read this, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (Jn. 5:39).
What do witnesses do? _____________________________________________________________________ They testify. The word of God testifies of Christ.
Revelation 11:6, “These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:…”
How does this fit with the verse that we just read in John? _____________________________________________________________________________
They have power…God’s word has power…God has power. Revelation 11:6, “These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:“
Who shut heaven so it would not rain in the days of their prophecy? ___________________________________________
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years
and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. James 5:17-18.
This is point us to Elias (Elijah), and the fact that these witnesses have the power to stop the rain.
Let’s go back an finish Revelation 11:6, “…and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
Who turned water into blood in the Old Testament? _____________________________________________________________
Moses turned water into blood before Pharaoh. “And theLordspake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the
waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that
there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone” (Ex. 7:19).
Let’s pull this together. Elijah was symbolic of the prophets. Moses was symbolic of the law. Literally, the Bible is called the law and the prophets. These are the two witnesses…the law and the prophets are the word of God.
Romans 3:21, ” But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;”. God used these two witnesses (law and the prophets) in despite the lies and the Darkness that was being promoted by the Church during the Dark Ages. The word of God was still doing its work.
The Beast from the Abyss
What power comes on the scene at the end of the 1,260-years, that is going to attack the two witnesses? ________________________
The nation towards the end of the 1700’s who launched an all out assault against the Bible, against Christianity, against God, against the creation account, and against everything that had to do with God was France. “On October 5, 1793, Christian Europe was rocked by the Revolutionary government of France declaring the disestablishment (or the dechristianization) of France, a move specifically intended to remove the influence of the Catholic Church upon France and the French people.”
Atheism existed before the French Revolution, but it is in the French Revolution that launch atheism into an organized movement. People were not afraid to be vocal about this position. In essence, this rejection of what the Catholic Church had been doing throughout the 1,260-years in the name of God, as well as a rejection of the Bible altogether; is where concepts about the creation account and God Himself were dismissed. This made a major step onto the stage, if you will. It was during the French Revolution that ‘freedom of religion’ was promulgated and the terms “left and right’ were established. This entire movement is described in the Bible as
A short time later in 1844, we have Charles Darwin with an expanded version essay titled ‘The Foundations of the Origin of Species’. This was a relatively complete and explicit articulations of his theorizing on evolution. Later in 1859, he published ‘On the Origin of Species’.
This beast described as rising out of the abyss (Rev. 11:7) turns its attention back to the creation account and says ‘no’ to God and the Bible. It proclaims that neither God or his word exist for they are not real. What is real is atheism. The ‘goddess of reason’ was the basis of the French Revolution, and it was a revolution from religion in the late 1700’s.
The Sea Beast
The papacy (sea beast) dominates 1,260-years as a persecuting power, until it is wounded by the beast from the abyss which is the French Revolution which was a rebellion against Christianity and in its stead was atheism and reason. Altogether it was freedom from religion. The political terms ‘left’ and ‘right’ came out of the French Revolution. Back then, the ‘left’ represented those who were in favor of the Revolution which was those who were against anything religious. They were called ‘left’ because those who were in favor of the Revolution sat to the left of the king. Those who were in favor of the king and in favor of the church sat to the right. This is the origin of those terms ‘left’ and ‘right’, where left represents liberalism and being against God.
This power persecuted many for non-conformity to her dictates, and it was all done in the name of God. Please do your own study regarding who, what, and how this religious power ruled during the Dark Ages. You may find its methods appalling. Just remember, the the Bible tells us this ‘wound’ would heal.
See: Revelation 13.
The Earth Beast
Section coming soon.
Scripture References for the 1,260-days:
Daniel 7:25 Time, Times, and the Dividing of Time (Revelation 12:14)
Daniel 12:7 Time, Time, and a Half
Revelation 11:3, 12:6 1,260 days
Revelation 11:2, 13:5 42 months
Year Day Principle is used, click here for post on this subject.
