Tag: TEN HORNS

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Daily Manna Devotionals

THE OSTROGOTHS FINALLY ‘PLUCKED UP BY THE ROOTS’ IN 538 A.D.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE OSTROGOTHS FINALLY ‘PLUCKED UP BY THE ROOTS’ IN 538 A.D.

“Witiges [Vitigis] was now the king of the Ostrogoths [succeeding Theodoric], and Rome was continuing its policy. Professor J. B. Bury says: ‘In the meantime Belisarius [head of Emperor Justinian’s army] had left Naples and was marching northward. The Romans, warned by the experiences of Naples, and urged by the Pope, who had no scruples in breaking his OATH with Witigis [note this], and a messenger inviting him to come, he entered Rome on Dec. 9, A.D. 536.’ – ‘History of the Later Roman Empire,’ Vol. II, pp. 179,180.

“Such, then, was the Pope Silverius, who, having sworn a solemn oath of fealty to Witigis, now, near the end of 536 [A.D.], sent a messenger to Belisarius to offer the PEACEFUL surrender of the city of Rome.’ – ‘Italy and Her Invaders,’ T. Hodgkins (8-Vol. ed.), Vol. IV, Book 5, p. 83. 1885.

“Rome BETRAYED. The Catholics, on the first approach of the emperor’s army, boldly raised the cry that the apostolic throne [?] should no longer be profaned by the triumph or TOLERATION of Arianism, nor the tombs of the Caesars trampled by the ravages of the North; and deputies of the Pope and clergy, and what is called the SENATE and the people, waited upon the approach of the army to whom they threw OPEN the gates of the city [remember the Trojan horse strategy?], and the Catholics were rewarded for their TREASON by the apparent respect of Belisarius for the Pope.’ – ‘History of the Christian Church,’ N. Summerbell, p. 340, third edition, Cincinnati: 1873.

“Witigis then besieged the city of Rome from March, 537, to March, 538, when he raised the siege, after LOSING the flower of his army, and retired to Ravenna, his capital. T. Hodgkin says: ‘With heavy hearts the barbarians must have thought, as they turned them northwards, upon the MANY graves of GALLANT men which they were leaving on that fatal plain. Some of them must have suspected the MELANCHOLY TRUTH that they had dug one grave, deeper and wider than all—THE GRAVE OF THE GOTHIC MONARCHY IN ITALY.’ – ‘Italy and Her Invaders,’ (8-vol. ed.), Vol. IV, p. 285.

“A DEATHBLOW was thus given to the Ostrogoths in 538 A.D., and their re-attempts to establish themselves after this [year 538] were but the last flicker of a lamp being extinguished. Belisarius followed them this same year ‘to their last stronghold of power. Ravenna was soon entered by the troops of the empire, and with it FELL the great kingdom of the Ostrgoths.’ – ‘Fall of Rome,’ J.G. Sheppard, p. 306. London. 1892.

“Then occurred a SINGULAR PHENOMENON, —THE ANNIHILATION AND DISAPPEARANCE of a great and powerful people FROM THE WORLD’S HISTORY.’ – Ibid. p. 307.

“But let all remember, that ‘the success of Justinian’s invasion was due to the CLERGY; in the ruin that they brought to their country, and the relentless tyranny they drew upon themselves, they had their reward.’- ‘History of the Intellectual Development of Europe,’ J. G. Draper, M. D., LL.D., Vol. 1, p. 355. NY. Harper Bros., 1839.

“The last of the three Arian ‘horns’ of Daniel 7:8 had passed away, and with the LIBERTY of the common people . Dr. N. Summerbell truthfully says:

‘The Dark Ages, introduced by the persecution of an enlightened Church in the sanguinary wars of Justinian TO EXALT THE CATHOLICS, continued up to the fourteenth century. It was a long, dark night, when IGNORANCE, BIGOTRY, and CRUELTY REIGNED, and TRUTH, PURITY, and JUSTICE WERE CRUSHED OUT.’ – ‘History of the Christian Church,’ p. 342.” (From ‘Facts of Faith,’ C. Edwardson, Southern Publishing Asso., Nashville 8. TN. 1943).

There are three key events and final acts that mark 538 A.D. as the starting date of the of 1260 day/year prophecy (the Dark Ages). This is one of them. Bless the enlightenment and warnings of the prophecies. To the diligent, serious, and consistent yet humble truth-seekers, Christ’s certain promise is, “and ye shall find!” NMF

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Devotionals

THE ‘TEN HORNS’ AND THE ‘LITTLE HORN’ OF THE ‘FOURTH BEAST’

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE ‘TEN HORNS’ AND THE ‘LITTLE HORN’ OF THE ‘FOURTH BEAST’

The Ten Horns. This is explained in the same chapter as ‘ten kings’ in verse 24.  If the ‘four kings’ of v. 17 represents ‘kingdoms’ (see on v.3) parallel to the four EMPIRES of ch. 2, then there is fully as much reason to understand these ‘ten kings’ as kingdoms also, even as the ‘four horns’ of the GOAT (ch.8:22).

“The successive invasions of the Roman Empire by numerous Germanic tribes, and the replacement of the empire by a number of separate states or monarchies, are well established facts of HISTORY.

“Owing to the fact that a score or more BARBARIAN tribes invaded the Roman Empire, commentators have compiled lists of the kingdoms that were founded. The following list is representative:

“Ostrogoths, Visugoths, Franks, Vandals, Suevi, Alamanni, Anglo-Saxons, Heruli, Lombards, Burgundians. Some prefer to list the Huns in place of the Allamanni, however the Huns DISAPPEARED early without leaving a settled kingdom.  The period was one of great upheaval, confusion and change  [in the Old World of Europe] during which a large number of states secured their independence.

“Another Little Horn.’ “Better, ‘another horn, a little one.’ Though ‘small’ in the beginning, this little horn is described LATER as ‘more stout than his fellows,’ literally, ‘greater than its companions.’ It will be seen that this is the CONTINUATION of the Roman power in the Roman church.  (Note what these historians wrote, emphasis mine):

“Out of the ruins of POLITICAL Rome arose the great MORAL Empire  in the ‘giant form’ of the Roman Church.” (A. C. Flick, The Rise of the Medieval Church, 1900, p.130.

“Under the Roman Empire the popes had NO TEMPORAL POWERS. But when the Roman Empire had DISINTEGRATED and its place had been taken by a number of rude, barbarous kingdoms, the Roman Catholic Church not only became INDEPENDENT of the states [civil powers] in religious affairs but DOMINATED SECULAR affairs as well.

“At times under such rulers as CHARLEMAGNE (768-811), OTTO THE GREAT (936-73), and HENRY III (1039-56), the civil power controlled the church to some extent, but in general, under the weak political system of FEUDALISM, the well-organized, unified, and centralized church, with the POPE AS ITS HEAD, was not only independent in ecclesiastical affairs, but ALSO CONTROLLED CIVIL AFFAIRS.’ (Carl Conrad, Eckhardt, “The Papacy and World Affairs, 1937, p. 1.” Commentary on the Book of Daniel, A Section of Vol.4 of the SDA Bible Dictionary,p. 826.

The diligent study of the prophecies and the whole sanctuary message that gives the wonderful details of the comprehensive plan of redemption of the everlasting gospel, unmistakably reveals how very close we are to the final test of mankind, the close of probation, the final time of trouble, and then the glorious appearing of our blessed Lord and Savior, bringing with Him the promised reward to all “the saints” who patiently “keep the commandments of God and faith of Jesus”!!

My prayer is that we shall “endure” and be found of Him “faithful to the end.” Bless all, NMF.