FRIDAY MORNING MANNA March 16, 2018
Biblical Numerology: NUMBER SEVEN – Part 29
The Biblical truth the Church does not want you to know regarding the ‘dark Goths’ and ‘destructive Vandals’
QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
”Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”
SIR WALTER SCOTT, Marmian.
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We resume where we left off a month ago, February 16, on the topic: “Heruli Uprooted: Two More ‘Horns’ to Go; Justinian’s Role, Hidden Agenda, and MO Revealed.” (On the series of the seven churches of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3—the fourth church stage divinely symbolized as Thyatira, Rev. 2: 18-28. The N.K.J.V. subtitles this chapter prophetically describing Thyatira as “The Corrupt Church.” Both in sacred prophecy and secular history this period aptly describes the Dark Ages of 1, 260 years, 538-1798 A.D. Here, we continue the narrative on how “the little horn” “plucked up by the roots” the “three of the first horns.” Dan. 7: 7, 8. This “little horn” had “eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous (blasphemous) words.” Information below quoted from Facts of Faith (FF) by Christian Edwardson, “The Prophetic History of the World” chapter, pp. 42-47, Southern Publishing Association., Nashville, TN, 1943:
THE VANDALS
“JUSTINIAN’S cherished aim was the re-conquest of Italy by the [Roman] Empire; but in order to succeed in this it was necessary to secure his rear by overthrowing the Vandals and resuming possession of Africa.’ –‘The Barbarian Invasion of Italy,’ P. Villari, Vol. I, p. 197.
“A pretext for breaking his oath of peace with the Arian Vandals soon presented itself. The Vandal government had oppressed the Roman Catholics just as the emperor, under the influence of the Papacy, had oppressed the Arians. But when Hilderic came to the Vandal throne he,through the influence of his Catholic wife [“behind the success or failure of a man is a woman,” so they say], had restored the Roman clergy to their ancient privileges, and this had so displeased the Vandal leaders that Gelimer, a zealous Arian, had dethroned and imprisoned him [Hilderic], and reigned in his place. ‘A strong appeal was thus made to the piety[?] of the Emperor to deliver the true Catholic Church of the West out of the hands of the barbarian heretics,’ –‘Medieval and Modern History,’ P.V.N. Myers, p. 62. Boston: 1897.
“Justinian wavered for a time, fearing to attack these war-like Vandals, but a Catholic bishop assured him of victory, claiming ’he had seen a vision, in which God commanded that the war should be immediately undertaken. ‘It is the will of Heaven, O Emperor!’ exclaimed the bishop.’ – ‘Id., p. 63.
“Treachery, with which Rome and her allies has always been a justifiable weapon, was here used in the service of the church by her dutiful son. Justinian sent an army of 200,000 trained men under the leadership of Belisarius to conquer the Vandals, without declaring war, and unbeknown to Gelimer, their king.
“Villari says:
‘Belisarius landed on the African coast at nine days’ march from Carthage [the Vandal capital]. He did not assume the attitude of a conqueror, but came, he said, as the deliverer of the Catholics and Romans, the clergy and lay proprietors, who were all equally oppressed by those foreign barbarians, the heretic Vandals.’ – ‘The Barbarian Invasion of Italy,’ Vol. I, p. 198/FF 43, 44.
“Thus Belisarius won the enthusiastic support of a large part of the population [people and majority power]. To undermine the zeal of the Vandal leaders for their king he sent ‘the leading men of the Vandals’ a letter from Justinian, stating that he intended only to dethrone the usurping king, who was tyrannizing over them, and to give them back their liberty.”
NOTE: Sounds familiar? Well, the once-covering cherub, Lucifer, next to Christ as the highest and noblest of all creatures yet notmade “in the image and likeness of the Creator,” and is a spirit, not of the dust of the ground and “fearfully and wonderfully made” of flesh, blood, and bones as Adam was—who first fell in heaven, irreversibly becoming “Satan, that old serpent, the devil,” “the father of lies and murderer from the beginning”—originated this stratagem to deceive one third of the angels and join him in the first-ever rebellion and war in heaven.
“[Belisarius’] letter reads:
‘ ‘ It is not our purpose to go to war with the Vandals, nor are we breaking our treaty with Gaiseric [or Genseric, then king of the Vandals]. We are only attempting to overthrow your tyrant, who making light of Gaiseric’s testament keeps your king a prisoner . . . Therefore join us and freeing yourselves from a tyranny so wicked, that you may enjoy peace and liberty. We give you pledge in the name of God [fearful blasphemy, i.e., if they were referring to God Creator, because there are many “other gods,” Satan being the master of all false gods ] that we will give you these blessing.’ . . . The overseer of the public post deserted and delivered all the horses to Belisarius.’ —‘ History of the later Roman Empire,’ J. B. Bury, Vol. II, p. 130. London: The MacMillan Co., 1925/ FF 43.
“But Justinian never intended to keep his solemn oath to grant them liberty, and the people soon found Rome the severest of tyrants.
‘In 533 A.D. the Byzantine general, Belisarius (q.v.) landed in Africa. The Vandals were several times defeated, and Carthage was entered on Sept. 15, 533 . . . . In the next year Africa, Sardinia, and Corsica were restored to the Roman Empire. As a nation, the Vandals soon ceased to exist.’ – ‘Nelson’s Encyclopedia, Vol. XII, art. ‘Vandals,’ pp. 380, 381. New York: 1907.
“Religious intolerance accompanied the imperial restoration in the West In Africa, as in Italy, Arians were spoiled for the benefit of Catholics, their churches destroyed or ruined, and their lands confiscated.’ – ‘Cambridge Medieval History,’ Bury, Gwatkin, and Whitnesy, Vol. II, p. 44. New York: 1913/ FF 43.
“ ‘The Arian heresy was proscribed, and the race of these remarkable conquerors was in a short while exterminated . . . . There a few instances in history of a nation disappearing so rapidly and so completely as the Vandals of Africa.’ – ‘A History of Greece Under the Romans,’ George Finlay, p. 234. London and New York: J. M. Dent, ed., 1856/ F.F. 44.
NOTE: When we come across the term “the Arian heresy,” let’s put on our seldom-used thinking cap and hang our sweaty and tattered preconceived-ideas hat. Give yourself an opportunity to verify and vet its denotation, not connotation, based on what prophecy and true history testify to. The term comprehends much more than the “heresy” brand it bears as a false doctrine that “Christ’s nature was not divine as that of the Father but only human,” and other variant but similar interpretations hold. Many mainstream churches and denominations teach this false doctrine today but don’t oppose the Papacy and its openly antichristian, extra-Biblical, pagan-and-tradition-based doctrines, and man-made ecclesiastical laws of the Church of Rome. Such are not ondemned as “heretics” that need to be “exterminated,” when such power becomes available, again, as prophesied. Rather, at the center of the “Arian heresy” was the intractable opposition of the Arian nations against the Bishop of Rome, the papacy in its early stages till 538 A.D., when it came into full power. The latter will be considered in more detail in the subsequent issues of this series.
“ ‘Africa, subdued by the arms of Belisarius, returned at once under the dominion of the empire and of Catholicism. . . . One imperial edict was sufficient (A.D. 533) to restore all the churches to the Catholic worship.’ – ‘ Latin Christianity,’ H.H. Milman, Book 3, chap. 4, p. 455. New York. Crowell & Co., 1881. Thus the second ‘horn’ of Daniel 7: 8 ‘was plucked up by the roots.’
“Here we have one sample out of many in history as to what kind of religious liberty Rome grants wherever she obtains power.”- F.F. 44.
THE OSTROGOTHS
“Theodoric, king of the Ostrogothic nation of Italy, maintained complete religious liberty for all classes and creeds. He wrote to Justin, Emperor of the East [i.e., Eastern Rome], who was persecuting the Arians [the Heruli and Vandal nations]:
“ ‘ To pretend to a domination over the conscience, is to usurp the prerogative of God; by the nature of things the power of sovereigns is confined to political government; they have no right of punishment but over those who disturb the public peace; the most dangerous heresy is that of a sovereign who separates himself from part of his subjects, because they believe not according to his belief. ‘ ‘ – ‘History of Latin Christianity,’ H.H. Milman, Vol. I, Book III, chap. 3, p. 439. New York: 1860.
“The wars of migrating barbarians on the one side, and the persecutions of heathen, Jews, and the Arians by the Catholic Church on the other [did you know that? Has the Papacy ever admitted to persecuting the Jews or has all been heaped upon the head of the dead Hitler alone?] had kept Italy in constant turmoil. Agricultural pursuits were neglected, people crowded into the cities, and want and starvation faced the population. But Theodoric’s wise and firm rule, and the strict religious liberty he established in Italy, brought peace, prosperity, and happiness to all classes. [Isn’t peace, prosperity, and happiness the goal of all?]
‘J. G. Sheppard, D. D., says:
‘ ‘ Theodoric deserves the highest praise’ for, during the thirty-eight years he reigned in Italy, he brought the country to such a state of greatness, that her previous sufferings were no longer recognizable.”
NOTE: President Trump and what he claims is his high “energy” presidential governing style, has, so far, resulted in a record-shattering turn-over rate of cabinet and staff—described as “chaotic” by media, political pundits, and presidential historians, still has some time left to seriously consider this Biblical governing principle—one the two firm foundations (“horns”) cradled in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution by the Founding Fathers—and rescue his shaky MAGA political platform—whatever it originally meant in his mind, and what it finally translates into for the nation, and the world. Dr. Ben Carson, the only Seventh-day Adventist in Trump’s cabinet (who, I choose to believe) knows this governing principle by heart, should pray for guidance of the Holy Spirit and urge his boss to give it a try and perhaps, elected for another four year term. Who knows? However, does Revelation 13 in any way envision this happening under any president before “the image of/to the beast” is formed? Study it for yourself. America is initially introduced in this specific chapter as “the beast with lamb-like horns,” until it transforms into one “speaking like a dragon.”]
Q. “What then prevented this man [Theodoric], with so great a genius for government, and so splendid an opportunity for its exercise, from organizing a Germanic empire, equal in extent and power to that which obeyed the scepter of the old Roman Caesars? Or, why did he fail, when Charlemagne, with a greater complication of interests to deal with, for a time at least, succeeded?”
A. “The causes were mainly these; causes . . . . very similar, at all times, in their operation. In the first place, Theodoric was an Arian, and there was a power antagonistic to Arianism growing up already on the banks of the Tiber, stronger than the statesman’s policy or the soldier’s sword—the spiritual power of the Church of Rome . . . . such a power was necessarily altogether incompatible with the existence of an Arian empire. And it proved mightier than its rival.’—‘Fall of Rome,’ John G. Sheppard, D. D., pp, 301, 302. London: 1861/ FF 45.
(Continued next week, God willing!)