There are basically three different ways to interpret the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation; 1) to limit the fulfillment of prophecy to a relatively short period of time in the ancient past, which is called Preterism; 2) to defer prophetic fulfillment to the period immediately preceding the second advent, which is called Futurism; 3) to believe that the prophecies extend through the entire Christian era to the end of time, which is called Historicism.
Since Preterism and Futurism were both concocted by Jesuits to counteract the reformation of the 16th century and to obscure the fact that the papacy is the Biblical Antichrist, it seems obvious that Historicism is the correct way to interpret the meaning of the ten-horned beast. In fact, until fairly recently nearly all Protestant churches believed in the Historicist view, but through the efforts of ecumenism they are now mostly Futuristic in their thinking.
As I was surfing the internet, I read an interesting quote from a book titled Daniel and the Revelation, pages 16 & 17, by a non-SDA minister, Joseph Tanner, back in the late 1800s. “So great a hold did the conviction that the Papacy was the Antichrist gain upon the minds of men (who held the historicist view), that Rome at last saw she must bestir herself, and try, by putting forth other systems of interpretation, to counteract the identification of the Papacy with the Antichrist.
“Accordingly, toward the close of the century of the Reformation, two of the most learned (Jesuit) doctors set themselves to the task, each endeavoring by different means to accomplish the same end, namely, that of diverting men's minds from perceiving the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Antichrist in the papal system. The Jesuit Alcazar devoted himself to bring into prominence the preterist method of interpretation, . . . and thus endeavored to show that the prophecies of Antichrist were fulfilled before the popes ever ruled in Rome, and therefore could not apply to the Papacy.
“On the other hand, the Jesuit Ribera tried to set aside the application of these prophecies to the papal power by bringing out the futurist system, which asserts that these prophecies refer properly, not to the career of the Papacy, but to some future supernatural individual, who is yet to appear, and continue in power for three and a half years. Thus, as Alford says, the Jesuit Ribera, about A.D. 1580, may be regarded as the founder of the futurist system of modern times.
“. . . It is a matter for deep regret that those who advocate the futurist system at the present day, Protestants as they are for the most part, are really playing into the hands of Rome, and helping to screen the Papacy from detection as the Antichrist.”
It’s interesting also that Historicism interprets the time prophecies by using the day for a year principle, while Preterism & Futurism both see them as literal days.
Since there are professed Adventists who are now promoting a day for a day principle-— that would put them in either the Preterist or the Futurist camp and in opposition to the truths of Adventism and more in line with the papacy. I’ll let you consider the implications of such a move in theology.
The first reference in the Bible to this ten-horned beast is found in Dan. 7:7 where we read: “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.”
It has always been a settled fact within Adventism that this fourth beast is represented by the Roman Empire, because this fourth beast is also called “the fourth kingdom upon earth,” (Dan. 7:23) which all agree is Pagan Rome, reigning supreme from 168 B.C. – 476 A.D.
But what about the ten horns; what do they represent? “And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: . . .” Dan. 7:24
According to Bible prophecy, horns represent kings or the kingdoms they rule over and not necessarily individuals. The ten horns that arose out of the fourth beast/kingdom of Rome are actually ten kingdoms. Does history reveal that when Rome fell, it was divided into ten separate kingdoms? Absolutely!
Many historians have written about the dismantling of Rome and into what ten people groups it was divided, of which the modern day European countries can still be traced.
But as Daniel continues to describe what he saw in vision he says, “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.” Dan. 7:8.
While Daniel was watching this beast and considering what this all meant he saw another little horn arise among the ten. It has also been a settled fact within Adventism that this little horn power represents the papacy, and for good reason. But before we look at how the characteristics of the papacy correlate with the description of what the little horn power would do, let’s finish reading Dan. 7:24, “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.”
Notice it says “and another (horn) shall arise after them,” that is, sometime after the last of the ten. History tells us that the ten divisions of Rome were accomplished between 351 A.D. to 476 A.D. And so, this little horn had to rise to power sometime after 476 A.D., take out three of the ten horns/kingdoms, and establish itself as a religious persecuting power.
Between 493 A.D. and 533 A.D. the uprooting of the three horns/kingdoms (the Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths) was finished and five years later in 538 A.D., the Roman Emperor Justinian issued a decree making the pope the official head of all the churches. This is when Pagan Rome became Papal Rome (a union of church and state), and the 1260 years of persecution, or the wearing out of the saints began, ending in 1798.
The Bible says that the little horn (papacy) would arise out of the ten divisions of Rome-—and it did! The Bible also says that the little horn would pluck up three of the ten horns—-and it did! The reason being that the three horns held religious views that were antagonistic to the future of Catholicism. The Bible says that the little horn would speak great words against the most high (Dan. 7:25)—-and it did and continues to do so today; claiming to be the power of God on earth and claiming to have the power to forgive sin. The Bible calls this blasphemy (John 10:33; Mark 2:5-7). The Bible says that the little horn would think to change times and laws (Also Dan. 7:25). The only commandment in the law that deals with time is the Sabbath commandment. The papacy claims responsibility for the change from Sabbath to Sunday worship among Christians today. And there are a few more characteristics that correlate with the ten-horned beast, but I’ll not belabor the point. The names “little horn”, “antichrist”, “the man of sin”, and “the son of perdition” are all synonymous terms that represent the papacy.
Now let’s move to the New Testament and read the description of a ten-horned dragon in Rev. 12:3. “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.”
The question is, does this ten-horned seven-headed beast in this verse also represent pagan Rome as in Daniel’s prophecy? The answer is in Great Controversy, pg. 438-—commenting on Rev. 12:3 it says, “. . . while the dragon, primarily, represents Satan, it is, in a secondary sense, a symbol of pagan Rome.”
And so the ten horns of Rev. 12:3 represent the same ten kingdoms as Dan. 7:7, and an important point to keep in mind is that the book of Daniel depicts the four universal kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome; but the book of Revelation deals only with the fourth kingdom of Rome in it’s two phases, pagan and papal. The reason Daniel’s prophecy mentions all four kingdoms is that Babylon was reigning when Daniel wrote his prophecy and the others were future, but when Revelation was written the first three kingdoms had passed away and pagan Rome reigned in John’s day. Rev. 12:4 says that this dragon beast “stood before the woman (the church – Jer. 6:2; Isa. 51:16) . . . for to devour her child (Christ) as soon as it was born.” Undoubtedly a reference to Pagan Rome because it was King Herod, the vassal king of Rome, who tried to destroy Jesus (see Matt. 2:13).
The next reference to a ten-horned, seven-headed beast is mentioned in Rev. 13:1. “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.”
Does this reference deal with the same beast represented in chapter 12? Well, it still represents Rome, but a transition has been made. “In chapter 13 (verses 1-10) is described another beast, ‘like unto a leopard’, to which the dragon gave ‘his power, and his seat, and great authority.’ This symbol, as most Protestants have believed, represents the papacy, which succeeded to the power and seat and authority once held by the ancient Roman empire.” GC 439
So far we have seen that all references to the ten-horned dragon/beast represents Rome in either its pagan or papal state, but what about Rev. 17:3? “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”
Does the scarlet colored beast also represent Rome in one of its two forms, or are we to interpret this verse as referring to perhaps ten divisions of the New World Order as many Evangelicals and Futurists, and some Adventists, are doing today?
“In the seventeenth of Revelation is foretold the destruction of all the churches who corrupt themselves by idolatrous devotion to the service of the papacy, those who have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. [Rev. 17:1-4 quoted.]
“Thus is represented the papal power, . . .” 7BC 983
As I have searched the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, I have found nothing that would indicate that the ten-horned beast is anything other than Rome (Pagan or Papal) with its ten divisions. There’s nothing in inspiration that intimates that a new set of ten horns would arise sometime after the ten divisions of the Roman Empire! All the way through Daniel and Revelation the beast always represents either pagan or papal Rome and the ten horns the ten divisions of Europe. And the reason I can say that so emphatically is because of what the Bible says in Dan. 2:44. “And in the days of these kings (that is, Rome divided into ten king-doms, as represented by the ten toes and synonymous with the ten horns) shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people (or a new set of ten kingdoms), but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”
The Bible knows nothing about any other kingdoms that would arise and be swept away before God sets up His everlasting kingdom, except the papacy and the ten divisions of the Roman Empire.
Now I know that it may be more exciting or sensational, or exhilarating, to think about these ten horns in connection with a New World Order divided into ten parts, or ten concentration camps set up around the world that will house God’s people in these last days, or ten political conspirators that will arise in the future to rule over the entire earth. But these various theories can’t be supported from God’s word.
If you’ll take the time to check it out, I think you will find that the pioneers of our faith were in agreement with the subject as I’ve presented it here, and to come up with “new light” so called, is to call the whole advent movement into question, along with the Spirit of Prophecy—-and wouldn’t that cause the devil to clap his hands with joy?
As you may have noticed, I haven’t said anything about what the seven heads on the beast represent-—perhaps we can deal with that another time.
But there is one thing we can determine for sure. If the ten-horned beast represents both pagan and papal Rome—-then the seven heads must also be connected to both pagan and papal Rome in some way, because Rev. 12:3 speaks of the ten-horned seven-headed beast as representing pagan Rome. And Rev. 13:1 speaks of the same beast as representing papal Rome. And so, the seven heads are on both the pagan and papal beasts. There are many different ideas floating around out there, but which one is right? Perhaps we’ll discuss that another time.
“For though the Pope and Church of Rome is at the head of the grand 1260 years’ delusion, yet all other churches, of whatever denomination, whether established or tolerated, which partake of the same spirit, or have instituted doctrines or ceremonies inimical to the pure and unadulterated gospel of Christ, shall sooner or later share in the fate of that immense fabric of human ordinances; and that Protestant churches should imitate the Church of Rome, in this worst part of its conduct, can never be sufficiently bewailed.”
Alexander Campbell says:
“The worshipping establishments now in operation throughout Christendom, increased and cemented by their respective voluminous confessions of faith, and their ecclesiastical constitutions, are not churches of Jesus Christ, but the legitimate daughters of that mother of harlots, the Church of Rome.”
Lorenzo Dow says of the Romish Church:
“If she be a mother, who are the daughters? It must be the corrupt, national, established churches that came out of her.” Dow’s Life, p. 542.
In the Religious Encyclopedia, (Art. Antichrist), we read:
“The writer of the book of Revelation tells us he heard a voice from Heaven, saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, that ye partake not of her sins, and receive not of her plagues.’ If such persons are to be found in the ‘mother of harlots,’ with much less hesitation may it be inferred that they are connected with her unchaste daughters, those national churches which are founded upon what are called Protestant principles.”
In the spring and summer of 1844, a distinct message was proclaimed, setting forth the fallen condition of the churches, which resulted in calling from them fifty thousand believers in the immediate coming of Christ. And the testimonies from the very churches they had left could but convince them that they had entertained correct views of the fallen state of the churches, and had done the will of God in separating from them.
The Christian Palladium for May 15, 1844, speaks in the following mournful strains: “In every direction we hear the dolorous sound, wafting upon every breeze of heaven, chilling as the blast from the icebergs of the north-—settling like an incubus on the breasts of the timid, and drinking up the energies of the weak; that lukewarmness, division, anarchy and desolation are distressing the borders of Zion.”
—to be continued
From the time I was a young child, I had wanted to be a missionary to a foreign land. My mother use to read to me stories that missionaries wrote of how God had worked in their life and others, and they had a privilege of witnessing how the Lord works for His people. Stories that inspired faith and a willingness to serve Him.
As I grew I learned my grandfather was a missionary in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia. Hearing stories of how the Lord used angels, as soldiers, around the mission to protect them from harm and how another time when he was being attacked, he heard the angels sing, just inspired my heart with a desire to brave all hardships to present Jesus to those who need Him.
As time went on and distractions came and went, this desire was put to the way side until the Lord opened a door for me to go to Honduras. Here I was a wife and mother of three children with seemingly no skills or much to offer, but the Lord promised to be my strength and give wisdom liberally. When the Lord promises, He will come through abundantly. So after much prayer I agreed to help out with the children's evangelistic program.
November 5, 2004 I and eleven other volunteers headed for Honduras. The Lord is good. The need was great. We spent the days doing dental and medical missionary work and the evenings Juanita (another volunteer and translator) and I devoted our time and energies to sharing Jesus with the young people.
The Lord blessed us with 70 to 150 children for those meetings. Sometimes it seemed overwhelming and supplies were in inadequate but God saw us through. Many times others came to our aid to tell stories or lead out in singing or provide supplies to give to those beautiful children. Even the children themselves would set up for us and help clean up at the end of the evening. Their hearts were receptive to our love and the leading of the Holy Spirit. By the end of the meetings seeds were planted in the heart that will produce a harvest now and for eternity. Praise His Name.
What a privilege it is to be a part of God's work. There is nothing more rewarding that I can recommend. The Lord blessed tremendously even through my bumbling and clumsy attempts to show that there is no greater joy than to have Jesus as our friend. There is no greater comfort than to give Him our troubles, and no greater security than to give Him our heart.
I encourage anyone and every one to give their time to work for the Lord in some kind of capacity. You don't have to be talented or beautiful or eloquent. The Lord will take what you have to offer and multiply it like the loaves and fishes. All He asks is a willing heart. God bless you and may you taste the joy of His service.
—-Jeana
Our LPN, who took a fishbowl to the nursing home where she works, states that her fellow nurse has been through all the tapes. She has a wayward teenage son who started listening to those tapes and has asked if there are any more tapes to listen to.
Lenore has placed more fishbowls. One is in a dental office where the technician encourages clients to take the tapes. One health food store did not grant permission to place tapes, but did grant permission to place literature. So Lenore will be taking some Bible study invitations in a small literature rack to place in that store.
In His Service,
Jack and Cindy Jones
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