8/27/06 - “Prophecy – The Future Told In Advance – Daniel Chapter 7 – Part 2” - 35L - FM
Victory Ministries International presents:
Awesome Truths and Amazing Facts  
Treasures of awesome truths from God’s Word 
and facts that affect you!

Hello!  This is Richard Vaughn

This Week: “Prophecy – The future told in advance – Daniel 7 - Part 2”

Last week we were studying the 9 identifying marks of the little horn power in Daniel 7: verses 8, 24 & 25. We stated that the little horn power could be none other than Papal Rome and that secular reference books will show that the fulfillment is a matter of historical record. Now we will take each point, one at a time.
1.	The little horn Came up among the 10 nations of western Europe. Papal Rome did come up from the ruins of the old Roman Empire.
2.	He uproots three of the 10 nations - Heruli, Vandals and the Ostrogoths. Among the principal obstructions to the rise of Papal Rome, were the Heruli, the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. All three nations were supporters of Arianism, which was the most formidable rival of Catholicism. The Heruli were defeated in 493 AD. The Roman emperor Justinian saw to it that the Vandals were vanquished in 534 AD. Justinian's General Belisarius completed the end of the Ostrogoth's power in Europe in 538 AD. REMEMBER the date 538 AD.  
3.	The little horn power would have a man at the head (eyes and a mouth). Of course the head of Papal Rome would be the Pope.
4.	Little Horn Power arises after the other ten horns, so it had to be after 476 AD. Did the Papacy ascend to power after 476AD? Yes, and we will explore the history of that issue in a few minutes.
5.	It would be different from the others who had secular rulers in charge. Is Papal Rome different? Yes. The other ten nations were political powers. Papal Rome is a Religious/Political power.
6.	He blasphemes God (This horn power speaks great words against the most high). We will go into detail on this subject in a few minutes as well, suffice it to say that this too is a matter of historical record and we will show it with Biblical support.
7.	The little horn power is a persecuting power. Yes. From the years 538 AD until 1798 AD, it has been estimated that no less than 50 million people, and more likely 120 million precious souls were martyred for their faith during those dark ages, by Papal armies operating under Papal decrees. The record of its persecutions and tortures are historical fact.
8.	He shall think to change times and laws. Did the Papacy do this? Yes. In the 4th century AD, the Papacy changed the seventh day Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, with no Biblical authority and the time of observance of the day from sundown to sundown over to midnight to midnight. Changes that God never authorized. The Papacy also changed God's law in another area. It deleted the second commandment that forbids worshiping or bowing down to graven images of wood or stone.
9.	His power shall be for a time, times, and the dividing of a time. The period of power was time, times and half a time. In prophecy a time means one year or 360 days. Times is two years or 720 days and half a time is 180 days. A day in prophecy is a literal year. See Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6. A prophetic month is 30 days or 30 literal years. 42 prophetic months is 1,260 prophetic days or 1,260 literal years. The time, times and half a time is 1,260 days or 1,260 literal years. The Papacy was freed from the Arian domination in 538 AD and gained great power over all the nations for 1,260 years. It received a deadly wound in 1798. Right on God's timetable. There are 7 references to the 1,260-day prophecy. Those 7 references are Daniel 7:25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2; Revelation 11:3; Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:14 and Revelation 13:5. 
This study is not an attack on any people of any religion. The purpose of this study was to identify whom the little horn power was using God's own Word. There is no question that the power was religious in nature as well as political. There has never been any other power on earth that met these 9 identifying marks. There has not even been one other power that even met a few. The odds of any other power meeting three would be astronomical. But Papal Rome met all 9 marks and God has identified this system for a reason.

Now we will take a closer look at identifying marks 4, the little horn rise to power and 6, what constitutes blasphemy, (great words against the most high)?  

The following are the steps of Papal Rome coming to power. In 330 AD, the emperor Constantine, who himself was a recent convert, moved the political power from Rome to Constantinople, which left the Bishop of Rome comparatively free of imperial control. The conversion of Clovis, leader of the Franks, to the Roman faith, about 496 AD, when most of the Barbarian invaders were still Arians, gave the Pope a strong political ally, willing to fight the battles of the Church. For twelve centuries the sword of France, the "eldest son" of the Papacy, was an effective agent for conversion of men to the Church of Rome and for maintaining Papal authority.

In 533 AD, the emperor Justinian wrote two official letters, that had the force of royal edicts which, recognized the Pope's ecclesiastical supremacy as "Head of all the Holy Churches," in both the east and the west, and he legally confirmed the Bishop of Rome as the "Head of all the Holy Priests of God."
It was not until 538 AD that the Papacy was finally freed from all domination of the Arian kingdoms, that the decrees took effect. One by one and after much bloodshed, the other seven kingdoms became Catholic, and the Pope emerged as the leading figure of Europe. It's power continued until 1798. Exactly 1,260 years.

The spectacular victories of the armies of Napoleon in Italy placed the Pope at the mercy of the French Revolutionary government, which now advised that the Roman religion would always be a persistent enemy of the Republic. The government urged that Napoleon destroy the center of unity of the Roman Church, and he did just that. In 1798 the French General Berthier, with a French army, marched into Rome and took the Pope prisoner! Exactly 1,260 years after it's rise to power, it received a deadly wound. The Pope was removed to France where he died in exile.

Identifying mark 6 said the little horn power would blaspheme God. What constitutes blasphemy? In our next study, we are going to look at the beast power of Revelation 13. We will see how the little horn power of Daniel 7 is the same beast power of Revelation 13. For now, we read Revelation 13:5,6 

“And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.” 

In order to see if this power blasphemes God, it is necessary to understand the Bible definition of blasphemy. In John 10:30-33 Jesus said, “I and My Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?  The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” 

The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy, because He was a man claiming to be God. But since He was God, it was not blasphemy. Only a mortal man claiming to be God would be a blasphemer. 

Next, we will read Mark 2:7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy because He forgave sins. Mortal man cannot forgive sins, only God can. Since Jesus is God, He committed no blasphemy. A man claiming to forgive sins is a blasphemer. Does the Papacy claim to be God on earth and does he claim to have the power to forgive sins? Yes he does and yes he does. That constitutes blasphemy.
 
This shows that Papal Rome and only Papal Rome fits all 9 identifying marks that we have studied. With the information we have studied over the last four weeks, we are now ready to study the13th chapter of Revelation where we will clearly identify the beast referred to in Revelation 14:9,10 where the warning is given not to receive his mark.

How important is this? My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus it is of paramount importance. We are talking about eternal life. Remember, our adversary Satan was the most intelligent created being and for 6,000 years he has been studying human nature as well as having made himself fully aware of what is in the Bible. He hates God and God’s law. He hates you and since he knows he’s lost, he wants to take you down with him. If you neglect the study of God’s word you put yourself at a great disadvantage and make yourself an easy target of Satan. 

We live in the last generation of planet earth. The time is coming very soon where God’s people will either receive the mark of the beast, suffer the seven last plagues and be lost for eternity, or they will receive the seal of God, be spared the plagues and be saved when Jesus comes. Listen again to the warning in Revelation 14:9,10, “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation;” 

Without mixture means no mercy and no grace. God’s grace and mercy, so long slighted by superficial Christians, will no longer exist. In heaven Jesus will make the final declaration found in Revelation 22:11 “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”  As in Noah’s day, so in our day, probation for mankind will be over.

Friends, you need to know who the beast of Revelation 13 is, then you need to know what the mark of the beast is. Awesome Truths and Amazing Facts will give you that information in the coming weeks.

Next Week: “Prophecy – The future told in advance – Revelation 13 - Part 1”

And be sure to read Awesome Truths and Amazing Facts every Sunday on page 6A in the Sunday South Hill Enterprise.

Until next week, Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. Come Lord Jesus.