Please note: This chart does not reflect our current understanding of prophecy.
We leave it here as a possible 'alternate' prophetic scheme and for study purposes.
Please see
THE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY for our current understanding.


The new updated printable PDF file is designed to fit the entire chart on a single page.  The print however is very small.  For best results use high quality paper and your printer's highest resolution.

Last Revision Date: 7-18-2007

Abridged Chart Showing Only Major Time Periods
 
New Smaller Grayscale Version  New Printable PDF Version

    482
BC
457
BC
356-323
BC
323-168
BC
168
BC
168-31
BC
31
 BC
4
BC
27
AD
27-31
AD
31
AD

 

34
AD

 

70
AD
395
AD
395-476
AD
529 - 1789
AD
1789-1793
AD
1793-1797
AD
1797
AD
1797-1798
AD
1798-1819
AD
1819-1864
AD
1864-1914
AD
1914-1918
AD
1939-1945
AD
1945-?
AD
? ? 1000
Years
? ?  
           
THE FOUR KINGDOMS  
B
A
B
Y
L
O
N
P
E
R
S
I
A
Xerxes Pushes at the Goat
(Greece)

Decree
to
Rebuild
Jeru-
salem

 

Grecian Empire
Under Alexander
the Great
The Divided
Grecian Empire

Syria

Egypt

Asia

Mace-
donia

R O M E  -  Rome continues under 8 heads in succession until fully destroyed at Armageddon and the Second Coming

 

THE AGES OF THE AGES

G
O
D



A
L
L



I
N



A
L
L









G
O
D



A
L
L



I
N



A
L
L









G
O
D



A
L
L



I
N



A
L
L
â

T  H  E       T  I  M  E       O  F       T  H  E       E  N  D

 

And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
(Rev 17:7-11)

â
 

THE GREAT TRIBULATION
'Behold your house is left to you desolate...  you shall not see me henceforth until you say 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord'
 à
Second Coming
THE ABOMINATION OF
DESOLATION SET UP

THE GREAT APOSTASY

 

REVOLUTION, UPHEAVAL, AND TERROR

ERA OF THE
SIXTH SEAL


IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS

ß

THE POWERS OF THE HEAVENS SHAKEN

SEVENTH SEAL
 
T H E    D A Y    O F    T H E    L O R D
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
(Rev 6:17)
 

Unless those days had been shortened
...
Rise of the 'Man of Sin'

FIVE SEALS

THIRD WOE COMES QUICKLY

H   A   R   V   E   S   T

TIMES OF RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS

WICKED
WARNED

WICKED GATHERED
'He shall gather out of His kingdom all that offend and do iniquity and cast them into a furnace of fire'
à

WINEPRESS OF WRATH

ELECT
SEALED

SIX TRUMPETS

SEVENTH TRUMPET
First Resurrection

Second
Resurrection

Sheep Separated from Goats

S
E
N
T
E
N
C
E

 

Aionian Fire for the Devil and His Angels

 

Trumpets
1-4 Signify
the Judgments Upon and Collapse of the Western Roman Empire

Trumpets 5 and 6 signal the rise of Islam, the Turkish invasions, the collapse of the eastern empire, and lastly the events and aftermath of the French Revolution in which the social, religious, and political order which had lasted for nearly 13 centuries collapsed in less than ten years at the hands of the bloodiest, and most horrifying revolution the world had ever witnessed. 

WHEAT GATHERED INTO BARN

MARRIAGE FULLY COME

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
(1Th 4:16)

 

'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth...'

'We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord'
1 Thes 4:17

BOWLS
1-3
BOWL
4
BOWL
5
BOWL
6
BOWL
7
As it was in the days of Noah...  they were eating drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage and KNEW NOT until the flood came and took them all away
 
à

Roman Heads 1-5

'..and there are seven kings.  Five have fallen...'


1)Kings
2) Consuls
3) Dictators
4) Decemvirs
5) Tribunes

Roman Head 6

one is...'

Imperial
Rome


Imperial Rome Restrains the
 'Man of Sin' 
Until taken out of the way

à

Roman
Head 7


Seventh Continues a Short Space...

The Late Roman Empire

Roman
Capital
Moved To
Constant-inople Leaving the Corrupt Clergy and Papacy in Power at Rome

Roman Head 8

The 'Man of Sin'
'and the Beast which was and is not, he is also an eighth, and is of the seven'
The Latin Kingdom Revived.

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a Great Earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
(Rev 6:12-13)

And the same hour there was a
Great Earthquake...
(Rev 11:13)

           

...and the
Brightness
of His Coming...

White Throne Judgment

S
E
N
T
E
N
C
E
New Heaven and Earth
B
A
B
Y
L
O
N

 

P
E
R
S
I
A

 

Xerxes Pushes at the Goat
(Greece)

 

Decree
to
Rebuild
Jeru-
salem

Grecian Empire
Under Alexander
the Great
The Divided
Grecian Empire

Syria

Egypt

Asia

Mace-
donia

 

The Romans
(The Little Latin
Kingdom)
Conquers Macedonia in 168BC
Roman Empire
Waxes Great

 

The  Battle of
Actium


Octavian
(Later
Augustus)
Becomes
Sole
Ruler of
Rome

 

B
I
R
T
H


O
F

C
H
R
I
S
T

B
A
P
T
I
S
M

O
F

C
H
R
I
S
T

M
I
N
I
S
T
R
Y

O
F

T
H
E

M
E
S
S
I
A
H

C
R
U
C
I
F
I
X
I
O
N

S
T
O
N
I
N
G

O
F

S
T
E
P
H
E
N

Romans
Destroy Jerusalem
70AD

B
A
R
B
A
R
I
A
N

I
N
V
A
S
I
O
N
S

B
E
G
I
N

THE TEN KINGS

Alemanna Anglo-Saxons Franks Burgundians Visigoths Suevi Ostrogoths Heruli Lombards Vandals

R  O  M  A  N    B  E  A  S  T   
G  O  E  S    I  N  T  O   
P  E  R  D  I  T  I  O  N

 
Judgment Against The Beast

..Consumed by the Spirit of His Mouth... 

And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
(Rev 17:16)

Power to Continue '42 Months' or 1260 Prophetic Days. The Saints Given into His Hand The Beast Makes War after 1260 Prophetic Days
The Beast - Civil State/Law At the end 1260 years the Church is seen as a Great Harlot 'Mystery Babylon the Great' riding upon the beast            
Two Horned Beast - Ecclesiastical State/Cannon Law
The Image of the Beast - The Office of the Pope

476AD

'Fall' of Rome
 

 

529AD

Code of Justinian

â

 

Rome Under the Man of Sin

 

1789

End of 1260 Years

 

1789-1793

Revolution Breaks out in France

War Against Christianity

 

1793-1797

The Reign of Terror

 

1797

Religious Tolerance  Proclaimed

 

1797-1798

End of the Papal Temporal Power.  Papal states seized.

 

1798-1819

Revolution-ary Spirit Spreads Across Western Europe

 

1819-1864

Explosion in Biblical Scholarship and Evangelism

Raised Awareness of Papal Judgment.

Adventists Raise Expectations of Christ's Return

 

1864-1914

Moral Decay

Rise of Rationalism,
Nationalism, Humanism, Evolution,
Atheism, etc.

Drift away from Historical Interpretation in Favor of Futurism

 

1914-1918

World War I

 

1939-1945

World War II

 

1945-?

Rising Tension in Middle East and Israel

 

A
R
M
A
G
E
D
D
O
N

 

Second Coming

 

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
(Rev 13:2)

 

B
A
B
Y
L
O
N

 

P
E
R
S
I
A

 

Xerxes Pushes at the Goat
(Greece)

 

Decree
to
Rebuild
Jeru-
salem

Grecian Empire
Under Alexander
the Great
The Divided
Grecian Empire

Syria

Egypt

Asia

Mace-
donia
The Romans
(The Little Latin
Kingdom)
Conquers Macedonia in 168BC

 

Roman Empire
Waxes Great

 

The Battle of
Actium


Octavian
(Later
Augustus)
Becomes
Sole
Ruler of
Rome

B
I
R
T
H


O
F

C
H
R
I
S
T

B
A
P
T
I
S
M

O
F

C
H
R
I
S
T

M
I
N
I
S
T
R
Y

O
F

T
H
E

M
E
S
S
I
A
H

C
R
U
C
I
F
I
X
I
O
N

 

 

S
T
O
N
I
N
G

O
F

S
T
E
P
H
E
N

Romans
Destroy Jerusalem
70AD

Mystery of Iniquity Grows

THE ABOMINATION OF
DESOLATION
SET UP


The Romans destroy Jerusalem, cast down the sanctuary, cast truth to the ground, and finally in the 'Man of Sin' magnify themselves even to the Prince of Princes

'From the time the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation set up there shall be 1290 days.'

 
'Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1335 days.'
à

Two Witnesses Prophecy

War Against the Two Witnesses

Witnesses Lie Dead 3.5 Years

Witnesses raised

The Holy City Trodden Forty-Two Months

The Woman in the Wilderness

1260 Years

'It shall be for a time, times, and a half...'

30 Years

Era of the Seventh Trumpet
All Things Finished

1000 YEARS
'and when he shall have accomplished to shatter the power of the holy people...'

'then all these things shall be finished...'
à
But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. (Rev 10:7)

45 Years

 

TIME UNKNOWN

'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth...'

'We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord'
(1 Thes 4:17)

A
R
M
A
G
E
D
D
O
N
Second Coming

1   2   9   0             Y   E   A   R   S

1   3   3   5             Y   E   A   R   S

   

2   3   0   0          Y   E   A   R   S

... THEN SHALL THE SANCTUARY BE CLEANSED...

   
 

69 WEEKS = 483 YEARS

70TH WEEK

'The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary'

'He shall make it desolate even unto the consummation...'

'And that determined shall be poured
 out upon the desolator...'
à

A
R
M
A
G
E
D
D
O
N
Second Coming

 

White Throne Judgment 

S
E
N
T
E
N
C
E
 


New Heaven and Earth
 
 
 

MESSIAH
CUT
OFF

 
    482
BC
457
BC
356-323
BC
323-168
BC
168
BC
168-31
BC
31
 BC
4
BC
27
AD
27-31
AD
31
AD

 

34
AD

 

70
AD
395
AD
 
395-476
AD
529 - 1789
AD
1789-1793
AD
1793-1797
AD
1797
AD
1797-1798
AD
1798-1819
AD
              1000
Years
? ?  
1819-1864
AD
 
1864-1914
AD
1914-1918
AD
1939-1945
AD
1945-?
AD
? ?
 
 


 

482 BC  
-
Xerxes of Persia makes war with Greece.  Thus begins the vision of Daniel Chapter 8 when the Ram began to push at the He-Goat.  The entire vision would cover 2300 years until the time would come for the 'cleansing of the sanctuary' Dan 8:1-27
 
457 BC  
-
Ezra receives a decree from Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem.  This marks the beginning of Daniel's prophecy of Seventy Weeks. Daniel 9:24-27
 
323 BC  
 -
Alexander the Great dies.  Having no heir to his kingdom, the kingdom is divided to his generals. Ptolemy takes Egypt, Seleucus Syria, Cassander Macedonia, and Lysimachus Asia. Two hundred years earlier the prophet Daniel had predicted these events with the greatest detail. Daniel 8:8
 
168 BC  
-
Rome conquers Macedonia in the Third Macedonian War thus becoming the 'Little Horn' out of one of the four divisions of Alexander's divided empire. Daniel 8:9
 
168 BC to 31 BC  
 
-
The Roman Empire becomes great expanding its dominion 'towards the east, the south, and the pleasant land'.  Jerusalem would be taken by the Roman general Pompey in 63 BC. Daniel 8:9
 
 
31 BC  
-
The Battle of Actium between Octavian of Rome, and Marc Anthony and Cleopatra of Egypt.  This decisive battle left Rome as the world's sole great power transforming it from a republic into an empire.  These events, which were predicted by the prophet Daniel mark the beginning of the 'time of the end' in which the Messiah would appear and the New Covenant would be introduced.  Dan 11:40-43
 
4 BC  
-
In the fullness of time our Savior was born; our Lord Jesus the Christ. Gal 4:4, Luke 1-2
 
27 AD  
-
Jesus is baptized marking the beginning of his public ministry.  This event marks the end of the 69 weeks of Daniel 9, and the beginning of the 70th week. Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-23, Daniel 9:25
 
27 AD to 31 AD  
-
Public ministry of Jesus as detailed in the four Gospels.
 
31 AD  
-
Having confirmed the new covenant with his faithful disciples, Jesus was 'cut off' by crucifixion in 'the middle' of the seventieth week of Daniel 9, and thus by sacrificing himself once and for all, he caused the Jewish system of sacrifice to cease. Daniel 9:26, Matthew 27:34-50, Mark 15:23-32, Luke 23:33-43, John 19:18-24, Hebrews 10:12
 
31 AD to 34 AD  
-
The preaching of the gospel remains constrained to the Jews. Thus the Jewish nation was given a space of three and one half years after the crucifixion of their Messiah to repent.
 
34 AD  
-
The end of the seventieth week of Daniel.  With the stoning of Stephen the Jews confirm their final rejection of Jesus as their Messiah.  From henceforth the Gospel would go to the gentiles. In 38 AD Peter would receive his vision teaching him to call nothing unclean which the Lord has made clean.  Shortly following, Cornelius would become the first gentile convert. Acts 7, 10, 11
 
70 AD  
-
Roman armies destroy Jerusalem and its temple as predicted by our Lord and by the prophets.  This cataclysmic event marks the beginning of the Jewish period of 'Great Tribulation'.  This event also marks the beginning of the time in which the 'Abomination of Desolation' (the fourth beast's desolation of the true worship of God) would be set up. The opening of the first of the Seven Seals of Revelation (denoting the conquering and victorious Roman Empire) also dates from this event. Daniel 8:10-12, Daniel 9:26-27, Daniel 11:31, Daniel 12:11, Matthew 24:14-21, Mark 13:14-19, Luke 20:21-24, Revelation 6:1-2
 
395 AD  
- Upon the death of the emperor Theodosius relations with the Germanic tribe of the Visigoths deteriorated, thus leading to the first of the barbaric invasions of the Roman Empire by Alaric.  These events were the beginning of the first four of Seven Trumpet judgments which would devastate and eventually lead to the collapse of the Roman Empire. Revelation 8:7-12
 
395 AD to 476 AD
- In 395, before his death, Emperor Theodosius divided the Roman Empire into eastern and western divisions.  Rome entered into its 7th form of government or 'head'.  This period in Roman history which is known as 'The Late Period of Antiquity' would continue only a 'short space' as had been communicated to the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation.  In less than 100 years, in 476 AD, the Roman Empire in the west would be no more. Revelation 17:10, Revelation 8:12

- Earlier, in 330 AD, the Emperor Constantine had moved the capital of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople.  This along with the continuing barbarian invasions signified by the second through fourth trumpet judgments left a power vacuum in Rome which came to be filled by the increasingly powerful yet corrupt and apostate clergy of Christendom.  The 'mystery of iniquity' continued to grow. In 476 AD with the removal of Roman government in the west, that which had hindered the 'Man of Sin's' rise to power was finally 'taken out of the way'.  Revelation 8:8-12, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8
 

529 AD  
- In 529 AD the Emperor Justinian codified Roman law with the goal of eliminating anything incompatible with 'Christianity', thus giving a corrupt clergy and the successor kings to the old Roman Empire supreme power to enforce their apostate 'faith'.  The 'man of sin' was now in power, and the 'abomination of desolation' was fully 'set up'. From these events a 'beast' would arise in the west on the ruins of the old Roman Empire. Thus a Roman emperor in the East gave to this new beast in the west 'power, its seat, and GREAT AUTHORITY'.  Revelation 13:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10
 
529 AD to 1789 AD  
- The western Roman Empire appeared to suffer a fatal wound when it fell to barbarian invaders in 476 AD.  This 'deadly wound; was however healed when those same barbarian kings which had brought down the empire became the inheritors of a new Europe; a division of ten kingdoms loyal to the Latin ecclesiastical  power seated at Rome.  Thus the beast that 'was, and is not' when John received the Revelation rose from the abyss with the Western Empire becoming a 'kingdom of the Latins' as it had been under its first head.  This arrangement was to last 1260 years.

- This period is mentioned repeatedly in prophecy in order to show God's people the magnitude of its importance.  It was in this period that Christianity was to meet the darkest night of its apostasy.  It was in this period that war would be made against the saints and they would be overcome by this newly risen 'beast'.  It was in this period that God's true church would be driven into the wilderness, the true believers would be trodden down, and God's Two Witnesses, the Law and Prophets as contained within the Bible, would prophesy in sackcloth, declaring all the judgments which were to fall upon this empire of apostasy.

- The Book of Revelation defines the three great enemies of God which would reign during this period.  They are:

1) The Beast - The ten political states along with their rulers loyal to the ecclesiastical power at Rome.

2) A Two-Horned 'Lamblike' Beast which speaks as a Dragon - The apostate clergy of Christendom which used the power of the secular states to impose its cannon law.  Thus this second beast exercised all the power of the first beast.

3) An 'Image of the Beast' - The office of the Papacy, which although a mere man is given power by the corrupt clergy to speak great things.  The clergy and the state had power to enforce the will of Pope upon pain of death.

Revelation 13, Revelation 11:1-6, Revelation 12:14, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8, Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22, Daniel 7:8, Daniel 7:20-21, Daniel 8:12, Daniel 8:25, Daniel 11:36-39, Daniel 12:7

1789 AD to 1793 AD  
Western Europe continued during the dark ages within the iron grip of an apostate ecclesiastical system riding upon the backs of ten European kingdoms which gave to this beast their loyalty and strength.  But in 1789, as a direct result of these centuries of abuses, revolution broke out in France.  In this began the fulfillment of the vision given to John in Revelation 17; that the 'ten kings' who had previously supported the 'harlot church' would hate her, eat her flesh, and utterly burn her with fire.  Thus, within the revolution in France the churches were closed, all loyalty to the Papacy disavowed, and the vast monastic lands which comprised the wealth of the Catholic church were seized and sold to fund the revolution.  This pattern would be duplicated all over Europe as the revolutionary spirit spread from France.

But this spirit of revolution encompassed far more than a revolt against the abuses of the Catholic church.  It encompassed a spirit of atheism, humanism, and sheer rationalism.  In Paris, at the cathedral of Notre Dame a prostitute was pulled from the street, placed on the alter, and there crowned the 'goddess of reason'. 

In 1789, at the end of 1260 years a great spiritual war had also begun.  Not only would this revolution in France change forever the political and ecclesiastical landscape which had existed in Europe for nearly thirteen centuries, but it would also threaten to do away with the true worship of God, and silence the two witnesses of God as found in the Bible. Revelation 17:12-17, Revelation 11:7
 

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

_______________________________________



Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome


Daniel Chapter 2 outlines a vision of four kingdoms which arise upon the earth in succession.  The first of these was to be Babylon, the second the Persian Empire, the third Greece, and lastly  the Roman.  Rome  was to exist from the time of its inception until it is finally destroyed by the Kingdom of Christ at his coming.

These four kingdoms are detailed by four very specific prophecies in the book of Daniel as shown in this chart:


~    F  O  U  R     P  R  O  P  H  E  C  I  E  S     O  F     D  A  N  I  E  L    ~
 
  Babylon Mede-Persian Greece Rome Rome
Divided
The Great Image
Dan 2
Head of Gold

'Thou art this head of gold..'
Dan 2:38
Breast and Arms of Silver

'After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee'
Dan 2:39
Belly and Thighs of Brass

'And another third kingdom of brass which shall bear rule over all the earth'
Dan 2:39
Legs of Iron

And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
(Dan 2:40)
 
Toes Part Iron - Part Clay

And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
(Dan 2:41-43)
 
  Babylon Mede-Persian Greece Rome Rome
Divided
The Four Beasts
Dan 7
The Lion

The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
(Dan 7:4)
 
The Bear

And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
(Dan 7:5)
 
The Leopard

After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl...
(Dan 7:6)
 
The Leopard's Four Heads

...the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
(Dan 7:6)
The Terrible Beast

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.
(Dan 7:7)
 
The Ten Horns

...and it had ten horns.
(Dan 7:7)
  Babylon Mede-Persian Greece Rome Rome
Divided
The Ram and the He-Goat
Dan 8
  Ram

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
(Dan 8:3-4)

 
He-Goat

And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
(Dan 8:5-7)

 
The Broken Horn

Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
(Dan 8:8)

 
The Little Horn Waxes Great

And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
(Dan 8:10-12)

 
Lysimachus
Asia
Ptolemy
Egypt
Seleucus
Syria
Cassander
Macedonia


Macedonia Taken by the Romans

And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
(Dan 8:9)

--------------->
  Babylon Mede-Persian Greece Rome Rome
Divided
The Kings of the North and South
Dan 11
 

The Four Kings

And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. Daniel 11:2

1. Cambyses, the son of Cyrus.

2. Smerdis, the Magian,

3. Darius, the son of Hystaspes

4. Xerxes 

Alexander the Great

And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. Dan 11:3
Division of Alexander's Empire

And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. Dan 11:4
 
The Tyranny of the Romans in Destroying Jerusalem

...and they (the Romans) shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
(Dan 11:31)
Divided Rome Under Harlot Church and Papacy

And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
(Dan 11:36-39)
 
Lysimachus
Asia
Ptolemy
Egypt

 

Seleucus
Syria

 

Cassander
Macedonia
North and South Kings

Daniel 11 documents the reigns of the kings of Syria (King of the North) and Egypt (King of the South) ending with the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes and his confrontation with the Romans in verse 30...

For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
(Dan 11:30)

 
 
  Rise of the Roman Military Power

And arms shall stand on his part...(or 'forces' (i.e. Roman Armies) shall arise after Antiochus)
(Dan 11:31)

---------------->
  Babylon Mede-Persian Greece Rome Rome
Divided

Some commentators - liberal commentators and those who believe that Daniel was written in the second century BC in particular - attempt to equate the fourth empire with that of the Seleucid Kingdom which, under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes severely persecuted the Jewish people and desecrated the temple in 168BC.

This is clearly an error according to the very words of Jesus himself:

Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

The 'abomination of desolation' which is so tightly linked to the fourth kingdom of Daniel's visions still awaited a future fulfillment in the time of Christ.  Thus it is impossible that the prophecies concerning the fourth kingdom should be applied to Antiochus Epiphanes.

See Also The Fourth Kingdom - Rome

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A period of distress for the Jewish people extending from the time of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD until they recognize Jesus as their Messiah at his second coming.

While many Christians believe that the 'Great Tribulation' is some period yet future, the Bible is clear as to exactly when the Great Tribulation began and when it will end:

Matt 24:15, 21 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)... for then there shall be great tribulation etc...

Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

The discourses given in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 were given first primarily to answer a question from the disciples about the time in which the city and temple would be destroyed. (see Luke 21:6-7, Matt 24:1-3)  Jesus clearly equates the Roman destruction of the city and temple with the 'Abomination of Desolation' spoken of by Daniel the Prophet. (see Daniel 11:31, 12:11, 9:27, 8:13).  This 'Abomination of Desolation' is the clear marker in time from which the beginning of the 'Great Tribulation' is reckoned.  Thus the 'Great Tribulation' begins with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

The extent and duration of this tribulation is also stated thusly:

Luk 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Matt 23:38-39 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Rom 11:25-26 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

We believe that any system of prophetic interpretation which fails to reckon the 'Great Tribulation' from any point other than that which our Lord clearly delineated to be in serious and irrevocable error.

-- Comparison with Daniel 12:1 --

Matt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.


Dan 11:40-12:1 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

The unbiased reader will note that in describing the 'Great Tribulation' as 'such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time...nor ever shall be' Jesus is quoting Daniel 12:1.  The clear implication is that the 'time of trouble' or 'great tribulation' in both passages is referring to the exact same period of time.  As noted above, the 'Great Tribulation' begins with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD.  The angel does not detail to Daniel the extent of the time intervening between the beginning and the conclusion of the 'Great Tribulation'.  Although the extent of this interval is in fact hinted at in the prophetic language of the concluding time prophecies of the 1260, 1290, and 1335 days.

-- Daniel 11:36 through Daniel 12:1 Not in Chronological Order  --

The student of God's prophetic word will be confused if they do not discern the proper order or events given within Daniel 11:36-12:1.  In the text they appear in the following order:

1) A description of the 'Willful King' in verses 11:36-39.  This is generally taken to be a description of the campaign of the 'Antichrist'.

2) Beginning at verse 11:40 we read 'At the time of the end' followed by a description of a military conflict between the Kings of the North and the South.

3) Beginning at verse 12:1 we read 'And at THAT TIME' (that is, at the 'Time of the End') shall Michael stand up... and there shall be a time of trouble, etc.

A comparison of these three events with the way they are described by Jesus and the apostles shows that Daniel 11:36-12:1 has not listed them in exact chronological order.  Failure to discern this fact has given rise to many erroneous speculations.

A cursory reading of these passages might lead one to conclude that the military campaign which is described beginning in verse 40 is an 'end time' campaign begun by the antichrist figure described in verses 36-39.  This is, in fact, an incorrect conclusion.

As noted above, according to the words of Jesus in Matthew 24, the 'great time of trouble' BEGINS WITH THE PLACING OF THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION.  This abomination is found in Daniel 11:31.  This in itself should alert the reader that the events in the latter part of Daniel 11 through Daniel 12:1 may not be in direct Chronological order.  Furthermore, note carefully the following:

Matt 24:21-24 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then (WITHIN THE TIME OF GREAT TRIBULATION) if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.


Jesus predicts the rise of those who will, by the means of great signs and wonders, deceive many, and if possible the very elect themselves.  It is of the utmost importance that the student of prophecy note that this is a deception which arises WITHIN the time of 'great tribulation'.   That is, it arises between the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and our Lord's second coming.

The apostle Paul, commenting upon the word's of Jesus notes the following:

2 Th 2:3-10 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Note that the inspired apostle also speaks of a deception accompanied by lying signs and wonders which would precede the coming of Christ.  But more importantly, notice that Paul applies these words to the 'willful king' described in Daniel 11:36-39.  Taking the words of Jesus and Paul together, we discern the basic sequence of events thusly:

1) The 'abomination of desolation' (the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD) begins the 'great tribulation' or the 'great time of trouble' mentioned in Daniel 12:1 and Matthew 24:21.

2) The deception involving lying signs and wonders begins within this period of 'great tribulation' and must happen before Jesus returns.

3) This deception is in fact the 'willful king' described in Daniel 11:36-39

Therefore we simply must conclude that the events described in Daniel 11:36-39 take place AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE TIME OF TROUBLE DESCRIBED IN DANIEL 12:1.  Thus we see that the series of events described in Daniel 11:36 - 12:1 are not in direct chronological order as a direct reading of them would place the rise of the 'willful king' before the start of the 'great time of trouble' and thus contradict the words of Jesus and Paul.

 

Jesus

  Paul   Daniel   Revelation
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
(Mat 24:23-24)
 
çè Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
(2Th 2:4-9)
 
çè And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
(Dan 11:36)

 
çè And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men...
(Rev 13:11-13)

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, ...
(Rev 19:20)
 

Comparison showing that Jesus' warning of a coming deception involving lying signs and wonders is also Paul's 'Man of Sin', Daniel's 'Willful King', and the Two-Horned Beast (False Prophet) of Revelation

 

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A period extended from the time of Rome's rise to imperial military status to the end of the age culminating in Armageddon and Christ's second coming.

'The Time of the End' is a long period extending from the time that Rome became a conquering military power (changing from a republic into an Imperial State) and finally planting itself as the controlling power in the land of Israel.

Christians seem to be confused and there is constant debate as to what constitutes 'the last days' or 'the time of the end'.  But the scriptures answer this question unambiguously.  The 'time of the end' is marked in scripture so that the Jewish nation would recognize that they were approaching the time of the Messiah's appearance, as well as the time when the new covenant would be established and the old order and covenant would be swept away.  It was also in this period that the 'great time of trouble' (Dan 12:1, Matt 24:21) would begin.

It is plain that the New Testament writers wrote authoritatively that they were then living in the 'last days' and the 'time of the end'.  Many Christians seem to ignore these references or believe that the apostles were mistaken.  They were not.

Heb 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds ...

1Jo 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Jud 1:16-18 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. (17) But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; (18) How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

Jam 5:3 Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days.

1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer:

Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
 

Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

A comparison of these scriptures allows for no other conclusion than that the 'Time of the End' was already present even in the first century.  This period extends through the Gospel Age until our Lord's second advent.

The scriptures detail when God's people would know that the 'Time of the End' was upon them.  See The Battle of Actium below.

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Roman military conflict between Octavian and Marc Anthony and Cleopatra of Egypt (31 BC).

The Battle of Actium ended the Second Triumvirate of Rome, also ending the era of the Roman Republic and leaving Octavian (later Augustus) as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire.  This event is important because it marks the transition from Rome's 5th to its 6th form of government (see The Seven Heads).

This war is also significant because its events are detailed in the prophecies of Daniel 11 in order to signify when God's servants would know that the 'Time of the End' was upon them.

Dan 11:40-12:1 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

The words '...at the time of the end' mark a transition in the text from the series of kings described up through Daniel 11:39.  Here the angel breaks off and begins to describe when God's people would know that the 'time of the end' was upon them. Note that the events of Daniel 11:36-12:1 do not run in direct Chronological order. (See The Great Tribulation - Jewish) It is an error to try to place the military campaign described in Daniel 11:40-45 in the future.  Note that the scriptures are clear that the 'time of the end' had already begun in the first century (See The Time of the End)

Concerning the Battle of Actium the online Wikipedia Encyclopedia says:

The Battle of Actium was a naval battle of the Roman Civil War between Mark Antony and Octavian. It was fought on September 2, 31 BC, near the Roman colony of Actium in Greece (near the modern-day city of Preveza), on the Ionian Sea. The fleet of Octavian was commanded by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, and the fleet of Antony supported by the fleet of his wife, Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. The battle was won by the forces of Octavian, whose victory led him to become the Princeps Augustus, later considered to be the first Roman Emperor: for this reason the date of the battle is often used to mark the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. (emphasis mine)

The scriptures predicted these events with the greatest detail.  Marc Anthony in league with Cleopatra of Egypt pushed against Octavian (the King of the North) in an act of war.  Octavian came against them with 'chariots, horseman, and MANY SHIPS (as this primarily became a naval battle). Rome as an empire went on to overthrow MANY countries including Judea.

But note in particular that these verses were to have a fulfillment when Egypt still remained a nation of great wealth and influence. Surely such a description could hardly apply to Egypt today.  However, Egypt in the first century BC most certainly was a nation of tremendous wealth and glory as described here.  One striking prediction of the prophecy is that 'Edom, Moab, and the chief children of Ammon' would escape.  Understanding these to be descriptive of the indigenous people to the east and south of Judea, the prediction was fulfilled with startling accuracy as these people were never subdued by the Romans.

These events then begin the 'time of the end'.  It was into this time that our Savior was to be born.  It was in this time that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the old order and covenant would be swept away  It was in this time that the 'great tribulation' would begin.

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Roman conquest of God's people and the temple whether Jewish or Christian

The 'abomination desolation' is a term used by our Lord and the prophet Daniel to describe the tyranny of the fourth kingdom (Rome see The Four Kingdoms) in destroying God's people and eventually setting itself up in place of God's kingdom.

In comparing Matthew 24 with Luke  21 we see how Jesus clearly defined the 'abomination of desolation':

Matt 24:15, 21 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)... for then there shall be great tribulation etc...

Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

This 'abomination of desolation' was clearly to begin with the Roman armies surrounding and subsequently destroying Jerusalem and the temple.  This was the first act in a series of events in which Rome would seek to replace the true worship of God.  It would however be a mistake to limit the 'Abomination of Desolation' solely to the events of 70 AD when the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem and destroyed the Jewish Temple.

As Henry Grattan Guinness states:

About sixty years later (after 70 AD), the Jews had sufficiently recovered from this crushing blow to rise afresh in revolt against the Roman power, and then Hadrian completed the work of their dispersion among all nations of the earth. He made the whole country of Palestine a desolation, expelled all its remaining Jewish inhabitants, forbade the Jews on pain of death even to approach Ælia Capitolina, the Roman city erected on the site of Jerusalem.

Likewise commentator Adam Clarke writes:

But in this war (132 AD) they had fifty cities demolished, nine hundred and fifty of their best towns destroyed, and eighty thousand men were slain by the sword; and in the end of the war, a.d. 136, were banished Judea on pain of death; and thenceforth the land became desolate.

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Cataclysmic political, religious, and social upheaval marking the cutting short of the tribulation upon God's elect and preceding the 'Day of the Lord' circa 1797-1798AD

In his work 'Observations on Daniel and the Apocalypse of Saint John' Isaac Newton wrote concerning prophetic language that:

In the heavens, the Sun and Moon are, by interpreters of dreams, put for the persons of Kings and Queens; but in sacred Prophecy, which regards not single persons, the Sun is put for the whole species and race of Kings, in the kingdom or kingdoms of the world politic, shining with regal power and glory; the Moon for the body of the common people, considered as the king’s wife; the Stars for subordinate Princes and great men, or for Bishops and Rulers of the people of God...

In interpreting the language of the Sixth Seal of Revelation 6:13-17 the student of prophecy would do well to heed Newton's system of interpretation. In interpreting the symbolic of Revelation there seems to be a tendency for commentators to descend into  a strict literalism when it comes to the events surrounding the era of the Sixth Seal.  This has given rise to much error.

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Seven 'Mountains' upon which the apostate Harlot Church sits, or Seven 'Kings - i.e. forms of government through which Rome would pass from its inception to the time it goes into perdition beginning with the 'Day of the Lord'

Revelation 17:9-11 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

Nearly all 19th century protestant scholars immediately recognized that Rome, as the city on seven hills is clearly designated in this passage.

The seven heads are also seven 'kings', that is, forms of government through which Rome would pass.  These are:

1) The Reign of Latin Kings
2) Consuls
3) Dictators
4) Decemvirs
5) Military Tribunes
6) The Reign of Emperors beginning in 31 BC with Augustus Caesar

Of these, five had fallen in John's day, and the sixth (the imperial form) was then reigning.

7) The divided or 'Late Empire' after the death of Theodosius in 395 AD. 

It was also in this very year that the first of seven 'Trumpet Judgments' began to fall upon the Roman Empire.  This seventh 'head' or form of government was only to last a 'short space'; and indeed, devastated by the first four Trumpet Judgments the western Roman Empire fell to barbarian hoards in less than 100 years.

There is also designated an 'Eighth King' which is undoubtedly to be connected with the 'Beast' of Revelation 13 which had a deadly wound but yet lived.  This eighth form of government is said to be 'of the seven'.  It therefore is one of the forms which had existed prior to John's receiving of the Revelation in 95AD.

8) The Revival of the Latin Kings and Kingdom

Adam Clarke rightly notes:

And the beast, that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition - That is to say, the Latin kingdom that has already been, but is now no longer nominally in existence, shall immediately follow the dissolution of the seventh form of Latin government; and this dominion is called ογδοος, an eighth, because it succeeds to the seventh. Yet it is not an eighth head of the beast, because the beast has only seven heads; for to constitute a new head of the beast the form of government must not only differ in nature, but also in name. This head of the beast is, therefore... one of the seven. Consequently the form of government represented by this head is the restoration of one of the preceding seven. The restored head can be therefore no other than the regal state of the Latins, or in other words the Latin kingdom... But the beast in his eighth state, or under his first head restored, goeth into perdition. No other form of Latin Government shall succeed...

 

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