Luke 21:8

Christian, Be Not Deceived!

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE 

DOES THE 6th HEAD REFER TO ROME-PAGAN AND PAPAL? 

As we have seen, there is Scriptural reason for taking the 7 heads to refer to the 7 world powers: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, and the final combination of Papal and Protestant powers and the kings of earth. Concerning the first 6 of these heads there will be little if any question, for many noteworthy Bible students support this view. But not so many probably would be willing at first thought to accept the belief that both pagan and papal Rome come under the one head. However, the writer desires to enlist the sympathetic attention of his readers as he endeavours to suggest reasons why Rome in both its pagan and papal phases could well be designated by the 6th head. 

In a previous chapter we worked backwards from the time of the second advent, showing that at that time the combination of Papal and Protestant powers and the kings of the earth constituted the 7th head. We also presented Scriptural reasons for believing that the head that was wounded was the 6th head, namely, the papal head, which (in rising to become the 7th head) is restored to its persecuting power and for that reason is stamped with the symbol number 8, the Bible number for resurrection to life and power. Now we desire to advance reasons for believing that Rome in both its pagan and papal phases is represented by the 6th head. 

It is the Roman beast that exists until "slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame" (Dan. 7:11). Bible students know that the same ground is passed over in Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, and 1012, and in each of them the last form of government depicted is that of Rome.) This was the line of argument employed by James White in condemning the view that Turkey was the power referred to in Dan. 11:40-45. He wrote in an editorial in the "Review and Herald", November 29. 1877: 

"Let us take a brief view of the line of prophecy four times spanned in the book of Daniel. It will be admitted that the same ground is passed over in chapters two, seven, eight and eleven. . . . We first pass down the great image of chapter 2 where Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome are represented by the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron. All agree that these feet are not Turkish but Roman. And as we pass down to the lion, the bear, the leopard, and the beast with ten horns, representing the same as the great image, again all will agree that it is not Turkey that is cast into the burning flame, but the 207 

Roman beast. So of chapter 8, all agree that the little horn that stood up against the Prince of princes is not Turkey but Rome. In all these lines thus far Rome is the last form of government mentioned.” (Emphasis mine). 

"Now comes the point in the argument upon which very much depends. Does the eleventh chapter of the Prophecy of Daniel cover the ground measured by chapters two, seven and eight? If so, then the last power mentioned in that chapter is Rome." (Emphasis his) 

 In the first of the prophecies outlining world kingdoms until the coming of Christ, we are informed that the Roman kingdom would not be superseded by another kingdom, but would exist in a "divided" state until the coming of Christ. The ten toes of the image and the ten horns of the Roman beast of Dan. 7 represent the divisions of the Roman kingdom. The point that is made clear in both the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation is that, though in a divided state, these divisions are really the old Roman kingdom still in existence–from the territory of the Roman empire emerged the nations of Christendom. The "Christian civilization" which the Roman power developed is still the dominating factor in the world, and the prophecies make it clear that this form of civilization adopted by Rome and bequeathed to those nations which had their origin in Roman territory, will dominate the world until Jesus comes to destroy the false system of worship. The iron of Rome continues till the coming of Christ –Dan. 2:34, 41,45. The stone smites the iron of the toes. The Roman beast was to continue until the second advent and be given to the burning flame–the same is said of the beast in Rev. 19:20; 20:10. The Papacy is said to be "the son of perdition"; the beast that is resurrected–after receiving the death-stroke mentioned in Rev. 13–is said to be "of the seven, and goeth into perdition" (Rev. 17:11). 

Rome pagan controlled her politically united territory through military power; Rome papal exercises her control of diverse nations through false teachings. As the world obeyed the Caesars, so the world is destined to obey the dictates of the spiritual Caesar, when the Sunday laws are enforced. 

We would ask the reader to bear with us as we present further reasons why Rome in both its pagan and papal phases could well come under the one–the 6th-head. 

It is obvious that the seven heads in Rev. 12, 13, and 17 represent powerful enemies of the people of God. In the Old Testament times, from the time Israel became a nation and prophetic imagery became based upon the fact of Israel being the nation bearing the will of God, in contradistinction to the Gentile nations who opposed God's plan of redemption, 6 of those heads existed, the 6th being Rome. With Rome we enter into New Testament times, and into the realm of the spiritual application of those Old Testament literalities. That is, the church then 

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becomes the Israel of God, and all the promises and the prophecies pertaining to Israel become the precious heritage of the church, which is still represented as the "nation" (see Matt. 21:43; 1 Pet. 2:9; etc.) of "Israel", see Gal. 6:16; Heb. 8:10; etc. Similarly, the Roman nation, the 6th nation to oppose national Israel, finds its spiritual counterpart in the Roman church. The Papacy is always represented as a part of Rome: what is said of the one is said of the other. As the writer has stated in an earlier publication: 

"Verses 23-25 of Daniel 8 use the same words to picture both pagan and papal Rome. What literal Rome did nationally, spiritual Rome did, and does, in a spiritual sense. To the Hebrews, the literal Romans spoke in `dark sentences' (compare Dan. 8:23 with Deut. 28:49), and spiritual Rome, by adhering to the Latin tongue in her services, also speaks in `dark sentences'. To spiritual Hebrews their doctrines, also, are `dark'. See Ps. 119:105, etc. 'His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power,' is equally true of literal and spiritual Rome. Rome dominated most of the ancient world; spiritual Rome's power has been mighty in the past, but is now reaching unto the uttermost parts of the earth. 'He shall destroy wonderfully': both pagan and papal Rome have destroyed wonderfully. 50,000,000 martyrs testify to the `double' application of this passage in relation to spiritual Rome. The words `shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people', fit both literal and spiritual Rome. Pagan Rome invaded the typical land, and destroyed the Jewish nation, slew many Jews, destroyed their city and temple. Spiritual Rome invaded the spiritual land of Israel, and destroyed millions of the members of spiritual Israel-the spiritual city and temple of God. The transition from literal to spiritual Rome automatically takes place, in harmony with the established Bible principle. 

"The transition is also seen when comparing Dan. 12:7 with Dan. 8:24. In Dan. 12:7 we read: `When they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people' (R.V.). The reference to the destruction of `the holy people' has its origin in Dan. 7:25 and 8:24. That papal Rome, in addition to pagan Rome, is described in Dan. 8:24 is evident from the fact that, in Dan. 12:7, this work of destroying `the holy people', is said to occur during the 1260 years of Papal supremacy. When Jesus, in Matt. 24, quotes from the prophecy of Daniel regarding the coming of `the abomination'–the Roman armies (Luke 21:20; GC. 21, 26)–to `destroy the city and the sanctuary' (Dan. 9:26, 27; Luke 21:20), and then passes, without a break in His sermon, to depict the destruction of the saints during the dark ages (Matt. 24:15, 20 and notice 21, 22), He is following the principle used in the book of Daniel itself. Dan. 12:7 speaks of papal Rome having 

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power to 'scatter the power of the holy people', or, as given in the Revised Version, 'breaking in pieces the power of the holy people'. The 'breaking in pieces' and scattering of the literal Jewish nation, referred to by Jesus in Luke 21:24; Matt. 21:43, 44, etc., was the literal fulfillment: but in the dark ages occurred the spiritual fulfillment, when papal Rome attacked the spiritual city and temple–the church."– "The Certainty of the Third Angel's Message Proved by Important Principles of Prophetic Interpretation", pp. 140, 141. 

There are many reasons for suggesting that pagan and papal Rome could well be represented under the same head, for when depicting the Roman power the Holy Spirit has often referred to pagan and papal Rome as the same power. Consider for a moment further the Saviour's reference to "the abomination of desolation". He said: "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)"-see Matt. 24:15. In Dan. 9:26, 27 we read of the coming of the Romans who would "destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined . . . and for the over-spreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even unto the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolator", see margin. "Abominations" is the word employed in Scripture when referring to idolatrous worship. Commenting on Matt. 24:15, God's servant says: 

"When the idolatrous standards of the Romans should be set up in the holy ground,–which extended some furlongs outside the city walls, then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight" (GC: 26). 

Not only are we given an interpretation of what is intended by "abominations"–idolatry-but we are also informed that the power referred to is that of Rome–in this instance, pagan Rome. But we see that the same word is employed when describing papal Rome. In the book of Daniel the "abominations" are mentioned three times–Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. As we have just seen, the Lord's servant applies Dan. 9:27 to pagan Rome and as all Seventh-day Adventist Bible students know, papal Rome is referred to when the same term is employed in Dan. 11:31; 12:11. We not only find that thus the Old Testament designates both pagan and papal Rome with the same words, but the same applies also in the New Testament, where the Greek word for "abomination" (bdelugma) occurs six (Babylon's number) timessee Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14; Luke 16:15; Rev. 17:4, 5; 21:27. Here again we find the same word employed in designating both pagan 

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and papal Rome. As we have seen, the Spirit of prophecy applies Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14 regarding "the abomination of desolation" to pagan Rome, and the Revelator in describing the spiritual Roman power, designates her "the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth" (Rev. 17:5). Both pagan and papal Rome are designated by the same word. 

The word "desolation", accompanying the word "abomination" in our Lord's prophecy of the coming of the Roman army to destroy Jerusalem, is mentioned 7 times in Dan. 8:13; 9:17, 18, 26, 27; 11:31; 12:11. ("The desolate" of 9:27, and "the desolations" of 9:2 are from different words.) Dan. 11:31; 12:11 refer to the Papal desolation. From these texts we again observe that the same word is employed for both pagan and papal Rome. 

Describing the distress occasioned by the invasion of Palestine by the Romans, Jesus spoke of "those days". He employed the same term when referring to the distress occasioned by Papal persecutions–see Matt. 24:19 and 22. 

The Jewish nation and city were destroyed "with a flood" of Roman soldiers (Dan. 9:26). The same expression is employed when depicting the work of destruction by papal Rome against the church of Jesus in the dark ages–see Rev. 12:15-17. It is to this picture of the Roman-Babylonian flooding of the waters of the Euphrates over the land of Israel that is the subject of such prophecies as Isa. 8:7, 8; Rev. 16:12; etc. Thus we see again that the same word is employed for both pagan and papal Rome. 

We see the same fact by comparing Luke 21:20, 24 with Rev. 11:2. Luke 21:20, 24 depicts Jerusalem being surrounded and taken by the Romans. Jesus prophesied: "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles." Now when the Revelator pictures the forces of papal Rome persecuting the saints in the dark ages, he terms them "the Gentiles", and says: "And the holy city shall they ['the Gentiles] tread under foot forty two months" (Rev. 11:2). Referring to pagan Rome, Jesus said that "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles". Referring to papal Rome, John says that "the Gentiles" shall "tread under foot" "the holy city". Thus the identical language is employed for both pagan and papal Rome. What pagan Rome did literally to the Jewish nation and city provides the Revelator with the prophetic symbolism with which to depict the destructive work of the Papacy against God's people. And further, when the servant of the Lord describes the world's crisis involving spiritual Israel in the last days, she employs precisely the same figure. Observe the following extract: 

"As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy [of Protestant America, and other countries, joining with Rome to enforce the Papal Sunday]  

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Be sign to us that the limit of God's forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation’s iniquity is full, and the angel of mercy is about to take her flight, never to return" 5T. 451). 

Again the servant of the Lord employs the same figure to represent the attack of the modern Roman armies-the combined forces of the Papacy and Protestantism-upon the people of God: 

"As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation, in the decree enforcing the Papal Sabbath, will be a warning to us" (5T. 464). 

It will thus be observed that the attack upon Jerusalem by the Romans is still the figure employed by the Revelator in describing the attack upon God's people in the dark ages, and still the same figure employed by God's servant in describing the attack upon God's remnant people in the final conflict. It is still the Roman armies attacking Israel throughout the Christian dispensation. This shows that even in the 7th head, which is made of Papal and Protestant forces, it is still represented as if it were Roman forces. Thus apostate Protestantism does not make up a head on its own, but is included with the Roman armies. The more this is thought through the more it will appear logical and clear. The writer has shown in "Europe and Armageddon" that all the nations of Christendom–North and South America, Australia, South Africa, etc.--wherever they are found on the planet, are of European origin, but have brought with them in their migration to distant lands, which they have colonized, "Christian civilization"or a religious belief which is nominally Christian. As Rome dominated these nations for so long a time, many, if not all, of these nations took with them their understanding of Christianity which, of course, has come out of the Roman mould. As Sunday observance emanated from Rome, the nations who enforce that false Sabbath will of course be Romans; that is the view which is undoubtedly presented in the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. 

The student of the writings of God's servant cannot help being impressed with the number of times she writes of Rome, when referring to the Papacy. We cite a few examples from the large number that could be given: 

"Many of the Protestant churches are following Rome's example of iniquitous connection with 'the kings of the earth' . the churches that separated from Rome present other of her characteristics" (GC. 383). "Under the rule of Rome" (GC. 591). The reader is urged to read pages 577-581 (of GC.) as an example of the great number of times the Lord's servant refers to "the influence of Rome"; "the Sunday institution that rests solely upon the authority of the Romish church"; "the enmity of Rome toward the true Sabbath and its defenders"; "Rome had trampled upon the Sabbath of God to exalt her own"; "the despotic power of Rome"; "Rome's policy"; "the triumph of Rome"; "the purposes of Rome"; "Protestants ... accept the aid of Rome in the work of Sunday exaltation"; "We shall soon see and feel what the purpose of the Roman element is"; etc. Commenting upon "the woman, Babylon, of Revelation 17", the Lord's servant says : "Babylon is further declared to be 'that great city, which 

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reigneth over the kings of the earth' (Rev. 17:18). The power that for so many centuries maintained despotic sway over the monarchs of Christendom, is Rome" (GC. 382). 

Papal Rome is but the outgrowth of Pagan Rome. Papalism emerged from pagan Rome, and is spiritual Rome. The same city and territory of Rome, the same regal splendours, the same idolatry with a change of names. 

"The Roman emperors, as high pontiffs, were paid divine honours; hence the alternative offered to the early Christians, 'sacrifice to Caesar, or death'. But the homage paid to the pagan pontiff in every country did not exceed that demanded and received by the popes in the plenitude of their power... . 

"The last pontiff king of Pergamos was Attains III, who at his death bequeathed his dominions and authority to the Roman people, 133 B.C., and from that time the two lines of Pontifex Maximus were merged into the Roman one. Therefore, when Julius Caesar was elected Pontifex Maximus, he assumed to himself the divinity claimed by the pontiff kings of Chaldea, and from henceforth the emperors of Rome received divine honours.... But just as pagan Rome was the true offspring and successor of Babylon, so is papal Rome the true offspring and successor of pagan Rome. When paganism was nominally abolished in the Roman Empire, the head of the pagan hierarchy was also suppressed. Some of the Christian emperors did indeed accept the title of Pontifex Maximus, while others, refusing it themselves, appointed a pagan priest, until the reign of Gratian, who, refusing to do either, abolished the office, 376 A.D. Two years afterwards ... he offered the title and office to Damascus, Bishop of Rome ... and from that time until now the title has been held by the popes of Rome." The True Christ and the False Christ", J. Gamier, Vol. II, p. 85-96. 

That the Papacy is the continuance of pagan Rome is also stated by eminent Roman Catholic writers. Notice the following extracts: 

"The crimes as well as the civilization of a thousand years were accumulated at Rome, and both were swept away together by that overwhelming flood of fierce barbarians . . . to make room for the kingdom of God which was to be enthroned upon its ruins; for such was the purpose of God that the very centre of Christendom, the very throne of Christ. upon earth, on which He would visibly sit in the person of His vicar, was there to be established, where the throne of the Caesars and the golden house of Nero had been swept away in headlong ruin. . The substitution of Christendom for the civilized pagan world-the setting up of the throne of the vicar of Christ upon the ruins of the palace of the Caesars."–"The Church and the Empire", by William H. W. Wilberforce, pp. 45, 46. 

This author was one time editor of the Catholic Standard, and his book is preceded by a Memoir of the author, by J. H. (Cardinal) Newman, D.D. 

"St. Thomas ... says that the Roman Empire has not ceased, but is changed from the temporal into the spiritual. . . . It was, then, the Apostolic Church, which, spreading throughout all nations, already combined together by the power of the heathen empire of Rome, quickened them with a new life . . . the temporal power in the old heathen empire of Rome, and the spiritual power in the new supernatural kingdom of God met together ... these two powers were blended and fused together; they became one authority, the emperor ruling from his throne within the sphere of his earthly jurisdiction, and the Supreme Pontiff ruling likewise from a throne of a higher sovereignty over the nations...... the material power which once reigned in Rome (was) consecrated and sanctified by the investiture of the Vicar of Jesus Christ with temporal sovereignty over the city where he dwelt.... 

"And now for these twelve hundred years the peace, the perpetuity and faithfulness of the Christian civilization of Europe, has been owing solely in its principle to this consecration of the power and authority of the great empire of 

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Rome, taken up of old, perpetuated, preserved, as I have said, by the salt which had been sprinkled from heaven, and continued in the person of the Supreme Pontiff, and in that order of Christian civilization of which he has been the creator"–The Temporal Power of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, by Cardinal Manning, pp. 123-128. 

"The interval between the failure of the empire in Italy and the confirmation of the Temporal Sovereignty of the Pontiffs was an interregnum, nor was it of long duration. In the three hundred years before the translation of the empire, a power had grown up far more imperial over the reason and will of man than the iron despotism of the Roman ... was embodied in one person, the Bishop of Rome." id, pp. 30, 31 of Preface. 

One more quotation must suffice for our present purpose. We quote this time from the pen of William Francis Barry, an eminent English Roman Catholic clergyman and educator: 

"If we extend our view over the ruins of the Western Empire, such is the spectacle that meets us on every side . . the Pax Romana has ceased ; it is universal confusion. But wherever a bishop holds his court, religion protects all that is left of the ancient order. A new Rome ascends slowly above the horizon. It is the heir of the religion which it has overthrown; it assumes the outward splendors of the Caesars.... a Emperor is no more.... But the Pontifex Maxamus abides; he is now the Vicar of Christ, offering the old civilization to the tribes of the north. He converts them to his creed, and they serve him as their Father and judge supreme. This is the Papal Monarchy, which in its power and its decline overshadows the history of Europe for a thousand years." The Papal Monarchy, W. F. Barry, D.D., pp. 45, 46. 

Papal Rome teaches the old Babylonian mysteries which she receives via pagan Rome. Rising out of pagan Rome, imitating or continuing the imperial power and worldly glory of pagan Rome, in the same capital city of the old pagan Roman empire, how fitting that the Holy Spirit, in the sacred Scriptures, should blend old Babylon with Rome-pagan and papal.