THE TIME, TIMES, AND DIVIDING OF TIME, OF Daniel 7:25th

The fourth beast was of such a peculiar character, that Daniel became deeply interested in it, and wished to know its character, and the meaning of its ten horns. But the little horn which came up among them, and before whom three of the first horns were plucked up by the root; the horn which had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things; and which made war on the saints and overcame them, possessed peculiar interest. These points were explained to him thus:—“The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth, etc. The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings which shall arise; and another shall rise after them, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the Most High, shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand, until a time, times, and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”APEC 60.3

Thus it appears the little horn was to be the last form of the Roman government. And his power was to exist for a time, times, and the dividing of time. Then his dominion was to be taken away, but not to be entirely destroyed. But from its fall it was to consume unto the end, when the everlasting kingdom of God is to be set up.APEC 61.1

I shall now demonstrate that the little horn represented the Papal power; and that the time times, and a half, signify three and a half years of 360 days each, the whole being 1260 days; and that each day stands for a full year. Also, that those 1260 years of Papal rule have been accomplished, and that his dominion has been taken away.APEC 61.2

“A prophecy is demonstrated to be fulfilled when we can show, from unimpeachable authority, that the event has actually taken place precisely according to the manner in which it was foretold.”-Horne’s Introduction, Compendium, page 147.APEC 62.1

In demonstrating the nature and fulfilment of the time, times, and dividing of time, it will be necessary to prove, (1.) That four such kingdoms as predicted by the four beasts have succeeded each other, and filled up all the time from Daniel to the present (2.) That out of the fourth of those kingdoms, ten distinct kingdoms originated. (3.) That three of those ten kingdoms fell or were plucked up. (4.) That the saints were, by a formal act, given over into the hands of a blasphemous, persecuting power, and that the fall of the third of those kingdoms opened the way for carrying into effect that act. (5.) That 1260 years from the point where all the above circumstances concurred, the dominion of that blasphemous, persecuting power was taken away. And, (6.) That from its being thus taken away, although again partially restored, it has been steadily declining up to the present time. These six points sustained, and the above propositions are demonstrated.APEC 62.2

1. Four kingdoms have existed, viz., The Chaldean, the Medo-Persian, the Macedonian, and the Roman, and filled up the whole period from Daniel to us. But no other four kingdoms on earth have thus succeeded each other and filled up that period. Hence, these four kingdoms answer the description, and no others do; they must, therefore, be the predicted kingdoms which are to be succeeded by the everlasting kingdom of God. But the last, or Roman beast, has not yet been given to the burning flame, therefore the kingdom of God is not established.APEC 62.3

2. There have been ten distinct kingdoms within the bounds of the fourth or Roman government. The first ten kingdoms originated within that government, were as follows: (1.) The Huns, in Hungary, established, A. D. 356. (2.) The Ostrogoths, in Mysia, A. D. 377. (3.) The Visigoths, in Pannonia, A. D. 378. (4.) The Franks, in France, A. D. 407. (5.) The Vandals, in Africa, A. D. 407. (6.) The Sueves and Alans, in Gascoyne and Spain, A. D. 407. (7.) The Burgundians, in Burgundy, A. D. 407. (8.) The Heruli, in Italy, A. D. 476. (9.) The Saxons and Angles, in Britain, A. D. 476. (10.) The Lombards on the Danube, in Germany, A. D. 483. This list of kingdoms, as the first ten, is given on the authority of Machiavelil, a historian, and Dr. Hales and Bishop Lloyd, chronologers It may perhaps be objected, “the above are not the only ones which have existed within the old Roman empire.” True, they are not; but if they are the first ten established there, they answer the description given by the prophet. For it was three of the first horns which were to be plucked up by the roots. Besides, we are to take the events of the government as they transpired, and when the event predicted is exactly answered, we have done with it on that point. It matters not what other kingdoms have existed subsequently.APEC 63.1

3. Three of those ten kingdoms have been plucked up by the roots before, or to prepare the way for, the establishment of another (little) horn.APEC 64.1

The authority for the historical facts on this point, is Gibbon’s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman empire. The first of the ten kingdoms which fell, was the kingdom of the Heruli, in Italy. Their kingdom was subverted by the Ostrogoths, A. D. 493, ten years after the last of the ten was established. The second which fell was the Vandal kingdom, in Africa. This was conquered by the army of Justinian, emperor of Constantinople, under the command of Belisarius, his general, A. D. 534. The third was the Ostrogothic kingdom, in Italy, which was conquered also by Justinian’s army, under Belisarius, A. D. 538. The war commenced 536; and March, 538, the Ostrogoths raised the siege of the city of Rome and retired, leaving it in peaceable possession of Belisarius. Thus the third point was accomplished, A. D. 538, in the month of March.APEC 64.2

4. The saints were, by a formal act, given over into the hands of a blasphemous, persecuting power; and the fall of the Ostrogothic kingdom opened the way for the carrying of that decree into effect. In A. D. 534, Justinian, emperor of Constantinople, published a new code of laws for his empire, regulating and settling some difficult points of jurisprudence.-Ruter’s Church History, page 138. Among other edicts, was one declaring the Bishop of Rome the head of all the churches.—Justin. Novell. Lit. 14. Constitut. cap. 2. Thus the saints were, by a formal edict of the Greek emperor, given into the hands of the Roman pontiff, 534. But Rome was at that time in the hands of an Arian monarch, and a most bitter enemy of the Roman Catholic church and the pretensions of the Pope.APEC 64.3

Nor had the three horns, or kingdoms, yet fallen; but in 538, the third, or Ostrogothic kingdom, did fall, and the Arian power was removed from Rome: the city also came into the possession of the same power which had constituted the bishop of Rome head of all the churches. Thus all that was predicted to precede the commencement of the time, times, and dividing of time, was brought to a focus; therefore, that period must commence at that time.APEC 65.1

That the Papal power has done all that is ascribed to the little horn by the prophet, is so well understood at the present time, that it needs no further evidence. If any doubt it, let them read Smith’s “Downfall of Babylon,” or “McGavin’s Protestant.”APEC 65.2

5. The dominion of the Papal power was taken away just 1260 years from the above occurrence, 538. From A. D. 538-1260 years will bring us to A. D. 1798. At that time General Berthier, a French general, with a French Republican army, entered Rome, took possession of the city, deposed the Pope, abrogated the whole Papal government, instituted in its place a republican form of government, and carried the Pope a captive to France, where, in 1799, he died. Thus the dominion of the little horn, which was to continue a time, times, and the dividing of time, continued 1260 years, viz., from A. D. 538 to A. D. 1798. Therefore, a time is a year of 360 days; times, two years of the same length; and the dividing of time half a year; the whole making 1260 days, and each day standing for a year; the whole period being 1260 years. Again; the Papal power existed just that time, and was then taken away; therefore, the Papal power is the kingdom predicted by the little horn of Daniel’s fourth beast.APEC 65.3

6. From 1798, when the Papal dominion was taken away, and God’s great judgments were poured upon Papal Europe, the Papal power and influence, although nominally restored, have been steadily consuming up to the present time.APEC 66.1

This point is so evident and so fully before the community, that it is needless to present evidence on the point. Popery is the mere shadow of what it once was; nor can it by any artifice ever again resume its former vigor and power. It is a plant of darkness; it cannot live and flourish under the flood of light and liberty which irradiates almost every point of our earth. Protestants are now tolerated in every Papal kingdom on the continent of Europe.APEC 66.2

It only remains, then, that the body of the beast should be slain and given to the burning flame, to introduce the glorious, everlasting kingdom of God in all the earth. Is not the evidence decisive, then, that the kingdom of heaven is at hand? I have now done what I proposed, and here I rest the cause. I challenge the world to refute the above argument. And until it can be done, we have indubitable evidence that the kingdom of heaven is at the very door. The apostle’s argument, that in his day “the day of the Lord” was not at hand, finds no place here; on the contrary, that very argument is incontrovertible evidence that it is now at hand, that we should constantly look for the brightness of his coming for the destruction of “that man of sin.”APEC 66.3

“The time, times, and a half” has long been a subject of deep interest to prophetic expositors; and labored arguments and deep research have been expended to fix the time of its commencement, with the expectation that when that was done they would be able to find the beginning of the Millennium. The time most generally fixed upon at the present time to begin the period, is A. D. 606, when the emperor Phocas conferred on the Roman pontiff the title of Universal Bishop. And from that date they fix on A. D. 1866, as the time when their anticipated millennium is to be ushered in. But it must be obvious to every reader of their theory, that the argument by which it is supported is very vague and indefinite. The only reason, indeed, which they can assign for fixing on 606, as the time for beginning the 1260 years, is the one above named, viz., that the Pope received the title of universal bishop at that time. They do not attempt to show the concurrence of a single circumstance beside, predicted by the prophet to precede it and point out the time. But what does the grant of Phocas amount to? Just nothing at all. Dr. Ruter remarks, (Ch. Hist. p. 142,) that “this title, however, was unaccompanied by any new powers, and only served to increase the animosity which invariably subsisted between the patriarchs of Rome and Constantinople.” Nor did the conferring of that title give the saints into his hand. Moreover, they had been given into his hand 68 years before, and we shall in vain look for another such grant of power over them.APEC 67.1

The foregoing argument, I believe, will stand the test of the rigid criticism. And until it is proved unsound by argument, (for time will have no effect on it, for it is all matter of history,) whatever may become of the calculation in this work, on the events of futurity, I must still believe the kingdom of God is just at hand, and continue to look for and hasten to its most earning.APEC 68.1