The Ten Horns of Daniel 7 An Historical Perspective
by Ron Corson
First we must review what the
leading proponents of this theory have to say. Uriah Smiths wrote:
Concerning the three horns
uprooted by the little horn Uriah Smith
wrote:
After reading of all the
different tribes which entered upon the ancient Roman Territory it is easy to
see why the authors who support the ten kingdom theory noted at the beginning
of this paper, had trouble agreeing upon who makes up their ten kingdoms. There
are no contemporary history books that list ten kingdoms, which occupied the
Roman territory. There is significant impact from each of the above tribes,
either through their alliances with, or against Byzantine Rome, or by their
alliances with other tribes. There are certain tribes that had a greater impact
on the territory. These could include:
It is clear after examining the
history of the Barbarian invasions and the Byzantine Empire, that there were
more then ten tribes which invaded the ancient Roman Empire. This would explain
why the proponents of the ten kingdom theory are unable to agree on which ten
tribes were involved. The second part of their theory involves the idea that
three of the ten kingdoms were destroyed so that a new kingdom could emerge.
These eliminated kingdoms being the Heruls in 493, the Vandals in 534, and the
Ostrogoths in 538. Now let's examine what history has to say about the demise
of these three tribes.
Here is an obvious discrepancy
between what history tells us and what the proponents of the ten kingdom theory
purport to have happened. In their theory the Heruli kingdom was destroyed by
the Ostrogoths on orders from the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire). Thus
they would have all the three kingdoms removed by the Eastern Roman Empire so
that the Roman Catholic Papacy can become a great power. It is not too
difficult to understand how the proponents of the ten kingdom theory arrived at
the false conclusion that the Heruli were destroyed in 493. It has to do with a
"king of Italy" named Odoacer, but first here is a brief description
of the historical events.
Odoacer (sometimes spelled Odovakar, or Odovacar) was a German barbarian of Scirian, or Rugian ancestry, the son of Edeco, one of Attila's generals. In 470 he entered Italy with the Sciri and joined the Roman army. In 475 Odoacer led a rebellion against the Roman general Orestes who had previously overthrew the Western Roman emperor Nepos. Odoacer was elected to be king by his troops in 476. Orestes was captured and executed and his young son, the emperor Romulus Augustulus was deposed and exiled. Odoacer desired to retain his authority while recognizing the overlordship of the Eastern Empire, he was granted the position of Patrician by Zeno the Eastern emperor. However Odoacer refused to recognize Julius Nepos, Zeno's candidate as Western emperor. Thus officially ended the Western Roman Empire.[30] [31] [32] Odoacer's kingdom did not rest on the leadership of a single German tribe, but was composed of a heterogeneous group of German and Eastern soldiers, (mercenaries), who were technically part of the Roman army.[33] [34] [35] [36] In 484 Odoacer attacked the westernmost provinces of Rome in response to the pleading of Illus the master of the soldiers of the Eastern Empire, in an attempt to depose Zeno. In retaliation Zeno incited the Rugi to attack Italy, Odoacer crossed the Danube in 488 and defeated the Rugi in their own territory. As the Ostogothic power grew it became clear to Zeno that they could be a threat to the Eastern Empire. To solve this problem and the problem in Italy with Odoacer Zeno commissioned the Ostrogothic king Theodoric to go to Italy and overthrow Odoacer. In 488-489 the entire Ostrogothic nation headed to Italy. After a series of bloody battles Theodoric concluded an agreement with Odoacer in 493, which provided that the two kings would share the rule of the territory. However at a banquet to celebrate the treaty Theodoric killed Odoacer with his own hand.[37] [38] [39] Theodoric's followers proceeded to kill Odoacer's family and supporters.[40] [41]
Another discrepancy between history and the ten kingdom theorists is the date of the destruction of the Ostrogoths. The ten kingdom theorists place the demise of the Ostrogoths at 538 when Belisarius invaded Rome and after a year long siege he won the battle. Here is what Uriah Smith has written on the subject;
The following is a representation
of most of the kingdoms that occupied areas of the Roman Empire. Some of the
tribes beginning dates are somewhat uncertain, so starting dates are often the
date when the tribe invaded into Roman Territory or what had once been Roman
Territory.
by Ron Corson
"After that, in my vision
at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast-- terrifying and
frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured
its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all
the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
"While I was thinking
about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up
among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had
eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
Dan 7:7-8 (NIV)
Throughout history many theories
have developed to explain the Ten Horns
mentioned in the book of Daniel.
Daniel tells us that these horns represent kings that shall come from the
kingdom represented by the forth beast.
Daniel also tells us that a small horn shall come out of these ten horns and it
shall uproot three of the kings. This king, which is different from the others
will grow powerful and wage war against the saints. One of the theories
regarding the Ten Horns is that the horns represent kingdoms established in the Roman territories in the
fourth through sixth centuries. This theory also holds that the little horn
that uprooted 3 of the 10 kingdoms represents the Roman Catholic Papacy. What
follows is an examination of the historical accuracy of this theory.
But all historians
agree in this, that out of the territory of Western Rome, ten separate kingdoms
were ultimately established, and we may safely assign them to the time between
the dates above named; namely, A.D. 351 and 476.
The ten nations
which were most instrumental in breaking up the Roman Empire, and which at some
time in their history held respectively portions of Roman territory as separate
and independent kingdoms, may be enumerated (without respect to the time of
their establishment) as follows: Huns, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals,
Suevi, Burgundians, Heruli, Anglo-Saxons, and Lombards.* The connection between
these and some of the modern nations of Europe, is still traceable in the
names, as England, Burgundy, Lombardy, France, etc.
* In harmony with seven leading
commentators the author includes the Huns as one of the ten kingdoms. Others,
with historical precedent, name the Alamanni, or Germans, instead of the
Huns--Editors.[1]
The position is here
confidently taken that the three powers, or horns, plucked up by the roots were
the Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths; and this position rests upon
reliable historical data. Odoacer, the leader of the Heruli, was the first of the
barbarians who reigned over the Romans.[2]
From
the historical testimony above cited we think it clearly established that the
three horns plucked up were the powers named: the Heruli, A.D. 493, the
Vandals, in 534, and the Ostrogoths finally in 553, though effective opposition
by the latter to the decree of Justinian ceased when they were driven from Rome
by Belisarius in 538 as stated on page 127.[3]
Another Seventh Day Adventist
author, Roy Allan Anderson lists his preferred choices for the ten kingdoms as
follows:
On occasion interpreters of prophecy have
alleged that "at no period of Roman history was the empire composed of
precisely ten kingdoms." However, it is well documented that the ten
kingdoms appeared after the decline and fall of the empire of the Caesars.
Gibbon, as well as other authoritative historians, make it clear that the ten
kingdoms did indeed come into being after Rome's collapse. In his Horae
Apocalypticae, Elliott lists these as
Anglo-Saxons, Alemanni, Franks, Visigoths, Suevi, Burgundians, Bavarians,
Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths. (Some of these were known by other names at
different times, and some other lists suggest various different kingdoms.)[4]
A professor of church history C.
Mervyn Maxwell in his book on Daniel provides us with another list of the ten
kingdoms, he wrote:
Over the next
century or so the Visigoths were followed by perhaps a score of other tribes,
some large, some very small, the makings of the European nations of today. Of these the most significant besides
the Visigoths were the Ostrogoths, the Vandals, the Burgundians, the Lombards,
the Anglo-Saxons, the Franks, the Alemannians, The Heruls, and the Sueves. Here
are Daniel's "ten horns".[5]
While the above mentioned authors may not
agree on who makes up the ten kingdoms, (discrepancies regarding the Huns,
Bavarians, and the Lombards), they do agree on the three kingdoms that were
uprooted, the Heruls, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths. Maxwell sums it up as
follows:
But the Catholic emperors of the eastern
empire found ways to help the pope by eliminating three of the Arian tribes.
The catholic emperor Zeno (474-491) arranged a treaty with the Ostrogoths in
487 which resulted in the eradication of the kingdom of the Arian Heruls in
493. And the Catholic emperor Justinian(527-565) exterminated the Arian Vandals
in 534 and significantly broke the power of the Arian Ostrogoths in 538. Thus
were Daniel's three horns--the Heruls, the Vandals, and the
Ostrogoths--"plucked up by the roots."[6]
Why is there a discrepancy
between these authors with regard to who makes up the ten kingdoms, if in fact
history so clearly shows that ten kingdoms carved up the Roman territory? To
answer this question we must examine the historical evidence. Does history
teach that there were ten kingdoms that took over the Roman territory? First,
we must examine what changes occured in the Roman Empire.
The Pagan Roman Empire began
fierce persecution of the Christians in 250, The Emperor Decius enforced edicts
which commanded all citizens to sacrifice to the traditional Roman gods, those
who did not obey were executed.
Persecution continued though not always as fiercely until the end of the
reign of Diocletianus, who in 303 caused
the most severe persecution the church had ever faced.[7] The Roman Empire first became divided
under Diocletianus (284-305), who
divided the empire into an East and West terriotories in order to maintain
efficient government control over the enormous empire. His scheme caused many civil
wars; Constantine the Great emerged from these struggles and became the sole
ruler of the Roman Empire. In 312 Constantine became a Christian, the next year
he proclaimed equal rights for all religions and returned the property
confiscated from the Christians. Constantine moved his capital to
Constantinople formerly Byzantium, and now known as Istanbul. Constantine
divided the territory among his sons shortly before his dealth 337, their
reigns did not last long (337-361). The Empire was permanently divided in 395
upon the dealth of Theodusius who divided the empire between his two sons.[8]
Theodusius made Christianity the
sole religion of the empire.[9] Constantinople assumed preeminence over other Christian
centers in the East as did Rome in the West. The Eastern Roman Empire is
commonly called the Byzantine Empire by modern historians. Its beginning is
commonly dated from the establishment of the new Roman capital of Constantiople
in 330. The Byzantine Empire lasted for a thousand years after the Western
empire collasped, until it finally fell to Turkish onslaughts in 1453.[10]
The Western Empire ended in 476
when Odoacer defeated and killed Orestes and deposed Romulus Augustulus. Justinian (527-565) restored imperial
authority over Italy, North Africa and part of Spain by defeating the Ostrogoths,
Visigoths, and Vandals, all of whom were Arian Christians. Arian Christians
believed that Jesus the Son, though
Creator, was himself created and therefore could not be truly divine like the
Father. The cost of Justinian's conquests were crippling, and his successors
lost nearly all of what had been gained to the Arian Lombards, and the Muslim
Arabs, and a resurgence in Spain of the Visigoths. For many centuries the
Emperors were not only the highest military leader, supreme judge, but also the
protector of the church and orthodoxy. Justinian reached the height of imperial
influence in religious matters. Popes and Patriarchs were regarded as his
servants, he directed the affairs of the church as he did that of the state. In
matters of belief and rituals his was the final decision.[11]
As we read of the Barbarian
invaders which enter into the old Roman Empire we must remember that they are
invading only the Western half of the Roman Empire. The Eastern Empire (
Byzantine Empire) ruled lands from the Euphrates in the east to the Strait of
Gibraltar in the West. The Byzantine Empire was a continuation of the Roman
Empire, which stood as a bridge between the ancient world and the medieval and
modern worlds.[12]
The following is a listing of most of the tribes that played a part in
the development of Europe during the decline of the Roman territories.
West German
Tribes: Franks, Frisians, Saxons,
Thuringians, Bavarians (Marcomanni, Quadi), Lombards, and the Alamanni. The
Alamanni were a branch of the Suevi, the Sueves also included the Semnone,
Chatti, Quadi, and Marcomanni, the last two later settled in a land the German
settlers called Bavaria around 500. The Suevi established itself in Spain,
while the Alamanni established a duchy in southwest Germany known as Swabia.[13] [14] [15]
East German Tribes: Bastarnae, the Gepids, the Rugians, the
Heruls, the Scirians, the Vandals, the Burgundians, and the Goths (in the
second century the Goths gradually divided into an eastern branch known as the
Ostrogoths, and a western branch known as the Visigoths).[16]
Other Tribes: The
Angles, and the Jutes, who along with the Saxons invaded Britain (also of German ancestry).[17] Alani (Indo-Iranian nomads),[18] Avars,
(Altaic tribal confederation, formed an alliance with the Lombards and
destroyed the Gepids),[19] and the Huns
(A confederation from northern China).[20]
The Huns, the
Visigoths, the Ostrogoths, the Vandals, the Sueves, the Burgundians, the
Franks, the Alamanni, the Bavarians, the Lombards, the Angles, the Saxons, and
the Jutes.[21]
In 533 the Byzantine emperor
Justinian ordered his general Belisarios into North Africa, where he easily
defeated the Vandals. The king was taken captive to Constantiople and many of
the Vandal warriors were impressed into the Byzantine army to fight against the
Persians. Within a short time all Vandal traces had disappeared.[22] After a decisive victory by
Justinian's general Narses in 552, and the surrender of the last Ostrogoth city
in 561 the Ostrogoths rapidly faded from history.[23] The Heruli were defeated by the
Lombards in lower Austria around 508.[24] [25] [26]
[27]Of
the survivors some returned to Scandinavia, some joined the Gepids, and others
served in the Byzantine Armies, but they vanished as a tribal entity.[28]
[29]
Odoacer (sometimes spelled Odovakar, or Odovacar) was a German barbarian of Scirian, or Rugian ancestry, the son of Edeco, one of Attila's generals. In 470 he entered Italy with the Sciri and joined the Roman army. In 475 Odoacer led a rebellion against the Roman general Orestes who had previously overthrew the Western Roman emperor Nepos. Odoacer was elected to be king by his troops in 476. Orestes was captured and executed and his young son, the emperor Romulus Augustulus was deposed and exiled. Odoacer desired to retain his authority while recognizing the overlordship of the Eastern Empire, he was granted the position of Patrician by Zeno the Eastern emperor. However Odoacer refused to recognize Julius Nepos, Zeno's candidate as Western emperor. Thus officially ended the Western Roman Empire.[30] [31] [32] Odoacer's kingdom did not rest on the leadership of a single German tribe, but was composed of a heterogeneous group of German and Eastern soldiers, (mercenaries), who were technically part of the Roman army.[33] [34] [35] [36] In 484 Odoacer attacked the westernmost provinces of Rome in response to the pleading of Illus the master of the soldiers of the Eastern Empire, in an attempt to depose Zeno. In retaliation Zeno incited the Rugi to attack Italy, Odoacer crossed the Danube in 488 and defeated the Rugi in their own territory. As the Ostogothic power grew it became clear to Zeno that they could be a threat to the Eastern Empire. To solve this problem and the problem in Italy with Odoacer Zeno commissioned the Ostrogothic king Theodoric to go to Italy and overthrow Odoacer. In 488-489 the entire Ostrogothic nation headed to Italy. After a series of bloody battles Theodoric concluded an agreement with Odoacer in 493, which provided that the two kings would share the rule of the territory. However at a banquet to celebrate the treaty Theodoric killed Odoacer with his own hand.[37] [38] [39] Theodoric's followers proceeded to kill Odoacer's family and supporters.[40] [41]
Despite Theodoric's treachery
with Odoacer, he proved to be an able and conscientious ruler of the
Ostrogoths. In 497 the Eastern emperor Anastasius recognized Theodoric with the
imperial title of Patrician. Thus Theodoric ruled Italy in the name of the Eastern
Empire, although in fact he ruled with virtual independence and was regularly
addressed as king. Distrustful of the Eastern Empire he formed a confederation
with other Germanic kingdoms. Matrimonial alliances were established with the
Franks, Visigoths, Vandals, Burgundians, Heruls, and Thuringians.[42] After Theodoric's death less able leaders
took his place. The Eastern emperor Justinian's general Belisarios attacked the
Ostrogoths in 534 in order to extirpate the Arian heresy and to bring Italy
back under direct imperial control. Over the next twenty years the city of Rome
changed hands between the Ostrogoths and the Eastern empire several times. The
last of the Ostrogothic cities fell in 561. After the Eastern empire's victory
over the Ostrogoths the Roman garrisons which occupied Italy were undermanned
leaving a political vacuum. This vacuum was filled in 568 by the Lombards who
conquered the Po Valley and much of the central part of the peninsula.[43]
Of the proponents of the ten
kingdom theory, none of the three that were cited at the beginning of this
article list a reference for the idea that in 493 the Heruls were destroyed.
There are no historical references which state that the Heruls were destroyed
in 493. However there are rare references which call Odoacer the king of the
Heruli, or the chief of the Heruli. [44] [45]
[46] Since Odoacer
was the king of the mercenaries who had been in the Roman army, and this was
composed of people from many Germanic tribes, it is possible that to some he
was considered to be the king of the Heruli. Another source labels Odoacer as
the leader of the Herulian and Rugian mutineers.[47]
There is still another reference which identifies Odoacer as a Visigothic
Chief.[48] Again this is
a possibility because of the heterogeneous population which had elected Odoacer
as king. However even those few sources
which seem to indicate that Odoacer was the king of the Heruli, do not indicate
that the Heruli met their end with Odoacer's defeat in 493, as the ten kingdom
theorists claim. Another evidence that the Heruli were not destroyed in 493 is
the fact that in 505 the Lombards were under the control of the Heruli.[49]
[50] The Lombards then rose up and in 508
destroyed the Heruli.
Another discrepancy between history and the ten kingdom theorists is the date of the destruction of the Ostrogoths. The ten kingdom theorists place the demise of the Ostrogoths at 538 when Belisarius invaded Rome and after a year long siege he won the battle. Here is what Uriah Smith has written on the subject;
The whole nation of
the Ostrogoths had been assembled for the siege of Rome, but success did not
attend their efforts. Their hosts melted away in frequent and bloody combats
under the city walls, and the year and nine days during which the siege lasted,
witnessed almost the entire destruction of the nation. In the month of March,
538, dangers beginning to threaten them from other quarters, they raised the
siege, burned their tents and retired in tumult and confusion from the city,
with numbers scarcely sufficient to preserve their existence as a nation or
their identity as a people.
Thus the Gothic
horn, the last of the tree, was plucked up before the little horn of Daniel 7.
Nothing now stood in the way of the pope to prevent his exercising the power
conferred upon him by Justinian five years before. The saints, times and laws
were now in his hands, not in purpose only, but in fact. This must therefore be
taken as the year when this abomination was placed, or set up, and as the point
from which to date the beginning of the prophetic period of 1260 years of papal
supremacy.[51]
By using the date of 538 the ten
kingdom theorists can add the 1260 day/years (from Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev.
12:6,14; 13:5) to attain and ending date of 1798 when the pope was taken
captive during the latter part of the French Revolution. However history does
not indicate that the Ostrogoths were crushed in 538. It is true that from
534-553 the Ostrogoths were exhausted by the wars with the Byzantine Empire.
The wars lasted for nearly twenty years. In 541 the Ostrogoths elected
Totila who proved to be an effective
leader. From 545-546 Totila besieged Rome occupying it in December 546. This
siege nearly decimated the civilian population of Rome. Belisarios who had
returned to Italy in 544 pressed the Ostrogoth army causing their withdrawal
from Rome. However the Byzantine forces
were inadequate to take further offensive actions against the Ostrogoths. Again
in 550 Totila recaptured Rome and then invaded Sicily. This time Justinian
appointed Narses to the Italian command, Narses insisted on a large army which
was provided to him. Finally in 552 the Ostrogoths and the Byzantine armies met
at Taginae in the Appenines where Narses won the victory. The Ostrogoth king
Totia was killed, ending the organized Ostrogothic resistance. Although the
Bzyanatines had to take the Ostrogothic cities one by one until the last city
fell in 561.[52]
300 AD
|
Destroyed by Lombards
|
Destroyed by Odoacer. Remnant joined the Ostrogoths
| Upon Attila's
death many German tribes revolted
|
| Alamanni submitted
to Frankish rule...in 687 they threw off Frankish rule and except for a
period of 709-712 remained independent until 748 when they again came
under Frankish domination.
|
Franks extended rule over Thuringians|
|
Destroyed by the Byzantine Empire
|
In 443 Burgundians
allowed into Roman territory. They were incorporated into the Frankish
Kingdom.
|
| Destroyed by the
Byzantine Empire
|
Destroyed by the Byzantine Empire
| Destroyed by an
alliance between the Lombards and the Avars
| Incorporated into
the Visigoths
| From 555 to 788
Bavarians ruled by Frankish dukes.
| Destroyed by the
Moors
| Destroyed by the
Franks
| 568 Lombards--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------774[67] | Lombards enter
Italy in 568, by the end of the 5th century they were in Lower Austria. Defeated by the Franks
|
| 442
Angles, Saxons, and
Jutes------------------------------------------------------------------1066[68]
|Formed a lasting
power in Britain until the Norman Conquest
|
|
486
Franks----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|The sole Germanic
nation to establish a permanent and lasting power in
Western Europe[69]
|--------330 Byzantine Empire
(Eastern
Empire)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1453
|A continuation of the Roman Empire. In 330 Constantine moved the capital
to Constantinople. Destroyed by the
Turks [70]
According to the ten kingdom
theorist Daniel chapter 2 also discusses these ten kingdoms. The following is
what Uriah Smith has to say on the subject:
The image of Daniel 2 is exactly parallel
with the four beasts in the vision of Daniel 7. The fourth beast represents the
same kingdom as do the iron legs of the image. The ten horns of the beast
correspond naturally to the ten toes of the image. These horns are plainly
declared to be ten kings which should arise. They are as much independent
kingdoms as are the beasts themselves, for the beasts are spoken of in
precisely the same manner--as "four kings, which shall arise." Daniel
7:17. They do not denote a line of successive kings, but kings or kingdoms
which existed contemporaneously, for three of them were plucked up by the
little horn. The ten horns, beyond controversy, represent the ten kingdoms into
which Rome was divided.[71]
Uriah Smith goes on to say that
the words "king " and "kingdom" are used interchangeable by
Daniel.[72]
Uriah Smith further writes:
Time has fully developed this great image
in all its parts. Most accurately does it represent the important political
events it was designed to symbolize. It waits to be smitten upon the feet by
the stone cut out of the mountain without hand, that is, the kingdom of Christ.
This is to be accomplished when the Lord shall be revealed in flaming fire,
"taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 1:8. (See also Psalm 2:8,9.) In
the Days of these kings the God of heaven is to set up a kingdom. We have been
in the days of these kings for many centuries, and we are still in their days.
So far as this prophecy is concerned, the very next event is the setting up of
God's everlasting kingdom. Other prophecies and innumerable signs show
unmistakably that the coming of Christ is near at hand.[73]
Here we see that this ten kingdom
proponent thought that the ten kingdoms which divided up the Roman territory
were to last until the end of time, until Christ set up His everlasting
Kingdom. These same sentiments are also found in C. Mervyn Maxwell's book:
If we are to understand the vision
correctly, we must remember that the supernatural stone did not hit the image
on its golden head (Babylon), or on its silver chest (Persia), or on its bronze
thighs (Greece), and neither did it strike its iron legs (Rome). The Bible says
that it hit the feet and toes, and that it would be "in the days of those
kings" that the God of heaven would set up a kingdom that should never be
destroyed. Daniel 2:44[74]
The idea that these ten kingdoms
have continued up to the present day is further expressed in material printed
by the Seventh-Day Adventist's for use in their Revelation Seminars. Here is
what one of their pamphlets entitled "Identifying And Locating The 1260
Years Of Persecution" has to say:
The TEN HORNS of the
non-descript beast represent the ten kingdoms into which Rome was divided by
barbarian tribes which carved up the empire, Daniel 7:17,23,24. They are:
Anglo-Saxons
(England) Franks
(France) Vandals
Alamanni
(Germany)
Lombards (Italy)
Ostrogoths
Burgundians
(Switzerland) Suevi
(Portugal) Heruli
Unfortunately what these ten
kingdoms proponents advocate is not historically accurate. As can be seen from
the graph on page 7 of this article, the only lasting kingdom was that of the
Franks. Which through a series of different dynasties developed into what we
now know as France. The assigning of
modern day nations to those of the Barbarian kingdoms seems to have been done
by comparing the territories which the Barbarian tribes had control of at one
time to the territory which now is occupied by a modern nation. Totally
ignoring over a thousand years of history, and in fact completely disregarding
the history of Western Civilization. Since the Ten Kingdoms are no longer in
existence, (except France), they cannot be the kingdoms which are destroyed at
the end of time by the coming of Christ as mentioned in Daniel 2.
From a review of history it is
clear that there were not ten kingdoms that divided up the ancient Roman
Empire, but more than ten which impacted this area. If a ten kingdom proponent
were to insist that there were ten kingdoms as their lists indicate, they would
also need to show that they occurred concurrently. History reveals that several
of the so called ten kingdoms did not exist during the same time period. For
instance the Lombards did not enter the area until 568 many years after some of
the other tribes on their lists had disappeared. The evidence also shows that
the three kingdoms which according to the ten kingdom proponents were removed
to make way for the Papacy do not fit history. Two of the kingdoms were
destroyed by the Byzantine Empire and one by the Lombards who later were
conquered by the Franks. It is also curious that the proponents of the ten
kingdom theory ignore the Byzantine Empire as one of the ten kingdoms, since
the Byzantine Empire was a continuation of Rome and certainly the most powerful
kingdom. Their ideas about the papacy also do not fit history, the papacy had
made wide claims of authority before 538 but they did not attain to these
claims until after 1100. Having up till that time being under the secular
kingdoms. And even after attaining a
high degree of power the church battled with the secular rulers of her day.
While the papacy is beyond the scope of this paper it would be wise for those
interested in this subject to review its history, as well as the other areas of
medieval history. It is plain that the facts do not fit the ten kingdom theory
and it is time those who hold to this theory rethink their position.
Though the purpose of this paper
was to examine the history as it relates to the theories set forth by the ten
kingdom proponents, I feel it necessary to briefly express my theory regarding
the Ten Horns. In the last days Ten
nations will arise out of the area that had once been occupied by the Romans. I
am uncertain whether this ten is a literal number or ten in the symbolic sense
of a complete or final number.[76] From among this group a powerful individual
shall arise causing a destruction of three of the nations, probably by
absorbing these kingdoms into his own kingdom. This represents the Anti-Christ
who will wage war upon the followers of God. His destruction is to come at the
second advent of Jesus Christ who will then set up an everlasting Kingdom. As
with most prophecies about the future, the specifics are unknown, for prophecy
is not meant for use to predict the future, but rather develop our faith as we
see prophecy fulfilled. If what the ten
kingdom theorist teach happened long ago with the Barbarian tribes it should be
clearly revealed through history, which it unfortunately is not. When the ten
kingdom theorists present their ideas in a Revelation Seminar the information
seems very plausible. However when examined by the light of actual history it
is seen to be very flawed.
[1] Uriah Smith , The Prophecies of Daniel
and the Revelation ( Signs of the Times
Pub. Ass. Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Revision copyrighted 1945) p. 58
[2] Ibid
p.123
[3] Ibid
p.128
[4] Roy Allan Anderson, Unfolding Daniel's
Prophecies ( Pacific Press Mountain
View CA 1975) p.91
[5] C. Mervyn Maxwell, God Cares Vol. 1
(Pacific Press Pub. Ass. Boise, Id 1981)
p.129
[6] Ibid p.129
[7] Eerdmans' Handbook to the History of
Christianity (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., Grand Rapids, MI 1977) pp. 77-78
[8] Encylcopedia of World History compiled by William L. Langer 4th edition
(Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston 1968) pp. 131-134
[9] American Council of Learned Societies
Dictionary of the Middle Ages 13
Volumes (Charles Scribner's Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 2
p.459
[10] Ibid
p.481
[11] George Ostrogorsky History of the Byzantine State (Rutgers University Press, New Jersey
Revised Edition 1969) p.31,
p.71, pp.77-78
[12] Ibid
p.481
[13] J.B. Bury The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians (W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. New York
1967) p.260
[14] Joseph Dahmus
Dictionary of Medieval Civilization
(Macmillian Publishers, New York
1984) p.31, pp.
644-5
[15] Enno Franzius
History of the Byzantine Empire Mother of Nations Funk and Wagnalls, New York 1967) p.28
[16] Enno Franzius
History of the Byzantine Empire Mother of Nations Funk and Wagnalls, New York 1967) p.28
[17] American Council of Learned Societies
Dictionary of the Middle Ages 13
Volumes (Charles Scribner's Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 2
p.96; Vol. 1 p.288
[18] Ibid
Vol. 1 p.120
[19] Ibid
Vol. 1 p.12
[20] Ibid
Vol. 6 p.352
[21] Ibid
Vol. 2 p.97
[22] Ibid
Vol. 12 pp.355-6
[23] Ibid
Vol. 9 p.293
[24] Ibid
Vol. 7 p.654
[25] J.B. Bury The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians (W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. New York
1967) p.258-9
[26] Joseph Dahmus
Dictionary of Medieval Civilization
(Macmillian Publishers, New York
1984) p.361
[27] The New Encyclopaedia Brittannica 15th Edition
(Encyclopaedia Brittannica, Inc. 1991) Vol. 5 p.893
[28] Enno
Franzius History of the Byzantine Empire
Mother of Nations Funk and Wagnalls, New
York 1967 ) p.98
[29] J.B. Bury The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians (W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. New York
1967) p.258-9
[30] American Council of Learned Societies
Dictionary of the Middle Ages 13
Volumes (Charles Scribner's Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 2
p.93; Vol. 9 p.221
[31] The New Encyclopaedia Brittannica 15th Edition
(Encyclopaedia Brittannica, Inc. 1991) Vol. 8 p.875
[32] Richard and Barbara Mertz Two Thousand Years in Rome (Coward-McLann, Inc. New York 1968)
p.152
[33] American Council of Learned Societies
Dictionary of the Middle Ages 13
Volumes (Charles Scribner's Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 2
p.93; Vol. 9 p.221
[34] Andre' Maurois An Illustrated History of German (The Viking Press New York
1966) p.20
[35] C.W. Previte-Orton The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History (Cambridge University Press 1952)
pp.133-136
[36] J.B. Bury The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians (W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. New York
1967) p.166
[37] American Council of Learned Societies
Dictionary of the Middle Ages 13
Volumes (Charles Scribner's Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 2
p.93; Vol. 9 p.20; p.221
[38] C.W. Previte-Orton The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History (Cambridge University Press 1952)
p.136
[39] The New Encyclopaedia Brittannica 15th Edition
(Encyclopaedia Brittannica, Inc. 1991) Vol. 8 p.875
[40] American Council of Learned Societies
Dictionary of the Middle Ages 13
Volumes (Charles Scribner's Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 2
p.93; Vol. 9 p.290
[41] J.B. Bury The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians (W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. New York
1967) p.185
[42] The New Catholic Encyclopedia (Mcgraw Hill, 1967)
Vol. 14 p.24
[43] American Council of Learned Societies Dictionary of
the Middle Ages 13 Volumes (Charles Scribner's Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 9
p.290-293
[44] Aryeh Grabois The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Medieval
Civilization (Octopus Books Limited 1980)
p.556
[45] Maurice Andrieux Translated by Charles Lam Markmann Rome
(Funk and Wagnalls, New York
French copyright 1960) p.139
[46] Edward Gibbon Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 6 Volumes
(Peter Fenelen Collier and Son,
New York originally published in 1776) note on p. 479 which reads:
A famine, which afflicted Italy
at the time of the irruption of Odoacer, king of the Heruli, is eloquently described in prose and verse, by
a French poet (Les Mois, ii. 174). I am
ignorant from whence he derives his
information; but I am well assured that he relates some facts incompatible with
the truth of history.
[47] Henry Smith Williams The Historians' History of the World 24 Volumes
(Tiffany and Co. New York 1904) Vol. 7 p.378
[48] Gene Gurney Kingdoms of Europe (Crown Publishers Inc. New York
1982) p.31
[49] An Encyclopedia of World History compiled
by William L. Langer 4th Edition (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 1968)
p.164
[50] J..B. Bury The Invasion of Europe by the Barbarians (W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. New York
1967) p.258
[51] Uriah Smith , The Prophecies of Daniel
and the Revelation ( Signs of the Times
Pub. Ass. Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Revision copyrighted 1945) p.278
[52] American Council of Learned Societies Dictionary of
the Middle Ages 13 Volumes (Charles Scribner's Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 9
p.290-293
[53] The New Encyclopaedia Brittannica
15th Edition (Encyclopaedia
Brittannica, Inc. 1991) Vol. 5 p.893
[54] Joseph Dahmus Dictionary of Medieval Civilization (Macmillian Publishers, New York 1984)
p.600
[55] The New Encyclopaedia Brittannica
15th Edition (Encyclopaedia
Brittannica, Inc. 1991) Vol. 6 p.147
[56] Ibid
Vol.1 p.235
[57] Ibid
Vol. 2
p.745
[58] Ibid
Vol. 12 p.262
[59] American Council of Learned
Societies Dictionary of the Middle Ages
13 Volumes (Charles Scribner's
Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 2
pp.422-423
[60] Ibid
Vol.1 p.121
[61] The New Encyclopaedia Brittannica
15th Edition (Encyclopaedia
Brittannica, Inc. 1991) Vol. 8 p.1038
[62] American Council of Learned Societies Dictionary of the Middle
Ages 13 Volumes (Charles Scribner's Sons New
York 1983) Vol. 2
p12
[63] The New Encyclopaedia Brittannica
15th Edition (Encyclopaedia
Brittannica, Inc. 1991) Vol. 11 p.352
[64] Ibid
Vol. 1
p.720
[65] Ibid
Vol. 12 p.397
[66] Ibid
Vol. 14 p.490
[67] Ibid
Vol. 7 p.454
[68] Ibid
Vol. 1
p.409
[69] Ibid
Vol. 4 p.936
[70] Ibid
Vol. 2
p.699
[71] Uriah Smith , The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation ( Signs of the Times Pub. Ass. Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Revision
copyrighted 1945) p.57
[72] Ibid p. 57
[73] Ibid p.65
[74] C. Mervyn Maxwell, God Cares
Vol. 1 (Pacific Press Pub. Ass. Boise, Id
1981) p.42
[75] Identifying and Locating the 1260 Years
of Persecution Revelation Seminars (Pacific Press Pub. Ass., Boise, ID
1985)
[76] The Interpreter's Dictionary of the
Bible 4 vols. (Abingdon Press, New York ) Vol 3 p.565-6
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