J
JohnR77
Guest
My Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) friend sent me an argument on how what happened from 538 to 1798 AD “proves” that the Papacy is the Anti-Christ. They claim that the Papal system, the combined powers of Church and State, the Pope united with the Emperor, is the Anti-Christ which oppresses the people of God. They claim this Papal system began to rule in AD 538.
Their claim is based on one historian’s account that the Papacy had suffered a mortal blow when Napoleon’s General Berthier entered Rome on February 10, 1798, and imprisoned Pope Pius VI, the Bishop of Rome.
Their interpretation of Revelation 11 that the Anti-Christ will reign 1260 years.
And counting 1260 years backward from AD 1798, the Seventh Day Adventists ended up with AD 538 as being the beginning of the Anti-Christ. They hold that the Papacy ruled the “Dark Ages” from 538 A.D. to 1798 A.D., or 1260 years.
Revelation 13:4 – 5
“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: … a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”
42 months x 30 days/month
= 1260 days and this
= 1260 years they claim because they figure a day stands for a year.
(See Numbers 14:34, but consider 2 Peter 3:8 )
“Dark Ages” from 538 A.D.-1798 A.D., or 1260 years.
And it is true that the Empress Theodora played a big role in getting Vigilius to be the Pope in AD 538.
However, a study of history actually disproves the SDA claim.
The two previous Popes Agapitus and Silverius had stood firm in their opposition against the heresy of Monophysitism. Monophysitism is a heresy that denies that Jesus Christ has a Human Nature, as it only accepts that Christ has a Divine Nature.
It is possible that Agapitus suffered martyrdom because of his opposition to this heresy. We know that his successor, Pope Silverius, did so.
Justinian I was crowned Emperor of the Byzantine Empire in 527 AD at Constantinople and his wife Empress Theodora was proclaimed Augusta. She ruled by his side, as his partner, and joint monarch sharing his throne as she took an active role in decision making.
Theodora conspired to get Vigilius elected as Pope.
“But before Vigilius left Constantinople, Theodora called him to her in secret. She asked him to make her a promise of what he would do if, by her help, he achieved his great ambition of becoming Pope. Under her prodding, he promised to abrogate the Council of Chalcedon and approve the Monophysite belief of Patriarchs Theodosius, Anthimus, and Severus. She then promised in her turn to order Belisarius, and when he took Rome, to make Vigilius Pope - and to give Vigilius seven hundred pounds of gold. “With pleasure Vigilius made the promise,” we are told, “for love of episcopacy and gold; and after making the promise, he set out for Rome.”
[The Building of Christendom, the second volume of Warren Carroll’s history page 168.]
Their claim is based on one historian’s account that the Papacy had suffered a mortal blow when Napoleon’s General Berthier entered Rome on February 10, 1798, and imprisoned Pope Pius VI, the Bishop of Rome.
Their interpretation of Revelation 11 that the Anti-Christ will reign 1260 years.
And counting 1260 years backward from AD 1798, the Seventh Day Adventists ended up with AD 538 as being the beginning of the Anti-Christ. They hold that the Papacy ruled the “Dark Ages” from 538 A.D. to 1798 A.D., or 1260 years.
Revelation 13:4 – 5
“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: … a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”
42 months x 30 days/month
= 1260 days and this
= 1260 years they claim because they figure a day stands for a year.
(See Numbers 14:34, but consider 2 Peter 3:8 )
“Dark Ages” from 538 A.D.-1798 A.D., or 1260 years.
And it is true that the Empress Theodora played a big role in getting Vigilius to be the Pope in AD 538.
However, a study of history actually disproves the SDA claim.
The two previous Popes Agapitus and Silverius had stood firm in their opposition against the heresy of Monophysitism. Monophysitism is a heresy that denies that Jesus Christ has a Human Nature, as it only accepts that Christ has a Divine Nature.
It is possible that Agapitus suffered martyrdom because of his opposition to this heresy. We know that his successor, Pope Silverius, did so.
Justinian I was crowned Emperor of the Byzantine Empire in 527 AD at Constantinople and his wife Empress Theodora was proclaimed Augusta. She ruled by his side, as his partner, and joint monarch sharing his throne as she took an active role in decision making.
Theodora conspired to get Vigilius elected as Pope.
“But before Vigilius left Constantinople, Theodora called him to her in secret. She asked him to make her a promise of what he would do if, by her help, he achieved his great ambition of becoming Pope. Under her prodding, he promised to abrogate the Council of Chalcedon and approve the Monophysite belief of Patriarchs Theodosius, Anthimus, and Severus. She then promised in her turn to order Belisarius, and when he took Rome, to make Vigilius Pope - and to give Vigilius seven hundred pounds of gold. “With pleasure Vigilius made the promise,” we are told, “for love of episcopacy and gold; and after making the promise, he set out for Rome.”
[The Building of Christendom, the second volume of Warren Carroll’s history page 168.]