Revelation 13:5 "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."
This power would rule for 42 prophetic months. The Papacy reigned for 42 prophetic months, or 1,260 literal years, from AD 538 - 1798.
The Reformers looked at prophecy through the Historicist method. This method is not very popular in our day. Today we have Preterism, which teaches that most of prophecy has been fulfilled way back in the past. We also have Futurism, which teaches that prophecy will only be fulfilled at some future date. In contrast Historicism teaches that Biblical predictions are being fulfilled throughout history, a divinely predicted chain of events leading us into the future. The great prophecies of Daniel span from the time of the Babylonian empire clear down to the restoration of all things at the end of time. Revelation prophecies the history of the Church from the Apostolic Era to the future restoration of all things.
Historicists teach the "Year-Day" principle. In prophetic language, a day of symbolic time represents a year of actual, historic time. The "time, times and half a time", "3 1/2 years", "1260 days", and "42 month" time period, which occurs seven times in Daniel and Revelation, is understood by Historicists to be 1,260 literal years fulfilled in history.
The day/year principle is an old principle already recognized by the Jews, even before the time of Christ. The Jews also identified the four beasts of Daniel as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.
This 1,260 day time period is referred to 7 times in the Bible's prophecies; three times as "a time, times, and half a time", twice as 42 months, and twice as 1,260 days (Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:7, Revelation 11:2, Revelation 11:3, Revelation 12:6, Revelation 12:14, Revelation 13:5).
Based on 30 days in a Biblical month (see the story of Noah), these time periods are all the same amount of time: 3 1/2 years = 42 months = 1,260 days.
One prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34).
And what is the appointed time period of this persecution? Daniel 12:7 says it is for a time, times and half a time (42 months / 1260 years) that the power of the holy people shall be shattered.
So for 1,260 prophetic days or 1,260 literal years, a terrible persecution of God's people existed. Millions were martyred because they refused to go along with the heretical views of the Papacy.
This time period of Papal primacy and oppression began when Justinian's decree went into effect in 538 AD, declaring the Pope's authority over all churches and authorising him to deal with all "heretics". The period ended in 1798 AD when Napoleon sent his general Berthier to Rome. Rome was then declared a republic, the Pope was imprisoned and died there. The new Pope operated under Napoleon's new laws, this removed from him all former primacy. The primacy law lasted exactly 1260 years, from AD 538 to 1798.
Mark 9 - Would Receive A Deadly Wound
Scripture Verse
Other Sites