The Ten Horned Beast
Division of Roman Empire Forseen
"Therefore we say what all ecclesiastical writers
have
handed down: that in the end of the world, when the
kingdom of the Romans must be destroyed, there
will be ten kings who divide the Roman world
among
themselves, and the eleventh will be raised up, a
little king, who will overcome three kings of
the ten
kings." Commentaria in Danielem, Jerome (407
A.D.)
That Rome would break into ten kingdom upon its fall
had been anticipated for hundreds of years based
upon Daniel 2 and 7, and 2nd Thessalonians.
Jerome,
the most learned theologian of his generation,
realised that he was witnessing the fulfillment
of
these prophecies.
His comments above were written from Jerusalem
while Gaul was being ravaged by the barbarians. The
list of kingdoms has been pretty much
standard for
150 years.
- Franks (Clovis)
- Anglo-Saxons
- Visigoths
- Lombards
- Vandals - uprooted (Genseric)
- Ostrogoths - uprooted (Theodoric)
- Heruli - uprooted (Odovacer)
- Suevi - defeated by Visigoths
- Alemani - defeated by Franks
- Burgundians - defeated by Franks (Gundobad)
Taught from the Pre-Reformation Era
The standard interpretation through the 19th Century
Having been taught in the early church until the
fall of Rome, this understanding was lost during
the dark ages. But the "Morningstar of the
Reformation, John Wycliffe trimmed the prophetic
lamp again.
Leroy Froom in his four volume Prophetic Faith of
our Fathers profusely demonstates that this
was the standard teaching for the 500 years
from
Wycliffe until Spurgeon. He even provides the
various lists of kingdoms for many expositors.
The curse of blindness (Deut. 28:28) has
fallen
on the end time Laodicean church today. And
despite living in the Information Age, most Christians
cannot see what their forefathers took for granted.
Did Ten Kingdoms Form When Rome Fell in 476?
You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to find them.
It used to take considerable digging to prove that all
ten kingdoms existed in Western Europe in 476 A.D.
when Rome fell. But the internet makes it
easy.
The Suevi, Alemani, Burgundians and Heruli existed
for just a few years. Searching on the kings name
like
Odovacer is very helpful. Some historicists do not
include the Anglo-Saxons and replace them with the
Alans. They argue that Rome never conquered Britain.
The Lombards were on the Danube in 476. Later they
moved into the territory of the old Roman
Empire (the province of Pannonia) and in 565
invaded Italy. You could argue they were not
in the Roman Empire when it fell but most expositors
include them in their list.
When you find all ten you are an historicist!
