PAPAL DOMINION by C. P. Bollman

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 11, 1889

PAPAL DOMINION.

By C. P. Bollman

WE learned last week that, according to the prophecy, the people of God were to be given into the hands of the Papacy, the little horn of Daniel 7, for 1260 years, and that the Papacy did have power over the saints from A. D. 538 to A. D. 1798, and that at the latter date this power was broken by the French. But though one Pope was removed and died in a foreign land, another was elected two years later, and became the ruler of just as much territory as his predecessors. But notwithstanding the fact that the dominion of the Papacy was thus restored, it was not long to continue. Said the prophecy: "But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." And this, too, has been literally fulfilled, as we shall presently see.

We need not pause here to discuss the meaning of the words "the judgment shall sit." Whether they refer to a judgment on earth or to a judgment in Heaven, the fact remains that at the very time of that judgment other powers were to be consuming the dominion of the little horn, until it was all taken away. This naturally leads us to ask, what are the facts in regard to the dominion of the Papacy? The answer is that, little by little, the Pope was shorn of his temporal power and of his territory, till in A. D.

1870, the last vestige of his temporal dominion was taken away, and this part of the prophecy was perfectly fulfilled. They have taken away and destroyed his dominion to the end. It may not be amiss to remark in this connection, that the Hebrew word here rendered "end," is soph, and has no reference whatever to time, but to the end of the dominion. Boothroyd, the eminent Hebrew scholar, renders the passage thus: "But the judgment shall sit, when this dominion shall be taken away, be wasted and utterly destroyed." That is, be brought to an end. And this consummation was reached in 1870, when Rome became the capital of united Italy.

But what is the next event brought to view in the prophecy? "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." Of course this is only an outline prophecy, and we would not be understood as teaching that the giving of the kingdom to the saints, follows in close connection the end of the Papal dominion. As a matter of fact nearly nineteen years have elapsed since the temporal dominion of the Pope was utterly consumed, and the kingdom has not yet been given to the saints. Still other years may yet pass before that event, but so far as this prophecy is concerned we have passed the last mile-stone. The next thing to look for is the setting up of the everlasting kingdom of God, the kingdom promised to the saints of the Most High. C. P. B.