THE TEN DIVISIONS OF ROME.
QUERIES are often arising as to just when the ten kingdoms of Western Rome arose, how long they existed as ten, when the first arose, when the last, their names, etc. In Dan. 7:7 is the prophecy of the beast as follows:— "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns." The prophet then continues:— "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and, behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Verse 8. Now the obvious import of the first clause of the eighth verse is that the prophet considered the ten horns, and that among these ten horns there arose another horn, before which there were three plucked up or destroyed. The fulfillment of the prophecy would therefore demand that at the time of the rise of the power symbolized by the little horn—the Papacy—there should be just ten kingdoms in Western Rome, no more, no less. What are the facts in the case? We give below the kingdoms, with the date of their entrance into the Western Empire, as they were given in the SIGNS of October 28, 1886. The references to Gibbon are from Milman's Edition (5 vols.), published by Porter & Coates, Philadelphia, 1880:— 1. The ALLEMANNI, A.D. 351, Suabia, Alsace, and Lorraine. (See Gibbon, chapter 10, paragraph 26; 12:20; 19:20; 36:5; 40:22.) [NOTE.—The figures immediately preceding the colon give the number of the chapter, those which immediately follow the colon the number of the paragraph.] 2. The FRANKS, A.D. 351, Northeast Gaul. (Gibbon 19:20; 36:5.) 3. The BURGUNDIANS, December 31, A.D. 406. (Gibbon 30:17.) Located in Burgundy, A.D. 420. (Gibbon 31:39.) 4. The VANDALS, December 31, A.D. 406. (Gibbon 30:17.) Located in Spain A.D. 409. (Gibbon 31:36.) Settled in Africa A.D. 429. (Gibbon 33:35.) 5. The SUEVI, December 31, A.D. 406. (Gibbon 30:17.) In Spain A.D. 409. (Gibbon 31:36.) 6. The VISIGOTHS, A.D. 408. (Gibbon 31:2, 14.) In Southwest Gaul A.D. 419. (Gibbon 31:39.) In Spain, A.D. 467. (Gibbon 36:22; 38:2, 29.) 7. The SAXONS, entered Britain A.D. 449. (Gibbon 31:41, 42; 38:33, Green's England 1:17; Knight's England 5:6.) 8. The OSTROGOTHS, in Pannonia A.D. 453. (Gibbon 35:16.) In Italy A.D. 489, final conquest A.D. 493. (Gibbon 39:7, 8.) 9. The LOMBARDS, A.D. 453, in Pannonia and Noricum, banks of Danube. Weber's Universal History, section 180; Gibbon 42:2; Encyclopedia Britannica, article "Lombards." In Lombardy A.D. 567-8. (Gibbon 45:5-7; Machiavelli's History of Florence, chapters 1, 2.) 10. The HERULI, in Italy A.D. 475-6. (Gibbon 36:28-33.) We have not taken time to verify all of the above references. Those we have verified we have found to be invariably correct. The three which were plucked up were the HERULI, in Italy, by the Ostrogoths, in A.D. 493; the VANDALS, in Africa, by Belisarius, and the army of Justinian, in the latter part of A.D. 533; and the OSTROGOTHS, in Italy, by the same power, in A.D. 538. There were, therefore, ten kingdoms existing in Western Rome between A.D. 476, the date of the establishment of the Heruli, and A.D. 493, when that kingdom was overthrown. It was just at this time that the little horn was seen coming up; and its spiritual domination, its "diverse" power, was established as "HEAD OF ALL THE HOLY CHURCHES" and "the true and effective corrector of heretics." Three nations perished before this power, and only three, leaving seven of the ten among which it arose. The ten arose when from the prophecy we should expect them. The little horn arose when there were just ten. The prophecy has been fulfilled in every specification relating to the past. It will be as specifically fulfilled in every prediction relating to the future. It is a part of that "more sure word," whereunto we do well that we take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place, until the daystar arise, and usher in the reign of righteousness, which knows no night of sin.