en we turn to
history; and precisely where and when the prophet saw the "little horn"
coming up, we see the Roman Papacy rising to supremacy. We see this
ecclesiastical power wielding a kingly scepter among the kingdoms of
divided Rome, exalting itself above them, with a look "more stout than
his fellows." We hear it speaking great words, and we see it carrying on
warfare against the saints.

Clearly, there was no other power in history, rising at that time and in
that place, which suggests the slightest correspondence to the prophecy.
In every detail the Roman Papacy does correspond to it.

The prophetic outline has brought us to the rise of the great apostasy,
so fully dealt with in the New Testament prophecy; but there are further
specifications in this prophecy of the seventh of Daniel which demand
brief study.

[Illustration: RAISING THE SIEGE OF ROME, A.D. 538

The crushing defeat of the Goths by the armies of Justinian, who placed
Vigilius in the papal chair under the military protection of his famous
general, Belisarius.]

[Illustration: ST. PETER'S AND THE VATICAN

The magnificent headquarters of the papal system.]

THE 1260 YEARS OF DANIEL'S PROPHECY

Compressed into forty-four words, the age-long story of the workings of
the Roman Papacy is thus told by the angel who interpreted Daniel's
vision of the little horn:

"He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out
the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and
they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the
dividing of time." Dan. 7:25.

The spirit of this apostasy was abroad in apostolic days. "The mystery
of iniquity doth already work," said the apostle Paul. 2 Thess. 2:7. And
this power is to continue to work until the end, when it will be
destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming. Verse 8.

A Prophetic Period

But according to the word of the angel to Daniel, there was to be a
period during which, in a special sense, the Papacy was to hold
supremacy over the saints and the times and the laws of the Most High.

"They shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the
dividing of time." In the Scriptures the word "time," used in this
manner, means a year: "at the end of times, even years." Dan. 11:13,
margin. Therefore a time (one year) and times (two years) and the
dividing of time (half a year) means three years and a half. The same
period is mentioned twic