Beast of Revelation.pdf - Friends of the Sabbath Australia

Chapter 4
Theodosius. Then she is pictured riding its “seven heads”—the
Roman revivals beginning with Justinian. These seven heads or
kingdoms (cf. Rev. 17:10) correspond to the last seven of the ten
horns of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, following the three uprooted
by Catholic sanction. Let’s now examine the other “heads”
that followed Justinian—the heads of the “Holy” Roman Empire.
The Holy Roman Empire
In the years following Justinian’s Imperial Restoration, the
Eastern emperors generally focused their attention and resources
closer to home. The security provided for the West by Constantinople
became negligible. Meanwhile, the Carolingian dynasty, which ruled
over the Franks (in modern France), was emerging as the protector of
Western Christendom. To secure this role, private negotiations were
held between Carolingian King Charlemagne and Pope Leo III—the
results of which were made manifest in A.D. 800.
“On Christmas Day, as Charlemagne, in the [mantle] and sandals
of a patricius Romanus [Roman noble], knelt before St. Peter’s altar
in prayer, Leo suddenly produced a jeweled crown, and set it upon the
King’s head. The congregation, perhaps instructed beforehand to act
according to ancient ritual as the senatus populusque Romanus [senate
and people of Rome] confirming a coronation, thrice cried out:
‘Hail to Charles the Augustus, crowned by God the great and peacebringing
Emperor of the Romans!’
The royal head was anointed with
holy oil, the Pope saluted
Charlemagne as Emperor and
Augustus” (Durant, pp. 468–469).
After several years of dispute, the
Byzantine emperor recognized the
Charlemagne’s
Carolingian Empire
Frankish king as co-emperor. Thus
the Imperium in the West passed to
the second “horn” of the Beast of
Revelation 13 following the three uprootings—also the second
“head” of the scarlet Beast of chapter 17. Both “heads” mentioned so
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