1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

European governments, once actually ruled theworld.And is not.— Does not now have any temporaldominion.[Even] he is the eighth.— The eighth hornwhich took the place of the three plucked up(Rev. 12:3); also the final form of the HOLYROMAN EMPIRE.And is of the seven.— "Cometh of the seven,"Greek.— Grew up by the plucking of the three.The Papacy is either the seventh or the eighthform, depending upon how the matter is viewed.If it be viewed as having reigned separately fromthe Dragon during the Dark Ages (as it did, whenit exercised temporal power), in its new guise itwill be the eighth form, its separate rulershipduring the Dark Ages being counted as theseventh.But if it be viewed as having been a co-partner ofthe Dragon during the Dark Ages, then itsforthcoming manifestation will be the seventhform. In any event the eighth form is one of theseven forms; and the regaining of the temporalpower this time will be the cause of the Papacy'sdestruction.FM269See Z.'03-325 for a hint that Benedict XV willnever have a successor. (He is personally theeighth pope reigning since 1799. Five of thesepopes had died prior to 1878. Here is a goodsecondary fulfillment.)And goeth into perdition.— "Daniel,representing the saints, says (Dan. 7:11), ‘Iwatched it then [after its dominion was gone andit was powerless longer to crush the Truth, thepower of the holy people], because of the voiceof the great words which that horn spoke, and Isaw that [it obtained no power over the holysaints and the Truth, but it did have anothereffect] the beast was slain, the body thereofdestroyed and given to the burning flame'—general anarchy. The destruction of the remnantof governments in the old Roman Empire,