Volume 4

The Roman Empire of the West was extinguished A.D. 476-479, by the conquering sword of the king of the Heruli, Odoacer. This ruler reigned in Rome about fourteen years, when he was succeeded by the renowned Theodoric, the Ostrogoth, the Arian king of Italy. This prince was bom in the neighborhood of Vienna, and educated at Con­stantinople with care and tenderness. On his father’s death he had suc­ceeded to the hereditary throne of the Amali, who were subsidized as defenders of the frontier by the government of Constantinople.

“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded unto death” — verse 3.

When the fiftieth day after the crucifixion had fully come, the apos­tles were all with one accord in one place, NOT IN Rome, but in Jerusalem. In obedience to the Lord’s command, they were tarrying in this city until they should be endued with power from on high to execute the mission entrusted to them.

“2. And his Mouth as the Mouth of a Lion. 5. And there was given unto him (the Beast of the Sea) a Mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. 6. And he opened his Mouth in blasphemy con­cerning the Deity, to have blasphemed his Name, and his Taberna­cle, and those who tabernacle in the heaven. ”

“And the Beast which I saw was like unto a Leopard, and his Feet were as of a Bear” — (Verse 2).

“And upon his Heads a Name of Blasphemy. ”

“And upon his Horns ten Diadems. ”

The Homs on the Dragon had no diadems upon them; because the nations of the abyss had not then issued forth to erect kingdoms upon the Roman Habitable. But in the chapter before us, the Dragon-Horns of the sea are exhibited with diadems upon them, indicating that they were not Republics; but States, whose chief magistrates were en­

“Homs are the symbols of power, exerted by strength of arms be­cause such beasts as have horns make use of them as their arms.

“The Head of a beast answers to the supreme power, and that whether the supreme power be in one single person or in many. For as