Chapter 23: Purifying the Overcomers

The two cycles of 1,260 years (2,520 total) are coming to an end from 2014-2017. The midpoint was 754-757 A.D. when the little horn was given power to rule the Papal States.

When we recall that which was written about the little horn in Dan. 7:8 and the angelic interpretation of this in Dan. 7:21, 24, 25, we see that his main work was in “waging war with the saints and overpowering them.” He was given power over the saints for “a time, times, and half a time,” that is, 1,260 years.

Hence, when the angel says in Dan. 12:7 that this same time period ends when “they finish shattering the power of the holy people,” it is clear that this little horn’s “shattering” power extends from 754-2014 or from 757-2017. In other words, it ends when the full 2,520 year cycle of tribulation comes to an end.

There was a three-year transition at the start of this cycle (607-604 B.C.), another at the midpoint (754-757), and another at the end. For this reason, I would expect to see major changes occur from 2014-2017. The events of a century ago (1914-1917) were precursors to this—the Federal Reserve Act, World War I, and Allenby’s capture of Jerusalem.

Daniel wanted to know the outcome of these events (Dan. 12:8), but the angel told him that it was not for him to know. These were things that were reserved for John, whose revelation focused primarily upon the fourth beast (Rome and the little horn).

The Purification of the Saints

The angel then gave a final revelation of timing which was not designed to give Daniel any serious understanding. In fact, even John had nothing to say about these time cycles (1,290 and 1,335). The only way to understand them is by understanding history and by discovering how historical events are linked by these cycles. Apparently, it was left for “those who have insight” to search out these things. Those who have eyes to see are the ones whose eyes “will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase” (Dan. 12:4).

Daniel 12:10 says,

¹⁰ Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.

Those who are “purged, purified and refined” are obviously the saints of the Most High during the time that the little horn wages war against them. While there have been martyrs since the beginning when Cain killed Abel, the angel was speaking primarily of the little horn who was to “overcome” the saints for 1,260 years.

History shows how the Roman Church persecuted any and all dissenters in the attempt to unify the Church under one creed. This policy obviously was lacking love, often being devoid of even the most basic elements of common decency. Torture, burning “heretics” at the stake, and forced confessions are not part of the character of Christ, nor does such behavior manifest any fruit of the Spirit. It is merely the exercise of raw power.

Yet these things were foretold in the story of King Saul and his persecution of David. Saul was a type of the Church during the Pentecostal Age, and for this reason, Saul was crowned on the day of wheat harvest (1 Sam. 12:17), which is the Old Testament term for Pentecost. Saul’s 40-year reign prophesied of a 40-Jubilee reign of the Church from the day Pentecost was fulfilled in Acts 2:1 until Pentecost of 1993.

During this time period, the little horn was manifested as an extension of the Roman Empire. The Church thus took on many characteristics of pagan (carnal) Rome in its quest for power. Each year in the life of Saul represented a Jubilee cycle (49 years) in history. In fact, this is the key to understanding Church history.

Saul was disqualified after the war against Amalek (1 Samuel 15), which occurred in his eighteenth year. We know this because this was 414 years after Amalek had been cursed by God for attacking Israel shortly after they had left Egypt (Exodus 17:16). Amalek was put on Cursed Time, and then given a grace period (time to repent) for the next 414 years. When Amalek (i.e., its king) did not repent, Saul was called to execute judgment upon Amalek. But because he too had a rebellious heart, God rejected him and his dynasty (1 Sam. 15:23) from ruling perpetually, replacing him with David.

The eighteenth year of Saul correlates to the eighteenth jubilee cycle of Church history. Dating from 33 A.D., seventeen jubilees brings us to 866 A.D., and the eighteenth Jubilee cycle was from 866-915 A.D. During this time, the papacy reached its lowest point of morality and decency. Church historians refer to this time period as “the golden age of pornocracy,” a term coined by Liudprand, bishop of Cremona, who lived from 920-972. The term was later used by Catholic Cardinal Baronius in the sixteenth century.

There is much history that could be mentioned, but it is enough for our purposes to show the connection between Saul’s disqualification and the Roman Church’s disqualification. The immorality and violence that prevailed in the Roman Church during its eighteenth Jubilee cycle runs parallel to Saul’s rebellion that disqualified him in 1 Sam.15:23.

In 1184 the Medieval Inquisitions began, which included the policy of torturing dissenters and “heretics.” Up to that time, it was normal to impose the death penalty upon such people. In 1229 this became official papal policy, headed by a Grand Inquisitor, and in 1252 torture was officially authorized by Pope Innocent IV in his papal bull, Ad Extirpanda.

The Spanish Inquisition came later in response to the Protestant Reformation. This lasted until 1815 after the Holy Alliance was established, but it survived in the Roman Curia until 1904. It was then given a new name, "Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office". In 1965 it evolved into the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. To my knowledge, although the policy has changed to a more benign form of inquisition, the Roman Church has never officially repented of its sin of torturing dissenters in the name of Jesus.

During those centuries, millions of people were tortured and killed. It is likely that only a small percentage of them were overcomers, or “saints of the Most High,” but certainly there were many saints (in the sight of God) who suffered martyrdom during that time.

The main point to see is that when the angel foretold that “many will be purified, be purged and purified,” he was speaking directly of the little horn’s war against the saints. The Roman Church fulfilled this, as it waged war against the saints. It was not about heretics waging war against the Roman Church. The divine purpose in this portion of tribulation was to purify the saints. All of this was prophesied in the earlier pattern where King Saul persecuted David.

The Temporary Authority of the Church

To this day, the Roman Church falsely claims that its power will never end, based on its claim to being “the true church.” But Scripture shows us that King Saul’s reign, however legitimate, was ultimately to end on account of his rebellion, which is as the sin of witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23 KJV).

Like King Saul, the Roman Church was disqualified during its eighteenth Jubilee cycle. Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin—not Judah—and so when he was crowned king, it was inevitable that his descendants would not sit on the throne forever.

So also, we see that Jesus’ disciples, who were mostly from Galilee (i.e., Benjamin), represented the first year of King Saul. Saul did well in his first year, and then began to rebel in his second year (1 Sam. 13:1 KJV). This correlates with the early Church, which did well during the lifetime of the apostles, but then began to deviate from the mind of Christ thereafter.

Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, was a transition king until such time as David, of the tribe of Judah, was old enough to take the throne. So also the Church under Pentecost was called to exercise spiritual power as a transition to the Church under Tabernacles.

God used Saul to train David and to purify his heart. Likewise, God also used the Roman Church to train the overcomers and to purify their hearts. Insofar as spiritual authority is concerned, “Saul” died in 1993 after a reign of 40 Jubilees. “David” then received his first increment of authority, ruling, as it were, over a single tribe for 7½ years.

From May 30, 1993 (when “Saul” died) until November 30, 2000, the overcomers had sufficient spiritual authority to do what they were called to do. Then they received their full allotment of spiritual authority until October 16, 2014, when they received authority over the whole earth. The time given to the beast empires began to come to an end, and the transfer of authority has taken place in the courts of heaven.

I believe that this transition of authority will take three years to accomplish.