1798: THE DEADLY WOUND

End of 1,260 Years of Papal Supremacy

"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death" - Revelation 13:3

The Beast's Deadly Wound

Revelation 13:3: "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast."

Revelation 13:5: "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."

42 months = 1,260 days = 1,260 years (using the day-for-year principle)

This period of papal supremacy would end with a "deadly wound" - the capture and removal of papal political power.

The 1,260 Years Calculation

The Timeline:

Starting Point: 538 AD - Justinian's decree effective

Ending Point: 538 + 1,260 = 1798 AD

Result: 1798 - The Deadly Wound

Why 538 AD?

  • Emperor Justinian decreed the Pope as head of all churches
  • Last opposing power (Ostrogoths) defeated
  • Papal political supremacy began
  • Start of the "Dark Ages" persecution

Why 1798 AD?

  • Exactly 1,260 years from 538
  • Pope Pius VI captured by French forces
  • Papal States dissolved
  • Political power of papacy ended

February 15, 1798: The Capture

The Historic Events:

February 10: French army enters Rome

February 15: Pope Pius VI captured

February 20: Roman Republic proclaimed

August 29, 1799: Pope dies in French captivity

Napoleon's General Berthier:

On February 15, 1798, General Berthier entered the Vatican, proclaimed the Roman Republic, and declared the Pope's temporal power at an end. Pope Pius VI was taken prisoner and removed from Rome.

Berthier's Declaration: "The Roman Republic is proclaimed... The Pope shall no longer exercise any temporal authority in Rome."

The Death in Exile:

  • Pope Pius VI died August 29, 1799 in Valence, France
  • He died a prisoner, stripped of all power
  • Many thought the papacy was permanently ended
  • Exactly fulfilled the "deadly wound" prophecy

Historical Witnesses

Joseph Rickaby (Jesuit Scholar):

"When in 1797, Pope Pius VI fell grievously ill, Napoleon gave orders that in the event of his death no successor should be elected to his office, and the Papacy should be discontinued. But the Pope recovered. The peace was soon broken; Berthier entered Rome on the 15th February, 1798, and proclaimed a republic."

George Trevor (Canon of York):

"The object of the French directory was the destruction of the pontifical government, as the irreconcilable enemy of the republic... The aged Pope was summoned to surrender the temporal government; on his refusal, he was dragged from the altar... His rings were torn from his fingers, and finally, after declaring the temporal power abolished, the victors carried the Pope prisoner into Tuscany, whence he never returned."

John Adolphus (Historian):

"The Papal States, that had existed for over 1000 years, were gone... The Papacy was extinct; not a vestige of its existence remained; and among all the Roman Catholic powers not a finger was stirred in its defense."

The Wound Would Be Healed

Revelation 13:3: "...and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast."

The Progressive Healing:

  • 1800: New Pope elected (Pius VII) - papacy survives
  • 1814: Papal States partially restored
  • 1870: Papal States lost again (Italian unification)
  • 1929: Lateran Treaty - Vatican City created (wound healing)
  • Today: Pope influences world leaders (wound healed)

The Lateran Treaty (1929):

Mussolini and Pope Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty, creating Vatican City as an independent state. The San Francisco Chronicle headline read: "Mussolini and Gasparri Sign Historic Pact... HEAL WOUND OF MANY YEARS"

The exact words of prophecy - "wound was healed" - were used in newspapers!

Why 1798 is Critical

End of Persecution:

  • Ended 1,260 years of religious persecution
  • Inquisition powers broken
  • Religious liberty began to flourish
  • Bible societies could operate freely

Prophetic Marker:

Before 1798: The "time, times, and half a time" of persecution

1798: The deadly wound - papal power broken

After 1798: The "time of the end" begins (Daniel 12:4)

Daniel 12:4: "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."

Notice: After 1798, there was an explosion of knowledge, technology, and Bible understanding!

Part of the Prophetic Chain

Multiple Prophecies Point to 1798:

  • Daniel 7:25: "Time, times, and dividing of time" = 1,260 years
  • Daniel 12:7: "Time, times, and an half" = 1,260 years
  • Revelation 11:2: "Forty and two months" = 1,260 years
  • Revelation 11:3: "1,260 days" = 1,260 years
  • Revelation 12:6: "1,260 days" = 1,260 years
  • Revelation 12:14: "Time, and times, and half a time" = 1,260 years
  • Revelation 13:5: "Forty and two months" = 1,260 years

Seven different prophecies all pointing to the same period: 538-1798!

Why 1798 Matters Today

The Progression to the End:

538 (Papal rise) → 1798 (Deadly wound) → 1929 (Healing begins)

1947 (Israel restored) → 2027 (Generation ends)

Key Lessons:

  1. Precise Fulfillment: Exactly 1,260 years as prophesied
  2. Historical Confirmation: Secular history confirms Biblical prophecy
  3. End Times Begun: 1798 marked "the time of the end"
  4. Warning for Today: The wound is healed, final events approaching

Revelation 13:8: "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

As the wound fully heals and papal influence grows, we approach the final test of allegiance!

Continue Your Journey Through Prophecy

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All Prophecy Breakdowns:

33 AD | 1780 | 1798 (Current) 1809 | 1854 | 1947 | 2017 | 2027