The beast ..was..is not..yet is
The Roman Church would reign for 1260 years before being "wounded unto death." 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."

Fact: "Vigilius...ascended the papal chair (538 A.D.) under the military protection of Belisarius." History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3, p
327

Historical records reveal the papacy began its reign in 538 AD upon Emperor Justinian's decree, and under the military protection of Belisarius. And the Bible says the beast will rule for EXACTLY 1260 years before receiving a mortal wound. Now it's just a matter of simple mathematics. It is also a grand method by which to see the Lord glorified. If the prophecy is correct, 1260 years after 538 AD the Beast must receive a mortal wound. If you add 1260 years to the beginning year for the Roman Catholic church, 538 AD, you will arrive in the year 1798 AD. So, according to the Bible we are told the first reign of the Beast will last till the year 1798 . So, did it end in 1798, and how? First understand, according to the prophecy, we learn that, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword..." Revelation 13:10.

Fact The prophecy is telling us that the beast would be destroyed with the sword (sword = military) at the end of its reign of exactly 1260 years. Did this happen to Papal Rome in 1798...? YES IT DID! On February 10th Napoleon Bonaparte in that EXACT year 1798 A.D. sent his General Louis Alexandre Berthier, with his army into Rome, Italy. It is recorded... "In 1798 General Berthier made his entrance into Rome, abolished the papal government, and established a secular one." -Encyclopedia Britannica 1941 edition

Pope dies: August 1799: Fact: Documented Roman Catholic source states -"Half Europe thought... that with the Pope the Papacy was dead." -Joseph Rickaby "The Modern Papacy" Lectures on the History of Religion, Lecture 24, (London Catholic Truth Society, 1910), p.1


The Roman Church / Antichrist will receive a deadly wound. -Revelation 13:3, "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death..." The Roman Church / Antichrist will cause many to go into captivity and therefore the leader of this church will go into captivity as well. Revelation 13:10, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity:.."

Fact: "In 1798 General Berthier made his entrance into Rome, abolished the papal government, and established a secular one." -Encyclopedia Britannica 1941 edition

This wound administered to the Beast will be healed: Revelation 13:3, "... his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast."

Mussolini and (Cardinal) Gasspari sign historic Roman pact. Fact: "The Roman question tonight was a thing of the past, and the Vatican was at peace with Italy... In affixing the autographs to the memorable document healing the wound of many years, extreme cordiality was displayed on both sides" -The San Francisco Chronicle. Feb. 11, 1929

Pope Becomes Ruler Of A State Again: Fact: Rome, June 7.--From 11 o' clock this morning there was another sovereign independent State in the world. At that time Premier Mussolini, as Italian Foreign Minister representing King Victor Emmanuel--the first Italian Premier ever to cross the threshold of the Vatican--exchanged with Cardinal Gasparri, Papal Secretary of State, representing Pope Pius XI, ratifications of the treaties signed at the Lateran Palace on Feb. 11. By that simple act the sovereign independent State of Vatican City came into existence. -New York Times July 7, 1929

Pope dies: August 1799: Fact: Documented Roman Catholic source states -"Half Europe thought... that with the Pope the Papacy was dead." -Joseph Rickaby "The Modern Papacy" Lectures on the History of Religion, Lecture 24, (London Catholic Truth Society, 1910), p.1

The beast is one that "was", "is not" and "yet is". Revelation 17:8, "...behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

The Beast that was: The Roman church began in 538ad and continued until Napoleon sent in General Berthier in 1798ad ...and is not: From 1798ad until the signing of the Lateran treaty in 1929 the Roman Church/state was non-existent. ...yet is: From 1929 to present the Roman Church has been a church & state.