Question:
In studying the seven horns of Daniel 7 and the rise of papal power, I’ve heard that Arthur of Britain converted to Catholicism in A.D. 508. Is there historical evidence for this, and where did this teaching originate?
Answer:
There is no historical evidence establishing that Arthur converted to Catholicism in A.D. 508. However, that year is significant in the history of the rise of papal power, and Arthur’s elevation to the monarchy of Britain forms part of the historical explanation given by early prophetic expositors.
To understand the distinction, we need to examine what the historical sources actually say and how those events relate to the prophecies of Daniel.
What Does History Say About Arthur?
In his History of England, historian Paul de Rapin-Thoyras places Arthur’s election as monarch of Britain in A.D. 508. This chronology was subsequently cited by Apollos Hale in The Second Advent Manual (1843).
Hale also referenced historical accounts describing Arthur’s establishment of Christian worship in place of pagan worship. According to these accounts, Arthur was crowned by Dubricius, Archbishop of Caerleon.
What these sources do not establish, however, is that Arthur personally converted to Catholicism in 508 or formally submitted his kingdom to the authority of the Roman bishop.
The distinction is important. Arthur’s elevation to the monarchy and his reported establishment of Christian worship were understood as indications of Christianity’s growing ascendancy over paganism in Britain. This was the historical development being emphasized, rather than a personal conversion to Catholicism.
[References: Paul de Rapin-Thoyras, History of England, Book II; Apollos Hale, The Second Advent Manual, pp. 74–75.]
What Is the Prophetic Significance of A.D. 508?
The year A.D. 508 marks a significant transition in the political and religious landscape of Western Europe. As the kingdoms that succeeded the Western Roman Empire increasingly embraced Christianity, paganism’s political opposition to the emerging papal power was progressively broken, preparing the way for its ascendancy.
Clovis, king of the Franks, played a particularly important role in this development. His conversion to Catholic Christianity and subsequent military victories strengthened Catholic political influence throughout Western Europe.
In Britain, Arthur’s elevation to the monarchy in A.D. 508 and his reported establishment of Christian worship in place of pagan worship were understood as further indications that paganism’s political opposition was being removed.
These developments did not themselves establish papal supremacy, but they prepared the way for its subsequent establishment in A.D. 538.
[References: William Miller, Evidence from Scripture and History, Lecture V; Josiah Litch, The Probability of the Second Coming of Christ About A.D. 1843, pp. 84–86; Apollos Hale, The Second Advent Manual, pp. 73–77.]
Does This Mean Paganism Ceased to Exist in A.D. 508?
Certainly not. The prophetic interpretation does not require paganism to have disappeared altogether. Pagan worship continued long after 508, and some of the kingdoms that had abandoned paganism embraced Arian Christianity rather than Catholicism.
The issue was not the complete disappearance of paganism, but the breaking of its organized political opposition to the emerging papal power.
This distinction helps explain the relationship between A.D. 508 and A.D. 538.
Daniel 11:31 speaks of the taking away of the daily and the placing of the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 12:11 likewise connects the removal of the daily with the establishment of the abomination of desolation.
In the historicist interpretation, the daily represents paganism in its opposing political capacity. Its removal in A.D. 508 prepared the way for the establishment of papal supremacy in A.D. 538. The 1,290 days of Daniel 12:11 are understood as prophetic years extending from 508 to 1798.
The distinction between the two dates is therefore significant. A.D. 508 marks the removal of the opposing power, while A.D. 538 marks the establishment of the power that succeeded it.
[References: Daniel 11:31; 12:11–12; William Miller, Evidence from Scripture and History, Lecture V; Apollos Hale, The Second Advent Manual, pp. 75–81.]
Conclusion
In short, there is no indication that Arthur converted to Catholicism in A.D. 508. Rather, that was the year in which he was elevated to the monarchy of Britain, according to the historical chronology cited by early prophetic expositors. His reported establishment of Christian worship in place of pagan worship was another indication that paganism was being removed as an obstacle to the rise of papal power.
The prophetic significance of A.D. 508 does not depend upon proving Arthur’s personal conversion to Catholicism. It rests upon the broader historical developments through which paganism’s political opposition was broken, preparing the way for papal supremacy.
Understanding that distinction allows us to preserve the prophetic application while presenting the historical evidence accurately.
