<Li> 756 AD to 2016: Donation of Pepin to (presumed) fall of Papacy . </Li> <P> The Millerites, like the earlier Bible students of the Reformation and post-Reformation eras, and the Seventh - day Adventists, understand the 1260 "days" to be the period from AD 538 to 1798 when the papacy ruled in Rome . This period began with the defeat of the Ostrogoths by the general Belisarius and ended with the successes of Napoleon of France; specifically, the capture of Pope Pius VI by general Louis Alexandre Berthier in 1798 . </P> <P> Robert Fleming writing in 1701 (The Rise and Fall of Rome Papal) stated that the 1260 - year period should commence with Pope Paul I becoming a temporal pope in AD 758 which would expire in 2018 by counting Julian years, or the year 2000 if counting prophetic (360 day) years . </P> <P> British Theologian Adam Clarke writing in 1825 stated that the 1260 - year period should commence with 755 AD, the actual year Pepin the Short invaded Lombard territory, resulting in the Pope's elevation from a subject of the Byzantine Empire to an independent head of state . The Donation of Pepin, which first occurred in 754 and again in 756 gave to the Pope temporal power over the Papal States . However, his introductory comments on Daniel 7 added 756 as an alternative commencement date . In April of that year, Pepin, accompanied by Pope Stephen II entered northern Italy from France, forcing the Lombard King Aistulf to lift his siege of Rome, and return to Pavia . Following Aistulf's capitulation, Pepin remained in Italy until finalizing his Donations . Based on this, 19th century commentators anticipate the end of the Papacy in 2016: </P>

A time a time and half a time