06_03 The Little Horn Power
Next document is #06_03, The Little Horn Power. We have already built the understanding of Daniel 7’s four “beasts.” Daniel 8 again goes over the same major outline of great historical events, with increased information about the 4th “beast” power. Satan, and many misled scholars, have attempted to interpret the “little horn” in this chapter as a new king, and thus turn many to confusion in prophecy interpretation. Follow this document’s reasoning very carefully, and learn principles that will prevent you from being deceived. This makes for a “more sure word of prophecy” that will shine as a light to our path. (2 Peter 1:19)
Scripture Text: Daniel 8 vs. 8-12
Title: The Little Horn Power
The prophecies of Daniel, and those of all of the book of Revelation, are to be unveiled by one understanding. Here it is:
The vision of Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the metallic image, is the Bible’s first earth-history-encompassing prophecy – all the way from Daniel’s time through to the Second Coming of Jesus. From Daniel 7 through to the end of Revelation, all of these prophecies are going over the same earth-history as the metallic image, but with increased information about sections of the history that are brought into special focus. (re-read above).
Daniel 7 is the same history, using new symbolic illustrations – great “beasts” in place of each metal of the metallic image. The added information is the rise of the “little horn” power.
Daniel 8 begins again, starting from the kingdom of the Medes and Persians as their rule was in Daniel’s immediate future.
The ram he saw represented Medo-Persia, followed by the he-goat which represents the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great. (see vs. 20 and 21-23). When the great horn of the he-goat was broken (Alexander died) his kingdom was divided among four of his generals – represented by the four horns.
“In the latter time of their kingdom…a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.” (8:23) – a leap past the Pagan Roman Empire and its break-up, to the “little horn” (v. 9) which came forth out of one of the four winds (directions of the compass) a reference to its coming from further West. NOTE WELL: NOT a little horn growing out of an existing horn. No horn ever sprouts another horn out of itself. This is the same “little horn” as in Daniel 7 vs. 8, 20-22, and 24-26. (read) This power would continue all the way through to the Judgment hour, at the end of the great time period of 2300 years! Daniel 8:14.
Just here, concerning this “little horn”, many Adventists have been confused. Clearly, the “little horn” power of Daniel 7 denotes the rise and extent of the kingdom of the Papacy. But many have been misled by a Catholic attempt to turn the application of the prophecy of Daniel 8’s “little horn” from themselves (which has found its way into many Commentaries) and thus confuse those who do not see the repetitive format that the angel always uses. Repeat, and enlarge on a specific part, is the principle.
Despite all of its power, the prophecy of Daniel 8 flashes past Pagan Rome and its break-up to focus in on giving us more information about the little horn power of Daniel 7 – Papal Rome – (adding some new information regarding Jesus Himself, and the work of Jesus in the heavenly Sanctuary – the “daily” work Jesus did there. – “sacrifice” is an incorrectly added word to the text, therefore in italix).
*It is the great 2300 year time element that the angel was leading up to and wanted to emphasize!* Only because Daniel wasn’t up to it did the angel put off his continuing explanation till Daniel chapter 9. Why did Daniel faint? He was in exile in Babylon at this time (see chapter 8 v.1l) and had mistakenly assumed that the time element of 2300 years was in reference to the earthly Temple at Jerusalem that the Jews hoped to return to rebuild!
Now: as to the confusion introduced by Catholic theologians, it is an easy matter to clear up.
Does the Little Horn denote Antiochus Epiphanes, as per the Catholic teaching, or Rome in its second phase – the Papal phase?
If Antiochus does not fulfill the specifications of the prophecy, the application cannot be made to him. The “little horn” of Daniel chapter 8 came out of one of the four winds (directions of the compass).
It was therefore a power existing distinct from any of the horns of the goat. Was Antiochus such a power? Following is material edited from Uriah Smith’s book, “Daniel and the Revelation,”pages 156 – 162.
Who was Antiochus? From the time that Seleucus made himself king over the Syrian portion of Alexander’s empire (note: the eastern portion – how does a kingdom out of the eastern portion wax exceeding great…toward the east?) he thus constituted the Syrian horn of the goat. Until that country was conquered by the Romans, twenty-six kings ruled in succession over that territory. The eighth of these was Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus, then, was simply one of the kings who constituted the Syrian horn of the goat. He was, therefore, for the time being, that horn, one of the four horns of the Grecian empire, the Syrian portion. Hence he could not at the same time be a separate and independent power, as was this “little horn.”
If it were proper to apply the little horn to any one of these twenty-six Syrian kings, it should certainly be applied to the most powerful and illustrious of them all; but Antiochus Epiphanes was not by any means the most powerful king of the Syrian line.
Although he took the name Epiphanes, that is, “The Illustrious,” he was illustrious only in name. Nothing, says Prideaux, on the authority of Polybius, Livy, and Diodorus Siculus, could be more alien to his true character: because of his vile and extravagant folly, some thought him a fool and changed his name from Epiphanes, “The Illustrious,” to Epimanes, “The Madman.”
Antiochus the Great, the father of Epiphanes, being defeated in a war with the Romans, was able to procure peace only by the payment of a prodigious sum of money and the surrender of a part of his territory. As a pledge that he would faithfully adhere to the terms of the treaty, he was obliged to give hostages, among whom was Epiphanes, his son, who was carried to Rome.
The Romans ever afterward maintained this ascendancy.
Earlier:The little horn, if sprouting from one of the horns of the he goat, instead of one of the directions of the compass, was to wax exceeding great, Antiochus Epiphanes still doesn’t fit. He did not become exceeding great. On the contrary, he did not enlarge his dominion, except by some temporary conquests in Egypt.
These he immediately relinquished when the Romans took the part of Ptolemy and commanded him to desist from his designs on that territory. The rage of his disappointed ambition he vented upon the un-offending Jews, including desecrating (temporarily) the Temple.
The little horn, in comparison with the powers that preceded it, was “exceeding great.” Persia is simply called great, though it consisted of a hundred twenty-seven provinces! (Esther 1:1) Grecia, being more extensive still, is called “very great.” Now the little horn, which waxed “exceeding great,” must surpass them both. How absurd, then, to apply this to Antiochus, who was obliged to abandon Egypt at the dictation of the Romans! It cannot take long for anyone to decide the question which was the greater power – the one which had to evacuate Egypt, or the one which commanded that evacuation!
The “little horn” was to stand up against the Prince of princes, which expression refers, beyond controversy, to Jesus Christ. But Antiochus died 164 years before Jesus was even born!
The prophecy cannot therefore apply to him, for he does not fulfill the specifications in a single particular! Why, then, has anyone ever tried to apply it to him? We answer, Roman Catholics take that view to avoid the application of the prophecy to themselves; and today, many Protestants follow them, apparently in order to oppose the doctrine that the Second Advent of Christ is now at hand!
The “Little Horn” denotes Papal Rome as in Daniel chapter 7, where we have found that the power which succeeded Grecia as the 4th great power was Rome. The only natural inference would be that the “little horn,” the power which in this vision succeeds Grecia as an “exceeding great” kingdom, is also Rome. The “little horn” comes forth from one of the directions of the compass. In 168 B.C., Rome conquered its neighbour Macedonia (the western portion of Alexander’s kingdom) and made that country a part of its empire.
Rome therefore could have been introduced into the prophecy just as it overthrew the Macedonian horn of the goat. Instead, we flash past Pagan Rome to Papal Rome (the “little horn”) the prophet merely referring to it as coming forth from one of the directions of the compass. It was therefore a power existing distinct from any of the horns of the goat. (Italy was further West from Alexander’s kingdom).
More reference, however, is given to the origin of the little horn. Pagan Rome, v.9, had waxed great toward the south. Egypt was made a province of the Roman Empire in 30 B.C., and continued such for some centuries. Pagan Rome waxed great toward the east – She conquered Syria in 65 B.C., and made it a province. She also waxed great toward the pleasant land. Judea is called “the pleasant land” in many Scriptures. The Romans made it a province of their empire in 63 B.C., and in 70 A.D. destroyed the city and the Temple, and scattered the Jews throughout the earth.
Verse 11 refers forward in the history of Rome to its Papal phase as the little horn. The little horn “magnified himself even to the Prince of the host.” This is clearly an allusion to the Roman Papacy fighting against our Lord by the following actions:
By the little horn, “the daily was taken away,” and the place of His Sanctuary was cast down.” This is reference to the daily work of Jesus as our High Priest-Intercessor in the heavenly Sanctuary, before the veil! The little horn is obviously the Papal form of Rome, which replaced Jesus and the heavenly Sanctuary with an earthly priesthood and confession to them!
Worse, they have made Mary the Intercessor, in place of Jesus, Who is ministering for our salvation as the Intercessor in the heavenly Sanctuary! The end of the career of the little horn will come! Verse 25, he will “stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken without hand.”
Pagan Rome and Papal Rome meet all of the specifications of the prophecy. No other power does meet them. Hence Rome, and no other, is the “little horn” power in chapter 8 as well as in chapter 7 of Daniel.
The career of the Papacy will again be centered upon with more information about its character revealed, including the time of its rise and the taking away of the daily, in Daniel chapter 11 (v.30 to v.45) and Daniel 12, (vs.10 and 11). There, the “little horn” power, is denoted by another name, “the abomination that maketh desolate.” More, very important information about this power, is coming!
Addendum: Identifying Evidences Revealing What Power is The Little Horn 1. Comes up among the 10 Kingdoms of Europe (long after Alexander and Greece have left the scene). 2. A very little kingdom (109 acres)! 3. Would uproot 3 of the 10 kingdoms of divided Western Roman Empire before it could receive power. 4. Would have the eyes of a man – led by man’s wisdom. 5. Diverse or different than other powers – a “beast,” and a “woman” – denoting a religious as well as political power. (a symbolic woman is a church; a beast, a great political power). 6. Would speak blasphemous words – claiming to be God, and the power to forgive sins. 7. Would rule and oppress believers in the Bible for 1260 years (time, times, and ½ a time) 8. Would “think to change times and Laws.” – prophetic times that point to him (above) and Laws – refers to the 10 Commandments (man-made laws are changed all the time, the 10 Commandments are written on stone, by the “finger of God”). 9. Would receive a “deadly wound” that would be “healed” – would have its power removed. 10. Would have the number 666 symbolized in its name. (It is the number of a man).
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