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DANIEL 7
The Fourth Beast is the Fourth Kingdom
The prophetic side of Daniel commences again in chapter 7, chapters 3,4,5 & 6 being narratives. In unraveling Daniel 7 we find that the fourth beast is said to be the fourth kingdom - Daniel 7:23.
As the Scripture interprets itself, therefore, the mention of kingdoms here in Daniel 7 can only be referring to their first mention in Daniel 2. Hence if the fourth beast is the fourth kingdom, then the third, second and first beasts are symbols of the third, second and first kingdoms of the Daniel 2 image. The fourth kingdom as we saw in Daniel 2 was ROME, hence the fourth beast of Daniel 7 is symbolic of ROME. We saw that the symbol of Iron & Clay in the feet in Daniel 2 was symbolic of ROME with the added detail of religion as represented by the CLAY. We identified the iron & lay as the union of church & state in the giant form of the ROMAN Catholic Church and its long succession of Popes. Point is if the fourth beast is the fourth kingdom, then somewhere in the anatomy of the fourth beast must lie the clue to the religio-political system of Papal ROME, the union of church and state (IRON & CLAY) as found in the image of Daniel chapter 2. Daniel 7 then identifies the so-called "IRON & CLAY" of Daniel 2 in the fourth beast with added details as to the sort of power it is with some very startling revelations. Be prepared to hear some things which may be quite shocking if you are a first-timer as the Scripture outlines in prophetic detail the identity of the Papal system in Daniel chapter 7.
As the Scripture interprets itself, therefore, the mention of kingdoms here in Daniel 7 can only be referring to their first mention in Daniel 2. Hence if the fourth beast is the fourth kingdom, then the third, second and first beasts are symbols of the third, second and first kingdoms of the Daniel 2 image. The fourth kingdom as we saw in Daniel 2 was ROME, hence the fourth beast of Daniel 7 is symbolic of ROME. We saw that the symbol of Iron & Clay in the feet in Daniel 2 was symbolic of ROME with the added detail of religion as represented by the CLAY. We identified the iron & lay as the union of church & state in the giant form of the ROMAN Catholic Church and its long succession of Popes. Point is if the fourth beast is the fourth kingdom, then somewhere in the anatomy of the fourth beast must lie the clue to the religio-political system of Papal ROME, the union of church and state (IRON & CLAY) as found in the image of Daniel chapter 2. Daniel 7 then identifies the so-called "IRON & CLAY" of Daniel 2 in the fourth beast with added details as to the sort of power it is with some very startling revelations. Be prepared to hear some things which may be quite shocking if you are a first-timer as the Scripture outlines in prophetic detail the identity of the Papal system in Daniel chapter 7.
Daniel Chapter 7
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagleʼs wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a manʼs heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which] devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; them;
20 And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto [is] the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagleʼs wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a manʼs heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.
15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which] devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; them;
20 And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto [is] the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
OVERVIEW
Using four beasts, God foretells the rise and fall of the four great successive kingdoms which have especially affected Godʼs people - Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece & Rome. Romeʼs division into the nations of Europe is represented by the ten horns on the fourth beast. The apostate church arises in Europe and persecutes the faithful then the judgment begins in Heaven. Christ receives His kingdom and the beast is then destroyed.
Verses 1-7: The Vision
Daniel sees four carnivorous beasts rise from the sea as the four winds blow. These four beasts are said to represent four kingdoms which, like all predators, exist
by overpowering others (v 23). The waters from which they rise represent a populated area (See Rev 17:15; Isa 57:20; 60:5). The winds represent the war and strife by which kingdoms come to power (Jer 49:36-37; 51:2-3). This vision parallels the vision of Daniel chapter 2.
THE FOUR BEASTS
The four beasts represent Babylon, Medo- Persia, Greece and Rome.
1. Lion - BABYLON
Babylon reigned in Danielʼs day.
Eagleʼs wings - Speed in conquering (Eze 17:3, 12; Lam 4:19; Hab 1:6-8).
Wings plucked - no longer swift to conquer. Manʼs heart represents loss of lion-like qualities and desperate wickedness. (Jer 17:9).
Verses 1-7: The Vision
Daniel sees four carnivorous beasts rise from the sea as the four winds blow. These four beasts are said to represent four kingdoms which, like all predators, exist
by overpowering others (v 23). The waters from which they rise represent a populated area (See Rev 17:15; Isa 57:20; 60:5). The winds represent the war and strife by which kingdoms come to power (Jer 49:36-37; 51:2-3). This vision parallels the vision of Daniel chapter 2.
THE FOUR BEASTS
The four beasts represent Babylon, Medo- Persia, Greece and Rome.
1. Lion - BABYLON
Babylon reigned in Danielʼs day.
Eagleʼs wings - Speed in conquering (Eze 17:3, 12; Lam 4:19; Hab 1:6-8).
Wings plucked - no longer swift to conquer. Manʼs heart represents loss of lion-like qualities and desperate wickedness. (Jer 17:9).
2. Bear - MEDO-PERSIA
Medo-Persia conquered Babylon (Daniel 5:28).
One side higher - Persia dominant
Three ribs in mouth - Medo-Persiaʼs three main conquests: Lydia 547BC; Babylon 539BC; Egypt 525BC.
3. Leopard - GRECIA
Greece, under Alexander the Great, conquered Medo-Persia and extended its empire from Egypt to India in just 3 years! Four wings - Wings, like the leopard, symbolize speed. (Hab 1:6-8).
Four heads - Four Grecian divisions, which followed the death of Alexander the Great. They were founded by the generals: Lysi- machus, Ptolemy, Seleucus, Cassander.
Comparing Daniel 7 with Daniel 8 shows that the Bear symbolizes Medo-Persia and the Leopard symbolizes Grecia
Daniel 7
Bear: Raised on one side. Three ribs in mouth.
Leopard: Wings represent speed. Four heads.
Daniel 8
Ram: One horn higher. Conquered three ways. The Ram is said to be Medo-Persia. Dan 8:20.
Goat: Moving so fast that it touched not the ground. Four horns. The goat is said to be Grecia Dan 8:21.
Four heads - Four Grecian divisions, which followed the death of Alexander the Great. They were founded by the generals: Lysi- machus, Ptolemy, Seleucus, Cassander.
Comparing Daniel 7 with Daniel 8 shows that the Bear symbolizes Medo-Persia and the Leopard symbolizes Grecia
Daniel 7
Bear: Raised on one side. Three ribs in mouth.
Leopard: Wings represent speed. Four heads.
Daniel 8
Ram: One horn higher. Conquered three ways. The Ram is said to be Medo-Persia. Dan 8:20.
Goat: Moving so fast that it touched not the ground. Four horns. The goat is said to be Grecia Dan 8:21.
Terrible Beast - ROME
Rome conquered the Grecian divisions of the Leopard. Ten Horns - Barbarian tribes from northern Europe divided the Roman Empire into ten kingdoms by 476AD. They are represented by the 10 horns on the fourth beast. Those kingdoms which survived make up the nations of Europe today, and are still distinctly politically divided. In their days Christ will return and set up His kingdom. See on Dan 2:40-44.
The barbarian tribes which became the ten kingdoms of Europe are:
1. Alemanni 2. Franks 3. Burgundians 4. Suevi. 5. Vandals 6. Visigoths.
7. Saxons 8. Ostrogoths 9. Lombards 10. Heruli
*The Vandals, Ostrogoths and Heruli are now extinct for a very good reason as we shall see.
See Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. There were other tribes but the list above are the first ten to become kingdoms in the former territory of the Western Roman Empire.
The little horn - ROME PAPAL
Scripture declares there arose a little horn among the ten horns of the fourth beast. The little horn is the Roman Papacy. The Little horn of the fourth beast is there the equivalent symbol to the IRON & CLAY of Daniel 2, symbolising the union of Church & State.
verse 8 - Arose among the nations of Europe
“Another horn, a little one,” (RSV) came up “AMONG” the 10 horns (kingdoms) which arose from the fourth beast, the Roman Empire. Historians recognize this: “Whatever elements the barbarians and Arians left...[came] under the protection of the bishop of Rome, who was the chief person there after the empireʼs disappearance. The Roman church in this way privily PUSHED ITSELF into the place of the Roman World-Empire, of which it is the actual continuation.” A. Harnack, What is Christianity? p269-270.
“Out of the ruins of political Rome, AROSE the great moral Empire in the ʻgiant formʼ of the Roman Church. “ A. C. Flick. The Rise of the Mediaeval Church, 1909, p 150.
Verse 8 - A horn represents a kingdom
Horns represent kings/kingdoms, civil or religious governments or powers. Four horns in Dan 8:8, 22 are said to be “four kingdoms.” King & kingdom are used interchangeably (see Dan 2:38-39; Dan 7:17, 23). The Papacy (Roman Catholicism) is a kingdom as well as a church. See any encyclopaedia. Like Christ, the Pope is a king / priest. (Gen 14:18; Heb 7).
verse 8 - The Papacy uprooted 3 kingdoms
(verses 8, 20, 24). Of the 10 kingdoms which arose from the Roman Empire the Heruli, Vandals and Ostrogoths adopted the Arian faith and refused to acknowledge the supremacy of the Roman Church. Historians record that the Emperor of Constantinople, at the instigation of the Bishop of Rome (Pope), brought about the uprooting of the Heruli in AD493, the Vandals in AD533, and the Ostrogoths in AD538.
As 10 kingdoms have already arisen from the territory of the Roman Empire, and as 3 of those kingdoms have already been “plucked up,” clearly the Little Horn responsible for the ʻpluckingʼ ALREADY EXISTS!
verse 8 - A “man” at its head with manʼs eyes
The papa (father) or Pope, is the head of the Papacy. He claims to be able to for- give sins against God, which only God can do (See Mark 2:7; Matt 23:9). “The eyes of man” judge the outward appearance, (1Sam 16:7) and are selfish.
verses 9-10 - Beheld TILL the judgment sat
In its reign the little horn judged the saints and actually burnt many of them (Dan 8:21- 22). Following this counterfeit judgment the real judgment began. In Heaven the thrones were “cast down” (Heb. remaw, “placed”) to sit upon.
The Ancient of days is God the Father. White hair - Purity and age (Rev 15:6). Fiery throne - Judgment, cleansing (Mal 3:1-5).
Wheels - Godʼs throne is mobile (cf. Eze 1:16).
Thousands ministering - Angels (Heb 1:13- 14).
The “books” are heavenly records of all our thoughts and actions. This is an investigative judgment which occurs in heaven where menʼs lives are investigated out of the record books. See Appendix.
verse 11 - The hornʼs words come up in the judgment (Matt 12:37). The fourth beast from which the little horn grows will be slain at the Second Coming AFTER this judgment. The Judgment therefore occurs in Heaven BEFORE Christ returns with His rewards (Rev 22:12). See Appendix.
verse 12 - Lives were prolonged for a season and a time
The first three beasts (Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece) lost their dominions but they lived on under their conquerors. (The first 3 beasts are seen “living on” in the beast of Rev 13). Not so with the fourth beast which will be totally destroyed. A season and time means a period with beginning and end points unknown to men e.g. the time between birth and death. “To every [thing there is] a SEASON, AND A TIME to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die...” Ecc 3:1-2.
Verse 13 - Christ comes to the Judgment which occurs in Heaven
(a) The earthly sanctuary had two rooms: the Holy and the Most Holy. As the priests ministered throughout the year in the Holy Place of the sanctuary, so clouds TOOK Christ, at His ascension, to Heaven where He began ministering in the Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary (Acts 1:9-11; Heb 8:1-5).
(b) As on the Day of Atonement (Day of Judgment) the priests entered the Most Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary, so clouds MOVED Christ into the Most Holy Place of Heavenʼs Sanctuary (Dan 7:13) at the beginning of the judgment.
(c) Clouds will RETURN Christ to earth to receive His people at the end of the judgment (Rev 1:7). All the events are literal changes, movements from one literal location to another.
verse 14 - Kingdom before He returns
Christ is given His kingdom BEFORE He returns to earth.
verse 15-17 - The Interpretation
Symbol Interpretation
Beast, Kings/kingdoms (cf. v 23) Sea, Earth, i.e. world.
Note: As a symbol, the earth represents a place of few people but the earth here is not a symbol but an explantion. Waters represent the nations of the earth (Rev 17:15).
The word “shall” is not in the original (See NKJV). The first beast, Babylon, had already arisen when this vision was given.
verse 18 - The Saints will possess the kingdom.
verse 19 - Fourth beast
Diverse. Iron teeth corresponding to iron legs of Daniel 2. Brass nails corresponding to the brass of Daniel 2.
verse 20 - Before whom three fell
Three of the first ten kingdoms were destroyed at the instigation of the Papacy. See on v 8.
Had the eyes of man - Judges on outward appearances. (1Sam 16:7).
More Stout - The Papacy has been the most influential power in Europe. The Popes are one of the longest and most powerful lines of rulers in all history.
verse 8 - Arose among the nations of Europe
“Another horn, a little one,” (RSV) came up “AMONG” the 10 horns (kingdoms) which arose from the fourth beast, the Roman Empire. Historians recognize this: “Whatever elements the barbarians and Arians left...[came] under the protection of the bishop of Rome, who was the chief person there after the empireʼs disappearance. The Roman church in this way privily PUSHED ITSELF into the place of the Roman World-Empire, of which it is the actual continuation.” A. Harnack, What is Christianity? p269-270.
“Out of the ruins of political Rome, AROSE the great moral Empire in the ʻgiant formʼ of the Roman Church. “ A. C. Flick. The Rise of the Mediaeval Church, 1909, p 150.
Verse 8 - A horn represents a kingdom
Horns represent kings/kingdoms, civil or religious governments or powers. Four horns in Dan 8:8, 22 are said to be “four kingdoms.” King & kingdom are used interchangeably (see Dan 2:38-39; Dan 7:17, 23). The Papacy (Roman Catholicism) is a kingdom as well as a church. See any encyclopaedia. Like Christ, the Pope is a king / priest. (Gen 14:18; Heb 7).
verse 8 - The Papacy uprooted 3 kingdoms
(verses 8, 20, 24). Of the 10 kingdoms which arose from the Roman Empire the Heruli, Vandals and Ostrogoths adopted the Arian faith and refused to acknowledge the supremacy of the Roman Church. Historians record that the Emperor of Constantinople, at the instigation of the Bishop of Rome (Pope), brought about the uprooting of the Heruli in AD493, the Vandals in AD533, and the Ostrogoths in AD538.
As 10 kingdoms have already arisen from the territory of the Roman Empire, and as 3 of those kingdoms have already been “plucked up,” clearly the Little Horn responsible for the ʻpluckingʼ ALREADY EXISTS!
verse 8 - A “man” at its head with manʼs eyes
The papa (father) or Pope, is the head of the Papacy. He claims to be able to for- give sins against God, which only God can do (See Mark 2:7; Matt 23:9). “The eyes of man” judge the outward appearance, (1Sam 16:7) and are selfish.
verses 9-10 - Beheld TILL the judgment sat
In its reign the little horn judged the saints and actually burnt many of them (Dan 8:21- 22). Following this counterfeit judgment the real judgment began. In Heaven the thrones were “cast down” (Heb. remaw, “placed”) to sit upon.
The Ancient of days is God the Father. White hair - Purity and age (Rev 15:6). Fiery throne - Judgment, cleansing (Mal 3:1-5).
Wheels - Godʼs throne is mobile (cf. Eze 1:16).
Thousands ministering - Angels (Heb 1:13- 14).
The “books” are heavenly records of all our thoughts and actions. This is an investigative judgment which occurs in heaven where menʼs lives are investigated out of the record books. See Appendix.
verse 11 - The hornʼs words come up in the judgment (Matt 12:37). The fourth beast from which the little horn grows will be slain at the Second Coming AFTER this judgment. The Judgment therefore occurs in Heaven BEFORE Christ returns with His rewards (Rev 22:12). See Appendix.
verse 12 - Lives were prolonged for a season and a time
The first three beasts (Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece) lost their dominions but they lived on under their conquerors. (The first 3 beasts are seen “living on” in the beast of Rev 13). Not so with the fourth beast which will be totally destroyed. A season and time means a period with beginning and end points unknown to men e.g. the time between birth and death. “To every [thing there is] a SEASON, AND A TIME to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die...” Ecc 3:1-2.
Verse 13 - Christ comes to the Judgment which occurs in Heaven
(a) The earthly sanctuary had two rooms: the Holy and the Most Holy. As the priests ministered throughout the year in the Holy Place of the sanctuary, so clouds TOOK Christ, at His ascension, to Heaven where He began ministering in the Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary (Acts 1:9-11; Heb 8:1-5).
(b) As on the Day of Atonement (Day of Judgment) the priests entered the Most Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary, so clouds MOVED Christ into the Most Holy Place of Heavenʼs Sanctuary (Dan 7:13) at the beginning of the judgment.
(c) Clouds will RETURN Christ to earth to receive His people at the end of the judgment (Rev 1:7). All the events are literal changes, movements from one literal location to another.
verse 14 - Kingdom before He returns
Christ is given His kingdom BEFORE He returns to earth.
verse 15-17 - The Interpretation
Symbol Interpretation
Beast, Kings/kingdoms (cf. v 23) Sea, Earth, i.e. world.
Note: As a symbol, the earth represents a place of few people but the earth here is not a symbol but an explantion. Waters represent the nations of the earth (Rev 17:15).
The word “shall” is not in the original (See NKJV). The first beast, Babylon, had already arisen when this vision was given.
verse 18 - The Saints will possess the kingdom.
verse 19 - Fourth beast
Diverse. Iron teeth corresponding to iron legs of Daniel 2. Brass nails corresponding to the brass of Daniel 2.
verse 20 - Before whom three fell
Three of the first ten kingdoms were destroyed at the instigation of the Papacy. See on v 8.
Had the eyes of man - Judges on outward appearances. (1Sam 16:7).
More Stout - The Papacy has been the most influential power in Europe. The Popes are one of the longest and most powerful lines of rulers in all history.
verse 21 - Made war with the saints
The idea developed that in order to safe- guard the church, promote church growth and combat heresy, force could be employed. The Papacy sat in judgment over the saints and many were burnt as martyrs. The warring will continue until the saints possess the kingdom.
verse 22 - The Ancient of Days came to the judgment
Following the little hornʼs judging of the saints the real judgment began in Heaven. Thrones were placed (verses 9-10) and as the Son came to the judgment (v 13) so also did the Ancient of Days - God the Father. Where had the Father & Son been prior to moving to the judgment? In the Holy Place of Heavenʼs Sanctuary. As the earthly priests ministered in the Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary throughout the year, only moving into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement (Judgment day), so Christ, following His ascension, ministered in Heavenʼs Holy Place until He, with His Father, moved into the Most Holy Place at the beginning of the judgment (Heb 8:4-5).
verse 23 - Fourth beast is the fourth kingdom
Rome, the fourth kingdom, was diverse (different) from all kingdoms before it.
verse 24 - Divers - A religious kingdom
The little horn is DIFFERENT from the other nations of Europe. The Papacy is a religio-political power, a Church AND a State.
verse 24 - Arose “after” the 10 horns
The 10th kingdom was established in Europe by AD476. The little horn (The Papacy) came to full power “AFTER” this in AD538.
verse 25 - Spoke great words
The Bible defines blasphemy as claiming to be God and or claiming to be able to forgive sins against God, which only God can do (See John 10:32-33; Mark 2:7). Every Priest in the Roman Catholic Confessional fulfills this identifying point of the blasphemous Little Horn.
“The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under veil of the flesh.” The Catholic National, July, 1895.
“What only God can do by his omnipotence, the priest can also do...Indeed it is not too much to say that in view of the sublimity of their office the priests are so many Gods.” Dignity and Duties of the Priest, Alphonsus De Liguori, p35.
“The Pope is supreme judge of the law of the land...He is the viceregent of Christ, and is not only a priest forever, but is King of kings and Lord of lords.” La Civilta Cattolica, March 18, 1871.
“All names which in Scripture are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that he is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope.” Cardinal Bellarmine, On the Authority of the Councils, Vol. 2, p. 266.
“The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or inter- pret even Divine laws...THE POPE CAN MODIFY DIVINE LAW, since his power is not of man, but of God, and he acts in the place of God upon earth.” Lucius Ferraris, “Papa,” art. 2, in Prompta Bibliotheca.
“The pope has power to change times, to abrogate [change] laws, and to dispense [do away] with all things, even the precepts of Christ.” Decretal, De Translantic Episcop.
verse 25 - Wore out the saints
Pagan Rome killed an estimated three million Christians, while historians estimate that the Papacy has been responsible for no less than 50 million! This Great Tribulation covered the period called the Dark Ages (Matt 24:21- 22). Augustine laid the foundation for the church to persecute heretics, He wrote:
“Originally my opinion was that no one should be coerced into the unity of Christ, that we must act only by words, fight only by arguments, and prevail by force of rea- son, lest we should have those whom we knew as avowed heretics feigning themselves to be Catholics. But this opinion of mine was overcome...” St. Augustine, Letter 93 (to Vincentius), chap. 5, sec. 17, trans. in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, first series, Vol. I, p388.
“The Catholic church has persecuted...We have always defended the persecution of the Hugenots, and the Spanish Inquisi- tion...When she thinks it good to use physical force, she will use it.” A Roman Catholic publication, The Western Watchman, of St Louis, Dec. 24, 1908.
“Torture was little used from the 9th to 12th centuries, but with the revival of Roman law the process was re-established in the 12th century...In 1252 [Pope] Innocent IV sanctioned the infliction of torture by the civil authorities upon heretics, and torture came to have a recognized place in the procedures of the inquisitorial courts.” New Catholic Encyclopaedia, art. Torture.
“The civil authorities, therefore, were en- joined by the popes, under pain of excommunication to execute the legal sentences that condemned impenitent heretics to the stake.” Joseph Blotzer, article, ʻInquisitionʼ, Catholic Encycloedia, Vol. VIII, p34.
“Cursed be they who assert liberty of con- science and of worship, and such as main- tain the church should not employ force. The State has not the right to leave every man free to embrace whatever religion he shall deem true.” Pope Pius IXʼs Encyclical and Syllabus (Dec. 8, 1864).
verse 22 - The Ancient of Days came to the judgment
Following the little hornʼs judging of the saints the real judgment began in Heaven. Thrones were placed (verses 9-10) and as the Son came to the judgment (v 13) so also did the Ancient of Days - God the Father. Where had the Father & Son been prior to moving to the judgment? In the Holy Place of Heavenʼs Sanctuary. As the earthly priests ministered in the Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary throughout the year, only moving into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement (Judgment day), so Christ, following His ascension, ministered in Heavenʼs Holy Place until He, with His Father, moved into the Most Holy Place at the beginning of the judgment (Heb 8:4-5).
verse 23 - Fourth beast is the fourth kingdom
Rome, the fourth kingdom, was diverse (different) from all kingdoms before it.
verse 24 - Divers - A religious kingdom
The little horn is DIFFERENT from the other nations of Europe. The Papacy is a religio-political power, a Church AND a State.
verse 24 - Arose “after” the 10 horns
The 10th kingdom was established in Europe by AD476. The little horn (The Papacy) came to full power “AFTER” this in AD538.
verse 25 - Spoke great words
The Bible defines blasphemy as claiming to be God and or claiming to be able to forgive sins against God, which only God can do (See John 10:32-33; Mark 2:7). Every Priest in the Roman Catholic Confessional fulfills this identifying point of the blasphemous Little Horn.
“The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under veil of the flesh.” The Catholic National, July, 1895.
“What only God can do by his omnipotence, the priest can also do...Indeed it is not too much to say that in view of the sublimity of their office the priests are so many Gods.” Dignity and Duties of the Priest, Alphonsus De Liguori, p35.
“The Pope is supreme judge of the law of the land...He is the viceregent of Christ, and is not only a priest forever, but is King of kings and Lord of lords.” La Civilta Cattolica, March 18, 1871.
“All names which in Scripture are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that he is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope.” Cardinal Bellarmine, On the Authority of the Councils, Vol. 2, p. 266.
“The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or inter- pret even Divine laws...THE POPE CAN MODIFY DIVINE LAW, since his power is not of man, but of God, and he acts in the place of God upon earth.” Lucius Ferraris, “Papa,” art. 2, in Prompta Bibliotheca.
“The pope has power to change times, to abrogate [change] laws, and to dispense [do away] with all things, even the precepts of Christ.” Decretal, De Translantic Episcop.
verse 25 - Wore out the saints
Pagan Rome killed an estimated three million Christians, while historians estimate that the Papacy has been responsible for no less than 50 million! This Great Tribulation covered the period called the Dark Ages (Matt 24:21- 22). Augustine laid the foundation for the church to persecute heretics, He wrote:
“Originally my opinion was that no one should be coerced into the unity of Christ, that we must act only by words, fight only by arguments, and prevail by force of rea- son, lest we should have those whom we knew as avowed heretics feigning themselves to be Catholics. But this opinion of mine was overcome...” St. Augustine, Letter 93 (to Vincentius), chap. 5, sec. 17, trans. in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, first series, Vol. I, p388.
“The Catholic church has persecuted...We have always defended the persecution of the Hugenots, and the Spanish Inquisi- tion...When she thinks it good to use physical force, she will use it.” A Roman Catholic publication, The Western Watchman, of St Louis, Dec. 24, 1908.
“Torture was little used from the 9th to 12th centuries, but with the revival of Roman law the process was re-established in the 12th century...In 1252 [Pope] Innocent IV sanctioned the infliction of torture by the civil authorities upon heretics, and torture came to have a recognized place in the procedures of the inquisitorial courts.” New Catholic Encyclopaedia, art. Torture.
“The civil authorities, therefore, were en- joined by the popes, under pain of excommunication to execute the legal sentences that condemned impenitent heretics to the stake.” Joseph Blotzer, article, ʻInquisitionʼ, Catholic Encycloedia, Vol. VIII, p34.
“Cursed be they who assert liberty of con- science and of worship, and such as main- tain the church should not employ force. The State has not the right to leave every man free to embrace whatever religion he shall deem true.” Pope Pius IXʼs Encyclical and Syllabus (Dec. 8, 1864).
verse 25 - Thinks to have changed Godʼs times and law
“He shall think to change the times and the law.” Dan 7:25 R.V.
As the Little Hornʼs words were against God, and as it wore out Godʼs saints, it is evidently Godʼs Law that the Little Horn thought to change. It could only “think to” because no one can actually change Godʼs Law!
The Papacy is the only power in Europe that claims to have changed the 10 Commandments. Roman Catholics observe Sunday, not because the Bible anywhere commands it, but because they claim to have changed the Sabbath from the seventh day (Exo 20:8-11) to Sunday, the first day of the week.
Secular & Religious historians recognize that Sunday is of heathen origin and was observed as a sacred day among pagans centuries before the birth of Christ. In Rome it was honoured as a festive day and when Emperor Constantine, an avowed sunworshipper, professed the Christian faith in the fourth century AD, he passed an edict requiring “rest on the venerable day of the sun.” See Enc. Britannica, art. Sunday. Over time, because of anti-Jewish feelings in Rome, efforts to make Christianity appealing to Pagans, and Pagan influences in Church, the Church of Rome declared that it had changed the 7th day Sabbath to Sunday. This the Church of Rome freely admits.
From Catholic Catechisms (Official books of Catholic doctrine) we read:
“Question - Which day is the Sabbath day?
Answer - Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Question - Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer - We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the council of Laodicea, transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”
The Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, Rev. Peter Geiermann, C.S.S.R., page 50, 2nd ed., 1910. (Received the “apostolic blessing” of Pope Pius X, Jan. 10, 1910).
“Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church [Catholic] has power to institute festivals of precept?
A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her;- she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.” A Doctrinal Catechism, (3rd US ed.) S. Keenan, p 174.
Jesus said “THINK NOT that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matt 5:17-19. The Papacy has THOUGHT TO change Godʼs Law, altering the very Command- ment which points to the creation of the heavens and the earth!
Paul called this power the “man of sin” (2Thess 2:3) because it teaches sin (1John 3:4) by commanding men to forget the seventh day Sabbath of Godʼs law and keep Sunday in its place, a day which, according
to the Catholic Churchʼs own admission, is nowhere commanded in the Bible. It is by attempting to alter Godʼs law that the Papacy exalts itself above God.
verse 25 - Reigned for 3 1/2 “TIMES”
3 1/2 “times” = 42 months = 1260 days (see Rev 12:6, 14). Several lines of evidence indicate that this period is symbolic:
(a) The symbolic context.
(b) The unusual units of measure: “time, times, and the dividing of time.”
Literal time is expressed as a number of years and months. (cf. 2Sam 2:11; 2Chron 36:9; Luke 4:25; James 5:17). (See “Time Periods in the Prophecies” in the Introduction).
This period is elsewhere called 1260 “days”. The Bible states that a day symbolizes a year... “I have appointed thee each day for a year.” Eze 4:6; Num 14:34. 1260 days therefore symbolize 1260 years.
In AD330 Roman Emperor Constantine shifted the capital from the city of Rome to Constantinople (Istanbul) in Eastern Rome. This left the Bishop of Rome as the most powerful figure in the city of Rome. His power increased and in AD533 the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian decreed the Pope “head of all the holy churches,” and “corrector of heretics.” Justinianʼs Code, Book 1, title 1. Baronius Annals, A.D.533.
The Papacy could not, however, exercise this power until AD538 when the last of the Arian powers was plucked up. The crucial military event that “plucked up” the Ostrogoths and led to their annihilation was their calamitous defeat in 538AD which, says Hodgkin, “dug the grave of the Gothic monarchy in Italy.”
See Italy and Her Invaders, Hodgkin, Vol 3. p180-213; Vol. 5, p3-66; Vol. 4, p 73-113, 210-252.
Exactly 1260 years later, in 1798, the Papal State was abolished by the Atheistic French Revolutionary army.
“The ULTIMATE HUMILIATION of the Church came when Pius VI was driven from Rome by the French armies in 1798.” Encʼ Britannica, 1989, Vol. 26, p938.
“In 1798 he [Berthier]...made his entrance into Rome, ABOLISHED the PAPAL GOVERNMENT and established a secular one.” The Encʼ Americana, 1941 ed.
Revelation foretells that this deadly wound would be healed (See on Rev 13). We are witnessing the restoration of Papal power today.
verse 25 - Thinks to have changed the times
The “3 1/2 times” helps to identify the Papacy as the little horn. In order to escape this identification the Papacy invented counterfeit interpretations of Godʼs time- table of prophetic events. (cf. Dan 2:21) Futurism and Preterism place the “3 1/2 times” of the Little Hornʼs reign in the future or in the past, both outside the period of Papal supremacy.
verses 26-27 - Kingdom given to the saints
The saints shall “be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion...”
3 1/2 “times” = 1260 years. See on v 25. Following the 1260 year reign of the Papacy the judgment would sit. The exact beginning of the judgment is not here given but it follows the reign of the Papacy. The judgment will be followed by the destruction of the Papacy, an event which will occur at the Second Coming. The Saints will then inherit the world in Christʼs everlasting kingdom.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN?
(a) Antichrist exists today.
(b) Millions of Christians have been deceived into accepting the Roman Catholic counterfeit interpretation called Futurism, which teaches that the antichrist has not yet risen.
(c) The events which led to the union of Church & State known as the Papacy, are happening again today as politically active Protestant churches are seeking political power. The Bible calls this union the “im- age of the beast.” See on Rev 13.
(d) The judgment begins in heaven BEFORE Christ returns.
(e) The judgment began in heaven after 1798. Daniel 2 implied judgment. Daniel 7 describes it. Daniel 8 locates when it began.
QUESTIONS
1. If three horns (kingdoms) were to be uprooted, why was a fourth uprooted - namely the Gepids - in AD567?
The fact that a fourth kingdom, the Gepids, was totally destroyed in AD567 is immaterial. The prophecy specified three kingdoms being uprooted BEFORE the Papal supremacy was established, and so they were.
2. Werenʼt some Popes deposed before 1798?
Though at times the Papacy was restrained by the ambitions of emperors, who went as far as deposing certain Popes and replacing them with men of their own choosing, (e.g. the German Emperor Otto III in 996 entered Rome and, after putting down a faction of Roman nobles, forced the election of his own cousin Bruno as Gregory (V) the Papal power continued and was not abolished until 1798.
3. If the last of the 3 horns, the Ostrogoths, were uprooted in 538, how is it that the Ostrogoths re-conquered almost all of Italy later?
Uprooting something may cause immediate death or lead to eventual death some time later. The plucking up is not necessarily the moment of death. The Ostrogoths lingered on after being plucked up in AD538 but eventually ceased to exist. The crucial military event that “plucked up” the Ostrogoths and led to their annihilation was the calamitous defeat in AD538. On the devastating defeat of the Ostrogoths in AD538,
Thomas Hodgkin remarks:
“Some of them [the retreating Goths] must have suspected the melancholy truth that they had dug one grave deeper and wider than all, the grave of the Gothic monarchy in Italy.” Thomas Hodgkin, Italy and Her Invaders, book 5, chap. 9, last par. [Vol. 4, p. 285.
“With the conquest of Rome by Belisarius, the history of the ancient city may be considered as terminating; and with his defense against Witiges [A. D. 538], commences the history of the Middle Ages.” George Finlay, Greece Under the Romans, p. 295. Note: This period known as the Middle Ages is roughly the age of the Papacy.
Further facts support AD538 as the beginning of the 1260 year Papal supremacy:
“Vigilus (AD537-555.) is the first in a series of popes, who no longer bears the title [saint], which is henceforth sparingly conferred. From this time on the popes, more and more involved in worldly events, no longer belong solely to the church; they are men of state, and then rulers of the state.” Charles Bemont & G. Monod, Medieval Europe From 395-1270, p120-121.
This is the time when the Papacy began to operate as a kingdom, not just a church. The church historian Dr Summerbell says, “[The Roman Emperor] Justinian...enriched himself with the property of all ʻhereticsʼ - that is, non-Catholics; published edicts in 538 AD compelling all to join the Catholic church in 90 days or leave the empire and confiscated all their goods.” Dr. N Summerbell, History of the Early Christian Church, p310-311.
4. Didnʼt the Pope actually die in 1799 in France, and havenʼt other Popes died in captivity?
The fact that Pope Pius VI died in 1799 is inconsequential. The prophecy did not concern the death of any Pope, but the abolishing of the PAPACY as a political / destructive entity, and this occurred in 1798 as predicted.
Encyclopedia Britannica says, “The ULTIMATE humiliation of THE CHURCH came when Pius VI was driven from Rome by the French armies in 1798.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1989, Vol. 26, p938. The fact that other Popes may have died in captivity is likewise inconsequential.
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APPENDIX
THE JUDGMENT
verses 9-10, 26 - “But the JUDGMENT shall sit...”
There are two aspects to judgment
1. Investigation.
2. Execution - the judgment is carried out, wicked slain etc.
The Bible uses the word “judgment” to refer to both. Investigation must precede destruction. The Judgment in Dan 7 is the investigation of facts recorded in the “books.” In the Judgment in Dan 7 God sits, Christ is brought before Him, the angels are present and it occurs in Heaven. Following this Investigative Judgment the wicked will be destroyed and the saints will be rewarded in the Executive Judgment.
Why does the Judgment sit?
1. To determine who Christ will reward with eternal life when He returns.
2. To reveal to the angels that the destruction of the little horn and the wicked is just. 3. To determine who is to make up Christʼs kingdom, which kingdom Christ receives BEFORE He returns (v 14; Eze 21:27; Luke 19:12).
Who will be judged?
2Cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ...” (Rom 14:10; Heb 10:30; 1Pet 4:17; Ecc 12:13-14; Matt 22:1-14).
Some claim that all who have accepted Christ at some point will be saved irrespective of how they now live. Is this true? This is sometimes called, “Once saved, always saved.” If it were true there would be no point in a future judgment of the saints.
While Christians may be assured of salvation and need not fear the Judgment, they must endure in the faith (Matt 24:13) or risk being lost: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Rev 3:5; 22:19.
The Apostle Paul believed that he could lose salvation. (1 Cor 9:27).
A righteous man can choose to be lost. (Eze 3:20).
We can fall from our steadfastness. (2 Pet 3:17).
Brethren who were in the truth can leave it and then need reconverting. (James 5:19-20).
Christians can forsake Christ and return to their wicked ways. (2 Pet 2:20-22).
Christian brethren can depart from God. (Heb 3:12).
Those who have received the truth can turn from it. (Mark 4:16-17).
It is possible for a Christian to lose their crown. (Rev 3:11).
All ten virgins were virgins (genuine Christians) but five were lost. (Matt 25).
God will never overide our free will. True love requires that the lover has the freedom to love or not to love.
May we be in the group Paul describes, “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Heb 10:39.
Who will be judged first?
“Judgment must first begin at the house of God. “ (1Pet 4:17).
Beginning with the first believer on earth each successive generation of believers will be reviewed. The Judgment closes with professed Christians who are still living. Following the judgment of Christʼs pro- fessed followers, and the gathering of the faithful at Christʼs return, the Judgment of the wicked will follow:
1Cor 6:2 “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?”
1Cor 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come...”
cf. Ps 149:9.
The Judgment of the wicked will reveal to the saints why the wicked are not saved.
What will men be judged out of?
All will be judged out of the “books” in Heaven which record everything.
All professed believers have their names written in the Book of Life, (Phil 4:3; Heb 12:23; Luke 10:20) but God says, “Whosoever sins against me, him will I blot out of my book.” Exo 32:33; Rev 3:5.
When Jesus has examined the case of every professed believer, including those in the Church of Rome, the Judgment will finish. Then Jesus can return and deliver those who are still “found written in the book.” Dan 12:1.
What is the standard in the Judgment?
The Ten Commandments (a description of the character of Christ) will be the standard. This is why Solomon wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment...” Ecc 12:13-14; Rev 11:18-19.
When does the Judgment sit?
Daniel 7, esp verses 25-26, shows that the Judgment sits AFTER the rise and reign of the Papacy. During the Papacyʼs 1260 year reign it judged the saints as heretics. How appropriate then are the words, “But the judgment shall sit...”
Although Daniel 7 does not give the exact start date of the Judgment it places it AFTER 1798 when the little hornʼs 1260 year reign ended, but before the Second Coming when the beast is destroyed: “... and they shall be given into his hand until a time, times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end.” (v 25-26).
When Christ returns His rewards will be with Him (Rev 22:11-12). This shows that the Judgment has occurred BEFORE He returns. At His return He will carry out what has already been determined - destruction of the beast and its followers and eternal life for the saints.
The Judgment is Good News
When the Judgment is finished Christ can return and end all suffering and evil. Christ is the Advocate of all those who have accepted Him as their Saviour by renouncing all transgression of His holy law and exercising faith in His atoning blood and transforming grace. These will not be condemned in the Judgment.
When the Judgment is finished and the rewards of all have been decided then the announcement will be made, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev 22:11-12.
The Return of the King
Christ will then return to receive and reward His people (John 14:1-3; 1Cor 15:22) and destroy the wicked, including the “man of sin,” “...whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” 2Thess 2:8.
“I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.” Daniel 7:11.
As the Little Hornʼs words were against God, and as it wore out Godʼs saints, it is evidently Godʼs Law that the Little Horn thought to change. It could only “think to” because no one can actually change Godʼs Law!
The Papacy is the only power in Europe that claims to have changed the 10 Commandments. Roman Catholics observe Sunday, not because the Bible anywhere commands it, but because they claim to have changed the Sabbath from the seventh day (Exo 20:8-11) to Sunday, the first day of the week.
Secular & Religious historians recognize that Sunday is of heathen origin and was observed as a sacred day among pagans centuries before the birth of Christ. In Rome it was honoured as a festive day and when Emperor Constantine, an avowed sunworshipper, professed the Christian faith in the fourth century AD, he passed an edict requiring “rest on the venerable day of the sun.” See Enc. Britannica, art. Sunday. Over time, because of anti-Jewish feelings in Rome, efforts to make Christianity appealing to Pagans, and Pagan influences in Church, the Church of Rome declared that it had changed the 7th day Sabbath to Sunday. This the Church of Rome freely admits.
From Catholic Catechisms (Official books of Catholic doctrine) we read:
“Question - Which day is the Sabbath day?
Answer - Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Question - Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer - We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the council of Laodicea, transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”
The Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, Rev. Peter Geiermann, C.S.S.R., page 50, 2nd ed., 1910. (Received the “apostolic blessing” of Pope Pius X, Jan. 10, 1910).
“Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church [Catholic] has power to institute festivals of precept?
A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her;- she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.” A Doctrinal Catechism, (3rd US ed.) S. Keenan, p 174.
Jesus said “THINK NOT that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matt 5:17-19. The Papacy has THOUGHT TO change Godʼs Law, altering the very Command- ment which points to the creation of the heavens and the earth!
Paul called this power the “man of sin” (2Thess 2:3) because it teaches sin (1John 3:4) by commanding men to forget the seventh day Sabbath of Godʼs law and keep Sunday in its place, a day which, according
to the Catholic Churchʼs own admission, is nowhere commanded in the Bible. It is by attempting to alter Godʼs law that the Papacy exalts itself above God.
verse 25 - Reigned for 3 1/2 “TIMES”
3 1/2 “times” = 42 months = 1260 days (see Rev 12:6, 14). Several lines of evidence indicate that this period is symbolic:
(a) The symbolic context.
(b) The unusual units of measure: “time, times, and the dividing of time.”
Literal time is expressed as a number of years and months. (cf. 2Sam 2:11; 2Chron 36:9; Luke 4:25; James 5:17). (See “Time Periods in the Prophecies” in the Introduction).
This period is elsewhere called 1260 “days”. The Bible states that a day symbolizes a year... “I have appointed thee each day for a year.” Eze 4:6; Num 14:34. 1260 days therefore symbolize 1260 years.
In AD330 Roman Emperor Constantine shifted the capital from the city of Rome to Constantinople (Istanbul) in Eastern Rome. This left the Bishop of Rome as the most powerful figure in the city of Rome. His power increased and in AD533 the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian decreed the Pope “head of all the holy churches,” and “corrector of heretics.” Justinianʼs Code, Book 1, title 1. Baronius Annals, A.D.533.
The Papacy could not, however, exercise this power until AD538 when the last of the Arian powers was plucked up. The crucial military event that “plucked up” the Ostrogoths and led to their annihilation was their calamitous defeat in 538AD which, says Hodgkin, “dug the grave of the Gothic monarchy in Italy.”
See Italy and Her Invaders, Hodgkin, Vol 3. p180-213; Vol. 5, p3-66; Vol. 4, p 73-113, 210-252.
Exactly 1260 years later, in 1798, the Papal State was abolished by the Atheistic French Revolutionary army.
“The ULTIMATE HUMILIATION of the Church came when Pius VI was driven from Rome by the French armies in 1798.” Encʼ Britannica, 1989, Vol. 26, p938.
“In 1798 he [Berthier]...made his entrance into Rome, ABOLISHED the PAPAL GOVERNMENT and established a secular one.” The Encʼ Americana, 1941 ed.
Revelation foretells that this deadly wound would be healed (See on Rev 13). We are witnessing the restoration of Papal power today.
verse 25 - Thinks to have changed the times
The “3 1/2 times” helps to identify the Papacy as the little horn. In order to escape this identification the Papacy invented counterfeit interpretations of Godʼs time- table of prophetic events. (cf. Dan 2:21) Futurism and Preterism place the “3 1/2 times” of the Little Hornʼs reign in the future or in the past, both outside the period of Papal supremacy.
verses 26-27 - Kingdom given to the saints
The saints shall “be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion...”
3 1/2 “times” = 1260 years. See on v 25. Following the 1260 year reign of the Papacy the judgment would sit. The exact beginning of the judgment is not here given but it follows the reign of the Papacy. The judgment will be followed by the destruction of the Papacy, an event which will occur at the Second Coming. The Saints will then inherit the world in Christʼs everlasting kingdom.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN?
(a) Antichrist exists today.
(b) Millions of Christians have been deceived into accepting the Roman Catholic counterfeit interpretation called Futurism, which teaches that the antichrist has not yet risen.
(c) The events which led to the union of Church & State known as the Papacy, are happening again today as politically active Protestant churches are seeking political power. The Bible calls this union the “im- age of the beast.” See on Rev 13.
(d) The judgment begins in heaven BEFORE Christ returns.
(e) The judgment began in heaven after 1798. Daniel 2 implied judgment. Daniel 7 describes it. Daniel 8 locates when it began.
QUESTIONS
1. If three horns (kingdoms) were to be uprooted, why was a fourth uprooted - namely the Gepids - in AD567?
The fact that a fourth kingdom, the Gepids, was totally destroyed in AD567 is immaterial. The prophecy specified three kingdoms being uprooted BEFORE the Papal supremacy was established, and so they were.
2. Werenʼt some Popes deposed before 1798?
Though at times the Papacy was restrained by the ambitions of emperors, who went as far as deposing certain Popes and replacing them with men of their own choosing, (e.g. the German Emperor Otto III in 996 entered Rome and, after putting down a faction of Roman nobles, forced the election of his own cousin Bruno as Gregory (V) the Papal power continued and was not abolished until 1798.
3. If the last of the 3 horns, the Ostrogoths, were uprooted in 538, how is it that the Ostrogoths re-conquered almost all of Italy later?
Uprooting something may cause immediate death or lead to eventual death some time later. The plucking up is not necessarily the moment of death. The Ostrogoths lingered on after being plucked up in AD538 but eventually ceased to exist. The crucial military event that “plucked up” the Ostrogoths and led to their annihilation was the calamitous defeat in AD538. On the devastating defeat of the Ostrogoths in AD538,
Thomas Hodgkin remarks:
“Some of them [the retreating Goths] must have suspected the melancholy truth that they had dug one grave deeper and wider than all, the grave of the Gothic monarchy in Italy.” Thomas Hodgkin, Italy and Her Invaders, book 5, chap. 9, last par. [Vol. 4, p. 285.
“With the conquest of Rome by Belisarius, the history of the ancient city may be considered as terminating; and with his defense against Witiges [A. D. 538], commences the history of the Middle Ages.” George Finlay, Greece Under the Romans, p. 295. Note: This period known as the Middle Ages is roughly the age of the Papacy.
Further facts support AD538 as the beginning of the 1260 year Papal supremacy:
“Vigilus (AD537-555.) is the first in a series of popes, who no longer bears the title [saint], which is henceforth sparingly conferred. From this time on the popes, more and more involved in worldly events, no longer belong solely to the church; they are men of state, and then rulers of the state.” Charles Bemont & G. Monod, Medieval Europe From 395-1270, p120-121.
This is the time when the Papacy began to operate as a kingdom, not just a church. The church historian Dr Summerbell says, “[The Roman Emperor] Justinian...enriched himself with the property of all ʻhereticsʼ - that is, non-Catholics; published edicts in 538 AD compelling all to join the Catholic church in 90 days or leave the empire and confiscated all their goods.” Dr. N Summerbell, History of the Early Christian Church, p310-311.
4. Didnʼt the Pope actually die in 1799 in France, and havenʼt other Popes died in captivity?
The fact that Pope Pius VI died in 1799 is inconsequential. The prophecy did not concern the death of any Pope, but the abolishing of the PAPACY as a political / destructive entity, and this occurred in 1798 as predicted.
Encyclopedia Britannica says, “The ULTIMATE humiliation of THE CHURCH came when Pius VI was driven from Rome by the French armies in 1798.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1989, Vol. 26, p938. The fact that other Popes may have died in captivity is likewise inconsequential.
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APPENDIX
THE JUDGMENT
verses 9-10, 26 - “But the JUDGMENT shall sit...”
There are two aspects to judgment
1. Investigation.
2. Execution - the judgment is carried out, wicked slain etc.
The Bible uses the word “judgment” to refer to both. Investigation must precede destruction. The Judgment in Dan 7 is the investigation of facts recorded in the “books.” In the Judgment in Dan 7 God sits, Christ is brought before Him, the angels are present and it occurs in Heaven. Following this Investigative Judgment the wicked will be destroyed and the saints will be rewarded in the Executive Judgment.
Why does the Judgment sit?
1. To determine who Christ will reward with eternal life when He returns.
2. To reveal to the angels that the destruction of the little horn and the wicked is just. 3. To determine who is to make up Christʼs kingdom, which kingdom Christ receives BEFORE He returns (v 14; Eze 21:27; Luke 19:12).
Who will be judged?
2Cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ...” (Rom 14:10; Heb 10:30; 1Pet 4:17; Ecc 12:13-14; Matt 22:1-14).
Some claim that all who have accepted Christ at some point will be saved irrespective of how they now live. Is this true? This is sometimes called, “Once saved, always saved.” If it were true there would be no point in a future judgment of the saints.
While Christians may be assured of salvation and need not fear the Judgment, they must endure in the faith (Matt 24:13) or risk being lost: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Rev 3:5; 22:19.
The Apostle Paul believed that he could lose salvation. (1 Cor 9:27).
A righteous man can choose to be lost. (Eze 3:20).
We can fall from our steadfastness. (2 Pet 3:17).
Brethren who were in the truth can leave it and then need reconverting. (James 5:19-20).
Christians can forsake Christ and return to their wicked ways. (2 Pet 2:20-22).
Christian brethren can depart from God. (Heb 3:12).
Those who have received the truth can turn from it. (Mark 4:16-17).
It is possible for a Christian to lose their crown. (Rev 3:11).
All ten virgins were virgins (genuine Christians) but five were lost. (Matt 25).
God will never overide our free will. True love requires that the lover has the freedom to love or not to love.
May we be in the group Paul describes, “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Heb 10:39.
Who will be judged first?
“Judgment must first begin at the house of God. “ (1Pet 4:17).
Beginning with the first believer on earth each successive generation of believers will be reviewed. The Judgment closes with professed Christians who are still living. Following the judgment of Christʼs pro- fessed followers, and the gathering of the faithful at Christʼs return, the Judgment of the wicked will follow:
1Cor 6:2 “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?”
1Cor 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come...”
cf. Ps 149:9.
The Judgment of the wicked will reveal to the saints why the wicked are not saved.
What will men be judged out of?
All will be judged out of the “books” in Heaven which record everything.
All professed believers have their names written in the Book of Life, (Phil 4:3; Heb 12:23; Luke 10:20) but God says, “Whosoever sins against me, him will I blot out of my book.” Exo 32:33; Rev 3:5.
When Jesus has examined the case of every professed believer, including those in the Church of Rome, the Judgment will finish. Then Jesus can return and deliver those who are still “found written in the book.” Dan 12:1.
What is the standard in the Judgment?
The Ten Commandments (a description of the character of Christ) will be the standard. This is why Solomon wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment...” Ecc 12:13-14; Rev 11:18-19.
When does the Judgment sit?
Daniel 7, esp verses 25-26, shows that the Judgment sits AFTER the rise and reign of the Papacy. During the Papacyʼs 1260 year reign it judged the saints as heretics. How appropriate then are the words, “But the judgment shall sit...”
Although Daniel 7 does not give the exact start date of the Judgment it places it AFTER 1798 when the little hornʼs 1260 year reign ended, but before the Second Coming when the beast is destroyed: “... and they shall be given into his hand until a time, times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end.” (v 25-26).
When Christ returns His rewards will be with Him (Rev 22:11-12). This shows that the Judgment has occurred BEFORE He returns. At His return He will carry out what has already been determined - destruction of the beast and its followers and eternal life for the saints.
The Judgment is Good News
When the Judgment is finished Christ can return and end all suffering and evil. Christ is the Advocate of all those who have accepted Him as their Saviour by renouncing all transgression of His holy law and exercising faith in His atoning blood and transforming grace. These will not be condemned in the Judgment.
When the Judgment is finished and the rewards of all have been decided then the announcement will be made, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev 22:11-12.
The Return of the King
Christ will then return to receive and reward His people (John 14:1-3; 1Cor 15:22) and destroy the wicked, including the “man of sin,” “...whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” 2Thess 2:8.
“I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.” Daniel 7:11.