08 The Little Horn

Slides for this study

Last time we looked at Daniel’s dream in Daniel 7.

  • He dreamt of a succession of kingdom’s that mirrored what Nebuchadnezzar dreamt in Daniel 2.
  • Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.
  • But that is where we stopped. It was the last beast that we saw in Daniel 7, the dragon – Rome.

Today we are going to look this last kingdom in Daniel 7.

Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

Now we see a little horn.

  • I want you to notice the similarities between what we see here and what we have seen in Daniel 2.
  • In Daniel 2, the last kingdom is the kingdom of iron and clay.
  • The iron, Rome, continues into the last kingdom.
  • We see that here as well.
  • Where does the little horn come up from?
  • It comes up on the top of the dragon’s head. This means that the dragon must still be alive. Surely a horn does not grow out of a dead animal.
    • So that fact that a little horn is able to grow out, it means the dragon is there and it is supporting it and giving it life.

And what does a horn represent? We saw this last study.

  • Daniel 7:24
    The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings.
  • It represents a kingdom. Political.

But what else does a horn represent in the Bible?

  • Luke 1:69
    And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,
  • Horn represents salvation. This is religious.

So we see the religious and political coming together.

  • Just like how we see in Daniel 2 that it is a combination of Rome and the church. Political and religious.
  • There is no doubt that this little horn lines up perfectly with the iron and clay in Daniel 2.

But who is this kingdom? It was quite general back in Daniel 2. Nothing definitive.

Today I want to give you 10 identifying marks of this little horn all taken from the Bible so that there will be no doubt as to who it is and who the Bible identifies.

NUMBER 1

Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

It is a little horn. And horn in the Bible is a kingdom. So this must be a little kingdom.

NUMBER 2

Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

It comes up among them.

  • Who is the them? It is the other 10 horns.
  • Which means, it must come up after the other 10 horns have already come up. They already exist and then this one comes up.
  • When did Rome fall apart and split into 10? It was after 476AD.
  • So this little horn must arise sometime after 476AD.

NUMBER 3

This follows on from the same thought that it comes up among them. It also gives us a geographical location.

  • The 10 horns come up in Europe.
  • So this little horn power must arise somewhere in Europe.
  • It doesn’t come up from Asia, or Africa, or Australia, or USA or even anywhere in South America. It comes up in Europe.

NUMBER 4

Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

It plucks up three of the first kingdoms before it. Who were they that were plucked up?

  • Heruli.
  • Ostrogoths.
  • Vandals.

Who was responsible for the extinction of these three tribes? This little horn is. It destroys the Heruli, Ostrogths and Vandals.

NUMBER 5

Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

What do we understand from the Bible about the eyes of man?

  • Proverbs 21:2
    Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts.

    • The eyes of man always thinks that our ways is right.
  • But what is the ways of man really like?
    • Proverbs 14:12
      There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
  • So the eyes of man thinks we are right in our own ways, but those ways really lead to death.
  • What leads to death in the Bible?
    • Romans 6:23
      For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    • Sin leads to death.
  • So this little horn power with the eyes of man actually leads to death.
  • He is the man of sin. He is the antichrist power.
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
    3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

So this power is the antichrist, no doubt. The little horn is the antichrist

NUMBER 6

Daniel 7:8
I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

He has a mouth speaking pompous words.

  • That word “pompous” in Hebrew means great as well.
  • So he speaks great words.

Coincidentally, the beast in Revelation 13 that has seven heads, 10 horns, and is made of 4 beasts – leopard, bear, lion and dragon – he also speaks great words too.

Revelation 13:5
And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

Do you see what goes with speaking great things? Speaking blasphemy. What is blasphemy according to the Bible?

  • John 10:33
    The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

    • A man making himself God.
  • Luke 5:21
    And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

    • A man claiming to forgive sins.

So this is number 6 – a man that claims to be God and claims to forgive sins.

NUMBER 7

Daniel 7:24
The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings.

We have already seen the little horn subduing three kings.

However, this horn is different from the first 4 kingdoms.

  • We see that clearly from the fact that the first four are beasts or animals and this is a little horn.
  • We see it in Daniel 2 as well. The first four kingdoms are all made of metal. But this last one is a combination of metal and dirt.
  • It is different because the first four are all strictly political kingdoms.
  • But this kingdom is a combination of religious and political.
  • It is a religio-political power.

NUMBER 8

Daniel 7:25
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

We have already studied into the pompous words – that’s speaking blasphemy.

But now the Bible says that he shall persecute the saints of the Most High.

  • This kingdom would persecute God’s people.
  • Well we already expected that. From where?
  • Remember we see it as a religious and political power. Any time religious and political come together, it results in what? Persecution!
  • So it’s not surprise that it is going about to persecute.
  • Daniel 7:21
    “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them.
  • Very clearly it persecutes. Persecutes who? God’s saints.

So this is number 8 – persecutes God’s people.

NUMBER 9

Daniel 7:25
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

This power is going to attack God’s law.

  • It is going to try and change God’s law, especially in relation to time.
  • I will give mode detail when we unveil this power.

But that’s number 9 – attempts to change God’s law and time.

And finally, the last identifying mark.

NUMBER 10

Daniel 7:25
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

What does it mean when the saints will be given into his hand?

  • What do we see taking place with the saints earlier in the verse? They are being persecuted.
  • So this means that God will allow the saints to be persecuted for a certain time.

What is the time?

  • Time, times and half a time.

How can we understand this time, times and half a time? Where else have we seen this before?

  • Revelation 12:14
    But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
  • We see the exact same wording used in relation to time. Time, times and half a time.
  • But let’s have a look at this detail that is highlighted here.
  • We see a woman.
  • She is flying into the wilderness.
  • We see a very similar verse in the same chapter that sheds light on this time, times and half a time.

Revelation 12:6
Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

  • We see a woman and she is flying into the wilderness as well.
  • But this time instead of saying time, times and half a time, it says 1260 days.

So a time, times and half a time is equal to 1260 days.

What is that equal to?

So a time, times and half a time is 3 and a half times.

  • Time is 1.
  • Times is 2.
  • Half a time is half.
  • Total is 3.5 times.

So what is 1 time equivalent to in days?

  • 1260 / 3.5
  • Gives us 360 days.
  • So 1 time is 360 days.

What does that look like? That looks like 1 year.

  • Do you remember when Nebuchadnezzar went crazy in Daniel 4 and ate grass?
  • How long was he crazy for?
  • Daniel 4:16
    Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over him.
  • He went crazy for 7 times. That was 7 years!

So now we come back to this little horn power.

  • It says that it would persecute God’s people for 3.5 times.
  • It would persecute God’s people for 1260 days.
  • But that doesn’t make sense. Such a short time?
  • Babylon would rule for 70-80 years.
  • Medo-Persia for approximately 200 years.
  • Greece for approximately 170 years.
  • And Rome for around 600 years.
  • And along comes this little horn power and it only reigns for 3.5 years?
  • That just doesn’t fit the timeline that we’re given here. It’s too short.

What does a day represent in Bible prophecy?

  • Numbers 14:34
    According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.
  • Ezekiel 4:6
    And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.
  • You see, a day represents a year in Bible prophecy.
  • So in fact, this little horn power does not reign for 1260 days, but rather 1260 YEARS!

 

So there’s the last identifying mark of this little horn. All 10.

  • All taken straight out of the Bible.

 

SUMMARY

So let’s just go through this really quick again. This is what we have studied.

  1. Is a little kingdom.
  2. Comes up after 476 A.D.
  3. Comes up somewhere in Europe.
  4. Destroys the Heruli, Ostrogoths and Vandals.
  5. Is the anti-christ power.
  6. Claims to be God and claims to forgive people’s sins.
  7. Is a religio-political power.
  8. Persecutes God’s people.
  9. Attempts to change God’s law and God’s time.
  10. Reigns and persecutes for 1,260 years.

There is only one power that fits this in our world today.

  • Note: It has to fit. God is not going to give us just a few clues and hints in the Bible and yet leave us in the dark. God is not going to warn us about something so great as the mark of the beast and not tell us who this power is.
  • Who is it?
  • It is none other than the Roman Catholic Church.

So let’s list out these 10 identifying marks of the little horn.

  1. Is a little kingdom. The Vatican City.
    1. It is its own country.
    2. Sitting on 109 acres it is technically a suburb of Rome, but it really is a country.
  2. Comes up after 476 A.D. Started its reign in 538 A.D.
  3. Comes up somewhere in Europe. It is in Rome.
  4. Destroys the Heruli, Ostrogoths and Vandals. Destroyed the Arians.
  5. Is the anti-christ
  6. Claims to be God and claims to forgive people’s sins. The priests claim to forgive sins. And the Pope is considered to be the representative of God on earth.
    1. 4 slides on the pope claiming to be God.
    2. And there is no doubt that they claim to forgive sins as well.
  7. Is a religio-political power. The Pope is not only the head of the state but the head of the church.
  8. Persecutes God’s The Catholic church has persecuted and only those that are ignorant of history do not know this.
    1. Foxe’s book of Martyrs
  9. Attempts to change God’s law and God’s time. It has changed God’s 10 commandments. It has minimized and well-nigh removed the second commandment – thou shalt not worship graven images. And it has changed the Sabbath.
    1. 4 quotes on the change of the Sabbath.
  10. Reigns and persecutes for 1,260 years. And reigned and persecuted God’s people from 538-1798 A.D.
    1. But in 1798, Napoleon and his general Berthier would march into the Vatican and remove him from his papal authority.

The New Testament describes a group of people who placed the Word of God above their own wisdom.

  • Acts 17:10-11
    10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
  • God wants us to be noble Bereans today as well.
  • He wants us to test the word of God.
  • Make sure what I’ve shared with you today is sure and true.
  • And if it is, then by the grace of God, I want to challenge you to follow it. To live by God’s word and His word alone.
    • Putting aside men’s traditions – we learnt that in Daniel 5 – the wine of Babylon.
  • Let’s live by every word of God.
  • If that is your desire to do so, then I want you to take your booklet, turn to page 10.
  • And put the answer Yes there in the answer at the top of the page. Let’s make that commitment to God today.

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