DAN 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.
DAN 7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my
vision by night, and, behold, the
four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
DAN 7:3 And four great beasts came
up from the sea, diverse one from another.
DAN 7:4 The first was like a lion,
and had eagle's 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 man's heart was given to it.
DAN 7:5 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.
DAN 7:6 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.
DAN 7:7 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.
DAN 7:8 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.
DAN 7:9 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.
DAN 7:10 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.
DAN 7:11 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.
DAN 7:12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their
dominion taken
away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
DAN 7:13 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.
DAN 7:14 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.
DAN 7:15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my
body, and the
visions of my head troubled me.
DAN 7:16 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.
DAN 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings,
which shall arise
out of the earth.
DAN 7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom,
and possess
the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
DAN 7:19 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;
DAN 7:20 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.
DAN 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints,
and prevailed
against them;
DAN 7:22 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.
DAN 7:23 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.
DAN 7:24 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.
DAN 7:25 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.
DAN 7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away
his dominion, to
consume and to destroy it unto the end.
DAN 7:27 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.
DAN 7:28 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.
Verses 1,2. Most prophetic symbols are used consistently throughout the Scriptures. In Revelation 17:15 "waters" is defined as meaning peoples and nations, and such a meaning fits the context of Daniel's description here quite well. The winds upon the sea fitly represent the strife that usually accompanies the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms.
Verses 3. According to the angel who interpreted this vision for Daniel, the four beasts arising from the sea symbolize four "kings," or kingdoms, which would arise. These four beasts parallel the four parts of the image in chapter 2.
Verse 4. The lion fitly symbolized Babylon, and, in fact figures of this beast often pictured with eagle's wings, appear prominently on walls and monuments of excavated Babylon ruins. The lionlike kingdom did lose its aggressiveness and become weak in its later years, as the picture of the loss of wings and change of character points out.
Verse 5. The bear can be none other than Medo-Persia. Its raising itself on one side denotes the Persians soon becoming the dominant power, while the "three ribs... between the teeth of it" probably symbolize three prominent territories that the Medo-Persian power conquered - Lydia, Babylonia, and Egypt. But just as a slow-moving bear proves no match for the savage onslaught of the agile leopard, so the Persian armies were unable to cope with the swift advances of Alexander's warriors.
Verse 6. The leopard, symbolizing Grecia, had not two but four wings, an appropriate picture of the great speed of its conquests. The four heads indicate the division of Alexander's empire among his generals and their successors following his untimely death.
Verse 7. The first mention of a metal in this vision, the iron teeth of the fourth beast, certainly ties this power to the empire represented by the legs of the great image of chapter 2. This beast had such a ferocious and terrible character that no beast in nature could represent it. Daniel described it as being "strong exceedingly" and diverse, or different, from the three preceding beasts. This beast had ten horns. These, the angel declared, represented ten kings or kingdoms that would arise out of the fourth beast (compare verses 20 and 24).
Verse 8. In prophecy recorded in chapter 7 Daniel pictured the fourth kingdom, or Rome, as having two distinct phases. The nondescript beast symbolizes the fourth kingdom in its first phase as a mighty power that would come to dominate the then-known world after the Greek empire. Historians have commonly termed this first phase as Pagan Rome. The second phase is symbolized in chapter 7 by a "little horn" growing out of the head of the fourth beast. The little horn is a new feature in this vision.
Verses 9-14, 26-28. After Daniel saw human organizations struggle to grasp political and religious dominion on earth, the scene shifted to heaven. In the midst of the career of the little horn Daniel saw the heavenly court convene. The second new feature in the vision of chapter 7 pertains to the scene of final judgment in heaven. At some point of time after AD 1798 (the close of the 1260-year period referred to in verse 25), the great court would sit, and investigation would be made in the affairs of earth.
The key word in chapter 7 is dominion (verses 6, 12, 14, 26, 27). Who will rule the dominion of this world? Political and religious forces struggle to exercise authority, often trampling upon the rights of earth's inhabitants and coercing the consciences of those who fear God. But God has not abdicated His sovereignty over creation. The dominion of the oppressors will be taken away (verses 12, 26). God's people will be approved, the jewels of His kingdom made up (verse 27). Judgment will be rendered in their favor (verses 22). Daniel saw God the Father, described as "the Ancient of days" surrounded by myriad's of holy angels, sitting on a fiery throne. "The books were opened"; the judgment was set." Then the attention of the prophet was drawn to "one like the son of man," coming "with the clouds of heaven." This Distinguished Person who was presented before the Eternal judge to be awarded rightful authority over the earth and an eternal kingdom is no other than Jesus Christ (see Mark 14:61, 62) he is earth's Rightful Ruler, and His followers are earth's rightful inhabitants. "His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away" (verse 14). Two years after Daniel received the vision recorded in chapter 7 he received another vision that also portrayed the course of history. This time, however, the Babylonian power was not included, and he saw only the three powers yet to follow. He describes this in chapter 8.
What does the mysterious little horn, spoken of in verses 8, 11, 20, and 24-26, represent? Daniel presents at least seven characteristics that clearly help identify this little horn in European history during the Christian era as Papal Rome.
1. Location (verse 8): The little horn was to develop "among" ten nations of western Europe into which Rome divided.
2. Time of rise (verses 8, 20, 24): It would arise after the breakup of the Roman Empire - that is, after the fifth century AD. Further, it would arise after three of the ten horns had been up-rooted. Three of the barbarian kingdoms that arose out of Rome espoused the views of Arius, who denied the divinity of Christ. All the other barbarian kingdoms came to accept the Catholic faith.
From AD 476 on, the three Arian powers dominated portions of the territory of Rome, but each in turn met defeat as the rulers of the Eastern Roman Empire rallied to support the Roman Church in the west. In 533 Justinian, the emperor of the Eastern Empire, legally recognized the bishop (or pope) of Rome as the head of all the Christian churches, but because of the Arian domination of Rome, the pope had no opportunities to actually exercise his civilly recognized power. Finally in 538 Belisarius, one of Justinian's generals, routed the Ostrogoths, the last of the Arian powers, from the city of Rome. Thus by the military intervention of the Eastern Empire the pope was freed from the dominating influence of states that restrained his activities in the civil sphere. This date, AD 538, plays an important part in identifying who this power is - as we shall see under number 7.
3. It's nature (verses 7, 8, 20, 24): Compared with the other horns the little horn was diverse, or different. It was "stout," or great. It exercised more than political power. Its attention to religious issues characterizes this power as a combined religious and political system.
4. Attitude toward God (verses 8, 20, 25): The little horn would "speak great words" against God. (Compared Daniel 8:23, 11:36; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:5.)
5. Attitude toward God's law (verses 25): It would view God's law as needing changes and would attempt to make changes in that law by its own authority. Papal Rome did, in fact, champion Sunday as a holy day instead of the seventh-day Sabbath ordained by God in His law.
6. Attitude toward God's people (verses 21, 25): This system would persecute "the saints of the most High." Those whom papal Rome considered heretical faced civil punishment. History attests that millions were put to death under this religiopolitical system. Church historian David Schaff summed up papal Rome's persecuting activities in these words:
"Down to the very close of the Middle Ages", the pages of history were disfigured by the decrees of popes and synods, confirming the death as the penalty for heresy, and for persons supposed to be possessed with witchcraft. The great council of Constance, 1415, did not get away from this atmosphere, and ordered heretics punished even by the flames, - puniantur ad ignem. And the bull of Leo X, 1520, condemning Luther, cursed as heresy the Reformer's liberal statement that the burning of heretics is contrary to the will of the Spirit" (History of the Christian Church, Vol. V, Part 1, p. 524).
7. Length of time permitted to rule (verse 25): The little horn would rule "a times and times and the dividing of time." The revised Standard Version reads"a time, two times, and half a time." The prophecies of Revelation provide the key to this symbolic period. There the same period of a "a time, and times, and a half time" (Revelation 12:14) is equated with 1260 days (verse 6). From this we see that a "time" equals 360 days. In symbolic prophecy each day stands for a year - "each day for a year" - according to Ezekiel 4:5, 6.
For 1260 years, then, the little horn would exercise its sovereignty over God's people and His law through civil channels. This period began in 538, as we have seen. Exactly 1260 years later, in 1798, the French general Berthier entered Rome, declared a republic, and after taking the pope prisoner, proclaimed the political rule of the Papacy to be at an end.
The Book of Revelation later amplified on this loss of power by calling it a "deadly wound." But according to Revelation this wound was to be "healed" and all the world would yet be awed by Rome as it manifested a comeback, a resurgence of power (Revelation 13:3). Thus the 1260 years denote only the period of supremacy in Rome's long history during which God allowed this system to demonstrate its principles, policies, and objectives.
It should be emphasized that the little horn represents a system, a church-state combination, a religious power that would grasp civil power to enforce certain beliefs and practices. Because the Papacy did use such civil power as the prophecy predicted does not by any means bring individual Roman Catholics under condemnation. Multitudes of Roman Catholics have followed Christ as best they knew, and many have exhibited a true devotion to the cross. But the papal system during its years of supremacy did singularly fulfill the prophecy of Daniel 7.
This church-state system - just as other powers before it - failed to unite mankind. And that is what this prophecy brings out. Man's attempts to create a peace through force of arms, legislation, or coercion of the conscience are doomed to failure. As long as sin exists in the hearts of mankind, struggles for dominion and control will continue until the Prince of peace assumes the kingdom.
Here are the ten horns:
1. Sueves
2. Visigoths
3. Burgundians
4. Lombards
5. Anglo-Saxons
6. Franks
[ He shall subdue three kings]
8. Heruls *
9. Ostrogoths **
10. Vandels **
Notes:
* The Catholic emperor Zeno (474 - 491) arranged a treaty with the Ostrogoths in 487 which resulted in the eradication of the kingdom of the Arian Herus in 493.
** The Catholic empoeror Justinian (527 - 564) exterminated the Arian Vandels in 534 and significantly broke the power of the Arian Ostrogoths in 538.
The Pope's power - and his religious and political claims - increased for centuries. In 1076 Pope Gregory VII informed the subjects of Henry IV, emperor of Germany, that if Henry would not repent of his sins, they would not need to obey him. Henry was the most powerful monarch in Europe at the time, but he nonetheless made a pilgrimage to Canossa in the Alps, where the Pope was residing, and waited three painful days, barefoot in the snow, until Pope Gregory forgave him.
Taking his clue from Gregory VII, Pope Pius V in 1570 in the bull (or decree) Regnans in excelsis ("He who reigns in the heavens") declared that the Protestant queen of England, Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603), was an accursed heretic who hereafter should have no right to rule and whose citizens were all, by papal authority, forbidden to obey her.
Professor John L. McKenzie of Notre Dame University writes in his gracious manner that "the teaching authority of the Roman Church is vested at any given moment in men, who are not all of equal virtue and competence." He continues," [Pope] Pius V was and is respected as a holy man and learned man, but his deposition of Elizabeth I of England is recognized as one of the greatest blunders in the history of the Papacy."
The admission that the "teaching authority of the Roman Church" is vested in men of unequal virtue and competence contrasts with a claim made as recently as the 1890's by Pope Leo XIII. In an encyclical letter, "On the Chief Duties of Christians as Citizens," dated January 10, 1890, Leo VIII asserted that the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires ....complete submission and obedience of the will to the church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself." On June 20, 1894, in "The Reunion of Christendom," Leo claimed that "we [that is, we popes] hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty."
Grand as these claims may appear today, even they are not quite so exalted as the status attributed to Pope Julius II at the Fifth Lateran Council in 1512, when Christopher Marcellus told the pope - and the pope did not rebuke him for it - "Thou art the Shepherd, thou art the Physician, thou art the Governor, thou art the Husbandman, finally thou art another God on Earth."