Another point of interest which we will notice in this prophecy is the change of Rome from a Pagan to a Papal power. This power "waxed exceeding great, toward the south [Egypt], and toward the east [Syria], and toward the pleasant land [Palestine]. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and by him the daily was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And a host was given him against the daily by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced and prospered." Verses 9-12. Rome conquered Egypt in B. C. 30; Syria B. C. 65, and Judea two years later. It oppressed God's chosen people, degraded their rulers and priests, and finally exalted itself against the Prince of the host by putting Christ to death. That the expression "Prince of the host," in verse 11, means Christ, is evident from the words recorded in verse 25, where in giving Daniel an explanation of the symbols, the angel said of the little horn: "He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken without hand." The Prince of princes can be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. This little horn power was also to take away, or abolish,137paganism, and establish the papacy. We have, in quoting the verses given above, purposely omitted the word "sacrifice," not only because it is not in the original, but also because there is absolutely no reason why it should be supplied. We learn from verse 13 what should be understood after "daily": "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily and the transgression of desolation?" The daily what? Manifestly the daily desolation. Thus we have brought to view a mighty desolating power under two phases, namely, the daily, or continual desolation, and the transgression of desolation. These expressions can refer to nothing else than the two great phases of Rome—paganism and papacy. The change from paganism to papacy was effected by Rome itself. Constantine, himself a pagan, and a high priest of pagan rites, made Christianity the religion of the empire, and the result was the establishment of the papacy; ancient paganism was taken away and the papal abomination took its place. But while this change was begun and carried forward by Rome itself, help was not wanting. Barbarian hordes from the north overran the empire, became the converts to its new paganism, and by force of arms helped to firmly establish the papacy throughout Europe. The following from D'Aubigne's "History of the Reformation," Book I, Chap. 1, Paragraph 31, is to the point:— "But already the forests of the North had poured forth the most effectual promoters of papal power. The barbarians who had invaded the West and settled themselves therein,—but recently converted to Christianity,—ignorant of the spiritual character of the church, and feeling the want of an external pomp of religion, prostrated themselves in a half savage and half heathen state of mind at the feet of the chief priest of Rome. At the same time the people of the West also submitted to him. First the Vandals, then the Ostrogoths, a short time after the Burgundians and the Alans, then the Visigoths, and at last the Lombards and the Anglo-Saxons came bowing the knee to the Roman Pontiff. It was the sturdy shoulders of the idolatrous children of the North which elevated to the supreme throne of Christendom a pastor of the banks of the Tiber." In his second letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul in writing of the papacy said: "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." The word let formerly had the sense of hinder, and verse 7 will be better understood to read it, "Only he who now hindereth will hinder, until he be taken out of the way." The meaning of the text is simply this: Even in the apostle's day, influences were at work in the church which did eventually result in the establishment of the papacy, but as that system is a union of nominal Christianity and State, it could not be established as long as paganism was the State religion; paganism, the daily desolation, hindered the setting up of the papacy, the transgression of desolation, and the daily had to be taken away before the transgression of desolation could take its place. With this explanation, brief though it is, all will see at once that Dan. 8: 11, 12, and 2 Thess. 2: 7, 8, refer to one and the same thing, namely, to the change of Rome from pagan to papal. The length of time that this cruel persecuting power was to hold sway over the people of God, we learn from verses 13, 14; the prophet said: "Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." But the prophet did not understand the vision, for we are told in verse 15 that he sought for the meaning. Then follows an explanation that the ram symbolized Medo-Persia, the goat Grecia, and the little horn a persecuting power that should destroy the mighty and holy people and put to death the Prince of princes. But Daniel could endure no more. We read: "And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it." By the words, "none understood it," we are not to understand that Daniel did not understand the prophecy as far as it had been explained to him, for he certainly did understand enough to overwhelm him with astonishment and cause him to faint, but he did not understand the time; for while he may have understood the 2300 days to stand for as many years, he had as yet no means of knowing when they began, and consequently could not know when the time would end. This is however made plain in the ninth chapter, as we shall show in our next. C. P. B.