p. 6 | Studies in Daniel

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 27, 1912

Studies in Daniel

A Vision of Empires; the Little Horn

HE first eight verses of this chapter, with the vision given by the angel, were printed in our last week's issue. The ram symbolized Medo-Persia; the rough goat, Grecia; the first notable horn, her first king, Alexander, and his empire; the succeeding four horns, the kingdoms inaugurated by Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus, respectively: Macedon, Asia Minor and Thrace, Egypt, and Syria. Succeeding the division of the Medo-Persian empire is another horn — another power symbolized and described by the scripture which we use this week.

The Answer of the Text

1. What did the prophet see coming forth from one of the four horns of the goat?

And out of one of them came forth a little horn. Verse 9.

2. What is said of this little horn?

Which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land. Verse 9.

3. What assumption did it manifest?

And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. Verse 10.

4. How far did it carry this assumption?

Yea, it magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host. Verse 11.

5. What did it take from the Prince of the host?

And it took away from Him the continual (burnt offering). Verse 11.

6. What was done with the place of His sanctuary?

And the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Verse 11.

7. What was given to it, and why?

And the host was given over to it together with the continual (burnt offering) through transgression. Verse 12.

8. Under such conditions, what did it do?

And it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered. Verse 12.

9. What did the prophet hear?

Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said unto that certain one who spake. Verse 13.

10. What question was asked the holy speaker?

How long shall be the vision concerning the continual (burnt offering), and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot? Verse 13.

11. What did the speaker answer?

And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. Verse 14.

12. What did Daniel seek, and what was the response?

And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. Verses 15, 16.

13. For what time was the vision especially given?

So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was affrighted, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man; for the vision belongeth to the time of the end. Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongeth to the appointed time of the end. Verses 17-19.

14. What did the angel say was symbolized by the little horn?

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. Verse 23.

15. What is said of this power?

And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. Verse 24.

16. What shall this power do?

And he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and do his pleasure; and he shall destroy the mighty ones and the holy people. Verse 24.

17. What shall he cause to prosper?

And through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand. Verse 25.

18. What spirit will be manifest?

And he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in their security shall he destroy many. Verse 25.

19. How shall he exalt himself? and what shall be his end?

He shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes; but he shall be broken without hand. Verse 25.

20. What assurance was given the prophet?

And the vision of the evenings and mornings which hath been told is true. Verse 26.

21. What was the prophet commanded to do?

But shut thou up the vision; for it belongeth to many days to come. Verse 26.

22. Had all the vision been explained?

And I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick certain days; then I rose up, and did the king's business: and I wondered at the vision, but none understood it. Verse 27.

The Prophetic Specifications

Let the reader note the particular specifications concerning the little horn in these few verses, and also what the prophet says concerning the vision itself:

1. The vision belongs to "the time of the end." Verse 17.

2. It reveals what shall be in "the latter time of the indignation," "the time of the end." See Dan. 11:35.

3. It belonged to "many days to come," and therefore was to be considered among the things "shut up" until "the appointed time of the end." Dan. 8:26; 12:4-9.

4. The little horn came out of one of the four horns. Dan. 8:8, 9.

5. It waxed "exceeding great." Verse 9.

6. It extended its conquest toward the south, toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. Verse 9.

7. "It waxed great, even to the host of heaven." Verse 10.

8. It cast down some of the host and of the stars, and trampled on them. Verse 10.

9. "It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host." Verse 11.

10. It took away from the Prince of the host the continual. ("Sacrifice" in the Common Version, "burnt offering" in the Revised Version, are supplied because the translator supposed them to be necessary to the sense. This will be considered later.) Verse 11.

11. The place of His (the Prince's) sanctuary was cast down. Verse 11.

12. The host was given over to it through transgression. Verse 12.

13. The continual was given over to it, together with the host, through transgression. Verse 12.

14. It (the little horn) "cast down the truth to the ground." Verse 12.

15. "It did its pleasure and prospered." Verse 12.

16. Its blasting, blighting effect of transgression would be manifest concerning the continual for 2,300 prophetic days. Verse 14.

Now here are thirteen definite specifications concerning that power which is to arise. Still farther specifications are given in the explanation of Gabriel to Daniel, which we number in the same series:

17. The little horn arises to power in "the latter time" of the kingdom of the four horns, when their transgressions should come to the full. Verse 23.

18. It symbolizes a power of fierce countenance. Verse 23. Compare with Dan. 7:20.

19. It would deal in and understand dark sentences. Verse 23. Compare Deut. 28:49, 50.

20. It would become mighty, but not by its own power. Verse 24.

21. It would destroy wonderfully. Verse 24.

22. It would prosper and do its pleasure. Verses 24, 12.

23. It would destroy mighty ones. Verse 24. Compare with verse 10.

24. It would destroy the holy people (margin, "the people of the saints"). Verse 24. See also verse 10; chapter 7:21, 25.

25. It would cause craft to prosper through policy. Verse 25. See also verse 12.

26. It would magnify itself in its heart. Verse 25. Compare chapter 11:36; and 2 Thess. 2:4.

27. It shall destroy many in peace and security. Verse 25.

28. It shall stand up against the Prince of Princes. Verse 25. See also verse 11.

29. It should be broken without hand; that is, it would continue until God should judge. Verse 25. Compare chapter 2:34, 45; and Job 34:20.

Here are twenty-nine specifications. Three of these apply to the prophecy in general; twenty-six to the little horn. Some of the latter are duplicated, tho many times expressed so differently as to constitute another specification. But counting those which are identical in the first and last series, there are about a score of distinct particulars not ordinary, or common to kingdoms, named in the description of the little horn, and the power which it symbolizes. It would be utterly unreasonable to expect that all these would be applicable to any two powers. The law of probabilities would be immensely, infinitely (almost) against it. When the right power is found all will be applicable. The prophecy is clear and forcible, but with many applications, with the wrestling of the prophecy, we are left to drift on a sea of doubt and perplexity. Then, too, this prophecy must be in harmony with other great prophecies of Daniel and of John covering the same period, for the same Spirit inspired them all.

The Two Interpretations

There are two current interpretations of this little-horn prophecy. First is the traditional exposition which applies it to Antiochus Epiphanes, who reigned in the Syrian division of Alexander's kingdom before Greece, B.C. 175 to 164, a period of nearly twelve years. About the only specifications which could be made to apply to him are:

That he ruled in one of the four kingdoms;
That he persecuted God's people;
That he profaned the sanctuary, or temple, and interrupted for a period of years the Jewish temple service;
That he magnified himself against God;
In a limited way he prospered and did his pleasure.

Only in five particulars can the specifications of the prophecy be made to apply to Antiochus, and these may be equally applicable to any strong persecuting power.

The other claim is that the little horn applies to Rome, and of this we may say that it meets its every specification in the entire career of the Roman power.

Some General Principles

In the consideration of the application of these specific particulars to the Roman power in its entirety, it is well to keep in mind two great facts:

1. Every other line of prophecy in God's Word continues to the end of this present world, or age, when vision and prophecy shall cease, and the glorious, everlasting kingdom of God shall be ushered in. As evidence of this, note the following:

In Daniel 2 the fourth kingdom is a latter-day kingdom, and is succeeded by the eternal kingdom of the God of heaven. Verses 28, 44.

The prophetic vision sweeps the centuries of human rule from Babylon to Jerusalem, the city of the great King, and the reign of Jesus upon the throne of David.

In Daniel 7 the same four world-powers are revealed which are symbolized by the metals of Daniel 2. As in the second chapter, the vision sweeps us on to the judgment of the great day, the overthrow of all earthly powers, and the reign of the once persecuted saints of God. Verses 26, 27.

Daniel 11 carries us to the time when the last great earthly power shall come to naught, and Michael shall begin His reign. So it is in the great discourse of our Lord in Matthew 24; and in the Revelation the prophecies of the seven churches, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, the great red dragon, the leopard beast, and the scarlet beast. Each one of these lines of prophecy from some noted mile-post of human history carries us on to the end of the road, to the culmination, the end of all imperfect, corrupt human rule, and the setting up of the world-wide kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord. Is the prophecy which begins in Daniel 8 an exception to these? — Emphatically, it is not. It is one of the many similar witnesses, all of which testify to God's hand in history, even to the end, despite the machinations of evil.

2. The second great fact demonstrates this, for it is the express declaration of the angel that (a) The vision "belongeth to many days to come." It is with prophetic days the vision deals. A ram of a few years' existence symbolizes an empire which lasts more than 200 years. A short-lived goat symbolizes long-existing Grecia. The "many days to come" represent the many years of human history before God's purpose shall be accomplished. "Each day for a year" is the rule of inspiration. Eze. 4:6; Num. 14:34.

(b) The angel expressly declares that the vision was given to reveal "what shall be in the latter time of the indignation," to the very end of that time, when the apostate power of earth shall pour out the end of its wrath against the remnant of the people of the holy covenant, and the just wrath of God shall be visited upon the wholly unregenerate, reprobate powers. Dan. 11:30; Rev. 12:17.

(c) And this time is expressly stated in the prophecy; not only is it in "the latter time of the indignation," but it "belongeth to the appointed time of the end," that little period set apart in probation's hour for the finishing of God's work. Dan. 8:19. Therefore, it is not to be expected that the Jews, who may have applied this little horn to Antiochus IV, would understand it, for it was to be among the things which time must help in demonstrating, and therefore it was shut up "even to the time of the end," when "the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but they that are wise shall understand." Dan. 12:4, 9, 10. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments." Ps. 111:10.

Therefore, as it is demonstrated both by fullest analogy and by positive declaration that the vision is for the last days, it does not, can not apply to Antiochus Epiphanes, who was only one of a line of kings, who reigned but twelve years in the middle of the Seleucid kingdom, and not in the closing years of the four divisions, who died long before the period demanded by the prophecy; while the little horn continues his work to the indignation in the time of the end.

Farther consideration of these specifications must be left until our next issue.