Daniel 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; 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;
The verse records Daniel's request to know the truth or meaning of the fourth beast and its destructive power. That beast was diverse from and unlike all the others, exceeding dreadful, with teeth of iron and nails of brass, which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. The four beasts are Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, and the fourth beast is Rome. The beast imagery denotes powers formed by the union of church and state, which cruelly crush those who oppose them.
A horn in the prophecy can represent a church, and the little horn represents the Roman Church before it received civil power. That little horn identifies the papacy which succeeded to the power, seat, and authority of the ancient Roman Empire. Its dominion was taken away in 1798, when Berthier entered Rome and the Pope was taken prisoner. The papal power described in Revelation 13 bears the characteristics of the four beasts and inherits the power held by their empires in succession.
The verse belongs to the wonderful prophecies of Daniel 7 to 12, given to Daniel as God's ambassador as revelations of the mysteries of ages to come. They were taught to him and recorded by him in figures and symbols for coming generations as a figurative account of prophetic history till the close of time and the close of earth's history. Its full meaning was not understood even by Daniel himself, for the words were shut up and sealed until the time of the end, the closing period of this world's history, and Daniel was assured that he would rest and then stand in his lot and place at the end of the days. Daniel was able to know the truth of the fourth beast because God gave him understanding in all visions and dreams, with knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom. This came with the Lord's approval and blessing on his firmness, self-denial, and purity of motive, fulfilling the promise that those who honor God will be honored, and as he clung to God with unwavering trust the spirit of prophetic power came upon him even while he was receiving instruction from men in the duties of court life. The prophecy is to be studied carefully, and its application must be guarded against misinterpretation and theories that create confusion.