Monday: The Rise of the Little Horn
Read Daniel 8:8-12 carefully. In which directions is this little horn moving, and why is this important to understand?
After depicting four horns spreading to the four winds of heaven, the biblical text says that from one arose a little horn. The question here is whether this horn/power comes from one of the four horns, which, as we saw yesterday, represent the four generals of Alexander — or one of the four winds.
Image © Lars Justinen Creative Collection at Goodsalt.com
The grammatical structure of the text in the original language indicates that this horn comes from one of the four winds of heaven. And since this power arises after the Grecian Empire and its four offshoots, a common understanding is that this horn is Rome, first pagan and then papal. “This little horn represents Rome in both its phases, pagan and papal. Daniel saw Rome first in its pagan, imperial phase, warring against the Jewish people and the early Christians, and then in its papal phase, continuing down to our own day and into the future”. — The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 841.
According to the biblical text, the little horn first undertook a horizontal movement and “grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land” (Dan. 8:9, NKJV). These three directions correspond to the three major areas that fell under the domination of pagan Rome.
As the little horn becomes the main player in the vision, its vertical expansion receives detailed attention. In this regard, the horn corresponds closely to the little horn of Daniel chapter 7, as the following comparison shows: (1) Both horns are little in the beginning (Dan. 7:8, Dan. 8:9). (2) Both become great later on (Dan. 7:20, Dan. 8:9). (3) Both are persecuting powers (Dan. 7:21, Dan. 7:25; Dan. 8:10, Dan. 8:24). (4) Both are self-exalting and blasphemous (Dan. 7:8, Dan. 7:20, Dan. 7:25; Dan. 8:10-11, Dan. 8:25). (5) Both target God’s people (Dan. 7:25, Dan. 8:24). (6) Both have aspects of their activity which are delineated by prophetic time (Dan. 7:25; Dan. 8:13-14). (7) Both extend until the time of the end (Dan. 7:25-26; Dan. 8:17, Dan. 8:19). (8) And both face supernatural destruction (Dan. 7:11, Dan. 7:26; Dan. 8:25). Lastly, because the little horn of Daniel chapter 7 represents the papacy, the vertical expansion of the little horn in Daniel chapter 8 must represent the same power. Thus, as in Daniel chapters 2 and 7, the final main power is Rome, both pagan and papal.
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I am very pressed for time this week and as a result, writing comments, or perhaps I should say, finding the time to do enough study to write an informed comment, is critically low.
The use of the symbolism of horns in Daniel 8 is very significant because, throughout the Mediterranean countries, bull worship was very much part of their religions. This even extended to the Israelites (the golden calf), Baal worship and so on (there is a whole lot more but providing examples takes time). The symbolism of the "horns" throughout the region was quite pervasive and even today, making the sign of the horns to ward of evil is still practised. One of the uses of the "sign of the horns" that has persisted to modern times is that it is used as an indicator of cuckoldry.
I am not suggesting that we go to secular sources to guide our interpretation of prophecy, but I think that the use of horns as symbols for evil was well understood even in Daniel's time. The fact that the sign is still associated with cuckoldry shows that the symbolism has been associated with deceit and deception for a very long time.
I believe that Dan 8:23-25 helps us understand that this new king that arises is not from the four of Greece but after them.
Does the little horn arise from the the winds or the horns? Both preterists and futurists use this as a sticking point.
Can we simply rely on the chronology of the kingdoms as outlined in Daniel 2 and 7 (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome) and assume that chapter 8 will follow the same sequence?
The little horn arises out of the winds. As none of the beasts ever conquered Italy. Also the little horn came from the west.
Maurice, please send some of the 'secular sources' that I can go to I would love to read it.
Do a google search on "Bull Worship". The book that originally alerted me to some of these issues is long out of print. "The Lotus and the Robot". I read that over 60 years ago as a teenager.
The little horn that grows great in Daniel 8, is pagan Rome growing into Papal Rome. For the phrase "abominations that make desolate" gives us links to other passages that help identify this same power.
Our first confirmation of this comes from Jesus Himself as He describes the soon coming fall of Jerusalem and combines His prophecy with the events at the end of the world.
Matthew 24.15,19
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:
This "abomination" spoken of by Daniel wasn't some already defunct power in Christ's day. It was a power alive and well at that time.
Daniel 9 ended with:
" and on the wing of abominations (will come) one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."
Rome destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and later grew into a great religious political power -- the horn of Daniel 8.
In Revelation 17:5 we see that the great religious system termed as Babylon carries the same identification: mother of abominations.
And it is in Daniel 8.13 that the question is asked:
"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?"
How long will this abomination of desolation, this transgression, hide the truth of the heavenly sanctuary and persecute the saints?
How long before the full message of the sanctuary will be understood? How long before people recognize forgiveness and cleansing comes from Christ alone?
How long before people realize that CHRIST IS JUDGE and they are accountable to HIM--not to a power that pretends to have the keys to heaven and hell?
This is a question which involves everyone! Every human being looking for salvation, no matter what denomination they belong to, needs to look to Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.
How long?
The answer is given -- 2300 days/years then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
The vision covered time from 457 BC to 1844 AD.
Then the truth of Christ's sanctuary once again became known to Christians. God's law, with all 10 commands, as the standard for cleansing, once again became known, and best of all, Christ's ministry in forgiving and cleansing His people became known once more.
Now Christ can commence His work of judgment.
At this time the 1st angel's message was heard:
"Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Rev. 14:7
Ulrike Unruh, may I share a copy of your 1260-1290-1335 writings verbatim with the Glia Society (Glia Society.org)?
The Horn had “eyes of a man”. The lion with wings was transformed from a beast to a man, and given a man’s mind (Dan 7:4). This is the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar who fully represented Babylon, and was specifically designated king of kings, and the head of gold (Dan 2:37,38). About the eye of man, Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body, so then if your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light t.”(Matt 6:22). Did God designate a horn/power/nation to be a light?
Horns in Scripture: Zech 1:18,19 reveals that four horns have scattered Israel. Each is identified in Scripture. “Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (Jer 50:17). That’s 2 of 4, both from the East.
“It will come about also in that day..., and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship...”(Isa 27:13) # 3, from the South.
“Because you (Shepherds of Israel) push with side and shoulder and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, therefor, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another. Then I will set over them one Shepherd, My Servant David, and He will feed them Himself and be their Shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My Servant David will be Prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.”(Ezk 34:21-24) # 4
Coincidentally?? Israel lusted after and played the harlot to these same three horns/nations (Ezk 16:26-30).
The end of the shepherds of Israel: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep...”(Ezk 34:10).
The ‘little horn’ aka horn of LITTLE beginnings...
What is really happening in this chapter? The war of this ‘little horn’ or ‘horn of little beginnings’ (for the horn later grew exceedingly great) against the Son of God’s heavenly sanctuary ministry is striking.
Did pagan Rome really ever challenge Christ’s heavenly sanctuary ministry? The answer is a resounding NO. This ‘little horn’ - how then can it be Pagan Rome and then Papal Rome? I honestly believe that it is not. The horn of little beginnings ‘uprooted’ 3 kingdoms, as we discovered last week, rightly identifying them as the kingdoms that had to disappear for Papal Rome to gain ascendency. How then can today’s lesson tells us of the little horn being Pagan Rome?
It’s true that there’s an “apparent discrepancy” on the source of the little horn, suffice it to say, that this “discrepancy” between Daniel 7 and Daniel 8 has led futurist and preterist scholars to conclude that the little horn of Daniel 8 does not represent the same power as the little horn of Daniel 7. Preterists believe the little horn in Daniel 7 and 8 is a symbol of Antiochus Epiphanes. Futurist scholars believe that the little horn of Daniel 7 represents a future individual Antichrist who will sit in a rebuilt Jerusalem temple for three and a half literal years while they believe that the little horn of Daniel 8 represents Antiochus Epiphanes.
But is it so? Can we trace the little horn from the 4 horns yet addressing this discrepancy? Well, let me try! History has it that the pagan Babylon religion was inherited through Attalids - Asia Minor (Pergamum, where Satan’s throne is - Rev 2:13 ) to pagan Rome. And of course, we know the inner religion of Papal Rome is Mithraism, from Pagan Rome, directly inherited from Attalids 1 of the 4 Greece horns), this having been inherited from Pagan Rome.
So, YES, the little horn grew out of Atallids ‘genealogically’ and no, it is not pagan Rome, but Papal Rome.
The features of the little horn between the 2 chapters are too clear for us to miss the point, consider these comparisons between the horn of Daniel 7 and the little horn in Daniel 8:
Both are identified with the same symbol: a horn (7:8; 8:9). Remarkably, even though Daniel 7 was written in Aramaic and Daniel 8 in Hebrew, both employ the same word for ‘horn’ (qeren)
Both are described as ‘little’ at the outset (7:8; 8:9)
Both are described as becoming ‘great’ later on (7:20; 8:9)
Both are described as persecuting powers (7:21, 25; 8:10, 24)
Both have the same target group as the object of their persecution (7:21, 25, 27; 8:24).
Both chapters call the persecuted ones ‘the people of the saints’ (7:27; 8:24)
Both are described as self-exalting and blasphemous powers (7:8, 11, 20, 25; 8:10-12,
25)
Both are described as exercising a crafty intelligence (7:8: ‘eyes of a man’; 8:23-25:
‘understands riddles, cunning and deceit’)
Both represent the final and greatest anti-God climax of their visions (7:8-9, 21-22; 25-
26; 8:12-14, 25).
Both have aspects of their work delimited by prophetic time (7:25; 8:14)
The activities of both extend to the time of the end (7:25-26; cf. 12:7-9; 8:17, 19)
Both are to be supernaturally destroyed (7:11, 26; 8:25)
Shea, a great Adventist author summarizes the evidence:
“If the prophet had desired to represent different powers in this final position, he could easily have used different symbols to do so. But instead he used the same symbol of a little horn at the end of the vision in chapter 8 as he did at the end of the vision in chapter 7. This commonality of representation suggests that the same symbol has been used to refer to the same power in both cases.” William Shea, Symposium on Daniel, p. 187
So the little horn indeed arose from Attalids ( (Asia Minor) in terms of its RELIGION, but from its ‘little beginnings’ from the pagan Rome - POLITICALLY, in the process uprooting the 3 kingdoms as we discovered in chapter 7.
Chapter 8 addresses its RELIGIOUS origin, while chapter 7 addressed its POLITICAL origin.