Sunday: The Little Horn’s Attack
Read Daniel 8, focusing especially on verses 9-14 and 8:23-25. What does the little horn power attack?
Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com
The horn power interferes with the worship of the divine “Prince of the host” (vs. 11, compare with Josh. 5:13–15). It removes from Him (Dan. 8:11-12) “the daily” (in Hebrew tamid)—a word that refers over and over to the daily sacrificial service in the earthly sanctuary service. Because the agent of tamid activities at the sanctuary is a priest, often the high priest, the horn sought to usurp the role of the (high) priest, command its own counterfeit “host,” and take away “the daily.” In this case, given the prophetic context (during the time of papal Rome), it’s obviously Christ’s high priestly ministry that is attacked.
The horn power thus usurps the responsibilities of the heavenly Priest and interrupts the continual worship of God on earth. It acts like another “captain of the host,” waging a religious war against the divine Heavenly Prince, His sanctuary, and His people. It becomes an earthly instrument of Satan; it is said to be “mighty, but not by his own power” (Dan. 8:24, NKJV), and its activities reflect a cosmic war that is fought on two levels, the earthly and the heavenly.
The little horn follows right after the ram (Media-Persia) and the he-goat (Greece); therefore, it must be identified historically as Rome, which came after the kingdoms of Media-Persia (Dan. 8:20) and Greece (Dan. 8:21). Though the little horn started out as imperial Rome, the greater emphasis is on papal Rome, the primary focus of the vision.
As said before, the “daily” (tamid) refers to Christ’s continual priestly mediation in the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 7:25; 8:1- 2). The “taking away of the daily” by the horn power represents the introduction of such papal innovations as a mediating priesthood, the sacrifice of the mass, the confessional, and the worship of Mary, by which it has successfully taken away knowledge of, and reliance upon, the continual ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary.
None of us is immune to the danger of trying to play God. How might you, however subtly, be doing the same thing?
(21)
Playing God can take the form of feeling spiritually superior because I've not made life mistakes like someone else. It can be shown in the attitude that I'm more Christlike than you or by pushing others to do what God is leading me to do because God doesn't lead others like He leads me.
Playing God has me relying on things like self-righteousness that God abhors instead of grace, mercy and the sacrifice of Jesus.
In Christ, I want to be concerned for others. That doesn't include discussing, reviewing, evaluating or deciding another's spiritual state or eternal destiny. The mercy and grace Christ extends to me, is the mercy and grace He extends to all His people, no exceptions for my biases and prejudices (which by His grace I will overcome).
I pray that God will give me a love that leads me to pray, support, edify and encourage appropriately ALL to serve Him, instead of being a "stumbling block", regardless of my own experience.
Interpreted the vision as the war that was in heaven the little horn i interpreted him as the devil trying to be like God and some of the host he stamped down with him were the fallen angels
If the scripture must interpret itself, the ‘little horn’, it seems, is the rulers of Israel. The prophecy says “...they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy unto the end. And the kingdom .... shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High”Dan. 7:26,27. Christ says, “the stone the builders rejected is become the head of the corner...the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof”Matt. 21:42,43. They committed the abomination of abominations. They performed human sacrifice in delivering up the Lord Jesus to “save our place(sanctuary) and our nation”John 11:48,49. Jesus said they committed the ”greater sin” in delivering him up to the Gentiles. They made their stand in the Holy Place when according to the law there should be no one in the holy place when the most-holy service begins (Lev.16:17; Heb.9:8) attempting to change the times and laws. Their season had come to an end but they refuse to leave until they were cast out. They above all spoke words against God and his Christ declaring Christ to be a devil; declaring Caesar to be the only king they know; questioning his authority.
I read Joshua 5:13-15 several times. Is that text showing us that Joshua was bowing down to a false priest or so called captain of Gods army? Im a little confused because we are comparing the text to what happened in Rome, as far as Christ priesthood being replaced by a Papal preist. Is the writer trying to show us that Joshua was worshiping a false captain? Please send your responses, I'm a little confused by this text and the comparison. Thanks!
Joshua 5:13-15 is talking about the children of Israel is about to take jericho verse 5 is talking about a man that Joshua saw standing there with his sword drawn. Joshua ask for his identity. verse 14 he identifies himself as captain of the host of the lord. In the following verses we see it was Israel's mission to over throw Jericho but the walls of Jericho were torn down by angels not the children of israel. when verse 14 makes reference to the captain of the host of the lord its referring to the angels as being the host. SO JESUS is the captain of `all heaven and angels and he is leading the battle against Jericho.In verse 15 We hear the same proclamation that was'made to moses on mount sinai take the shoes off your feet for the ground which you stand is Holy.This again identifies that Joshua is worshiping the God of heaven in verse 14 and 15.
In Jos 5: 13-15, we see Joshua rightfully worshipping the Captain of the Host of The Lord ( God ). Only God deserves to be worshiped: "Worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea, and the fountains of waters" ( rev 14:7 ). Note the same theme as Peter rebuked Cornelius when he fell down at his feet (acts 10: 25 and 26). Again, the angel of The Lord rebuked John for worshipping him (rev 19:10). The lesson is communicating how the little horn ( the antichrist) is usurping the authority of God - condoning worshipping of Mary and other saints, confessing of sins to man instead of God, changing GOD,s DAY of WORSHIP, and deleting # 2 of the ten commandment. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them...... ( exodus 20:4 and 5).
Franka,
The author of the lesson just used phrasing that is confusing. I believe he meant to say that the little horn power behaves as though he is Captain of the host, but he is simply an apostate priest(priesthood) who actually fights against God and His saints. The wording is unfortunate!
Continuing to answer the question on Joshua 5:13-15 for franka sadler. The author is apparently giving a parallel of Daniel 8:11 and Joshua 5:13-15 to identify who is the prince of the host.As I discuss earlier the prince of the host or the captain of the host as found in Joshua 5:14,15 is jesus. So the prince of the host found in Daniel 8:11 is also jesus..
Who deserve our worship?
Who alone can mediate for man?
Who can forgive sin?
Only the captain of the Host. These are the issues the little horn replaces with tradition of man by claiming to have power to forgive sin, act aa mediator between man and God and claimed to be worship. Many of us today are also playing God or corner the prerogative that's due to God.
A brief explanation of the 'daily' of Daniel 8:11-13 from the pioneer's view
http://support.amazingdiscoveries.org/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/190/0/daniel-811-13-the-daily-sacrifice
The daily means paganism. The word sacrifice is supplied and does not belong to the text. Paganism is the desolating power that must be removed in order for the abomination of desolation (the papacy) to come on the scene. This scripture is a history lesson and should not be connected at all to the heavenly ministry. God's ministry CANNOT be cast down by any earthly power. What hope would we have? Don't let the supplied word 'sacrifice' throw off the understanding.
Hi Audra,
Most of the Reformers understood "the daily" to refer to true worship which was supplanted by the Roman system of false worship with an earthly priesthood, so this view is not "new" at all. As Adventists learned to understand the centrality of the heavenly sanctuary to true worship, they began to use the term "heavenly sanctuary" to refer to the "the daily," with essentially the same meaning.
We know from history, that a false system of worship began to come into prominence early in the sixth century. This system obscured the heavenly sanctuary by putting a false sanctuary and priesthood in its place, and this is exactly what the current view of "the daily" affirms.
I hate to have to mention it, but the article you referenced is very misleading.
The author implies that "the pioneers" had a more "correct" understanding than we do now. But that is not necessarily true. They came together from all different backgrounds, with all sorts of different errors, and they gradually became united on the body of truth that we now affirm.
The "pioneers" were largely united on the interpretation of Dan 8:12 at one point - and that was when they voted the composition of the prophetic chart in a meeting in 1842. And that chart did not contain reference to "the daily" as paganism. (See SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 64) But the united stance did not last long, and there was much agitation on the subject of "the daily" after this time.
The writer uses the following quotation from Ellen White to claim that she supported the "paganism" view:
The quote above was first appeared first in Present Truth, Vol. I, No. 11, dated Paris, Maine, November, 1850. Subsequent quotations in the article are from a later time and are misleading when used to define what Ellen White meant.
When she asked about her own statement later, she made clear that she understood the dates in the chart to be correct, but that she had no light on "the daily." Thus using her writings to support a particular view is a misuse of the same. She appealed to the ministers of her time not to agitate upon the question of "the daily."
The AmazingDiscoveries article was written in direct violation of Ellen White's express statement of 1910 that her writings should not be used to sustain any arguments regarding "The Daily."
Further Comments on "The Daily"
In any further comments on "the Daily" referring to paganism, rather than true worship centered on the heavenly sanctuary, please demonstrate that
a) You have studied the comments by Ulicia Unruh and Inge Anderson above.
b) You have read Ulicia Unruh's extensive treatment of the subject in "The Controversy Over the Daily
in SDA History."
We will discard without notice any comments which simply repeat points already addressed as well as comments that are merely copied and pasted from other sources.
Prior to 1844 the sanctuary doctrine was basically unknown. William Miller, who identified the "daily" as "paganism", did not know the doctrine of the sanctuary, so of course he did not understand the daily nor the day of atonement priestly work of Christ which is so beautifully outlined in these chapters.
These chapters are not just a history lesson, they are describing a war against Christ and His work of restoring the lost inheritance of mankind.
Christ is the Prince of the heavenly host.
His sanctuary work was discovered after 1844 and the first studies by Crosier and Edson showed that the priestly work includes both the daily and the yearly. (These studies were highly endorsed by EGW)
True, the word "sacrifice" is supplied each and every time in Daniel 8. That is because Christ is our sacrifice and He died once and for all back in AD 31. There is no need for further sacrifice. He ascended to heaven in AD 31 and entered the heavenly sanctuary to begin His ministry there. In His sanctuary ministry He is NOT sacrificed over and over again!
The fact that the word "sacrifice" was added by translators only proves that Antiochus is NOT the subject in this chapter, for this war against the Prince of hosts takes place AFTER the all sufficient sacrifice is completed.
True, paganism had to give way, but that didn't happen in 509 as Miller taught. That began in 312 AD with Constantine's edict, that's when Rome started taking over the church. The final death knell of the Pagan faith came only a generation later, under the rule of emperor Theodosius in 380 AD, who made Christianity the state religion in all Roman controlled lands with severe punishments on anyone practicing paganism.
Something else had to give way for the papacy to gain religious primacy.
The daily --
In 508 AD it was a different issue for which the papacy received its army or host in order to take away the daily. This is when Clovis and his successive Frank rulers started fighting for the papacy. The wars now were against OTHER CHRISTIANS who did not acknowledge papal primacy.
508 AD marks the turning point for papal religious primacy. It was his definitions of truth that took the field, all others were "heretics".
This is when the papacy asserts for himself Christ's ministry and how one must believe.
By 538 the powerful, so called "Arian" nations, were rooted out, and the papacy began his political reign.
Lastly --
Daniel 8:11 mentions that THE PLACE of the sanctuary was cast down, not the sanctuary itself.
And so it was -- the place people were taught to seek for forgiveness and salvation was cast down to earth. People were turned from looking to Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, to looking to earthly priests here on earth.
Truth was cast down (not destroyed for truth remains even if unknown) but what was taught was NOT truth, the truth was hid from the people -- the desolating abomination brought darkness.