Segment 3 - Daniel 7
God is Sovereign
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Comments on Part Ten     

 

History leaves no wiggle room about the identity of the fourth beast or the little horn. The fourth beast is Rome and the little horn is the religious entity that grew out of Rome, the Roman Catholic Church. Daniel 7:25 does not explicitly say when the 1,260 years of persecution would begin or end. However, we can determine these dates with a brief review of history. The Bible says the little horn would prevail against the saints until the Ancient of Days took His seat in Heaven’s courtroom and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints. Remember the Heaven-Earth-Linkage-Law? Here is how it works. When the Roman Catholic Church was removed from power so that it could no longer persecute the saints on earth, we know the Ancient of Days had taken His seat in Heaven and pronounced judgment in their favor. In other words, God put a temporary restraining order on the Church of Rome! Daniel 7:20 align these two events for us, “the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of Days came [to the convocation and took His seat] ….” (Insertion mine) Therefore, the Bible indicates the 1,260 years ended shortly after the Ancient of Days took His seat in verse 9. Historical records show that the power of the church was broken in February 1798.

 

Several prominent Protestants predicted the 1,260 years of papal dominion would end during the eighteenth century. Writers such as Thomas Parker, 1646; Increase Mather, President of Harvard University, 1723; William Burnet, 1724; Richard Clark, 1759, and others anticipated the Roman church would collapse before year 1800 arrived. Sure enough, French Generals Berthier and Waller fulfilled this specification of prophecy during the French Revolution. They captured the pope and put him in exile in February 1798. By counting backwards from 1798, we arrive at year A.D. 538 that is the date that papal dominion began. (Remember Justinian’s decree in A.D. 533 and the victory of Belisarious over the Italians in A.D. 538?) This timing is not a coincidence. Clearly, God measures a time, a times and half a time in Daniel 7 as 1,260 days using the day-for-a-year principle, and God emphasizes this time-period again in Revelation 12! The wounding of the papacy occurred at the end of 1,260 years when judgment was pronounced in favor of the Church of the Wilderness. With God, timing is everything.

 

There is More to the Story

 

This is not the end of the story for the little horn of Daniel 7. The Bible predicts the little horn will return to power in the future. Revelation 13 indicates that one of the seven heads, the head that received a deadly wound, will be healed. Also, do not forget, Daniel heard boastful words coming from the little horn after viewing the courtroom scene in Heaven. Daniel 7 predicts the Catholic Church will return to a position of great power. This will climax when the Great Tribulation begins. Watch for it. The Roman church will lead a coalition of the world’s religions in persecuting the saints of God! Notice how these verses predict a return to power: “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them [A] the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and [B] the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:21,22, KJV, insertions mine) I have inserted “A” and “B” in these verses because Daniel indicates there is two persecutions of the saints. The first persecution, “A,” lasted 1,260 years (a time, times and half a time) and it ended in 1798. The second persecution, “B,” lasts for 42 months and it ends with the 1,290^th day of the Great Tribulation. (See Revelation 13:1-8) No wonder the angel reminded Daniel that the saints are going to possess the kingdom! The course of human history indicates that the saints are always under attack. Therefore, keep this promise in your mind and do not forget it, no matter how discouraging circumstances may appear in days ahead: The saints will inherit the Earth. (Matthew 5:5) 

 

Part Eleven:

 

“And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” (Daniel 7:24,25, KJV)

 

Comments on Part Eleven

 

To make sense of this prophecy, we have already discussed the specification given in these verses. However, one specification has not been covered. Daniel told the little horn power would “think” to change times and laws. This language describes how the little horn would blaspheme God. The little horn would presume (or think it has authority) to displace the laws of God with its own laws! In A.D. 787, at the Second Nicean Council, Catholic leaders removed the second commandment from the Ten Commandments, and the tenth commandment was divided into two separate commandments so that ten would remain. The reason for this change was to reduce questions about the use of images or icons in worship. In addition to this, church leaders reduced the fourth commandment to just a few words so the laity would not raise questions about which day of the week was God’s holy day. Compare the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) as written in a Catholic Bible with the Catholic Catechism and notice the blatant deviations.

 

The “Anti” Christ

 

For almost 700 years, Protestants have claimed the Roman Catholic Church is the little horn of Daniel 7. Even though there is a growing debate within Protestantism today as to whom the little horn power is, if we use valid rules of interpretation, the chronological and historical harmony of Daniel 7 leaves no room for doubt. The tragic point in this prophecy is that Satan succeeded. He was able to corrupt the Christian church so that it eventually became “anti” Christ. In fact, the war cry of Protestantism through centuries past is that the Roman Catholic Church is the beast, the Antichrist, the great whore, etc. These claims are false. The Bible says all religions are “anti” Christ. The Moslem is no less anti-Christ than the Jew, Hindu or Catholic! Revelation teaches that all of the religious systems of the world are corrupt because the devil has infiltrated them. The devil is the original antichrist, and Revelations’ story climaxes with a powerful contest between a physical Jesus and a physical Lucifer. The devil is very clever and he transformed the institution that Jesus established to save souls into a machine for torturing the people of God! Some researchers have estimated that the Catholic Church killed some fifty million people during its millennial reign for refusing to receive its doctrines. During those dark centuries, the devil was overjoyed – he loves to see people suffering in the name of God. The devil hates God and does everything possible to ruin the work of God on Earth.

 

Part Twelve:   

 

“But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominion shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.” (Daniel 7:26-28, KJV)

 

Comments on Part Twelve

This vision brought Daniel indescribable agony. The Lord revealed to Daniel that the saints would inherit the Earth, but he became ill when he saw the travail of the ages that must first occur. The angel closed this vision, reminding Daniel that the judgment would sit, and Jesus will ultimately remove the dominion of the little horn, destroying it with fire. Then, God will give the kingdom to the saints forever and ever!

 

This chapter has been lengthy because there are many important details in Daniel 7. Remember, if Daniel 7 is not interpreted correctly, the remainder of Daniel’s prophecies will not make much sense, nor will they align properly within the matrix that history confirms. God tells us many important things in Daniel 7 and if we fail to organize these pieces correctly, our prophetic conclusions in other areas of Daniel and Revelation will miss the mark. In conclusion, we can summarize Daniel 7 with the following seven thoughts:

 

1.      Daniel 7 harmoniously builds upon the progression of nations described in Daniel 2.

 

2.      The sequence order of apocalyptic events forms a historical matrix.

 

3.      Daniel 7 and history leave no wiggle room on the identity of the fourth beast or the little horn.

 

4.      The wounding of the little horn is directly connected to the timing of the courtroom scene in Heaven.

 

5.      The little horn will eventually return to power and speak boastful words against God.

 

6.      At the appointed time, Jesus was exalted and given sovereign authority over the universe and He has been judging the dead to determine who will participate in His coming kingdom.

 

Gods is sovereign over the kings of Earth. He sets up kings and takes them down.

 

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