Daniel 7: Daniel’s Vision of
History
This is from "The Unsealed Book: An Unorthodox look at the Church, Islam and God’s Kingdom in Bible Prophecy" by Benjamin Breece available on Amazon
The
Vision
Daniel 7:1-15
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1
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In
the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions
of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the
matters.
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בשׁנת חדה
לבלאשׁצר מלך בבל דניאל חלם חזה וחזוי ראשׁה על־משׁכבה באדין חלמא כתב ראשׁ מלין
אמר
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2
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Daniel
spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of
the heaven strove upon the great sea.
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ענה דניאל
ואמר חזה הוית בחזוי עם־ליליא וארו ארבע רוחי שׁמיא מגיחן לימא רבא
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3
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And
four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
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וארבע חיון
רברבן סלקן מן־ימא שׁנין דא מן־דא
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4
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The
first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof
were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the
feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
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קדמיתא כאריה
וגפין די־נשׁר לה חזה הוית עד די־מריטו גפיה ונטילת מן־ארעא ועל־רגלין כאנשׁ
הקימת ולבב אנשׁ יהיב לה
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5
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And
behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on
one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it:
and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
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וארו חיוה
אחרי תנינה דמיה לדב ולשׂטר־חד הקמת ותלת עלעין בפמה בין שׁניה וכן אמרין לה
קומי אכלי בשׂר שׂגיא
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6
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After
this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it
four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given
to it.
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באתר דנה חזה
הוית וארו אחרי כנמר ולה גפין ארבע די־עוף על־גביה וארבעה ראשׁין לחיותא ושׁלטן
יהיב לה
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7
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After
this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and
terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured
and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was
diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
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באתר דנה חזה
הוית בחזוי ליליא וארו חיוה רביעיה דחילה ואימתני ותקיפא יתירא ושׁנין די־פרזל
לה רברבן אכלה ומדקה ושׁארא ברגליה רפסה והיא משׁניה מן־כל־חיותא די קדמיה
וקרנין עשׂר לה
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8
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I
considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little
horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the
roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth
speaking great things.
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משׂתכל הוית
בקרניא ואלו קרן אחרי זעירה סלקת ביניהון ותלת מן־קרניא קדמיתא אתעקרו מן־קדמיה
ואלו עינין כעיני אנשׁא בקרנא־דא ופם ממלל רברבן
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9
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I
beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit,
whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool:
his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
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חזה הוית עד
די כרסון רמיו ועתיק יומין יתב לבושׁה כתלג חור ושׂער ראשׁה כעמר נקא כרסיה
שׁביבין די־נור גלגלוהי נור דלק
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10
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A
fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands
ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him:
the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
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נהר די־נור
נגד ונפק מן־קדמוהי אלף אלפים ישׁמשׁונה ורבו רבון קדמוהי יקומון דינא יתב
וספרין פתיחו
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11
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I
beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I
beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to
the burning flame.
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חזה הוית
באדין מן־קל מליא רברבתא די קרנא ממללה חזה הוית עד די קטילת חיותא והובד גשׁמה
ויהיבת ליקדת אשׁא
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12
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As
concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet
their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
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ושׁאר חיותא
העדיו שׁלטנהון וארכה בחיין יהיבת להון עד־זמן ועדן
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13
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I
saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the
clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near
before him.
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חזה הוית
בחזוי ליליא וארו עם־ענני שׁמיא כבר אנשׁ אתה הוה ועד־עתיק יומיא מטה וקדמוהי
הקרבוהי
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14
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And
there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people,
nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be
destroyed.
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ולה יהיב
שׁלטן ויקר ומלכו וכל עממיא אמיא ולשׁניא לה יפלחון שׁלטנה שׁלטן עלם די־לא יעדה
ומלכותה די־לא תתחבל
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15
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I Daniel
was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head
troubled me.
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אתכרית רוחי
אנה דניאל בגוא נדנה וחזוי ראשׁי יבהלנני
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The
Interpretation
Daniel 7:16-18
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16
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I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth
of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the
things.
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קרבת על־חד
מן־קאמיא ויציבא אבעא־מנה על־כל־דנה ואמר־לי ופשׁר מליא יהודענני
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17
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These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall
arise out of the earth.
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אלין חיותא
רברבתא די אנין ארבע ארבעה מלכין יקומון מן־ארעא
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18
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But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and
possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
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ויקבלון
מלכותא קדישׁי עליונין ויחסנון מלכותא עד־עלמא ועד עלם עלמיא
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In Daniel 2 there was a statue of 4 metals and feet of Iron and
clay. Daniel 2 explained that the 4
metals were 4 empires, starting with Babylon, then there would be a different
period, symbolized by the iron and clay feet.
In Daniel 7, we see 4 beasts that the angel explains are 4 kings,
followed by a period dominated by the little horn.
Let’s establish if these symbols adequately fit Babylon, Persia,
Greece, Rome and a period after Rome.
The
Lion
“The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till
the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made
stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.” The winged lion was commonly used in
Babylonian art and is a good symbol of Babylon.
The rest of that verse seems to hail back to an incident with
Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4, which is a transcript of Nebuchadnezzar’s
letter. It is a fascinating story and is
included in the section “Daniel 4: The Humbling of Nebuchadnezzar”.
The
Bear
“And behold another beast, a
second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three
ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it,
Arise, devour much flesh.” The bear is
an animal of tremendous strength, like the Persians. When the Persians first rose to power, it was
through a joining of Mede and Persian forces.
Over time, the Persians became dominant, just as the bear raised up on
one side. There were three main powers
that Persia conquered, Babylon, Lydia and Egypt. Moreover, the bear had three ribs in its
mouth.
The
Leopard
“After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had
upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and
dominion was given to it.” A leopard is
extremely fast by itself. Add to that
four wings, and you have a kingdom that comes up with incredible speed. Alexander the Great set up his vast, Grecian
empire in just a few short years. The
leopard has 4 heads and Alexander’s empire was divided upon his death.
“He was asked to whom he left his kingdom. Since he had no obvious heir, this was an
urgent question. ‘To the strongest,’ he
replied. He also declared – his last
recorded words – that ‘all his foremost friends would hold a great funeral
contest over him’”[5]
Alexander’s empire didn’t pass to his family.
Instead, his generals set up their own kingdoms and fought for several
decades for control. By 276 B.C.E.the
Antagonid, Selucid and Ptolemaic dynasties were firmly established and the
foundations had been laid for the Attalid dynasty.[6]
The
Terrible Beast
Daniel 7:19-25
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19
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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;
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אדין צבית
ליצבא על־חיותא רביעיתא די־הות שׁניה מן־כלהון דחילה יתירה שׁניה די־פרזל וטפריה
די־נחשׁ אכלה מדקה ושׁארא ברגליה רפסה
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20
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And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other
which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes,
and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his
fellows.
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ועל־קרניא
עשׂר די בראשׁה ואחרי די סלקת ונפלו מן־קדמיה תלת וקרנא דכן ועינין לה ופם ממלל
רברבן וחזוה רב מן־חברתה
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21
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I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and
prevailed against them;
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חזה הוית
וקרנא דכן עבדה קרב עם־קדישׁין ויכלה להון
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22
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Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the
saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the
kingdom.
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עד די־אתה
עתיק יומיא ודינא יהב לקדישׁי עליונין וזמנא מטה ומלכותא החסנו קדישׁין
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23
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Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon
earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole
earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
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כן אמר חיותא
רביעיתא מלכו רביעיא תהוא בארעא די תשׁנא מן־כל־מלכותא ותאכל כל־ארעא ותדושׁנה
ותדקנה
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24
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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.
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וקרניא עשׂר
מנה מלכותה עשׂרה מלכין יקמון ואחרן יקום אחריהון והוא ישׁנא מן־קדמיא ותלתה
מלכין יהשׁפל
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25
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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.
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ומלין לצד
עליא ימלל ולקדישׁי עליונין יבלא ויסבר להשׁניה זמנין ודת ויתיהבון בידה עד־עדן
ועדנין ופלג עדן
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Now we come to the 4th beast.
“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast,
dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it
devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and
it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten
horns. I considered the horns, and,
behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three
of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes
like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”
Daniel was especially interested in the fourth beast and the horns
that would rise up out of the 4th beast.
“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.” The Roman
Empire was not conquered by one superpower, but was slowly conquered and
divided up by a series of invasions.
Arguably, this is focusing on the Western Roman Empire, as the Eastern
Roman Empire survived another thousand years, but was destroyed in the events
in Revelation 9.
The
Rise of the Little Horn
Another power arose up that was “diverse from the first.” The first 10 horns were political powers, but
this horn is different. One of it’s
identifiers is that it would subdue 3 of the other kings. Here, I will begin to argue that the little
horn represents the Catholic Christian power and its associates.
The way the Church became the little horn is closely tied to how it
became the Roman Church. If you
remember, in the New Testament period the Christians had no political power
over the Romans. The Catholic Church can historically trace
many of its traditions the the early centuries, however it had no legal
recognition, much less authority, in the Roman Empire.
When Constantine became emperor he gave legal recognition to the
Church and showed the church a great deal of favor. At this time there was a debate going on over
the nature of Jesus. The trinity was
accepted by many, however the followers of Arius, known as Arians, believed
that Jesus had a beginning and was given his power by the Father. There was a great deal of controversy over
this issue. Constantine wanted all the
bishops to agree on this so that there would be one unified Catholic Church
throughout the empire. His solution was
to hold the council of Nicea so the bishops could form one creed that would be
agreed upon by everyone.
Although Constantine did not order the bishops what to put into the
creed, the fact that the Roman Emperor presided over the council means that the
creed had the Roman stamp of approval. Creeds
by their nature provide a test to see if someone should be considered a part of
a particular religious tradition.
Naturally, acceptance of the Nicene Creed provided a test to determine
whether or not a Christian leader should be considered a part of the Catholic
Church. The emperor Theodosius I stated
this in the “edict, called Nullis haereticis: No heretics. “He who professes
the Nicene faith is to be thought of as the genuine worshipper in the Catholic
religion,” it read.”[9]
Here is the English translation.
We
believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and
invisible.
And
in one Lord Jesus Christ , the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the
only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of
Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance
(homoousion)with the Father; by whom all things were made [both in heaven and
on earth]; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate
and was made man; he suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into
heaven; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
And
in the Holy Ghost .
[But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was
not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another
substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or
'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.][10]
Not everyone was satisfied with the Nicene Creed, especially the
fact that it did not clarify the position of the Holy Spirit. It was revised in Constantinople in 381.
We
believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all
things visible and invisible.
And
in one Lord Jesus Christ , the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father
before all worlds (æons), Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not
made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who
for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by
the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; he was crucified for us
under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and the third day he rose
again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on
the right hand of the Father ; from thence he shall come again, with glory, to
judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And
in the Holy Ghost , the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake
by the prophets. In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one
baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen. [11]
If you notice, this creed, which provided that most basic test to
determine if someone was in line with the Catholic faith, is focused almost
entirely on the Trinity. Right after the
Council of Constantinople, the emperor Theodosius I declared:
We
now order that all churches are to be handed over to the bishops who profess
Father, Son and Holy Spirit of a single majesty , of the same glory, of one
splendor, who establish no difference by sacrilegious separation, but [who affirm] the order of the Trinity by
recognizing the Persons and uniting the Godhead.[12]
The doctrine of the Trinity, more than anything else was and still is
the foundation of the Catholic Church.
The
mystery of the Trinity is the central doctrine of Catholic faith. Upon it are
based all other teachings of the Church.[13]
Interestingly, it is this doctrine more than any other that
separates the Catholic faith from Judaism.
Judaism stresses the unity and oneness of God as its foundation of
doctrine. This consequently separates
the Catholic faith from the Jewish faith of Jesus and the Apostles.
Soon after the Council of Constantinople in 381 the advocacy of
Arian teachings and the possession of Arian writings was deemed by the Roman
Emperor Theodosius I to be punishable by death.[14] Thus, the Trinity was the primary doctrine
that was settled with the help of the Roman Emperor. It is the primary doctrine the acceptance or
denial of which marked someone as Catholic or “heretic”. Rome caused all people within the empire to
accept the Nicene Creed. Those who
opposed the Trinity doctrine were punished by death.
Now to the three horns that were plucked up. There were many tribes that came and went
over the centuries. If the Catholic
Church is the little horn, then we would expect to see three tribes removed
after the end of the Western Roman Empire.
In other words, after the last emperor was deposed. The vision is dealing with kingdoms that
emerged out of the Western Roman Empire.
Then we will expect to see Catholic rise to supremacy aided by the utter
destruction of three of these kingdoms.
The classic historicist interpretation of this is that the three
horns represent the Heruli, Vandals and Ostrogoths. This has been heavily criticized a
historically inaccurate. Unfortunately,
this is fairly easy to do since the interpretation is often presented in an
oversimplified way that does paint a somewhat inaccurate picture of the
complicated historic events. However, I
do feel that the basic principles of the interpretation is correct. Here, I will try to present a more nuanced understanding
of the historic events that explains why these events do fulfill the prophecy.
The last of the Western Roman Emperors was Romulus Augustus. He was deposed in 476 by Odoacer. Odoacer was the son of Edeco, king of the
Sciri. After the destruction of the
Sciri kingdom, Odoacer moved into Roman territory where he signed up with the
Roman Army. The Roman Army of Italy was
dominated by barbarians which included Sciri, obviously, along with Heruli,
Alans and Torcilingi. Odoacer became the
head of the Army of Italy. He secured
the favor of his barbarian followers by settling them in Italy. He then deposed Romulus Augustus and set
himself up as king of Italy.[15]
The Army of Italy consisted of barbarians from various tribes. But, for the sake of this study, we need to
remember that the Heruli were among his primary supporters. World Encyclopedia describes Odoacer this
way:
Chief of the Germanic Heruli people and conqueror of the Western
Roman Empire. The Heruli were Roman mercenaries until 476, when they declared
Odoacer king of Italy.[16]
Odoacer was generally tolerant of religion and he did not interfere
with the Catholic Church’s affairs.
However, he was an Arian[17]
(someone who believes that God brought Jesus into existence and denies the
Trinity), as were his Heruli supporters.[18] The Catholic Church was Trinitarian. However tolerant he may have been towards
the Catholic Church, an Arian king was a hindrance to Catholic (Trinitarian)
domination over Europe. This is
evidenced by the Catholic Church’s statement that:
The
mystery of the Trinity is the central doctrine of Catholic faith. Upon it are
based all other teachings of the Church.[19]
Odoacer betrayed the Eastern Roman Emperor who sent the Ostrogoth
leader, Theodoric, to remove him.
Theodoric killed Odoacer in 493 [20] and
settled his fellow Ostrogoths in Italy.
The Heruli kingdom received its death blow in 508. Edward Gibbon describes it this way:
The
assassination of a royal guest was executed in the presence, and by the
command, of the king's daughter, who had been provoked by some words of insult,
and disappointed by his diminutive stature; and a tribute, the price of blood,
was imposed on the Lombards, by his brother the king of the Heruli. Adversity
revived a sense of moderation and justice, and the insolence of conquest was
chastised by the signal defeat and irreparable dispersion of the Heruli, who
were seated in the southern provinces of Poland.[21]
Another historian writes:
Lombard
power increased in two perceptible stages. In 508, first of all, their forces
crushed the Heruli.[22]
The death of Odoacer and the destruction of his Arian Heruli
supporters’ seat of power marks the uprooting of the first of the three
kingdoms whose fall aided the Catholic Church’s Trinitarian dominance over
Europe.
The Vandals were another Arian people who had captured the city of
Carthage in 439 and ruled Tunisia and eastern Algeria. They even captured Rome in 455 and stripped
it of much of its wealth (this is the origin of the term the term
“vandalism”). They persecuted many of
the Catholics in Africa until the ascension of Thrasamund, who ended the
persecutions. This favorable policy was
continued after Hilderic became king. He acted very favorably towards the
Catholics and stopped their persecution and established good relations with the
Eastern Roman Emperor.[23]
He was overthrown by his cousin Gelimer. This prompted the Eastern Roman Emperor,
Justinian, to send his general, Belisarius, to conquer the Vandals[24]. This brought Tunisa and Algeria back to full
Catholic-Orthodox Trinitarian control
He succeeded in defeating the Vandals and expelling them from
Carthage.
One historian put it this way:
The
Vandal kingdom was thereby ended. Ninety-five years after Geiseric’s capture of
Carthage, the Vandal kingdom had fallen, and Carthage and North Africa were
once more Roman. Procopius estimated that there were about eighty thousand
Vandal men in North Africa at the time of Belisarius and that almost all were
killed in the war. While that is undoubtedly an exaggeration, it is certain
that the Vandal nation was crushed and there would be no rebellions, as there
were too few left to fight.
For
the Roman Empire, the defeat of the Vandal kingdom was a victory of strategic
importance. The campaign was swift, and in just a few months, North Africa had
been taken without any damage to speak of and few losses. The enormous treasure
of the Vandal kingdom was to be sent to Constantinople to finance the coming
operations against the Ostrogoths. With North Africa secure, an assault on
Sicily and the Ostrogothic kingdom of Italy was now possible. The threat of the
Vandal fleet was gone, and the campaign in Italy could be supplied from North
Africa and Sardinia without troubles.[25]
The surviving Vandals went separate ways and they soon ceased to
exist as a distinct people[26].
In 533 Justinian incorporated into his legal code a set of letters
between the imperial court and Pope John II, stating that:
This See is indeed the head of all churches,
as the rules of the Fathers and the decrees of the Emperors assert, and the
words of your most reverend piety testify. (Justinian`s Code Book, Book 1,
Title 1, Baronius’s Annals, AD 533).[27]
This gave the pope the legal status of head of all the churches,
but Rome was still under Arian political control. The law would gain full effect five years
later.
Belisarius began his campaign against the Ostrogoths in 535. He captured the city of Rome and deposed Pope
Silverius, who had been elected pope through Ostrogoth influence, and who died
soon after. In 537 the imperially
backed Vigilius was
installed as pope by Belisarius[28].
One historian records the treachery with which
Vigilius ascended the papal throne this way:
A
letter was now discovered, allegedly linking Pope Silverius to a plot to
restore the city to the Goths. Forged by Julianus, the praetormnus, and Marcus,
a scholasticus, the letter was given to Belisarius who ordered that Silverius
be sent to Lycia. On 29th March Vigilius was ordained as the new Pope,
allegedly by the order of Theodora. Justinian later ordered that Silverius be
returned to Italy, pending an investigation. Belisarius surrendered him to the
custody of Vigilius, whose men starved him to death. Vigilius is said to have
promised to give Belisarius 200 pounds of gold for his support; it was not the
only hint of scandal linked to Belisarius during the siege.[29]
The Ostrogoths laid seige to Rome from 537
until 538, when they were finally driven away from Rome. The war continued between the Eastern Roman
imperial forces and the Ostrogoths until 554[30]. But, they also were killed and scattered and
ceased to exist as a distinct people.
With the death of Silverius and the withdrawl
of the Ostrogoths from Rome in 538, Vigilius was free to exercise his authority
as head of all the churches. This firmly
established the Catholic faith as the imperially backed official religion of
the city of Rome and the dominant faith in the lands that had once made up the
Western Roman Empire.
Thus, the Catholic Church does fulfill the
little horn’s identifying mark as a power “before whom
there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots”. It became a major political power after the
demise of the Western Roman Empire and three kingdoms suffered their mortal
blows in the process. What about the
remaining identifying marks?
The
Blasphemes of the Little Horn
“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 says that the little horn would “wear out the saints of the
most High.” Thus, we can conclude that
it would be a persecuting power. Here is
what the Catholic Church has said on that subject, in its own words.
"The Catholic Church . . . loudly
proclaims that she has, a ‘horror of blood.’ Nevertheless when confronted by
heresy she . . . has recourse to force, to corporal punishment, to torture. She
creates tribunals like those of the Inquisition . . . encourages a crusade, or
a religious war . . . Especially did she act thus in the sixteenth century with
regard to Protestants. . . . She lit in Italy, in the Low Countries and above
all in Spain the funeral piles of the Inquisition. In France . . . and in
England . . . she tortured the heretics whilst both in France and Germany . . .
she encouraged and actively aided, the religious wars. No one will deny that we
have here a great scandal to our contemporaries . . .
"Indeed, even among our friends
and our brothers we find those who dare not look this problem in the face. They
ask permission from the Church to ignore or even deny all those acts and
institutions in the past which have made orthodoxy compulsory."[31]
One of the key identifying points is that the little horn power
will “think to change times and laws.”
This is what the Catholic Church says about changing the laws of God:
Q:
Which is the Sabbath day?
A:
Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Q:
Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because
the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea, transferred the solemnity from
Saturday to Sunday[32]
" It
is worth its while to remember that this observance of the Sabbath,—in which,
after all, the only Protestant worship consists,—not only has no foundation in
the Bible, but it is inbflagrant contradiction with its letter, whichbcommands
rest on the Sabbath, which is Saturday. It was the Catholic Church which, by the
authority of Jesus Christ, has transferred this rest to the Sunday in
remembrance of the resurrection of our Lord. Thus the observance of Sunday by
the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority
of the Church. "[33]
We can see that the Catholic Church has claimed that, through its
power, it has changed the law of Yehovah.
The next key identifier is “they shall be given into his hand until
a time and times and the dividing of time.”
This is one of the key time prophecies in the Bible and it links Daniel
and Revelation. Here are the other
passages.
Revelation 12:1-6, 14
|
1
|
And
there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and
the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
|
Καὶ σημεῖον
μέγα ὤφθη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, γυνὴ περιβεβλημένη τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ ἡ
σελήνη ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτῆς
στέφανος ἀστέρων δώδεκα,
|
|
2
|
And
she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
|
καὶ ἐν
γαστρὶ ἔχουσα κράζει ὠδίνουσα καὶ βασανιζομένη τεκεῖν.
|
|
3
|
And
there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
|
καὶ ὤφθη ἄλλο
σημεῖον ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἰδοὺ δράκων πυρρός μέγας, ἔχων
κεφαλὰς ἑπτὰ καὶ κέρατα δέκα, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτοῦ ἑπτὰ
διαδήματα,
|
|
4
|
And
his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the
earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered,
for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
|
καὶ ἡ
οὐρὰ αὐτοῦ σύρει τὸ τρίτον τῶν ἀστέρων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔβαλεν
αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. καὶ ὁ δράκων ἕστηκεν ἐνώπιον τῆς γυναικὸς
τῆς μελλούσης τεκεῖν, ἵνα, ὅταν τέκῃ, τὸ τέκνον αὐτῆς καταφάγῃ.
|
|
5
|
And
she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of
iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
|
καὶ ἔτεκεν
υἱὸν ἄρρενα, ὅς μέλλει ποιμαίνειν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐν ῥάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ.
καὶ ἡρπάσθη τὸ τέκνον αὐτῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ πρὸς τὸν θρόνον
αὐτοῦ.
|
|
6
|
And
the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God,
that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
|
καὶ ἡ γυνὴ
ἔφυγεν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, ὅπου ἔχει ἐκεῖ τόπον ἡτοιμασμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ
Θεοῦ, ἵνα ἐκεῖ τρέφωσιν αὐτὴν ἡμέρας χιλίας διακοσίας ἑξήκοντα.
|
|
14
|
And
to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into
the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and
times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
|
καὶ
ἐδόθησαν τῇ γυναικὶ αἱ δύο πτέρυγες τοῦ ἀετοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου, ἵνα
πέτηται εἰς τὴν ἔρημον εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς, ὅπου τρέφεται ἐκεῖ
καιρὸν καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ ὄφεως.
|
Notice that verse 14 is a restatement of verse 6 where the woman
flees to the wilderness and is fed by Yehovah.
The “time, and times, and half a time” in verse 14 is equivalent to the
“thousand two hundred and threescore days” in verse 6.
Let’s look at the other verses.
Revelation 11:1-3
|
1
|
And
there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise,
and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
|
Καὶ ἐδόθη
μοι κάλαμος ὅμοιος ῥάβδῳ, λέγων· ἔγειρε καὶ μέτρησον τὸν ναὸν τοῦ
Θεοῦ καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας ἐν αὐτῷ·
|
|
2
|
But
the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it
is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty
and two months.
|
καὶ τὴν
αὐλὴν τὴν ἔξωθεν τοῦ ναοῦ ἔκβαλε ἔξω καὶ μὴ αὐτὴν μετρήσῃς, ὅτι
ἐδόθη τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν πατήσουσι μῆνας
τεσσεράκοντα δύο.
|
|
3
|
And
I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a
thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
|
καὶ δώσω
τοῖς δυσὶ μάρτυσί μου, καὶ προφητεύσουσιν ἡμέρας χιλίας διακοσίας
ἑξήκοντα, περιβεβλημένοι σάκκους.
|
Through these passages we can see that the time, times, and half a
time; 42 months and 1260 days are simply different ways of referring to the
same time periods.
We can see how the time period converts perfectly if you understand
that we aren’t dealing with solar years, but rather prophetic time. Fourty-two 30 day months comes to 1260
days. A time (one prophetic year of 360
days), times (two years, 720 days) and a half a time (180 days) comes to 1260
days or 42 months.
Here are some other passages that talk about events during this
time period.
Daniel 12:6-7
|
6
|
And
one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river,
How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
|
ויאמר לאישׁ
לבושׁ הבדים אשׁר ממעל למימי היאר עד־מתי קץ הפלאות
|
|
7
|
And
I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river,
when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by
him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half;
and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people,
all these things shall be finished.
|
ואשׁמע
את־האישׁ לבושׁ הבדים אשׁר ממעל למימי היאר וירם ימינו ושׂמאלו אל־השׁמים וישׁבע
בחי העולם כי למועד מועדים וחצי וככלות נפץ יד־עם־קדשׁ תכלינה כל־אלה
|
Revelation 13:1-9
|
1
|
And
I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,
having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his
heads the name of blasphemy.
|
Καὶ ἐστάθη
ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμμον τῆς θαλάσσης· καὶ εἶδον ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης θηρίον
ἀναβαῖνον, ἔχον κέρατα δέκα καὶ κεφαλὰς ἑπτά, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν
κεράτων αὐτοῦ δέκα διαδήματα, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτοῦ ὀνόματα
βλασφημίας.
|
|
2
|
And
the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet
of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his
power, and his seat, and great authority.
|
καὶ τὸ
θηρίον ὃ εἶδον ἦν ὅμοιον παρδάλει, καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὡς ἄρκου, καὶ
τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ὡς στόμα λέοντος· καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ δράκων τὴν
δύναμιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξουσίαν μεγάλην.
|
|
3
|
And
I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was
healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
|
καὶ μίαν
ἐκ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐσφαγμένην εἰς θάνατον· καὶ ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ
θανάτου αὐτοῦ ἐθεραπεύθη, καὶ ἐθαύμασεν ὅλη ἡ γῆ ὀπίσω τοῦ
θηρίου,
|
|
4
|
And
they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they
worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make
war with him?
|
καὶ
προσεκύνησαν τῷ δράκοντι τῷ δεδωκότι τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῷ θηρίῳ,
καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θηρίῳ λέγοντες· τίς ὅμοιος τῷ θηρίῳ; τίς
δύναται πολεμῆσαι μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ;
|
|
5
|
And
there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and
power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
|
Καὶ ἐδόθη
αὐτῷ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίας καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ
ἐξουσία πόλεμον ποιῆσαι μῆνας τεσσεράκοντα δύο.
|
|
6
|
And
he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his
tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
|
καὶ ἤνοιξε
τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εἰς βλασφημίαν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν βλασφημῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα
αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ, τοὺς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ σκηνοῦντας.
|
|
7
|
And
it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and
power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
|
καὶ ἐδόθη
αὐτῷ πόλεμον ποιῆσαι μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ νικῆσαι αὐτούς, καὶ
ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ἐπὶ πᾶσαν φυλὴν καὶ λαὸν καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ ἔθνος.
|
|
8
|
And
all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written
in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
|
καὶ
προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὧν οὐ
γέγραπται τὸ ὄνομα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ ἀρνίου τοῦ
ἐσφαγμένου ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.
|
|
9
|
If
any man have an ear, let him hear.
|
Εἴ τις ἔχει οὖς
ἀκουσάτω.
|
You can look at the appropriate sections for more detailed
interpretations of the symbols. This
study is focused on the fifth and sixth trumpets in Revelation and the things
needed to understand them. What we need
to understand in the above passages is that the same persecuting power is
involved in each of them.
It is the last passage that most clearly makes the connection
between the beast and the little horn power in Daniel 7. It is given power for the same length of time
and it “opened his mouth in blasphemy against Yehovah, to blaspheme his name,
and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with
the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds,
and tongues, and nations.” This
perfectly parallels what the little horn does in Daniel 7:21 “I beheld, and the
same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them” and Daniel 7:25
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the most High”.
This beast is also like a leopard with the feet of a bear and a
mouth of a lion. We see here the
repetition of the animals of Daniel 7.
This simply provides a new aspect of the fourth beast (Rome) in Daniel
7. Rome copied the Greek civilization to
such an extent that we often use the phrase Greco-Roman today. In that way it was like Greece
(leopard). And Greece also copied things
from Persia (bear), which copied things from Babylon (lion).
How should we interpret the 1260 days? What does this mean in reality?
The section “The Day/Year Principle in Symbolic Time Prophecy” goes
over some of the reasons for believing in the Day/Year principle.
Remember I said that it was important that the defeat of 3 tribes
helped solidify the Catholic Church’s position of power over Western Europe,
and the last of them was defeated in 538 C.E.
If this is the beginning of a 1260 year time prophecy, then we should
see the Catholic Church’s power broken in 1798 C.E.
In 1798, Napoleon had one of his generals imprison the Pope. This dealt a very serious blow to the power
of the Catholic Church. It has since
recovered much of its influence, but it took many years for that to happen.
Now we can see that mainstream Christianity, namely the Catholic Church,
perfectly fulfilled all of the identifying marks of the little horn power.
Now we come to the point of Daniel 7. It says that the little horn power would
“speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the
most High.” It “made war with the
saints, and prevailed against them.” Furthermore, “in this horn were eyes like
the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.” Revelation 13 elaborates on this when it
says, "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two
months. And he opened his mouth in
blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that
dwell in heaven. And it was given unto
him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him
over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the
world."
Revelation 13:18
|
18
|
"Here
is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for
it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and
six."
|
Ωδε ἡ σοφία
ἐστίν· ὁ ἔχων νοῦν ψηφισάτω τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου· ἀριθμὸς γὰρ
ἀνθρώπου ἐστί· καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτοῦ χξς᾿.
|
Later in Revelation 14:9-11
|
9
|
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If
any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his
forehead, or in his hand,
|
Καὶ ἄλλος ἄγγελος
τρίτος ἠκολούθησεν αὐτοῖς λέγων ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· εἴ τις προσκυνεῖ
τὸ θηρίον καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ, καὶ λαμβάνει χάραγμα ἐπὶ τοῦ
μετώπου αὐτοῦ ἢ ἐπὶ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ,
|
|
10
|
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is
poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be
tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in
the presence of the Lamb:
|
καὶ αὐτὸς
πίεται ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ θυμοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ κεκερασμένου ἀκράτου
ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ βασανισθήσεται ἐν πυρὶ καὶ
θείῳ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων καὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀρνίου.
|
|
11
|
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:
and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
|
καὶ ὁ
καπνὸς τοῦ βασανισμοῦ αὐτῶν εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων ἀναβαίνει, καὶ
οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀνάπαυσιν ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός οἱ προσκυνοῦντες τὸ θηρίον
καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἴ τις λαμβάνει τὸ χάραγμα τοῦ
ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ.
|
I am not writing this as an attack on all Christians, or even all
Catholics. And I vehemently belief we
should follow the teachings of Jesus. This
is only meant to inform you that the Bible prophesied that the Medieval
Christian Church would become corrupt, blaspheme against God and His law, and
attack the true followers of Yehovah. And
there are further prophecies in Revelation that indicate the modern Christian
world will fall back to that behavior. If
you want to be certain that you are not a part of that, then you must use
Scripture as your foundation of faith, rather than the traditions of the
church.
In the previous prophecy the feet of iron and clay did not
represent a new kingdom, but a change in the Roman kingdom. In this prophecy the little horn also comes
out of the terrible beast (Rome). The prophecy
in Daniel 8-9 emphasises the fact that the Roman Catholic Church is a continuation
of the Roman Empire by using the same symbol for both, with just a change in
behavior indicating the different phases.
One historian of church history laid out exactly why the Roman
Catholic Church is a continuation of the Roman Empire.
In the
West no division into patriarchates came about ; but on the other hand
something else happened : in the fifth century the Western Roman Empire
perished of internal weakness and through the inroads of the barbarians. What
was left of what was Roman took refuge in the Roman Church -civilization, law,
and orthodox faith as opposed to the Arian. The barbarian chiefs, however, did
not venture to set themselves up as Roman Emperors, and enter the vacant shrine
of the imperium ; they founded empires of their own in the provinces. In these
circumstances the Bishop of Rome appeared as the guardian of the past and the
shield of the future. All over the provinces occupied by the barbarians, even
in those which had previously maintained a defiant independence in the face of
Rome, bishops and laity looked to him. Whatever Roman elements the barbarians
and Arians left standing in the provinces -and they were not few-were
ecclesiasticised and at the same time put under the protection of the Bishop of
Rome, who was the chief person there after the Emperor's disappearance. But in
Rome the episcopal throne was occupied in the fifth century by men who
understood the signs of the times and utilized them to the full. The Roman
Church in this way privily pushed itself into the place of the Roman
World-Empire, of which it is the actual continuation • the empire has not
perished, but has only undergone a transformation. If we assert, and mean the
assertion to hold good even of the present time, that the Roman Church is the
old Roman Empire consecrated by the Gospel, that is no mere "clever
remark," but the recognition of the true state of the matter historically,
and the most appropriate and fruitful way of describing the character of this
Church. It still governs the nations ; its Popes rule like Trajan and Marcus
Aurelius ; Peter and Paul have taken the place of Romulus and Remus ; the
bishops and archbishops, of the proconsuls ; the troops of priests and monks
correspond to the legions ; the Jesuits, to the imperial body-guard. The
continued influence of the old Empire and its institutions may be traced in
detail, down to individual legal ordinances, nay, even in the very clothes.
That is no Church like the evangelical communities, or the national Churches of
the East ; it is a political creation, and as imposing as a World-Empire,
because the continuation of the Roman Empire. The Pope, who calls himself
"King" and "Pontifex Maximus," is Cesar's successor. The
Church, which as early as the third and fourth century was entirely filled with
the Roman spirit, has re-established in itself the Roman Empire. Nor have
patriotic Catholics in Rome and Italy in every century from the seventh and
eighth onwards understood the matter otherwise. When Gregory VII. entered upon
the struggle with the imperial power, this is the way in which an Italian
prelate fired his ardour :
Seize
the first Apostle's sword,
Peter's
glowing sword, and smite /
Scatter
far the savage horde ;
Break
their wild, impetuous might /
Let
them feel the yoke of yore,
Let them
bear it evermore /
What
with blood in Marius' day,
Marius
and his soldiers brave,
Or
by Julius' mighty sway,
Romans
did their land to save;
Thou
cant do by simple word.
Great
the Church's holy sword /
Rome
made great again by thee
Offers
all thy mead of praise;
Not
for Scipio's victory
Did
it louder paeans raise,
Nor
entwine the laurel crown
For
a deed of more renown.
Who
is it that is thus addressed, a bishop or a Caesar ? A. Caesar, I imagine ; it
was felt to be so then, and it is still felt to be so to-day. It is an Empire
that this priestly Caesar rules, and to attack it with the armament of dogmatic
polemics alone is to beat the air.
I
cannot here show what immense results follow from the fact that the Catholic
Church is the Roman Empire. Let me mention only a few conclusions which the
Church itself draws. It is just as essential to this Church to exercise
governmental power as to proclaim the Gospel. The phrase " Christus
vincit, Christus regnat, Christus triumphat," must be understood in a
political sense. He rules on earth by the fact that his Rome-directed Church
rules, and rules, too, by law and by force ; that is to say, it employs all the
means of which States avail themselves. Accordingly it recognises no form of
religious fervour which does not first of all submit to this papal Church, is
approved by it, and remains in constant dependence upon it. This Church, then,
teaches its "subjects" to say : "Though I understand all
mysteries, and though I have all faith, and though I bestow all my goods to
feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not unity in
love which alone floweth from unconditional obedience to the Church, it
profiteth me nothing." Outside the pale of the Church, all faith, all
love, all the virtues, even martyrdoms, are of no value whatever. Naturally ;
for even an earthly State appreciates only those services which a man has
rendered for its sake. But here the State identifies itself with the kingdom of
Heaven, in other respects proceeding just like other States. From this fact you
can yourselves deduce all the Church's claims ; they follow without difficulty.
Even the most exorbitant demand appears quite natural as soon as you only admit
the truth of the two leading propositions : "The Roman Church is the
kingdom of God," and "The Church must govern like an earthly
State." It is not to be denied that Christian motives have also had a hand
in this development-the desire to bring the Christian religion into a real
connexion with life, and to make its influence felt in every situation that may
arise, as well as anxiety for the salvation of individuals and of nations. How
many earnest Catholic Christians there have been who had no other real desire
than to establish Christ's rule on earth and build up his kingdom ! But while
there can be no doubt that their intention, and the energy with which they put
their hands to the work, made them superior to the Greeks, there can be as
little that it is a serious misunderstanding of Christ's and the apostles' injunctions
to aim at establishing and building up the kingdom of God by political means.
The only forces which this kingdom knows are religious and moral forces, and it
rests on a basis of freedom. But when a Church comes forward with the claims of
an earthly State, it is bound to make use of all the means at the disposal of
that State, including, therefore, crafty diplomacy and force ; for the earthly
State, even a State governed by law, must on occasion become a State that acts
contrary to law. The course of development which this Church has followed as an
earthly State was, then, bound to lead logically to the absolute monarchy of
the Pope and his infallibility ; for in an earthly theocracy infallibility
means, at bottom, nothing more than full sovereignty means in a secular State.
That the Church has not shrunk from drawing this last conclusion is a proof of
the extent to which the sacred element in it has become secularised. [34]
God’s
Kingdom
Daniel 7:26-28
|
26
|
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
|
ודינא יתב
ושׁלטנה יהעדון להשׁמדה ולהובדה עד־סופא
|
|
27
|
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 dominions shall
serve and obey him.
|
ומלכותה
ושׁלטנא ורבותא די מלכות תחות כל־שׁמיא יהיבת לעם קדישׁי עליונין מלכותה מלכות
עלם וכל שׁלטניא לה יפלחון וישׁתמעון
|
|
28
|
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.
|
עד־כה סופא
די־מלתא אנה דניאל שׂגיא רעיוני יבהלנני וזיוי ישׁתנון עלי ומלתא בלבי נטרת
|
Let’s review what the vision said earlier about the establishment
of God’s kingdom.
Daniel 7:9-14, 18, 22
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and
the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of
his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels
as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from
before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great
words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his
body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had
their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and
time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one
like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of
days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was
given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and
languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which
shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18 But the saints of the most High
shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and
ever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and
judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the
saints possessed the kingdom.
Verses 9-14 give a very interesting sequence of events.
1.
Verses
9-10: Throne of the Ancient of Days set up, books opened and judgement
commences
2.
Verses
11-12: Beast is slain an dominion taken away from the other beasts
3.
Verses
13-14: Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days in the clouds of heaven. Son of Man is given dominion and an
everlasting kingdom.
There are two very important key things most people notice
here. First, the judgement begins before
the beasts have their dominions taken away.
There is a judgement before the end of the earthly kingdoms. The next chapter will get into what this
judgement is. Second, the Son of Man is
not the Ancient of Days. The Son of Man
is a separate, lesser being who receives power from the Ancient of Days. See the section on the Trinity for an in
depth examination of this topic.
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