The little horn causes massive turmoil and religious upheaval in Israel

1. The Jews and their leaders (“host and stars”) are cast down and stamped upon (v10)

2. Messiah (“the prince of the host”) is slain, the Mosaic sacrifices end and the temple destroyed (v11)

3. God uses the little horn power to pour out his judgments upon his people (v12,23)

4. Deut 28:48-50 – the nation of “fierce countenance”

5. Jesus cites Dan 8:13 when describing the impending downtrodding of Jerusalem (Lk 21:24) and its long period of being vanquished (the prophecy covers 2300 years)

Only the Roman empire fits the details of the vision

Daniel 8 is primarily a latter day prophecy

Vv17-19:

17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.

19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

RV: “for it (the vision) belongeth to the appointed time of the end”

The replication principle applied to the little horn of the goat

At the time of the end a latter day version of the little horn of the goat power will arise manifesting the same spirit and characteristics as the original horn

• Dominant military power

• Ruling over the territory of the Roman empire (east and west)

• It will occupy the Holy land, oppress the Jews due to their transgressions, and oppose the Messiah

• It will represent the final phase of the former power which prevailed over Israel 2000 years ago

• The Jews will relive the same devastating events of AD70 (this is why the Olivet prophecy has 2 applications – AD70 and latter day)

• The final phase has a different outcome: Israel’s salvation

Daniel’s warning matches Ezekiel’s

• The little horn power will wreak havoc on Israel – v25 “shall destroy many”

• These are not the saints who are slain just before Armageddon, these are Jews– The saints were slain in ch7, by persecution– The Jews are slain in ch8, by peace!

• You can’t use peace to ‘destroy many’ unless it isn’t a real peace that exists

• Daniel warns that Israel will be living in what it thinks are peaceful times, only to see many destroyed; Ezekiel also warns of the same psuedo peace, catching Israel off guard

• Israel’s enemy will succeed by craft and destroy by peace

Bro Thomas on the little horn of the goat

“But though the Little Horn of the Goat, or Constantino- politan Power, has never been Lord of the European Continental Powers represented by the Eleven Horns, the time is at hand when, as Gog it will acquire that dominion…This dynasty will be the last occupant of the throne of the Constantinopolitan Power for a thousand years. During its enthroned existence, it will be all that is affirmed of the Little Horn of the Goat and of “the King that does according to his will,” in the eight and eleventh chapters of Daniel. At this crisis, its power will be mighty, and it will destroy wonderfully, and prosper, and practice. As Lord of Europe and Asia, the continental dynasties of the West will be gathered unto it. They will acknowledge its supremacy, and seek to it as the shadow and strength of their dominions. The Constantinopolitan Little Horn Power will then be in final fourth-beast manifestation, “dreadful, and terrible, and strong exceedingly; having great iron teeth; devouring and breaking in pieces, and stamping the residue with the feet of it; and having ten horns.”

The end of the little horn of the goat matches the end of the Dan 2 image

• The image “stood up” (2:31), so does the little horn (8:25)

• The little horn is destroyed miraculously (“broken without hand” – v25), so is the image (broken by a stone cut “without hands” – 2:45)

• “Broken without hand” doesn’t just mean by divine power, but that only divine power is capable of bringing it to an end

J Thomas (Exposition of Daniel)

“While the feet (of the 4th beast) are occupied in stamping Judah and his allies in the glorious land, the 4th Beast power and Little Horn of the Goat are fitly represented by the Image.

“The Little Horn of the Goat and Daniel’s 4th Beast are both representative of the “the King of Fierce Countenance” of Dan 8:23, at the time when the Commander-in-Chief shall break the former in pieces”

Daniel’s distinctly different 2 little horns

• Identity = the Papacy• Pertains mainly to Europe• Capital = Rome• The Saints’ enemy• The impact of the Kingdom

of men on the saints

• Identity = Roman empire • Pertains mainly to Israel• Capital = Constantinople• The Jews’ enemy• The impact of the

Kingdom of men on Israel

Little horn of the 4th beast Little horn of the Goat

What to watch for from Daniel 8

Peaceful condition to develop in Israel

A friendship to develop between Russia and Israel

A ruthless, destructive, successful, arrogant conceited ruler to emerge as the ruler of the confederateenemy of Israel

Gog to take Constantinople to complete the replication of conditions existing under the former little horn of the goat power, who ruled from Constantinople

20 year gas deal signed 26 Feb 2013

Daniel 9 – the desolatorThe 70 weeks prophecy is an expansion of the Little horn of

the Goat prophecy (ch8); both:

– Focus on the Jews

– Cite the crucifixion (“finishing the transgression” – cp 8:12,23)

– Describe the AD70 Roman invasion when the temple was defiled (“overspreading of abomination” – cp 8:13, Matt 24:15)

– Tell the same story of how the Romans will come, destroy Jerusalem, the temple, bring in the same abomination and leave Israel desolate for a long time

The desolation would finally end (“even until the consummation” – v27) when God will pour out His judgment upon the desolator – the enemy of God’s people (in the battle of Armageddon)

Bro Thomas on the Desolator

“(Daniel’s) prayer was heard, and “the man Gabriel,” who had given him the interpretation of the symbols of the vision, was sent forth to “give him skill and understanding”

of that part of the vision of the Ram and the Goat…. “The matter” revealed is termed the prophecy of the seventy weeks. In this he was informed that a decree should be made for the restoration of the Jewish State; but that at a subsequent period the city and temple should be again destroyed; and that this second destruction should be followed by a desolation of the country which should continue till that determined should be poured out upon the desolator, that is, on the Little Horn of the goat in “the time of the end”. (Elpis Israel)

“… the outpouring of “that determined” upon the Desolator of the Holy Land, will not have reached its consummation, until Gog falls upon the mountains of Israel in the war of Armageddon; which is the great climacteric (crucial event) of the sixth vial. (Eureka)

The Little horn of the Goat, the Desolator and the Willful king all represent the Roman Empire

• The Little horn and willful king both emerge at the same time in history (after the Grecian Empire) and from the same (Seleucid – aka King of the North) territory

• Ch 11 is an expansion of ch 8, both:

– open with the Medes/Persians ruling, both end with Christ on the throne

– describe Alexander replacing the Persians

– cover centuries of rule by the Romans

– end with Jews dying and then Christ destroying the one responsible

– have as their principle focus, the time of the end

The willful king (Roman Empire) and the strange god (Papacy) share a close relationship

1. The king is extremely powerful and magnifies himself above all others (cp 8:25)

2. He introduces a new religion, one that his fathers never knew

3. He introduces a new god – a “strange god” – upon whom he heaps honours and “acknowledges and increases with glory” (heb for ‘strange’ = foreign; I.e. one not previously known) = the Papacy

4. The new religion has very unusual teachings

a) Celibacy – “nor the desire for women”

b) “A god of forces” (mg: protectors) – canonizing dead men/women to become saints who protect the religion

c) “the most strong holds” – buildings/structures (cathedrals/churches) to play an important role

d) 2 core values: wealth and power to rule over people

e) Only the Catholic Church answers to such unique and unusual characteristics

The willful king in the latter days“…and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished…”

• The indignation of v36 is the same as 8:19 = God’s indignation against Israel; when it ends (at the 2nd coming), Israel enters a time of blessing

• The willful king continues until the end of Israel’s indignation, making this a latter day prophecy

• The willful king = the great enemy of Israel who will work in concert with the head of the apostate religion– This dual power relationship (political & religious) also

reflected in the 4th Beast and Little horn of Dan 7– While this relationship existed for centuries (during the

Middle ages) it will also exist in the latter days

• What to watch for: the relationship of the willful king (Russia) and strange god (the Vatican) to develop

The Willful king and strange god in the latter days

• The Willful king will have immense power, none can withstand

• Working closely with him will be the head of the false religious system with strange teachings

• Their latter day relationship is also depicted in Dan 7:11 (4th Beast and Little horn)

• Ch 11 is where the 2 little horns of Daniel (ch 7 and 8) converge – one religious, one military

• The Willful king, having emerged from the King of the North, merges back in vv40-45 – the final phase of the Willful king

• Both the Willful king and King of the North exist in the last days; the principle characteristic of the former is his shared ruling with the strange god; of the latter is the invasion of Israel

The Willful king and the Little Horn of the Goat are synonymous

Both: • share the same origin (same Grecian – Seleucidian horn)

and arise at the same time (8:9; 11:15)• have immense power that none can withstand (8:9-10,24;

11:36)• Are arrogant, exalt and magnify themselves, even above

God (8:11,25; 11:36)• Exist at the time of the end, having continued until the end

of Israel’s indignation• Are destroyed by Christ after having slain “many” Jews

(8:25; 11:44)• Are destroyed, after which Israel is spiritually restored

These are not 2 different latter day powers who happen to share these common characteristics – they are 1 and the same power

Bro Thomas on Daniel 11

The eleventh chapter, from the fifth to the thirty-first verse, treats of two of them (the 4 horns, KS), the northern and southern horns in their struggles with one another for ascendancy in the Holy Land, and consequent lordship over Judah; and thus the treatise fills up the interval between the foundation of the horn kingdoms and the incipient intervention of “the breakers of Daniel’s people” (the Romans, KS) who should exalt themselves to establish the vision. Besides this, two of the Goat Horns …are introduced again in the fortieth verse; and one of them, the northern, is kept in view to the end of the chapter, being inseparable at last from the Little Horn of the Goat which came up out of it and merges again into it; so that the fate of the one becomes the fate of the other, which is to be broken without help. (Exposition of Daniel)

The OT prophets define the latter day structure

1. A Great Adversary will arise against Israel, comprised of nations from Europe, Asia and N. Africa• A high level of unity exists among the confederate

powers – all work together to destroy Israel

2. An apostate and blasphemous religious power will stand in defiance of God, right to the end• It’s the same power that persecuted the saints for 1260

years• It’s symbols: Little horn of 4th Beast; a Strange god who

rules over a strange religion (Papacy + Roman church)

3. A special alliance and working relationship will exist between the Great Adversary and the apostate religious power• Dan 7 – the Beast and Little Horn• Dan 11 – the Willful king and Strange God

The latter day prophecies of the book of Revelation must fit into the same (OT) structure

• The Revelation visions will expand upon the structure, providing more detail, but also be consistent with the OT structure

• The latter day powers in Revelation must be the same latter day powers identified in the OT

• The latter day visions of Revelation must complement those of Daniel, which is the blueprint by which Revelation is to be understood

• There cannot be 2 different latter day structures, with Daniel going in one direction and Revelation a different direction

• We wouldn’t expect to find a new list of 26 details portraying a different end of the story in Revelation