We Should Obey GOD Rather Than Man

The Book of Daniel is rich with examples for Christians and we do well to follow those examples in our day.

Act 5:29
Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

King James Version for Daniel 3:1-30
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Dan 3:1
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height [was] threescore cubits, [and] the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

Dan 3:2
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Dan 3:3
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Dan 3:4
Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

Dan 3:5
[That] at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

Dan 3:6
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

Dan 3:7
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down [and] worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Dan 3:8
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.

Dan 3:9
They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.

Dan 3:10
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

Dan 3:11
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, [that] he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

Dan 3:12
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Dan 3:13
Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

Dan 3:14
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, [Is it] true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

Dan 3:15
Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; [well]: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who [is] that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Dan 3:16
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not careful to answer thee in this matter.

Dan 3:17
If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver [us] out of thine hand, O king.

Dan 3:18
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Dan 3:19
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: [therefore] he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

Dan 3:20
And he commanded the most mighty men that [were] in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, [and] to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace.

Dan 3:21
Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their [other] garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Dan 3:22
Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Dan 3:23
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Dan 3:24
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

Dan 3:25
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Dan 3:26
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, [and] spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come [hither]. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

Dan 3:27
And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

Dan 3:28
[Then] Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed [be] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

Dan 3:29
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

Dan 3:30
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

Young Daniel and Friends Served GOD

As we think about the prophetic visions that our GOD gave to Daniel, let us review how dedicated he and his friends were to GOD. As you invite the Holy Spirit to open your mind as you read this first chapter of Daniel, imagine yourself in the same kind of situation today.

King James Version for Daniel 1:1-21
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Dan 1:1
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

Dan 1:2
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

Dan 1:3
And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring [certain] of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;

Dan 1:4
Children in whom [was] no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as [had] ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

Dan 1:5
And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

Dan 1:6
Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

Dan 1:7
Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel [the name] of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

Dan 1:8
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Dan 1:9
Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

Dan 1:10
And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which [are] of your sort? then shall ye make [me] endanger my head to the king.

Dan 1:11
Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

Dan 1:12
Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

Dan 1:13
Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

Dan 1:14
So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

Dan 1:15
And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

Dan 1:16
Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

Dan 1:17
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Dan 1:18
Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

Dan 1:19
And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

Dan 1:20
And in all matters of wisdom [and] understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians [and] astrologers that [were] in all his realm.

Dan 1:21
And Daniel continued [even] unto the first year of king Cyrus.

For verse by verse commentary and further study click here.

God Gives Daniel Another Vision Regarding the Last Days

Again GOD shows Daniel the same prophetic time line that extends to the second coming of Jesus Christ. In each vision God gives us more and more in deapth picture of specific events.

During my High School years, I hated history, it all seemed so boring to me. That all changed when I realized that God had predicted events and times, and the rise and fall of kingdoms.

As I discover these prophecies, it is truly like digging for treasure to see how accurately the prophecies were fulfilled. I realize that this is a little difficult (at least it was for me, until I applied my scientific approach) Maybe it would be helpful for each of you to make your own comparison of Daniel 2, Daniel 7 and Daniel 8. You will find that the Bible principles that you lear here will help you in future studies of the prophecies in Revelations.

Know this, GOD wants us to know His plan for our lives, He wants to save us and as many as will accept His gift, He wants us to work with Him. These prophecies are given to us today so we will be aware of the "times and the seasons". God's Spirit inspired these visions and He stands ready to sit with you, to fill your heart and mind with His love and knowledge from on high of the meaning of these things.

Where was Daniel at the time that this vision was given to him?
"I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai." Daniel 8:2.

In this vision, what did Daniel see first?
"Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns." Verse 3.

What was next shown to him?
"As I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he goat waxed very great." Verses 5-8.

When the notable horn was broken, what came up next?
"When he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds." Verse 8.

What important horn came out of one of these horns?
"Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them." Verses 9-10.

What command was then given to an angel that stood nearby?
"I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision." Verse 16.

What were the first words that the angel then spoke to the prophet?
"Understand, a son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision." Verse 17.
NOTE: These words of the angel, "At the time of the end shall be the vision," cannot possibly mean that it would be necessary to wait until the time of the end before the ram and the he-goat appeared upon the stage of action, for the angel said plainly that the ram with the two horns represented the Medo-Perslan Empire and that the goat represented Greece. (Verses 20-21.) And it was in the third year of Belshazzar, before the overthrow of Babylon by the Medes and Persians that the vision was given.

But a long time period, is included in this important prophecy, and the angel informed the prophet that the events of the vision, including those to occur during and at the end of the great time period, would reach far beyond Daniel's time, even to the time of the end; that is into an epoch which would find its climax in the second advent of Christ.

Some there are who would have us believe that the wonderful prophecies and the grand truths of the Book of Daniel cannot be understood, and therefore that it is a waste of time to study them. But while Daniel himself says he was astonished at the vision, "but none under stood it,"we find the angel saying to him at a later time that the sealing of these prophecies was only "till the time of the end."

"But thou, 0 Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." "And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none shall understand." Daniel 12:4.9-10.

Though some of its prophecies were sealed until the time of the end, there were portions of Daniel's prophecies that were to be understood in Christ's day. In Jesus' wonderful discourse to His disciples regarding the signs of His coming (recorded In Matthew 24), reference is made to Daniel's prophecy, and the exhortation is given, "Whoso readeth, let him understand."

The Book of Daniel, then, can be understood, and it was written for our special benefit. We may find comfort and hope in its marvelous predictions, so accurately fulfilled, knowing that the sublime events yet future will surely come to pass as the prophecy has foretold.

In a few words Daniel's prophecy speaks volumes. Into a few short chapters is compressed the history, written in advance, which, as we look back upon it, spans more than twenty-three long centuries. Not having before him the pageant of the centuries which history now brings to view, it was not to be expected that the aged prophet would be able to comprehend all that God through visions and the words of the heavenly messenger revealed to him. The events of his own day and time he could well understand, but though given a bird's eye view of the sweep of the centuries, the peaks of future history 'so far distant from him were beyond his ken.

But the angel had been commanded, "Make.this man to understand the vision," and he therefore proceeded to explain the meaning of the symbols which the prophet had seen. And looking back upon the prophecy from this distant time, we can see how accurately the divine mind guided the prophet's hand in depicting the startling world events which have taken place from that day to this.

Did the angel then explain about the ram and the he-goat?
"The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia." Verses 20-21.
NOTE: We have already read the words of Scripture prophecy which describe the fury with which the goat would attack the ram.

"The 'goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth.' That is, Greece lay west of Persia and attacked from that direction. The Greek army swept everything on the face of the earth before it.

"The goat 'touched not the ground.' Such was the marvelous celerity of his movements that he seemed to fly from point to point with the swiftness of the wind. This same characteristic of speed is indicated by the four wings of the leopard in the vision of Daniel 7, representing the same nation.

"Alexander the Notable Horn. --The notable horn between his eyes is explained in verse 21 to be the first king of the Macedonian Empire. This king was Alexander the Great.

"A concise account of the overthrow of the Persian Empire by Alexander is given in verses 6 and 7. The battles between the Greeks and the Persians are said to have been exceedingly fierce. Some of the scenes recorded in history vividly bring to mind the figure used in the prophecy --a ram standing before the river, and the goat running toward him 'in the fury of 'his power.' Alexander first vanquished the generals of Darius at the River Granicus in Phrygia. He next attacked and routed Darius at the passes of lssus in Cilicia, and afterward defeated him on the plains of Arbela in Syria. This latter battle occurred in 331 B.C., and marked the fall of the Persian Empire. By this event Alexander became master of the whole country. Concerning verse 6 -'He [the goat] came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power' --Thomas Newton says: 'One can hardly read these words without having some image of Darius's army standing and guarding the River Granicus, and of Alexander. on the other side with his forces plunging in, swimming across the stream, and rushing on the enemy with all the fire and fury that can be imagined.'" --Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, pp 152-153.

What is represented by the four horns that come up in place of the broken one?
"Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Verse 22.
NOTE: The ram was said to represent the Persian Empire, the he-goat the Greek or Macedonian Empire. The great horn that was broken symbolized the first king, Alexander the Great. Alexander died In the prime of life and at the height of his conquests, being only about thirty-three years old at the time of his decease.

It is said that as a result of a drunken debauch he was seized with a violent fever, and from this he died eleven days later, June 13, 323 BC. Thus it truly came to pass, as Daniel had foretold, that "when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four." How accurate the prophecy! How true the historical facts! Concerning the breakup of Alexander's empire we read:

"The story of the Successors, in the tradition, is the story of a struggle for power among the generals. War went on almost wlthout intermission from 321 to 301 B.C.; and except for the brief episode of Antipater's regency, the conflict was one between the centrifugal forces within the empire, represented by the satraps (territorial dynasts), and whatever central power stood for unity. The conflict falls into two divisions; in the first the central power represents the kings, but after 316 it means Antigons, who claimed personally to stand in Alexander's place. But though the actors changed, the issues ware the same throughout; the end was complete victory for the dynasts." --The Cambridge Ancient History (1928-39 ed.), Vol. 6, p. 462.

"The death of Eumenes left Antigonus in virtual control of Asia. . . . His aim was to obtain the whole empire for, himself without reference to the royal house. . . But he kept up appearances; . . . he claimed to act for Alexander's son, and his army made him regent . . . The old central power was dead; but it had merely been replaced by another, far more energetic, ambitious, and businesslike, and controlled by a single brain. . . . Seleucus persuaded Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander, that Antigonus' ambition threatened their very existence, and the three rulers formed a definite alliance. Cassander [held] . . .Macadonia,. . .Ptolemy . . . Egypt;. . . Lysimachus . . . held the Dardanelles crossings. . . The history of the next four years, 315-312, is that of the first war between Antigonus and the coalition." --Ibid., pp. 482-483.

Ptolemy after his victory [over Antigonus] also took the title of king (305) and was followed by Cassander, Lysimachus, and Seleucus. The title affirmed their independent rule in their respective territories; Antigonus of course did not recognize this." --Ibid., pp. 498-490. "The four kings renewed the coalition of 315, but this time not to bridle Antigonus but to destroy him." --Ibid., p.502.

"In spring 301 . . . at Ipsus near Synnada the two great armies met in the 'battle of the kings' . . . Antigonus was defeated and killed . . . The struggle between the central power and the dynasts was ended, and with Antigonus' death the dismemberment of the Graeco Macedonian world became inevitable. Demetrius fled to Ephesus, while Lysimachus and Seleucus divided Antigonus' kingdom. Cassander was recognized as king of Macedonia." --Ibid., p. 504.

What is the meaning of the "little horn" in verse 9?
"In the latter time of their [successors of Alexander] kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up." Verse 23.
NOTE: The little horn comes forth from one of the horns of the goat. How, it may be asked, can that be true of Rome? Earthly governments are not introduced into prophecy until they become in some way connected with the people of God. Rome became connected with Jews, the people of God at that time, by the famous Jewish League in 161 B.C. But seven years before this, that is, in 168 B.C., Rome had conquered Macedonia, and made that country a part of its empire. Rome is therefore introduced into prophecy just as, from the overthrow of the Macedonian horn of the goat, it is going forth to new conquests in other directions. It appeared to the prophet as coming forth from one of the horns of the goat." --Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, p.158.

"From the opening of the historic period the development of Roman civilization was profoundly affected by foreign influences, in particular by Etruscan and Greek. But whereas the influence of the Etruscans virtually ceased with the expulsion of their kings from Rome, that of the Greeks continued with increasing strength throughout the whole of the period of the republic . . . It was inevitable that the older and more advanced Hellenic civilization should leave an indelible imprint upon the younger and less highly developed culture of Rome. And, in fact, there is hardly a single important aspect of Roman civilization that does not reveal unmistakable traces of imitating or borrowing ideas that originated among the Greeks. With obvious truth the Roman poet Horace could say: 'Captive Greece has captured her rude conqueror.'" --A. E. Boak, Albert Hyma, and Preston Slosson, The Growth of European Civilization, Vol. 1, p. 84.

"Contact with the Greeks led to the introduction of Greek divinities and, of much greater importance, to the identification of the native Italian gods with those of the Greek pantheon, With the result that Greek mythology and forms of artistic representation were taken over wholesale by the Romans." --Ibid., p. 93.

As three historical quotations reveal, the pagan Roman Empire may be described as coming out the Greek Empire. However, as the following question and answer show, the little horn represents more than simply pagan Rome.

What was this little horn to do to God's sanctuary?
"Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down." Daniel 8:11.
NOTE: As just explained, the little horn of Daniel 8 represents, first, the ancient Roman Empire. It was pagan Rome that in A.D. 70 laid the Temple in Jerusalem desolate and brought its services to an end, as forcefully described in the prophetic language of verses 9-13. However, as will be seen (see Chapter 50), the prophetic time period of verse 14 was to extend almost eighteen centuries beyond A.D. 70. This fact demands that the little horn be viewed not simply as pagan Rome but also as papal Rome, its successor. This relationship between pagan Rome and papal Rome is clearly set forth in the prophecy of Daniel 7.

This fact also demands that the word sanctuary, as used in verses 11-14, not be understood to refer exclusively to the Jerusalem Temple. There being no such "sanctuary" on earth during the remainder of that long prophetic time period, the term sanctuary, in verse 14, must refer to the "sanctuary" in heaven, "the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man," of which the sanctuary on earth was only a "shadow." (Hebrews 8:2, 5.)

What was finally to happen to this persecuting power?
"The judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." Daniel 7:26.
NOTE: In the prophecy of the seventh chapter there is traced the history of the rise and fall of the four great kingdoms, the division of the fourth, as represented by the ten horns, and the establishment of the Papacy under the symbol of the little horn, before whom three fell. As the prophet beheld the persecutions of this power, he saw the Ancient of days sit and the judgment begin. Following the judgment, the kingdom was to be given to the saints of the Most High.

The eighth chapter of Daniel reviews briefly the history of the kingdoms, predicts the persecutions of the chosen people by pagan and papal Rome, and gives a remarkable prophecy concerning the sanctuary.

At what time, according to this important prophecy, was the sanctuary to be cleansed?
"He said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Daniel 8:14.
NOTE: The Jewish Day of Atonement was on the tenth day of the seventh month, at which time the sanctuary was cleansed. This Day of Atonement was looked upon by the Jews as a day of judgment, and was, in fact, a type of the investigative judgment in heaven. The 2300-day period, representing 2300 years according to symbolic prophecy, reaches to the cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven, or the investigative judgment. A study of the symbols and time period of this chapter, and of their interpretations in this and the ninth chapter, gives a clear understanding of this period.

How did this view of desolation and persecution by the little horn power affect the prophet?
"I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business." Daniel 8:27.

God Gives Daniel a Vision that Reveals a Remarkable Symbol

Remember:
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 2 Tim. 3:16.
For what purpose?
"That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. " 2 Tim. 3:17.
As you study God's Word we will learn things that will bring knowledge and that knowledge will bring change into your life. God has given us His sure Word of prophecy to help us to know what is ahead. We can see that Christians before us could also know what they would face. We can know that we follow in the footprints of "pioneer" Christians who have been over this ground before.

Again, please pray before you study that God will send His Holy Spirit to guide you.

At what time was Rome divided into ten parts?
Between the years 351 and 483 A.D.

After the ten horns had arisen, what was seen coming up among them?
"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." Dan. 7:8.
NOTE: We must, then, look for the development of the "little horn" this side of 483 A.D. About that time, in fact, there was a pretentious power, seeking acknowledgement of its claims. As early as the beginning of the sixth century the bishops of Rome had become powerful enough to exert considerable of that influence at the imperial court which ere long exalted them to a station where they could command the kings of the earth. There was only one hindrance to their supremacy,-the opposition of the Arian powers to the doctrines of the Catholics, especially to that of the Trinity. These opposing powers were rooted up, the Heruli in 493, the Vandals in 534, and the Qstrogoths in 538. See "Student's Gibbon," pp. 309-319.

"It is a remarkable fact, that the popes to this day wear a triple crown,-- a fact that exists in regard to no other monarchs. . . The papacy [is] well represented by the 'little horn'. . . In fact, this one power absorbed into itself three of these sovereignties." -Barnes's Notes on Daniel, page 327.

The most remarkable was the little horn, which rose after the others, and is by Protestant commentators (and we think with good reason) explained as the ecclesiastical dominion of the pope or bishop of Rome.

"In 533, Justlnuan entered upon his Vandal and Gothic wars. Wishing to secure the influence of the pope and the Catholic party, he issued that memorable letter which was to constitute the pope the head of all the churches, and from the carrying out of which, in 538 [when the last of the three Arian horns was plucked up], the papal supremacy Is to be dated. And whoever will read the history of the African campaign, 534-538, will notice that the Catholics everywhere hailed as de-liverers the army of Beliserlus, the general of Justinian.

"The celebrated letter of Justinian to the pope in the year 533, not only recognized all previous privileges, but enlarging them, and entitling the pope and his church to many immunities and rights, which afterward gave origin to the pretensions displayed in the canon law. --"Gavazzi's Lectures, page 66.

It Is clearly evident, therefore, that just as soon as the last opposition to the papacy was removed, it became firmly seated by the famous letter of Justinian, -- that the bishop of Rome should be recognized as the heed of the universal church and the corrector of heretics. The year 538 A.D. may be set down, then, as the time when the papacy became an established power.

After speaking of the subjugation of the three powers by the "little horn," what comparison does he draw between the subduing power and the others?
"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Dan. 7:24.
NOTE: This evidently points out the papal supremacy, in every respect diverse from the former, which, from small beginnings, thrust itself up among the ten kingdoms, till at length is successively eradicated three of them.

They [the ten] were political kingdoms. And now we have but to inquire if any kingdom has arisen among the ten kigdoms of the Roman empire since 483 AD., and yet diverse from them all; and if so, what one. The answer is, the spiritual kingdom of the papacy. This answers to the symbol in every particular, as is easily proved..

How was this power to use its authority?
"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." Dan. 7:25.
NOTE: The pope calls himself "the vicar of Christ." Leo X blasphemously styled himself "The lion of the tribe of Judah." Leo XII allowed himself to be called "The Lord our God." Pope Martin V called himself "The most holy and most happy, who is the arbiter of heaven and the lord of the earth, the successor of St. Peter, the anointed of the Lord, the master of the universe, the father of kings, the light of the world."

Augustinius Triumphus, a popish author, said: "The very doubt whether the council be greater than the pope is absurd, because it involves the contradiction that the supreme pontiff is not supreme. He cannot err, he cannot be deceived. It must be conceived concerning him that He knows all things." This blasphemy was solemnly endorsed by the cardinals and bishops of the Catholic Church, in the Ecumenical Council of 1870, which declared the pope to be infallible.

The following is a portion of the infallibility dogma as translated by Hon. W.E. Gladstone, in the "Vatican Council," page 201: "All the faithful of Christ must believe that the holy apostolical see and the Roman pontiff possesses the primacy over the whole world, and that the Roman pontiff is the successor of blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, and is true vicar of Christ, and head of the whole church, and father and teacher of all Christians; and that full power was given to him in blessed Peter to rule, feed, and govern the universal church by Jesus Christ our Lord."

"They have assumed infallibility, which belongs only to God. They profess to forgive sins, which belongs only to God. They profess to open and shut heaven, which belongs only to God. They profess to be higher than all the kings of the earth, which belongs only to God. And they go beyond God in pretending to loose whole nations from their oath of allegiance to their kings, when such kings do not please them. And they go against God, when they give indulgences for sin. This is the worst of blasphemies." --A. Clarke, on Dan. 7:25.

How has the papacy worn out the saints?
By its relentless persecutions of Christians,having put to death more than fifty million during the period of its supremacy.
NOTE: No computation can reach the numbers who have been put to death, in different ways, on account of their maintaining the profession of the gospel, and opposing the corruptions of the Church of Rome. A million of poor Waldenses perished in France; nine hundred thousand orthodox Christians were slain in less than thirty years after the institution of the order of the Jesuits. The Duke of Alva boasted of having put to death in the Netherlands thirty-six thousand by the hand of the common executioner during the space of a few years. The Inquisition destroyed, by various tortures, one hundred and fifty thousand within thirty years. These are a few specimens, and but a few, of those which history has recorded. But the total amount will never be known till the earth shall disclose her blood, and no more cover her slain." Scott's Church History.

For further evidence, see Barnes's Notes on Daniel," page 328; Buck's "Theological Dictionary," art. Persecutions; Dowling's "History of Romanism;" "Fox's Book of Martyrs" Charlotte Elizabeth's "Martyrology;" "The Wars of the Huguenots;" histories of the Reformation, etc.

"To parry the force of this damaging testimony from all history, papists deny that the church has ever persecuted any one; it has been the secular power; the church has only passed decision upon the question of heresy, and then turned the offenders over to the civil power, to be dealt with according to the pleasure of the secular court. The impious hypocrisy of this claim is transparent enough to make it an absolute insult to common sense. In those days of persecution, what was the secular power? -Simply a tool in the hand of the church, and under its control, to do its bloody bidding. And when the church delivered its prisoners to the executioners to be destroyed, with fiendish mockery it made use of the following formula: 'And we do leave thee to the secular arm, and to the power of the secular court; but at the same time do most earnestly beseech that court so to moderate its sentence as not to touch thy blood, nor to put thy life in any sort of danger.' And then, as intended, the unfortunate victims of popish hate were immediately executed." --Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, page 141. See Geddes's "Tracts on Popery," "View of the Court of Inquisition in Portugal," page 446; Limborch, vol.2, page 289.

What change has the papacy sought to make in the law of God?
It has expunged the greater part of the second commandment, in order to establish the adoration of images, dividing the tenth to complete the number ten. It has also abolished the fourth commandment (as far as its power extends) by substituting the first day of the week for the seventh. See Catholic Catechisms; also "Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today," page 213; "The Catholic Christian Instructed," chapt. 23; "A Sure Way to Find out the True Religion," pages 95, 96.
NOTE: "The keeping holy the Sunday is a thing absolutely necessary to salvation; and yet this is nowhere put down in the Bible; on the contrary, the Bible says, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Ex. 20:8), which is Saturday, and not Sunday; therefore the Bible does not contain all things necessary to salvation, and, consequently, cannot be a sufficient rule of faith." --A Sure Way to Find Out the True Religion.

How long was the papacy to have power over the saints, times, and laws?
"And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Dan. 7:25, (latter part of the verse).

Where is this expression of time found in the New Testament?
"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." Rev. 12:14.

How is this same period again represented?
"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." Rev. 12:6. (These days, being in symbolic prophecy, are themselves symbolic.)

What is the rule for reckoning symbolic days?
"This shall be a sign to the house of Israel... And when thou has accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year. " Ezek. 4:3-6 (Num. 14:34).
NOTE: "So Eze. 4:6, 'I have appointed thee each day for a year: where the prophet was symbolically to bear the iniquity of Israel as many days as they had sinned years. In this usage we find authority for interpreting days in prophecy as denoting 'years.'" George Bush, Prof: of Hebrew and Oriental Literature in New York City University, Notes on Num. 14:34.

Then 1260 years was to be the period of papal dominion. It having bean established 538 A.D., the time when Justinian's decree went into effect, we find that the power of the papacy should be broken in 1798.

What event marked the close of this period?
In February, 1798, Berthier entered Rome at the head of the French army, and taking Pope Pius VI prisoner, established a republic in Rome. The pope died in exile the following year. For over two years there was no pope. See Chambers's Cyclopedia, art. Pius.

NOTE: In 1797 A.D., Napoleon was ordered by the French Directory to destroy the papal government. The pope was helpless, but instead of obeying orders, Napoleon, on his own responsibility, made peace with him, and returned to France. The words of the history are as follows:

"Bonaparte now invaded the papal territories, and rapidly overran them. He had orders from the directory to destroy the papal govern-ment, but, on his own responsibility, he disregarded these instructions, and concluded with the helpless pontiff the peace of Talentino on the 19th of February, 1797. Upon the return of Bonaparte from Italy, General Berthier was ordered by the directory to carry out its instruc-tions respecting the papal government, which Bonaparte had declined to execute. The people of the papal states were thoroughly discontented. Berthier marched to Rome, and was received as a deliverer. He proclaimed the restoration of the Roman republic; made Pope Pius VI a prisoner, and stripped him of all his property,. . . and removed him to France, where he was detained in captivity." --Pictoriai History of the World, page 756.

The pope was just as helpless in 1797 as he was in 1798, but 1797 was too early; the time did not fully expire till 1798; and "the Scripture cannot be broken." -John 10:35.

What was to take place before the dominion should be entirely taken away?
"But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." Dan. 7:26.

Where in this chapter is this judgment first spoken of?
"A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Dan. 7:10.
NOTE: The judgment scene here noticed is laid in heaven. (See reading on "The Judgment,") But even in connection with the judgment (Dan. 7:11) this power speaks such great blasphemy that the special attention of the prophet is called to his words. At the Ecumenical Council, July, 1810, the pope caused himself to he proclaimed infallible by a vote of 538 against 2.

How soon after this did the pope lose his temporal dominion?
In September, 1870, when Rome, no longer supported by the French, who had been defeated by the Germans, surrendered to Victor Emmanuel. Possession of the pope's dominion was formally taken Oct. 2, 1870. -See Chambers's Cyclopedia, art. Italy.

By what means is the beast to be destroyed?
"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." Dan. 7:11.

What is the "burning flame" that is to ultimately destroy the papacy?
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming." 2 Thess. 2:8.


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Review the entire scriptures on this subject Tod has given us:
THE 1260 DAY PROPHECY
A.D. 538 through A.D. 1798

THE PROPHECY OF DANIEL
"Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another...

"And behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and it had great iron teeth... 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 a man, and a mouth speaking great things...

"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... Then would know the truth of the fourth beast... 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.
"I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them...

"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 7:2, 3, 7-8, 16, 19-21, 25.

THE PROPHECY OF REVELATION
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea... 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... 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." Revelation 13:5.

The Bible predicted that the terrible little horn power of Daniel 7 and 8 was to rule the world for 1260 years. It has been well-known for centuries that this little horn of Daniel 7 and the first beast of Revelation 13 symbolize the papacy. Also called the "man of sin" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), and the "antichrist" (1 John 4:3), the papacy was definitely prophesied to have this ruling power for 1260 years. When did this predicted time span begin and when did it end? Read on.


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THE AMAZING 1260 DAY
PROPHECY
Here is the amazing prophecy of the 1260 days; also called the "time, times, and dividing of time," and the "forty-two months."

A day stands for a year in Bible prophecy (Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6). A "time" in prophecy is the same as a year (Daniel 11: 13, margin and Revised Version). This time-span prophecy is first mentioned in Daniel 7:25, where we are told that it is the length of time that the terrible "little horn" power was to bear rule and destroy God's people. During that time it would also try to change God's Law: "And he [the little horn] 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 for a time and times and a dividing of time." Daniel 7:25.

This, in Hebrew, equals "a time, 2 times and half a time." Using the ancient reckoning of 360 days to a year, 360 + 180 + 720 = 1260. And since a day is equivalent to a year in Bible prophecy, this little horn power would rule for 1260 years. In Revelation 12:6 we are told that the persecution would continue for "a thousand two hundred and threescore days:' which is 1260 prophetic days, or years. (Also note Revelation 11:3).

The God of heaven gave this important prophecy in yet a third way: The little horn of Daniel 7 and 8 is the same as the first beast of Revelation 13: "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." Revelation 13:5. (Compare Revelation 11:2.) Forty-two months equals 1260 days. And Revelation also calls this time prophecy the "time, and times, and half a time" (Revelation 12:14), just as Daniel does.

When did the little horn, symbolizing the papacy, have this rule? The decree of the emperor, Justinian, in A.D. 533, recognized the pope as the "head of all the holy churches" (Code of Justinian, Book 1, title 1, section 4). The overwhelming defeat of the Ostrogoths in the siege of Rome, just five years later (A.D. 538) was a death blow to the third of the three horns that were uprooted (see Daniel 7:8). With the year 538, then, begins the 1260 years of this prophecy of papal domination, which would extend to 1798. In that year as the Reign of Terror continued in the French Revolution and the Roman Catholic religion was set aside in France, the French army, under Berthier, entered Rome and took the pope prisoner. The date: February 10, 1798. The imprisoned pope died in exile the following year in Valence, France. A great cry was heard, "Catholicism is dead." The papacy had received the "deadly wound" of Revelation 13:3. ut we are told that the wound is to be healed, and that the time is coming when all the world will "wonder after the beast." (Revelation 13:3).

For further study on the "little horn" of Daniel 8, click on this link

Daniel's Second Vision and Four Great Monarchies

The visions of Daniel are wonderful faith building scriptures. We can see that hundreds of years before Christ, God gave visions that accurately predicted the rise and fall of nations up to and beyond the time of Christ.

As always, I encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit to be with you as you study these things.

Daniel's second vision was given at what time?
"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." Dan. 7:1.

What did the prophet first see?
"Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea." Dan. 7:2.

What was the result of this strife?
"And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another." Dan. 7:3.

What did the beasts represent?
"These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth." Dan. 7:17.
NOTE: The word kings here denotes kingdoms, as explained in the verses 23-24.

In symbolic language, what is represented by winds?
[Whirlwind, commotion, war, strife, scattering, confusion, etc.] Jer. 25:31-33; 49:36, 37.
NOTE: The strife and commotion which produces all this destruction is called a great whirlwind. That winds denote strife and war is then evident from a consideration of the vision itself; for as the result of the striving of the winds, kingdoms arise and fall; and these events are accomplished through political strife.

What is symbolized by the term waters?
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest,... are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Rev. 17:15.
NOTE: In the second chapter of Daniel, four universal kingdoms are introduced, namely, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome. These are respresented by the head of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, and the legs of iron, with feet part of iron and part of clay. As four kingdoms are also intoduced in the seventh chapter, we may safely conclude that these kingdoms, symbolized by a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a great and terrible beast with ten horns, are identical with those of the second chapter. The reason why the same ground is covered again, is well given in these words: "The ground is passed over again and again, that additional characteristics may be brought out, and additional facts and features may be presented. It is thus that we have line upon line. Here earthly governments are viewed as represented in the light of Heaven. Their true character is shown by the symbol of wild and ravenous beasts."

What was the first beast like?
"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." Dan. 7:4.
NOTE: The first of these beasts (like the golden head in Nebuchadnezzar's dream) evidently intends the Babylonian monarchy, and is described as a lion with eagles' wings.

At first the lion had eagle's wings, denoting the rapidity with which Babylon extended its conquests under Nebuchadnezzar. When this vision of Daniel 7 was given, a change had taken place; its wings had been plucked. It no longer flew like an eagle upon its prey. The boldness and spirit of the lion were gone. A man's heart -- weak, timid, and faint -- had taken its place. Such was emphatically the case with the Babylonian empire under Belshazzar.

By what was the second kingdom symbolized?
"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." Dan. 7:5.
NOTES: "The kingdom here referred to was undoubtedly the Medo-Persian, established by Cyrus." --Barnes's Notes on Dan. 2:39.

"This was the Medo-Persian empire, represented here under the symbol of the bear. . . . The Medes and Persians are compared to a bear on account of their cruelty and thirst after blood, a bear being the most voracious and cruel animal. The bear is termed by Aristotle an all-devouring animal; and the Medo-Persians are known to have been great robbers and spoilers.

As in the great image of chapter 2, so in this series of symbols, a marked deterioration will be noticed as we descend from one kingdom to another. The breast and arms of silver were inferior to the head of gold. The bear was inferior to the lion. Medo-Persia fell short of Babylon in wealth and magnificence, and the brilliancy of its career. . . . The three ribs perhaps signify the three provinces of Babylon, Lybia, and Egypt, which were especially ground down and oppressed by this power

By what was the third universal empire symbolized?
"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." Dan. 7:6.
NOTE: This bear having disappeared, the prophet saw an extraordinary "leopard" rise up in its stead. This was the emblem of the Grecian, or Macedonian empire, which for the time was the most renowned in the world.

Two wings, the number the lion had, were not sufficient. It [the leopard] must have four; and this must denote unparalleled swiftness of movement, which we find to be historically true of the Grecian kingdom. The conquests of Grecia under Alexander have no parallel in historic annals for suddenness and rapidity.

"Alexander, in less than eight years, marched his army upwards of seventeen hundred leagues [or more than fifty-one hundred miles], without including his return to Babylon." --Rollin's Ancient History, b. 15, sec. 2.

'The beast had also four heads. The Grecian empire maintained its unity but little longer than the lifetime of Alexander. Within fifteen years after his brilliant career ended in a drunken debauch [323 B.C.], the empire was divided among his four leading generals. Cassander had Macedon and Greece in the west; Lysimachus had Thrace and the parts of Asia on the Hellespont and Bosporus in the north; Ptolemy received Egypt, Lybia, Arabia, Palestine, and Coele-Syria in the south; and Seleucus had Syria and all the rest of Alexander's dominions in the east. These divisions were denoted by the four heads of the leopard.

How is the fourth kingdom represented?
"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." Daniel 7:7.
NOTES: A fourth beast. -- The Roman empire, which destroyed the Grecian empire, and became mistriss of the world.

"The fourth kingdom, symbolized by the fourth beast, is accurately represented by the Roman power." --Barnes, on Dan. 7, page 321.

"This 'fourth beast' evidently accords with the legs and feet of iron, which were seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his visionary image, and which were at length divided into ten toes. . . . This was doubtless an emblem of the Roman state." --Scott, on Dan. 7:7

Daniel asked no questions concerning the first three beasts of this series, evidently, because he understood their application from the knowledge gained whe the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream was made known to him. Smigh says: "But he was astonished at this fourth bease, so unnatural and dreadful; for the further we come down the stream of time, the further it is necessary to depart from nature in forming symbols accurately to represent the degenerating governments of this earth." --Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation, page 126.

"This is allowed on all hands, to be the Roman empire. It was dreadful, terrible, and exceeding strong; . . . and became in effect, what the Roman writers delight to call it, the empire fo the whole world." --A. Clarke on Dan. 7.

What was denoted by the ten horns?
"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." Dan. 7:24.
NOTE: The ten horns here answer to the 'ten toes' in Nebuchadnezzer's image.

For further study, click here for a link to a verse by verse commentary.