Study #3
The Beast Power
of Daniel 7
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BEFORE STARTING THIS STUDY #3, BE SURE
YOU HAVE COMPLETED STUDIES #1 & #2
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We are now ready to explore the exciting prophecies of Daniel, written almost 2500 years ago. Daniel chapter 7, was written around 553 BC when Daniel was about 70 years old. He had a dream and visions, verse one, and when he awoke, he recorded the facts. Before going any further, read all of Daniel 7.
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7:1 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.
7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
7:4 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.
7:5 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.
7:6 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.
7:7 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.
7:8 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.
7:9 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.
7:10 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.
7:11 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.
7:12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
7:13 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.
7:14 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.
7:15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
7:16 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.
7:17 These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth.
7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
7:19 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;
7:20 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.
7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
7:22 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.
7:23 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.
7:24 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.
7:25 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. 7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.
7:27 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.
7:28 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.
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What were the four winds of heaven stirring up?
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1. What were the four winds of heaven stirring up? (Verse 2)
Note- As we go through the prophecies, we will discover many symbols are used. Using the Bible to interpret itself, we will learn the truth of what the symbols actually are, and thereby we will be able to unlock the mysteries. God withholds understanding from those who seek with improper motives. But the sincere seeker of truth, God has a special blessing for those who read and understand. (See Revelation 1:3) "Winds" in prophecy represent strife, commotion, ex:"winds of war" (See Jeremiah 25:31-33; 49:36,37; 4:11-13; Zechariah 7:14). "Waters" in prophecy represent existing inhabited areas, people, populated nations. (See Revelation 17:15).
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What came out of the sea? What did the beasts represent?
What was the first beast like?
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2. What came out of the sea? (Verse 3)
Note- So these four beasts came up where there were existing populated nations.
3. What did the beasts represent? (Verse 17)
Note- A beast in prophecy represents a kingdom, government, a political power. (See Daniel 7:17, 23)
So we have 4 kingdoms represented here. You will see how this prophecy parallels the metal man image of Daniel chapter 2, which was our first study.
4. What was the first beast like? Describe it's features. Verse 4
Note- Wings in prophecy denote speed, great haste. Habakkuk 1:8. This beast, a lion with eagles wings, represents the first world kingdom, Babylon. It was the head of gold in Daniel 2. Babylon ruled from 606 BC to 538 BC.
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What was the second and the third beast like?
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5. Describe the second beast in verse 5.
Note- The second beast represented the Medo-Persian empire that ruled the world from 538 BC to 331 BC. The Bear was raised up on one side to denote the fact that the Medes were the weaker of the two. The three ribs represented the three nations they conquered to come into power, Lydia, Babylon and Egypt.
6. What were the unique features of the third beast in verse 6?
Note- This leopard represented the third world empire, Greece. The four wings represented the great speed with which Alexander conquered the world. Greece ruled the world from 331 BC to 168 BC. The four heads represented the four generals to which the kingdom was divided after the death of Alexander. They were Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. Alexander died in a drunken brawl in his early 30's.
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Daniel's painful account of the fourth beast
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7. How did Daniel describe this fourth beast? (Verses 7, & 23)
Note- The fourth beast with the terrible iron teeth was the fourth and last kingdom to rule the world, the iron monarchy of Rome. In Daniel 2, this was represented by the iron legs. Rome ruled the world from 168 BC to 476 AD.
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8. How did the 4th beast differ from the others? Verses 7, & 24
Note- The ten horns were the ten toes of Daniel 2. After the fall of the Roman empire, the ten tribes from the north became the ten kingdoms. The ten nations were:
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Nation's Names Then
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Nation's Names Now
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Alemanni
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Germany
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Franks
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France
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Bergundians
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Switzerland
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Suevi
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Portugal
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Anglo-Saxons
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England
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Visigoths
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Spain
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Lombards
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Italy
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Heruli
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Is no More
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Vandals
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Is no More
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Ostrogoths
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Is no More
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9. Describe the strange horn that came up among the ten. Verses 8 and 24
Note- It's a little horn power that plucks up or subdues three of the ten nations. We are now going to identify this little horn power. Understand friend, God authored the Bible and He had His servants the prophets write it down, even when they had no idea of it's meaning. Now as we look back, we can see that what they wrote was accurate and timely. The little horn power could be none other than Papal Rome. There are 9 identifying marks of this little horn power in verses 8, 24 & 25.
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In Verse 8
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3 Identification Points in Verse 8
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# 1
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Came up among the 10 nations of western Europe
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# 2
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He uproots three of the 10 nations
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# 3
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The Little Horn Power would have a man at the head. (Having eyes and a mouth)
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In Verse 24
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2 Identification Points in Verse 24
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# 4
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Little Horn Power arises after the other ten horns, so it had to be after 476 AD
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# 5
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It would be different from the others who had secular rulers in charge
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In Verse 25
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4 Identification Points in Verse 25
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# 6
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He blasphemes God (This horn power speaks great words against the most high)
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# 7
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The little horn power is a persecuting power
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# 8
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He shall think to change times and laws
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# 9
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His power shall be for a time, times, and the dividing of a time
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Examining the 9 points of identification of the Little Horn power
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Now we will take a closer look at these 9 identifying marks and see how the little horn power could be none other than Papal Rome:
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1. Did Papal Rome come up among the 10 nations of western Europe?
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Yes, it came up from the ruins of the old Roman empire.
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2. Did it uproot or subdue three of the ten nations?
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Yes! Among the principal obstructions to the rise of Papal Rome, were the Heruli, the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. All three nations were supporters of Arianism, which was the most formidable rival of Catholicism. The Heruli were defeated in 493 AD. The Roman emperor Justinian saw to it that the Vandals were vanquished in 534 AD. Justinian's General Belisarius completed the end of the Ostrogoth's power in Europe in 538 AD. REMEMBER the date 538 AD.
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3. Is there a man at the head of Papal Rome?
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Of course, he would be the Pope.
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4. Did he come into power after 476 AD?
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Yes, and we will explore the history of that issue below.
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5. Is he different from the others?
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Yes. The other ten nations were political powers. Papal Rome is a Religious/Political power.
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6. Does he blaspheme God?
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In our next study, we are going to look at the beast power of Revelation 13. We will see how the little horn power of Daniel 7 is the same beast power of Revelation 13. For now, read Revelation 13:5,6
13:5 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.
13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven."
In order to see if this power blasphemes God, it is necessary to understand the Bible definition of blasphemy. See John 10:30-33
10:30 "I and [my] Father are one.
10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God."
The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy, because He was a man claiming to be God. But since He was God, it was not blasphemy. Only a mortal man claiming to be God, would be a blasphemer. Next, read Mark 2:7
2:7 "Why doth this [man] thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?"
The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy because He forgave sins. Mortal man can not forgive sins, only God can. Since Jesus is God, He committed no blasphemy. A man claiming to forgive sins is a blasphemer. Does the Papacy claim to be God on earth and does he claim to have the power to forgive sins? Yes and yes.
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7. Has the Papacy ever been known to be a persecuting power?
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Yes. From the years 538 AD until 1798 AD, it has been estimated that more than 50 million people were martyred for their faith, by Papal armies operating under Papal decrees. Some estimate that it could have been more than 120 million. The record of its persecutions is historical fact.
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8. He shall think to change times and law. Has the Papacy changed times and the law?
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YES. The seventh day Sabbath was created during creation week and will continue into eternity. The Sabbath runs from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. The Papacy not only changed the time of Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, but boasts that it is a mark of her ecclesiastical power. A change that God never authorized. The Papacy also changed God's law in another area. It deleted the second commandment which forbids worshiping or bowing down to graven images of wood or stone. It moved all commandments up one space and divided the tenth commandment in two. We will go into greater detail in an upcoming study on "The Mark of the Beast."
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9. Period of power was time, times and half a time.
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Period of power was time, times and half a time. In prophecy a time means one year or 360 days. Times is two years or 720 days and half a time is 180 days. A day in prophecy is a literal year. See Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6. A prophetic month is 30 days or 30 literal years. 42 prophetic months is 1,260 prophetic days or 1,260 literal years. The time, times and half a time is 1,260 days or 1,260 literal years. The Papacy was freed from the Arian domination in 538 AD and gained great power over all the nations for 1,260 years. It received a deadly wound in 1798. Right on God's timetable. There are 7 references to the 1,260 day prophecy. 7 is God's number for completion. Those 7 references are Daniel 7:25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2; Revelation 11:3; Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:14 and Revelation 13:5.
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This study is not an attack on any people of any religion. The purpose of this study was to identify who the little horn power was using God's own Word. There is no question that the power was religious in nature as well as political. There has never been any other power on earth that met these 9 identifying marks. There has not even been one other power that even met a few. The odds of any other power meeting three would be astronomical. But Papal Rome met all 9 marks and God has identified this system for a reason.
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And now we will discuss the steps of Papal Rome coming to power. In 330 AD, the emperor Constantine, who himself was a recent convert, moved the political power from Rome to Constantinople, which left the Bishop of Rome comparatively free of imperial control. The conversion of Clovis, leader of the Franks, to the Roman faith, about 496 AD, when most of the Barbarian invaders were still Arians, gave the Pope a strong political ally willing to fight the battles of the Church. For twelve centuries the sword of France, the "eldest son" of the Papacy, was an effective agent for conversion of men to the Church of Rome and for maintaining Papal authority.
In 533 AD, the emperor Justinian wrote two official letters, that had the force of royal edicts which recognized the Pope's ecclesiastical supremacy as "Head of all the Holy Churches," in both the east and the west, and he legally confirmed the Bishop of Rome as the "Head of all the Holy Priests of God."
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It was not until 538 AD that the Papacy was finally freed from all domination of the Arian kingdoms, that the decrees took effect. One by one and after much bloodshed, the other seven kingdoms became Catholic, and the Pope emerged as the leading figure of Europe. It's power continued until 1798. Exactly 1,260 years.
The spectacular victories of the armies of Napoleon in Italy, placed the Pope at the mercy of the French Revolutionary government, which now advised that the Roman religion would always be a persistent enemy of the Republic. The government urged that Napoleon destroy the center of unity of the Roman Church, and he did just that. In 1798 the French General Berthier, with a French army, marched into Rome and took the Pope prisoner! Exactly 1,260 years after it's rise to power, it received a deadly wound. The Pope was removed to France where he died in exile.
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