(a) How many beasts did Daniel see in his vision?
(b) What kingdoms did they symbolize?
(c) Into how many kingdoms was Rome divided?
(d) By what were they represented?
1. What came up among the ten horns? Verses 8, 20. (See note 1.)
2. Describe its appearance. Verses 8, 20. (See note 2.)
3. What did it do? Verses 8, 20, 21.
4. How long will he continue his warfare against the people ofGod? Verses 21, 22. (See note 3.)
5. What does this little horn symbolize? Verse 24. (See note 3.)
6. Describe his work. Verses 24, 25. (See note 4.)
7. What are given into his hands? Verse 25. (See note 4.)
8. Until what time? Verse 25. (See note 5.)
9. What change would then come? Verse 26. (See note 0.)
10. What solemn event is brought to view in close connection with this? Verse 26.
11. Describe the judgment as seen by the prophet. Verses 9, 10.
12. What voice did he hear after the judgment session began?Verse 11. (See note 7.)
13. What scene in heaven again attracted the prophet’s attention? Verse 13. (See note 8.)
14. What was given him? Verse 14.
15. Who shared with him in this kingdom? Verse 27.
16. How did these solemn scenes affect Daniel? Verse 28.
17. What did he do? Verse 28.
NOTES.
1. THE little horn of this chapter symbolizes the Papacy. It came up among ten kingdoms, and plucked up, or destroyed, three of the ten to secure its position of supremacy. The ten kingdoms of the Roman Empire arose between the years 351-476 A. D. The three kingdoms which were destroyed to make way for the Papacy were as follows: The Heruli, in A.D. 493; the Vandals, in A. D. 533; and the Ostrogoths, in A. D. 538. Justinian, the Roman emperor, in A. D. 533, made the bishop of Rome the head over all the churches, and the corrector of heretics. The Ostrogoths opposed the claims of the bishops of Eome, hence the will of the emperor could not be carried into effect till the Ostrogoths were subjugated.
2. THE cunning, shrewdness, and the sharp policy of the Papacy is represented by the little horn having eyes like the eyesof man; and as this power was to he a blasphemous, persecuting, law-changing power (see verse 25), Paul calls it the “man of sin,” who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called G-odor that is worshiped. 2 Thess. 2 : 1-4.
3. THESE verses clearly show that the Papacy will exist as a persecuting power when Christ comes the second time. The beast goes alive into the late of fire. It will be a living, persecuting power at that time as much as the two-horned beast or false prophet. (See Dan. 7 : 11; Rev. 19 :19, 20.) One of the heads of the beast, the papal head, would receive a deadly wound (Rev. 13 :1-3), and thus its persecuting power would he taken away for a time. This deadly wound was given in 1798, but it will be healed, as declared in the same scripture and then its persecutions will be revived. “Romanism in the Old World and apostate Protestantism in the New will pursue a similar course toward those who honor the divine precepts.”—Great Controversy, vol. 4, p. 445.
Hence it will have the power to persecute, and it will use it.
4. THE people of God” and His holy law were to be given into the hands of Rome. That is, the Lord in His wisdom permits Rome to become dominant and rule with cruel, despotic power, that the world and the universe of God may see the result of apostasy in the church of God, and of the church dominating the State.
The Papacy has spoken great words against the Most High in the papal dogma of infallibility, in the blasphemous titles applied to the popes, and in many other ways. See “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation.” It has made war upon the saints, and slain from 50,000,000 to 100,000,000, according to good authorities. It “thinks to change times and the law.” (Revised Version.) This clearly refers to the law of God, which the Papacy cannot really change, but only thinks to change. This has been literally ful- filled in its relation to the law of God. It has sought to change the times, by changing the day observed as the Sabbath, and the time of commencing the day. (See “Who Changed the Sabbath ?” No. 107 Bible Students’ Library.}
5. THE period here mentioned is 1,260 years. A time, one year;times, two years; times is plural, hence more than one; and as the numeral adjective is not used, and as the orginal is dual in form, we know that “times” here means two “times,” or years; dividing of time, one-half a time would be understood, unless the number of parts was specified. (See also Dan. 12: 7; Rev. 12: 6, 14.) Hence we have three and one-half times, or years. This reduced to days, as the year was anciently counted, twelvemonths of thirty days each, would be as follows: One year, 3GO days; two years, 720 days; one-half year, 180 days; total, 1,260 days. (See Eev. 11:2,3; 12 : 6, 14; 13 : 5.) As this is prophetic time, and as these days, like the beasts, are used as symbols, we adopt the Bible rule of a “day symbolizing a year. (See Num. 14 : 34; Eze. 4 : 4-6.) These scriptures show conclusively the correctness of the above reckoning. Beginning with A. D. 538, when the papal supremacy was secured by the overthrow of the Ostrogoths, the 1,260 years would reach to 1798, the very year when its supremacy was broken.
6. A DEADLY wound was given to the Papacy in 1798, and its persecuting power was taken away. Still the pope was a civil ruler and exercised civil authority for many years, hut with lessening degree, till Sept. 20, 1870, when the last vestige of temporal power was stripped from him by Victor Emanuel. His temporal dominion was consumed and destroyed unto the end, that is, till the end of his dominion, till it ceased. It should be noticed that this refers to a gradual consuming of the dominion till it is gone, or destroyed, and not to the sudden destruction of the Papacy itself when Christ comes. 2 Thess. 2:8. Because the dominion of the Papacy is taken away or consumed until the end of the temporal dominion is reached, it by no means follows that its power will not be restored so that it will again persecute the people of God, for the Scriptures clearly teach that the deadly wound will be healed, and the Papacy will be a living, persecuting power when Christ comes, as already proved.
7. THE decree of papal infallibility, July 21, 1870, fulfills with wonderful exactness the “voice of the great words which the horn spake.” Future lessons will show that the session of the judgment described in verses 9, 10, began in 1844. Hence, Daniel could say with great force and truth, “I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake.”
8. “ONE like the Son of man.” This is an expression used in symbolic prophecy in referring to Christ, the Son of God. We find it so used in Rev. 14 : 14. The student will notice that the coming brought to view in our lesson is not Christ’s coming to this earth, but His coming before the Father to receive His kingdom.
This will be before He returns to earth again. (See Luke 19 : 12, 15.)
Next – The Little Horn and the Judgment
Lesson 1 – Loyalty and Faith Rewarded
Lesson 2 – The Source of Wisdom
Lesson 3 – Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Lesson 4 – The Fiery Furnace
Lesson 5 – The Source of Power
Lesson 6 – The Handwriting on the Wall
Lesson 7 – Daniel in the Lions’ Den
Lesson 8 – The Vision of the Four Beasts
Lesson 9 – The Little Horn and the Judgment
Lesson 10 – Daniel’s Second Vision
Lesson 11 – The Time of the Judgment
Lesson 12 – The Time Explained
Lesson 13 – The Time of the End