11.2 Time periods and the little horn
DIGRESSION 11.2 – TIME PERIODS AND THE LITTLE HORN, CHAPTER 11
The object of this digression is to clarify the following propositions:
a) Daniel chapter 8 – the removal of the ‘daily’ is about the removal of the daily witnessing; it is an end time prophecy.
b) Daniel chapter 8 is a prelude to Daniel chapter 9. The ‘vision’ in chapter 8 is continued in chapter 9(the seventy sevens). The visions are complementary ie they are both end time visions of the same events but seen from different perspectives.
c) The ‘coming one’ in Daniel chapter 9 is the Messiah – in contrast, the ‘little horn’ of Daniel chapter 8 is the anti-type, the man of sin.
Let us then examine our first statement:
a) Daniel 8 is end time prophecy:
DANIEL 8
REVELATION
“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” (v.10).
“And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth” (12:4).
“Yea he magnified himself even to the prince of the host” (MICHAEL1) (v.12).
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon” (12:7).
“Cast truth to the ground” (v.12).
“Did cast them to the earth” (12:4).
“How long shall be the vision” 2 (v.13).
“There should be time no longer” (10:6).
“The sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot” (v.13).
“Shall they tread underfoot forty and two months” (11:2).
“Removal of the daily” (v.13).
“Death of the witnesses” (11:7).
“I was in a deep sleep, my face toward the ground: but he touched me and set me upright” (v.18).
“The spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet” (11:11).
“A king of fierce countenance…. shall stand up” (v.23).
“Another beast coming up out of the earth” (13:11).
“And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power” (v.24).
“And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him” (13:12).
“Shall cause craft to prosper…. shall corrupt many” (v.25).
“He deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles” (13:14).
“Shall magnify himself in his heart” (v.25).
Who is like the Beast? (13:4).
The comparisons between Daniel 8 and Revelation are self evident, indeed similar comparisons can be drawn between all the prophetic passages in Daniel and Revelation. The prophecy itself informs us that the vision “belongeth to the appointed time of the end” (v.19 RV). The death and resurrection episode of v.18 indicates that these events pertain to the future. The king of fierce countenance would be ‘broken without hand’ (v.25, cp.2:34) and Daniel was told to “shut up the vision; for it shall be for many days” (v.26).
b) Digression 11.1 (the seventy sevens prophecy) has already introduced the observation that Daniel 9 is a continuation of the vision in the previous chapter. The salient points are:
1. Daniel 9:21: “ The man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning” This is referring to the previous vision (8:15,16) “…as the appearance of a man…Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision”.
At the end of chapter 8 (v.26) the vision (châ zô wn) ‘is shut up’; in 9:24 the vision(same word) is ‘sealed up’ until the 70 x 7 time period is completed. (ie 70 x 7 would transpire before the vision would be completely fulfilled.)
We are told that Daniel was “astonished at the vision (of chapter 8), but none understood it” (RV “but there was none to make it understood”). Daniel was ‘astonished’– the prophet Jeremiah uses the same word to describe the apostasy of the people:
2.
“My people hath changed their glory for that which doth not profit (idols). Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer.2:12,13).
“And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Lord, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder. Then said I, Ah Lord God! Surely
thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; (by peace shall he destroy many, Dan.8:25) whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul” (Jer.4:9,10).
“…to make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head” (Jer.18:16).
“NONE UNDERSTOOD THE VISION” – The word understood is used only once in Jeremiah:
“And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons, and I will make the cities of Judah desolate without inhabitant. Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, so that none passeth through? And the Lord said, because they have forsaken my law…” (Jer.9:11-13).
All the Jeremiah passages had an initial fulfilment in the destruction of Jerusalem and the sanctuary in BC586; the 70 years of captivity were a consequence of the nation forsaking the fountain of living waters.
Daniel who was wiser than all the ‘wise’ men of Babylon understood – “none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Dan.12:10). What he understood, was that the future would hold another huge apostasy (the revelation of the man of sin) and subsequent desolation before the revelation of the Messiah. The astonishment of Daniel was caused by the shock realisation that ‘the mighty and the holy people’ would once again be destroyed (corrupted), but none (of the wicked ) understood.
The root cause of this apostasy was the rejection of their Messiah (Messiah would be cut off and shall have nothing, 9:26 RV). Jesus himself said: “I am come in my Father’s name and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive” (John 5:43).
Daniel chapter 8 is about the man of sin, Daniel chapter 9 continues the vision by informing the prophet that it would not be 70 years of desolation (compare the captivity) but 70 x7 years before these events would climax with the introduction of the kingdom. The prophecy of Daniel 8 helps us fill in the details of the second half of the last ‘seven’ of Daniel 9.
3½ years
AD66½ - 70
3½ years
Future
Man of sin.
Apostasy ‘typified’.
Man of sin.
Apostasy.
A particular time period is attached to this apostasy (8:14):
“And he said unto me, unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings (RV); then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (justified).
HAW (Bible studies, An Anthology, p.110) comments as follows:
“Two elements of uncertainty about this need to be tidied up. Instead of 2300, the reading 2400 is very often adopted – which is a thing to wonder at, for the only place where this reading comes is in a single printed copy of the Vatican LXX. Every Hebrew and Greek manuscript has 2300. In other words, that 2400 depends entirely on a misprint. The Vatican LXX manuscript itself reads 2300. Also, the AV reading: ‘2300 days’ is inexact, and may be incorrect. The literal translation of the Hebrew text is: “an evening-morning of 2300 and the sanctuary shall be justified”. The reference here is to the ‘continual’ (v.13) – the sacrifice offered in the temple, without intermission, every morning and every evening. Thus, the period intimated could be one of 1150 twenty – four hour days.
It seems to have been overlooked that the translation “two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings” depends entirely on the Hebrew word for ‘thousands’ appearing in the text in dual form (there is no separate word for ‘two’3 in this text). But this pointing is that of the rabbis who came centuries later. Thus, in effect, the reading 2300 is their interpretation of the text. With the slightest adjustment of this rabbinical pointing, the reading becomes: “thousands and three hundred evenings-mornings”. This would indicate a long indefinite time – ‘thousands’ terminating in a well-defined period of 150 days”.
HAW proceeds to identify this 150 days with the 5 months of Rev.9:5 which he equates with the last five months of the siege of Jerusalem, which resulted in the Jews polluting and desolating their sanctuary, ultimately leading to their conquest and the diaspora. The events of AD66½ - 70 typify the future revelation of the man of sin.4 While elements of the prophecy in Daniel 8 may have a first century application the final fulfilment still lies in the future.
c) The little horn of Daniel 8 (and the king of fierce countenance) typify the man of sin :
DANIEL 8
2 THESSALONIANS 2
“It cast down some of the host and the stars5 and trampled upon them” (v.10).
“Magnified himself to the prince of the host and took away the daily and the place of his sanctuary was cast down” (v.11).
“Exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself forth that he is God” (v.4).
“Cast truth down to the ground” (v.12)6.
“That they might be damned who believed not the truth” (v.12).
“His power shall be mighty but not by his own power” (v.24).
“Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (v.9).
“Shall magnify himself, and by peace he shall destroy (corrupt) many” (v.25).
“God sendeth them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (v.11).
It is not surprising to find that the man of sin imitates the true Messiah, with the same sort of signs and miracles etc.
Please note the following parallels:
ANTICHRIST
DANIEL CHAPTER 7 & 8
‘THE LITTLE HORN’
(King of fierce countenance)
CHRIST
DANIEL CHAPTER 9
‘THE COMING ONE’
(Messiah the Prince)
“Shall destroy (corrupt) wonderfully” (Dan.8:24).
“His name shall be wonderful counsellor” (Isaiah 9:6).
“By peace destroy (corrupt) many” (Dan.8:25).
“Prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
“And his power shall be mighty” (Dan.8:24).
“Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6).
“The place of his sanctuary cast down” (Dan.8:11).
“Sanctuary and host trodden1 underfoot” (Dan.8:13).
“The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” (Dan.9:26).
“Shall think to change the times and the laws” (Dan.7:25).
“And he (the coming one) shall confirm (strengthen) the covenant for one week” (Dan.9:27).
1260 days (Dan.7:25).
1260 days (½ WEEK) (Dan.9:25).
“By him the daily was taken away” (Dan.8:11).7
“Shall cause sacrifice and oblation to cease” (Dan.9:27).
The characteristics of the little horn, the king of fierce countenance and the man of sin have been compressed (by myself). It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between the roles. A.D. Norris (Apocalypse for Everyman, p.234) comments that the Beast closely resembles the ‘man of sin’ of 2 Thessalonians.
He shows the following comparison:
2 THESSALONIANS 2
REVELATION
The falling away must come first. The man of sin is the son of perdition (v.3).
He exalts himself against God (v.4).
A harlot will be seated on the Beast (17:3).
The Beast goes into perdition (17:11).
The world worships the Beast (13:14).
It speaks blasphemies (13:5).
All that dwell on the earth except the faithful shall worship it (13:8).
The false prophet ensures that all the world shall worship the Beast (13:12).
He sits in the temple of God, claiming to be God, opposing himself to all that is called God or worshipped (v.4).
It blasphemes God’s name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven (13:6).
The mystery of iniquity is already at work (v.7).
The harlot is called mystery, the mother of abominations of the earth (17:5).
The Lord Jesus shall destroy him with the breath of His mouth, and bring him to nought by the manifestation of his coming (v.8).
The Lamb shall overcome the Beast with the ten kings (17:14).
His coming is according to the working of Satan, with all powers and signs and lying wonders (v.9).
He doeth great signs, that he should even make fire come down form heaven: it was given to him to give breath to the image of the Beast, that it should speak (13:13).
With all deceit of unrighteousness in them that are perishing, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved; For this cause God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie (v.10).
He deceives them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs (13:14).
Everyone whose name has not been written in the book of life (13:8).
A.D. Norris remarks: “Some of the references in the Revelation column relate to the actions of the false prophet, but since these are performed on the Beast’s account, they are included in the characteristics of the Beast itself”.
I would add to his comment that sometimes the objectives of an imperial power and a religious power are the same, or overlap. This may explain why the characteristics are often interchangeable. A good example of this is when an imperial power (ROME) and a religious power (JUDAISM) worked together in order to crucify Christ. The imperial power allowed a certain amount of religious freedom, and the religious power colluded with the imperial power in order to achieve its own ends.
The hostility that the Jews showed towards Jesus in the first century might be partially explained by identifying him with, and confusing the roles of, the ‘little horn’ and the ‘coming one’. It is interesting to note the accusations brought against him, specifically at his trial before the Sanhedrin.
THE TRIAL (MATTHEW 26)
DANIEL
“This fellow said, (false witness) I am able to destroy the temple (sanctuary) of God, and build it in three days” (v.61).
“And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” (9:26).
“The place of his sanctuary was cast down” (8:11).
(The high priest) “Tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God” (v.63).
“Messiah (Christ) the prince” (9:25).
(Jesus’ reply) “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (v.64).
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven” (7:13).
(The high priest) “He hath spoken blasphemy….ye have heard his blasphemy” (v.65).
“And he shall speak great words against the Most High” (7:25).
“He shall magnify himself in his heart” (8:25).
During his ministry he was accused of trying to destroy the law:
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets” (Mtt.5:17). Compare Dan.7:25: “and he shall think to change the times and the law” (RV).
Jesus’ temple prophecy was probably misconstrued along the same lines of confusion reported in John 2:19-21. Jesus did, however, prophesy that the temple would be destroyed (Mtt.23:38; 24:2). The same accusation was brought against Stephen (Acts 6:13-14) “For we heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us”. Jesus was seen as a false prophet (Mk.14:65, cp. Deut.18:22) and a deceiver (Mtt.27:63). In the Talmud, Jesus is accused of practising magic and leading Israel astray.
The Daniel prophecy informs us that the king of fierce countenance would destroy (corrupt) wonderfully and would cause craft (deceit) to prosper (8:24,25). In these circumstances, it is natural that Jesus answers his protagonists with an allusion to Dan.7:13 – “The Son of Man…coming in the clouds of heaven”.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES
1 The prince of the host is Michael the archangel to whom was especially committed the direction of the affairs of Israel (see Dan. 12:1; 10;13,21; Josh.5:14; Ex.23:20).
2 How long? This is the question implicitly implied in Revelation 11:13 – a tenth part of the city fell, compare Isaiah 6:11-13.
NOTES
3 The same word is translated ‘thousands’ on 46 occasions
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 The BAR-KOCHBA revolt also typifies the same event, as does the oppression under Antiochus Epiphanes and the Assyrian king Sennacherib.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 The stars are: “They that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever” (Dan.12:3). Is this referring to the witnesses? Thessalonians has no counterpart to this verse, but Isaiah 14 does, which relates the pride of Lucifer (= day star = Venus), the son of the morning, who exalts his throne above the stars of God (v.14). We are also informed that he ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restraineth (v.6 RV).Paul tells us however, that in the first century, “there is one that restraineth now until he be taken out the way” (2 Thess.2:7). The full outworking of the man of sin was limited in the first century but will be fully revealed in the future. The prophecy in Isaiah 14 had its initial fulfilment in the king of Babylon (v.4) which was one of the titles of the Assyrian king Sennacherib.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 Truth, always refers to the covenants of promise made to the patriarchs (concerning the Messiah, Micah 7:20). Jesus was the fulfilment of those promises, he was therefore able to say: “I am the truth, the way, and the life” (John 14:6). The man of sin, however, presents himself as the TRUTH (= the Messiah).
NOTE
7 These events were typified in the first century by the Jews (AD66½ - 70) who polluted and desolated ‘their house’ but the final judgment on the Jews was by Jesus himself (the prince that shall come) who destroyed the city and the sanctuary – the people of the prince that shall come, is possibly referring to the Romans (cp. the Assyrian – the rod of God’s anger, Isa.10:5). Other suggestions are discussed in Digression 11.1 In the future, there seems to be a literal down-treading of Israel, as well as the removal of the daily (witnessing) – indicating a persecution.
