Daniel 7.8-Daniel Describes the Emergence of a Little Horn From Among the Ten Horns
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday May 8, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 7:8-Daniel Describes the Emergence of a Little Horn From Among the Ten Horns
Lesson # 207
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 7:1.
Daniel 7:1 During Belshazzar’s, Babylon’s king, first year, Daniel saw a dream specifically visions in his mind on his bed. Then, he wrote down the dream. He declares the beginning of the account. 2 Daniel began to speak and said, “I was in a trance like state, staring because of my vision during the night as behold the heaven’s four winds were blowing violently against the great sea. 3 Then, four great beasts, one different from the other, came up out from the sea. 4 The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings attached to it. I was in a trance like state staring when its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up from the ground for the purpose of it standing on two feet like a human being. A human mind was also given to it. 5 Next, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear with it raised up to one side with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. Then, they issued orders to it, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ 6 After this, I was staring in a trance like state as behold, another one, was like a leopard with it having four bird’s wings on its back. Also, the beast had four heads. Indeed, governmental dominion was given to it. 7 After this, I was continuing to stare in a trance like state because of these night visions as behold, a fourth beast, intimidating, yes even terrifying as well as extremely powerful, possessing two large rows of iron teeth. It devoured as well as crushed. Specifically, it violently crushed the rest with its feet. Indeed, it was characterized as different from all the beasts which were before it in the sense of possessing ten horns.” (My translation)
Daniel 7:8 “While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.” (NASB95)
Daniel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is employing the figure of “asyndeton” because He wants the reader to dwell upon this little horn since Daniel 7:21-27 tells the reader that this little horn is a human being who will wage war against God’s people but will be destroyed by the Most High.
“While I was contemplating” is composed of the masculine singular hitpaʿʿal (Hebrew: piel) middle participle form of the verb śeḵǎl (שְׂכַל) (sek-al´), “contemplating” which is followed by the first person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb hǎwā(h) (הֲוָה) (hav-aw´), “while I was.”
The verb śeḵǎl means “to contemplate, consider with reflection” indicating that Daniel was viewing the ten horns of the fourth beast while reflecting on them with careful, undivided attention since they served to distinguish this fourth beast from the previous three.
The hitpaʿʿal (Hebrew: piel) stem of the verb denotes that these ten horns of the fourth beast caused Daniel to enter into the state of contemplating them or reflecting upon them with careful, undivided attention.
The verb hǎwā(h) denotes Daniel was in a trance like state when he was contemplating the significance of the ten horns of the fourth beast.
“The horns” is composed of the preposition b- (בְּ־) (beh) and its object is the masculine plural form of the noun qě∙rěn (קֶרֶן) (keh´-ren), “horns.”
The noun qě∙rěn is in the plural and means “horns” and is the object of the preposition bĕ, which is a marker of cause indicating the basis or the reason why Daniel was in a trance like state.
“Another horn, a little one” is composed of the masculine singular form of the noun qě∙rěn (קֶרֶן) (keh´-ren), “horn” which is modified by the feminine singular form of the adjective ʾā∙ḥǒrān (אָחֳרָן) (okh-or-awn´), “another” and then we have the feminine singular form of the adjective zeʿêr (זְעֵיר) (zeh-ayr´), “a little one.”
This time the noun qě∙rěn is in the singular and thus means “horn” and is modified by the adjective zeʿêr which means “little” describing a horn on the fourth beast which was relatively small in size from the other horns of the fourth beast.
This adjective also indicates that this horn was insignificant in comparison to the other horns having a relatively low status or rank in comparison to the other horns.
This noun qě∙rěn is also modified by the adjective ʾā∙ḥǒrān which means “another one” and indicates that this little horn was distinct and different from the other ten horns on the fourth beast since it had a mouth and eyes like a man and spoke boastful things against God and attacked His people.
“Came up among them” is composed of the third person feminine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb selǎq (סְלַק) (sel-eek´), “came up” and then we have the preposition bên (בֵּין) (bane), “among” and its object is the third person masculine plural demonstrative pronoun ʾin∙nûn (אִנּוּן) (in-noon´), “them.”
The verb selǎq means “to come up out of, to emerge from” something referring to linear movement indicating that another little horn “came up out of” or “emerged” from among the other horns of the fourth beast.
The third person masculine plural demonstrative pronoun ʾin∙nûn (אִנּוּן) (in-noon´) means “them” referring to the ten horns of the fourth beast.
It is the object of the preposition bĕ (בְּ) (beh), which means “among, in the midst of” indicating that Daniel is describing for the reader that another little horn emerged from among the other ten horns of the fourth beast.
This preposition is also a marker of separation indicating that this little horn emerged out from the other ten horns.
“Three of the first horns” tells the reader that the first three originating from the horns of the fourth beast were torn out by the roots in the presence of the little horn.
“Were pulled out by the roots before it” is composed of the third person masculine plural hitpeʿel (Hebrew: qal) (also written: Hiṯpə‘el, Eṯpə‘el, Hithpe‘el or Ethpe‘el) passive perfect form of the verb ʿǎqǎr (עֲקַר) (ak-ar´), “were pulled out” and then once again we have the preposition min (מִן) (min) which is followed by the preposition qǒḏām (קֳדָם) (kod-awm´), “before” and its object is the third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hî(ʾ) (הִיא) (he), “it.”
The verb ʿǎqǎr means “to tear out by the roots,” implying destruction indicating that the first three horns originating from the horns of the fourth beast “were torn out by the roots” in the presence of the little horn.
The third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hî(ʾ) means “it” referring to the little horn and is the object of the prepositions min and qǒḏām.
The former is a marker of agency indicating the agent who causes the action of a passive construction indicating that the little horn was the causative agent in the destruction of the three horns which refers to three kings and their kingdoms according to the interpretation later on in the chapter.
The preposition qǒḏām on the other hand indicates that the first three horns of the fourth beast were torn out by being “in the presence of” of the little horn.
“And behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man” is emphatic since it is advancing upon and intensifying the previous statement that the first three horns of the fourth beast were torn out by being in the presence of the little horn.
Thus, the advancement and intensification upon the previous statement is that the little horn is not simply a horn of nondescript beast but is symbolic of a human being thus indicating that the horns are human kingdoms as well.
“A mouth uttering great boasts” is composed of the masculine singular form of the noun pǔm (פֻּם) (poom), “a mouth” and then we have the masculine singular paʿʿel (Hebrew: piel) active participle form of the verb melǎl (מְלַל) (mel-al´), “uttering” which is followed by the feminine plural form of the adjective rǎḇ (רַב) (rab), “great.”
The noun pǔm means “mouth” referring to the part of a human’s body in which food passes into the body and which is bounded externally by the lips and internally by the pharynx and encloses the tongue, gums, and teeth.
The verb melǎl means “to speak, to talk, to converse” with emphasis upon the content of what is said indicating that the little horn was speaking arrogant things with its mouth.
The adjective rǎḇ means “boastfully” since it is functioning as an adverb modifying the verb melǎl indicating that the little horn was speaking boastfully with its mouth.
Daniel 7:8 “I was contemplating in a trance like state because of these horns as behold, another little horn emerged out from among them. Then, the first three originating from the horns was torn out by being in the presence of it. In fact, behold, on this horn, were eyes like a human being’s eyes as well as a mouth speaking boastfully.” (My translation)
Daniel continues his description of the fourth beast by telling the reader that a little horn emerged out from among the ten horns of the fourth beast.
He then describes the first three of the ten horns were torn out by being in the presence of the little horn.
He continues to describe this little horn as possessing eyes and a mouth like a human being and it spoke boastfully with its mouth.
The little horn refers to the Antichrist since it is identified with the Revived Roman Empire and in Daniel 7:19-26, he is described as waging war against God’s people up to the time of the Second Advent of Christ, which corresponds to the depiction of the Antichrist in Revelation (Daniel 7:11, 20-26; 8:25; Revelation 13:1-10; 19:20).
The Scriptures give the Antichrist many titles and names: (1) “The beast” (Revelation 13:1-2) (2) “The prince that will come” (Daniel 9:26-27) (3) The “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10) (4) The “scarlet beast” (Revelation 17:3) (5) The willful king (Daniel 11:36-40) (6) “The man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2:3), (7) “The son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) (8) The Desolater (Daniel 9:27).
He will not appear until the Day of the Lord has begun (2 Thessalonians 2:2) and his manifestation is being hindered by the Restrainer (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7) and this appearance will be preceded by the rapture of the church (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
Antichrist will be a Gentile since he arises from the sea according to Revelation 13:1 and since the sea depicts the Gentile nations according to Revelation 17:15, he must be of Gentile origin.
He will be the head of the last form of Gentile world dominion, for he is like a leopard, a bear, and a lion (Revelation 13:1; compare Daniel 7:7-8, 20,24; Revelation 17:9-11) and as such he is a political leader.
Daniel 7:21-22 reveals the following regarding the little horn: (1) He will persecute the saints of the Most High and is thus a person and Daniel 7:24 says that he is a king. (2) He will overcome the nation of Israel and will bring that nation under his authority (Revelation 12:13-17; 17:7). (3) He will be judged by God (Revelation 19:19-20) and Israel will thus enter into her millennial reign.
Daniel 7:23 reveals that the little horn will have a world-wide kingdom (Compare Revelation 13:7) and it will be an overwhelming conquest, which anticipates a coming one-world government under a worldwide dictator.
Daniel 7:25 corresponds to Revelation 13:1-10 and gives us three more additional facts about the little horn: (1) He will oppose God’s authority as indicated by the phrase “He will speak out against the Most High” (Compare Revelation 13:6). (2) He will oppress born-again Israel as indicated by the statement “wear down the saints of the Highest One”. (3) He will introduce an entirely new era in which he will abandon all previous laws and institute his own system as indicated by the statement “he will intend to make alterations in times in law” (Compare Daniel 11:36-37; 2 Thessalonians 2:4).
Daniel 9:26 indicates that this little horn will be a Roman dictator as indicated by the phrase “the people of the prince who is to come.”
“The people” were the Romans who destroyed the temple forty years after the death of Christ while “the prince” refers to the little horn, i.e. the Antichrist indicating that the Antichrist will be a Roman.
Daniel 9:27 says that Antichrist will pretend to be Israel’s benefactor and make a treaty with her but will turn against her in the mid way point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and will persecute Israel and occupy Jerusalem for three and a half years.
He will make a seven-year treaty with the leaders of Israel, which will begin the final seven prophetic years called the seventieth week and during the middle of this seventieth week after three and a half years, he will break the treaty and stop the sacrifices in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and declare himself God.
Nothing in history corresponds to the events described during this seventieth week and the Second Advent of Christ has yet to take place.
Daniel 7:26 refers to the Supreme Court of Heaven, (God the Father) passing down the decision to remove the little horn’s power, which will take place at the Second Advent of Christ, which terminates Daniel’s Seventieth Week (See Revelation 19:11-20:6).
The little horn will seek to prevent Christ’s rule on the earth by attempting to destroy God’s covenant people Israel but his reign will be short, only three and a half years.
His reign will be terminated with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ who at that time will establish His millennial reign on earth in fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Israel.
This prophecy concerning the little horn will take place in the future since no such ruler has attained world-wide rulership over a one-world government, no such ruler has subdued three of ten kings who were ruling at once and no such ruler has persecuted Israel for three and a half years and no such ruler has been destroyed by the return of Jesus Christ!
Therefore, we can see that toward the end of the Times of the Gentiles, a one world government under a tyrannical dictator will emerge from a ten nation confederacy.
This confederacy will emerge out of the old Roman Empire and thus will be a European confederacy that will exist in the future which will be a revived form of the Roman Empire since it is portrayed in Daniel 2 and 7 as emerging from the fourth kingdom, Rome.
So the description of the little horn here in Daniel 7:8 indicates that the Antichrist will start off as an insignificant world ruler among ten other rulers of kingdoms but will defeat three of these ten kingdoms and emerge as a world ruler.
The eyes of the little horn speak of the faculty of careful observation implying that the Antichrist will be extremely intelligent.
The boastful speaking indicates that the Antichrist will be a great speaker who in the judgment of God is arrogant in his words.