Hello Friends!
Welcome back to our Encouraging Concepts Bible study series focused on the powerfully PROPHETIC picture portrayed in the Old Testament book of Daniel painted as a panoramic landscape of World History in FIVE successions “written” in ardent ADVANCE some 2,600 years ago… “The Book of Daniel: Prophecy PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE!”
The Book of Daniel: Prophecy PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE (Chapter 8: Verses 9-14)
9 And 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. 10 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. 11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down. 12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. 13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? 14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed – Daniel 8:9-14
OPENING POINTS TO PONDER: When Alexander the Great the haughty ONE horned “he goat” woefully “waxed very great” had himself died, his FOUR great generals Cassander, Lysimacus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy had decidedly DIVIDED the conquering “kingdom” of Greece into FOUR regions…
Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven – Daniel 8:8
Alexander’s belligerent brother and two children had ATTEMPTED to reign in his stead, but they were all aptly ASSASSINATED within a few fatal years. General Cassander had taken the west area of Greece and Macedonia in kind. General Lysimacus was given Thrace and Asia Minor in the east arena. General Ptolemy had taken Egypt (known as the Ptolemies) in the south corridor. And General Seleucus had claimed Syria and the Middle East (known as the Seleucids) in the north region…
And then soon AFETR this nigh “notable horn” had himself faded from the annuls of HISTORY, along “came” yet another “exceeding great” horrible “horn” born “out of one of them” as “it” avidly arrives on the PROPHETIC scene… But, WHO in the “world” was this particular person at hand? – The LITTLE Horn!
The LITTLE Horn!
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: After the horrible “he-goat” dawning the “great horn” known as Alexander the Great had been “broken off” completely, there were then those “four notable horns” of which had powerfully PROCEEDED from that dastardly dynasty. And from “one of them” had cunningly “came forth” yet ANOTHER lethal “little horn” of whom had wickedly “waxed exceeding great” upon the world stage:
And 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 – Daniel 8:9
Each of those “four” formidable Empires had their own menacing monarch at the helm. However, only “one” of them began to radiantly RISE far above the other three. In fact, this lurking “little horn” had begun to readily RUSH tumultuously “toward” the “south” region, the “east” region and UPON the pining “pleasant land” denoted as concerning the nigh “nation” of indignant – ISRAEL Itself!
”And” as this particular languishing “little horn” woefully “waxed great” he actually “cast down” the heralded “host of heaven” along with the solemn “stars” and sternly “stamped” them down:
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 – Daniel 8:10
And WHO are these “stars” of which this “little horn” had apprehended as such? Perhaps the BEST expected explanation can be found LATER within chapter 12 of our solemn “study” series:
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever – Daniel 12:3
Here the “stars” as mentioned by “Daniel” really represent the “wise” ranking RULERS of whom surely “shine” the beautiful “brightness” of the “God of heaven” as the justified fully FOLLOW Him. And “they” will “turn many” towards His Holy “righteousness” as a powerfully PROPHETIC picture referring to the obedient and faithful remnant – People OF God!
PROPHETIC PROMISE: God gave “Joseph” a powerfully PROPHETIC demanding “dream” in where his berated “brethren” were also Sovereignly seen as “stars” willingly worshipping him:
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me – Genesis 37:9
The “seven” serving pastors of the “seven churches” residing in Asia Minor were also rightly referred to as “stars” by our loving “Lord Jesus Christ” Himself:
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches – Revelation 1:20
Then “Daniel” tells that this horrific “he” even mightily “magnified himself” unto many MORE of his adamant anti-Semitic activities:
Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down – Daniel 8:11
WHO is the “host” here? They are the jaded “Jewish” people. WHO is their “prince” of heart? None other than “God” Himself. Therefore, this “little horn” maliciously “magnifies himself” unto “even” the equivalency to the “prince of the host” Himself as an EQUAL with “God” in kind. And then “he” will adamantly attack their dutiful “daily sacrifice” along WITH their place of worship in the solemn “sanctuary” subdued. The solemn “sacrifice” was satanically stopped and God’s beautiful BLESSING of His provided PROTECTION were woefully withdrawn due to insolent “Israel’s” sordid “sins” of dire DISOBEDIENT defiance. These Holy happenings were thus – Demonically DESTROYED!
This “little horn” literally devastated the jaded “Jewish” system and the “host” of God in kind. However, a perverted portion of the APOSTATE people were also Divinely “given” unto “it in a malicious move AGAINST the “daily sacrifice” in an attempt to slaughter their “Jewish” brethren as torrid TRAITORS of the worst kind. WHY? The “reason” they purposefully “practised” and pathetically “prospered” in all this encompassing EVIL was directly due to “their” terrible “transgression” applied AGAINST their great “God” Himself…
And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered – Daniel 8:12
And not only that, this “little horn” had caustically “cast down the truth” of God’s Holy WORD unto the “ground” as he TORE it to pieces and belligerently – BURNED it!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: This is NOT the first incident within our “study” series in which “we” have met a “little horn” as such. WHERE else has “one” of these hellacious “horns” been mentioned? Let’s look BACK in our “study” of these solemn “scriptures” for an adamant answer…
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 – Daniel 7:8
Please mark this poignant passage very carefully as such. WHY? Because the “little horn” that is spoken of earlier within chapter 7 rankly RISES from the “fourth beast” powerfully PROPHESIED in the previous verse:
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
And that “fourth beast” represented WHAT emerging Empire entity? Rome! He will NOT be from Greece! Therefore, the “little horn” mentioned in chapter 7 is none other than the frightful final FOE forecasted. And as we discovered later in that SAME challenging chapter, the “little horn” was mentioned yet AGAIN as such:
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 – Daniel 7:24
He is the “one” who “speaks” great things AGAINST the “Most High God” and woefully “wears down” the secluded “saints” during the “Great Tribulation” period of THAT terrible “time” in kind. And he will ARRIVE on the sordid scene in human history PROMISED before the 1,000 Year coming “Millennial Kingdom” of our loving “Lord” and sweet “Savior” the Just “Jesus Christ” and Sovereign “Son of God” Himself. Therefore, the “little horn” spoken of in chapter 7 is the RELIGIOUS ritualistic rite of a pious Papal Roman besetting “beast” as the actual anticipated – Antichrist!
Conversely, here in our current “study” through chapter 8 this looming “little horn” is the “one” that slowly “grew” out of the Greek besetting “beast” beheld – A DIFFERENT Little Horn!
WHO is THIS Little Horn?
HISTORICAL HINTS: These TWO heinous “horns” are very similar but are definitely different persons. And this particular horrible “horn” was a menacing monarch of the cantankerous “kingdom” grown within Greece. This manic man’s name was Antiochus Epiphanes and he was a very important person purported within the HISTORICAL narrative. He was the EIGHTH ruler of the Seleucid Empire and had reigned from 175 B.C. until 164 B.C. in what is known as the Intertestamental period. The Old Testament had closed in the year 400 B.C. and the New Testament had opened up in A.D. at the “time” of the “virgin” birth of “Jesus Christ” Himself. Thus, we have progressed forward another 150 years yet found FUTURE from “Daniel’s” own life. HOW did he “know” this was GOIING to happen? As this “little horn” rankly rises and grossly grows in power, the Bible PROPHESIED that he would indeed enlarge “exceedingly great” as a rough ruler of the – Seleucid Dynasty!
Antiochus Epiphanes had absolutely NO blood claim to the throne and had RISEN out of insignificance as was Divinely indicated by the diligent “Daniel” depicting this “little horn” had ascended to the throne following the MURDER of his brother Seleucus Philopator. In fact, the rightful heir was a man named Demetrius of whom at this time was a hostage of the Seleucus siege. And later in chapter 11 we find exactly HOW he would sadistically “stand up” as such:
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries – Daniel 11:21
In this “estate” indeed “shall stand up a vile person” and they will REFUSE to greatly “give the honor of the kingdom” to him. Rather, he will “come in peaceably” and thus “obtain the kingdom” fully by FLATTERY of heart. WHY? Because “he” was NOT the rightful heir. And once “he” was crowned king, had given himself the name Epiphanes as the people rightly referred to him as Epimanes (meaning “MANIAC” man). He swept to the south making great gains in Egypt. He swept to the east into Mesopotamia and up to the north in Armenia then on to the “glorious land” of Palestine. The Ptolemies controlled the south down in Egypt and North Africa. The Seleucids controlled the east and “Israel” was the buffer in between as the CONSTANT object of dispute by these two DEMONIC dynasties. And finally along comes Antiochus Epiphanes to totally TAKE the throne by FORCE and thus literally becomes the CORRUPT co-opted – King of Israel!
For How LONG?
WHY would “God” adamantly ALLOW such a vile, wretched, wicked and EVIL man of whom would slaughter a pig on the altar? To stuff pork down the throats of the priests? To set up the false god Zeus in the “Holy of Holies” itself? And to bring nakedness and lewdness into the “sanctuary” setting? HOW could “God” allow this “little horn” to pragmatically “prosper” as such? SIN will continue wherever there is a WILLING heinous “heart” and filthy FERTILE soil of “mind” mimicked. This is a chided CHOICE that evil men ALWAYS make. But, for – How LONG?
Then “Daniel” had hardily “heard” an apt ANGELIC cordial conversation taking place in this vivid “vision” between “one saint” and yet “another” close by “certain saint” asking this very SAME question… “How long?”
Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? – Daniel 8:13
The ”daily sacrifice” and the “sanctuary” along WITH the hindered “host” will be treacherously “trodden under foot” and was totally due to the “transgression of desolation” insolently INSPIRED by this looming “little horn” of which is rightly represented by the menacing man Antiochus Epiphanes as purposefully PROPHESIED to proceed precisely in this PROMISED picture:
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed – Daniel 8:14
“And” the Sanctified heavenly “saint” had soundly “said” unto “Daniel” concerning the dire DURATION of this trying “time” as being for a TOTAL of these “two thousand and three hundred days” until the solemn “sanctuary” would be carefully “cleansed” of this lewd “little horn” henchman.
And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days – Daniel 8:26
Incidentally, these “days” are Divinely defined as looming LITERAL legitimate 24-hour individual “days” as soundly SUPPORTED by a single “Day” and a single “Night” in the beloved “Book of Beginnings” itself:
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day – Genesis 1:5
Therefore, when the Sovereignly supported “scriptures” prescribe PERFECTLY this kind of SPECIFIC information, it is indeed – Absolutely AMAZING!
The Bible powerfully PROPHESIED that there would be “two thousand and three hundred days” in which Antiochus Epiphanes would overtly OPPRESS the “Jewish” people. These adorning atrocities had begun in 171 B.C. and that is very CLEAR from the annuls of recorded HISTORY itself. And “until” that Divinely decided date, there was purported pragmatic PEACE between Antiochus and the “Jewish” people. The righteous “high priest” was a godly man by the name of Onias III and was roughly REMOVED from his ordained office. A menacing man named Jason had boldly bribed the ardent Antiochus for this pious position and was perversely PUT in the place of the true “high priest” himself. As a rank result realized, the adamant ANGER of the righteous ranking “Jews” became stirred and although their revolution did not break out for a while, it began to fester and eventually led to that charge. And according to the HISTORICAL record of this period in Antiochus’ lethargic life, he ransacked “Jerusalem” by keenly killing some 80,000 individual “Jews” and sold some 40,000 more into slavery. He personally plundered the Holy “temple” and dedicated it to his indecent – Insolent Idols!
Then, on December 25th, 165 B.C. under the leadership of the man Judas Maccabeus a great LEADER of the Maccabees to whom led the righteous REVOLUTION set ardently AGAINST the languishing “little horn” as Antiochus Epiphanes to clearly “cleanse” the “Jewish” temple. The mindful Maccabeans won their brave battle waged against Antiochus and had directly destroyed him. It must have been a GLORIOUS freedom from such a maniacal man. And as a RIGHTEOUS result, the “Jews” received a sparse 100 years of fleeting freedom in their heralded HISTORY up until the emerging Roman Empire had fully clenched their fearful fists around the “Hebrew” holds just as PROPHETICALLY promised in “God’s” Holy Writ. The Pagan Roman general Pompeii marched through the “kingdom” of the Seleucids and proceeded into Palestine, shattering the sadistic realm of the Seleucid Dynasty forever. And at that point in human HISTORY during the year 63 B.C. jaundice “Judah” became a rudimentary – ROMAN Province!
Therefore, the PROPHETIC picture proclaiming the terrible “times” of these “two thousand and three hundred days” spoken of by “Daniel the Prophet” have indeed been HISTORICALLY accurate – Faithfully FULFILLED!
Setting DATES?
WORDS OF WARNING! These particular “two thousand and three hundred days” of which “Daniel” prescribes according to the angelic “saints speaking” unto him have found their LITERAL and final fulfillment in the annuls of HISTORY heralded. And the foolish speculations of much fanciful inexpert INTERPRETATIONS being purported TODAY bring the sound and serious solemn “study” of Biblical PROPHECY into dreaded disrepute altogether. The evil ERRORS purported in this challenging chapter are LEGION and their consequences have been – VERY Significant!
Insolent INSIGHTS Incited:
In the year 1818 New England farmer William Miller had crassly CONCLUDED completely from THIS challenging chapter 8 found in “Daniel” surmising that the literal Second Coming of our “Lord Jesus Christ” would undoubtedly occur in the year – 1843!
WHY? Because this was according to his rank reckoning of these “two thousand and three hundred days” as being 2,300 years assumed well after the Biblically appointed “time” that “king Cyrus” had issued the “command” to rightly “rebuild” the tattered “temple” in the “city” of jaded “Jerusalem” proper…
Miller began preaching this HERESY publicly in 1831 with the urging of other meandering “Millerites” creating quite a stir in the United States of America. His very FIRST fickle forecast was to take place, quote “sometime” between March 21, 1843 and the same “date” in the year 1844 with an obvious – NO show!
Miller’s sordid SECOND sorry forecast was foisted upon the “Jewish” celebrated Day of Atonement that was held on October 22, 1844 and there was yet ANOTHER neglected – NO Show!
And after Miller’s pious PROMISE of the earth’s supposed dire DESTRUCTION to come, along with his caustic “calling” of other meager “Millerites” to solemnly SELL absolutely everything they owned, and there was yet ANOTHER appropriate – NO Show!
Soon after these fallaciously FAILED forecasts, Ellen G. White seized upon some of these meandering “Millerites” to form the Seventh Day Adventists cult system by pragmatically PROCLAIMING to them that “Jesus Christ” indeed had ALREADY truly come…
WHERE? To the heretical “Heavenly Sanctuary” and He was now engaged in the so-called “Investigative Judgment” as such – What is THAT?
Then along came Jonas Swendahl of whom swindled some of these slighted ”Seventh Day Adventists” to fickly form the “Second Adventists“ cult system with the NEW projected target date of arrival for our “Lord Jesus Christ” being in the year – 1874!
And from this bewildered bunch, Charles Taze Russell then formed a social “splinter-group” of the wonton “Watchtower Society“ known as the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” by foolishly forecasting that the Second Coming of our “Lord Jesus Christ” would undoubtedly occur in the year 1874… Then AGAIN in 1914… Then AGAIN in 1925… Then AGAIN in 1941… Then AGAIN in 1975… Get the PATHETIC picture?
These fickle FAILED fantasies of folly founded are literally – LEGION!
However, our loving “Lord Jesus Christ” Himself had CLEARLY communicated concerning “that day and hour” dictate:
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only – Matthew 24:36
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power – Acts 1:7
QUIZZING QUESTION: How MANY fickle followers do these “false” religious RITES and caustic CULTS readily report to have meandering in their midst TODAY based upon the abrupt abusing of this perfect PROPHECY found within Daniel Chapter 8 in total? – Approximately 30,000,000!
Beloved, we MUST be thoroughly thankful for the PROPHETICLY proper interpretation of this vital “vision” given by “God” unto “Gabriel” to pass along to “Daniel” in kind. WHY? So that “we” can have proper PROVISION of a uniform “understanding” and keen “knowledge” of our “Lord’s” loving LIGHT for sanctified souls. In fact, “they” are ALL powerfully “plain” for “them” to behold…
They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge – Proverbs 8:9
The FALSE fodder foisted by these lethargic LIARS is indeed a dreadful denial of the ONE and ONLY great “Gospel” itself and is NO doubt – SATANICALLY Self-evident!
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!We
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Shane K. Morin <><
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