Lesson Study 4 Copy

“And four great came up from the sea.”

Prophecy uses symbols to represent future events. To understand these symbols, we must look to Scripture for their meaning.

“The fourth beast shall be a fourth .”

A heavenly messenger tells Daniel these prophetic beasts symbolize kingdoms or nations. Even today, modern nations use animals as national symbols. The U.S.A. uses the eagle and Canada the beaver. God used beasts in prophecy to represent nations that influence His people.

“This image’s head was of fine its chest and arms of , its belly and thighs of , its legs of , its feet partly of and partly of .”

Daniel 7 is a classic example of how the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation “repeat and enlarge.” Chapter 7 repeats nearly the same time span as chapter 2 but enlarges by adding more detail. Take a moment to read Daniel 7:4-7 along with the chart.

“And there was another horn, a one, coming up among them… The was seated, and the books were opened.”

The first part of this prophecy repeats the four major kingdoms predicted in Daniel 2. Daniel 7 enlarges this information by introducing the little horn kingdom and the heavenly judgment.
Daniel immediately recognized the importance of this new material and asked the angel to explain it to him (verse 19). In the following verses the angel provides an inspired interpretation of the little horn with ten specific points.

1. “The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth…. The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise this kingdom. And another shall rise after them” (verses 23, 24). The little horn arises out of the fourth kingdom-Rome.
2. “I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up them” (verse 8). The little horn comes up among the ten horns—among the nations of Europe.
3. “Before whom three of the first horns were out by the roots… And shall subdue three kings” (verses 8 and 24). Three of the ten nations that arose after the fall of Rome no longer exist. This is just as the prophecy predicted—three are “plucked out by the roots.” The little horn was able to assume full authority over Europe when the Ostrogoths, the third kingdom to be uprooted, were overthrown in A.D. 538. (See map.)
   
4. “And another shall rise them” (verse 24). The little horn was to come up after A.D. 476, when Rome fell and split into ten parts.
5. “He shall be from the first ones” (verse 24). This nation is different than the other European nations.
6. “The same horn was making against the saints and prevailing against them…. Shall persecute the saints of the Most High” (verses 21, 25). The little horn nation makes war with God’s people and overpowers them.
7. “In this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a , and a mouth speaking pompous words” (verse 8). This kingdom has a man at its head that sees and speaks for it.
8. “He shall speak words against the Most High” (verse 25). The leader of the little horn kingdom speaks arrogant words against God’s truth.
9. “And shall intend to times and law” (verse 25). The little horn will change the times and laws of God.
10. “Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a and half a time” (verse 25). A “time” is an old term for a year (figured on 360 days). “Times” means two years (720 days). And “half a time” is half a year (180 days). The little horn will reign three and a half prophetic years (360+720+180=1260 days). In a moment we will learn how this symbolized 1,260 years of real time (see question 9).

“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a rising up out of the , having heads and horns… Now the beast which I saw was like a his feet were like the feet of a and his mouth like the mouth of a . The gave him his power.”

Both passages have beasts coming out of the sea. Both have a total of seven heads and ten horns. Both mention a lion, bear, leopard, and dragon. The similarities between Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 show us they refer to the same powers.

a) “And he was given a speaking great things and blasphemies” (verse 5)
b) “He was given authority to continue for forty-two ” (verse 5).
c) “It was granted to him to make with the saints and to overcome them” (verse 7).

Both the beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn “speak great words” against God and “make war with the saints.” They both reign for the same amount of time since 42 months is equal to three and a half years (Daniel 7:21, 25). The little horn in Daniel 7 is the same kingdom as the beast of Revelation 13. Remember, “beast” is not an insulting expression, but is the Bible symbol for a nation. (See Daniel 7:17, 23.)

a) “I have laid on you a day for each ” Ezekiel 4:6 NKJV
b) “forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one , namely forty
years.” Numbers 14:34 NKJV

The time periods in prophecy are symbolic. This is why the three and a half years is also calculated as months and days. In Revelation 12:6, 14 we learn the “time, times, and half a time” of Daniel 7:25 equals 1,260 prophetic days. (This is consistent with the Bible’s 30-day month. The three and a half years consists of forty-two months of 1,260 days.) When the context is symbolic, a prophesied day represents a full year of literal time. Just as on a road map one inch may represent ten miles or sixteen kilometers, God’s prophetic map symbolizes the passing of time as one day for a year. This nation rules for a long stretch of time—1,260 years!

“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally and his deadly wound was .”

The little horn kingdom will look like it has died at the end of the 1,260 year reign, but it will come to life again to regain worldwide influence.

“And authority was given him over tribe, tongue, and . All who dwell on the earth will him.”

This nation “differs” from other European nations (Daniel 7:24), because it is religious and political. It also transcends geographical boundaries as a universal kingdom with authority in every nation.

After reading above, the most influential church of all time is the . 

We should not be surprised to find that God includes the Roman Church in prophecy. It has influenced secular and religious history more than any other single entity. As the introduction to the official online Catholic Encyclopedia states, “No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe” (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/).

In future lessons we will see how other religions, faiths, and nations can also be found in prophecy. These prophecies should not be construed to validate bigotry because of ethnicity or religion. God has His people in every nation and faith. It is the religious and political systems that prophecy addresses and not individuals who are faithful to Jesus.

Over the past six hundred years, historians and Catholic and Protestant scholars have understood the little horn prophecy points to the Roman Church, including Jon Huss, Martin Luther, John Wycliffe, John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Knox, Thomas Becon, Jonathan Edwards, John Bunyan, and many other notable church leaders.

This response will be awarded full points automatically, but it will be reviewed and possibly adjusted after submission.