What did this power do to the truth?
Answer
"And it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered." Same verse, last clause, R.V.
NOTES - The interpretation already given to this vision shows plainly that the power represented
by the little horn is the successor of Medo-Persia and Grecia. In the vision of the seventh chapter of Daniel,
which is closely related to this vision, the fourth beast represented the fourth kingdom, or Rome, in its
entirety, special attention, however, being given to the "little horn" phase of its history. As shown by the
work attributed to it, this little horn, which arose among the ten kingdoms into which Rome was divided,
was to be a religio-political power, which was to change the times and law of God, and persecute the
people of God. In the vision of the eighth chapter the ecclesiastical features of this fourth world power are
especially noticed and emphasized, and hence the only symbol there used to represent it is the 9ittle horn"
which waxed "exceeding great."
The religion of all the four great monarchies mentioned in these prophecies was paganism; but the
paganism of ancient Babylon was reproduced in pagan Rome, and then adapted and adopted by papal
Rome. The little horn of the eighth chapter represents Rome, both pagan and papal, in its ecclesiastical
aspect, with its union of paganism, and later of apostate Christianity, with the secular power. With its
antichristian persecutions of the saints of God; with its perversion of the priesthood of Christ; and with its
assertion of both temporal and spiritual power over an the world. It is evident that pagan Rome is
introduced into this prophecy chiefly as a means of locating the place and work of papal Rome, and the
ecclesiastical features of pagan Rome -as typical of the same features accentuated in papal Rome. And that
the emphasis is to be placed upon the fulfillment of the prophecy in the work of papal Rome. A careful
comparison of Dan. 7:21,25 with Dan. 8:10-12, R.V., and 2 Thess. 2:3,4, will amply justify this
conclusion.
"The Romans could not forget-never did forget-that they had once been masters and rulers of the
world. Even after they had become wholly unfit to rule themselves, let alone the ruling of others, they still
retained the temper and used the language of masters. . . . In the absence of an emperor in the West the
popes rapidly gained influence and power, and soon built up an ecclesiastical empire that in some respects
took the place of the old empire and carried on its civilizing work."-"Rome; Its Rise and Fall" (Myers),
Boston, 1900, pages 398, 399, 442, 443.
The host and the stars of Dan. 8:10 are the same as the saints of the Most High of Dan. 7:25; and
the Prince of the host of Dan. 8:11 is the Prince of princes, or Christ. When the same Being appeared to
Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15, margin), He applies the same expression to Himself.
In Dan. 8:11-13, in the Revised Version, the words "burnt offering" have been supplied by the
translators after the word "continual," but this rendering seems to place too restricted a meaning upon the
word "continual." The fact that no word is connected with "continual" in the original text, although in the
typical service of the sanctuary it is used with "burnt offering" (Ex. 29:42), with "incense" (Ex. 30:8, here
rendered perpetual), and with "show bread" (Num. 4:7), indicates that that which is continual represents the
continual service or mediation of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, in which all that was continual in the
typical service found its antitype and fulfillment. See Heb. 6:19,20; 7:1-3, 14-16, 23-25. The action which
made the Pope the vicar of God and the high priest of the apostasy, really took away from Christ, as far as
human intent and power were concerned, His place and work as the only mediator between God and man
(1 Tim. 2:5), and this took away from Him, as far as man could take it away, the continual mediation,
according to the prediction in this prophecy.
The prophecies of Daniel are cumulative and widening in their view, each carrying matters farther
than the preceding one, and bringing out more explicitly and more in detail important features down the
stream of time. In Daniel 2, under the fourth universal kingdom, the Papacy is not represented under any
direct symbol or figure at all - simply Rome in its united and divided state; in Daniel 7 Rome is symbolized
by the little horn" coming up among the ten horns representing the divided state of Rome; while in Daniel
8 the only figure used to represent the fourth world power is the little horn" which waxed "exceeding
great!'
In each of these last two chapters the little horn is introduced to tell especially of the workings of
the same terrible power-Rome papal. Both chapters deal with the same great apostasy. In the seventh
chapter, the little horn takes away the law of God. In the eighth chapter, it takes away the gospel. Had it
taken away only the law, this would have vitiated the gospel; for, with the law of God gone, even the true
gospel could not save, because the law is needed to convict and give a knowledge of sin. And. had the
Papacy taken away only the gospel, and left the law, salvation through such a system would still have been
impossible, for there is no salvation for sinners through even the law of God itself apart from Christ and
the gospel. But to make apostasy doubly sure, this power changes, vitiates, and takes away both the law
and the gospel.
In changing the Sabbath, the Papacy struck directly at the very heart and seal of the law of God,
just as in substituting its own mediatorial system for that of Christ it struck directly at the heavenly
sanctuary and its service, which, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, Paul shows to be the very heart and essence
of the gospel.
What does the prophet Jeremiah declare Christ to be?
What statement shows that sin was in the world before the law was given on Mount Sinai?
What is the purpose of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America?
When did the moon refuse to give her light?
When will this resurrection of the saints take place?
What takes place under the seventh plague?
What work constitutes the fast most acceptable to God?
Questions & Answers are from the book Bible Readings for the Home Circle