The "Little Horn"

            In a continuing effort to bring insights and understanding to the prophetic Scriptures these blogs are posted regularly at Word Press and will also be available for reading at my Web site theseprophets.blogspot.com . They are small fragments of the bigger prophetic picture which can be much more thoroughly reviewed by reading my two titles: These Prophets and the Revelation and The Israel Deception.  The purpose of the books is to bring a comprehensive understanding of Biblical prophecy into the grasp of people who profess to embrace the validity and truths of the Bible and to make them aware of the very ominous developments taking place in today’s world.

            One very important identification which is not likely understood by many is the emergence of the little horn introduced and examined in the text of Daniel 8:9-12.  Let us take time to explore the passage contained in the vision given to Daniel.  Other related Scripture passages help to bring some important truths into focus. The overall context of the eighth chapter of Daniel is to bring into view a reviewing of the earthly empires from Daniel’s time; but projecting us to “at the time of the end shall be the vision” (vs.17).  Daniel’s life and prophecies took place during the time of the Babylonian Empire (captivity) so that is the initial reference point. In earlier verses of the chapter we see the progressive emergence of successive kingdoms including the Medio-Persian Empire and the kingdom of Greece established by Alexander the Great.  We also see emerging from the division of Alexander’s kingdom after his death “…..four notable ones towards the four winds of heaven ” (Dan.8:8).  This represents the division of the kingdom at that time among his four major generals and we are carried forth in time out of that geographical division to the time of the end for from it we observe “out of one of them came forth  a little horn, which waxed great toward the south and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.” (vs.9)   Two things need to be understood at this point: first the geographical location takes us into the land which was historically Israel. (i.e. the pleasant land)  Secondly, we need to define and then identify the horn.  The term in Scripture represents a king, potentate, or politically a kingdom or nation as a symbol of strength, power, might and as an image being drawn from the horns of a bull or ram (Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies). With that we will state unequivocally that the horn has a twofold representation in application at the end of the age. First, it is embodied in a person whom the Scriptures elsewhere identify as the Antichrist.  And secondly that person comes to embody and represent the nation of Israel as it is manifest at the “time of the end”.  Within the text we further see that the horn “waxed great, even to the host (the saints) of heaven and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground stamped upon them.”(vs10)   Looking at some parallel Scriptures consider Daniel 7:8.  “…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 the eyes like the eye of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.” At Revelation 12:4 we read in part: “And his tail (that of the dragon) drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth……”  The stars symbolically represent” the host”, i.e. the saints which are destined to endure the time of great tribulation which is to come upon the earth.

         The Antichrist is to be reveled just prior to the time of this great tribulation (3 ½ years in duration of time).  The church (i.e. the saints) must be prepared to endure the persecution and martyrdom executed by the Antichrist and the unbelieving world at large although there will be a faithful remnant caught to the throne at that time, i.e. “the manchild” of Revelation 12:5 The Antichrist will be a Jew and manifest himself as the Jewish messiah, but also as the savior of the whole world. (See Daniel 11:36-37). He is the “little horn” of the texts in Daniel chapters seven and eight. He will represent himself as the savior of Israel through great signs, wonders and deceptions. The world at large will believe that he is the true messiah “ and  the world wondered after the beast” (Rev.13:3)   The vast majority of the evangelical Christian world  lies in the deception that the Jews are God’s “chosen people” and so they are ripe to be beguiled by the false messiah (the Antichrist).  The eschatology of evangelical dispensationalism will lead you into false conclusions.   There are many things in the prophetic Scriptures which are hard to be understood, and to avoid the deception each one must come to understand the truth. You must prepare yourself with wisdom and understanding.  Take the initiative to have all of these things explained by obtaining and reading my two titles mentioned above which are available at Amazon.ccom.,  Barnes and Noble and other major book sellers.

David Lance Dean

theseprophets@gmail.com          or   Web site: these prophets.blogspot.com

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