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Let’s ask God to help us:
Our Lord,
As we go on identifying the servants of evil, we now wish to study the subject of the little horn.
What does it represent? What role does it play in prophecy?
Please show us, through Your Holy Spirit, the truth about this mysterious power. In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Daniel 7:2,3
Daniel spoke and said,
«I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove on the great sea.
And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.»
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In our lessons about the prophecies of the book of Daniel, we studied the vision contained in chapter 7.
In this vision, four great beasts appeared in turn, symbolizing a succession of universal kingdoms, from the time of Daniel up to the end of the world. These four kingdoms were:
- Babylon;
- the Medo-Persian Empire;
- Greece;
- and Rome.
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Daniel 7:7,23,24
[The fourth beast] was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. (...)
The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.
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We also saw that ten horns came out of the fourth beast, that is, out of Rome, symbolizing the division of the Roman Empire into ten parts.
Indeed, ten nations arose at the time of the fall of Rome.
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Here are the ten nations which arose at the fall of the Roman Empire:
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Daniel 7:8
I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn.
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Daniel 8:9,10
A little horn (...) waxed great, even to the host of heaven.
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Then, we witnessed the emergence of a last power, symbolized by a little horn.
In the lessons «The Four Mythical Beasts» and «The Ram and the Goat», on Daniel chapters 7 and 8, we noted many identifying marks which will now enable us to discover the identity of this mysterious power.
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Daniel 8:9,10,15
A little horn (...) waxed great, even to the host of heaven. (...)
And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning (...).
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Luke 11:9
Seek, and you shall find.
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At the end of these two lessons, we invited you to imitate the prophet Daniel, and try to identify the power symbolized by the little horn.
With the help of the 18 identifying marks given by the Word of God, and a good encyclopedia, you have surely discovered the identity of this little horn...
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Proverbs 23:12
Apply your heart to instruction.
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We may refer to any encyclopedia, any history book, and we will see that only one power perfectly corresponds to the characteristics of the little horn: the Papacy, also called papal Rome.
However, let’s note this very important point: the little horn designates the papal system, not the people belonging to this system.
There are indeed many sincere people who belong to the papal system, and yet love Jesus Christ with all their hearts.
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John 10:16
[Jesus said,]
«And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice.
And there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.»
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Let’s not be misunderstood: God really loves the individuals who are in the Papacy’s system.
That is why He gave His Word to men, so that, by studying it, we may become aware of the warning God gives us and, responding to Jesus’ call, we may leave this system and join the Savior’s flock.
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Daniel 7:8
I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn.
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Let’s review the characteristics of the little horn one by one, to see if they really apply to the Papacy.
First, the little horn came up among the ten nations: the only power which came out of the ten nations, shortly after the fall of the Roman empire, is well and truly the system of the Papacy, which arose out of Rome.
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Daniel 7:24
And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.
And another shall rise after them.
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The little horn arose after the ten nations, that is, after A.D. 476, the year when the division of the Roman empire was completed.
Now, history teaches us that the Papacy imposed its religio-political supremacy from A.D. 538 on, only 60 years after the division of the Roman empire.
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Daniel 7:19,20,24
Then I would know the truth (...) of the other [horn] which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. (...)
[That king] shall be diverse from the first.
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Different from the ten nations by the religio-political nature of its power, the Papacy has taken on, and still takes on a more impressive appearance than any other power on the earth.
Indeed, at all times, popes have always surrounded themselves with majestic pomp in all their actions and travels.
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Daniel 7:8
And, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
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At the head of the Papacy stands only one man: the Pope.
Proclaimed infallible, his decisions affect the lives of millions of people around the world.
And, throughout history, the declarations of this leader have often been very pompous, as we will see in a moment.
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Daniel 7:8,24
Behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots. (...)
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.
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Exactly as foretold, the Papacy brought about the elimination of three of the ten nations which were opposed to the authority of the Bishop of Rome:
- the Heruli, in A.D. 493;
- the Vandals, in A.D. 534;
- and the Ostrogoths, in A.D. 538, the year when the Papacy began to reign freely over Europe.
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Daniel 7:20,25
[That horn] had eyes, and a mouth that spoke very great things. (...)
[That king] shall speak great words against the Most High.
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Daniel 8:25
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand.
And he shall magnify himself in his heart.
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The Papacy’s arrogance is reported in Daniel chapters 7 and 8.
But arrogance isn’t enough: it even goes as far as to «speak great words against the Most High», that is, blaspheme against God.
The Bible’s definition of blasphemy will help us understand how this happened.
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John 10:33
The Jews answered Him, saying, «For a good work we stone You not; but for blasphemy; and because that You, being a Man, make Yourself God.»
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Mark 2:7
Why does this Man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?
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So, blasphemy is not only taking the name of God in vain.
According to the Word of God, the following two actions are also blasphemy:
- when a man makes himself God;
- when a man claims to have power to forgive sins.
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The Pope claims to be God and to have the power to forgive sins:
«The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, (...) he is as it were God on earth, Sole sovereign of all the faithful of Christ, chief king of kings, having a plentitude of unbroken power.»
(Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca, “Papa II”, Vol. VI, pp.25-29.)
«And God Himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of His priests, and either not to pardon or to pardon, according as they refuse or give absolution, provided the penitent is capable of it.»
(Alphonsus Liguori, Duties and Dignities of the Priest, p.27.)
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«In this horn, [was] (...) a mouth speaking great things.» (Daniel 7:8)
«The supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires, together with a perfect accord in the one faith, complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself.»
(Leo VIII, On the Chief Duties of Christians as Citizens, Encyclical letter, 1890.)
«For not man, but God separates those whom the Roman Pontiff (who exercises the functions, not of mere man, but of the true God), having weighed the necessity or benefit of the churches, dissolves, not by human but rather by divine authority.»
(Decretals of Gregory IX, Book 1, C.7.3.)
«Hence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth and of the lower regions (infernorum).»
(Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca, “Papa II”, Vol. VI, p.26.)
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Daniel 7:21,25
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. (...)
[That king] shall wear out the saints of the Most High.
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More people were killed by the Papacy, during its reign throughout the Middle Ages, than by Hitler during World War II.
In fact, about 50 million people, who refused to recognize its authority, were killed by the Papacy.
Historian W.E. Lecky wrote, «The Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind.» (Rise and Influence of Rationalism in Europe, vol.2, p.32.)
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Daniel 7:25
[That king] shall think to change times and laws.
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The Papacy removed God’s second commandment which forbids carved images and idols.
And, in order to preserve the appearance of the ten precepts of the Decalogue, it divided the tenth commandment in two parts.
Moreover, it attacked the fourth commandment, moving the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday, thus changing «times and laws».
«The Pope is of so great authority and power, that he is able to modify, declare, or interpret even divine laws.» (Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca, “Papa II”, Vol. VI, p.25.)
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Daniel 7:25
[The saints] shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
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The reign of the little horn was to last 1260 years (3½ times = 3½ x 360 days = 1260 days, that is, 1260 years, as we have already seen in many lessons so far).
Now, the Papacy reigned exactly 1260 years: from A.D. 538, when the last of the three tribes rejecting its power - the Ostrogoths - was eliminated, until 1798, when the Papacy lost its political power, as French general Berthier took Pope Pius VI prisoner.
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Daniel 8:9
Out of one of [the four horns] came forth a little horn.
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The identifying marks of Daniel chapter 8 also point to the Papacy.
First, our lesson «The Ram and the Goat» showed us that the little horn describes not only the Papacy, but also the Roman Empire, since it succeeded the Greek Empire.
This fusion between the Roman Empire and the Papacy indicates that the little horn indeed symbolizes a power closely linked with the name of Rome.
In fact, having received authority from the hands of the Roman Empire, the Papacy is also called «Papal Rome».
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Daniel 7:7,8,19,20
Behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and broke 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.
I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn. (...)
Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, (...) of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up.
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The prophecy of Daniel chapter 7 already told us that the identity of the little horn was closely linked with the name of Rome.
In fact, we have seen the little horn coming up, like the other ten horns, directly from the head of the fourth beast, which symbolizes the Roman Empire.
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Daniel 8:10,11
And [the little horn] 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 on them.
Yes, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host.
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Revelation 19:13,14
His name is called «The Word of God».
And the armies which were in heaven followed Him on white horses.
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The Papacy «waxed great, even to the host of heaven», «even to the Prince of the host», who is Jesus, Prince of the heavenly armies.
How did that happen?
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Daniel 8:10,11
And [the little horn] 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 on them.
Yes, 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.
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The Papacy took away «the daily sacrifice» from the Prince of the host, and cast down «the place of the sanctuary».
By claiming to be the mediator between God and men, the pope elevated himself to the place of Jesus, robbing Him of His ministry of intercession in the heavenly sanctuary.
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Daniel 8:12
And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground.
And it practiced, and prospered.
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Teaching salvation by works, rather than salvation by grace, the Papacy attacked Jesus’ work of sacrifice.
In addition to casting a shadow over this perfect work, «it cast down the truth to the ground» about many other subjects, allowing doctrines coming from paganism to take the place of the Bible’s teachings.
The lesson «Letter to the Church of Thyatira» showed us some of the false doctrines which were introduced in the Church by the Papacy.
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Daniel 8:16,23 [NKJV]
And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said,
«Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.» (...)
[Gabriel said,] «In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes.»
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The angel Gabriel was sent to explain to Daniel the meaning of the vision of chapter 8, and to give him interesting details about the little horn.
He confirmed that the leader of this power would be a king «having fierce features» and «sinister schemes», as we had already seen in Daniel 7.
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Daniel 8:24
And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power.
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The power of the Papacy indeed came from an outer source.
It first came from the Roman Empire, when, in A.D. 313, Roman emperor Constantine embraced the Christian cause, which elevated the Church to a position of undisputed popularity and power.
Then, from A.D. 313 to 538, the power of the Papacy came from surrounding nations with which it made alliances.
The cost of these alliances was a number of doctrinal compromises which resulted in a sad mixture of Christianity and paganism within the Church.
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Daniel 8:24,25
And he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many.
He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes.
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In addition to rising against Jesus, «the Prince of princes», and against His people, the Papacy also destroyed «many» to achieve its aim.
Crusades against the Muslims, from the 11th century to the 13th century, and the Inquisition against the «heretics», are only a few examples of its «sinister schemes» (Daniel 8:23 [NKJV]).
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Daniel 8:25
He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes.
But he shall be broken without hand.
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Fortunately, the sad reign of the little horn will end abruptly, «without hand», at the end of the world.
This destruction is not the end of its 1260-year reign (which was terminated in 1798), but rather the end of its second reign, which will be terminated at Jesus’ return.
In our next lessons, we will study this return to life of the Papacy which has reigned, since 1929, over the state of Vatican.
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Daniel 7:25-27
[The saints] shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end.
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
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The prophecy about the little horn ends happily.
God will put an end to the Papacy’s domination, and will establish His everlasting kingdom for all those who have responded to His call to salvation.
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Let’s thank God for His prophetic Word:
Father,
You have shown us that the little horn symbolizes the Papacy, a power which tried to change Your law, and which made war against Your people for 1260 years.
On the other hand, we know that You love sincere people who are still in the papal system, and that You call them to come out of this system, and join Your Church.
Please give us the courage we need to leave this system, in order to join Your people, take a stand for You, and worship You only.
In the precious name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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