Antichrist: Connections Between the Beast & the Little Horn

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Duncan
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Antichrist: Connections Between the Beast & the Little Horn

Post by Duncan » Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:27 am

THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL BEAST OF REVELATION AND THE LITTLE HORN OF DANIEL 7

This is from my book The Antichrist and the Second Coming: A Preterist Examination, volume I: Daniel and 2 Thessalonians The basic thesis of the book is that ultimately the Antichrist was a demonic ruler from the abyss (cf. Rev. 11:7) that worked through Titus in his destruction of unfaithful Israel (harlot Babylon, cf. Ezek. 16). See reviews of my book here: http://www.amazon.com/Antichrist-Second ... Descending

Below are some of the connections between the little horn of Daniel 7’s fourth beast and the individual beast of Revelation. By the term "individual beast" I mean the eighth ruler of the confederation of eight rulers that make up what I call the "corporate beast" (Rev. 17:8-11). These eight kings were ultimately demonic rulers; notice that the individual beast was about to come out of the abyss when John wrote (Rev. 11:7; 17:8 NASB). Compare this with the kings of Persia in Daniel 10:13; these are spiritual rulers not merely physical rulers. The little horn/individual beast is the Antichrist, the demonic ruler from the abyss that would work through Titus in his 3 1/2 year destruction of Israel (Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 11:2; 13:5)

1. The little horn/individual beast is an eighth ruler (Dan. 7:8; Rev. 17:11).

The little horn of Daniel 7 starts out as an eleventh ruler but becomes an eighth when three horns (rulers) are removed before him (11-3=8). The individual beast is an eighth king.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong . . . and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
Daniel 7:7-8

The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
Revelation 17:11


Titus was the eleventh Caesar of Rome. In AD 70 he was a general, the son of the reigning emperor (Vespasian), hence the designation as a little horn in Daniel 7. The three horns (rulers) removed before him refer to the three short-lived emperors (Galba, Otho, and Vitellius)) that fell in AD 69 just before Titus and Vespasian gained control of the Roman Empire (AD 69 is known by historians as "the year of four emperors").

2. The little horn/individual beast speaks great blasphemies against God (Dan. 7:8, 11, 20, 25; Rev. 13:5-6).

. . . that [little] horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
Daniel 7:20
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High . . . .
Daniel 7:25

And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies…Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
Revelation 13:5-6


Ladd notes the following on the blasphemous words of the (individual) beast in Revelation 13:5 and how it is a direct reference to the little horn of Daniel 7, “This [Rev. 13:5-6] is based directly on Dan. 7:8, 20, 25. The little horn had a mouth ‘speaking great things’ and spoke ‘words against the Most High.’” The Talmud says that Titus spoke great blasphemies when he captured the Temple, actually claiming he had killed the God of Israel (The Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 56b).

3. The little horn/individual beast wages war against the saints and overcomes them (Dan. 7:21; Rev. 13:7).

I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them . . . .
Daniel 7:21

It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them . . . .
Revelation 13:7


The saints would have been understood by Daniel as the Jews. While the reference to saints is expanded in the NT to include believing Gentiles (cf. Rom. 2:28-29; Rev. 3:9), the focus of the Antichrist is on Israel and her Temple (Dan. 9:26-27; 11:40-12:1; 2 Thess. 2:4). While the great tribulation would come on the whole world, it would focus on the dwellers on the Land (Rev. 3:10). That Revelation 13’s focus is on the Jews can be seen in the following: 1.) The chapter repeatedly references the dwellers on the Land (vv. 8, 12, 14). 2.) The worship of the beast in this chapter involves the head and hand—this alludes to Jewish worship (Rev. 13:16, cf. Deut. 6:6-8). 3.) The reference to forty two months (Rev. 13:5) is the last half of Daniel’s 70 week—this would focus on the Jews and Jerusalem (“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for you holy city . . .” Dan. 9:24). I will discuss these points in more detail later in the chapter..

4. The little horn/individual beast has a three-and-a-half-year reign of terror (Dan. 7:25; 13:5).

The phrase “a time and times and half a time” of Daniel 7:25 is a period of three-and-a-half. It is usually taken to be three-and-a-half years or forty-two months, which is the form it takes in Revelation 13:5. This three-and-a-half-year reign of terror of the little horn/individual beast is the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week. It was the time of the coming of the prince who would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple and make Israel desolate (Dan. 9:26-27). This last half of Daniel’s seventieth week would end with the destruction of the Jewish nation (cf. Dan. 12:7). This is shown in Revelation 11:2 where we are told that Jerusalem would be trodden under foot by the Gentiles for forty-two months.

. . . Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
Daniel 7:25

. . . and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
Revelation 13:5


Forty-two months is the time that it took Titus to destroy the Jewish nation, from around March/April of AD 67 to August/September of AD 70.

5. The little horn/individual beast is defeated by the Second Coming (Dan. 7:21-22; Rev. 19:11-13, 19-20).

In Daniel this is shown as the coming of the Ancient of Days; in Revelation it is shown as the coming of the Word of God. In Revelation the Son of Man is shown as having the characteristics of the Ancient of Days (the white hair, Rev. 1:13-14; cf. Dan. 7:9) The Son of Man having white hair is symbolic of the eternality of Jesus (cf. Is. 9:6), the Word of God (John 1:1). Revelation is thus showing Daniel 7’s coming of God to defeat the little horn in the form of the coming of the Word of God to defeat the individual beast. (Dan. 7:21-22; Rev. 19:11-21).

I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints . . . .
Daniel 7:21-22

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God . . . And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured . . . .
Revelation 19:11-13, 19-20


6. The little horn/individual beast is thrown into the lake of fire at the time of the Second Coming (Dan. 7:11; Rev. 19:19-20).

. . . I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
Daniel 7:11

Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence . . . These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 19:20


Daniel 7:11 shows the entire fourth beast (not just its little horn) being thrown into the fire at the coming of God. In Revelation it is the corporate beast (the eight demonic kings behind the pre AD 70 Roman Empire, cf. Dan. 10:13) that was destroyed at AD 70, not just the individual beast. Obviously the Roman Empire was not destroyed in the lake of fire at this time. An empire being thrown into the lake of fire (which is the second death, Rev. 21:8) makes no sense. What was destroyed at the AD 70 Second Advent was the confederation of eight spiritual rulers behind the pre-AD 70 Roman Empire (cf. Rev. 17:8-11). It was not Titus, but the demonic ruler from the abyss working through Titus (cf. Rev. 11:7), that was thrown into the lake of fire at this time.

7. Right after the AD 70 defeat of the little horn/individual beast, thrones are put in place as the millennium begins (Dan. 7:8-9, 11; Rev. 19:20-20:4).

I was considering the horns [of the fourth beast] and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; . . . I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
Daniel 7:8-9, 11

And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the thrown. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. Then I saw an angel coming down form heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 19:19-20:4 underlined emphasis mine


The sequence in Revelation 19:19-20:4; it is clearer when the chapter separation between 19 and 20 (which is not in the original manuscript) is left out. Notice that the mark of the beast is mentioned as a past event in both Revelation 19:20 and 20:4. There is no recapitulation back to AD 30 at chapter 20; Revelation 20 is a continuation of the AD 70 events of Revelation 19. The beast is captured at the AD 70 coming of Jesus and then the saints that were killed by him for refusing his mark are resurrected to share in the millennial reign of Jesus. This is the exact sequence shown in Daniel 7.

I was watching and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
Daniel 7:21-22; cf. vv. 25-27


The millennial reign, the time when God’s people possess the kingdom of God, happens after the great tribulation of AD 67-70. In support of this, it should be noted that the resurrection in Revelations 20:4 is not simply an AD 30 spiritual one; rather, it includes those who had been physically killed for not taking the mark of the beast.

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4


The believers killed by the (individual) beast that come alive at the beginning of the millennium were already spiritually alive. They were the saints that the beast overcame in his forty-two month reign of terror (Rev. 13:5-7, 15-16) just before the Second Coming (cf. Dan. 7:21-22, 25). Revelation 20:4 is thus showing the AD 70 resurrection of the saints that were killed by the beast during the great tribulation (cf. Dan. 11:40-12:2). These believers were not spiritually dead, they were physically dead (cf. Rev. 6:9-11) and are being resurrected at AD 70 (cf. Rev. 11:7-18).

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