Daniel's Divided Europe Prophecies

In the great dream of Daniel 2, the statute's feet are described. Though mentioning the toes, Daniel does not specifically call attention to their number. He does mention that the kingdom of Rome was to be divided into different nation states. Many commentators have held that the toes, of which there were presumably 10, correspond to the 10 horns of the fourth beast of Daniel chapter 7.

After the barbarian tribes invaded and destroyed the Roman Empire, most commentators agree that 10 kingdoms were founded—the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Suevi, Alamanni, Anglo—Saxons, Heruli, Lombards, Burgundians. The period was one of great upheaval, confusion, and change, during which a large number of states secured their independence.

Just as Rome had lost its iron tenacity and strength, its successors were manifestly weak, the mixture of clay with the iron—a "miry clay." Daniel also says this "kingdom" would be "partly strong." These barbarian kingdoms differed greatly in military prowess and would eventually settle in the Europe we know today. In Daniel 7, we see that this miry clay and ten toes is explained as "ten kings" (v. 24). If the "four kings" of v. 17 represent kingdoms (see on v. 3), parallel to the four empires of ch. 2, then there is fully as much reason to understand these "ten kings" as kingdoms also, even as the four horns of the goat are "four kingdoms" (ch. 8:22). The successive invasions of the Roman Empire by numerous Germanic tribes, and the replacement of the empire by a number of separate states or monarchies, are well established facts of history.

Daniel 2:43 also speaks of the "seed of men." Many commentators refer this to royal intermarriages, though the intent of the statement may be wider. The word for man is 'enash, "mankind." "Seed" means descendants. Hence there may also be a general indication of a shifting back and forth of populations, but with nationalism continuing strong. But whatever the case, these nations "shall not cleave"—they would not unite again. Daniel's prophecy has stood and will stand the test of time. Some world powers have been weak, others strong. Attempts to unite into one great empire the various nations that grew out of the fourth empire have ended in failure. Temporarily, certain sections have been united, but the union has not proved peaceful or permanent. There have also been many political alliances among the nations. Farseeing statesmen have tried in various ways to bring about a federation of nations that would operate successfully, but all such attempts have proved disappointing.

The Little Horn

A symbol in the book of Daniel (chs 7 and 8) for a great foe of God's chosen people is the "little horn power." To the ancient Hebrews, a people familiar with the manner in which domestic animals such as rams and bulls used their horns for self—defense and attack, the horn naturally became a symbol of power. Passages that describe the "little horn" and its activities are chs 7:8, 20—26; 8:9—14, 23—26. Parallel passages whose context makes evident that the same power and same developments are being described in literal language are chs 9:26, 27; 11:29—45; 12:1, 6—11. The characteristics ascribed to the little horn in chs 7 and 8, and the activities attributed to it among the two vision describe the same power in different aspects of its activity and from a slightly different point of view. In each instance the "horn" is "little" when it is first seen on the prophetic stage (chs 7:8; 8:9), but in time it grows to be very great (chs 7:20; 8:9). In chs 7 it comes up "among" (v 8) and "after" (v 24) the 10 horns of the 4th terrible beast (v 7), displacing 3 of the 10 as it rises (vs 8, 20, 24), whereas the little horn of ch 8 comes forth after the "four notable" horns that replaced the "great horn" of the ram have appeared, toward the close of the dominion exercised by the 4 horns "when the transgressors are come to the full" (vs 23, 24). The little horn of ch 7 is said to have "eyes like the eyes of man" (vs 8, 20), and the little horn of ch 8 is said to be "cunning" in its methods of operation (v 25, RSV). The interpretation of the little horn of ch 7 clearly implies that it represents a "king" (v 24), whereas that of ch 8 is specifically declared to represent a "king" (v 23). The horn of ch 7 makes "war with the saints," prevails against them, and wears them out (vs 21, 25); the horn of ch 8 casts down some of the "host," that is, the "holy people," to the ground and stamps upon them (vs 10, 13, 24). With its "mouth that spake very great things" the horn of ch 7 speaks "great words against the most High" and attempts "to change times and laws" ordained by the Most High (vs 20, 25); the horn of ch 8 "magnified himself even to the prince of the host" (v 11), who is described in v 25 as "the Prince of princes"—obviously the Lord—and "cast down the truth to the ground" (v 12). The period of time during which the little horn oppresses "the saints of the most High" is said to be "a time and times and the dividing of time" (Dan 7:25; cf. ch 12:7, "time, times, and an half"). The little horn of ch 8 takes away "the daily sacrifice" and casts down "the place of his sanctuary" (v 11), but after a period called "two thousand and three hundred days" (v 14) the sanctuary is "cleansed" (KJV), or "restored to its rightful state" (RSV). In ch 7 the coming of "the Ancient of days" in judgment deprives the little horn of its power and awards the kingdom to the "saints of the most High" (vs 18, 22, 26, 27). In ch 8, at the close of the specified period of time the sanctuary is "cleansed" of the "transgression of desolation" erected in it by the little horn (vs 13, 14). In ch 9:26, 27 the same power destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, causing "the sacrifice and the oblation to cease" and desolating the sanctuary. In ch 11:30, 31 the same power enters "the glorious land"—Palestine—(vs 16, 41, 45), stands up against "the prince of the covenant" (v 22), pollutes the sanctuary and takes away the daily sacrifice, sets up the desolating abomination (vs 30, 31), and conspires to obliterate the worship of the true God (v 30)—all for "a time, times, and an half" (ch 12:7).

Jesus applied the parallel prophecy of Dan. 11:31 and 12:11 to the Romans (see Mt. 24:15—20; cf. Lk. 21:20—24), a prediction that was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and brought the Jewish nation to an end. Some Protestant interpreters have adopted the ancient Jewish interpretation; others have applied the prophecy of the little horn, first to the events of A.D. 70, and second to papal Rome in past centuries, when it was intolerant of all dissent and dissenters and persecuted those who did not consent to its authority.