A MYSTERIOUS SMALL HORN

The next part of the vision spans more than 2,200 years its fulfillment  stretching into modern times. Daniel writes: "Out of one of them [the four horns]there came forth another horn, a small one, and it kept getting very much greater toward the south and toward the sunrising and toward the Decoration. And it kept getting greater all the way to the army of the heavens, so that it caused some of the army and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it went trampling them down.  And all the way to the Prince of the army it put on great airs, and from him the constant feature was taken away, and the established place of his sanctuary was thrown down. And an army itself  gradually given over, together with the constant feature, because of the transgression; and it kept throwing truth to the earth, and it acted and had success." -Daniel 8:9-12.

Before we can understand the meaning of the words just quoted, we must pay attention to God's angel.  After pointing  to the coming to power of the four kingdoms from Alexander's empire, the angel Gabriel says:  "In the final part of their kingdom, as the transgressors act to a completion , there wills stand up a king fierce in countenance and understanding ambiguous sayings. And his power must become mighty, but not by his own power.  And in a wonderful way he will cause ruin, and he will certainly prove successful and do effectively. And he will actually bring mighty ones to ruin, also the people made up of the holy ones. And according to  his insight he will also certainly cause deception to succeed in his hand. And in his heart he will put on airs, and during a freedom from care he will bring many to ruin. And against the Prince of princes he will stand  up, but it will be without hand that he will be broken. -Daniel 8:23-25.

"You for your part, keep secret the vision," the angel tells Daniel, "because it is yet for many days." (Daniel 8:26) The  fulfillment of this part of the vision was not to  occur for "many days," and Daniel was to "keep secret the vision."  Its meaning apparently remained a mystery to Daniel.  By now, however, those "many days" must surely have passed by. So we ask:  'What does world history reveal regarding the fulfillment of this prophetic vision? '

Next time:  THE SMALL HORN BECOMES MIGHTY IN POWER

From the book: PAY ATTENTION TO DANIEL'S PROPHECY! 1999