“Then he said to me, “This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path. Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time. “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.” That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.”
Daniel 7:23-28 NLT
In the understanding of prophecy, there are icons of lore whom terrify the imagination. This was the case for Daniel as he sought to understand what he had been shown. The little horn of the fourth beast was ominous in Daniel’s mind. To say the least, this is one of the few times, even faced with death, that we see Daniel taking on a fearful tone. Yet, the description is a hopeful one in that the little horn opposes the Son of Man. The description of this prophetic monster was disturbing, but it was also a description of his inevitable end. The little horn would go on to be associated with the most infamous of evil character in all of lore, the Anti-Christ. Yet, even in that, he can only be described by what he opposes. This is in contrast to God who describes himself by what he is, since nothing else can compare to him. Perhaps this is why Christ repeatedly calls himself the Son of Man. Perhaps he wants to remind the world that the end of the story is the end of the little horn? We should know that though God’s people have repeatedly faced little horns throughout history, and this will culminate in John’s beast. The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, is our champion and victor. He will judge one day as even now he reigns supreme.
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