No. 2.
Two years after, Daniel sees another vision, which he was to understand to refer to “the time of the end.” (chapter 8:17.) Here also he sees a “little horn,” only it is connected with the Grecian empire, or rather one of the four kingdoms which sprang out of Greece, (10:9, 22, 23.) The power of the ram—the Persian empire—was great; of the goat—the Grecian empire—was very great; but this little horn waxed exceeding great. His conquests extended toward the south, the east, and “the pleasant land”— Palestine; and it waxed even to the host of heaven, cast the stars down to the ground, and stamped upon them—referring, perhaps, to persons in exalted places among God’s people, the Jews. It cast down the truth to the ground, and practiced, and prospered. This little horn is also spoken of as a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences; his power mighty, but not by his own power; who will destroy the mighty and the holy people—the Jews—stand up against the Prince of princes—no doubt the Lord Jesus—and shall be broken without hand.
Thus we see that the “little horn” of the eighth chapter is a mighty potentate—infidel too, standing up against the Prince of princes; that he prospers in conquests, which extend to the pleasant land; he besieges Jerusalem, destroys the people—the nation of the Jews, not the saints; and, as we have seen, springs out of the Grecian empire. He cannot therefore be identical with the “little horn” of the seventh chapter, whose connection is with the Roman empire, and whose hatred is especially to the saints, and who sets aside Jewish ordinances. Nor is his diabolical arrogance and pride equal to “the king” of the eleventh chapter, against whom he wages war. Who, then, can this little horn of the eighth chapter be?
Accepting, as we do, the judgment of some of the best Hebrew scholars, that the whole of the eleventh verse and former part of the twelfth is a parenthesis (hence it is said “he,” and not “it,” as we find in the tenth and latter peat of the twelfth verses), and knowing that Scripture repeatedly speaks of another mighty potentate that will come against the Jews at the time of the end, we can easily see why Daniel should prophesy of him. Is he not emphatically the desolator, or king of the north, of chapter 11:40-45? See also Psalms 74; 79.; Isaiah 29:1-3; Micah 5:5, 6. Isaiah speaks of the Assyrian, of whom God declares— “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger ... I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.” Though he so prospers at first, yet “through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod;” or, as Daniel says, “he shall be broken without hand.” (Isaiah 10:5, 6,12, 25; 30:31.)
The ninth chapter opens by Daniel referring to Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning his people; an important point (and we noticed the same thing in Jeremiah), as showing how highly he valued the word which God had already given. He knew in this way that Jerusalem would be in desolation seventy years. This brings him, in deep humiliation, confession, and prayer, before God. The angel Gabriel is therefore sent to assure him that he is “greatly beloved,” and to give him intelligence in detail about the seventy weeks, at the end of which Daniel’s people should be established in blessing.
The seventy weeks are divided into seven, three score and two, and one. The period of seven weeks—a day for a year—for the restoration and building of the city and wall of Jerusalem; and at the end of three score and two weeks after this, making together sixty-nine weeks, “Messiah shall be cut off,” and, instead of taking the kingdom, “have nothing” (margin); which brings us down to the crucifixion of Christ. This was followed, as we know, by “the people of the prince” (the Romans) destroying “the city and the sanctuary.” Ever since which Jerusalem has been in desolation, and trodden down of the Gentiles.
The last, or seventieth, week is still in abeyance; but he speaks of it at once, omitting any notice of the present period of the calling out of the Church, which has already extended over eighteen hundred years, because Daniel’s scope was that of the Gentile times, and his own people the Jews. The Church of God, we know, was not revealed, but kept secret, hid in God, till made known to the apostles. (Ephesians 3:5,9; Romans 16:25.) In Daniel’s prophecy therefore we look across all this present period, from Messiah’s being cut off, and the destruction of Jerusalem, to the seventieth week, the end of the age, which will not begin till after the heavenly saints have been caught up to meet the Lord in the air, when Jew and Gentile will again have their distinctive places of action on the earth.
We are told, as to this last week, that he—i.e., the coming head of the people that destroyed the city—shall “confirm covenant with many,” the mass of the Jews, “for one week”— that is, professing to establish them in Jewish ordinances, &c.— “of the week,” or at the end of three and a half years, “he will” set aside the Jewish religion, and “cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.” In this way he will lead the Jews, except a faithful remnant, into thorough apostasy. “And for [because of] the over-spreading of abominations [or idols] he shall make it desolate [or there shall be a desolator], even until the consummation, and that [judgment] determined shall be poured upon the desolate” [city]. At the close of these seventy weeks, Israel shall then be established in righteousness and blessing, through the redemption-work of Him who died for that nation. (chapter 9:24.)
Again, Daniel is in deep exercise of soul, in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, which was two years after some of the Jews had gone up from the captivity. (See Ezra 1:1.) He mourned and fasted for three whole weeks; and in the twenty-fourth day of the month he beheld a certain man, who spake most touchingly to him, strengthened him, and told him what should “befall his people in the latter days.” (chapter 10) He is then led again to the time of Alexander, and the division of his empire—the Grecian—into four kingdoms, and to consider the acting’s of the “king of the north,” the Assyrian, and of “the king of the south,” the Egyptian; for both these kings have yet to play an important part before “the end of the indignation.” Accordingly, the former part of the eleventh chapter chiefly sets forth the ways and conflicts of these two kings. The king of the north succeeds against “the glorious land.” (verse 16.) The account of the “vile person,” from verse 21 to 35, may be Antiochus Epiphanes, whom history informs us did actually set up an idol in the temple; but that could not be “the abomination which maketh desolate” to which our Lord referred, for He spoke of it as then future. (Matthew 24:15.)
“The king,” or the Antichrist, is described from verse 36 to 40. He is in “the land,” which he divides for gain. He exalts himself, magnifies himself above every god, and speaks against God. He shall not regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of woman—i.e., being connected with the Messiah, nor regard any god; but he will prosper only “till the indignation be accomplished.” But both the king of the north and the king of the south shall come against him, and he, the king of the north, shall enter into the glorious land; but he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
At that time, we are told, Michael the great prince shall stand up for the children of Daniel’s people; and though it be a time of unparalleled sorrow, yet every one of Daniel’s people that is written in the book, the elect Jews, shall be delivered out of it. (chapter 12:1. See also Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:22.) Besides these, the ten tribes, or the many or mass of them, who have been outcasts, where no one knows, asleep, as it were, in the dust of the earth, shall be brought forth, and, according to Ezekiel 20, judged and purged of the rebels before they enter the land. They shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. There will be some wise ones in those days, who shall instruct the many in righteousness—the remnant who shall seek to draw the people from the seducing power of the Antichrist, who shall shine as “the stars forever and ever.” (10:2, 3.) But Daniel is to seal the book till the time of the end; and he tells us that none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. (verse 10.) Daniel is assured that he shall stand in his lot at the end of the days (verse 13), which may refer to his being in the reign with Christ.