Paul- Remember, I told you these things..

Continued…

CHAPTER XIII

“ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION”

Out of one of these divisions of the empire of Alexander, the prophet next saw that there “came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”

The directions named show that this power rose and waxed exceeding great from the west. This is explained by the angel to mean, “in the latter time of their kingdom [the four divisions of Grecia], when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.” “And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.” “And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes [“He magnified himself even to the prince of the host.” Verse 11]; but he shall be broken without hand.”

These specifications show that the little horn of the eighth chapter of Daniel represents Rome from the time of its rise, at the destruction of the Grecian Empire, to the end of the world, when it is “broken without hand” by that stone “cut out of the mountain without hands,” which then breaks in pieces and consumes all earthly kingdoms. Daniel 2:34, 35, 44, 45.

 We have seen that in the seventh chapter of Daniel the little horn, though as such representing only the latter phase of Rome, yet does really represent Rome in both its phases—Rome from beginning to end, because when the time comes that the “little horn” is to be broken and destroyed, it is indeed “the beast” that is “slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.” Thus the thought with which the story of the little horn closes in Daniel 7 is continued in Daniel 8 with reference to the same power.

In Daniel 8 the expression “little horn” covers the whole of Rome in both its phases, just as is shown in the closing expressions concerning the “little horn” in Daniel 7; as is shown also by the expressions “the abomination of desolation” and “the transgression of desolation,” being applied to Rome in both its phases (Daniel 9:26, 27; Matthew 24:15; Daniel 11:31; 12:11; 8:11, 13); and as is confirmed by the teaching and history of latter Rome itself.

It is all one, except only that all that is stated of the former Rome is true and intensified in the latter Rome.

And now let us consider further the scripture expressions in Daniel 8 concerning this little horn power. In verses 11 and 25, of this little horn power it is said: “He shall magnify himself in his heart.” “He magnified himself even to [or against] the prince of the host;” and “he shall also stand up against [or reign in opposition to] the Prince of princes.” This is explained in 2 Thessalonians, second chapter, where the apostle, in correcting wrong impressions which the Thessalonians had received concerning the immediate coming of the Lord, says: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5.

Plainly this scripture describes the same power that is represented by the little horn in Daniel 8. But there are other considerations which more fully show it. He says that when he was at Thessalonica with the brethren he had told them these very things which now he writes. In Acts 17:13, is the record concerning Paul when he was yet with the Thessalonians, as follows: “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures.” And in this reasoning with them out of the Scriptures, he told them about this falling away which should come, in which would be the revealing of the man of sin, the mystery of iniquity, the son of perdition, who would oppose himself to God and would exalt himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, even putting himself in the place of God and passing himself off for God. In reasoning with the people out of the Scriptures, where in the Scriptures did Paul find the revelation from which he could tell to the Thessalonians all this? It was in this eighth chapter of Daniel where the apostle found it, and from this it was that he told it to them while he was there. For in the eighth chapter of Daniel are the very expressions which he uses in 2 Thessalonians, of which he says, “Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” This fixes the time to be after the apostles’ days, when Rome magnified itself “even to the Prince of the host” and “against the Prince of princes;” and connects it directly with the falling away, or apostasy, which developed the Papacy, or Rome, in its latter and ultimate phase.