Darkhorse wrote:Reservoir_Dog wrote:Daniel is a good start. Not to many people pay attention to the Old Testament any more.How does Daniel 7:25 give you the idea that the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is anti Christ? Keep in mind what Daniel is talking about in the second half of his book. The apocalypse. The end of times.How does Daniel 7:25 differ from John 1:7? And how can either one be considered to be anti Christ? Also from Daniel: "The great nations of the world have risen against Yahweh; but God's Kingdom shall overthrow existing powers and last forever" How is that anti Christ?
First we need to start with Daniel 2, it gives us a basic prophetic timeline from Babylon to the second coming of Christ.
The image in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is all the major kingdoms from then untill now. The Babylonian Empire of Nebuchadnezzar (605 B.C. to 538 B.C.) was the GOLD head over thrown by the SILVER arms and chest of the joint empire of the Medes and the Persians (538 B.C. to 331 B.C.). The Medes and the Persians (331 B.C. to 168 B.C.), were conquered by the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great, belly and thighs of BRONZE. Represented by IRON legs is the Roman Empire, Daniel 2:41-43 says, “Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom.”
The ten toes of the Image, represents the ten kingdoms into which Rome was divided when barbarian tribes carved up the empire. Anglo-Saxons-England, Lombards-Italy, Heruli-Destroyed, Alamanni- Germany, Suevi-Portugal, Vandals-Destroyed, Burgundians-Switzerland, Visigoths-Spain, Ostrogoths- Destroyed and the Franks-France.
Daniel 2 informs us the fourth kingdom is the legs and feet of IRON with ten toes (divided Europe) and Daniel 7 says the fourth beast has IRON teeth and ten horns (divided Europe). The beasts of Daniel 7 fall in line with Daniel 2.
Now that the Kingdoms have been established let’s look at the last one.
Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Location: out of 4th beast and among the ten horns (v.8) - The Papacy arose out of Rome among the ten tribal divisions of Rome
Timing: after the ten were established (v.8) - the Papacy became a political power by decree of the Roman emperor Justinian in AD 538 which was after the emergence of the ten tribal divisions that emerged as the Roman Empire fell apart in AD 476.
Uprooted three of the ten horns (v.8) - As the Papacy came to prominence, it influenced Pagan Roman armies to destroy three of the tribes which opposed its Christian doctrines. These three were the Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Heruli. The last of these was destroyed in AD 538 when Justinian’s decree went into effect.
Eyes and mouth of a man (v.8) - the Papacy has a man as its visible head.
Persecutes the saints (v.21, 25) - Ever hear of the Papal persecution during the dark ages - Inquisition, etc. More than 50 million Protestant Christians tortured and killed by the Catholic Church.
Different from the other ten horns (v.24) - the Papacy was a religio-political entity different from the kingdoms before it.
Speak out against God (v.8, 11, 20, 25) - Verse 8 says it will utter boastful or blasphemous things. One quote of many like it from Prompta Bibliothea Canonica Juridicia Moralis Theologica appearing in the Catholic Encyclopedia Volume VI, pp. 25-29, “The Pope is of so great dignity, and so exalted, that he is not a mere man, but as it were, God and the Vicar of God. The Pope is, as it were, God on earth, chief king of kings, having plentitude of power.”
Little Horn attempts to change God’s times and laws (v.25) - The Papacy deleted the second commandment of the Decalogue on idolatry, changed the Sabbath to Sunday in favour of sun worship and divided the tenth commandment on coveting into two parts to get back to Ten Commandments.
Have power for a time, times, and half a time (or three and a half years, forty two months, or 1260 days - see Revelation 12:6, 14) (v.25) - Applying the prophetic day for year principle established in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 that equals 1260 years. The Papacy lasted in primary power from AD 538 to 1798 in which Napoleon’s general Berthier marched into Rome, deposed the Pope, and carried him into exile where he died.
