Identifying the Little Horn

The Prophecy in Daniel Chapter 7

The sequence of events in this prophecy:

1. The four winds stirring up the Mediterranean Sea.

2. Four great beasts (kingdoms) arose out of the sea: (a) Lion with eagle’s wings; (b) Bear with three tusks (ribs) in its mouth; (c) Leopard with four heads & four wings of a bird; (d) Non-descript, terrifying beast with iron teeth & ten horns: Three horns uprooted to make room for a little horn.

3. The Judgement takes place in Heaven: (a) The non-descript beast & the little horn put to death. (b)    Christ receives His eternal Kingdom.

We recognize that in the true philosophy of history, God is in ultimate control of events. He also reveals deep and hidden things since nothing is unknown to Him (c.f. Daniel 2:20-22; 36-38). We also recognize that the prophecies reveal a tale of 2 cities - namely: Babylon and Jerusalem, representing Satan’s kingdom and Christ’s Kingdom respectively. Whereas Christ is the true God and Satan is a false god, the history of this world is a contest between the two - the great controversy between Christ and Satan - but Christ is destined to overthrow Satan and his kingdom over which He has gained the victory through His cross (c.f. Revelation 12:11,12).

The 10 Horns

The 4th beast representing the Roman Empire is synonymous with the legs of iron in the prophetic dream of Daniel chapter 2. [c.f. Lesson 6, Strange Beasts from the Depths of the Sea]. Both prophecies foretold the breaking down of the empire with reference to the feet of iron and clay (Daniel 2:41-43) & the 10 horns of the 4th beast (Daniel 7:7, 20, 24). Historians identify these 10 kingdoms that arose from the barbaric invasions from the north-east between 351-476 AD that resulted in the divisions & downfall of the Roman Empire. They formed the basis for the nations of Europe that emerged thereafter. These have been identified as the Anglo-Saxons, Franks, Alamanni, Lombards, Ostrogoths, Burgundians, Heruli, Visigoths, Suevi, and the Vandals.

(v. 8)
As Daniel considered the 10 horns, he observed a “little horn” coming up amongst them but 3 of the those horns were “plucked up by the roots” in order (vs. 15-22) to make room for it. Daniel was not only troubled but terrified by the scene. He was very concerned about the activities of this “little horn”.

So, what exactly does this little horn represent?

10 Points Identifying the Little Horn

An important note: The identity of the “little horn” must comply with all the points of evidence given in the Bible. In this investigation, on every point, we find the fingerprints of the papacy are all over the evidence:

(vs. 7,8)
It arose out of the 4th Beast - i.e. the Roman Empire

The “little horn” arose out of the Roman Empire.    

(vs. 7,8)
It arose among the 10 horns

The period when the 10 kingdoms were virtually established was 476 AD & the “little horn” came up amongst them. “Under the Roman Empire the popes had no temporal power. But when the Roman Empire had disintegrated and its place had been taken by a number of rude barbarous kingdoms, the Roman Catholic Church not only became independent of the states in religious affairs but dominated secular affairs as well” (Carl Conrad Eckhardt, The Papacy and World Affairs, p. 101).

(v. 24)
It arose after the 10 horns

The “little horn” came to power after the 10 kingdoms were established.

(vs. 8,24)
It uprooted 3 horns - i.e. kingdoms

Several factors influenced Justinian, the Roman Emperor, to hand over rulership of the Western Empire: The empire needed reconsolidating after its fragmentation from the invading barbarians; Despite years of persecution, Christianity had grown. It was legalised in the 4th century under the reign of Constantine; In 536 AD, Justinian decreed that the Bishop of Rome should have complete rulership of the Western Empire, so that he himself could concentrate on the Eastern sector then facing a different threat.

However, there were 3 Arian powers that prevented the Bishop of Rome’s enthronement. These were the Heruli, the Vandals & the Ostrogoths. When they were finally destroyed, the Bishop of Rome took the throne in 538 AD & commenced ruling the Western Empire. The 3 horns were literally “plucked up by the roots”!

“Long ages ago when Rome through neglect of the Western emperors was left to the mercy of the barbarous hordes, the Romans turned to one figure for aid and protection, and asked him to rule over them; . . . and thus commenced the temporal sovereignty of the popes. And meekly stepping to the throne of Caesar, the vicar of Christ took up the sceptre to which the emperors and kings of Europe were to bow in reverence through so many ages” (The American Catholic Quarterly Review, April 1911).

(vs. 24,20)
It was different from the other horns

“Out of the ruins of the Roman Empire there gradually rose a new order of states whose central point was the Papal See. Therefore, inevitably resulted a position, not only new, but very different from the former” (J.J. Ignatious von Dollinger, The Church and Churches, pp.42,43).

(v. 20)
It spoke arrogantly and appeared greater than the others

Its appearance and vocal authority was arrogant and seemed greater than the others. Indeed, unlike the other kingdoms, the papacy was a politico-religious power ruling what became the Holy Roman Empire.

“The Vicar of the incarnate Son of God, anointed high priest, and supreme temporal ruler [the pope], sat in his tribunal, impartially to judge between nation and nation, between people and prince, between sovereign and subject” - Henry Cardinal Manning, The Temporal Power of the Vicar of Jesus Christ (1862), p.46).

“We define that the Holy Apostolic See and the Roman Pontiff holds the primacy over the whole world”(The Most Holy Councils, vol. 13, col. 1167).

“If a man considers the original of this great, ecclesiastical dominion he will easily perceive that the papacy is none other than the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire sitting crowned upon the grave thereof” (historian Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, p. 457).

(v. 25)
It spoke words against the Most High

“Hence the pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven, and earth, and purgatory (infernorum)” (Prompta Bibliotheca, VI, p. 26).

“The pope is the supreme judge of the law of the land. He is the vice-regent of Christ, who is not only a priest for ever, but also King of kings and Lord of lords” (Civilta Cattolica, March 18, 1871).

“All the names which in the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that he is over the church, all the same names are applied to the pope” (Cardinal Bellarmine).

“The pope is Jesus Christ on earth” (Dr Goma y Thomas, in a Pastoral Letter to the Church in Spain).

“We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty” (‘The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII’, Encyclical Letter June 20, 1894).

“The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ hidden under the veil of the flesh” (Pope Pius X when Archbishop of Venice).

“This judicial authority will even include the power to pardon sin” (Catholic Encyclopaedia, vol. 12, art. “pope”, p. 265).

(v. 25)
It wore out the saints of the Most High

History records that the state under orders from the papacy (Concordat) waged severe persecution against those who refused to adhere to its claims. The noted Catholic, Thomas Aquinas, said that convicted heretics should be put to death just as surely as other criminals, because they were counterfeiters.

“The church has persecuted. Only a tyro (novice) in church history will deny that . . . We have always defended the persecution of the Huguenots and the Spanish Inquisitions . . . When she thinks it good to use physical force, she will use it” (The Western Watchman, Dec. 24, 1909).

“Church of Rome put more to death than any other institution” (Zaletti, a rationalist & Italian historian).

(v. 25)
It would attempt to change the sacred times and the law

“We Catholics teach and define that it is a dogma divinely revealed that the Roman Pontiff when he speaks ex cathedra … is possessed of . . . infallibility . . . for defining doctrine regarding faith or morals” (Henry Edward Manning [Roman Catholic], Petri Privilegium, p. 218).

“The pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ” (Decretal Da Translat. Episcap.)

“The pope can modify Divine Law” (Prompta Bibliotheca, “Papa”, art. 2).

With these claims, the papacy has modified the 10 Commandments, not only by removing the 2nd Commandment (as in several catechisms, e.g. Keenan’s and Geiermann’s, used for teaching the laity) and splitting the 10th into two but also changing the 4th Commandment.

“The Church, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath of the seventh day of the week, made the third Commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept as the Lord’s Day” (The Catholic Encyclopaedia, vol. 4, p. 153).

“Christians shall not Judaize (keep Sabbath) and be idle on Saturday . . . but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s day they shall especially honour, and, as being Christians, shall if possible, do no work on that day. If however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out . . . from Christ” (Council of Laodicea, A History of the Councils of the Church, vol. 2, p. 316).

“It was the Catholic Church that decided Sunday should be the day of worship for Christians, in honour of the resurrection” (Karl Keating (1988), Catholicism & Fundamentalism, p. 38).

“Q. How prove you that the church hath power to command feasts and holy days?

A.  By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of: and therefore fondly contradict themselves by keeping Sunday strictly and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same church” (An Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine, p. 58).

“The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday . . .  not from any directions noted in the Scriptures, but from the Church’s sense of its own power . . . People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become Seventh-day Adventists, and keep Saturday holy” (Saint Catherine, Catholic Church Sentinel, May 21, 1995).

In contrast,  God Himself has declared, when He uttered those 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai, the Bible states: “Then God spoke all these words . . . .” (Exodus 20:1). God later declared: “I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips” (Psalm 89:34).

(v. 25)
He should reign for 3½ prophetic years - i.e. 1,260 actual years

“Time” = 1 year; 2 times = 2 yrs; half a time = 6 months - thus: 3½ yrs or 42 months or 1,260 days (i.e. 30-day month of Jewish Calendar).
NB. A prophetic day is reckoned as one literal year: Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6. The papacy ruled supremely from 538 AD until 1798 - i.e. 1,260 yrs when Napoleon’s general, Berthier, brought Rome’s political power to an end. He marched on the Vatican and took the pope prisoner to Avignon, thus bringing an end to the Holy Roman Empire.

The evidence is clear. The “little horn” undoubtedly fulfils all the points of identity. No other power known in history meets this criterion. We may rest our case!

(v. 9-14)
The Last Judgement

In the Judgement scene, Christ receives His Kingdom; but the “little horn” is arraigned before the heavenly judgement seat and condemned. Along with the non-descript beast, the “little horn” will be destroyed.

This article serves as the script for presentation #7 in "The Book of Daniel" series, delivered by Pastor Michael I. Walker. If you're interested in downloading a printable PDF version, just click here.

You can also find the video presentation recorded during the Zoom meeting on Friday, 20 February 2025, below.