Of Daniel’s Vision
By Eldon McNabb

Daniel said, "I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns."

"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." (Dan 7:7,8)

The subject of the Little Horn has been preached for many years now. The popular promotion as to who, or what, it is has varied from time to time as kingdoms rise and fall. In the 1940s and 1950s, it was thought to be such men as Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin. The common promotion today, with some variations, seems to be that the Little Horn is a man who shall stand up with great political power to persecute someone immediately after "The Church" goes to heaven. Of course, if Jesus had come in the 1940s or in the1950s, there would certainly have been an unacceptably long gap between the coming of our Lord and the rise of that persecutor.

We are now approaching the dawn of the seventh millennium from Adam. Approximately four thousand years have elapsed between the first man Adam and the last Adam, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The first millennium was Adam’s, the second was Noah’s, the third millennium began with Abraham and ended with Samuel, and the fourth began with the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel and ended about a dozen years after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. About two thousand more years have passed from then until now.

It is crucial that Christian ministers know approximately how long it has been from the first Adam unto the present time, because God has allotted only six thousand years for carnal men to have the rulership and stewardship of the world. They will not get an extension. God has promised the rulership of the world to Jesus Christ and His faithful friends after that.

There are no historical records immediately available for us to study which could reveal to us when that seventh millennium might begin, except for the account given us by Jesus’ disciples. Luke gave us some historic details in Luke 2:41-52 and Luke 3:1-3, 21-33, but they are inconclusive of themselves. So, we must learn how to "discern the signs of the times," and let the Spirit of Truth guide us to the truth concerning the preparation for the return of our Lord. (Matt. 16:1-3) It is necessary that we earnestly seek God for wisdom, and begin to apply some common sense to the Bible, so we can find out what we need to know about the transition from the sixth millennium over into the seventh.

We can be sure that the seventh millennium will begin in the general time frame of, what we call, the year A.D. 2000. One day, in the Spring of 1962, I was walking along with the prophet Grady R. Kent, discussing the things concerning our Lord’s coming. I remember him saying, "We have the big picture. All we need now is to work out the details." Since that time, the Spirit of the Lord has revealed many of those details to us. Now the time is upon us, and we must quickly find out the rest of those details. Very soon now, "The judgment shall sit, and the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High." (Daniel 7:24-27)

The rise of The Little Horn is one of the great indicators that the allotted time of carnal man’s dominion is coming to an end. God has also given us signs to alert us to what that horn is, and of the time of its revealing. That horn does not simply pop up one day, without any warning. It will arise according to prophecy, and God’s prophets will recognize it. When the time comes for that horn to begin to wear out the saints of The Most High, all the prophetic necessities will have been established on the world scene, and the "signs of the times" will be readable to the wise-hearted among God’s people. (Amos 3:7)

I have often heard someone speak of the "sign of the coming of the Son of Man." However, I can’t remember a sermon on "The Sign of The Little Horn," so, perhaps this will be something new. The appearing of The Little Horn is surely a sign of the soon coming of Jesus, but we will also consider the sign of the coming of The Little Horn itself.

"Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things." (Dan. 7:19-20)

It would be incorrect to say that a horn is a beast, or even ten horns, for that matter. But, if a cow drops a calf, I will expect to see horns on it some day. In fact, quite a lot is said about the beast upon which we will see The Little Horn. When we recognize that beast, with its ten horns, we will know that the other horn will soon appear on the scene.

The first sign, which God gives us here, is the rise of four great political powers, one after another, in a relatively short period of time. The fourth one of them is to be different from the other three, insomuch that it is a coalition of all the nations of the Earth, and it has ten major nations upon its head. The statement that the fourth beast "stamped the residue with its feet" places it at the time of the end. Its ten horns are powerful nations, but the eleventh one will be remarkably different.

The lengthy time of the rise and development of the fourth beast, with its ten horns, is God’s way of giving us plenty of forewarning of the coming of The Little Horn. In Dan 7:11, we see that it is the blasphemy of that little horn which causes the ultimate downfall of the fourth beast with which all of those horns work their evil deeds.

We read, in the seventh chapter of Daniel, his vision concerning the political powers which will dominate the world scene at the time of the end. It tells about the rise of four beasts whose kingdoms are finally taken away and given to our King and His disciples. It is the first of two visions concerning The Little Horn. Note verses 19-22.

"The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against The Most High, and shall wear out the saints of The Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

"But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of The Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. Hitherto is the end of the matter." (Dan. 7:23-28)

That fourth beast is the United Nations. From its inception just after WW II, its status as a world power has gradually increased. But today, its power is increasing at an alarming rate. The Group of Ten are not the beast, and neither is The Group of Seven, but they are its driving force. The other little horn which shall arise after them is "diverse from the first" ten. One of its differences is indicated in Daniel 8:24, "His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power." In verse 12, He also said, "An host was given to him against the daily sacrifice." A careful study will show that the first ten horns are nations, but the other one is a governmental bureaucracy which receives its power from one of the first ten.

The Little Horn has a very important leading role in the persecution of the saints of God. However, we see from Rev. 17:12-14, that those persecutions are not inflicted by The Little Horn alone. It is a joint effort of the One World Government. For He said,

"The ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called and chosen and faithful."

These ten horns are not kingdoms, in the usual sense. However, for the final "one hour" (forty years or so) of the existence of that fourth beast, they receive power as kingdoms. The government of the United States of America, and particularly the office of the Presidency, began to exercise that kind of power, during the period of time between 1969 and 1973. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with its broad powers to control both public and private land and resources, was established. Then, in 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), with its vast regulatory powers was set up. Then, in 1973, we saw the formation of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), with its wide range of authority, including sweeping confiscatory powers.

During the time that these powerful, freedom destroying agencies were being established, a landmark event took place which marked the official beginning of that "one hour" which is prophesied of in Rev. 17:12. In November 1971, the ten wealthiest, non-Communist nations went to Rome for a World Financial Summit. Perhaps they could have gone to Brussels, or Paris, but they went to the home of that "woman" which was sitting upon the beast. (Rev. 17:3)

In 1972, with the quiet cooperation of the United States Government, the United Nations strengthened its grip over its member nations at the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which is under the auspices of UNESCO. By the end of January 1997, the President of the United States had given control of at least twenty-one of our cultural and historical sites to UNESCO. And, because there have been no treaties involved, Congress has had no say in the matter.

The sites, which I have mentioned, include several million acres of some of our most valuable and treasured land areas in the United States. They range from the Statue of Liberty in 1984, to Independence National Historic Site in Pennsylvania in 1979, to thirteen of our national parks, including Yellowstone National Park in 1978, the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in 1983, and Yosemite National Park in 1984. Those former National Parks are now "International Biospheres."

This second vision, which is told in Daniel chapter 8, is a continuation of the revelation which was presented in chapter seven. It could be compared to an inset in a map, because it is an enlargement of the view of The Little Horn, and holds the key to the source from which it comes.

This vision is different from the first vision in that it contains a revelation which was to be fulfilled in two different periods of time. Verse 26 says, "The vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true." That is the reason it is not possible to get all of the facets of the vision to fit one scenario. It needs a little "rightly dividing."

"I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land." (Dan. 8:3-11)

It is relatively simple to relate the following passage to the world events which spanned the period of time from Daniel’s prophecy to the ministry of Jesus Christ and the eventual martyrdom of His early followers. However, verse nineteen clearly shows that the primary intent of the vision was to reveal The Little Horn at this end of the age.

"There stood before me as the appearance of a man. And he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 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 by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true." (Dan. 8:15-26)

When God gave this vision to Daniel, He knew that neither the "Medes and Persians" (Iran), nor the "Greeks," would be the major players in world politics near the time of "the last end of the indignation." Yet, something about those two nations is intended to give us the important clues as to which nations will actually fulfill this vision.

The Ram is easily identified, because of who the Persians were. Once we comprehend who they were, it becomes a relatively simple task to sort out the truth of the whole vision. The Persians originally called themselves Irani (Aryans) and their homeland Irania. The correlation is clearly and easily made with ancient Persia and the Naziism of the 1930s and 1940s, because Adolph Hitler asserted that the Nazis were "Aryans." They may, or may not, have really been Aryans, but that was their philosophical claim. And, to this day, the Neo-Nazis make the same assertion about themselves.

The world of the twentieth century has already experienced the fulfillment of this vision, except for the emergence of The Little Horn. I will show in this treatise that the "ram with two horns" was the Axis powers of World War II, and that Germany and Japan were its two horns.

The Axis powers didn’t start out together, but came together in the Tripartite Pact in September of 1940. That was about a year and a half before Germany declared war on the United States of America. The total, ignominious defeat of Germany and Japan at the conclusion of WWII confirms that they are (were) the two horns of the ram.

Empirical Japan came up first when it began its push of colonialism by the takeover of Korea in 1910. Then, in 1931-32 Japan took Manchuria, China. They entered into the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, and then, in December of 1941, they pushed southward to the Philippines. Later they would go on to attack the coastal cities of Australia. On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese executed the infamous attack on U.S. troops at Pearl Harbor. That attack caused a wave of anger in the American people that prompted the fulfillment of the words, the He Goat "ran unto him in the fury of his power."

Germany began their Putsch (push) in 1939. That year, Germany and Italy entered into an alliance, and Germany turned northward and took Poland, then Norway, Denmark and Belgium. Then they went westward, and, by the end of 1941, German forces had overrun almost all of western Europe. In the early forties, Germany also brought Italy totally under its control and took over Italy’s foothold southward into North Africa. The push was on and there was no power, it seemed, which could stop it.

"As I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes."

We are told that "no beasts might stand before (the Ram), neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand." He obviously means any in the eastern hemisphere, because The He Goat, from the West, was able to do so. The United States fought the war on both sides of the world. In both cases, there were only two ways to go, by air and by water, to reach the battle arena.

The notable horn of that goat is a prophetic allegory of the presidency of the United States. The strength of the presidency had become so great by the end of WW II that measures were soon taken to break its power. Just six years after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the strongest President in the history of the nation, the Congress of the United States passed a new law which limited the President to two four-year terms. That move effectively broke the power of the great horn.

When the power of the presidency was broken, the Executive branch of our government evolved four departments with kingdom-like powers. (Dan. 8:22) They are the Presidency, the National Security Council, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Treasury. Each of these "kingdoms" has its own military force, or quasi-military arm. The Presidency controls the U.S. military forces (D.O.D.), The National Security Council has the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.), The Justice Department has the Drug Enforcement Agency (D.E.A.), and The Department of the Treasury has the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (A.T.F.). At least three of these "armies" function on an international basis.

The stage is now set. Almost all, if not indeed all, of the conditions which the prophecy requires to exist before that little horn will arise are already existing. One of the most significant developments, besides the raising up and casting down of nations, which must precede the emergence of that little horn, is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Matt. 24:12. The Lord said, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." We have seen this prophecy fulfilled as the rate of moral decay has rapidly increased in the United States since the second world war. The phenomenon has been especially noticeable in the last thirty-five years, or so. And for the last eight years, it has been highlighted by the immoral actions of the President himself.

After I first came to understand where The Little Horn would come from, I considered the possibility of different federal offices, including F.E.M.A., being the vehicle which could be used to carry our the work of that little horn. However, I was unable to come to any positive conclusion. One thing was sure. Whatever the name of the bureaucracy would be, it would come from one of the four horns of the Executive Branch of our government, and probably from the Presidency. In early February 2001, our newly inaugurated President Bush created a new "White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives." We should expect that the activities of this new office will be carried out in accordance with the United Nations’ agenda of One World Government and One World Religion. Is this it, or do we look for another?

It is certainly a time for those who profess to know Jesus Christ of Nazareth to watch and be sober.

AMEN