Visions Of The Little Horn

Daniel
8:9 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 [Israel].

8:10 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.

8:11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down.

8:12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.

Daniel 11:36-45; 12:7 Gives a profile of the little horn, a king of the northern Middle East. He is the one Daniel is shown in his earlier vision coming out of the land area of the northern division of Alexander's divided ancient empire .... at the time of the end. [Daniel 7:2-8; 8:9-12; 8:23-25]

This geographical area [Syrio/Babylonia] of the Middle East was ruled by the northern Greek kings just before the first century and Daniel views the little horn arising out of the same area at the time of the end.

These visions contain a number of attributes describing him, his rise to power, his rule of the Middle East, his dealings with other parts of the world, and his eventual demise.

The entity in view is Abaddon-Apollyon, the first beast of Revelation, who will manifest himself in the little horn, human king of the north.

His attributes are both angelic and human which explains his strange make up. This creature will be unlike any other king of the Gentiles [heathen of the past]. [Daniel 8:9-12; 8:23-25; 2Thessalonians 2:3-10; Revelation 9:11; 11:7; 17:8]

It is very significant to understand that the little horn is the combination of a human being and a fallen angel, both acknowledging satan as their source of power and authority. [Daniel 11:36-39; Revelation 12:12; 13:4]

Satan considers himself above or equal with the Lord, Abaddon-Apollyon is his angelic beast and the human little horn is Abaddon-Apollyon's targeted manifestation. The application of this truth will reveal the correct interpretation of the vision. [Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:12-19 (satan is revealed here as the demonic force behind the ancient human king of Tyre)]

This satanic triad will not be presented as a false Israelite or christian Messiah, however it will be one that many will be deceived into following ["anti-christ" means "against" christ in scripture]. The little horn is the human king presented in Daniel's visions and he appears as the first angelic beast seen in Revelation .... because Abaddon-Apollyon becomes this human king by complete possession. [Revelation 9:11; 11:7; 17:8]

Satan will attempt to openly exterminate both the nation of Israel, christians [those who become believers during the coming tribulation period], and others on the earth who will not follow him. He will be out to win at all costs either by deception and or direct elimination of all humans .... even those who will follow him.

This human king [little horn] will behave according to his will which reflects Abaddon-Apollyon's will under the direction and objectives of satan. There is a definite inter-dependency reflected in this relationship. [Daniel 11:36-39; Revelation 13:4]

The little horn receives his supernatural abilities and related success from Abaddon-Apollyon who will in turn receive his power and authority from satan. [Daniel 11:36-39; Revelation 13:1-2]

Satan uses these two agents in his unrelenting pursuit to corrupt and destroy humanity, and to usurp the Lord's authority. His price will be that they both worship him as their god and carry out his purposes on the earth at the time of the end.

Satan's personal presence will be restricted to the earth by the Lord at the time of the end of this present age and he will be prohibited from his access to heaven. His next stop will be the abyss for 1,000 years just after he is defeated at Armageddon .... his final elimination will be the lake of fire. [Revelation 12:7-12; 20:10]

The little horn will not recognize the god(s) of his human ancestors, but will honor satan [the god of forces], and will consider himself to be above all other gods, real or imagined. [Daniel 11:36-39]

He will consider himself above the true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He will have no regard for the Lord who is the Son of God, or any other false gods contrived by humans like the pagan gods of antiquity.

He will acknowledge satan as the one and only true god of gods above any other contenders and will claim that he himself is the manifestation of his god. [Daniel 36:38-39]

He will underscore his authenticity by demonstrating supernatural knowledge and abilities, and by his successes. His religion will be one that values the ability to wage warfare in the name of "peace" and destruction against those who will not submit to him and his god. [Daniel 8:23-25; Revelation 13:1-10]

His human ancestors [fathers] were never presented with the direct overt worship of satan accompanied by satan's personal presence and power which will be openly demonstrated to a level never experienced by humans at the end of this present age. Their pagan gods of the past were created by them, were imaginary, and did not exist.

Satan and Abaddon-Apollyon are both real living angelic entities and can interact with humans if the Lord permits. In this case He will actually promote this action as part of His judgment process at the time of the end.

He will send strong delusion to a world that refuses to believe the truth about Himself as the only god and creator of all things. This delusion is the "lie" that satan will be allowed to present to those who refuse to believe the truth. He will give them the devil [2Thessalonians 2:3-11]

The religion of the little horn will be monotheistic, not pagan, and will resemble the two major religions of Judaism and Christianity. He will claim that his religion supersedes both, and any others that exist at the time. This cult of the beast will be Islam .... the present predominant religion of the Middle East. [Revelation 13:11-18]

He will persecute and have put to death those who will not submit to him as the one and only god and primary targets will be the perceived members of these other two monotheistic religions.

Islam is and has been presented as a monotheistic religion as well, but the Bible does not identify it by name, however the Islamic inhabitants of the Middle East are. [Psalms 83; Ezekiel 38]

The teachings, actions, and extremes of this religion look exactly like the Bible's description of satan's system of influence, and control presented in the visions.

 

Visions of the little horn continued .....

Satan's strategy will include justification for using the most unimaginable destructive forces to eliminate those who will not submit to him. [Daniel 11:44; Revelation 17:16-18]

He will extend Abaddon-Apollyon's rule over many strong holds of the Middle East and he will distribute power, authority, and geographical areas of dominance to those who follow him. He shall cause them to rule over many and will distribute the land for a price. [Daniel 11:36-45]

He will also destroy the "great city" of Mystery Babylon the Great. The elimination of this great influential end time economic power will provide the opportunity for him to expand his Middle Eastern empire further and to dominate the world for a short period of time. [Revelation 8, 12, 13, 17, 18]

His conquests will included the defeat of the king of the south [Egypt] and occupation of his land, the invasion, defeat, and occupation of Israel, and of several other countries in the Middle East. [Ezekiel 38,39; Daniel 11:36-45; 12:7; Zechariah 14; Micah 5; Revelation 11:2, 12:12]

He will also annihilate many in reaction to perceived threats from the far north [Russian/European] and far east [China/Orient] of his base of operations. [Daniel 11:44]

Daniel's vision in chapter 8:9-12 conveys the nature of this final king of the north. He operates as a human king by expanding his dominion in the Middle East to the south, the east, and toward the land of Israel.

He will disrupt Israel from worshiping [daily sacrifice at the base of the western wall of the temple mount] and will gain control of the Lord's temple mount on the earth. [Daniel 8:9-12; 9:27; Revelation 11:2]

His invasion of Israel will include destruction of anything related to the Israel in conjunction with the temple mount and the city of Jerusalem; and He will trample [control] the temple mount and give it over to his followers for 42 months. [Daniel 8:9-12; 9:27; Revelation 11:2, 13:5; 12:4; 12:14]

John is told in Revelation 11 to measure the temple of the Lord in heaven, but not to measure the temple area on the earth that is "without" the earthly temple, for it is given over to the Gentiles [the Islamic followers of the beast] to trample [control] for 42months [3 1/2 years].

He will also attempt to eliminate "truth" regarding national Israel's covenant relationship with the Lord and he will have an army of human followers [host] who serve him in these objectives. [Daniel 8:12]

Other significant attributes of this little horn are also revealed in the vision. He has the capacity to engage and defeat some of the Lord's angelic armies [host of heaven]. [Daniel 8:9-12]

These angels will be serving the Lord as a restraining force against the Abaddon-Apollyon's ambitions, but he will have the power and ability to overcome some of them.

This reveals that the little horn is more than just a human king. He is also Abaddon-Apollyon, the beast of Revelation 9, 11, 13, and 17 who will incarnate and possess the king becoming the eighth king himself.

He will be able to defeat the military and economic power of Israel and the same of other prominent world governments. He will also destroy and also scatter a major portion of Israel's population.

Abaddon-Apollyon is a very powerful and destructive angelic creature, possibly the most powerful of the fallen angels next to satan himself. [Revelation 9:11]

Abaddon-Apollyon's own strength will be greatly enhanced directly by satan, and he will be supported by the other fallen angels who join him on the earth during the time of the end. [Revelation 9; 13:2-5]

He will even stand up against the Lord [Prince of Princes], but will be defeated at Armageddon and destroyed in the lake of fire. [Daniel 8:11; Revelation 19:20]

The Lord will turn on him after using him for His judgment process during the coming tribulation period. He will focus His wrath against Abaddon-Apollyon's occupied territories in the Middle East and against his government and followers. [Micah 5; Revelation 16]

Abaddon-Apollyon will react in desperation, calling on all forces at his disposal including the armies of the kings of the nations that are left who follow him. [Revelation 16:13-14]

It is interesting to note that the Euphrates River will dry up to make way for the armies of the kings that come from the east of the little horn's dominion.

They will move from a staging point at the mouth of the Persian Gulf to another staging area north of Israel located in Syrian territory.

The bed of the entire Euphrates will be used for transporting the armies. The river bed is shallow and has a uniformly flat bottom. The maximum distance traveled will be about 1,500 miles.

The Lord will defeat them at the battle of Armageddon. The little horn his armies, and allies will die in the battle. Abaddon-Apollyon will be destroyed in the lake of fire and satan will be captured and sent to the abyss. [Ezekiel 38; 39; Revelation 19:20; 20:1-3]

One should be careful to notice that Daniel's vision beginning in chapter 11:36 is continuous including chapter 12. The little horn, king of the north, is referred to as the one ["he"] who invades and conquers Israel in Daniel 12:7.

His agenda "all of these things finished" listed in chapter 11:36-44 will be completed by the end of 1,260 days [first half of the 70th week]. He will then set up the abomination of desolation and begin his 42 month [1,260 day] rule. [Daniel 12:7-12]

Daniel then asks what will happen to Israel after being conquered by the little horn. His is told that there will be a total of 1,335 from when the abomination of desolation is set up on the temple mount to the end of the days of tribulation for Israel. [Daniel 12:11-12; Matthew 24:15-16]

The additional 30 days will include the Lord's wrath against the little horn's kingdom and his defeat at Armageddon. [Revelation 16]

There will be another 45 days for gathering the elect of Israel and the separation of the survivors of the Gentile nations for entrance into the Lord's 1,000 year earthly kingdom. [Matthew 29-31; 25:31-46]

The destruction of Jerusalem [the city] and the sanctuary [holy place of worship] will take place 110 days after the abomination of desolation is set up on the temple mount.

There will the be another 1,150 days [2,300 mornings and evenings] before Jerusalem and the temple mount are restored to Israel at the end of the tribulation period [110 days + 1,150 days = 1,260 days]. [Daniel 8:13-14]

The Lord's wrath will then be directed at the little horn and his followers during the next 30 days. The beginning of this action will draw the little horn away from Jerusalem and the temple mount and both will be recaptured by Israel. [Micah 5]

Then satan's little horn and his kingdom will begin to come apart and he will be forced to fight the Lord and the believing remnant part of Israel at Armageddon. He will come to his end in total defeat [Ezekiel 39; Daniel 11:45; Micah 5].