CDK:
The little horn was introduced to us in Daniel and is indeed the papacy who preaches a terribly different gospel than Jesus. He has attacked the 10 commandments, brought in pagan traditions and rituals, indulgences, worshippin other beings like Mary and Peter and so on, and to add to this list is that he has indeed claimed divinity - equal to God on earth. The church has been also guilty of murdering over 50 million people in the name of God during their 1500 year reign - not really in the name of God but in the name of the God they have created and to their benefit. So, if you ever wanted to put together a list of characteristics, actions, doctrine, etc., that would unequivocally represent the little horn (you probably refer to him as the anti-Christ but there is no such person as the anti-Christ, only the spirit of the anti-Christ), can you please tell me who would match those anti-Christ characteristics better than the papacy? Go and put it down on paper all their beliefs, actions, etc., "Who is like the beast?" Donj't look for a boogeyman... he has been here for 1500 years..... can't miss him.... unless you want to!
I am sorry but you are deadly wrong. I am fully aware that many, especially the Preterists and Amillennialists, have "interpreted" the Papal system to be the beast, however I do NOT believe that will stand the test of Scripture. The Papacy was NEVER mentioned in Scripture at all. She was never a faithful representative of God to begin with!
As I said, the beasts are often symbolic of devouring kingdoms in scripture. The heads are symbolic of authorities. The horns are symbolic of its power. The crowns on the horns are symbolic of its rule. I believe that this beast with the wound unto death is illustrative of the Kingdom of Satan. Christ dealt Satan's kingdom a death blow for believers at the cross, breaking its authority in the earth to deceive the nations and hold them in bondage so that the Church can be built! Does this church Christ built sound like the Roman Catholic Church to you? Huh? No!
Genesis 3:15
- "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
The woman is the kingdom of God on earth. She is the CHURCH. Start with the congregaiton of Old Testament, Israel, and the congregation of the New Testamment, the Church - the home of Two Witnesses (Elect with power to preach gospel). Roman Cathaolic Church was hardly part of God's Church to begin with. Get this face straight out first! The Serpent is Satan, ruler of the Kingdom of darkness. The woman's seed is Christ. But near the end of the world, this 'death' wound Christ dealt Satan at the Cross is healed, and Satan's Kingdom again rises up and goes forth with great authority over the nations. RCC of today hardly qualifies to be that woman!
I do not take a Reformist, Historicist or Dispensational-type outlook on Revelation, that focusing on physical Nations, physical mountain, physical wars, physical nation of Israel, or your precious church, the Roman Catholic Church, but on scripture alone as the arbiter and interpreter of Revelation's symbolism. The Roman Catholic Church is very well ruled by those against Christ, but the system most certainly is not the beast itself! Satan who rules it is, and he can make his kingdom part of any Church system, including the prideful and boastful Protestant Churches. I am sorry to say, Papacy, Israel 6 Day War, Titus, Romans soldiers of 70AD etc. etc. were NOT the object of God's Word, nor is it mentioned in Scripture. These are all the fanciful ideas of man as he makes assumptions looking at the world around him as proofs, but without sound biblical validation. Selah!
But the little horn would only come to power around the 500 AD. It was around this time that pagan Rome would see its demise (Daniel 7:11). And it would be during the first 500 years after the cross when His church would grow exponentially, and become dominated by the Gentiles...
Stop it. The little horn did not appear in 500AD. According to Scripture, the little horn will NOT appear until AFTER the building of God's church is finished then Satan will be loosened. Satan did not loose in 70AD, 500AD, or 1600AD because the great commission of the church was still ongoing and to the ends of the Earth. 500AD hardly qualifies! You got the wrong timing.
This brings us to the 10 horns that you claim are or represent powers. You are indeed correct but who are they - some spirit that has not substance? Can you identifry these powers - because they are indeed very real and they exist today... but until you go back to Daniel and study chapter 7, 8 ,9 and 11 in a very different way of looking at things, you will never be able to identify them. And until you do, so much of both Daniel and Revelation is nothing but guessword and speculation that can be found in any of "today's accepted interpretations."
The 10 horns are symbolic and thus illustrating certain characteristics or aspects. They are not actual horns, nor actual physical kings, they merely represent some aspect of
these people. Namely, the ten horns represent
they have been given power and the symbol of a king "represents"
their rule. Q.E.D., power to reign. Get it? This particular image and likeness of a beast is symbolic of the wicked ruling power at the time when the spirit of Satan is loosed. Again, it's 10 horns and 10 kings to symbolize power and rule. It doesn't mean the horns signify they are 10 individual kings, or the kings symbolize they are powers. Symbols point to something characteristic. The Heads/Horns/Mountains/Kings imagery symbolizes the authority and power to rule this wicked kingdom. vis-a-vis, kings symbolize their rule, horns their power, heads their authority, and mountains their kingdom. You seem to be looking at it as if the horns are actual kings, when the horns signify power and the kings signify rule. Just as in Daniel it gives the image of four great beasts and says they are four kings. It didn't mean the kings were actual beasts, only that beasts symbolized
some characteristic of their rule.
Let me give you an example. This would be like saying the Lamb means the King Christ was actually a Lamb. No, the lamb signifies some characteristic of Christ--which is His office as sacrifice. In scripture, kings are the ruling power. For example, they have governed as Potentate (potent/powerful rulers). Horns simply signify power. These horns could just as easily be signified by crowns, which wouldn't then mean the power is crowns, but that again they
have reign or rule at that time. I think you are missing the import of the signs or tokens here. God saying the 10 horns are 10 kings is simply clarifying the power of these rulers. It is "power" to "rule" with the "Beast." And power to rule or reign has to be worked out through men. This ruling power isn't something floating in the air, its from the spirit Satan. That's why the power (horns) are kings, or more succinctly and Biblically put, "
the beast receives power to rule or reign"
through these kings of the earth. These 10 (false prophets and christs gave their kingdom (unfaithful church) to the beast so they receive power to rule with beast, and these then do battle with the saints in spiritual warfare for control of the camp of the saints. Look at the church today! You see false prophets are promoting tolerate homosexuality, women preaching, money, entertainment, prosperity gospel, etc. etc. These are abominations that brought church to desolate! These things are happing right now BECAUSE the false prophets and christs receive power as king (rule) to turn church upside down where they can silent the truthful testimony of the Two Witnesses. And many more to explain for later. But anyway...
Horns=Power=Kings=Ruling.
Ephesians 6:12
- "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Satan comes as a messenger of light, and his ministers as ministers of righteousness. The kings of the earth are his ministers coming with power as rulers of the darkness of this world. Yet they are being perceived by many delusional professing Christians as children of light. It is no small thing and it is happening today... if you have spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear.
(Contiune to next post)