SYMBOL OF THE LITTLE HORN EXPLAINED. - "And 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 through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many; he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." Verses 23-25. To avoid the application of this prophecy to the Roman power, pagan and papal, the papists have shifted it from Rome to Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian king who could not resist the mandates of Rome. See notes of the Douay (Romish) Bible on Dan. 7;8; 11. This application is made by the papists, to save their church from any share in the fulfillment of the prophecy; and in this they have been followed by the mass of opposers to the Advent faith. The following facts show that
THE LITTLE HORN WAS NOT ANTIOCHUS.
1. The four kingdoms into which the dominion of Alexander was divided, are symbolized by the four horns of the goat. Now this Antiochus was but one of the twenty-five kings that constituted the Syrian horn. How, then, could he, at the same time, be another remarkable horn?
2. The ram, according to this vision, became great; the goat waxed very great; but the little horn became exceeding great. How absurd and ludicrous is the following application of this comparison:
*Great. Very Great. Exceeding Great.**
Persia. GRECIA. ANTIOCHUS.
How easy and natural is the following:
*Great. Very Great. Exceeding Great.**
Persia. GRECIA. ROME.
3. The Medo-Persian Empire is simply called great. Verse 4. The Bible informs us that it extended "from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred seven and twenty provinces." Esth. 1:1. This was succeeded by the Grecian power, which is called VERY GREAT. Verse 8. Then comes the power in question which is called EXCEEDING GREAT. Verse 9. Was Antiochus exceeding great when compared with Alexander, the conqueror of the world? Let an item from the Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge answer:
"Finding his resources exhausted, he resolved to go into Persia, to levy tributes and collect large sums which he had agreed to pay to the Romans".
Surely we need not question which was exceeding great, the Roman power which exacted the tribute, or Antiochus who was compelled to pay it.
4. The power in question was "little" at first, but it waxed, or grew, "exceeding great toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land". What can this describe but the conquering marches of a mighty power? Rome was almost directly north-west from Jerusalem, and its conquests in Asia and Africa were, of course, toward the east and south; but where were Antiochus' conquests? He came into possession of a kingdom already established, and Sir Isaac Newton says, "He did not enlarge it."
5. Out of many reasons that might be added to the above, we named but one. This power was to stand up against the Prince of princes. Verse 25. The Prince of princes is Jesus Christ. Rev. 1:5; 17:14; 19:16. But Antiochus died 164 years before our Lord was born. It is settled, therefore, that another power is the subject of this prophecy. The following facts demonstrate that...
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The Sanctuary and the Twenty-Three Hundred Days
"Symbol of the Little Horn Explained"
"The Little Horn Was Not Antiochus"
John. N. Andrews