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… If we would know who he is that is signified by this horn, it is necessary that we have his characteristic features and qualities exhibited before us, that we may survey them at one view. 1. He arose out of one of the four horns which were on the he-goat, i.e., one of the kingdoms into which the Grecian empire was divided. 2. He arose in the latter time of their kingdom. 3. He was little at first. 4. But he afterwards waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 5. He fights immediately against God. 6. And the host of the saints. 7. This takes place at a time when the dally sacrifice is in use, while the sanctuary is yet standing, and when transgressions in Israel have come to the full. He takes away the sacrifice, and stamps upon and profanes the sanctuary. 8. This king prospers in his enterprises against God and the saints. 9. He is impudent and cruel. 10. Crafty and deceitful. 11. His power is great, yet there is another power concealed under it. 12. He is broken without hand, i.e., destroyed without the intervention of man. It is impossible for any who duly attends to these features and qualities to apply this prophecy to Mahomet, or to the kingdom of the Turks and Saracens. There does not appear to be any reason why we should depart from the ancient and commonly received interpretation, which applies this prophecy to Antiochus Epiphanes, especially as it speaks of a king, not of a kingdom, and specifies the personal qualities of this king, such as impudence, cruelty, cunning, and deceit, which are altogether inapplicable to a whole kingdom. He is a king raging with unexampled malignity against God and His people, and prefiguring an Antichrist who should not have his equal among all who had preceded him. (Magnus F. Roos, A.M.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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