to their Pope-opposing positions? (Note: To
understand the next few paragraphs, you’ll
want to read slowly and use your Bible.) Here
is the ultra-simplified breakdown:
Daniel
chapters two and seven are parallel chapters in
which God, through symbols, foretells the rise
and fall of four major world empires: Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.10 Here is
how the nations are described: chapter two
describes an image/statue composed of four
kinds of metal representing the four kingdoms.
Then Daniel chapter seven describes, not four
metals, but four beasts representing the same
kingdoms while giving more symbolic detail.11
Then in Daniel 7:20 the focus shifts from the
fourth beast (Rome) to ten horns. What do
those symbolize? Verse 24 shows that the ten
horns represent the ten kings/kingdoms12 that
arose out of and after Rome. In those 10 horns,
modern day Europe finds its origins foretold.
Last, the focus shifts to a “little horn” which
is what these learned men understood to be the
antichrist power (aka the Catholic system/Pope).
Someone reading this tract might now think,
“How is Daniel’s little horn the antichrist? They
are two different terms.” First, the term “anti” in
“antichrist” means both “against” and “instead
of”13: hence many theologians, knowing this,
understand the term “antichrist” to refer to