Theme: God’s Hand at Work in the Kingdom of Men

11am: study 1 – The Little Horn of the West and its Religious Power

Brother Roger Long – (Coventry Grosvenor Road)

The Book of Daniel contains many remarkable and detailed prophecies, which take us from the time of Daniel through to our own days and the coming of Christ. Despite all the detail, the essential message of the book is easy to identify. It sets before us two kingdoms: one being “the kingdom of men” (Dan. 4:17) and the other “the kingdom of God” (Dan. 2:44; 4:3; 7:27). The kingdom of men is shown in its various phases, but it is in essence one kingdom which in time gives way to the kingdom of God.

The image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2 provides the basis for the other visions in the book of Daniel. In chapter 7 the prophet is looking down the ‘western leg’ of the image: the four beasts arise out of “the great sea” – i.e., the Mediterranean. These are powers that would dominate the Mediterranean or Western world. We read about the persecution of the saints by the Fourth Beast – the Roman power, and the eventual victory of the saints. We have the development of the Little Horn of the West and its religious power. This “little horn” arises after the Roman Empire in the West has been divided up and represents the papal power, which acquired territory in Italy, but also in time a wider dominion which came to be known as the Holy Roman Empire. It subdues other kingdoms, speaks blasphemies and persecutes the saints (Dan. 7: 8,24,25). It is the Man of Sin power of 2 Thessalonians 2 that continues until it is removed by Christ at his coming (2 Thess. 2:8).

2pm:   study 2 – The Little Horn of the East and its military might

Brother Nicholas White (Pershore)

Daniel chapter 8, looks down the ‘eastern leg’ of the image. It is concerned with the persecution of the nation of Israel by the same Roman power, and the eventual deliverance of that nation from their enemy. We have the development of the Little Horn of the East and its military might. Daniel speaks of the clash between the ram from the east (representing Medo-Persia) and the he-goat from the west (representing the Greek dominion) and its “great horn”, Alexander the Great. Following his early death, “a little horn” arises (Dan. 8:9). The detail given by Daniel suggests that this was the Roman horn power, or kingdom, which arose out of the divided Greek dominion – it was a Greco-Roman empire, persecuting its opponents, including the Jews and later the followers of Christ. Under its dominion, Christ was crucified and eventually the Jewish state was swept away in AD 70 (Dan. 8:10-12).

Daniel’s vision goes beyond this to “the time of the end” (verses 17,19, 25). The emperor Constantine transferred the civil and military administration of the empire to Byzantium in the east, renaming it Constantinople. This then became the headquarters of the Little Horn of the Goat. The Eastern Roman Empire survived until AD 1453, when Constantinople was taken by the Muslim Turks. Thereafter, guardianship of the Orthodox Church was assumed by the Russian Czar, and in time Moscow became known as the Third Rome. The outworking of events encouraged the Russians to believe that as ‘protectors of the faith’, as it were, it was their historic mission to recover Constantinople from the Turks (there were also strategic / trade reasons for doing so). Verse 25 suggests that we should be looking for a revival of the Little Horn of the Goat in the latter days, for it tells us that this power will stand up against the Prince of Princes, and will be “broken without hand” – a phrase which echoes the language of Daniel 2 about the work of the Stone. The latter-day “fierce king” will be dealt with by Messiah himself – divinely removed. This will yet be fulfilled, it is suggested, when the Russian-dominated host absorbs the territory of the Greco–Roman Empire, occupying Constantinople, invading Israel, and thereby making itself the “Little Horn” power of the time of the end.

3.40pm: study 3 – Prophecy outworking in Israel today

Bro. Don Pearce (Rugby)

Options to watch live stream:  Save the links

https://cdvideo.org/rpd2025 (This page)

rugbyprophecyday.com

Zoom meeting details will follow soon