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[Comid]

Fellow Christian here, I want to put forward my interpretation of Daniel 7 and hope anyone (Christian or not) can help me poke holes in it.

My claim is that the Little Horn of Daniel 7 is Titus.

Daniel 7 tells a vision of four beasts that represent four kingdoms (v. 23). The first is a lion with wings. This has almost universally been understood as a symbol of the Babylonian Empire, the dominant power at the time Daniel claims to be writing. The second is a bear with three ribs in its mouth. This would likely refer to the Persian (Achaemenid) Empire, and the three ribs referring to the territories it gained in its ascendancy: Babylon, Media, and Lydia. The third is a leopard with four heads, this would represent the Greek (Macedonian) Empire under Alexander, with its subsequent division into the kingdoms of Ptolemy, Cassander, Lysimachus, and Seleucus.

So far these are all somewhat uncontroversial claims. Many scholars believe that Daniel was written after the division of the Macedonian Empire. If that's true, then none of these are genuine predictions of future events. What comes next would be truly predictive prophecy.

The fourth beast is non-descript, only that it has ten horns. This fourth beast would logically be the next major political power in the area, the Romans. The ten horns, Daniel says, "As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise." (v. 24) If we reckon these horns as Caesars, beginning with Julius, then we could say they represent Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian.

But the prophecy continues that another (11th) "little horn" arises, uproots three other horns, and for "a time, two times, and half a time" makes war against the people of God. The eleventh caesar is Titus. And it seems he fits this description perfectly.

Titus succeeded his father Vespasian, and thus was the eleventh Caesar. He, as commander of the army, had overthrown the three emperors prior to his fathers reign: Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, in the so-called “Year of the Four emperors.” And why should he be considered a “little horn” and different from the others? Because he was awarded the title of Caesar, along with this father Emperor Vespasian, but did not become emperor until after his father’s death. So he was the first of the ten previous caesars who was not also the emperor.

“He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time.” (v. 25) This "time, two times, and half a time" is universally acknowledged to refer to a period of three and a half years. And it was Titus who led the Roman army into Jerusalem during the Jewish War, which from the arrival of Titus in Israel to the destruction of the Temple spans exactly 42 months, or three and a half years, from March of AD 67 to the fall of Jerusalem in September of AD 70.

And Titus also, spoke “words against the Most High,” when, during the destruction of the Temple, as the Talmud records it: “Titus said, “Where is their God, the rock in whom they trusted?” This was the wicked Titus who blasphemed and insulted Heaven. What did he do? He took a harlot by the hand and entered the Holy of Holies and spread out a scroll of the Law and committed a sin on it. He then took a sword and slashed the curtain.” And that he changed “times and laws” is clear because with the destruction of the Jewish Temple the ordinary observance of the law and of the Jewish feasts were never to be observed again.

[jimwalton]

First, I see that /u/AngelOfLight claims Daniel was written in 164 BC. I disagree. I think it was written in 550 BC, by Daniel, obviously then while he was alive.

Second, the four beasts represent 4 kingdoms, there is no doubt. Aside from agreement about the first one being Babylon itself, after that opinions diverge. Generally conservative scholars and theologians consider the 4 kingdoms to be Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Generally mainline Protestant scholars and theologians consider the 4 kingdoms to be Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece. I happen to think the former has more strength to it, and that seems to be the position you have taken as well.

Very interesting thesis you have here. Some claim the 10 kings are necessarily 10 contemporaneous and simultaneous kings. In my opinion, that position is not a strong one. If the mainliners are right, the ten kingdoms that spring from Alexander’s Empire are Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucia, Macedon, Pergamum, Pontus, Bithynia, Cappadocia, Armenia, Parthia, and Bactria. Some also link the 4th beast of Daniel 7 with the beast of Rev. 17, which also had 10 horns (Rev. 17.12). Revelation could also be a reference to historic Rome rather than to the eschaton.

If the reference is to Greece, the three kings are Ptolemy VI Philometor, Ptolemy VIII Euergetes, and Artaraxias, king of Armenia, all of whom were defeated by Antiochus Epiphanes, a candidate for the "little horn."

If the conservatives are right, then your theory may work, or it pertains to a future kingdom as in a confederacy of nations either now in existence or still future.

One problem I would have with your theory is the arbitrariness of stopping with Titus—and especially since Domitian was of the Flavius dynasty just as the previous 5 had been.

Another problem with your theory is Dan. 7.26. Titus died a natural death, negating what 7.26 says. Antiochus Epiphanes, however, was "destroyed" (there are disparate accounts of his death) and his kingdom was taken away. Titus, however, was succeeded by Domitian and his kingdom was not destroyed. If it is the antichrist in the future, his kingdom will be taken away by Jesus. So in my way of thinking, v. 26 leans more towards Antiochus or the antichrist than to Titus.

But please discuss this with me. It's interesting.

[Comid]

This is all very good feedback. Thank you.

I don’t think Titus is arbitrary at all. He is the 11th Caesar, and the little horn is 11th. Also, he oversees the destruction of Jerusalem, which is a major turning point in the history of salvation. I take it to also be the end of the 70 weeks in Daniel 9.

I think the Coming of the Son of Man and the destruction of the fourth beast point forward to the Christianization of Rome. As the “kingdom” is given over to the saints of the Most High.

[jimwalton]

> I don’t think Titus is arbitrary at all. He is the 11th Caesar, and the little horn is 11th. Also, he oversees the destruction of Jerusalem, which is a major turning point in the history of salvation. I take it to also be the end of the 70 weeks in Daniel 9.

Yeah, I acknowledge all of these. I guess you're claiming that the prophecy just ignores Domitian because it wants to tell us about Titus and doesn't care that he's in the middle of a sequence, and the prophecy just stops in the middle? That's possible. Jesus also stopped in the middle once (Lk. 4.18).

> I think the Coming of the Son of Man and the destruction of the fourth beast point forward to the Christianization of Rome. As the “kingdom” is given over to the saints of the Most High.

So then you've transitioned from a literal interpretation (an actual man named Titus) to a figurative one (the "Son of Man" isn't an individual but a movement), and the destruction of the 4th beast is now symbolic. I can see what you're doing, but I think that's shaky exegesis. It's like you shift in the middle to fit your thesis rather than keep the text consistent. (shrug my shoulders)