The Little Horn

 

The little horn is a really big deal. Daniel had a vision of four beasts (Daniel 7), five to be exact. The four main beasts were a big deal for the Jews, while the little horn is every bit as big a deal for the end times. Even Daniel was astonished by the little horn in the vision.

First, we need to identify the little horn nation of these last days. Then we want to understand the statement, “He will wear down the saints and his intention will be to change set times and laws” (Dan 7:25).

Many ask the question, “Is America mentioned in the Bible?” Yes, indeed -- America is the little horn. Consider these historical facts to verify this. The ten horns are on the head of the fourth beast, Rome. They represent ten European nations who arose out of the Roman Empire, crossed the Atlantic, colonized a new land and eventually formed a new nation. America is essentially a “revived” Roman empire across the sea (Cf. Rev 13:1). Eventually, in the vision, the little horn rose up and conquered three of the ten horns. That is exactly what happened. America subdued three European nations – England, France, and Spain – in order to establish itself as an independent nation. There’s no guesswork when history interprets prophecy.

So just how does the boastful, pompous, oppressive little horn change the set times and laws? This does not mean something bigger than life – like changing the axis of the earth to change the four seasons, or writing a constitution to govern the world. No, it’s much more subtle.

Some of the more obvious changes in laws are abortion, euthanasia, and LGBTQ. Yes, these concerns have been around through the history of the world, perhaps, but not until recently have their acceptance and legality been mandated upon society. Never before have we needed so many regulatory laws -- nuclear treaties, DEQ, and FDA. Then there is stem cell research, unrelenting gun violence, genetically modified food, and countless social media problems – persistent issues that exist because we fail to make laws to govern them.

Consider the little horn changing “times”, or perhaps “sacred festivals” (as some translations would suggest).  It used to take days, weeks, or months to send mail, to travel, to transact business. That is all done instantly now. Sundays are no longer a “holy” day. In fact, the NFL now owns Sundays. Christmas used to be about Christ, and Easter used to celebrate the resurrection. And sadly, the church is “worn down” and oppressed by all of this, lashing out in anger, or unwittingly going along with society.

You may not think that America is pompous and oppressive, like the little horn (cf. also Rev 13:4-8). I hate to bash America, but God is the one who said it. So let me remove the blinders. Consider our history of slavery, white supremacy, and mistreatment of native Americans. Or consider our military prowess – the atomic bomb, military interventions in countless countries, and military bases in everyone’s backyard. Lastly, consider commerce. America’s dollar has been the controlling currency of world trade since WW2. American industry exploits cheap oil, cheap labor, and cheap natural resources from the poor, then we turn around and call them “third world”. Who knows, the final king of this little horn nation may become even more oppressive, waging war against the saints and conquering them.

Wake up, church. Let the world know that Jesus’ return is near. The exponential changes of the last few generations are not normal, not innocent, nor sustainable. They are prophetic.