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Daniel 7 reintroduces the four kingdoms of Daniel 2 (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome), except this time, in the form of beast predators–a lion, bear, a leopard, and . . . a terrific monster!
Daniel 7 accomplishes two things–it introduces the idea of a heavenly judgment and describes the little horn power (i.e. Papal Rome) in much more detail. Daniel notes that the little horn has a “mouth speaking pompous words” (Dan. 7:8).
While more information about the little horn is provided, a judgment scene intervenes from verses 9-14. In this scene, we see the “Ancient of Days.” (This name for God is used only once in the Bible, here in Daniel, suggesting something special.) Thrones are set up, a huge crowd of angels assembles, and a “court was seated and the books were opened” (verse 10).
Daniel then hears the little horn continue to speak pompously. Then suddenly, the little horn is destroyed. The scene emphasizes that the heavenly judgment focuses on the little horn! The judgment has a number of results: destruction of the little horn, of course, but there is also an appearance of the Son of Man (an expression used by Jesus to refer to himself during his earthly ministry). In the judgment scene, He is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom– the eternal kingdom to be occupied by His people from all the nations of the world.
From verse 15 and onward, Daniel inquires about what he is seeing, especially about the fourth beast (the little horn, or papal Rome). The answer? The judgment is in favor of the saints and opposed to the little horn. Papal Rome is the enemy of the people of God.
The vision adds details about the little horn. It is a persecuting power that seeks to change times and law. (The Sabbath was changed to Sunday on the authority of Rome, not the Bible. Many other pagan ideas gradually infiltrated the Church.) The saints are given into its hand “for a time and times and half a time” (verse 25). But after these “times,” it is punished and the saints receive the kingdom (the one that Jesus, their Savior, is also given).
Of course, we have to ask, what are the “times”? Well, we know that the times reach very close to the end of all things, when judgment occurs and the saints are redeemed. The word “time” can mean a year in Babylonian culture. In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar is punished for seven times, which in the context suggests seven literal years.
If a time is a year, then times would be two years, and half a time would be a half a year. In Babylon, a year was 360 days and a month 30 days. That would total 1260 literal days. Is this number literal? If it is, then the saints would be at the mercy of the little horn for merely three and a half years. That makes no sense in this context because the vision shows the destruction of the little horn at some distant time in the future; in fact, our future!
The 1260 days must be figurative, and history supports such an interpretation. The Roman Church became dominant in 538 A.D. and was dealt a deadly wound in 1798 A.D. when the pope was taken captive by Napoleon. It will rise to dominance again in the near future, after which it will be destroyed.
It is the destruction of papal Rome and its supporters that God warns His people about. They will hear the message at the proper time and come out of her!