Awesome Truths and Amazing Facts
Richard Vaughn

Today: “Prophecy – The future told in advance – Daniel 7 - Part 3”
Last week we were studying the 9 identifying marks of the little horn power in Daniel 7: verses 8, 24 & 25. We stated that the little horn power could be none other than Papal Rome and that secular reference books will show that the fulfillment is a matter of historical record. Now we will take each point, one at a time.
1.	Came up among the 10 nations of western Europe. Papal Rome did come up from the ruins of the old Roman Empire.
2.	He uproots three of the 10 nations - Heruli, Vandals and the Ostrogoths. Among the principal obstructions to the rise of Papal Rome, were the Heruli, the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. All three nations were supporters of Arianism, which was the most formidable rival of Catholicism. The Heruli were defeated in 493 AD. The Roman emperor Justinian saw to it that the Vandals were vanquished in 534 AD. Justinian's General Belisarius completed the end of the Ostrogoth's power in Europe in 538 AD. REMEMBER the date 538 AD.  
3.	The little horn power would have a man at the head (eyes and a mouth). Of course the head of Papal Rome would be the Pope.
4.	Little Horn Power arises after the other ten horns, so it had to be after 476 AD. Did the Papacy ascend to power after 476AD? Yes, and we will explore the history of that issue next week.
5.	It would be different from the others who had secular rulers in charge. Is Papal Rome different? Yes. The other ten nations were political powers. Papal Rome is a Religious/Political power.
6.	He blasphemes God (This horn power speaks great words against the most high). We will go into detail on this subject next week as well, suffice it to say that this too is a matter of historical record and we will show it with Biblical support.
7.	The little horn power is a persecuting power. Yes. From the years 538 AD until 1798 AD, it has been estimated that more than 50 million people were martyred for their faith during those dark ages, by Papal armies operating under Papal decrees. The record of its persecutions and tortures are historical fact.
8.	He shall think to change times and laws. Did the Papacy do this? Yes. The Papacy changed the seventh day Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, with no Biblical authority and the time of observance of the day from sundown to sundown over to midnight to midnight. Changes that God never authorized. The Papacy also changed God's law in another area. It deleted the second commandment that forbids worshiping or bowing down to graven images of wood or stone.
9.	His power shall be for a time, times, and the dividing of a time. The period of power was time, times and half a time. In prophecy a time means one year or 360 days. Times is two years or 720 days and half a time is 180 days. A day in prophecy is a literal year. See Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6. A prophetic month is 30 days or 30 literal years. 42 prophetic months is 1,260 prophetic days or 1,260 literal years. The time, times and half a time is 1,260 days or 1,260 literal years. The Papacy was freed from the Arian domination in 538 AD and gained great power over all the nations for 1,260 years. It received a deadly wound in 1798. Right on God's timetable. There are 7 references to the 1,260-day prophecy. Those 7 references are Daniel 7:25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2; Revelation 11:3; Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:14 and Revelation 13:5. 
This study is not an attack on any people of any religion. The purpose of this study was to identify whom the little horn power was using God's own Word. There is no question that the power was religious in nature as well as political. There has never been any other power on earth that met these 9 identifying marks. There has not even been one other power that even met a few. The odds of any other power meeting three would be astronomical. But Papal Rome met all 9 marks and God has identified this system for a reason.
Next week we will take a closer look at identifying marks (4) the little horn rise to power and (6) what constitutes blasphemy, (great words against the most high)?  
Next Week: “Prophecy – The future told in advance – Daniel 7 - Part 4”