To understand the ‘horn of blasphemy’ that wars against the saints in the Book of Revelation it is necessary to understand the four beasts the Prophet Daniel saw. Daniel saw the ‘four winds of heaven’ strive upon the sea, and four beasts rise from the sea. (Daniel 7) The waters these beasts rise from, are peoples, and nations and tongues. (Rev 17)
Beasts in Scripture pertain to a power of God, or a portion of His testimony. These four beasts rising from the nations, reveal the corruption of Jesus testimony bound in the Law and Gospel, in four stages. Witnessed also in the four stages of the locusts Joel saw devour; the land as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness;
1st Beast – Jesus testimony
The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. (Daniel 7:4)
The Lion with two wings of an eagle is Jesus Testimony: The Lion of Judah’s faith hid in Christ. The eagles wings, are Jesus witness in the Law and Gospel. Its wings removed, this “Beast” is lifted up from the earth and stood on its feet as a man. It is given a mans heart. The number of the beast, 666; is the number of man. Indeed it is the Word of God’s Testimony created in man, and ordained in the nations.
The 2nd Beast – the law of sin
And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. (Daniel 7:5)
The second beast is a Bear, with three ribs in its mouth, is commanded to devour flesh. The bear is symbolic of the strength of sin that resides in the law. (Paul called it the law of sin and death) The three ribs in its mouth, are the three parts of Christs testimony. The condemnation in our own flesh, will in time overcome Christ’s salvation in us, and carry us into the bondage of the Law.
The 3rd Beast – Jesus gospel defiled
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. (Daniel 7:6)
The third is a Leopard with the four wings of a fowl. A Leopard, not a Lion, and its wings are those of a fowl and not an eagle. This is Jesus Gospel defiled with the beliefs and traditions of men. Jesus Gospel corrupted, shall be published to the four corners of the earth. And its dominion, in one shape or another, shall abide in every nation.
The 4th Beast – religious gospels
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. (Daniel 7:7)
In Revelation, the Dragon, the great Serpent, cast down to earth is the Covenant of the Law. This fourth beast like the Dragon, has ten horns. But also has iron teeth and brass claws; things forged by men. It is the purpose of Jesus testimony changed by men and used by the religious to condemn and oppress. The ‘ten horns’ are symbolic of the ‘Ten Commandments,’ in the Law.
These four ‘beasts’ are the ‘Beast of the Sea’ that rises in the nations in the Book of Revelation. It is Jesus truth and salvation overcome and perverted by men.
The Little Horn: – the mark
In the 4th Beast, in the fourth stage of the corruption of God’s Testimony comes a “little horn;” a mouth that blasphemes God’s Name and Tabernacle. In its blasphemy, we find the “abomination” that sits at the heart of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths. This little horn in Revelation, emerges from the ‘beast of the sea;’ the false gospels of men…
I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:8)
The ‘Ten Horns’ are Mount Sinai’s, ‘Ten Commandments.’ They are ‘Ten Kings’ that rule upon the earth. The first three declare;
#1: There is no other God beside the LORD;
#2: We are not to forge an image of God; and
#3: That we are not to take God’s name in vain.
These first three Commandments are ripped out and replaced by a little horn. As the Dragon’s ‘ten horns’ are God’s Ten Commandments; so this ‘little horn’ is a ‘commandment of men.’ Like the Trinity creed, which declares; God is three persons. Or like the Jehovah’s Witness tenants that deny, Jesus name of salvation.
These doctrines blaspheme ‘God’s name;’ Jesus. And blaspheme ‘Gods Tabernacle;’ the testimony of Jesus Christ. That this little horn has “the eyes of a man,” refers to men’s use of creeds to explain Scripture in ‘human terms,’ rather than allowing Scripture to interpret itself. This blasphemy is put to death in the seven plagues of Revelation.
Note: Daniel foresaw the Messiah’s sacrifice and salvation replaced by the creeds and rites of our Jewish, Christian and Muslim assemblies. This is the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet.