‘After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, terrible and powerful, and exceedingly strong. And it had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. And it was different from all the creatures which were before it. And it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.'
The terribleness of this beast is emphasised. It is worse than all. It was not ‘like' anything that Daniel knew. It was a monster like no known beast. The great iron teeth remind us of the fourth empire in chapter 2. Its devouring and breaking in pieces, and stamping of what remains with the feet, makes it more terrible than the bear (Daniel 7:5). It is different from all the creatures that were before it. It is indescribably brutal.
Moreover it will eventually produce ‘ten' kings, for horns represent strength and power (Deuteronomy 33:17; 1Sa 2:1; 1 Samuel 2:10; Psalms 18:2), and therefore kings. They ‘arise out of this kingdom' (Daniel 7:24). It becomes a diverse empire (Daniel 2:41). It was emphasised that the bear had one rulership. Then the leopard developed into four rulerships. Here the empire develops into ten rulerships, ‘a number of' rulerships. It does not remain a united empire. It is a second phase of the empire and illustrates that it is divided up. (In Scripture ‘ten' is regularly used to mean ‘a number of').
We have noted before the succession presented, two arms, three ribs, four heads, and now ten horns. This suggests that we might also see ‘ten' as twice times five, an intensification of five. Five is the number of covenant. Thus the beast imitates the covenant community. It is Anti-God, setting itself over against God.
This intensifies in the final description. There is a later, final phase, the arising of another horn, a small one. The emphasis on the smallness is derogatory. It will think it is large but really it is ‘a small one'. ‘And behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.' Having the eyes of a man indicates that it is but human in spite of its great claims. But there is there also the idea of imitation and pretence. It seeks to give the impression of being truly human (rational and godly), and of submitting to God (compare Daniel 7:4) but it is all a pretence, it is all outward show, for it is given away by what comes from its mouth. It is still a beast and yet it boasts about itself and makes great claims for itself and for its future. It speaks ‘great things'. ‘Great things' indicates above all the activity of God (1 Samuel 12:24; 2 Samuel 7:21; 2Sa 7:23; 1 Chronicles 17:19; Job 5:9; Job 9:10; Job 37:5; Psalms 71:9; Psalms 106:21; Psalms 126:2-3; Joel 2:21. Contrast Joel 2:20). Thus it is setting itself up against God as an anti-God..
And it is a beast which finally begins to destroy itself. The horn, ‘the small one', attacks ‘three' of the horns (three represents a group complete in itself, an alliance, but not the whole). From the beginning the empire loves war, and now it is a divided up empire out of control and indulging in ‘civil war, with kings attacking each other (compare Mark 3:24-26). And this horn, this small one, will mercilessly attack, not only its fellow rulers, but also especially the people of God (Daniel 7:21). But in the end he will be dealt with at the judgment.
The picture is of a world continually at war, continually destructive, pursuing its way without thought of true obedience to God, continually dividing up and yet partially coming together in its later phase, first in an alliance and then under the arrogant horn, ‘the small one'.
As with the fourth empire of chapter 2 this represents the eschatological empire which grows out of the others, which is initially powerful and destructive, and becomes weak and divided. It is the final empire of ‘the last days', (as long as we remember that in New Testament terms ‘the last days', ‘the end of the ages' began when Jesus was crucified). Its beginnings may be seen as Rome, but it does not just represent Rome, for it divides up into a number of smaller ‘empires' under a number of rulers. It represents the idea of ‘empire', in opposition to God, the future unidentifiable ‘empires' going on to the end of time which take the place of Rome.
It is the ‘fourth' empire, the summation of empire, the multiple empire to end all empires, the empire with many rulers, encompassing the world. It is the world divided and apart from God. And in its final phase will come ‘the horn, the small one', with the eyes of a man and the words of a god, speaking ‘great things' (see above), in defiance of God. Opposition to the people of God will have now reached its ultimate.
This final figure is depicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10, the ultimate of the antichrists that are always among us (1 John 2:18-19). It is expanded on in Revelation. And behind it lies the power of the Evil One.