The ten horns—are ten kings— Or kingdoms; and so Daniel 7:17. If we fix the aera for these ten kingdoms to the eighth century, the chief governments will be found to be, 1. The senate of Rome, who revolted from the Grecian emperors, and claimed and exerted the privilege of choosing a new western emperor; 2 the Greeks in Ravenna; 3 the Lombards in Lombardy; 4 the Huns in Hungary; 5 the Allemans in Germany; 6 the Franks in France; 7 the Burgundians in Burgundy; 8 the Saracens in Africa and Spain; 9 the Goths in other parts of Spain; 10 the Saxons in Britain. Not that there were constantly ten kingdoms; they were sometimes more and sometimes fewer: but, as Sir Isaac Newton observes, whatever was their number afterwards, they are still called the ten kings from their first number. Bishop Newton, p. 463.
Another shall arise after them— This is called a little horn, Daniel 7:8 before whom three of the first horns were plucked up; that is to say, as is here explained, who should subdue three kings or kingdoms. The fourth beast signified the Roman empire; the ten horns represent the ten kingdoms into which that empire was divided: and if, in agreement with the fathers, we look among these ten horns for the little horn, we shall find it to be antichrist, who should root up three of the ten kings, and domineer over the rest; and who, we doubt not, will soon appear to answer in all respects the character here given. Machiavel himself, in his history of Florence, has set forth sufficient grounds to affirm this to be the pope. See particularly book 1: p. 6 of the English translation. The bishop of Rome was respectable as a bishop long before the period that he mentions; but he did not become properly a horn, which is an emblem of power, till he became a temporal prince. He was to rise after the others; that is, behind them, as the Greek version has it; so that the ten kings were not aware of the growing up of the little horn, till it overtopped them; the original word signifying as well behind in place, as after in time. Three of the first horns, that is three of the first kings or kingdoms, were to be plucked up by the roots, Daniel 7:8 and to fall before him, Daniel 7:20 and these three we conceive, with Sir Isaac Newton, to be the exarchate of Ravenna, the kingdom of the Lombards, and the state of Rome; those three states or kingdoms, which constituted the pope's dominions. The ex-archate of Ravenna was given to Pope Stephen II. by Pepin king of France, in the year 755, and henceforward the popes, being now become temporal princes, did no longer date their epistles and bulls by the years of the emperor's reign, but by their own advancement to the papal chair. The kingdom of the Lombards was subdued by Charles the Great, called Charlemagne of France, who resigned his pretensions to it to St. Peter in the year 774. The state of Rome, both in spirituals and temporals, was vested in the pope, and confirmed to him by Lewis the Pious. These, as we conceive, were the three horns, or three of the first horns which fell before the little horn; and the pope has in a manner pointed himself out for the person by wearing the triple crown. In other respects too he answers to the character of the little horn.—He is a little horn;—the power of the popes was originally very small, and their temporal dominions were little and inconsiderable in comparison with others of the ten horns.—He shall be diverse from the first; which the Greek and Arabic render, "He shall exceed in wickedness all before him;" and so most of the fathers, who made use only of the Greek translation understood it: but it rather signifies that his kingdom shall be of a different nature and constitution; and the power of the popes differs greatly from that of all other princes, being an ecclesiastical and spiritual, as well as a civil and temporal authority. We are told in Daniel 7:8 that in this horn were eyes, like the eyes of a man; which denotes cunning and foresight, exercised in looking out and watching all opportunities of promoting one's interest: and the policy of the Roman hierarchy has almost passed into a proverb. In Daniel 7:8; Daniel 7:20 it is said, He had a mouth speaking great things: and who has been more noisy and blustering than the pope, especially in former ages; boasting of his supremacy, thundering out bulls and anathemas, excommunicating princes, and absolving subjects from their allegiance?—His look was more stout than his fellows, Daniel 7:20. And the pope assumes a superiority not only above his fellow bishops, but even over crowned heads; and requires his foot to be kissed, and greater honours to be paid to him than to kings and emperors themselves. See Bishop Newton, vol. 1: p. 464, &c.