daniel
Daniel
The Meaning of Horns, Heads,
and beasts, in Bible Prophecy
THE MEANING OF HORNS, HEADS,
AND BEASTS, IN BIBLE PROPHECY
The prophecies found in Daniel and the Revelation of Jesus are a large part of our message to the world. And because of this, we must ensure that we understand as much of the symbolism in these chapters as has been revealed.
Some of the symbols that often appear in the two prophetic books are horns, heads, and beasts. So, the question is—What do these three symbols really represent?
You may not be aware, but a large portion of prophecy focuses on the kingdoms of this world. In many of the Old Testament prophecies, you will find that God often focused on nations. From Jonah prophesying about the destruction of Nineveh, to God using Babylon to punish Israel—it should be clear to you that empires are a huge part of Bible prophecy.
You should also see that this focus on kingdoms and empires is also evident in the books of Daniel and Revelation, however, these two prophetic books often use symbolism as a representation of empires. From Egypt, all the way to the United States of America, Daniel and Revelation are intentional about revealing the actions of these nations. However, the climax of prophecy appears to be when Christ comes as the final world conqueror. His kingdom will supersede all other world powers. It will be more glorious than Babylon, more dominant than Greece, and more powerful than Rome. This kingdom of heaven is what prophecy is all about.
That being said, three symbols that I believe are extremely important in Bible prophecy are the Horns, Heads, and Beasts.
The prophecies found in Daniel and the Revelation of Jesus are a large part of our message to the world. And because of this, we must ensure that we understand as much of the symbolism in these chapters as has been revealed.
Some of the symbols that often appear in the two prophetic books are horns, heads, and beasts. So, the question is—What do these three symbols really represent?
You may not be aware, but a large portion of prophecy focuses on the kingdoms of this world. In many of the Old Testament prophecies, you will find that God often focused on nations. From Jonah prophesying about the destruction of Nineveh, to God using Babylon to punish Israel—it should be clear to you that empires are a huge part of Bible prophecy.
You should also see that this focus on kingdoms and empires is also evident in the books of Daniel and Revelation, however, these two prophetic books often use symbolism as a representation of empires. From Egypt, all the way to the United States of America, Daniel and Revelation are intentional about revealing the actions of these nations. However, the climax of prophecy appears to be when Christ comes as the final world conqueror. His kingdom will supersede all other world powers. It will be more glorious than Babylon, more dominant than Greece, and more powerful than Rome. This kingdom of heaven is what prophecy is all about.
That being said, three symbols that I believe are extremely important in Bible prophecy are the Horns, Heads, and Beasts.
What do Horns Represent in Bible Prophecy?
The first time we see a horn in the book of Daniel is in the seventh chapter. This chapter would then define the meaning of a horn. Here’s what it says: "And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings…" Daniel 7:24. Let’s make sure we understand what is meant by “king.”
You see, in my studies, I discovered that a horn in Bible prophecy is not just a king…it’s a kingship. What is a kingship? A kingship is all the kings that ruled a particular kingdom or empire. How do I know this? I know this because Daniel 8 actually reveals this. Notice what the prophet saw in Daniel 8:3: "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last."
So the ram had two horns. Now, when I started learning about prophecy, I always believed that these two horns represented the two most prominent kings of Media and Persia—Darius and Cyrus. However, a closer look at this chapter reveals that the horns cannot be limited to just Darius and Cyrus. The reason we know this to be true is that the vision would continue by revealing to us that a goat with a notable horn would come and break the horns of the ram. Students of prophecy understand that this horn represents Alexander the Great.
Now, I want you to think about this: Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC. However, Darius died in 486 BC and Cyrus died in 530 BC (remember we count years in BC backward). Thus we should understand that Darius and Cyrus died well over a century before Alexander the Great was even born! Now ask yourself this question: How did Alexander the Great break Darius and Cyrus when these two rulers were dead long before Alexander was born? Simple, the horns represented not only Darius and Cyrus but all the kings of Media and Persia. So when Alexander the Great beat Darius III, and conquered Medo-Persia (which was really Persia at that point) Biblically, he conquered the kingships of those two powers. Therefore, it should be understood that a horn ALWAYS represents all the kings who ruled a particular kingdom during its time on prophecy’s stage.
You should also know that the horn on the goat is unique in the fact that it's the only horn that represented only one king. According to the historical record, Alexander the Great was Greece’s only king, and thus we confirm that the definition of a horn is consistent across prophecy. It still represents all the kings of a nation, the difference is Greece only had one king.
The first time we see a horn in the book of Daniel is in the seventh chapter. This chapter would then define the meaning of a horn. Here’s what it says: "And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings…" Daniel 7:24 Let’s make sure we understand what it means by “king.”
You see, in my studies, I discovered that a horn in Bible prophecy is not just a king…it’s a kingship. What is a kingship? A kingship is all the kings that ruled a particular kingdom or empire. How do I know this? I know this because Daniel 8 actually reveals this. Notice what the prophet saw in Daniel 8:3: "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last."
So the ram had two horns. Now, when I started learning about prophecy, I always believed that these two horns represented the two most prominent kings of Media and Persia—Darius and Cyrus. However, a closer look at this chapter reveals that the horns cannot be limited to just Darius and Cyrus. The reason we know this to be true is that the vision would continue by revealing to us that a goat with a notable horn would come and break the horns of the ram. Students of prophecy understand that this horn represents Alexander the Great.
Now, I want you to think about this: Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC. However, Darius died in 486 BC and Cyrus died in 530 BC (remember we count years in BC backward). Thus we should understand that Darius and Cyrus died well over a century before Alexander the Great was even born! Now ask yourself this question: How did Alexander the Great break Darius and Cyrus when these two rulers were dead long before Alexander was born? Simple, the horns represented not only Darius and Cyrus but all the kings of Media and Persia. So when Alexander the Great beat Darius III, and conquered Medo-Persia (which was really Persia at that point) Biblically, he conquered the kingships of those two powers. Therefore, it should be understood that a horn ALWAYS represents all the kings who ruled a particular kingdom during its time on prophecy’s stage.
You should also know that the horn on the goat is unique in the fact that it's the only horn that represented only one king. According to the historical record, Alexander the Great was Greece’s only king, and thus we confirm that the definition of a horn is consistent across prophecy. It still represents all the kings of a nation, the difference is Greece only had one king.
What do Heads represent in Bible Prophecy?
We see heads as symbols primarily in Revelation 12,13, and 17 which reveals a beast with seven heads and ten horns. Now, here is where it may become confusing. Revelation 17:8-9 infers that these seven heads are seven kings!
“And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.”
Now the question is—How can the horns be kings and the heads also be kings? Here, you must understand that horns, heads, and beasts are somewhat interchangeable. The reason for this is that a king was central to his kingdom and thus the king could be represented by any three of these symbols. However, I believe Ellen White helps us understand how we should define the meaning of a head in Bible prophecy.
Remember, John the Revelator saw “…one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” (Revelation 13:3). Now, as a student of Bible prophecy, you should know that this symbol represents the Papacy. However, is it the Pope? Is it the Church? What actually received this mortal wound in 1798?
Watch what Ellen White says:
At that time a French army entered Rome, and made the pope a prisoner, and he died in exile. Though a new pope was soon afterward elected, the papal hierarchy has never since been able to wield the power which it before possessed. 1888GC p. 266.
She says the head represented the Papal hierarchy! Now the question is…what is a hierarchy.
According to the dictionary, a hierarchy is a ruling body of clergy organized into order or ranks each subordinate to the one above it.
We understand that a king can’t run a whole country by himself, so a hierarchy of power is vital to his success. The same is true of the Pope, which is why the church employed bishops, priests, and officials who also exercised religious and civil authority.
Now, it’s starting to become clear. The Papacy was a combination of Church and State. The State was subordinate to the Church and thus the Church hierarchy was essentially the officials who were acting as government rulers. So in 1798, the Papacy’s civil power ended and the Church’s “government” (or what Ellen White called hierarchy) received a deadly wound. However, the historical record shows that the religious side of the Church continued to exercise authority.
Understanding this concept, we can see that a head in Bible prophecy represents a nation’s government.
What do Beasts Represent in Bible Prophecy?
Now, last but not least, let’s understand what a Beast represents in Bible prophecy., the book of Daniel gives us two definitions:
Notice what it says in Daniel 7:17
"These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth."
Also, notice what it says in Daniel 7:23
"Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth…"
So according to the prophecy, a beast can represent a king or a kingdom. Remember they are interchangeable because the king is central to a ruling power.
Now, in order to understand how a beast is most often applied in Bible prophecy, we must simply use the process of elimination.
We know kings are already symbolized. We know governments are already symbolized. What’s left? The people.
So a beast in Bible prophecy represents a nation.
Revelation 13 confirms this for us when we see the beast that comes out of the water. The reason is that the water, according to Revelation 17:15, represents peoples, multitudes, and nations, which rise up to form world ruling empires.
Now that you understand the definitions of Horns, Heads, and Beasts, you should now see that a Horn represents a kingship. Which are all the kings who ruled a nation.
The Heads represent the government of a nation, but you also must understand that heads are inclusive of the kings who rule over them.
And finally, you must understand that a beast represents all the inhabitants of a nation—which are inclusive of the government, which is also inclusive of its kings.
