I beheld, and that horn made war with the saints, and prevailed over them;
Daniel asks the angel for more about the fourth beast. The answer widens the picture. This time the prophet sees the horn at war with God's own people — and winning. The verse raises two hard questions — how can the saints be beaten, and how long can it last?
The prophet has seen this horn before. Here he sees it again, with new detail — this time from the side of those who suffer under it.
Then Daniel asks more closely about the fourth beast. He repeats the vision, but with added details. Now he speaks of the saints. He tells us he saw that the one pictured by the little horn persecuted the saints, and for a limited time was allowed to prevail against them. This triumph over the saints lasted "until the Ancient of Days came." Then the saints judged those who had prevailed against them.
The chapter gives enough marks to identify him. One writer traces them one by one.
Several details about the little horn of our chapter help us identify him. First, he arises after the ten kings, and he is different from them, though Daniel does not say how. Second, "he shall subdue three kings" — three out of the ten who are on the scene when he arises. Next, he clearly gains the power of the whole empire, for it is "his dominion" that is taken away when the judgment sits. Last, verse 25 says the very same things about him that Revelation 13:5-7 says about the first beast. So the conclusion cannot be escaped: the little horn is none other than the head of the revived Roman empire in Western Europe in the last days.
Which believers are in view here? Not the ones a Christian reader might first assume.
The "saints" here are not the saints who belong to the Church — not the Christians of today. We will all be taken out of the scene before this scripture can be fulfilled; we will be with Jesus, in glory. But in that day God will have saints on earth. The Spirit of God will work again among the Jews, and it is against them that this horn aims all its hatred and energy.
What does God allow into this ruler's hand? Not His people.
The horn thinks to change times and laws, and so interferes with God's rights among His ancient people. Scripture says it is these "times and laws" that are given into his hand, for God's anger against Israel was not yet at an end. The mistake is common that "the saints" are given into the hands of this wicked prince. Daniel says he makes war with the saints (verse 21) and prevails against them. But this is a very different thing. God permits tribulation and persecution; but He never gives His own into the enemy's hand. His sheep are in His own hand; and He never leaves — no, never forsakes them, even if He allows their death in a terrible form.
The prophet is not simply told that God will judge human pride. He is given a limit.
The little horn not only makes war with the saints, but prevails against them up to a certain time — that is, until the coming of the Ancient of Days. This is more definite than the truth that God will judge man's audacity. We are no longer looking at public history and general principles, but at explanations for the saints, given through the prophet. The coming of the Ancient of Days is what ends the little horn's power over the saints.
The next verse turns the picture around. What should a share in Christ's rule do to the way believers live now?
The saints share in Christ's rule, and in His judgment too. "Judgment was given to the saints of the Most High (or high places), and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom" (Dan. 7:22). What a privilege and dignity for us who believe in His name! Yet how ready we are to forget it, and to sink to a merely human level! The Corinthians are painful proofs of this. They forgot the great truth that the saints are to reign with Christ one day, and so they accepted ease and honour in the present world.
- War. The little horn is the last head of the revived Roman empire. Four marks identify him: he rises after the ten kings, subdues three, gains the whole empire's power, and matches the beast of Revelation 13.
- Prevail. He is allowed real success against God's people — not a token setback, but genuine defeat for a season.
- Limit. The times and laws are given into his hand; the saints are not. God permits persecution, but never hands His own over to the enemy.
- Until. His success runs only to a set point. The coming of the Ancient of Days ends his power over the saints.
- Reign. Judgment is given to the saints, and the kingdom becomes theirs. That certainty should keep believers from settling for ease and honour now.
until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most high [places]; and the appointed time arrived, and the saints possessed the kingdom.
The chapter's fourth beast has a small horn that speaks great things and wages war on God's people — and wins. Verse 22 is where that war stops. It raises three questions: what ends it, who receives the judgment, and which "saints" are meant.
A note on wording: the writers below use older translations. Those read "judgment was given to the saints of the Most High." Their argument turns on that word "to." The ESV has "judgment was given for the saints of the Most High."
The word "until" is the most important word in the verse. It sets a boundary on a persecution that, from inside it, looks unstoppable.
The little horn not only makes war with the saints, but prevails against them up to a certain time — that is, until the coming of the Ancient of Days. Here we get something more definite than that God will judge the boldness of man. We are no longer occupied with public history and general principles, but with explanations for the saints in the person of the prophet. It is the coming of the Ancient of Days that puts an end to the power of the little horn over the saints.
The same writer names what does not end it.
If God permits the beast to overcome the saints, that lasts only until Christ, the Ancient of Days, comes. It lasts until judgment is given to the saints of the Most High, and until they get the kingdom. What puts an end to the authority of the beast is the coming of the Ancient of Days, and not the preaching of the gospel.
In this verse the Ancient of Days is the one who comes. One writer takes that as a clue to who He is.
He prevails until the Ancient of Days came. Here we see that the Son of Man is the Ancient of Days, because we know that the Son of Man comes. Then a total change takes place: judgment is given to the saints of the high places, and the time has come that the saints possess the kingdom.
The verse is often read as a single moment, but the writers separate its parts and count them.
In chapter 7 he is seen as a little horn... and in the same chapter we also have the period fixed for the end of the persecution of the saints, "until the Ancient of Days came" (v. 22), as distinct from the time when He sat upon the throne (v. 9)... In fact three things are marked: the coming of the Ancient of Days; the judgment given to the saints of the high places; and the time when the saints shall take the kingdom.
The verse uses two descriptions. It says "the saints of the Most High," which several writers render "the saints of the high places." Then it says only "the saints." The writers treat that change as deliberate.
So in verse 22, when the kingdom is mentioned, it is not said "the saints of the high places," but simply "the saints possessed the kingdom"... Judgment is given to the heavenly saints, and the kingdom is given to the saints. The first of these two events belongs to the heavenly saints alone. The second is wider. The saints on earth share in it according to their condition, and this does not exclude the saints in heaven according to their condition.
Views differ on who these saints are. One writer warns against reading the church into a book that is not about it, though he grants the church a share in the glory.
It has been common to suppose that the Church is here referred to; and there can be no doubt that the Church will possess the glory this passage speaks of. But the Church is not the subject of Daniel's prophecy... and there is no need to limit the title of heavenly saints, or saints of the high places, to the Church.
Another writer identifies the persecuted saints as an earthly people in a day still to come.
The "saints" here are not the saints who belong to the Church, not the Christians of the present moment. In that day God will have some earthly saints. The Spirit of God will work again among the Jews. It is against them that all the hatred and energy of this horn is directed.
The most striking word is "given." What the saints receive is not a verdict against them but a seat.
How remarkable is the language of Scripture! We all thought that by and by we were going to be judged; but even the book of Daniel says that, far from the saints being judged, they are going to be the judges.
One writer makes this a test of how believers treat each other now.
They ought really to have known that "the saints will judge the world." This fact had been stated in the Old Testament... Had they really known it, they would not have dragged one another into pagan law courts. If we really knew it, we would perhaps avoid certain things that we do.
- Until — the horn wins, but only up to a date God has fixed; "until" is the whole comfort of the verse.
- Coming — preaching the gospel does not end the persecution. The Ancient of Days ends it by coming, and the Son of Man who comes is Him.
- Given — the saints are handed judgment; no one passes judgment on them. Those the horn overpowered become the judges.
- Two companies — judgment belongs to the heavenly saints. The kingdom reaches wider, and writers differ over who these saints are.
- Therefore — people who will judge the world should not run to the world to settle their quarrels. What you know about the future should shape how you live now.