Who is the "he" referred to in Daniel 7:25? Text of Daniel 7:25 “He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and the law; and the saints will be delivered into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time.” Immediate Literary Context Daniel 7 records four successive beasts symbolizing four Gentile empires (vv. 1-8, 17). Out of the fourth beast arises a “little horn” (vv. 8, 20-24) distinguished by boastful speech, eyes like a man, and hostility toward God’s people. Verse 25 continues describing that same “little horn,” so the pronoun “he” grammatically and literarily refers to the little-horn figure. Grammatical Indicators 1. Subject continuity—Hebrew masculine singular waw-consecutive verbs (“he will speak,” “he will wear out,” “he will intend”) pick up the masculine singular noun qeren (“horn”) of v. 20. 2. No new masculine singular antecedent intervenes between vv. 24-25. Contextually, the reference cannot revert to the beast itself (neuter in Aramaic) or to any of the ten horns (plural). Canonical Parallels • 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4—“the man of lawlessness” exalts himself above God. • 1 John 2:18—“the antichrist is coming.” • Revelation 13:5-7—the beast is given a mouth to blaspheme for 42 months (= time, times, half a time). Shared motifs—blasphemy, persecution of saints, limited duration—show that “he” is the final eschatological Antichrist. Historical Foreshadowing: Antiochus IV Epiphanes Greek-period Jews first saw Antiochus (175-164 BC) as a preview: • 1 Macc 1:41-50 records his attempt to “change times and law” (ban Sabbath, feasts, circumcision). • Josephus, Antiquities 12.5-6, confirms temple desecration. Yet Antiochus’ oppression lasted only three years (167-164 BC) and did not encompass “all nations” (cf. Daniel 7:23). Thus he typologically anticipates but does not exhaust the prophecy. Eschatological Fulfillment: The Final Antichrist 1. Scope—v. 23: the fourth kingdom “will devour the whole earth.” Rome never fully met that description, nor did Antiochus’ Seleucid realm. 2. Climax—v. 26: divine court terminates the horn’s dominion, paralleled by Revelation 19:19-20 where Christ personally destroys the beast at His return. 3. Timing—Rev 13:5 identifies 42 months (3 ½ years) identical to “time, times, half a time,” placing fulfillment in the final tribulation. Prophetic Time Note: “Time, Times, and Half a Time” Hebrew/Aramaic “iddan” = year. One (“time”) + two (“times”) + half = 3 ½ years = 42 months = 1 260 days (cf. Revelation 11:2-3; 12:6,14). The phrase appears only in contexts of eschatological persecution, marking a divinely limited period before judgment. Archaeological Corroboration of Daniel’s Reliability • Babylonian Chronicle BM 36304 dates Nebuchadnezzar’s first siege of Jerusalem to 605 BC exactly as Daniel 1:1 presupposes. • Cylinder of Nabonidus and Persian edicts harmonize with the Medo-Persian dual structure in Daniel 5-6. These convergences strengthen confidence in Daniel’s predictive sections, including chapter 7. Relationship to New Testament Eschatology Jesus references “abomination of desolation spoken of through Daniel” (Matthew 24:15), anchoring Daniel’s end-time prophecy to future fulfillment. Paul (2 Thessalonians 2) and John (Revelation 13) expand the portrait but never contradict Daniel, showing canonical coherence and the Spirit’s single authorship. Theological Implications 1. God’s sovereignty: Even the most powerful human ruler operates under a preset time limit. 2. Perseverance of the saints: although “worn out,” they are ultimately vindicated (Daniel 7:27). 3. Christocentric hope: the horn’s downfall coincides with the Son of Man’s everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:13-14), fulfilled in the resurrected Jesus (Matthew 28:18). Practical Application Believers need not fear rising global hostility; Scripture forecasts it and promises its terminus. The resurrection guarantees the defeat not only of death but of Antichrist himself, urging vigilance, holiness, and evangelism (2 Pt 3:11-12). Answer in Brief “He” in Daniel 7:25 is the eschatological Antichrist—prefigured by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, foreshadowed by certain Roman emperors, but ultimately a future global ruler whom Christ will destroy at His second coming. |
    |