Does Daniel 7:24 Point to Rome—and the Papacy? A Contextual, Patristic, and Catholic Response

Does Daniel 7:24 identify Rome, with the “little horn” as the Papacy? This in-depth Catholic response tests the SDA claim against the Bible’s context, Early Church Fathers, mainstream scholarship, and the Catechism, showing why the identification is not required by the text—and why the Fathers never made the Papacy the “little horn.”

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Executive Summary

• SDA historicism typically reads the fourth beast as Rome, the ten horns as post-imperial European kingdoms, and the little horn as the Papacy.

• Early Church Fathers (e.g., Hippolytus, Jerome) often read the fourth kingdom as Rome, but the little horn as a future Antichrist, not the Papacy. New AdventCatena Bible & CommentariesThe Tertullian Project

• Mainstream critical scholarship frequently reads Daniel 7 in a second-century B.C. horizon, with the four kingdoms as Babylon, Media, Persia, Greece, the ten horns as Seleucid successors, and the little horn as Antiochus IV Epiphanes. USCCBjhsonline.orgReddit

• The Catechism (CCC 675–677) teaches sobriety about end-times deception and the Antichrist, without identifying him with the Papacy or pinning Daniel 7 to a single empire-chart. Catholic CultureUSCCB

Bottom line: The SDA conclusion is not demanded by Daniel 7’s text, is not supported by the Fathers (who expected a future Antichrist, not the Pope), and does not reflect Catholic teaching on prophecy.

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1) Reading Daniel 7 in Context

Daniel 7 presents four beasts, ten horns, and a little horn that speaks arrogantly and persecutes the saints until divine judgment. The text itself does not name Rome or the Papacy. Two major contextual readings exist:

1. Patristic / Traditional Christian Reading (many Fathers):

   • Fourth kingdom = Rome (the empire in their day).

   • Little horn = the final Antichrist, to arise after Rome’s phases.

   • Example: Hippolytus reads the little horn as Antichrist who uproots three kings and wages war on the saints. New AdventCatena Bible & Commentaries

   • Jerome likewise identifies the little horn with Antichrist, whose power will be destroyed at the judgment—not with the Papacy. The Tertullian Project

2. Historical-Critical Reading (common in modern scholarship & many Catholic notes):

   • Four kingdoms = Babylon, Media, Persia, Greece;

   • Ten horns = Seleucid rulers;

   • Little horn = Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BC), the persecutor of the Jews whose career fits Daniel’s timeline and vocabulary. See USCCB notes and leading commentary lines. USCCBjhsonline.orgReddit

Either way, nothing in Daniel 7 requires equating the little horn with the Papacy.

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2) What the Early Church Fathers Actually Said

Key witnesses:

• Hippolytus of Rome (3rd c.) – In On Christ and Antichrist, he expounds Daniel 7 and consistently treats the little horn as the Antichrist, a coming tyrant who will subdue three kings and persecute the saints before being destroyed. Not the Papacy. New AdventCatena Bible & Commentaries

• St. Jerome (4th–5th c.) – In his Commentary on Daniel, Jerome explicitly connects Daniel 7:26–27 with the Antichrist whose kingdom is destroyed at the final judgment. Again, not the Papacy. The Tertullian Project

Even when Fathers called the fourth kingdom “Rome,” they never taught that the Pope is the little horn. That identification is foreign to patristic exegesis.

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3) What Mainstream Scholars Say

• USCCB (NABRE notes) on Daniel 7: “The little horn is Antiochus IV Epiphanes … the ten horns represent the kings of the Seleucid dynasty.” This roots Daniel 7’s horizon in the second century B.C. persecution. USCCB

• Contemporary academic literature (e.g., John J. Collins and others) has long argued that Daniel’s “little horn” best matches Antiochus IV in the historical context of the Maccabees; detailed studies analyze the ten horns and the three uprooted in Seleucid succession. jhsonline.orgReddit

Takeaway: Whether you follow the patristic (future Antichrist) or the critical (historic Antiochus) reading, the SDA leap from “fourth kingdom” to “the Pope is the little horn” is not warranted by the text.

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4) What the Catechism (CCC) Actually Teaches

The Catholic Church does not map Daniel 7 onto a single modern institution. Rather, the CCC warns of a final trial and religious deception involving the Antichrist (a personal or collective figure opposed to God), without equating this with the Papacy:

• CCC 675–677: The Church will face a final trial; a pseudo-messianism will culminate in a religious deception (Antichrist). No identification with the Pope. Catholic CultureUSCCB

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5) SDA Historicism vs. Christian Tradition & Scholarship (Quick Compare)

Question	SDA Historicist Claim	Early Fathers (e.g., Hippolytus, Jerome)	Mainstream Scholarship (NABRE & others)	Catholic Teaching (CCC)
Fourth kingdom?	Rome	Frequently Rome (their present empire)	Often Greece/Seleucids within a 2nd-century BC horizon	No dogma; multiple orthodox readings permitted
Ten horns?	Ten post-Rome kingdoms (Europe)	Future kings before Antichrist	Seleucid kings	Not specified
Little horn?	Papacy	Antichrist, not the Pope	Antiochus IV Epiphanes	Warns of Antichrist; never identifies with Papacy
Verdict on “Pope = little horn”?	Yes	No	No	No

Sources: Fathers (Hippolytus, Jerome); USCCB notes & modern scholarship; CCC 675–677. New AdventCatena Bible & CommentariesThe Tertullian ProjectUSCCBCatholic CultureUSCCB

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6) Textual Markers SDA Readings Overlook

• Setting & audience: Daniel’s visions speak to Jews under pagan oppression; much of the imagery fits Hellenistic realities in the 2nd c. BC (e.g., horned Seleucid imagery, sequenced kings). USCCBjhsonline.org

• Genre: Apocalyptic uses symbolic hyper-imagery; exact one-to-one modern political identifications are risky without explicit textual anchors.

• Patristic restraint: Where Fathers saw Rome, they still did not identify the Papacy as the persecuting horn; they expected a future Antichrist distinct from the Church’s shepherds. New AdventThe Tertullian Project

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7) A Catholic Apologetic Answer (Concise)

1. Daniel 7 does not name the Papacy.

2. Fathers who linked the beast to Rome still read the little horn as Antichrist, not the Pope. New AdventThe Tertullian Project

3. Modern Catholic notes often identify the little horn with Antiochus IV, which removes the Rome/Papacy linkage altogether. USCCB

4. The CCC teaches vigilance about Antichrist, not a papal identification. Catholic Culture

Therefore the SDA argument fails both historically and exegetically.

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8) Suggested Reading & References

• Hippolytus, On Christ and Antichrist (treats Dan 7; little horn = Antichrist). New Advent

• Patristic chain on Dan 7 (Hippolytus excerpt). Catena Bible & Commentaries

• Jerome, Commentary on Daniel (little horn = Antichrist). The Tertullian Project

• USCCB, Daniel 7 notes (little horn = Antiochus IV; ten horns = Seleucid kings). USCCB

• Scholarly discussion on Antiochus & the horns (journal/overview). jhsonline.org

• CCC 675–677 (end-time deception; Antichrist). Catholic CultureUSCCB

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Conclusion

The identification of Daniel 7:24 with “Rome → Papacy” is not required by the text, not taught by the Fathers, and not the position of the Catholic Church. Patristic writers who saw Rome as the fourth kingdom nevertheless looked for a future Antichrist, not a papal persecutor. Mainstream scholarship often reads the passage against the Antiochus IV crisis—again undermining the SDA polemic. Catholics can therefore answer confidently: Daniel 7 does not condemn the Papacy; it calls all generations to vigilance until the Son of Man’s everlasting kingdom prevails.

 

“The Little Horn in Daniel 7: SDA View vs. Catholic Understanding”

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Comparative Table

Aspect	SDA Historicist Interpretation	Catholic Interpretation
Fourth Kingdom	Rome	Identified by some Fathers (e.g., Hippolytus). Modern scholarship more often sees Greek kingdoms (Seleucids).
Ten Horns	Post-Rome European kingdoms	In Patristic tradition, a prophetic image. Modern view: Seleucid successors (scholarly).
“Little Horn”	Papacy	Fathers: Antichrist (future); Scholars: Antiochus IV; CCC: future Antichrist.
Supporting Fathers	Not taught by any Early Church Father	Hippolytus, Jerome: share Antichrist reading (not Papacy) Wikipediagodrules.net
Biblical Alignment	Historicist framework non-binding	Daniel context and genre see fulfillment within Maccabean context or future Antichrist; no explicit Papacy mention.
Catechism (CCC)	Not aligned with Catholic teaching	CCC 675–677 warns of Antichrist but does not identify with Papacy Wikipedia+1

Visual Elements Suggestions

• Header Graphic: Stylized “Little Horn” icon with cross-through or question mark, labeled “Who is the Little Horn?”

• Icons per column:

  • Left: Roman empire illustration or SDA symbol

  • Right: Open scroll/Icon of the Church, with future crown (Antichrist)

• Footer Note: “Based on Scripture, Early Church Fathers, Bible scholars, and Catholic teaching.”

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Citations Incorporated

• Patristic interpretations (Hippolytus, Jerome) reading little horn as Antichrist, not Papacy Wikipediagodrules.net

• USCCB biblical context and mainstream scholarship noting Antiochus IV as original fulfillment StudyLight.orgWikipedia

• CCC on Antichrist and prophetic anticipation, without linking to Papacy Wikipedia+1

 

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