Daniel 7:7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
26 The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings
27 And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.
The period is given as a time, a times, and a half time.
How are we to understand this?
time, 360
a times, 720
and a half time 180
1260
this is confirmed for us in Rev 12. [Read v14, and then v6]. The time periods mentioned in these verses are identical, as the context would show, but they are numerated in different ways. 1260 days is equated with a 3 and a half times, and so back in Daniel, we deduce the father awarded the little horn of the beast a 1260 year period of power.
The great and terrible fourth beast denoted the Roman power, whilst the little horn symbolised the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire was founded over a period of time which lead up to Charlemagne being crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in AD 800 . The time period ends when the power to persecute the saints of the Most High has come to an end. But when did it start. The time period however measures the life span of the little horn itself, and the horn being Holy Roman Empire, couldn't persecute the faithful before it was established. Notice from 7v24 that the little horn arose from the fall of three horns before it. The horns denoting the Gothic kingdoms of Europe.
In AD 773 Charlemagne defeated the Lombards, and added northern Italy to his dominions, he fought in Spain in AD 778, and was crowned emperor on Christmas Day, AD 800.
The little horn therefore came to power we would suggest with the crowning of Charlemagne in AD800. Now if we add 1260 years to this it would bring us to AD 2060, after which v26 indicates his dominion would be taken away to consume and destroy, and his power given v27 to the saints of the most high, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve him.
But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.
