d men to abstain
from meat and to cease work, contrary to the demands of God. He has
claimed the power to dispense with God's laws or obedience to them,
"forbidding to marry," and through his indulgences to remit the
penalty due to sin.

The student of prophecy can not fail to see the striking similarity
between the description of the little horn in Daniel 7 and that of
the ten-horned leopard-beast of Revelation 13. The following parallels
prove their identity:

1. Both are blasphemous powers (Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13:6).

2. They speak great things and blasphemies (Dan. 7:8, 20; Rev. 13:5).

3. Both are persecuting powers making war on the saints (Dan. 7:21;
Rev. 13:7).

4. The chronology of each shows that the power rose to prominence
about the time of the cessation of the pagan Roman Empire.

5. The length of time during which they were to continue is the
same--forty-two months, or twelve hundred and sixty days.

6. Both are to be gradually but finally destroyed (Dan. 7:26; Rev.
13:10).

These powers, then, appear at the same time, in the same territory,
have the same character, do the same work, continue the same length of
time, and meet the same fate. _These facts prove identity._ We have,
therefore, positive proof drawn from the parallel prophecies in Daniel
that the first beast of Revelation 13 signifies the politico-religious
system of Rome.

[Sidenote: Length of papal reign]

The identification of the little horn of Daniel 7 with the
leopard-beast of Revelation 13 is now complete. That both apply to the
papacy has been conclusively shown. We shall now turn our attention
to the length of time that this power was to reign. Daniel limits the
triumph of the little horn to "a time and times and the dividing of
time" (Dan. 7:25). "Time," in the singular, of course, signifies one
time. "Times," plural, without a designating number, signifies two
times. "The dividing of time" is rendered in chapter 12:7, also in
both texts in the Revised Version, "a half." So the entire period is
three and a half times.

The seven-year period of Nebuchadnezzar's insanity is described as
seven _times_ (chap. 4:25). We therefore conclude that the period of
three and a half times signifies three and a half years. This agrees
with the reign of the leopard beast of Revelation 13, namely, "forty
and two months" (verse 5), or according to the Jewish method of
computing time--thirty days to the month--twelve hundred and sixty
days. N