Who Are the Ten Horns in Daniel 7 Under the Maccabean View?

Who Are the Ten Horns in Daniel 7 Under the Maccabean View?


Daniel 7 is one of the most vivid apocalyptic visions in the Hebrew Bible. The prophet sees four great beasts rise from the sea, symbolizing a succession of world empires. From the fourth beast—terrifying, iron-toothed, and unlike the others—emerges ten horns. Among them, a smaller horn arises, uprooting three of the earlier horns. This little horn grows arrogant, boasting against God and waging war against the holy ones.


For centuries, interpreters have debated who exactly these horns represent. Let’s walk through the historical background and how Antiochus IV Epiphanes fits the picture.



The Fourth Beast and the Ten Horns


The fourth beast in Daniel 7 is typically identified with the Seleucid dynasty, the rulers of Syria and Mesopotamia after the breakup of Alexander the Great’s empire. Horns in biblical imagery symbolize rulers or centers of power, so the “ten horns” represent ten successive Seleucid kings.



1. Seleucus I Nicator (312–281 BCE) – Founder of the dynasty, one of Alexander’s generals.



2. Antiochus I Soter (281–261 BCE).



3. Antiochus II Theos (261–246 BCE).



4. Seleucus II Callinicus (246–225 BCE).



5. Seleucus III Ceraunus (225–223 BCE).



6. Antiochus III the Great (223–187 BCE) – Expanded the empire, fought Rome.



7. Seleucus IV Philopator (187–175 BCE) – Murdered by Heliodorus.



8. Heliodorus – Court official who briefly usurped power after assassinating Seleucus IV.



9. Demetrius I Soter – The rightful heir, but held hostage in Rome and blocked from the throne.



10. An infant son of Seleucus IV (sometimes called Antiochus, though never crowned) – A legitimate royal candidate also cut off.




These “horns” represent the crumbling royal succession leading up to the crisis of 175 BCE. Out of this turmoil, Antiochus IV emerges.



The Three Horns That Fell


Daniel 7:8 describes a little horn that uproots three of the earlier horns. In historical terms, these three are best seen as the obstacles Antiochus removed to gain power:


1. Seleucus IV Philopator – Assassinated, leaving the throne open.



2. Demetrius I Soter – The rightful heir, sidelined in Rome.



3. The infant son of Seleucus IV – Murdered or erased from succession to clear the way.



Heliodorus’ brief usurpation also plays into the chaos, but the essential point is that Antiochus rose not by natural succession, but by intrigue and force, uprooting legitimate claimants.



The Little Horn: Antiochus IV Epiphanes


The “little horn” that grows, speaks arrogantly, and persecutes the holy ones is almost universally identified with Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BCE).


He declared himself Epiphanes (“God Manifest”), flaunting arrogance.


He tried to suppress Jewish worship, banning Sabbath, circumcision, and Torah reading.


He desecrated the Temple in 167 BCE by erecting an altar to Zeus and offering unclean sacrifices.


He waged war against those who resisted, sparking the Maccabean Revolt.



Daniel’s portrait of the little horn—“speaking great things,” “changing times and law,” and “wearing out the saints”—lines up with Antiochus’ persecution of the Jews.



Conclusion 


Daniel 7 is not a cryptic code about modern geopolitics. It is a resistance text, written in the heat of persecution, to assure Jewish communities that Antiochus would not have the last word. The vision reminds them that even though empires rise and fall like beasts, God’s kingdom remains sovereign and eternal.


The ten horns, the three uprooted, and the arrogant little horn are not random symbols. They mirror the succession struggles of the Seleucid dynasty and the rise of Antiochus IV, whose reign of terror pushed the Jewish people to the brink—but also galvanized their faith and resistance. Daniel 7, then, is less about guessing the future and more about naming the past: a poetic, powerful assurance that no matter how fierce the beast, God’s justice outlasts human kings.

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