8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
another little horn – this is the Antichrist, Satan, who is the King, the “little horn” described in Dan 8:9.
three of the first horns – three of the ten horns in verse 7. This should not be translated, “the first three horns,” as explained below.
were plucked out by the roots – to be explained more in verse 24, “he shall subdue three kings.”
According to Isaac Newton, these three states were the exarchate of Ravenna, the kingdom of the Lombards and the state of Rome, which comprised the Pope’s dominions at the first.
However:
① France is the “eldest daughter of the Church” and is widely recognized as the first state to embrace Catholicism, after Rome fell.
② Daniel’s expression “three of the first horns,” should only mean, three of the ten horns that appeared before the little horn. The same word translated as “first” in this verse, “qadmay,” also appears in Dan 7:24; where most translations render it to mean the “previous” or “earlier” horns, “the other ten.”
③ And, any identification of the Ten States, should encompass their differences in language and culture, indicated by Dan 2:43 (NASB), “they will not combine with one another in the seed of men.”
Are there any three states, that are likely candidates then?
Indeed, there are. The states of Spain, France and Italy were “the Latins,” Lateinos. The word “Lateinos” is the most accepted interpretation of the Greek letters that add to 666, as told by Irenaeus in A.D. 180: “for Latins they are that rule and are the fourth kingdom prophesied by Daniel.” The Latins are the “anthropos” – man (race) that John referred to, the “number of a man (anthropos).” From the time of the Roman Empire, until A.D. 711, Spain, France and Italy all spoke Latin, with no difference in dialect. They are the Latin peoples, the descendants of Tubal, as we discuss in Ezekiel 38. They would become the primary force behind the spread of “Latin Christianity.” To understand “the beast” in the period of the ten horns, when the diadems are on the ten horns (Rev 13:1), we need to understand the meaning of “the number of the beast” (Rev 13:18).
eyes like the eyes of a man – Satan’s power came through the Latin man, the Bishop of Rome. This is the only way to understand the “little horn” described here, and again in verse 20. As John wrote: “they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast,” (Rev 13:4). The “Latin man” was only the external authority of Satan.
and a mouth – Satan is not only given the eyes a man, but also a mouth, with which he is able to blaspheme the most high God.