“And through his shrewdness
He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence;
And he will magnify himself in his heart,
And he will destroy many while they are at ease.
He will even oppose the Prince of princes,
But he will be broken without human agency,” (8:25).

At this point, the remainder of Daniel’s writing reverts back to Hebrew. “…the last five chapters (8–12) revert to Hebrew, since they deal with special concerns of the chosen people,” NIV Study Bible.

Daniel, one of God’s chosen people and His chosen prophet, seems to have had very special concerns; he needed to hear, needed to see God increase in the unfolding times ahead. We all do.

Thirteen times a reference is made to horn(s), representing the strength of conquering rulers. And I felt as though we were plopped down in the midst of a stampede of rushing horned animals, ushering in the violence of war, slaughtering all in their path. And Daniel would see kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall; rulers who would overpower and rulers who would be defeated.

And while horns ran rampant and unrestrained in their violent destruction, yet another would rise to prominence and destroying might, but not by his own power.

“In the latter period of their rule,
When the transgressors have run their course,
A king will arise,
Insolent and skilled in intrigue.
²⁴ “His power will be mighty, but not by his own power,
And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree
And prosper and perform his will;
He will destroy mighty men and the holy people,” (8:23-24).

And this one who acted to do the will of this other’s forcibly brutal power, would so magnify himself, that in his deluded thinking he would even oppose the Prince of Princes; but he would be broken, and not through any means of man.

“And through his shrewdness
He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence;
And he will magnify himself in his heart,
And he will destroy many while they are at ease.
He will even oppose the Prince of Princes,
But he will be broken without human agency,” (8:25).

And if today’s vision has left you feeling troubled and confused, it should bring some consolation to know that Daniel was left feeling the same way.

When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man.¹⁶ And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” ¹⁷ So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end,” (8:15-17).

And while the angel Gabriel was sent to give Daniel an understanding of the end, it was still too much for even Daniel to grasp; so much so, that it left him utterly exhausted and laying ill for days.

Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it, (8:27).

The vision had been interpreted, but Daniel remained astounded, feeling further need for explanation. Sound familiar?

There is just so much of end times prophecy that leaves us dumbfounded, and even disoriented; even the one who saw it was left in the same state, for it is truly beyond the finite ability of man to comprehend. But out of this charging onrush of horned animals and conquering princes, there is One Who appears above all the rest; One Who will Prevail over every ambitious despot and annihilating devastation; only One… the Prevailing Prince of Princes.

Prince: “8269. שַׂר śar: A masculine noun meaning a chieftain, a chief, a ruler, an official, a captain, a prince. The primary usage is official in the sense that this individual has immediate authority as the leader,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

He has all authority over every chieftain, every chief, every ruler, every official, every captain and every prince; for He Is the Prevailing Prince of Princes. But the temptation is always there: fixate on those who seem to have control and focus on those hard-hitting horns threatening to decimate our life.

Today’s world certainly feels as though the stampede of disease and disaster meets us at every turn; and the truth is, we live in a fallen world reeling under the ramification of sin and evil. But that must not be what rules us. For we have One Ruler, the Prevailing Prince of Princes, and He holds all of history in His hands.

I have several dear friends who totter under the uncertainty of our current times, desperate to keep their balance amidst the advance of the clamoring hooves of a pandemic. Add to that, the pandemonium of crises around our world as well as personal afflictions, and if we do not stay watchful, we will be overruled by a small horn, rather than Ruled by Him, the Prevailing Prince of Princes.

Today, may we all be strengthened though the Truth of His Word as we consider Him, the Prevailing Prince of Princes.

Consider Him, the Prevailing Prince of Princes

• He Is the Prevailing Prince of Princes Who frustrates the plans of the peoples as He commands His plans to stand forever.
  • Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
    ⁹ For He spoke, and it was done;
    He commanded, and it stood fast.
    ¹⁰ The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
    He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
    ¹¹ The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    The plans of His heart from generation to generation, (Psalm 33:8-11).

• He Is the Prevailing Prince of Princes Who has swallowed up death in His victory.
  • But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵ O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

• He Is the Prevailing Prince of Princes Who has sealed us with His Holy Spirit of promise.
  • In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory, (Ephesians 1:13-14).

• He Is the Prevailing Prince of Princes Who created all things and holds all things together.
  • For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together, (Colossians 1:16-17).

• He Is the Prevailing Prince of Princes Who has disarmed every ruler and authority.
  • When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him, (Colossians 2:15).

• He Is the Prevailing Prince of Princes Who is greater than our enemy.
  • You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world, (1 John 4:4).

• He Is the Prevailing Prince of Princes Who will throw down every enemy forever.
  • And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, ⁸ and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. ⁹ And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him, (Revelation 12:7-9).

How do we respond to Him, the Prevailing Prince of Princes?

Again, we are reminded that the small horn of temptation lurks at every corner, desirous to trap us in fear and dismay.  But the most repeated command in the Bible is “fear not,” or “do not be afraid.”

“He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, ⁴ for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you,’” (Deuteronomy 20:4).

It was God’s command as He was leading His people out of the bondage of Egypt and it has been His command throughout all of history. It is said that the Bible contains 365 “fear not” or “do not be afraid” commands. How fitting, for how easily we forget and how very much we need to be reminded, every single day.

Some 700 years before He was born, Isaiah prophesied of the Child Who would be born to us, and one of His Glorious Names would be the Prince of Peace, for His Rule of Peace would Prevail forevermore.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this, (Isaiah 9:6-7).

And although there is much of end times prophecy that is so difficult to understand, there is one thing that even a child can grasp, the bad guys lose; for none can overcome Him, the Prevailing Prince of Princes. And when we really believe that, when we remember the end of His Story, we will really know His Peace.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. ¹¹ And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death, (Revelation 12:10-11).

We need to choose to remember, every day, how His Story ends. Jesus told us that in this world we would have trouble and tribulation, but we are not to fix our focus on those small horns, but on Him; for He is the Prevailing Prince of Princes, and He has overcome the world.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).

Oh today, may we not give in to fear, but let us be confident as we are led forth in His Truth and Triumph, that others may be drawn to Him, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, and come to know and believe in the saving grace of Him, the Prevailing Prince of Princes.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place, (2 Corinthians 2:14).

Let’s Grow Together!