The Bible Identifies the King of Fierece Countenance

The Bible identifies the king of fierce countenance

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. Daniel 8:23


As the angel explains the vision of Daniel 8, he  calls the Little Horn "a king of fierce countenance." Most Evangelical and Catholic theologians identify this figure as Antiochus Epiphanes. However, another prophecy in Scripture reveals to us that the identity of the Fierce King is another power.


The Context of Daniel 8

In the first half of Daniel 8, the prophet received a vision. If you recall, he saw:

  • The Medo-Persian Empire (represented by a ram)
  • The Greek Empire under Alexander the Great (represented by a goat)
  • The division of Alexander's empire into four kingdoms
  • The rise of "a little horn."


In the latter half of the chapter, the angel explains the vision that Daniel saw in the first half of the chapter. As the angel interprets the vision for Daniel, he calls the Little Horn, "a king of fierce countenance." In this article, we will examine the angel's explanation in order to identitfy the King of Fierce Countenance.


The Roman Empire Interpretation

In the previous article, we discovered that the timeline of verse 23 disqualifies Antiochus Epiphanes from being the King of Fierce Countenance. Now, what you are about to see is that the "king of fierce countenance" more accurately describes the Imperial Roman Empire. Let me prove it to you:


A prophecy in Deuteronomy 28

In Deuteronomy 28, God decrees blessings upon Israel if they obey Him and curses if they disobey Him. Looking at this prophecy, you will notice that there is a nation that God uses to judge Israel. Let's look at how this nation is introduced:


Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth... Deuteronomy 28:47-49


There are a few things that we should notice from these verses:


A yoke of iron

While it's not uncommon for a yoke to be made of iron, I believe that there is some prophetic significance to this narrative. If you recall, Nebuchadnezzar's Image was made out of multiple metals. The part of the statue that represented the Roman Empire was the legs of iron. I don't believe that this was a coincidence! Here we see God prophesying that a nation would come against Israel and place them in a yoke of iron. Then one of the nations that did come against Israel was the Roman Empire—a nation that was prophetically represented by iron.


From the end of the earth

Another part of this prophecy that confirms what nation is being referenced is the revelation that this nation would come from the "end of the earth." When we examine all the empires that persecuted and enslaved the Jews, it's hard to push the narrative that the Babylonians came from the end of the earth, as the Persians were even further east. It's also hard to push the Greece narrative as the Romans were farther west. Due to the fact that the New World of America wouldn't be discovered for several centuries helps us see that the "end of the earth" would logically be represented as the furthest part of the west where land met the ocean. This is what would logically be considered the "end of the earth" to those living in those times. This is also where the part of the world that was dominated by the Roman Empire before they moved east towards Israel.


cOMPARED TO AN EAGLE

Notice that this nation is also compared to an eagle. While we must remember that the Babylonian Empire was symbolized by a lion with eagle's wings, we must also recognize that the Roman legions considered the eagle as a representation of them in war.


The prophecy continues to describe the suffering that would result from Israel's curse. Notice what it says:


And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee...The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates. Deuteronomy 28:52, 56-57


Here, we see that during the siege, the prophecy revealed that women would eat their children. Notice how the historical record supports this text:


Within the besieged city, Simon bar Giora intensified purges, executing elites and then those advocating surrender. Their mutilated bodies were cast beyond the walls. John and his followers plundered the temple, melting down sacred vessels, consuming consecrated food, and distributing sacred oil and wine to supporters. The famine worsened, killing many; Josephus recounts the story of a woman from Perea named Maria, who, after being plundered by rebels, roasted and cannibalized her infant son. When rebels came, drawn by the smell of food, she offered them the leftovers, leaving them shocked and trembling.


We should also notice what nation many of the Christian commentaries believe this prophecy referencedexplain this prophecy:


But it only needs to read this part of the denunciation, and to compare it with the narrative of Josephus, to see that its full and exact accomplishment took place in the wars of Vespasian and Titus against the Jews, as indeed the Jews themselves generally admit. - Barnes Notes on the Bible


All the fortified places to which the people betook themselves for safety were burnt or demolished, and the walls of Jerusalem itself razed to the ground. - Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary


Now all this was fulfilled, partly in the siege of Samaria by the king of Assyria, who went through all the land of the ten tribes, 2 Kings 17:5; and in Sennacherib's taking the fenced cities of Judah, 2 Kings 18:13; and in the siege of Jerusalem, and breaking down the walls of it by Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Kings 25:10; and, last of all, in the siege of Jerusalem, and battering down the walls of it, by the Romans; at which time also all their strong and fenced cities throughout the land were taken and demolished. - Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible


Not only do many Evangelical commentaries agree that this prophecy refers to the Roman Empire, but Ellen White also agrees. Notice her commentary on the siege of Jerusalem:


Thousands perished from famine and pestilence. Natural affection seemed to have been destroyed. Husbands robbed their wives, and wives their husbands. Children would be seen snatching the food from the mouths of their aged parents. The question of the prophet, “Can a woman forget her sucking child?” received the answer within the walls of that doomed city: “The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.” Isaiah 49:15; Lamentations 4:10. Again was fulfilled the warning prophecy given fourteen centuries before: “The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, ... and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.” Deuteronomy 28:56, 57.


You should notice that Ellen White quotes part of Deuteronomy 28 when describing the siege of Jerusalem. This confirms for us that she also saw the Roman Empire as the nation this prophecy was focused upon. Thus, we can see that Biblically, historically, and from a commentary perspective, we can be confident that the nation being prophesied was none other than the Roman Empire.


The king of fierce countenance

Now that we've established the Roman Empire as part of this prophecy, I want you to notice how verses 49-50 portray this nation:


The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young. Deuteronomy 28:49-50


Hopefully you are seeing this! Notice, the nation that we've identified as Rome, is being described as a nation of FIERCE COUNTENANCE and a nation WHOSE TONGUE ISRAEL WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND. Comaparing these two concepts to Daniel 8:23, we should see the connection.


  • When Daniel 8:23 refers to a King of Fierce Countenance, this is the same entity that Deuteronomy 28:50 calls a Nation of Fierce Countenance.
  • When Daniel 8:23 refers to a king who understood dark sentences, this refers to the same tongue of the nation that Israel wouldn't understand in Deuteronomy 28:49.


Conclusion

Based on this biblical analysis, the "King of Fierce Countenance" in Daniel 8 cannot be Antiochus Epiphanes. Aligning this prophecy against other texts of Scripture, Evangelical commentaries, and the writings of Ellen White, we confirm that the King of Fierce Countenance is a description of the Roman Empire.