Daniel 7:25 Meaning and Explanation
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Daniel does not minimize the pressure God's people may endure under arrogant rule. This verse names blasphemous speech, sustained persecution, and interference with ordered life. At the same time, its final phrase places that suffering inside a boundary. The oppressor's hand does not become the final authority.
The little horn opposes the Most High, exhausts God's saints, and attempts to reshape appointed times and laws. Its power is real for a limited period, yet the next verse declares that God's judgment ends its dominion.
The Context of Daniel 7:25
After Daniel asks for understanding of the fourth beast, the interpreter identifies it as a kingdom and its horns as kings. Another ruler rises, subdues three, and differs from those before him. Verse 25 describes this ruler's hostility toward the Most High and the saints. Daniel had already seen the horn making war with the saints and prevailing for a time. Verse 26 immediately reverses the situation: the judgment sits and the ruler's dominion is taken away. Verse 27 then announces the kingdom given to the saints of the Most High.
What Does Daniel 7:25 Mean?
The ruler's rebellion has several connected expressions. He speaks "great words against the most High," continuing the chapter's description of a mouth speaking great things. His speech is directed against God, and his conduct reaches God's people: he "shall wear out the saints." The phrase conveys prolonged pressure that drains and afflicts them, rather than a brief disagreement. He also thinks "to change times and laws." Daniel does not specify precisely which times and laws are meant, so careful reading avoids claiming more than the verse says. The ruler seeks to alter established order as though his authority reached beyond the limits God has set.
The words "they shall be given into his hand" acknowledge a season in which the saints are subject to this ruler's power. In Daniel 7, that hard reality is never presented as approval of the horn's rebellion. The same chapter says he makes war with the saints, calls for judgment, and foretells the removal of his dominion. The time expression, "a time and times and the dividing of time," marks a measured duration. Daniel does not explain its precise calendar calculation within this chapter. Its chief force here is limitation: the horn's apparent success has an appointed end. God's reign remains the frame around events that trouble Daniel.
The later book of Revelation uses closely related imagery for a blasphemous power that is allowed authority for a stated period and makes war with the saints. That echo confirms the enduring conflict between arrogant earthly power and faithful endurance, while preserving Daniel's confidence that judgment belongs to God. Christ warned his disciples that they would face opposition for his name, and he also promised that endurance would be required. Daniel 7 gives this endurance a wider setting. The saints do not suffer because God has lost his throne; they wait in faith beneath a rule that God will judge and finally remove.
Bible Verses Related to Daniel 7:25
“I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;”
- Daniel 7:21
“But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.”
- Daniel 7:26
“And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”
- Daniel 12:7
“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
- Revelation 13:5-7
Where Daniel 7:25 Echoes in Scripture
Revelation 13:5-7 closely echoes Daniel 7:25 through its portrayal of blasphemous speech, war against the saints, and authority limited to forty-two months. Revelation applies Daniel-like imagery to a later vision without settling every historical identification of Daniel's horn. Both passages call attention to the limited span of hostile power and God's final authority.
How to Apply Daniel 7:25 Today
This verse helps us recognize the difference between temporary dominance and rightful rule. Faithfulness can become wearying when pressure is repeated, public speech is contemptuous, or patterns of life are disrupted. In such seasons, we may seek God's strength, keep company with fellow believers, pray honestly, and continue in the good that is before us. The passage also cautions us against giving any human ruler or movement the allegiance that belongs to God. Its measured time encourages patient hope without denying the cost borne by those who suffer.
Reflection & Prayer
What form of pressure most threatens to wear down our faithfulness: fear, fatigue, isolation, or the loud confidence of others? We can bring that burden to God without hiding it. Suggested prayer: "Most High God, sustain those who are weary, guard us from false allegiance, and keep our hope fixed on your righteous judgment."