One could apply the casting down of some of the host and the stars only to the heavenly signs that will announce the return of the Lord, or to the time when the earth and the firmament flee away at the hour of the White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11). But if we accept the fact that the physical and spiritual heavens coexist and interact, that when one is affected the other is involved, then we need to look past the physical and discover the actual scope of what is taking place.

The two verses that follow Daniel 8:10 imply strongly that the "host of the heavens" and the stars that are cast down and trampled on are not referring primarily to the planets and stars of the physical firmament. The references to the "host" and the "prince of the host" reveal that the bodies in the physical firmament are not the emphasis here.

The name of God frequently used in the Old Testament is "the Lord of hosts (armies)."

Antichrist will be able to reach the host and stars of the heaven and cast them to the ground and stamp on them.

Identifying the host and the stars of the heaven. Let us think carefully about who or what the host and the stars are that are to be cast down to the ground.

There are four possibilities of which we can conceive:

The host and stars of the heaven are wicked angels. However, it is questionable that Satan would pull down his own angels from the heavens and trample on them, especially in view of the coming spiritual war for control of the heavens. Therefore we are looking for other possibilities.

The host and stars of the heaven are righteous angels. We are discarding this concept also. There is no scriptural basis for the idea that Satan has the authority or power to lay hold on the righteous, obedient angels of God, such as Gabriel and Michael, and cast them to the ground and trample on them.

The host and stars of the heaven are deceased saints in Christ in Heaven. We cannot imagine that God would give Satan the authority and power to reach into Heaven and pull Paul and Peter to the ground and trample on them.

The host and stars of the heaven are saints in Christ in God who are still living on the earth. This seems to us to be the only acceptable alternative.

If we are to maintain that Daniel 8:10 is referring to saints alive on the earth, then we must establish two facts: one, the living saints are already part of the heavenly army, part of the stars of the heaven; and two, there are passages in the Scriptures that state clearly that Antichrist will be given the authority and power to pull the saints down from their heavenly position, cast them to the ground, and trample on them.

To be continued.