In the book of Daniel the four kingdoms are described once as a statue of varying construction (gold, silver, bronze, etc), and then the four kingdoms are described again as "beasts" with varying features (wings, feet, heads, et al).

The Four kingdoms are:

1. (literal) Babylon (head of gold).
2. Medo-Persian Empire (torso and arms of silver).
3. Greece (waist and leggings of bronze).
4. Rome (legs of Iron).

Rome changes to Catholic Rome (Iron mixed with Myry Clay), but it is still the dreadful beast with teeth of iron.  The beast has 10 horns. The feet of iron and myry clay has 10 toes.  One horn comes up among the 10, which is the 11th horn, and it removes three horns (kings or kingdoms).  So from 10 horns, we go to 8 horns (10 minus 3, then plus 1), with the prominent horn growing up among them to be the most prominent (this horn is the Vatican Kingdom).

It also helps to know what these words are referring to. These dreams are telling a story, and so we have to use the reference source (the bible itself) as the means to understand what is actually being said.

Book of Daniel and the book of Revelation are very much connected. In fact, there are things that the prophets of the bible are saying that applies to the literal time that they are in, but also apply in a figurative, non-direct, non-literal (spiritual) way to the times later.

We do not wage war against flesh, but powers and principalities. There is a power at work; and then there is God, who tells the end from the beginning (he calls the shots, telling us what the future will be, and it is just like he said).

This power at work is the Vatican (a church, a "woman"). Revelation describes her as a woman which rides the beast, a having the wine of Babylon in her cup (wine is doctrine, system or manner of thinking: philosophy).  Babylonian religion is spiritual Babylon.

A spiritual battle is a battle in and of the mind. Do not make yourself to be a piece on the board, it will be in vain. Do not seek to end the enemies of God, because He Himself shall do it. Trusting in God, even when we do not have full understanding, is faith.

Even if life gets bad for us before His return, even if we die our appointed physical death, His promise is that we shall live again. If you believe on Him, then why would you not rely and count on all of His promises?