The book of Daniel
Daniel 8:1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel,
after that which appeared unto me at the first.
2 And I
saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the
1.
Introduction to the Vision
A. When
Daniel has the vision recorded in this chapter, two years after the
dream and visions of chapter 7. This vision occurred in the third year of Belshazzar’s reign
B. Where
Daniel’s vision takes him to Shushan the
palace, in a vision. However, Daniel was actually living under the king of
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold,
there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were
high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I
saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts
might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his
hand; but he did according to his will, and became
great.
2.
Information of the Vision
A. Horns
Daniel saw a ram with two horns. A horn, in the Bible, is a symbol of
power. One of the two horns was higher than the other and the higher one
appeared or came up last. Looking ahead in this chapter, we see that verse 20
reveals the ram that stands for the empire of the Medes and Persians (2 horns,
2 peoples). These people formed a great alliance. Both are powerful horns and
the Medes would be in power first but in the end the Persians would come up to
power and show themselves stronger than the Medes.
Note the powerful hold they have on the earth. The Medes and
Persians are pushing west, north and south. The history of the
We also do know that the king of the Medo-
Persian empire wore a rams’ head as a type of crown.
In fact rams’ heads have been found on sculpted pillars in this region by
archaeological discoveries
5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat
came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground:
and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two
horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury
of his power. 7 And I saw him come close
unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and
brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but
he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that
could deliver the ram out of his hand. 8 Therefore the he
goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and
for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
B. He Goat
Daniel was considering the powerful ram and it’s
horns, when from the west came a he goat very swiftly conquering the world (it
touched not the ground). This he goat has a notable horn between it’s eyes. This he goat along with it’s
notable horn is revealed in verse 22 as the king of Grecia.
This he goat ran into the ram with great fury and broke the rams’ horns
then knocked the ram to the ground and stamped upon the ram. Daniel is seeing
this vision hundreds of years before this actually takes place. From history we
know this notable horn is Alexander the Great of the Greek Empire. Alexander
swiftly conquered the Medo- Persian empire and the Greek Empire became the dominant force of the
world.
Verse 8 mentions that
when he was strong, the great horn was broken. In the prime of his success and
strength, Alexander the Great became ill of alcoholism and died at 32 years of
age. His 4 leading generals, Casander, Lysimachus, Seleucus and Ptolemy
would divide the empire amongst themselves.
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn,
which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the
pleasant land. 10 And it waxed great, even to the host
of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground,
and stamped upon them. 11 Yea, he magnified
himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was
taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 And an host was given him against the
daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the
ground; and it practised, and prospered.
Out of one of the
generals jurisdiction would arise a little horn. This little horn, we must be
careful to note, arises under the third Gentile empire. History would tell us
that this little horn represents Antiochus Epiphanes
IV. Antiochus Epiphanes arose out the division
controlled by Seleucus many years later.
It was prophesied
unto Daniel that this little horn would attack the saints as
he would cast the stars to the ground. The stars represents
the Jews (Gen 12:3 & Gen 15:5). Antiochus Epiphanes
murdered thousands and thousands of Jews. The little horn would also attack
the sanctuary. History tells us that Antiochus Epiphanes raided the
13 Then I heard one saint
speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily
sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and
the host to be trodden under foot? 14
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then
shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
3. Instruction about the Vision
A. Mentioned
Observe the saint who
is speaking and his question. He questions “How long shall the attacks last, or
for what duration will the preceding events take place?” The answer, 2300 days.
15 And it came to pass, when I,
even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold,
there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 16 And
I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai,
which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
B. Man
Daniel sees the
appearance of a man and hears the voice of a man telling the angel Gabriel to
go and make Daniel to understand the vision. My friend who is in command of the
angels? Who can tell an angel to go and he goes, to come and he comes? I
believe the one Daniel saw and heard was Jesus. Jesus in charge of it all!!
17 So he came near where I stood:
and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me,
Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. 18 Now
as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground:
but he touched me, and set me upright.
19 And he said, Behold, I will
make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the
time appointed the end shall be.
The messenger, or
should I say Gabriel, tells Daniel this prophecy is for the third kingdom this
world will see and it is also for the end time. There will be a local
fulfillment and a world fulfillment in the end time.
Daniel was asleep
during the vision, but now the angel touches Daniel and sets Daniel up in order
that Daniel may know the interpretation of the vision.
20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and
Persia. 21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the
first king. 22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up
for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his
power.
4. Interpretation of the Vision
Daniel is currently
living in the kingdom of Babylon. It is the first world kingdom. This ram,
Daniel saw would represent the second world kingdom, which was to come. This
kingdom (Vs 20) is revealed to Daniel as the kingdom of the Medes and the
Persians.
B. Rough Goat
Daniel saw a he goat
with a notable horn in his vision taking over the ram. This kingdom (Vs 21) is
revealed as the kingdom of Greece, which is the third world kingdom. This
kingdom is ushered in by a great horn namely Alexander the Great.
C. Real Division
Daniel saw the goats’
(Grecian) kingdom divided up into 4 kingdoms. This happened just after the
death of Alexander the Great at age 32. When the 4 leading generals divided up
as the Greek Empire. Those generals being
Casander, Lysimachus,
Seleucus and Ptolemy. These four men never had the
power of Alexander the Great.
23 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.
24 And his power shall be mighty,
but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper,
and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the
holy people. 25 And through his policy also he shall cause
craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by
peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;
but he shall be broken without hand.
To Daniel it was
revealed that an evil ruler would rise up out of one of the divisions of the
Greek Empire. I believe this ruler to be Antiochus Epiphanes
IV. I also believe this portion of scripture to be a double reference prophecy,
in that is references Antiochus Epiphanes but also
points to the end time ruler, antichrist. After all, each kingdom swallows up
the previous kingdom. Thus antichrist will represent all of the four Gentile
kingdoms.
This ruler will have
a fierce countenance, understand dark sentences and have mighty power. This
ruler will be a deceiver, destroyer, defamer and driven by the devil. Antiochus
Epiphanes at one time had great success, so will it
appear that the antichrist has great success. These two have much in common
both are:
1) Energized by satan Dan
8:24 “not by his own power”
Rev 13:2 “the dragon gave him his
power”
2) Greatly
Prosper Dan 8:24 “and shall
prosper”
Rev 13:16,17 people prosper by his mark
3) Invade the Holy
Place Dan 8:11,12 “daily sacrifice was
taken away”
II Thes 2:4 “shewing himself that he is God”
4) War with God’s
People Dan 8:24 “and the holy people”
Rev 13:7 “make war with the saints”
5) Conquered by
Jesus Dan 8:25 “broken without
hand”
Rev 19:20 “cast alive into a lake of
fire”
“Broken without hand”
means that the end has come but not at the hand of man, but at the hand of God.
Anitochus Epiphanes lost
the battle to the Jews at the hands of a Priest, Judas Maccabeus.
This ended his reign of terror on the Jews after 2300 days (Vs 14) and then the
Temple of God was cleansed. Antiochus Epiphanes was
not killed though at this battle. He went home and died in grief of losing to
the Jews, his body was filled with with ulcers and
worms. God sent a worm to take Antiochus Epiphanes’
life. He was broken without hand. The antichrist will be put into the lake of
fire by the Lord Jesus Christ. No man will defeat the antichrist and put him in
the lake of fire, but Jesus will. My friend, I am glad there is One who can
break the power of the devil, One named Jesus. How do I know, you may ask.
Well, I remember the night I got saved, July 13, 1978. The devil had control of
my life, but Jesus broke the power of the devil and saved my wretched soul as I
was convicted of my sins by the Holy Spirit and drawn to call upon the shed
blood of Jesus Christ, believing in His death, burial and resurrection. I am
glad to know One who can break the power of the devil. My friend, do you know
Jesus as your Savior? I encourage you, be saved today, call on the name of
Jesus and repent of your sins.
(Romans 10:13 For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.)
26
And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true:
wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. 27 And
I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the
king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
5. Intermission of the Vision
A. Seal up the
Vision
Daniel is told that
this vision and its’ interpretation is true. Daniel is also told to shut up the
vision for it is in the future.
B. Sickness of
Daniel
Daniel, through the
stress of knowing what awaits his people, the Jews, faints and was sick certain
days. I am sure this vision and the interpretation thereof was a great
psychological and physical strain on Daniel. I believe Daniel had a burden
about this vision and needs relief, maybe I should say a Comforter. Jesus said
“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world” John 16:33. That does not mean we (the redeemed) will
go thorough the Great Tribulation, for only the unbelievers will endure that
time of Great Tribulation, but it does mean this world is not my home. I am
only passing through, this old world will stress and burden us, but Jesus
overcame the world and “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the
world”. So my friend, take comfort today in Jesus.