Daniel 8

Daniel 8:1

VIII. DANIEL’S VISION OF THE RAM AND GOAT NATIONS (Chap. 8)8:1-4 Two years later Daniel had a vision of a ram and a male goat. The ram was Persia, and the two horns the kings of Media and Persia. One horn was higher than the other, the Persian king being the more powerful. The ram was on a rampage of conquest, westward, northward, and southward. Seemingly he was irresistible. 8:5-8 Then a male goat (Greece) came from the west on a blitzkrieg. It had one conspicuous horn (Alexander the Great). The goat defeated the ram and went on to tremendous conquests. When Alexander died, his kingdom was divided into four parts, depicted by the four notable horns which came up toward the four winds of heaven. 8:9-14 One of these was later ruled by a little horn (Antiochus Epiphanes), whose military success took him south, east, and into Palestine (the Glorious Land). Verse 10 describes his persecution of the Jews. He blasphemed the Lord, caused the sacrifices to cease in Jerusalem, and desecrated the temple (vv. 11, 12). Daniel learned that this desecration would continue two thousand three hundred days. This took place between 171 B.C. and 165 B.C. 8:15-17 Gabriel was ordered to explain the vision to Daniel. 8:18-26 Daniel, although a godly and courageous man, was so overcome by fear in the angel’s presence that he fell on his face into a deep sleep. Perhaps this is to emphasize God’s power and holiness which is felt even in the presence of His angels. The explanation of the vision begins in verses 19-22, but at verse 23 we seem to see beyond Antiochus Epiphanes to his future counterparta king with fierce features who will ruthlessly persecute the holy people in the Tribulation Period. He will be cunning, proud, and deceitful, and even rise against the Prince of princes (the Lord Jesus Christ), but he will be destroyed by divine intervention. Daniel was told that the vision referred to the future. 8:27 Daniel became ill for days, astonished and perplexed.