SCRIPTURE: DANIEL 8
DANIEL’S VISION OF A RAM AND A GOAT (vs. 1-14)
There was a ram with two long horns. The ram charged toward the west and the north and the south. He was great among the animals as no animals could stand against him. Suddenly, a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. He attacked the ram and shattered his two horns. The ram was knocked down and trampled to the ground no one could rescue. At the height of his power, the large horn of the goat was broken off. Then four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. (vs. 3-8)
Another horn started small but grow in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It considers itself as the Prince of the host and took among the daily sacrifice. The sanctuary was brought low by him and it prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. Then two horny men were speaking to each other saying: “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled? – the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the hose that will be trampled underfoot?” (v. 9-13). He said: It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.” (v. 14)
THE INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION (vs. 15-27)
The vision concern the appointed time of the end. The two honored rams represent the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. The four horns that replace the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power. In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern faced king, a master of intrigue will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper and he will consider himself superior. He will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. (vs. 20-25)
THOUGHTS:
Daniel saw himself in the Persian capital. In the vision, God pictured Persia as a ram and Greece as a male goat. The notable horn is Alexander the Great who conquered the world with great speed and military strategy, indicated by the goat’s rapid movement. The shattering of both horns symbolized Alexander breaking both parts of the Medo-Persian Empire.
After the death of Alexander the Great, the kingdom was divided into four parts by four of his generals – (1)- Ptolemy of Egypt and Palestine; (2)-Seleucus of Babylonia and Syria; (3)-Lysimachus of Asia Minor and (4)-Antipater of Macedonia and Greece. The little horn represented the evil general Antiochus Epiphanes who invaded Palestine, defiled the Jewish temple and put the Jews under bondage. A further fulfillment of this prophecy of a powerful horn will occur in the future with the coming of the Anti-Christ.
The “Commander of heaven’s armies” refers to a heavenly authority, perhaps an angel or God himself. The phrase “evenings and mornings” means evening and morning sacrifices referring to the time from the desecration of the altar in the Temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the restoration of Temple worship under Judas Maccabeus in 165 BC.
“The time of the end” refers to the whole period from the end of the Exile until the second coming of Christ. In the end, God will bring down Antiochus IV Epiphanes when he became insane and died in Persia, 164 B.C. God’s power and justice will prevail, so we should never give up on our faith or lost hope no matter how powerful God’s enemies may seem.