Daniel’s 8th chapter relays a fascinating vision. As with all of Daniel’s prophetic writing, there are many symbolic elements. First, we have to understand when the vision happened.
1 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me.
Daniel’s vision occurs in the third year of Belshazzar’s power. This is the last king of Babylon, but only in his third year. Belshazzar, although missing from the official roster of the kings of Babylon, is seen as a co-regent to Nabonidus, who ruled from 556-539 BC. A co-regent is a ruler that rules alongside the king with the notion that he will one day take over. This was very common during this time period as rule, usually happening between father and son. Babylon, in this period, is firmly in power/
2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.
First, Daniel sees himself at the citadel. This is the main palace of the king. Susa is a province in Babylon. In the future, it is the same place which Nehemiah will one day ask King Artaxerxes for his return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city (Neh. 1:1-2).
The vision will be explained later, but it is important to lay down the scene.
The Ram (Male sheep) First, we have a ram with two horns. One of the horns is longer than the other. This longer horn grew up later than the original horn. The ram charges in three directions: west, north, south. This ram is powerful; no animal can stand up against it. This ram does what it wants and become great.
5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. 7 I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
The Goat A goat with a prominent (singe) horn comes from the west. He crosses the entire land without touching the ground. It comes against the ram with significant force, shattering the two horns. The ram is powerless against this goat. The goat knocks the ram to the ground and tramples it. At the height of its power the goat’s horn is broken off and four new horns grow from it. They grow toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
The New Horn Another horn grows from the four prominent horns. It starts off small but grows in power (southeast and toward the Beautiful land, Israel). Grows tall, throws down starry hosts and tramples then. Set’s itself up as a great commander of the army of the Lord. It removed the daily sacrifices and throws down the sanctuary. The holy people are given over to him. The horn prospers and the truth is thrown away.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?” 14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
The Holy One A holy one, asks another holy one “How long will this take?” He is answered with this: It will take 2300 evenings and mornings for the sanctuary to be reconsecrated.
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.” 17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” 18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. 19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.
Prophecy, first off, is never meant to remain mysterious. It is meant to be interpreted. Here, we see the heavenly people ready to interpret it for Daniel. The Angel, called out as Gabriel, approaches Daniel and he is terrified. This is common occurrence of saints who have encounters with angels (Luke 1:11-13, Acts27:1-26,Matthew 28:1-10). Gabriel refers to Daniel as “Son of Man”. This is not to be confused for the description of Jesus. Daniel is a servant of God. Gabriel’s intention is that Daniel, a mortal, will understand this vision, which concerns the end times.
20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
The Ram: The ram represents the empire of Persia. The Persian empire was often referred to as Medo-Persia. This is important because the Meds-Persian Empire has not overtaken Babylon yet, and has not conquered the known world. This would certainly happen in Daniel’s lifetime, but they would rage across the land until 331 BC. In the life-span of the Persian Empire, the Medes were first in power (short horn). But in time they were overtaken by the Persians (the horn that grew up later and longer), and allied with them (Medo-Persian Empire). The Medo-Persian alliance raged through the known world their empire extending all the way to the borders of Greece (charges toward the west, north and south). The empire conquered everyone, including the Egyptians, Lydians and Babylonians, the three largest empires of the time (no animal can stand against it). Although many of the lands they conquered simply gave up and assimilated into the empire, some did not. Those lands were conquered with brutal force (did as it pleased).
The Goat: This animal represents Greece and the large horn in its head represents Greece’s first king. This refers to Alexander the Great. He reigned from 356-323 BC) and conquered the known world within 12 years (crossing the whole earth without touching it, implying one fantastic jump). In 331 BC it pushed Persia back and destroyed it (shattered its two horns). Greece effectively destroyed Persia’s hold on the world (The ram is powerless against it/ The cost tramples on it). Alexander the Great dies at age 33 of an ailment (The goat’s horn, however, is broken off at the height of its power), and the Greek kingdom is split into four sections (Four prominent horns grow toward the four winds of heaven). These four partitions are Cassander (ruled over Greece and its region), Lysimachus (ruled over Asia Minor), Seleucus (ruled over Syria and Israel’s land), and Ptolemy (ruled over Egypt).
23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 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 those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
This portion of Daniel’s vision refers to a despotic ruler that was to come. In history this is fulfilled in Antiochus IV Epiphanes (God Manifest), who ruled in Greece from 216-164 BC. But this passage also tells us of the end times. When a passage gives us a historical basis and also future knowledge, this is called Near and Far Fulfillment.
To understand how this relates to Antiochus and the future Anti-Christ, we have to head back to verses 9-12:
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
Another horn comes from one of the four existing and prominent horns. Antiochus Epiphanes was a Hellenistic King (Greek King) ruling in the Seleucid Empire. He ruled over the Syrian and Israeli land. The horn starts off small but grows into power (south east and toward the Beautiful Land (Ezk 20:6, 25:9, Daniel 11:16,41). Antiochus ruled over Egypt and famously fought wars against Egypt, persecuted the Jews in Syria, and fought against the Macabee revolt. Grows tall, throws down the starry hosts and tramples them. Antiochus murdered other rulers and persecuted Jews. He was also infamous for his persecution of God’s people. Sets himself up to be a great commander of the army of the Lord. Antiochus blasphemed God and commanded idolatrous worship of himself. Removes the daily sacrifice/throws down the sanctuary. He stopped the daily sacrifice in Jerusalem and desecrated the temple. Holy people given over to him. He prospers and the truth is thrown away. People under his authority were forced to follow.
There are many similarities between Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Anti-Christ:
• Rebels have become wicked • Fierce-looking king • Master of Intrigue • Will become strong, but not by his own power • Will cause devastation • Will succeed in all he does • Will destroy the holy people • Will cause deceit to prosper • Will fight against the Prince of Princes • He will be destroyed (not by human hands)
26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” 27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
This section of verse coincides with verse 14: He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.” Gabriel tells Daniel that this number given, 2,300 evenings and mornings, is true. But can we prove that it’s true? First, we need to understand the terminology. Does Gabriel mean actual days, both days and evenings, or years? It has been interpreted as each.
Days: 2300 days may refer to the actual cleansing of the temple, which happened in 165 BC. Tracking back from that date brings us to approximately 171 BC, which is the year that Antiochus began his persecution of the Jews.
Days and Evenings: If we look at it as days and evenings, we have to cut it in half (1150 actual days). Instead of a seven year span, it is a 3 1/2 year span, which could refer to the actual defiling of the temple, 3 1/2 years into Antiochus’ reign of terror on the the Jewish population.
Years: 2300 years doesn’t work historically, although William Miller famously used it as a tool to predict the end of the world. Miller was a Baptist preacher who broke from traditional Baptist theology and formed a group called the Millerites. They believed the world was ending in 1844. This was achieved by Miller calculating this number, found in Daniel, and counting forward in time, beginning with Cyrus’ decree to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1). This did not happen, of course, but it had a ripple effect in religion. From Miller’s failed predictions, he ultimately merged with Ellen White to form the 7th Day Adventists. From the 7th Day Adventist we get Jehovah’s Witness and Christian Science, all religions with a decided “end of the world” foundation.