Daniel’s Vision of a Ram And a Goat

Daniel 8:1–14
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Our world is fast becoming a madhouse and the inmates are trying to run the asylum. It is a strange time when the patients are writing the prescriptions, the students are threatening to run the schools, the children to manage the homes, and church members not the Holy Spiri … More

As with chapter 7, this chapter precedes chapter 5 chronologically. Approximately two years after Daniel had his first dream in chapter seven he had another dream. This dream came during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign (v. 1). He was in the palace at Shushan, about two hundred fifty miles east of Babylon, in the capital of the province of Elam which is modern Iran (v. 2). It was the winter capital of the Persian capital and a mighty fortress. Daniel was in the palace, but in the vision he was transported to the banks of the Ulai River.

Here he saw a ram with two horns, one of which was much longer then the other (v. 3). This ram pushed in all directions and no power was able to stop him (v. 4). These two horns seems to have symbolized Media Persia who conquered all of modern Turkey.

Then a he-goat with a large horn between his eyes attacked the ram and completely conquered him (vv. 5-7). This he-goat is thought to be Greece and the horn Alexander the Great. Greece was not yet considered a world power when this prophecy was given. Suddenly the large horn broke off the goat and four “notable” horns came up in its place (v. 8). Alexander, at the age of thirty-three died of a fever and four of his powerful generals took over and divided the empire into four parts. From these horns there arose a little horn (vv. 9-10). Many Bible scholars identify this little horn with Antiochus Epiphanes who reigned about 175 B.C. He took away the daily sacrifice of the Jews and desecrated their sanctuary (vv. 11-12). At the Jews darkest hour, when 80,000 had been killed, the Maccabees came to the rescue and the temple was cleansed (vv. 13-14).

Application

The little horn also symbolizes the “Man of Sin” or the Antichrist who will come on the scene immediately after the rapture. Since I know the Lord I will escape this terrible time. I am ready to be with the Lord; are you?

Daniel 8:1-14 (English Standard Version)

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