THE BOOK OF DANIEL is quoted often in the New Testament Book of Revelation. In many ways, the two books need to be read and studied together. Daniel lived at an important time of ancient history and his story is critical to our understanding of what is happening today. His visions speak powerfully of the end times, and his writing continues to exalt the “Most High God.” The accuracy and reliability of his remarks concerning future events have caused many to question his authorship of this book. However we have complete confidence that he not only wrote the book, but that God used him powerfully to bring His message to His people about what is about to happen in our time. Daniel Chapter 8 The Ram And The Goat
Daniel Ch 8 The Ram And The Goat
The Ram and the Goat
Outline
Ch. 1 Introduction
2 King’s Dream
3 Bow or Burn!
4 King’s Ego Trip
5 Fall of Babylon
6 Plot of Magi
7 Times of Gentiles
8 Ram and Goat
9 The 70 Weeks
10 The Dark Side
11/ 12 Conclusion
Daniel 8 “Shadows of The Antichrist
Daniel 8: The Ram and the He-goat Dan 8:1-8 Alexander the Great 20-22 Interpretation of Dan 8:1-7, 9-14 Antiochus EpiphanesDan 8:23-25 Shadow Antichrist
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 province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. “…third year”: 51 B.C. “…a vision appeared”: Many opinions. Josephus believes he was actually there. Also Keil, Rosenmuller, Bertholdt. Others: “in a vision”; Montgomery, Syriac, Vulgate, John Calvin. Cf. Ezekiel 8:3; 40:1ff to Jerusalem; Cf. Rev 17:3, John in the wilderness.
Shushan Palace
• Susa, one of the Persian royal cities, was located 230 miles east of Babylon; 150 miles north of head of Persian Gulf, midway between Ecbatana and Persepolis;
• Susa was the capital of Elamites in antiquity; later the main residence of Persian kings; Famous palace begun by Darius I and later enlarged by Xerxes;
• Home of Esther (Esther 1:2,5; 2:3,5);
• City of Nehemiah (Neh 1:1);
• Code of Hammurabi found there in 1901.
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. Two horns, but unequal—one horn was longer than the other. The horns did not arise simultaneously; the longer one arose after (grew up later than) the shorter one. The disparity between the ram’s two horns recalls the bear raised up on one side (Dan 7:5). The ram that had been standing by the canal began to charge toward the W-N-S (v. 20): His charge was irresistible; none could escape his onslaught. Medo Persia. One empire, not two.
The Ram is Persia: Xerxes (Iran Today)
• Ram with clean feet, sharp-pointed horns Guardian spirit of Persian kingdom [Keil].
• The Persian king, at the head of his army, wore the head of ram instead of the diadem [Ammianus Marcellinus, 4th century].
• Zodiac: Aries, the Ram = Persia. Xerxes The last great ruler of Persia (he was king during the days of Esther). He made a foray into Europe, against Greece. But the Greeks were smart—they didn’t go out to meet him. Instead, they waited until he got to Thermopylae, a narrow pass into which he could not fit a big army. Since one Greek soldier was equal to at least ten of the Medo-Persians who were not a trained and disciplined army as the Greeks were, the Greeks decimated them at Thermopylae. When word was brought to him that his fleet had been destroyed, he went down to the sea, took off his belt, and beat the waves with it—they had destroyed his fleet!
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.
The “He Goat”
“…he goat” = “buck of the goats” (v.21) from the west; a goat with a powerful single horn arose suddenly. His speed was so great that his feet did not touch the ground.
Alexander the Great in The Bible!
At the age of 20 he assumed the mantle of his father, Philip of Macedon. Six years later he had conquered the mighty Persian Empire and by the age of 30 his empire stretched from the Mediterranean to the Hindu Kush. He died at the age of 32. His legacy: a new Achilles & new world order Alexander was a visionary conqueror, a ruthless tyrant, and a brilliant military strategist and court politician.
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. The description of this goat is parallel to the third beast in Dan 7:6, the leopard with wings. Both were rapid, and the leopard had four heads whereas the goat had four horns.
The Goat is Greece (Alexander The Great)
• A one-horned goat was a symbol for the ancient Macedonians;
• Zodiac: Persia; Aries, the Ram: Greece Capricorn, the goat (L. caper, goat; cornu, horn);
• May 334 B.C: Alexander crossed the Hellespont with 35,000 troops, first met and defeated the Persians at the Granicus River;
• Nov 333 B.C: 1½ years later, the Battle at Issus near the NE tip of Mediterranean Sea;
• Oct 331 B.C: Finally broken at Gaugamela (Arbella) near Nineveh.
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.
Previously, none could escape from the ram’s power (v. 4); now none could escape from the goat (v. 7). He was enraged (v. 6) at the Persians for having defeated the Greeks at the Battle of Marathon (490 B.C. and the Battle of Salamis (481), Greek cities near Athens. He quickly conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia in a few years, beginning in 334 B.C. The greatness that had characterized the ram now belonged to the goat.
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. “…the great horn was broken”: Alexander died at 32 (dissipated life, drunken debauch) at Babylon, 11 years after leaving home country. As soon as the goat was elevated to great power, his large single horn was broken off, and its place was taken by four “notable ones.”
9] 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.
Who ar the Four “Notable Ones”
The empire took 22 years to divide:
• Cassander (who was married to Alexander’s sister): Macedonia and Greece.
• Lysimacus (1 of 2 boyhood tutors): Thrace, Bithynia, most of Asia Minor.
• Seleucus (one of Philip’s generals): Syria, lands to the east, to India
• Ptolemy (Macedonian noble, boyhood friend and schoolmate): Egypt, Cyrene, Arabia Petraea, parts of Asia Minor (A fifth contender: Antigonus, was soon defeated, 301 B.C.) Israel endures being a buffer zone between the struggles between the two dynasties. The “400 silent years” between the OT and NT are detailed in advance with such accuracy that skeptics have attempted to “late date” Daniel…
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.
“Little Horn”: S: Egypt; E: Medo-Persia, Armenia; Pleasant Land: Dan 11:16,41,45; Jer 3:19; Ezek 20:6,15; Mal 3:12. ‘Erets hatstsebi (“glorious land”) taken from the Ptolemies in a series of battles between Antiochus III, the father, and Ptolemy V in 202-198 B.C. “Host”: people of God (Gen 15:5; 22:17; Dan 12:3; Mt 13:43). He became a great persecutor of the people of Israel (the host of the heaven; cf. “host” in v. 13) and he subjugated that nation (trampled on them). He set himself up as Israel’s king, calling himself the Prince of the host. He compelled the nation to worship him, as suggested by the fact that he prohibited Israel from following her religious practices (removing the daily sacrifice) and desecrated the Temple (brought the sanctuary low). The nation Israel (the saints; cf. comments on 7:18) acceded to this individual’s wishes because of his rebellious attitude (cf. “rebellion” in Daniel 8:13). He prospered and so despised the truth contained in God’s Word that truth was said to be thrown to the ground. This part of the vision anticipated the rise of a ruler in the Greek Empire who subjugated the people and land of Israel, desecrated her temple, interrupted her worship, and demanded for himself the authority and worship that belongs to God.
Antiochus IV “The Madman”
• 8th king of the Syrian dynasty, 175-164 B.C. (1 Macc 1:10; 6:16).
• Infamous brother of Cleopatra.
• Ascended the throne following the murder of his brother, the former king, Seleucus Philopator. (He was not even the rightful heir—Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, was the rightful heir to the throne. He still lived but was held as hostage in Rome.)
• Antiochus succeeded in obtaining the throne largely through flattery and bribery (Dan 11:21).
• Came to power 175 B.C.
• Invaded Egypt, defeated Ptolemy VI v. 9
• Recalled from Egypt by Rome, he made Jerusalem a buffer state; he plundered & desecrated the Temple
• He called himself Epiphanes, “the Illustrious One”; the Jews called him Epimanes, “the Madman”
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.
Desolation of the Sanctuary: the “Abomination of Desolation.” (Controversies begin here…11-14; 20-26.) Stopped morning and evening sacrifices. “Daily sacrifices”: tamid, applies to the daily offerings (Cf. Ex 29:38ff; Num 28:3ff; cf. Dan 9:27.)
“And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah; he directed them:
– to follow customs strange to the land,
– to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary,
– to profane Sabbaths and feasts,
– to defile the sanctuary and the priests,
– to build altars in sacred precincts and shrines for idols,
– to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, and
– to leave their sons uncircumcised.
They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, so that they should forget the law and change all the ordinances. And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die.” 1 Maccabees 1:44-49 (non-canonical text) but historical.
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. “one saint speaking” = “awesome numberer”? “days” = Heb. evening and morning; “cleansed”= Heb. justified. “2,300 days?” Year-day? Seventh Day Adventists: 1884, 2nd Coming? 24-hour days?
What of The 2300 Days?
Seventh-Day Adventism grew out of the “great second advent awakening” in which this verse was given the day-year interpretation. William Miller and his followers, among whom was Ellen G. White, understood “the sanctuary” to be the earth which would be cleansed at His coming. The date for Christ’s Second Coming was set for the year 1843. Miller was a sincere but badly mistaken Baptist preacher. The day-year interpretation was a fragile and insecure foundation for any theory of prophecy, and history has demonstrated it to be false. If the 2300 days are taken as being literal 24-hour days, the period would be between 6 and 7 years, which approximates the time of Antiochus began to perpetrate his atrocities in about 170 B.C. Six years were from Antiochus’ first incursion into Jerusalem in 170 B.C. to the restoring of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in late 164 B.C. The Jewish priest, Judas Maccabeus (“the hammer”) drove out the Syrian army, at which time the Temple was cleansed and rededicated after its pollution. This cleansing is still celebrated in the Feast of Lights, Hannukah (Cf. John 10:22). “Evening-Mornings” (‘erev boker) = 1150 days. 110 days short of 3½ years…
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. “Gabriel”: First mention in the Bible of an angel by name. Gaber, man; El, God (Dan 9:21; Lk 1:19, 26). [“Michael,” Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev 12:7.]
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. “…set me upright”: Heb. “made me stand upon my standing” Possibly comprehension, not physical. This prophecy goes beyond the immediate future and is projected into the distant future. Antiochus is merely an adumbration of the other “little horn” who will come at the end of the “times of the Gentiles.
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.
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.
Again Gabriel moves from the local fulfillment in Antiochus to the end of the Times of the Gentiles. We do not have to speculate. The ram definitely represents the kings of Media and Persia. So the “rough goat” is likewise labeled the king of Greece, and the “great horn” is the first king, Alexander the Great.
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.
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. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations Rev 13:7
A Type of the Antichrist
1. “He shall cause craft to prosper in his hand.”
– No man will be able to buy or sell except the one who has
the mark of the beast (Rev 13:17 )
2. “He shall magnify himself in his heart.”
– He is given a mouth speaking blasphemies, with power to continue 42 months (Rev 13:5)
3. “By peace shall destroy many.”
– The rider on the white horse; then comes the red horse of war—thus, a false peace (Rev 6)
4. “He shall stand up against the Prince of princes.”
– The 1st beast of Rev 13 is against Christ (Rev 13)
Summary of Scriptures of Antichrist
• He will achieve great power by subduing others (Dan 8:24);
• He will rise to power by promising false security (Dan 8:25);
• He will be intelligent and persuasive (Dan 8:23);
• He will be controlled by another, Satan (Dan 8:24);
• He will be an adversary of Israel and subjugate Israel to his authority (Dan 8:24-25);
• He will rise up in opposition to the Prince of princes, the Lord Jesus Christ (Dan 8:25);
• His rule will be terminated by divine judgment (Dan 8:25);
Allusions to the Antichrist Old Testament: (33)
Adversary Ps 74:8-10; Isa 59:19; Lam 4:11,12; Amos 3:11
Assyrian Isa 10:5,12
Belial Nahum 1:15
Bloody and Deceitful Man Ps 5:6
Branch of the Terrible Ones Isa 25:5; (Cf. Isa 14:19)
Chief Prince Ex 38:2
Crooked Serpent Job 26:13; Isa 27:1
Cruel One Jer 30:14,23
Destroyer of the Gentiles Jer 4:7
Enemy Ps 55:3; Jer 30:14, 23
Evil Man Ps 140:1
Head over many countries Ps 110:6
Head of Northern Army Joel 2:20
Idol Shepherd Zech 11:16, 17
King of Princes Hos 8:10
King of Babylon Isa 14:11-20; (Cf. 30:31-33)
Little Horn Dan 7:8-11, 21-26; 8:9-12, 23-25
Man of the Earth Ps 10:18
Merchant, with balances of deceit Hos 12:7
Mighty Man Ps 52:1
Nail Isa 22:25
Prince that shall come Dan 9:26
Prince of Tyre Ezek 28:2-10
Profane Wicked Prince of Israel Ezek 21:25-27
Proud Man Hab 2:5
Rod of God’s anger Isa 10:5
Seed of the Serpent Gen 3:15
Son of the Morning Isa 14:12
Spoiler, Destroyer Isa 16:4,5
Vile Person Dan 11:21
Violent Man Ps 140:1, 10, 11
Wicked, Wicked One Ps 9:17; 10:2,4; Isa 11:4; Jer 30:14, 23
Wilful King Dan 11:36
New Testament:(13)
Angel of the Bottomless Pit Rev 9:11
Antichrist, Pseudo-Christ 1 Jn 2:22
Beast Rev 11:7; 13
False Prophet Rev 13
Father of the lie Jn 8:44; 2 Thess 2:11
Lawless One 2 Thess 2:8
Man of Sin 2 Thess 2:3
One come in his own name Jn 5:43
Prince of Darkness 1 Thess 5
Son of Perdition 2 Thess 2:3
Star Rev 8:10; 9:1
Unclean Spirit Mt 12:43
Vine of the earth Rev 14:18
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.
Next Session: The most amazing passage in the entire Bible; proof that Jesus is, indeed, the Messiah. The passage that Jesus Himself referenced as the key to End Time prophecy.
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Download Pdf Notes For Daniel CommentaryChuck Missler Bio
Recruited into senior management at the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, Chuck established the first international computer network in 1966. He left Ford to start his own company, a computer network firm that was subsequently acquired by Automatic Data Processing (listed on the New York Stock Exchange) to become its Network Services Division.
Returning to California, Chuck found himself consulting, organizing corporate development deals, serving on the board of directors at several firms, and specializing in the rescuing of financially troubled technology companies. He brought several companies out of Chapter 11 and into profitable operation. Chuck thrived on this type of work.
As Chuck notes, his day of reckoning came several years ago when — as the result of a merger — he found himself the chairman and a major shareholder of a small, publicly owned development company known as Phoenix Group International. The firm established an $8 billion joint venture with the Soviet Union to supply personal computers to their 143,000 schools. Due to several unforeseen circumstances, the venture failed. The Misslers lost everything, including their home, automobiles and insurance.
It was during this difficult time that Chuck turned to God and the Bible. As a child he developed an intense interest in the Bible; studying it became a favorite pastime. In the 1970s, while still in the corporate world, Chuck began leading weekly Bible studies at the 30,000-member Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, in California. He and Nancy established Koinonia House in 1973.
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