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Daniel 8:1–27 (Daniel’s second vision)

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Stories and Visions, and we are working our way through the book of Daniel together. We already did the stories — that was the easy part. Now we’re into the visions, and it’s getting a little bit tougher. Today we come to the second of four visions in the second half of Daniel. The first vision began with four great beasts that emerged from the sea along with a little horn. This week’s vision focuses on a ram and a goat as well as another little horn. (Read Daniel 8:13–14 and pray.)

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We learned in the introduction to our message series that Daniel chapters 2–7 are written in Aramaic, the common language of the people, while chapters 8–12 are written in Hebrew. So today’s vision marks the return of the book to being written in the Hebrew language. We don’t know why Daniel is structured this way, although it is possible that the first part was written in Aramaic because it is directed more toward the nations of the world, while the second part is directed more toward the people of God. It’s natural that it would go back to the Hebrew language.

Chapter 7 was a hinge chapter, ending the Aramaic section while beginning the visions section. Now in Daniel 8–12 we are presented with more visions of the future — some relating to the centuries between Daniel and Christ, some which are fulfilled in Christ, and others pointing forward to the last days when Christ will return.

Chapter 8 (our chapter for today) focuses on the nations of Persia and Greece. These two kingdoms were already presented in the vision of the statue in chapter 2 as well as the vision of the beasts in chapter 7. But there they were simply presented as part of the sequence of nations in world history.

Daniel 7 gave the big-picture view of the conflict between God and Satan through the ages. Now Daniel 8 zooms in on a specific portion of that conflict — the conquest of Persia by Greece, and the rise and fall of Antiochus IV following the death of Alexander the Great. This covers a period of roughly 170 years (334 B.C. to 164 B.C.).

Even though this vision focuses on a specific period of history, there is clearly something bigger going on here. The apocalyptic descriptions of these various kingdoms and especially of Antiochus IV show that this is all part of the continuing battle between Satan and God.

Antiochus was bad enough, but he was just a precursor of the Antichrist to come. The battle between Satan and God continues through the ages until Christ returns and defeats Satan and the Antichrist for good. Therefore, as God’s people, we must prepare ourselves for opposition and conflict. The message of Daniel 8 for the people of Israel and for us is, “Get ready!” Get ready for opposition and conflict, because you have an enemy in this world who opposes God and God’s people. So let’s get started with chapter 8.

I. The ram and the goat (1–8)

The first part of the vision concerns the ram and the goat. This is Daniel’s second vision, and it takes place in the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, so about two years after the vision in Daniel 7. Look at verses 1–2:

In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 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. (Dan. 8:1–2)

Susa was the capital of Persia. It was located about 220 miles east of Babylon and 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf in modern-day southwestern Iran. The third year of Belshazzar’s reign (550/549 B.C.) was the same year that Cyrus king of Persia conquered the Medes and joined the two kingdoms together. That’s important because the vision to follow pertains to the combined kingdom of the Medes and the Persians.

   A. The ram = Persia (3–4)

As the vision begins, all Daniel sees is the ram. Look at verses 3–4:

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. I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. (Dan. 8:3–4)

The ram represents Persia. Horns are a symbol of strength, and this ram has two horns, one longer than the other. This represents the combining of the Medes and the Persians, with Persia being the longer horn, or stronger power.

The ram charging toward the west and the north and the south represents the rapid expansion of the Persian empire. No one could stand against their power; they seemed undefeatable at the time. This all took place over a period of about 200 years, so there are two centuries of human history wrapped up in verse 4.

   B. The goat = Greece (5–8)

That’s the ram; next comes the goat. If the ram is Persia, then the goat is Greece. Look at verses 5–8 next:

As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power. The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. (Dan. 8:5–8)

The goat in the vision is clearly the Greek empire, and the prominent horn between its eyes is Alexander the Great. The goat’s feet not touching the ground symbolize the speed with which Alexander conquered Persia — it only took him three years. Persia had been an empire for two hundred years; nobody could touch it. Alexander took it down in three. This parallels the winged leopard in chapter 7, which was also a symbol of Greece and the speed with which Alexander conquered the world.

The goat strikes the ram, shattering its horns and trampling it. This is an apt description of Alexander’s victory over the Persian forces at the Granicus River in 334 B.C. Alexander only had 35,000 soldiers against more than 100,000 Persian soldiers, but through superior strategy, he handed the Persians a decisive defeat.

The large horn broken off at the height of its power represents Alexander’s sudden death at the age of 32, one month before his 33rd birthday. The four horns that grew in its place accurately predict what happened after Alexander’s death. The Greek empire was divided into four kingdoms, each ruled by one of Alexander’s generals.

II. Another little horn (9–14)

Next, the vision moves on from the ram and the goat to another little horn, similar to the little horn we saw in chapter 7, although we will see some differences as well.

   A. Opposed to God and God’s people (9–12)

Like the little horn in chapter 7, this horn is also opposed to God and God’s people. Look at verses 9–12:

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. 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. It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. (Dan. 8:9–12)

This little horn in Daniel’s second vision comes out of one of the four horns, starts small, but grows big. It especially grows toward the south, the east, and what Daniel calls the Beautiful Land. This is a picture of the horn’s expanding power. The Beautiful Land refers to Israel, and so Israel is also caught up in the horn’s web of power.

Verse 10 continues the apocalyptic imagery, with the horn reaching up to the host of the heavens and throwing some of the starry host down to earth. Apocalyptic imagery pulls back the curtain and allows us to see things from heaven’s perspective. The imagery in verse 10 gives us a glimpse of the spiritual forces at work. It is similar to what we find in Revelation, especially with the dragon in Revelation 12 who sweeps a third of the stars out of the sky and flings them to the earth (Rev. 12:4). The dragon in Revelation refers to Satan, and so we learn there is a satanic force at work in this little horn.

The little horn, which has now grown much larger, sets itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host, which means it exalts itself to the position of God. This is similar to what we find in Isaiah 14, which also begins with earthly powers and then moves seamlessly into language that seems to describe Satan and his rebellion against God (Isa. 14:12–14).

The little horn in Daniel’s vision does three things: 1) he takes away the daily sacrifice; 2) he desecrates the sanctuary; and 3) he persecutes God’s people. Not only that, but he is successful and prospers in all these things. Truth is thrown to the ground. Satan is the father of lies; he always seeks to throw God’s truth to the ground.

We will come to the identity of this little horn shortly, but first I want you to point out that this little horn is not the same as the little horn in Daniel 7. There are certain similarities, but these are two different individuals. The little horn in Daniel 7 was our first introduction to the Antichrist. That little horn came after the fourth beast, which represented the Roman empire and all the evil kingdoms that followed. The little horn in Daniel 8 comes before the Roman empire. It grows out of the Greek empire. So why are they both called little horns? Because this little horn in Daniel 8 is a type or a foreshadowing of the Antichrist to come.

   B. 2,300 evenings and mornings (13–14)

Daniel has just witnessed a series of horrific events in this vision, which raises the question, “How long?” That brings us to the time element of the 2,300 evenings and mornings. Look at verses 13–14 where Daniel continues:

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, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?” He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.” (Dan. 8:13–14)

Daniel overhears a conversation between two holy ones or angels. One asks the other, “How long?” Once again, it is a horrible vision, and the angel asks how long it will take for these things to be fulfilled. The answer is mysterious: 2,300 evenings and mornings, and then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.

The meaning of the 2,300 evenings and mornings is ambiguous, which is common with numbers and symbols in visions. There are three main interpretations:

• 2,300 days — counting each evening and morning as a single day (similar to Genesis 1 where one evening and morning equals a day); this works out to about six years and four months.
• 2,300 sacrifices — counting each evening and morning sacrifice separately; this works out to about three years and two months.
• Symbolic — a number representing a long but limited period of suffering (perhaps seven years cut short).

I favor the second interpretation. The context is the removal of the daily sacrifice, so it makes sense that the “evenings and mornings” refer to the evening and morning sacrifices. Otherwise, why not simply say 2,300 days instead of 2,300 evenings and mornings? Also, as we will see in a moment, the removal of the daily sacrifices lasted for a period of about three years, so it fits the time period very well.

III. Interpretation (15–27)

We have looked at the first part of the vision, which deals with the ram and the goat. We have looked at the second part of the vision where deals with the little horn. Now we come to the interpretation of the vision. The interpretation is going to answer a lot of things for us. It’s also going to raise more questions.

   A. Gabriel (15–18)

And here we meet one of the only named angels in all of Scripture: God’s messenger angel, Gabriel. Look at verses 15–18:

While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.” 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.” (Dan. 8:15–18)

While Daniel is still watching the vision and trying to understand it, a figure who looks like a man stands before him. Another voice addresses this being as Gabriel and commands Gabriel to tell Daniel the meaning of the vision. As Gabriel approaches, Daniel falls to the ground terrified.

Gabriel tells Daniel the vision concerns the time of the end. This phrase can be confusing for us because we tend to associate it with the end times. We hear “the time of the end,” and we think it must be about the time of the end for us. But here it may simply mean the emphasis in the vision is on the end portion — that is, the part relating to the little horn. It could also mean these events serve as a type or foreshadowing of what will happen in the end times. In other words, the vision has both a near fulfillment (closer to Daniel’s time) and a pattern that points forward to a greater fulfillment still to come.

   B. Persia and Greece (19–22)

Gabriel raises Daniel to his feet and begins the interpretation. As we discussed earlier, the first part of the vision has to do with Persia and Greece. Look at verses 19–22:

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. 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. The two-horned ram that you saw represents 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 replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.” (Dan. 8:19–22)

Gabriel tells Daniel that the vision deals mainly with “the time of wrath.” That’s the time period associated with the little horn, but the first part of the vision is important because it gives the historical context for everything that follows. The two-horned ram represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia, the goat is the kingdom of Greece, the large horn is Alexander, and the four horns are the four generals who take over the kingdom. Everything takes place just as predicted and interpreted.

   C. The stern-faced king (23–25)

After giving the historical context regarding Persia and Greece, Gabriel proceeds to talk about the stern-faced king. Look at verses 23–25:

“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. 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.” (Dan. 8:23–25)

Here Gabriel explains to Daniel the identity and character of the little horn in the vision. He calls this figure a stern-faced king and a master of intrigue. We’ve already seen that this is not the same as the little horn from Daniel 7. This is not the Antichrist of the end times; rather, this horn refers to Antiochus IV, also known as Antiochus Epiphanes.

Antiochus Epiphanes was one of the worst enemies the Jewish people ever encountered. He stole the throne from his nephew in 175 B.C. He printed the name Epiphanes on his coins. The word Epiphanes means God made manifest. This fits the earlier description of the horn setting itself up to be as great as God.

After failing in his campaign against Egypt, Antiochus turned his fury toward the Jews in Jerusalem. He seized the city by treachery (remember, he was called a master of intrigue). He came in peace and then slaughtered 40,000 people in the space of three days. He sold another 40,000 into slavery.

He removed the daily sacrifices from the temple. He banned circumcision. He burned all the copies of the Torah he could find. He instituted monthly inspections. Anyone found with a copy of the Torah or with a circumcised child was immediately killed. He desecrated the altar by sacrificing a pig on it. He forced the Jews to offer sacrifices to pagan gods. Finally, he placed an idol of Zeus in the temple. This was the act later known as the abomination of desolation. All this took place over a period of about three years, which aligns closely with the interpretation of the 2,300 evenings and mornings as referring to the evening and morning sacrifices which were removed during this time.

Gabriel says Antiochus will become “strong but not by his own power.” I believe this is a reference to Satan. Satan is the true power behind all who oppose God and God’s people. It also makes sense of the earlier apocalyptic language which depicted spiritual forces taking place behind the scenes.

Gabriel also says he will be destroyed “but not by human power.” History records that Antiochus died suddenly and painfully of what appeared to be natural causes. But according to Gabriel, there was nothing natural about it. His death was God’s judgment for his evil treatment of God’s people.

The temple sacrifices were eventually restored under Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C. The Maccabeans recaptured Jerusalem. They cleansed the temple and built a new altar. The dedication of this altar was called Hanukkah, which means dedication. Everything in the vision happened exactly as Gabriel foretold.

   D. Appalled and exhausted (26–27)

What was Daniel’s response to all this? He was appalled and exhausted. Look at verses 26–27:

“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.” I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding. (Dan. 8:26–27)

Gabriel tells Daniel the message is true, but he is to seal it up because it was not for his time. As we now know, these things would take place about four hundred years later during the time of Antiochus IV. Jesus in the New Testament saw this time of distress under Antiochus as a type of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and then also of the Antichrist in the end times (Matt. 24:15–16, 21–22).

Daniel is so overwhelmed by the vision that he collapses, lies ill for several days, and only then returns to his duties. He is appalled by what he has seen, the suffering this will mean for his people. Even with Gabriel’s explanation, the full weight of the vision is beyond his understanding.

CONCLUSION: That was a lot! Here’s a brief summary of the vision and its interpretation. Alexander the Great would defeat the Persian empire and rule the world (check — it happened). After Alexander died, his kingdom would be split among four kings (check — it happened). Out of one of those kingdoms, another king would arise who would set himself up against God and God’s people (check — it happened). This was Antiochus IV, who desecrated the temple and removed the daily sacrifices for a period of three years. All of this happened just as predicted in the vision and as described in the interpretation of the vision.

We’ve covered a lot of history in this message, a lot of what happened back then. Let me share with you some applications now for us today.

1) The fulfillment of predictive prophecy demonstrates the Bible as truly God’s word.

No human being could possibly give such detailed predictions of the future hundreds of years in advance. Only God knows the future, and only God could communicate such specific details of the future to us. You can trust the Bible you hold in your hands. It is God’s word, and the fulfillment of predictive prophecy is one of the strongest evidences of that.

2) God warns us about persecution ahead of time so we will be ready for it.

The battle between Satan and God is ongoing, and we are part of that battle. Satan cannot attack God directly, so he attacks God’s people instead. Therefore, we need to be ready for persecution. We need to be prepared to stand strong, knowing that God wins in the end and the enemy will ultimately be defeated.

3) Continue to serve God in your daily life.

I love Daniel’s example for us here. After recovering from the vision, instead of languishing in anxiety or wallowing in self-pity, he gets up and goes back to work.

Too often we read these visions in Daniel or Revelation, and we do one of two things. Either we’re paralyzed by anxiety and fear over it, or we become obsessed with it and all we do is study the future. But God has given us these warnings to prepare us, not to stifle us in anxiety or to overwhelm us with the future.

So like Daniel, we need to get back to work. There are people to love and to serve. There’s a gospel to share. There are tasks to be done and obligations to fulfill. When someone asked John Wesley what he would do if Christ returned the next day, he pulled out his diary and showed his calendar: “That, dear sir, is what I would do.”

Don’t worry about the future. God’s got this. Instead, follow Daniel’s example, and continue to serve God in your daily life.

© Ray Fowler

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