Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Daniel 8

• Note: Daniel resumes writing in Hebrew (from Aramaic) in Daniel 8:1.

Vision of a Ram and a Goat

Daniel 8:¹ In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar (Immediately prior to Belshazzar’s party and demise) a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time.

• The vision of the four beasts from Daniel chapter 7. Both visions are in regard to gentile kingdoms who will rule over the Jews.

Daniel 8:² I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan (Or Susa), the citadel (Or fortified palace), which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai.

Daniel 8:³ Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high (long); but one was higher (longer) than the other, and the higher (longer) one came up last (later).

Daniel 8:⁴ I saw the ram pushing (warring, charging) westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal (kingdom) could withstand (Lit. stand before him) him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

Daniel 8:⁵ And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

Daniel 8:⁶ Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.

Daniel 8:⁷ And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, (the goat, Alexander the Great) attacked (Lit. struck) the ram (Darius III), and broke his two horns (powers of the Medes and the Persians). There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

Daniel 8:⁸ Therefore the male goat (Alexander the Great) grew very great;
but when he became strong, the (one) large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.

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Daniel 8:⁹ And out of one of them (the four notable horns which is Syria as foretold by The Kings of the North and the Kings of the South in Daniel 11) came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.

• Out of Alexander the Great’s generals comes one from Syria who will be like the coming Antichrist, both of which are involved in sinister schemes.

• ►The “little horn” is prophetic of the coming Antichrist who will rule during the seven year tribulation, which is Daniel’s 70^th week. (Daniel Chapter Nine)
• He will grow exceedingly great toward Egypt, Syria, and Jerusalem. He will grow great in the Mideast.
• He begins as a little horn but becomes a global leader, and when he is indwelt by Satan he becomes a beast in the sea of people, a sea monster, which is the Leviathan ruling in Jerusalem during the seven year tribulation.

• ►The Antichrist will come from one of the four notable horns. He grows great toward Egypt and Syria which limits the horns to two options: either the lineage of Ptolemy or the lineage of Seleucus.  
• In Daniel chapter 11, Antiochus Ephiphemes IV was Syrian, the descendant of one of Alexander the Great’s Greek general Seleucius. He is the foreshadow of the Antichrist to come.
• Therefore; it is easily concluded that the Antichrist will be Syrian.

• A prophetic verse from Micah about these latter times:
  • And this One (Jesus) shall be peace. (Judgment on Israel’s Enemies) When the Assyrian comes into our land, and when he treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight princely men. Micah 5:5

• ►Every event by Antiochus IV will be repeated during the tribulation. Antiochus fulfilled everything in Daniel’s visions, and yet Jesus spoke of the fact that there will be another abomination of desolation to come, and John, in Revelation specifies it will happen in the middle of the seven year tribulation.

• ►Not only is there scriptural evidence of the Antichrist being Syrian (of Antiochus IV’s stock) but Amalekite as well. Amalek is a son of Esau’s first-born son Eliphaz and of his concubine Timna. The Battle of Gog and Magog is set to occur during the seven year tribulation. The name “Gog” is also known as “Agag” who was the king of the Amalekites. The Septuagint in Hosea declares that Gog is the king of the locusts in Revelation. It appears Ezekiel 38:17 is declaring that Gog is the Antichrist.
  
  • Ezekiel 38:17 ^“Thus says the Lord God: ‘Are you he (Gog) of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?’”
  • Haman was a descendant of Amalek. If King Saul had killed Amalek as God had instructed, there would never have been Hamen who wanted to exterminate the Jews. 
  • Therefore; I surmise the Antichrist is both Syrian – and a descendant of Esau (Edom) Amalekite.

• Who are the Syrians?
  • I  Chronicles 18:12 and II Samuel 8:13 calls the Edomites (of Esau) “Syrians”.
  • Therefore: both are descendants of Esau. (Called Edom because of red clay: hence are associated with miry, or potter’s clay.)

Daniel 8:¹⁰ And it (the “little horn” Antichrist indwelt by Satan) grew up (grew in power) to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.

• Jesus declared He saw Satan falling to the earth (thrown out of heaven).
  • Luke 10:18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning (barak) from (O’) heaven (bama).
    
• Yet Rev 12:7 says Satan is thrown out of heaven.
  • Revelation 12:7 Satan Thrown Out of Heaven – And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
    
• Therefore; Jesus must have seen the future of Satan when He made that pronouncement.
  • With this reasoning, Isaiah also saw the future when he described how Satan was going to set his throne in the heavens (through the Antichrist).
  • Isaiah 14:13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation (the temple) on the farthest sides of the north;

• This concept fits perfectly with this portion of scripture when the Antichrist attacks Jerusalem and removes the daily sacrifices.

• This satanic Antichrist pulls the Jews down, and tramples (persecutes) them. (The twelve stars in Revelation 12 are the twelve Jewish Tribes)

Daniel 8:¹¹ He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary (temple) was cast down.

• ►Everything in and around the Holy of Holies is about Jesus. The Ark of the Covenant has the mercy seat where the blood is applied and represents the bed of Jesus in His tomb with two cherubs at the head and at the foot.
• When the Antichrist declares that he is god in the Holy of Holies he places himself as high as the Prince of the host.
• ►The Prince of the host is Jesus who is the Prince of the Father. He is referred to in scripture as the “Right Arm”; a term used for the first born son of a king and rightful heir to the throne, the prince.
• ►The Antichrist enters the Holy of Holies and declares that he is god (in the place of Jesus)

• ► Jesus spoke of this event:
  • Matthew 24:15 [The Great Tribulation] “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
  • Mark 13:14 [The Great Tribulation] “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,

• ►Antiochus IV fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy but there is another to come because Jesus referred to this event in the future of Jesus’ time. This is why Antiochus IV is the “foreshadow” of the Antichrist.

Daniel 8:¹² Because of transgression (sin), an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

• In these things, scripture refers to both Antiochus and the coming Antichrist.
• An army is given to him: perhaps the ten kings.

Daniel 8:¹³ Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

Daniel 8:¹⁴ And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days (Lit. evening-mornings); then (plus) the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

Daniel 8:¹⁵ Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.

Daniel 8:¹⁶ And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

Daniel 8:¹⁷ So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”

Daniel 8:¹⁸ Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.

Daniel 8:¹⁹ And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be.

• The latter time begins with the coming seven year tribulation also called the time of indignation.

Daniel 8:²⁰ The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.

• The dragon has seven heads representing the seven kingdoms who will rule over the Jews
• The Medes and Persians (Cyrus) is the second head on the seven headed dragon.
• The Antichrist is the 7th head on the dragon.
• See: The Leviathan (sea monster, sea dragon, dragon) in the sea of people. Compare the Leviathan with Nebuchadnezzar’s statue of kingdoms in Chapter 12.

Daniel 8:²¹ And the male (shaggy male) goat is the kingdom (Lit. king, representing his kingdom, Dan. 7:17, 23) of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.

Alexander the Great

Daniel 8:²² As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.

Daniel 8:²³ “And in the latter time of their kingdom (the seven year tribulation),
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
Having fierce features (Lit. Countenance),
Who understands sinister schemes.

• The little horn, the Antichrist.
• The Antichrist cannot be Titus. Titus was part of the Roman Empire which is the 6th head on the dragon.
• The Antichrist is the 7th head on the dragon. The kingdoms who have and will rule over the Jews.
  See: The Leviathan (sea monster, sea dragon, dragon) in the sea of people. Chapter 12
• Note: the ten horns are on the last head of the dragon (Satan). The Antichrist is the seventh head and the ten horns are ten kings who give their power to the Antichrist (beast) for a period of one hour. The ten horns, ten kings, are also the ten toes on Nebuchadnezzar’s statue.

Daniel 8:²⁴ His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;

• Not by his own power means he is indwelt by Satan and has been given Satan’s power.

He shall destroy fearfully (Or extraordinarily),
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

• The holy people are the Jews. During the seven year tribulation, God is once again giving His entire focus on the Jews to bring them to Himself.
• The Age of Grace is over. Like Noah’s Ark, once the door closed (the rapture) it’s too late.
• Now the flood of destruction comes.  They neglected so great a salvation.

Daniel 8:²⁵ “Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule (Lit. hand);
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes (Jesus who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords);
But he shall be broken without human means (Lit. hand).

• He raised (positioned) himself against the Prince of princes in the Holy of Holies (in the spiritual realm) but in three and a half years the Antichrist and his armies will meet Jesus and his armies at Armageddon. Literally or symbolically it will be after the pattern of Yom Kippur at Jesus’ return to earth, His second advent. (See chart below, last column YOM KIPPUR)

See notes in verse 14 concerning “patterns” which may be symbolic or literal. It would appear the Patterns of the Jewish Feasts being linked to the tribulation lend credence to the above chart for the seven year tribulation.

Daniel 8:²⁶ “And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.”

Daniel 8:²⁷ And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished (amazed) by the vision, but no one understood it.

REVIEW: VISIONS, BEAST, DRAGON, STATUE Daniel’s dreams and visions combine with other scriptures to paint a complete picture of the kings of history and the kings of the future who have and will rule over the Jews.

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Daniel 8 {1 of 5} Daniel 8 – History
Daniel 8 {2 of 5} Daniel 8-Antiochus IV and the Antichrist
Daniel 8 {3 of 5} Daniel 8-Mystery of Daniel’s 1,335 Days
Daniel 8 {4 of 5} Daniel 8-Symbolism
Daniel 8 {5 of 5} Daniel 8-End Time Prophecies

See Daniel and Ezekiel’s Visions Timeline during Daniel’s 70 Years

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