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

Daniel 8

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.

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.

Daniel 8:⁹ And out of one of them (the four notable horns) came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.

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.

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

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

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.”

• (Daniel 12:11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation (the desecration that makes desolate) is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days)

• (Daniel 12:¹² Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. Hanukah is the celebration of the cleansing and re-dedication of the temple after Antiochus IV defiled it. )

• There are 1,260 days from the desecration of desolation when the Antichrist begins his 3-1/2 year reign in Jerusalem. It is the day of the desecration of desolation; the day when the Antichrist stands in the holy of holies of the third temple and declares he is “god”.

• (Daniel 11:36 is the desecration that causes desolation.)

• Note from Carol Brooks:
  http://www.inplainsite.org/html/seven_feasts_of_israel.html#FOI-06
  “1,335 days is exactly 75 days more than the 1260 days (3-1/2 years) that the Antichrist will reign (in Jerusalem). So, if the Antichrist is destroyed on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur at Jesus’ return), then the extra 75 days lands us directly on the first day of Chanukah (Hanukah) in the future.”

• Hanukah is the day of the dedication of the second temple. The Hanukah in the future will be the day when the temple of the New Jerusalem, which comes out of heaven, is dedicated.

• There is no temple because Jesus is the temple. There is no light because Jesus is the Light.

Daniel’s Dates are tied to Jewish Feasts of the High Holy Days and Hanukah

NOTE: The chart above reveals a prophetic pattern that involves afflicting one’s soul for ten days during the High Holy Days.

The ten days begin with “The Feast of Trumpets” (for two days), and end with the “Day of Atonement” (one day). The “gap” between leaves seven days of affliction. These seven days symbolize a prophetic Seven-Year Tribulation, where, in its middle, at “1,260 days”, the “abomination of desolation” occurs, leaving another “1,260 days” before the Tribulation ends. Historically, the Abomination of Desolation occurred when Antiochus IV Epiphanes defiled the Holy of Holies, later causing the Jews to cleanse the temple on a feast called Hanukkah. Hanukkah always happens 75 days after the Day of Atonement.

Taking the 1,260 days from the middle of the Tribulation to its end, then adding 75 days for the cleansing of the temple, totals 1,335 days.

This pattern affirms that the 1,335 days in Daniel 12:11 illustrate that those who can stay alive for the last half of the Seven-Year tribulation to make it for another 75 days, will be part of the cleansing of the “temple” in the New Jerusalem.

• This pattern is still only prophetic. A believer should be prepared for the rapture at any imminent moment simply because prophecy is prophecy until it happens, regardless of arguments one way or another.

• One argument against this pattern is that nobody knows the day or the hour. Paul writes two verses that are worth consideration:
  
  I Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. (Jesus’ return)
  I Thessalonians 5:4
  BUT you, brethren, are NOT in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief (Jesus takes His bride in the rapture).

• Regardless, each person should be exhorted to live as though they will face the Lord in the blink of an eye (whether by rapture, death, or return)

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

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

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.

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.

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 will be destroyed by Jesus at Jesus’ return.
• Jesus will chase him down to capture and slay him.
• He is referred to as the “Leviathan” because he is indwelt by Satan, the dragon.
  Isaiah 27:1 – Israel Will Be Restored – In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.

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.

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

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

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