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Daniel VIII - The Ram, He-Goat and Little Horn (8:1-27)

Julian Spriggs M.A.

Related articles

Interpreting OT Prophets The Babylonian empire
The Persian empire The Greek Empire - Alexander the Great
The 400 silent years The Ptolemies and the Seleucids
Antiochus IV Epiphanes How to understand Eschatology

Commentary

I: Daniel's training and testing (Dan 1:1-21) II: Dream of a statue (Dan 2:1-49)
III: The fiery furnace (Dan 3:1-30) IV: Nebuchadnezzar's pride and punishment (Dan 4:1-37)
V: Belshazzar's Feast (Dan 5:1-31) VI: In the lion's den (Dan 6:1-28)
VII: Four beasts and four kingdoms (Dan 7:1-28) VIII: The ram, he-goat and little horn (Dan 8:1-27)
IX: Daniel's prayer and 70 weeks (Dan 9:1-27) X: Vision of the future of Israel (Dan 10:1 - 12:13)

Prev - Daniel VII Next - Daniel IX

Section Introduction

Chapter 8 marks the point when the text returns to the Hebrew language, and the focus is on God’s people, the Jews.

Introduction to the vision (8:1-2)

The next vision came two years after the previous vision, in the third year of Belshazzar. The year is now 550 BC, so Daniel would now be about 65 years old. This was the year that Cyrus the Great formed the alliance between Media and Persia by conquering Media, making Persia the new world power. Daniel was by the River Ulai, but in the vision he saw himself as being in Susa, in the province of Elam. Susa was the setting of the Book of Esther, and Elam was the land where Cyrus the Great came from.

A ram charging west and north and south (8:3-4)

The ram is identified as Media-Persia (v20). In the two previous visions (ch 2 & 7), Media and Persia were two separate kingdoms, and represented by two different metals or beasts. This vision came in 550 BC, the year Media was taken over and united with Persia, making Media-Persia a joint kingdom, which explains why it is represented by a single beast in this vision.

This ram had two horns, one longer than the other, the longer one coming up second (v3). Media was the older empire, represented by the shorter horn, while Persia arose later and became stronger, being represented by the longer horn. Under the rule of Cyrus, Persia rapidly expanded in all directions, but not to the east.

The male goat (8:5-8)

The male goat that came from the west is identified as Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is their first king, who was Alexander the Great (v21). His rapid conquests are described as the ram coming across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground (v5). Alexander attacked Media-Persia at the Battle of Issus in 333 BC, and quickly conquered the whole Persian empire. The ram (Media-Persia) did not have the power to withstand the forces of Alexander (v7).

The male goat (Alexander) grew exceedingly great (v8), but at the height of his power he died suddenly in Babylon in 323 BC, aged 33. His sudden death is described as the great horn being broken. Alexander left no heirs. The story is that when asked on his deathbed who should succeed him, he said "Let the strongest". This inevitably resulted in a civil war, which ended with the division of his empire between four of his generals: Seleucus (Syria), Ptolemy (Egypt), Cassander (Greece) and Lysimachus (Asia Minor). These are represented by the four prominent horns that come up in the place of the male goat (v8).

The little horn (8:9-14)

Out of one of the four prominent horns came a little horn. This is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who rose up from Seleucus’s empire (Syria), and grew exceedingly great towards the south and east from Syria, and towards Israel, "the beautiful land" (v9). "It grew as high as the host of heaven" (v10) could refer to Antiochus claiming to be Zeus made manifest. Throwing down the stars does not need to mean physical stars, but could be taken more symbolically. When the author of 2 Maccabees described the death of Antiochus, he described him as "the man who a little while before had thought he could touch the stars of heaven" (2 Macc 9:10). 'Stars' in Daniel sometimes refers to the righteous or wise men (12:3), those Jews who remained loyal to God even to death at the hand of the armies of Antiochus.

"The prince of the host" (v11) probably refers to the last Aaronic high priest, Onias III, who was deposed by Antiochus and later executed. Antiochus did take away the regular burnt offering and overthrew the place of the sanctuary (v11) when he stopped the Jewish sacrifices and dedicated the temple to Zeus (1 Macc 1:20-64).

Another heavenly being asks the question how long will this transgression that makes desolate go on for (v13). The answer is for 2300 evenings and mornings (v14), recognising that the Jewish day started in the evening. This answer means that 2300 regular burnt offerings will not be conducted, so the desolation of the temple will last for 1150 days, which is about three years and two months. The temple was desecrated on 16th December 167 BC when the pig was sacrificed. The regular burnt offerings were stopped earlier in 167 BC. The temple was rededicated on 16th December 164 BC (25th Chislev) (1 Macc 4:52-58), exactly three years after the initial sacrifice of a pig (1 Macc 4:54). This rededication of the temple is still remembered every year in the festival of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication (John 10:22). Josephus wrote that Antiochus took Jerusalem by force and held it for three years and three months (Wars of the Jews. Preface 7).

Interpretation for Daniel (8:15-26)

The angel Gabriel was instructed to help Daniel understand the vision (v16), so he explains the vision to Daniel, giving more details. However, even after the explanation, Daniel still did not understand it (v27). When we read it, we have the benefit of hindsight, and can understand more because we know what happened in history, which was still the unknown future to Daniel. The interpretation of predictive prophecy is normally much clearer after the events that are predicted have taken place. Before its fulfilment, the interpretation of the prophecy often remains a mystery (eg. Acts 8:30-35).

Gabriel tells Daniel to understand that the vision is for the time of the end (v17). It is easy to assume that this means the end of the world, and the final judgement, something still future for us. However, in the Book of Daniel, the time of the end refers to the oppression of the Jews by Antiochus, the final fall of Greece and the coming of the Messiah, all of which were still in the distant future from Daniel’s perspective (v26). Again we see Daniel being physically overwhelmed with the visions, falling in a trance (v18), and being overcome and sick for some days, and being dismayed about the vision (v27), probably because of the descriptions of the dreadful suffering and persecution of the Jews that was coming.

After picking Daniel up off the ground, Gabriel again says that this vision is later in the period of wrath, referring to the appointed time of the end (v19). He explains that the two horns of the ram were the kings of Media and Persia (v20), the male goat is the king of Greece (v21), and the four kingdoms arising out of the broken horn (v22), which do not have his power.

Greater detail is given about the little horn (v23-25), which will rise at the end of the rule of the four kingdoms. Here he is described as "a king of bold countenance". He is described as being skilled in intrigue (v23), being cunning, and making deceit prosper (v25), all of which are accurate descriptions of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He will cause fearful destruction, and destroy the people of the holy ones (v24), a prediction of the terrible suffering of the Jews under his rule. "In his own mind he shall be great" (v25) refers to his deluded belief of him being a manifestation of Zeus, God made manifest.

"He shall be broken, and not by human hands" (v25). While raiding temple in Persia, Antiochus was struck down with a horrible, painful and fatal disease in his bowels. This is described in 2 Maccabees. When he heard that his forces had been defeated by the Maccabees, he was transported with rage, and commanded his chariot driver to speed without stopping from Persia to Jerusalem, declaring, "When I get there, I will make Jerusalem a cemetery of Jews". But the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him with an incurable and invisible blow. As soon as he stopped speaking he was seized with a pain in his bowels, for which there was no relief, and with sharp internal tortures ..." (2 Macc 9). His arrogance continued almost to the end.

Daniel was told that the vision of the evenings and mornings refers to many days from now (v26). The sufferings of the Jews would take place long after Daniel’s lifetime. We know now that the rise of Antiochus was about four hundred years in the future.

Prev - Daniel VII Next - Daniel IX

Related articles

Interpreting OT Prophets The Babylonian empire
The Persian empire The Greek Empire - Alexander the Great
The 400 silent years The Ptolemies and the Seleucids
Antiochus IV Epiphanes How to understand Eschatology

Commentary

I: Daniel's training and testing (Dan 1:1-21) II: Dream of a statue (Dan 2:1-49)
III: The fiery furnace (Dan 3:1-30) IV: Nebuchadnezzar's pride and punishment (Dan 4:1-37)
V: Belshazzar's Feast (Dan 5:1-31) VI: In the lion's den (Dan 6:1-28)
VII: Four beasts and four kingdoms (Dan 7:1-28) VIII: The ram, he-goat and little horn (Dan 8:1-27)
IX: Daniel's prayer and 70 weeks (Dan 9:1-27) X: Vision of the future of Israel (Dan 10:1 - 12:13)

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