The Prophecies of Daniel
Part 6: The Ram and the Goat (Daniel 8)
Well, if you’ve been keeping track we’ve reached the sixth week of our study of the prophecies found in the Old Testament book of Daniel. I hope that you’ve enjoyed the teachings so far, or at the very least can say that you’ve learned something new.
Up to this point we’ve studied the first two prophecies of Daniel. The first one was the dream given to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar concerning the great metal statue. And the second one was the vision of the four wild beasts coming out of the sea given to the prophet Daniel himself. Both visions foretold the panorama of Gentile power in the Middle East from Babylon to the Revelation of Christ and the Millennium to follow.
I. The Third Vision
Today we are going to start the third vision given to Daniel of the ram and the goat. I hope you had a chance to read chapter eight of Daniel this week and familiarize yourself with the vision.
A. Timing of Third Vision
Let’s begin by reading verse 1 of Daniel 8. “In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me.”
This third vision is taking place about two years after the one Daniel received about the four wild beasts. Babylon is still in power, and Daniel and his people are still being held captive there. The third year of Belshazzar’s reign is an interesting one. For this is the year in which the Babylonian Empire fell.
So, only months before the night of the infamous feast and the handwriting on the wall, God gives Daniel this vision of the ram and the goat. For the first time, God is going to put names to the future world empires, which up to this point He has not.
You see, we’ve been studying these empires as part of history, except of course for the last one. So we’ve been able to interpret some of the details that Daniel could not, because he was living in the time of the first empire. While Daniel knew from the “Dream Image” of Nebuchadnezzar that there were to be four world empires that were to succeed each other, he was not told their names, except for the first, Babylon. Bot even in his vision of the four wild beasts were the names of the kingdoms that were to succeed Babylon given. But in this vision of the ram and the goat the Medo-Persian Empire and the Grecian Empire are named, and Daniel will start to be able to make some connections between these three visions that we have already been able to make.
B. Purpose of Vision
So the purpose of this third vision is twofold. The first purpose of this vision is to inform Daniel what empires, by name, were going to follow Babylon, since Babylon would fall within a couple months of this vision being given. And another purpose of this vision is to further trace the Little Horn or the Antichrist.
It’s interesting to realize that while the Old Testament book of Isaiah relates mainly to the revealing of Christ the Messiah, the visions of Daniel are for the purpose of unveiling the Antichrist. Perhaps no other book with the possible exception of Revelation tells us more about who the Antichrist will be, what he will do, and where he will come from than the book of Daniel. And this third vision is going to give us more information as to his place of origin.
Now let’s continue with verse two, “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.”
This verse gives us a sense of place so that when we start talking about directions in further verses, we have a starting pointing already. Daniel is physically in Babylon when he receives this vision. But in the vision, he finds himself in the city of Susa in the province of Elam. Susa is the capital city of the Persian Empire. [The city is still in existence today in Iran called Shush. It is also believed that Daniel is buried in this ancient city.] I believe the significance of where this vision took place is that God was telling Daniel where the next world power would be coming from - Persia.
II. The Ram
Okay, so let’s look at the vision and start by examining the ram. Daniel 8:3-4,”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. [4] 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.”
Just like with Daniel’s other vision, we are dealing with beasts or animals that are representing the Gentile empires that will hold sway in the Middle East. So while representing the empires, these beasts are also going to be telling us more about the people that make up these empires, specifically their leaders.
Then in verse 20 we have the interpretation of this ram. “The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.” Wow! That was simple. The ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire. No extra searching for the meaning of that one!
The fact that the Persian Empire chose the ram as its national emblem just further identifies them as the empire to which God is referring. Coins have been discovered in ancient Persia which display a ram’s head on one side, and a ram recumbent on the other. It’s also said that one of the kings of Persia rode in front of his army wearing a golden figure of a ram’s head set with gems.
A. The Horns
So knowing the identity of the ram, we should be able to easily correlate the rest of the information given about it with what we know from the last two visions. Since the ram is Medo-Persia then it corresponds with the bear of the last vision and the arms and chest of silver on the statue. This you can see from the handout I gave you.
Verse three tells us that on this two-horned ram, “One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later.”
Once again God is showing us that this will be a dual kingdom. The two horns stand for the two nations combined in one empire the - Medes and the Persians. The fact that one horn is larger than the other shows us that one nation was stronger than the other. This corresponds to the one side of the bear that was raised up and the stronger right arm and shoulder of the statue. All three of these symbols stand for the Persians, which were the stronger people of the two. The fact that the larger horn grew up later is telling us that the Persians are the younger of the two nations.
B. Directions of His Charge
God also gives us some further information about this Persian Empire before the fact. He says that the ram, “charged toward the west and the north and the south.” Those directions are specific and confirm that He is telling Daniel that the Persian Empire is the empire that will follow the Babylonians.
If you look at the map, which I included in your handouts you will see the three directions in which the Persian Empire expanded. It went west to conquer Babylon. It moved northward (northwest) toward Lydia, and southward to conquer Egypt. By the way, remember from the vision of the four beasts, the bear had three ribs in its mouth which also stood for Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt.
III. The Goat
Let’s turn our attention to the next beast of this vision. Read with me verses 5-7, “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. [6] He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. [7] 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.”
And of course the angel Gabriel gives us the interpretation of this passage in verse 21, “The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.” Isn’t it nice when the interpretation is laid out so easily before you?
The goat that attacks and destroys the ram represents the Grecian Empire, which follows Medo-Persia in the line of succession. The fast moving goat, who crosses the earth without touching the ground, denoting its speed, corresponds to the swiftly moving leopard of Daniel seven and the belly and thighs of brass or bronze from Daniel 2.
Verse five also tells us the goat came from the west. If you are standing in Persia like Daniel was when he received this vision, then Macedonia or Greece is to the west.
It’s also fascinating to note that God gave us the heraldic symbol for Greece, the goat, over 200 years before the empire even existed. ‘The national emblem of Greece was the goat, and is found on coins of that country, the ancient capital of which was Aegae, or the “goat city,” while the adjoining waters were called the Aegean, or “goat sea.”’ (Larkin)
Verse 21 also tells us that the large horn between the eyes of this goat stands for the first king of Greece, which is of course, Alexander the Great.
A. The Four Horns
And the vision of the goat continues in verse 8, “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.”
And verse 22 holds its interpretation, “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.”
Okay, once again we can see the correlation between the visions. The four heads of the leopard in chapter seven now correspond to the hour horns of this vision. And the angel Gabriel tells us clearly that these four horns are four kingdoms that will come out of the Greek Empire at the death of the first king.
We know from history that this is exactly what happened. At the death of Alexander the Great his empire was divided amongst his four generals. Cassander took Macedonia (Greece) and the western part. Lysimachus took Thrace (Turkey) and the northern part. Seleucus took Syria (Babylon, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon) and the eastern part. Ptolemy took Egypt and the southern part.
So, technically, these four horns can carry the names of the four kingdoms, which they represent. The four horns, therefore, are Macedonia or Greece, Thrace or Turkey, Syria and Egypt.
B. The Little Horn
Let’s continue on with verses 9-12, “Out of one of them [one of the four horns] came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. [10] 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. [11] It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host [Christ]; it took away the daily sacrifice from him [Christ], and the place of his sanctuary [temple or tabernacle] was brought low. [12] Because of rebellion, the host of the saints [Jews], and the daily sacrifice were given over to it [the horn]. It prospered in everything it did and truth was thrown to the ground.”
I don’t want to get into too much detail here, because I want to really talk about this little horn next week. But I hope by the description of it, you can tell who this horn represent. The Antichrist.
1. No Sacrifice or Sanctuary
One of the things the Antichrist is going to do during his reign of power on earth in to set himself up as a god to be worshipped. God tells Daniel that during this time the Jewish practice of daily sacrifice to God is going to be taken away from them and even the sanctuary or place of worship is going to be destroyed.
From the study of two weeks ago we said that the Antichrist is from the Middle East, and a Muslim. He will make a seven-year peace treaty with the Jewish people. Halfway through the seven-year period, or three and a half years into it, he is going to break the treaty. In what ways will he do this? We know that he is going to wage war against the Jews. But if he is Muslim then he is going to want to destroy everything Jewish, especially their religion and places of worship. And that is exactly what Daniel says will happen, the Antichrist, will stop the daily sacrifices and destroy or throw down His sanctuary.
Well, that leads to the question how will this happen? Presently there is no Temple or Tabernacle in Israel?
There are many reports coming out of Israel that the priests of the Temple Institute are readying everything in preparation of rebuilding their Temple in Jerusalem. Many if not all of the pieces of furniture and utensils used for the sacrifices in the Temple have been found or made according to the specifications found in the Bible. The priestly tribe of Levi is being identified through special markers in their DNA, so that when the Temple is ready the priests will also be ready to begin making the sacrifices and performing the daily rituals for the people. Now, I believe they are waiting for the birth of a perfect red heifer, which is needed to consecrate the Temple.
Everything is in readiness for the rebuilding of the Temple except that the site where the last two temples stood is the place where a sacred Muslim temple, the Dome of the Rock, also stands. Will the peace treaty that the Antichrist makes with the Jews have something to do with rebuilding their Temple? It appears that it will have something to do with it as it says in the verses we just read, that he will take away the sacrifices and destroy the sanctuary. Exactly what this treaty is going to allow the Jews to do, I don’t know. It seems highly unlikely that the Muslims would let the Jews anywhere near the Dome of the Rock especially if it is to build a temple to a God that is contrary to their own religious beliefs. We’ll have to wait and see.
(Two Witnesses in Revelation 11?)
2. Reason for Antichrist’s Power to Destroy
Another thing to note from this passage is the reason God gives for allowing the Antichrist to have such power over His people and to destroy His sanctuary. Verse 12 says it is because of rebellion. The Amplified Version of the Bible gives us a little more detail.
Daniel 8:12 (AMP), “And the host [the chosen people, the Jews] was given [to the wicked horn, Antichrist] together with the continual burnt offering because of the transgression [of God’s people – their abounding irreverence, ungodliness, and lack of piety]. And righteousness and truth were cast down to the ground, and it [the wicked horn] accomplished this [by divine permission] and prospered.”
So, with God’s permission, the Antichrist is going to be given power over the Jews, their religious practices and their sanctuary because they turned their back on God and have ignored Him. Today only about 18% of the Jews in Israel have any belief at all in a coming Messiah. The majority of Jews in Israel are secular, agnostic, and atheistic. So, the Jews are going to be judged during the Tribulation for their unbelief and rebellion and the Antichrist is going to be the one who brings that judgment upon them.
IV. The Angelic Conversation
While Daniel was pondering all these things about the ram, the goat, the horns, and the sanctuary he overheard a conversation between two holy ones whom I believe may have been angels. Let’s read the next two verses to hear what they said.
Daniel 8:13-14, “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?’ [14] He said to me, ‘It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.’”
Then in verse 26 the angel Gabriel says, “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.”
Verse 26 tells us something very important. It tells us that the time and events which the angels are discussing is going to happen in a time that is distant from when Daniel was receiving the vision.
It also says that the understanding of this part of the vision is to be sealed up, because it doesn’t concern the near future. It wasn’t something Daniel and his contemporaries would need to understand, because it wouldn’t be occurring in their lifetime or even the lifetimes of their children or grandchildren.
The understanding of this portion of the vision would come in the distant future when that understanding would be needed. Since we seem to have a certain level of understanding of this section today, we can safely assume that we are in the time frame of the distant future Gabriel was referring to.
Okay, now to the understanding of these verses. I’ve included a handout entitled Comparison of the Days of the End for you to look at as I try to explain the timing for you.
A. 2300 Days
The question the first angel asked is how long will the Jews be without sanctuary or sacrifices because of their sins and rebellion? The answer to this question was 2,300 evenings and mornings. The term “evenings and mornings” can be a bit confusing to the modern reader, but it is a Hebrew phrase that refers to a single twenty-four hour day. So, the sanctuary and sacrifices will be taken away from the Jewish people for a period of 2,300 days.
Right away you probably notice that this is a different length of time than the one given to Daniel in chapter seven. In chapter seven we are told that the Antichrist will be allowed to wage war and suppress the Jews for three and a half years or 1,260 days.
But here we have a time period of 2,300 days or 6 years, 4 months and 20 days. How do we explain the difference? The difference is that the first amount of time (3 ½ years) is the length of time the Antichrist will be allowed to reign on earth. It is the length of the Great Tribulation or the Reign of Terror. The second, longer amount of time is telling us how long the Jews will be without their sanctuary and sacrifices (2,300 days).
Now, since the Antichrist will desecrate the sanctuary at the beginning of his reign, we can see that these two periods of time overlap. The Antichrist’s reign of terror will end three and a half years later. But it will take another two years, 10 months, and 20 days before the sanctuary is restored, cleansed and ready for the sacrifices and worship to begin again.
So, the difference between the two times is that they are referring to two different events occurring simultaneously. If you think about it, the sanctuary can’t even begin to be restored and re-consecrated until after the Antichrist is defeated and his reign comes to an end. So naturally, the time the Israelites are without a sanctuary would have to be longer than the reign of their oppressor.
We’ll stop there today. Next week we’re going to examine the little horn again in more detail because I believe this passage is telling us more about where the Antichrist will come from.
Sermon Sources:
The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, New International Version. Edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. AMG Publishers. Chattanooga, TN. Copyright 1996.
Larkin, Rev. Clarence. The Book of Daniel. Clarence Larkin Estate, Glenside, PA. Copyright 1929.
Larkin, Rev. Clarence. The Book of Revelation. Clarence Larkin Estate, Glenside, PA. Copyright 1919.
Lindsey, Hal. Study of Daniel. Series on CD.
Stone, Dr. Perry. Preparing the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Two-hour CD teaching. Copyright 2007. www.perrystone.org. Voice of Evangelism.
