Prophetic Times To The End - Part Four

Prophetic Times To The End

Daniel Chapter 8

The vision of the Ram and He-Goat:

Dan. 8:1 Daniel received a vision in the third year of the reign of Belshazzer the king, (551 B.C). This vision appeared to Daniel after his initial vision. We see that this vision was received at the end of the Babylonian reign the first world empire, as Belshazzar was the last ruler of that monarchy in the city of Babylon. (Ref. Dan. 5:29-31).

Dan. 8:2 Daniel viewed his vision and it came about that while he was watching, he found that he was at the citadel of Susa the capital city of the provience of Elam; Daniel kept watching in the vision, he found himself beside the Ulai Canal or river through the city.

Dan. 8:3 Daniel lifted up his head and while looking a ram that had two horns was standing in front of the river. Daniel says both the horns were long but one was longer than the other, with the longer horn coming up last. We know from Dan. 7 horns represent – strength, arrogant pride, and political and military powers.

Dan. 8:4 Daniel saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him, (we see from this vision of Daniel that this individual is executing his strength, arrogant pride and political and military might toward all these regions). Daniel tells us there wasn’t anyone in these regions that could be rescued from his hand of power; Daniel says that this king did as he pleased and magnified himself and his kingdom above all. (Ref. This is the kingdom of Medo-Persia. We saw earlier as the Second world Empire in Dan. 7:5)

Dan. 8:5 Daniel kept observing in the vision before him, and he sees a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; (We can see the relevant swiftness of a leopard with four wings of birds on its back revealed to us here, even though Daniel’s vision represents at this time a male goat of great swiftness). Daniel says that the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.

Dan. 8:6 Daniel sees the male goat come up to the ram that had the two horns which Daniel saw by the river. The male goat rushed at the ram in a mighty wrath. We see here two kingdoms one in place and another who is willing to take the first ones place in dominance of the Mediterranean World.

Dan. 8:7 Daniel sees the male goat come beside the ram, again he tells us the male goat was enraged at the ram; Then Daniel sees the male goat strike the ram and shatters his two horns relieving the ram of his power. The ram was hurled to the ground and trampled and Daniel says there was no one to rescue the ram from the male goat’s power and now the kingdom of Greece has been given dominion over the entire Mediterranean world. (Ref. Dan. 7:6).

Dan 8:8 Then the male goat became very strong, with an arrogant pride, and subjugated all the populace with political and military power. Daniel says that shortly after he was mighty, the large horn was broken (Alexander the Great died at the age of 32); and in “its” place (male goat) there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. These kingdoms would be spread toward the four corners of the known world of the day for their appointed time to rule over their individual kingdoms.

Dan. 8:9 Daniel sees in his vision yet, and out of one of the kingdoms comes forth an individual to consume the others, (this is the little horn I related to in Dan.7) this small horn grows exceedingly great toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the Holy Land Palestine. (This prophecy was fulfilled 171-164 BC by Antiochus Epiphanies reign, who came out of Syria).

Dan. 8:10 Daniel in this segment of his vision sees a glimpse of the one who controls and influences the world leaders. Satan himself (Ref. Isa. 14:13-17) Daniel tells us that Satan caused some of the stars to fall to the earth with him at his fall from grace with God the Father. (Ref. Rev.12:4) and he trampled them down says Daniel. This refers to the nation Israel the people of God. Antiochus Epiphanies set himself up as the ruler of God’s people and made them worship him. At every step in their lives he forbade them to follow their religious practices (removing the daily sacrifice). He desecrated the temple of god, He so despised the truth contained in God’s word that the truth was said to be thrown to the ground. For he demanded for himself the authority and worship that belongs to God. We can see that from Isa. 14:13-17 that Satan is still attempting to accomplish through rulers and principalities, trying to lift himself up above God the Father.