Daniel Chapter 8 Vs. 17

The Interpretation of the Vision

Daniel 8:17 "So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end [shall be] the vision."



where I stood:... Note the effects of angelic and the Divine Presence (v.17-18; 10:5-11; Gen. 15:12; Eze. 1:28; Mat. 17:6; Rev. 1:17).

This would be a frightening experience, to be this close to Gabriel. The worst fear would be the fact that God sent him, and told him what to say. He opens Daniel's understanding to the vision.

he said unto... The 13th prophecy in Daniel (Dan. 8:17, unfulfilled). Next, Dan. 8:19. This proves that the main object of the vision is to predict events at the end of the age in which we live, or just before the 2nd advent of Christ and His eternal reign (v. 19, 23-26; 2:40-45; 7:23-27; 9:27; 11:36-45; 12:7-13; Rev. 4:1-19:21).

time of the... Is a term likely having a double sense of fulfillment. First the “end” (as v.19), “final” or “latter period” (verses 19 and 23), and “appointed time” (v.19) refer to time late in the specific span that the historical prophecy has in view. That time is the period defined by the empires in these verses, Persia (Ram) and Greece (Goat), when the Grecian sector will be divided into 4 parts (v.8).

One of these, the Syrian under Seleucus will eventually lead to Antiochus Epiphanes (175 to 164 B.C. as the “little horn” meant in v.9, which persecutes the people of Israel (v.10) and defies God (v.11).

Secondly, the “little horn” in v.9, the Antichrist in the last days at the time of the eschatological fulfillment, sees Antiochus as a pattern of the Antichrist, who in many ways will be like him, though far greater in power, and will exercise his career in the end of the age just before Christ’s return.





Understandably Daniel was terrified (cf. Dan. 7:15) by the appearance of the glorious messenger and fell prostrate before him. Referring to Daniel as a son of man (cf. See Eze. 2:1; not to be confused with Christ, the Son of Man), Gabriel explained that the vision pertained to the time of the end (cf. Dan. 8:19), that is, events future from Daniel’s day, events concerning the nation Israel under the Greek Empire.