Daniel Chapter 8 Vs. 2

 Daniel's Vision of the Ram and the Goat

Daniel 8:2 "And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I [was] at Shushan [in] the palace, which [is] in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai."

province of Elam... The Hebrew name of a region lying east of Babylonia and extending to the mountains of Media to the northeast, and along the Persian Gulf to the borders of ancient Persis in the south. Its two divisions were Elam proper in the north and Anshan in the south, the latter being an independent kingdom until it was annexed by Persia about 600 B.C. Cyrus the Great was hereditary "Prince of Anshan." The capital of Elam was Susa or Shushan. The Elamites were from Shem (Gen. 10:22). Elam was a rival of Babylonia. They were allies for a long period due to a common enemy, the Assyrians, who under Assurbanipal conquered Elam and Babylonia about 645 B.C. Susa was taken and many Elamites and others were deported to Samaria (Ezr. 4:9; 2Ki. 17:24). Upon the breaking up of the Assyrian Empire by Nebuchadnezzar and the Medes about 606 B.C., the Assyrian Empire was divided among the Medes, Lydians, and Babylonians. About 553 B.C., Cyrus the Great, king of the Persians and a subject of the Median king, revolted and captured the Median king. The Persians conquered Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt and held sway over them until Alexander the Great, about 336 B.C.

river of Ulai... The Eulaeus canal which divided Shushan from Elymais (or Susa); now called the Kerkah river.

Shushan was a chief city of the Medo-Persian Empire. It was the capitol of the land of Elam. Shushan or Susa was a Persian royal city about two hundred miles east of Babylon where Daniel was at the time.

The Hebrew name of a region lying east of Babylonia and extending to the mountains of Media to the northeast, and along the Persian Gulf to the borders of ancient Persis in the south. Its two divisions were Elam proper in the north and Anshan in the south, the latter being an independent kingdom until it was annexed by Persia about 600 B.C. 

Elam was named for the first son of Shem the first born of Noah.

In his vision Daniel saw himself in the palace in Susa, one of the Persian royal cities, more than 200 miles east of Babylon on the Ulai Canal. A century later the Persian king Xerxes built a magnificent palace there, which was where the events recorded in the Book of Esther took place (cf. Est. 1:2). And Nehemiah was King Artaxerxes’ cupbearer in the Susa palace (Neh. 1:1).

Romans Chapter 5 Vs. 8

 

Peace with God Through Faith

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:8

Christ died for... Blessings of Christ’s Death

1. All Ten Blessings of Romans 5

2. Propitiation through faith (Rom. 3:25)

3. Demonstration of God’s love (Rom. 5:8)

4. Redemption (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Tit. 2:14; 1Pet. 1:18-23; Rev. 5:9)

5. A proper offering of God (Eph. 5:2)

6. A substitute for us (Rom. 5:6; Gal. 1:4)

7. Peace with God (Col. 1:20)

8. The ransom paid (1Tim. 2:6)

9. Sanctification (Heb. 10:10-14)

10. Man brought near to God (Eph. 2:13)

11. The old law abolished (Eph. 2:14-17; Col. 2:14-17; 2Cor. 3:6-15)

12. Healing (Mat. 8:17; 1Pet. 2:24)

In verse eight above, it is as if God forced His love to be shown by His mighty hand. The word “commendeth” means more than just give.

The greatest love ever known was when God the Father gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross for you and me that we might be saved. The mystery of it all is He does not wait until we are good enough to be saved.

However, God’s love contrasts with human love in both nature and degree, because God demonstrates (“keeps on showing”) His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (hyper, “in our place”). Though a few people might possibly be willing to die to save the lives of good people, though that is rare, Christ went well beyond that. He died in the place of the powerless (“feeble,” Rom. 5:6), the ungodly (Rom. 5:6; 4:5), sinners (Rom. 5:8), and even His enemies! (Rom. 5:10).

Daniel Chapter 8 Vs.1

 

Vision of the Ram and the He-goat

Daniel 8:1 "In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, [even unto] me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first."


This is another vision of Daniel. It is not the same as the vision in chapter 7. The last vision was of the end times. This vision deals with Media, Persia, and Greece leading up to the end times.

With chapter 8, the text originally recorded in Hebrew, the Chaldee section (2:4-7:28) having been completed. This is appropriate since the rest of the book is concerned with God’s program for Israel.

This vision came two years latter than the one in chapter 7, giving additional information on some questions. Each vision was complete in itself, but both helpful to an understanding of the whole truth of the future.

The Vision

The preparation

The vision recorded by Daniel in Dan. 8:1-27 came to him two years after the vision of Dan. 7:1-28 (cf. Belshazzar’s third year, Dan. 8:1, with his “first year,” Dan. 7:1).

The vision was at the end of the reign Belshazzar which corresponds to the time of the handwriting on the wall of Chapter 5, for he only reigned a little more than two years.

Romans Chapter 5 Vs. 7

 

Peace with God Through Faith

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. Rom 5:7

dare to die... We have many examples of people dying for friends, lovers, and great men, but it is contrary to nature to die for enemies. Yet God did (Rom. 5:6-8; John 3:16).

This is just saying that it would have been a little more understandable that Jesus would die on the cross for us, if we had been good people.

As uncommon as such a sacrifice is, Paul’s point is that we were neither righteous or good yet Christ sacrificed Himself for us. There are no good people.

Matthew 19:17 “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”

A death of this cruel nature would be hard to endure, even for righteous people, but for wicked people it is almost not understandable. The reason we do not understand is because God’s love is so much greater than any thing we know about.

A person willing to die for a righteous man or for a good man obviously is offering himself as a substitute so that the righteous or good man can continue to live. This is the highest expression of human love and devotion.

Daniel Chapter 7 Vs. 28

Daniel's Vision Interpreted

Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. Dan. 7:28

my cogitations... Aramaic, ra‛yown, thought, mental conception.

much troubled me... Baffled me, indicating that Daniel did not fully comprehend the extent of his vision.

for me Daniel... The details of this vision, or dream, of Daniel's would trouble anyone. He saw the rise and fall of the antichrist. As above cogitations means thoughts. Deep thought does change our facial expression.

kept the matter... He remembered it in his heart. More dreams and visions will make even these more understandable.

The response of Daniel

This prophetic panorama of the times of the Gentiles was so awesome to Daniel that he was deeply moved. He did not share the vision with anyone at the time. But later when he wrote the prophecies that bear his name, he recorded what had been revealed to him in the vision.

One cannot escape the parallels between the truths revealed to Daniel on this occasion and what was revealed to Nebuchadnezzar early in his reign (Dan. 2:1-49). Both cover the span of the times of the Gentiles. Both dreams indicate that Israel and her land will be ruled over by four successive world empires. The first was Babylon, represented by the head of gold and the winged lion. The second was the Medo-Persian Empire, represented by the chest and arms of silver and the bear raised up on one side. The third was the Grecian Empire, represented by the belly and thighs of bronze and the four-headed winged leopard. The fourth was the Roman Empire, represented by the legs of iron with feet mixed with clay and by the mongrel beast. The iron-like strength of the fourth empire is seen in the iron legs (Dan. 2:40) and the beast’s iron teeth (Dan. 7:7). Sovereignty passed from Assyria to Babylon in 609 b.c., from Babylon to Persia in 539 b.c., from Persia to Greece in 330 b.c., and from Greece to Rome in the first century b.c.

Toward the end of the times of the Gentiles, worldwide authority will be exercised by one called “a little horn” who will seek to prevent Christ’s rule on the earth by destroying God’s covenant people. His short reign of seven years (see “one ‘seven’” in Dan. 9:27) will be terminated by the Second Advent of Christ. At His coming Christ will establish His millennial kingdom on earth in fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel.

The amillenarian view that the “little horn” has already appeared sometime in the past (but since Christ’s First Advent) is wrong because: (a) no such ruler has attained worldwide status (Dan. 7:23), (b) no such ruler has subdued 3 of 10 kings who were ruling at once (Dan. 7:24), (c) no such ruler has persecuted Israel (Dan. 7:21) for three and one-half years (Dan. 7:25), and (d) no such ruler has been destroyed forever (Dan. 7:26) by Christ’s return. Nor could this “little horn” be the Roman Catholic papacy because: (a) the “little horn” is a king, not a pope, (b) the papacy’s power has not been limited to three and one-half years, (c) the papacy has not concentrated on persecuting the nation Israel, and (d) the papacy has not been destroyed by the return of Christ to the earth. 

Romans Chapter 5 Vs. 6

 

Peace with God Through Faith

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Rom 5:6

were yet without... Fourfold description of the former state:

1. Without strength—weak, dying, helpless to resist sin and do good, and powerless to deliver from misery (Rom. 5:6)

2. Ungodly—sinful, depraved, ruled by Satan and enslaved (Rom. 5:6)

3. Sinners—bent on finding happiness but always missing the mark (Rom. 5:8)

4. Enemies—haters of God and holiness and openly at war with both (Rom. 5:10)

in due time... Due time of fullness of time (Gal. 4:4). Meaning at the time that God had chosen.

for the ungodly... Instead, or in place of the ungodly.

(ungodly) Jews divided people into four classes:

1. The just who said: What is mine is mine; what is thine is thine.

2. The accommodating who said: What is mine is thine; what is thine is mine.

3. The pious who said: What is mine is thine; what is thine let it be thine.

4. The ungodly who said: What is mine is mine; what is thine shall be mine.

The mystery of it all is how He loved us enough to die for us while we were evil in every way.

Unregenerate sinners are spiritually dead and incapable of doing anything to help themselves.

Jesus died for those who deserved to go to hell, because they had sinned. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom.3:10). Everyone needs a Savior. God loves a sinner and has made way for him or her: the way is Jesus Christ our Lord. He gave each of us a free will so we must be willing to be saved, then Jesus does the rest.

Having mentioned the pouring out of God’s love, Paul now described the character of God’s love, which explains why its pouring out assures believers of hope. God demonstrated His love by the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. This demonstration was first, at just the right time (cf. Gal. 4:4). Second, it was when we were still powerless (asthenōn, “without strength, feeble”; cf. John 5:5). Third, it was for (hyper) the ungodly (asebōn, “impious”; cf. Rom. 4:5). Clearly Christ’s death was a substitutionary death, a death in place of others. The Greek preposition hyper often means “on behalf of,” but occasionally it means “in place of,” its meaning here. This is clear from the statement in Rom. 5:7, which also has hyper.

Daniel Chapter 7 Vs. 27

 Daniel's Vision Interpreted

And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Dan. 7:27

the whole heaven... This is to be taken literally, not figuratively, as in the references to the extent of the world empires of Dan. 2:38, 2:39, 2:40; 7:23; Rev. 13:8, 13:16. There is no limitation to the extent of the coming kingdom of God, as there was with the human kingdoms in the times of the Gentiles.

to the people... Three times in this chapter it is stated that the saints of God will take over the kingdoms of the world following the kingdom of Antichrist (Dan. 7:18, 7:22, 7:27). Also, three times it is stated that the kingdom will be eternal (Dan. 7:13-14, 7:18, 7:27).

all dominions shall... All earthly kingdoms will eventually be under God as before rebellion started by Lucifer and later by Adam (1Cor. 15:24-28; Eph. 1:10; Rev. 21-22).

The kingdom... “given to”, “the saints. God’s kingdom in both earthly (Rev. 20:4), and heavenly phases (Rev. 21:27; 22:3-4 and 14).

Heb. 12:28 “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”

Rev. 20:6 “Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

This kingdom will not be overthrown and superseded by another. It will continue in the Millennium and on forever (cf. Dan. 4:34; 6:26; 7:14). All peoples and kings will worship and obey Him.