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Chapter 8

Daniel Introduction

1. Deported as a teenager 2. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream 3. Bow or Burn; The Furnace 4. Nebuchadnezzar's Pride Aramaic 5. The Fall of Babylon 6. The Lions Den 7. Four Beasts – The little horn 8. The Ram and the He Goat 9. The Seventy Weeks 10. A Glimpse of the Dark Side 11. The “Silent Years” (in advance) 12. The Consummation of All Things

First Beast a Lion

Second Beast a Bear

Third Beast a Leopard

Fourth - The Terrible Beast

The Little Horn

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Gold Silver Brass Iron Iron + Cay

Daniel 2 Daniel 7

Winged Lion Bear on side Leopard Terrible Beast Babylon 606-539 BC Persia 539-332 BC Greece 332-68 BC Rome I 68 BC ?

10 Heads ...

“Rome II”

Chronological Order

Historical Prophecies

1. Babylonian Captivity 2. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream 3. Nebuchadnezzar’s Image 4. Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride 7. The Times of Gentiles 8. Ram and He-goat vision 5. Babylon falls to Persians 9. Vision of Seventy weeks 6. Lions Den 10 The Dark Side 11-12 Conclusion

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.

Daniel 8

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.

Shushan Palace

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Susa, 230 miles east of Babylon; 150 miles north of head of Persian Gulf, midway between Ecbatana and Persepolis

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Susa capital of Elamites in antiquity; later main residence of Persian kings; Famous palace begun by Darius 1 and later enlarged by Xerxes

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Home of Esther City of Nehemiah (Esther 1:2,5; 2:3,5) (Neh 1:1) Code of Hammurabi found there in 1901

Tomb of Daniel the prophet in the city of Elam

Elam

Daniel 8:3

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

Daniel 8:3

The ram with two horns is the Medo-Persian empire. The Medes were the first to arise in power, but the Persians later rose to preeminence. The empire is commonly known as the Persian empire. The symbol on coins and artwork of the Persian empire was a ram.

The Ram

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Ram with clean feet, sharp-pointed horns Guardian spirit of Persian kingdom (Keil)

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The Persian king, at the head of his army, wore the head of ram instead of the diadem (Ammianus Marcellinus, 4 th century)

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Zodiac: - Aries is the Ram: Persia

Xerxes

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The last great ruler of Persia; - The king during the days of Esther

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Made a foray against Europe, against Greece.

- Army of 300,000 men & families - Defeated at Thermopylae

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Fleet of 300 vessels destroyed by storm at Salamis

Daniel 8:4

I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

Daniel 8:5

And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

Alexander the Great

• • • • •

At the age of 20 he assumed the mantle of his father, Philip of Macedon 6 years later he had conquered the mighty Persian Empire At the age of 30 his empire stretched from the Mediterranean to the Hindu Kush At the age of 32 he died Legacy: a new Achilles & new world order - Visionary conqueror, Ruthless tyrant - Brilliant Military strategist & court politician

Daniel 8:6

And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

He-Goat / Alexander

Behold, a he-goat This was Alexander the Great; and a goat was a very proper symbol of the Grecian or Macedonian people.

The Goat

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One-horned goat was a symbol for the ancient Macedonians Zodiac: - Persia Aries, the Ram: - Greece Capricorn, the goat (caper, goat; cornu, horn) May 334 BC: Alexander crossed the Hellespont with 35,000 troops, first met and defeated the Persians at the Granicus River Nov 333 BC: 1 and 1/2 years later, the famous Battle at Issus near the NE tip of Mediterranean Sea Oct 331 BC: Finally broken at Gaugamela (Arbella) near Nineveh

Daniel 8:7

And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

Daniel 8:8

Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

Daniel 8:8 / Daniel 7:6

(Daniel 8:8)

Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

(Daniel 7:6)

After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

4 “Notable Ones”

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Cassander: - Macedonia and Greece Lysimacus: - Thrace, Bithynia, most of Asia Minor Seleucus: - Syria, lands to the east, to India Ptolemy: - Egypt, Cyrene, Arabia Petraea, parts of Asia Minor

The Empire Divided

Daniel 8:9

And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

Daniel 8:9

The Little Horns of Chapters 7 and 8 Compared

It is important to note that the little horns of chapters 7 and 8 are two distinct persons. Several factors make this distinction clear:

Little Horn of Chapter 7

Would come from Rome (fourth kingdom)

Little Horn of Chapter 8

Would come from Greece (third kingdom) Would be an eleventh horn, rooting up three of ten horns Would persecute God’s people for 42 months or 3 1/2 years Would be a fifth horn, coming out of one of four horns Would persecute God’s people for 2,300 days or over 6 years

Daniel 8:10

And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

Near & Far Fulfillment

Antiochus IV

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8 th King of the Syrian dynasty, 175-164 BC

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1 Macc 1:10; 6:16 Infamous brother of Cleopatra Ascended the throne following the murder of his brother, the former king, Seleucus Philopator

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- Not even rightful heir - Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, the rightful heir to the throne still lived but was held as hostage in Rome Antiochus succeeded in obtaining the throne largely through flattery and bribery

Antiochus IV

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Came to power 175 BC Invaded Egypt, defeated Ptolemy VI Recalled from Egypt by Rome, he made Jerusalem a buffer state - Plundered & desecrated the Temple He called himself - Epiphanes, “the Illustrious One” - The Jews called him Epimanes, “the Madman”

Daniel 8:11

Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

Daniel 8:12

And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.

1 Maccabees 1:44-49

“And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah; he directed them - to follow customs strange to the land - to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drimk offerings in the sanctuary - to profane Sabbaths and feasts - to build altars in sacred precincts and shrines for idols - to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, and - to leave their sons uncircumcised

1 Maccabees 1:44-49

They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, so that they should forget the law and change all the ordinances And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die.”

Daniel 8:13

Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

Daniel 8:14

And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

2300 Days?

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Seventh-Day Adventism grew out of the “great second advent awakening” in which this verse was given the day-year interpretation - William Miller and his followers, among whom was Ellen G. White, understood “the sanctuary” to be the earth which would be cleansed at His coming - The date for christ’s Second Coming was set for the year 1843

2300 Days?

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If the 2300 days are taken as being literal 24 hour days, the period would be between 6 and 7 years, which approximates the time of Antiochus began to perpetrate his atrocities in about 170 BC.

- 6 years were from Antiochus’ first incursion into Jerusalem in 170 BC to the restoring of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in late 164 BC.

- The Jewish priest, Judas Maccabeus (“the hammer”), drove out the syrian army, at which time the temple was cleansed and rededicated after its pollution. This cleansing is still celebrated in the Feast of Lights, Hannukah.

2300 Days?

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“Evening-Mornings” (‘erev boker) = 1150 days - The way they timed their offerings - 110 days short of 3 ½ years…

Daniel 8:15

And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

Daniel 8:16

And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand 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.

Daniel 8:18

Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.

Daniel 8:19

And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

Daniel 8:20

The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

Daniel 8:21

And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Daniel 8:22

Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

Daniel 8:23

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

Daniel 8:24

And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

Revelation 13:7

(Parallel verse)

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was gien him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Daniel 8:25

And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

A Type of the Antichrist

1. “He shall cause craft to prosper in his hand.” - No man will be able to buy or sell except the one who has the mark of the beast Rev 13:7 2. “He shall magnify himself in his heart.” - He is given a mouth speaking blasphemies, with power to continue 42 months Rev 13:5 3. “By peace shall destroy many.” - The rider on the white horse; then comes the red house of war – thus a false peace Rev 6 4. “He shall stand up against the Prince of princes.” - The 1 st beast of Rev 13 is against christ: Rev 13

Summary

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He will achieve great power by subduing others V.24

He will rise to power by promising false security V.25

He will be intelligent and persuasive V.23

He will be controlled by another, Satan V.24

He will be an adversary of Israel and subjugate

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Israel to his authority V.24-25 He will rise up in opposition to the Prince of princes, the Lord Jesus Christ V.25

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His rule will be terminated by divine judgment V.25

Daniel 8:26

And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

Daniel 8:27

And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

Daniel 2:2

Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

Correlation of Dreams and Visions in Daniel The Times of the Gentiles Image — Chapter 2

Head of fine gold Like a lion with eagle’s wings Chest and arms of silver Belly and thighs of bronze

Beasts — Chapter 7

Like a bear

Beasts — Chapter 8

Ram with two horns Like a leopard with four wings and four heads Male goat with one great horn, four horns and little horn

Kingdoms Represented

Babylon Medo-Persia Greece Rome Legs of iron, feet of iron and clay Incomparable beast with ten horns and little horn Stone that becomes a great mountain Messiah and saints receive the kingdom Kingdom of God

Dreams and Visions in Daniel

Daniel’s God-given ability to interpret “visions and dreams” (1:17) served him well in his role as advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, a man noted for his mysterious and troubling dreams. The following brief comparison of a dream of Nebuchadnezzar and a dream and vision of Daniel reveals a common theme in the Book of Daniel —the successive rise and fall of four kingdoms.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

An image with a head of fine gold (2:32)

Daniel’s Dream

A beast like a lion with eagle’s wings (7:4) An image with a chest and arms of silver (2:32) An image with a belly and thighs of bronze (2:32) An image with legs of iron and feet of iron and clay (2:32) A beast like a bear with three ribs in its mouth (7:5) A beast like a leopard with four wings (7:6) A beast with iron teeth and ten horns (7:7)

Daniel’s Vision Interpretation

A ram with two horns, one of which was higher than the other (8:3) A male goat with a large horn, later replaced by four horns and a little horn (8:5 –9) Babylon would establish itself as the first world empire (2:38; 7:17).

Medo-Persia would defeat Babylon and establish itself as the second world empire (2:39; 7:17; 8:20).

Greece would defeat Medo-Persia and establish itself as the third world empire (2:39; 7:17; 8:21).

Rome would defeat Greece and establish itself as the fourth world empire (2:40 –43; 7:17).

End of Daniel Chapter 8

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