Slides for this study

We have looked at 2 great prophecies in the book of Daniel so far.

• Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. The image made of different array of metals and clay at the end.
• Then Daniel had a dream in Daniel 7. And we saw that it lined up perfectly with what Nebuchadnezzar dreamt.
• It was all about a succession of kingdoms.
• Babylon, MP, Greece, Rome.
• And the last study we saw that the feet of iron and clay, the little horn of Daniel 7 was pointing to a very specific power that we see very present in the world today.
• That was the Roman Catholic church.
• It will be the last power on earth that will reign just before Jesus comes for a second time.

Today, we’re going to look at another vision.

Daniel 8:1-2
1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time. 2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai.

Daniel is here again dreaming. He’s in vision.

• Interestingly enough, he is still in the kingdom of Babylon, as the king that is ruling is Belshazzar.
• So these chapters are not all chronological.

But what does Daniel dream about?

RAM

Daniel 8:3-4
3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

He dreams about a Ram.

• It had 2 horns.
• And the higher one came up last.

Well who is this? Who does the Ram represent?

• We already know that a beast represents a kingdom. And remember, not just any kingdom, but kingdoms that ruled the then known world.
• You probably already know who this is because we’ve referenced this text a few times.
• Daniel 8:20
  The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.
• As you can see already, we aren’t going in chronological order with the verses now.
• The earlier chapters, it was mostly stories. So it was easy to just follow verse by verse. But now we’ll be jumping a little, here and there so that you understand the interpretations of the visions as we go along.
• So the Ram represents Medo-Persia.
• And what a fitting description. It had 2 horns, and one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
• The Medo-Persian empire was a combination of 2 kingdoms.
• The Medes and the Persians.
• And the Medes came up first. But it would be the Persians that would grow to be the stronger kingdom. Thus represented by the description of the 2 horns. Just like how the bear was raised up on one side.

Also, it’s interesting, the first two visions from Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 all started off with Babylon.

• This one is a little different. It doesn’t even mention Babylon Not that it doesn’t exist. But it’s just not important in this context of this vision.
• It’s almost as if God is telling us, I’m not interested in Babylon anymore. It’s not important anymore.
• It starts off with the second kingdom – Medo-Persia.
• It’s not that Babylon didn’t exist, but God is using a different starting point. Medo-Persia instead of Babylon.

GOAT

But what comes after the Ram?

• Daniel 8:5-7
  5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious 7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.
• The goat seems like it is flying. It doesn’t even touch the It is a fast goat.
• Who is this?
• Daniel 8:21
  And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.
• It is the kingdom of Greece.
• And just like how Greece is represented in Daniel 7 as a leopard with 4 wings of a fowl – represented by speed, so the goat is represented by speed as well.
• And the horn is the first king of Greece – that is Alexander the Great!

So we’re clearly on the same timeline as what we have seen before in the past.

• With the exception that this time we’re not starting with Babylon.
• It’s a bit different perspective. Not a different history, but just looking at it from a different angle.

But now what happens after the goat comes on the scene?

• Daniel 8:8
  Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.
• Remember the leopard had 4 heads? That was the 4 generals of Greece after Alexander the Great died.
• This is the 4 generals mentioned here as well.

Let’s keep reading.

LITTLE HORN

Daniel 8:9-10
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.

• Wait a minute. What do we see now?
• It’s a little horn.
• Where have we seen a little horn before?
• Daniel 7.
• We did a whole study on it last week. It was the Roman Catholic Church.
• But it seems to show here in this vision that we go from Medo-Persia to Greece and straight to the Roman Catholic Church.
• We skipped the kingdom of Rome.
• But did we really?
• Well let’s have a closer look at the details.

If you look at Daniel 2 and the similarity between Rome and the Roman Catholic Church, the element of iron continues into the feet of iron and clay. So the iron continues.

• When you go to Daniel 7 and have a look at Rome and the Catholic church.
  • Rome is the dragon.
  • The Catholic Church is the little horn which comes up on top of the head of the dragon.
• So if the little horn is alive, then by implication the dragon must be alive as well because no horn every grew out of a dead animal.
  • So the dragon continues into the next kingdom as well.

But when you come to Daniel 8, the picture of the little horn is represented as both Rome and also the Roman Catholic Church. Let me show you.

Let’s have a closer look at verse 10.

• Daniel 8:10
  And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.
• This is what we call the first phase of the little horn – it is talking about Rome.
• We’re not forcing it to fit. But we know already from Daniel 2 and 7 that right after the Medo-Persian empire must come the Roman Empire. We have that in history already as well.
• So first, let’s get some definition. How does Rome cast some of the host and the stars to the ground?
• What does stars represent in Bible prophecy?
• Revelation 1:20
  The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
• What does a star represent? It represents an angel.
• But Rome is not able to attack angels. No human being is able to overcome a literal angel.
• If you look at the original meaning of the word angel in the Greek, what does it mean?
  • An angel is a messenger or a pastor.
  • Here it is zoomed in so you can see more clearly
• Did Rome attack the Christian’s (the host) and the leaders/pastors and persecute them?
  • ABSOLUTELY they did!
  • It was a fearful thing to be called a Christian in the first and second century.
• The Roman empire persecuted Christian’s and tried to kill them.
• But in Daniel 8:10 it also said something else. It said that it TRAMPLED on them.
  • Let me show you that dragon and what he did back in Daniel 7.
  • Daniel 7:7
    “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
  • It tramples the residue. Just like how this little horn is trampling them as well. Same characteristic.
• This is undoubtedly the Roman empire.

But then we come back to Daniel 8. And there is more description of the little horn in the next verse.

• Daniel 8:11
  He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down.
• The little horn now exalts himself against the Prince of the host.
• Notice there is a capital P for that Prince.
• Where else do we see this Prince?
• Daniel 9:25
  “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince…
• Who is the Prince? It is the Messiah, Jesus Christ!

But how was Messiah the Prince attacked? It isn’t simply referring to Jesus being nailed to the cross. The Roman’s were the ones that did that. But this is now in the phase of the Papal Roman empire, the Catholic Church.

• Daniel 8:12
  Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
• See that word “transgression?” That’s more religious already.
• And then an army was given to it.
  • The Catholic church has never had it’s own army. It was given an army to fight for it.
• And then he cast the truth to the ground.
• You see, the Pagan Roman empire never attacked the truth of God’s word. But the Roman Catholic Church did.
• Remember we studied this before? One of the characteristics of the little horn was that it would attempt to change God’s law and God’s time.
  • Daniel 7:25
    …and shall intend to change times and law…
  • He tried to change the 10 commandments.
  • And also attacked the truth about the Sabbath – the only law there related to time.

So we see this outline in Daniel 8 that parallel’s with the prophecies that we have studied in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 with the exception that in Daniel 8 we are not interested with Babylon anymore.

• This is really important to have Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 as a foundation.
• If we jump straight into Daniel 7 and then go into Daniel 8 we would be totally and utterly confused because the little horn in Daniel 7 is not what we see at all of the little horn in Daniel 8.
• The little horn in Daniel 7 is strictly and only the Papacy, the Roman Catholic Church.
• But in Daniel 8, the little horn is the 2 phases of Rome.
  • The Pagan Roman Empire and also the Papal Roman Empire.
  • Rome and the Roman Catholic Church.
• It would be impossible for Daniel 8 to give us a different timeline which has been established in Daniel 2 and repeated in Daniel 7.
  • It has to follow the kingdoms of Babylon, then MP, Grecce, Rome and Catholic Church.

When we jump down to the interpretation that Gabriel comes to give to Daniel, we see that as well.

Daniel 8:15-17
15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”

So Daniel is searching for the meaning, and the angel Gabriel is sent to come and explain to Daniel the vision that he had just seen.

We just down to verse 20 to get the definitions right away:

• Daniel 8:20
  The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.
• We’ve read this several times now. But the ram is Medo-Persia.

Then next:

• Daniel 8:21
  And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.
• Greece is the goat.

Next:

• Daniel 8:22
  As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.
• Notice what it said about the 4 horns. 4 kingdoms will arise but not with its own power. The 4 generals inherited the kingdom from the death of Alexander the Great. He had done all the hard work of conquering and subduing all the other nations.

Then we come to the little horn.

• Daniel 8:23
  “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes.
• This is referring to the Pagan Roman empire.
• A king arises. And he has fierce features and understands sinister schemes.
• But in the very next verse we transition into the Roman Catholic Church. Look at the description.
• Daniel 8:24-25
  24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. 25 “Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human means.
• Notice all these characteristics.
• He will be mighty, but not by his own power.
  • The Catholic church never had its own army. It was always pledged to him. Yet they had such great power for 1,260 years.
• Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper.
  • They caused false understanding of truth and the Bible to prosper.
  • Things such as Sunday sacredness.
  • Also confessing to the priest instead of straight to Jesus Christ.
  • The doctrine of indulgences – a way in which a sinner could reduce the amount of time they are punished for their sin. Either doing some good work, or a specified prayer, or visiting a particular place.
  • Heresy abounded because of their ability to persecute all those that did not agree with them.
• He shall even rise against the Prince of princes but would be broken without human means.
  • Notice how the KJV version says it.
  • Daniel 8:25
    …but he shall be broken without hand.
  • He would even try to go against God Himself.
  • But notice that he would be broken without human means, without hand.
  • Look at what it says in Daniel 2, about the rock that would eventually strike the image at its feet.
  • Daniel 2:34
    You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
  • Daniel 2:45
    Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands…
• Clearly we are in the second phase of that little horn, speaking of the Roman Catholic Church. The time when God has told us that He would come.

This is the last kingdom. It is without a doubt that we are at the end. There will be no other kingdom that will come after this.

• The Bible has said it.
• It has been repeated three times now in the book of Daniel alone.
• God is telling us that this will surely come to pass.

But it is slightly different in Daniel 8.

• Every kingdom was repeated except for Babylon.

This is what we call repeat and enlarge.

• Daniel 2
  • It had all the kingdoms starting from Babylon all the way down past Rome to the last kingdom of the Roman Catholic Church.
• Daniel 7
  • It has the exact same kingdoms.
• But when we get to Daniel 8, it cuts off Babylon, the first kingdom that we saw in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7.
• You see, the principle of repeat and enlarge is, God is trying to show us where He wants us to focus. He is zooming into the picture.
• And His focus is not the beginning, the head. He’s not interested in the lion.

It’s like this.

• If I look at your head, but I’m standing from a distance, I can see your whole body, head to foot.
• But if I take a step closer, and keep coming closer, if I keep my focus on your face, eventually your feet will fade away. I won’t be able to see them anymore unless I purposely look down.

So this is what God is doing.

• He’s zooming in.
• In Daniel 2, we get the big picture.
• Daniel 7, He’s repeated Himself, but He’s giving more detail.
• Details of the conversion story of Nebuchadnezzar.
• Details such as the imbalance of power in the Medo-Persian empire.
• Details such as the 4 generals of the Greek empire.
• Details such as the 10 horns of the dragon which were the 10 tribes of Rome.
• And WAY more detail about that last king of the little horn.
• He’s zooming in.

But now in Daniel 8, Babylon is out of our peripheral.

• That’s not our focus anymore.
• The Bible is telling us to focus on the later kingdoms.
• The Ram, the Goat, the Little Horn and its 2 phases.

And if you read and study the book of Revelation, you know what? Medo-Persia and Greece are not even mentioned anymore.

• In Revelation, the earliest kingdom that you will see mentioned, is the kingdom of Rome.
• Zooming in even more!
• Zooming in where though? To our time.

But now coming back to Daniel 8 to end.

• This prophecy shows that God has placed a time limit on the kingdoms of this world.
• What question did one angel ask of another regarding time?

Daniel 8:13
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

• How long is this little horn power going to rule for and to persecute?

What is the answer given?

• Daniel 8:14
  And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

At the end of this 2300 days time period would bring in the day of reckoning and the cleansing of the sanctuary which we shall study later.

We’re going to look at this time prophecy in the future. It is the longest time prophecy in all of scripture.

And it will give us an assurance of the certainty of God’s victory at the end.