Daniel s Vision of a Ram and A Goat. Daniel 8:1-27

Transcription

1 1 Commentary by Ron Thomas Questions by John C. Sewell Daniel s Vision of a Ram and A Goat Daniel 8:1-27

2 2 Daniel 8:1-27, Daniel s Vision of a Ram and a Goat 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

3 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. 11. Yeah, 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. 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. 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? 14. And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 20. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. 21. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 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.

4 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. 24. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 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. 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. 27. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the kings business and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. Commentary: Note: Critics of the Bible look at chapters 7 and 8 with skepticism. Goldingay says, To oversimplify, chapter 7 is myth, chapter 8 is allegory (p. 201). Coffman is not sparing in his words of disgust toward those critics. The only support for the critical proposition that this is prophecy written after the fact, based upon the absurd proposition that the Book of Daniel was written about 165 B.C. (in the time of the Maccabees), is their arrogant, imaginative assertions to that effect (p. 127, emphasis his, RT). Why do critics postulate their criticisms of the Bible like this? Predictive prophecy (chapters 2, 7-8, 9:24-27, 10-12) is a strong piece of evidence in the inspiration of the Scriptures. If this is neutralized or minimized, then the authoritative nature of the Scriptures is minimized. I. The third year of king Belshazzar.

5 5 A. Daniel 8:1-14, 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Yeah, 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. 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. 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

6 6 transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. B. Daniel s vision. 1. Daniel mentions he had a previous vision (the vision of chapter 7). Daniel s location at the time of this vision is uncertain; many fine Bible expositors think he is physically in Shushan. Others think he is only there in spirit. 2. A ram with two horns. Kings of Media and Persia. a. Daniel 8:20, The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. 3. One horn higher than the other. In time this would be Persia. 4. The ram pushed north, south and west. a. Wood (p. 101) mentions that Media was a great power, but in time, Cyrus was able to gain political control of the confederation he inherited from his father; (Turner, p. 151). b. When he did so, he expanded his kingdom in the three directions. c. 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

7 7 could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. 5. A male goat with a single horn between its eyes. a. King (kingdom) of Greece; the first king (Alexander the great). b. 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. 6. The goat overpowered the ram. a. It was a fast moving animal (cf. 7:6) and it overpowered the ram. b. Turner (pp ) gives a historical summary of the ram attempting to overpower the goat with the goat annihilating the ram on the high seas. c. Perhaps this was the beginning of the end for the Medo-Persian Empire. d. When Alexander the Great came on the scene, he rapidly conquered the Persian Empire. 7. The goat with the single horn became strong, but was broken. a. In his reign of 12 years and military prowess, Alexander the Great conquered and then became sick and died.

8 Four horns came up. a. After the broken horn, four kings (kingdoms) will arise. b. Daniel 8:22. c. About 22 years after Alexander s death, four victorious generals had power. d. One of these four, Seleucus, had a direct impact upon the people of the land as spoken by Gabriel. 9. From the four horns came one little horn. Fierce, sinister, arrogant, powerful, and (historically) shortlived. a. Daniel 8:23-25, 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. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 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. 10. The little horn that sprang up from the four exalted himself as prince of the host. a. Who is little horn?

9 9 i. Historically, it is known to be Antiochus IV Epiphanes (interestingly, Coffman says his name means, Antiochus the Illustrious though the Jews changed it to Antiochus the Madman; he reigned during the time of B.C). b. A reading of 1 Maccabees 1 (apocrypha) and Josephus (pages ) is encouraged. C. A holy one speaks. 1. Daniel 8:13-14, 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? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. a. An angel asks how long? b days. II. Daniel sought to understand the vision. i. Uncertain the exact time in view. ii. Some think 4600 days (6 years, 110 days), some 2300 years, and others think it is a figurative expressions of time referring to Antiochus rage against the Jews.

10 10 A. Daniel 8:15-26, 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. And I heard a man s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 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. 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. 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. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. 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. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 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. 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. B. A voice came from the direction of the river (Ulai) telling Gabriel to interpret the vision to Daniel. C. The vision refers to the time of the end (the latter time).

11 Coffman thinks this refers to the time of the end; that is, God s indignation upon the human race as a result of its shameful rebellions against his will (p. 135). 2. The time of the end refers to the events surrounding the little horn that exalted itself; historically, this is Antiochus Epiphanes. 3. It refers certainly to God s time of judgment on Israel at the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (Wood, p. 106). D. The ram with two horns is Media-Persia. E. The male goat is Greece. F. One horn and then four horns. 1. Alexander the Great. 2. Four generals. a. Cassander (Madeconia and Greece). b. Lysimachus (Thrace and Asia Minor). c. Seleucus (Syria and vast regions of the east). d. Ptolemy (Egypt). G. From the four horns, one little horn with sinister schemes. 1. This little horn with sinister schemes is clearly Antiochus Epiphanes.

12 12 a. It cannot be someone else unless that someone else is within the time frame of the vision. b. Wood (p. 107) says it is perfectly reasonable for the language to have a dual application. 2. The Schofield Bible sees in Daniel 8:17 two ends. a. 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. b. This corresponds to their false notion of premillennialism. c. There are not two ends in this chapter! d. There is one end and it refers to the end of the third great empire before the fourth empire rises. H. He will do many self-exalting things. In the end he will be broken. 1. In 1 Maccabees 6:8-16, it is reported that Antiochus Epiphanes died of grief and remorse; he was unable to bear all the bad news that came his way Maccabees 6:8-16, And it happened when the king heard these accounts, that he was astounded and dreadfully shaken, and he took to his bed, and fell sick with grief, for matters had not gone as he intended. He was sick for a long time, for his grief was intensified, and he concluded that he was going to die. So he called in all his Friends and said to them, Sleep departs from

13 13 my eyes, and my heart fails with anxiety. I have said to myself, What distress I have reached, and what a great flood I am now in. For I was gracious and beloved in my exercise of power. But now I remember the wrongs which I did in Jerusalem, when I took away all the gold and silver dishes that were in it, and sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without any cause. I know that it is because of this that these misfortunes have overtaken me. Here I am dying of grief in a strange land. And he summoned Philip, one of his Friends, and put him in charge of his whole kingdom. He gave him his diadem and his robe and his signet ring, so that he might educate his son Antiochus and bring him up to be king. And King Antiochus died there in the one hundred and forty-ninth year. And when Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus his son to reign, whom he had taken care of as a boy, and he named him Eupator. III. Daniel s reaction to the dream. A. 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 astsonished at the vision, but none understood it.

14 14 Questions Daniel 8:1-27 (Questions based on NIV text.) 1. Chronologically where does Daniel 8:1-27 fit into the events of the book of Daniel? 2. In this vision where did Daniel see himself? 3. What animal first appeared in this vision? Describe it. 4. What animal appeared next? Describe it.

15 What did the goat then do? 6. What is said about the goat s horns? 7. Two holy ones were talking. Who were these holy ones and about what were they talking? 8. What was to happen in 2,300 days? What was to happen afterward? Are these literal days? If not, what are they? 9. Who told Daniel the meaning of this vision? Who is he? Where is he otherwise mentioned in the Bible?

16 This vision concerned the time of the end. The end of what? Give Bible reasons for your answer. 11. The - represents the of and. The is the of, and the large between his is the. Who is the first king mentioned here? 12. The that replaced the one that was off represent that will emerge from his but will not have the same power. Who were these four kings? 13. Describe and identify the stern faced king, master of intrigue.

17 Who is the Prince of princes? How would the stern-faced King be destroyed? 15. How did Daniel feel after this vision? What did he do?... not do?