Daniel’s Vision of a Ram And a Goat
March 17, 2022
Commentary
As with chapter 7, this chapter precedes chapter 5 chronologically. Approximately two years after Daniel had his first dream in chapter seven he had another dream. This dream came during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign (v. 1). He was in the palace at Shushan, about two hundred fifty miles east of Babylon, in the capital of the province of Elam which is modern Iran (v. 2). It was the winter capital of the Persian capital and a mighty fortress. Daniel was in the palace, but in the vision he was transported to the banks of the Ulai River.
Here he saw a ram with two horns, one of which was much longer then the other (v. 3). This ram pushed in all directions and no power was able to stop him (v. 4). These two horns seems to have symbolized Media Persia who conquered all of modern Turkey.
Then a he-goat with a large horn between his eyes attacked the ram and completely conquered him (vv. 5-7). This he-goat is thought to be Greece and the horn Alexander the Great. Greece was not yet considered a world power when this prophecy was given. Suddenly the large horn broke off the goat and four “notable” horns came up in its place (v. 8). Alexander, at the age of thirty-three died of a fever and four of his powerful generals took over and divided the empire into four parts. From these horns there arose a little horn (vv. 9-10). Many Bible scholars identify this little horn with Antiochus Epiphanes who reigned about 175 B.C. He took away the daily sacrifice of the Jews and desecrated their sanctuary (vv. 11-12). At the Jews darkest hour, when 80,000 had been killed, the Maccabees came to the rescue and the temple was cleansed (vv. 13-14).
Application
The little horn also symbolizes the “Man of Sin” or the Antichrist who will come on the scene immediately after the rapture. Since I know the Lord I will escape this terrible time. I am ready to be with the Lord; are you?
Daniel 8:1– 14 (NET)
1 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me previously. 2 In this vision I saw myself in Susa the citadel, which is located in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw myself at the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up and saw a ram with two horns standing at the canal. Its two horns were both long, but one was longer than the other. The longer one was coming up after the shorter one. 4 I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly.
5 While I was contemplating all this, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of all the land without touching the ground. This goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes. 6 It came to the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed against it with raging strength. 7 I saw it approaching the ram. It went into a fit of rage against the ram and struck it and broke off its two horns. The ram had no ability to resist it. The goat hurled the ram to the ground and trampled it. No one could deliver the ram from its power. 8 The male goat acted even more arrogantly. But no sooner had the large horn become strong than it was broken, and there arose four conspicuous horns in its place, extending toward the four winds of the sky.
9 From one of them came a small horn, but it grew to be very great toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land. 10 It grew so great it reached the army of heaven, and it brought about the fall of some of the army and some of the stars to the ground, where it trampled them. 11 It also acted arrogantly against the Prince of the army, from whom the daily sacrifice was removed and whose sanctuary was thrown down. 12 The army was given over, along with the daily sacrifice, in the course of his sinful rebellion. It hurled truth to the ground and enjoyed success.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking. Another holy one said to the one who was speaking, “To what period of time does the vision pertain—this vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the destructive act of rebellion and the giving over of both the sanctuary and army to be trampled?” 14 He said to me, “To 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be put right again.”
Illustration: Havner Last in Line is The Antichrist
Our world is fast becoming a madhouse and the inmates are trying to run the asylum. It is a strange time when the patients are writing the prescriptions, the students are threatening to run the schools, the children to manage the homes, and church members not the Holy Spirit to direct the churches. Such lawlessness always brings a dictator and the last of the line will be the Antichrist, now in the offing awaiting his cue. (Vance Havner – Who Said That, p. 46 by George Sweeting).