The Book of Daniel Chapter 8
*Why the confusion of Daniel chapter 8? Has it been fulfilled, has only some been fulfilled or maybe none of it? I think this chapter should be viewed as a 2 part vision or at least a vision with a non-declared break within it. The first part of the vision is verse 3 through 8 and the second part of the vision is verses 9 through 12. This is confirmed by verse 13.
Dan 8:1 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me.
Dan 8:2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal.
*The first part of the vision is of the ram and the goat.
Dan 8:3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later.
Dan 8:4 I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.
Dan 8:5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground.
Dan 8:6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage.
Dan 8:7 I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power.
Dan 8:8 The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
*Starting here at verse 9 I believe that the second part of the vision begins.
*This is the vision of the “evenings and mornings”. There is an unspecified time gap between verses 8 and 9. ……If not, this theory is wrong.
Dan 8:9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.
Dan 8:10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them.
Dan 8:11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the LORD; it took away the daily sacrifice from the LORD, and his sanctuary was thrown down.
Dan 8:12 Because of rebellion, the LORD’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
*The holy one then wanted to know about the second part of the vision that is covered in verses 9 through 12. This is the vision of the evenings and mornings from verse 26. The holy one doesn’t mention or ask about the ram and goat. This is similar to Daniel 7:19 where Daniel wanted to know more about the fourth beast of the vision. I believe that it is clear in verse 13 that this is more than 1 continuous vision. One of the holy ones says “the vision concerning the daily sacrifice”. This is why I believe that the second part of the vision begins at verse 9. If not then why not just ask how long it will take for the vision to be fulfilled?
Dan 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled–the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the LORD’s people?”
Dan 8:14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings [6.3 years]; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
Dan 8:15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.
*It appears that Gabriel is asked only to explain the second part.
Dan 8:16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”
*Gabriel then tells Daniel that the part of the vision covered in verses 9 through 12 are end times prophecy.
Dan 8:17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
Dan 8:18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
Dan 8:19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.
*Information is given about the first part of the vision
Dan 8:20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.
Dan 8:21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. [Alexander]
*There have also been volumes written on the four horns and four kingdoms spoken of in this chapter. A big question is do these 4 kingdoms that replaced the area of Greece at the death of Alexander arise all at once? Or do these kingdoms come in successive order? If Alexander is the first king then the area of Macedonia would be considered as his nation. After Alexander died the area of his nation became the Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid’s were overthrown by the Roman’s and the Roman’s by the Ottoman’s. The fourth horn will be the revived Ottoman Empire. Out of this empire will arise the Anti-Christ. Or most consider that the 4 horns represent the division that occurred after Alexanders death which were the stable power blocks of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the Kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon. Depending on which expert you believe, there may have been as many as 5 to 10 power blocks that split the area after Alexanders death.
Dan 8:22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
*Gabriel then explains the vision of the evenings and mornings
Dan 8:23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise.
Dan 8:24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.
Dan 8:25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
Dan 8:26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
Dan 8:27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond under
*So the problem associated with this chapter is a two part problem. The first is that if you believe that it is one continuous prophecy then you are probably looking for a war between the area of Turkey and Greece and the area of the old Persian Empire or what is modern day Iran. This is because we are first told of the Greece and Persian war but are later told that it concerns the time of the end with other language that indicates that it occurs in the time frame of the return of Jesus, verse25. If you believe that this is the next item on the prophecy list then you may very well ignore all other potential prophetic events. If this is a 2 part prophecy with a unknown time gap and the Greece and Persian war was fulfilled with Alexander the Great then it could be that we are very near the rise of “the master of intrigue” mentioned in verse 23. So this is one of those prophetic chapters where we may have to wait and see how it looks in the rearview mirror. Until then waiting for a Greece and Persian probably isn’t hill that I would be willing to die on.