LESSON 11 - Daniel’s Apocalyptic Message, Part 2—Daniel 8

Volumes have been written on the meaning of various parts of Daniel’s apocalyptic messages, and we are still uncertain about it. Some enjoy speculating about the uncertain, others are afraid of it. One worthwhile way to deal with difficult passages is to focus on what you do know, and not be too rigid on what you do not know.

The information found in the second half of chapter 9 through the end of the book is very difficult. It requires a detailed knowledge of the history of the last centuries before Christ to follow it very well. The numbers and symbols are also quite confusing. So for the purposes of this study, we will end with Daniel 8—another vision, but one which Daniel explains within the text.

The events of chapter 8 take place in the third year of King Belshazzar, about 551 BC, so they occur before the events of chapter 5. This vision comes two years after the vision in the previous chapter. In the vision, Daniel finds himself in the capital city of Persia, which was Susa.

Daniel sees two animals. First, he saw a ram with two horns, one longer than the other. The ram charges in three directions. It was a powerful animal that could do as it pleased. Next was a goat with a single horn that came from the west and was able to cross a great distance without touching the ground. The goat attacks the ram and shatters the ram’s horns. The goat was more powerful than the ram and becomes very great. At the height of its power, the goat’s large single horn breaks off, and in its place grow four new horns. One of the horns grew another horn that became very large, reaching the heavens. This horn took out some of the stars in heaven and set itself up at the Prince of the host. Daniel heard a voice asking how long it would take for the vision to be fulfilled. The answer came from another voice—2300 evenings and mornings.

The explanation comes as Daniel continues the vision. He hears a voice that tells Gabriel (an angel) to explain the vision. Notice that Daniel was terrified of Gabriel (8:17). For all those who think that they would like to see an angel, as often as not it is a disturbing experience.

The ram represents Media and Persia, the Medo-Persian Empire, of which the longer horn stands for Persia, the dominant country (see the chart in Lesson 10). The goat represents Greece. It is not stated, but the large horn almost certainly represented Alexander the Great, who conquered so much territory so quickly. When the horn breaks it signifies Alexander’s death at an early age. Greece is divided among four kings (compare this with 7:6, in which the leopard that represents Greece had four heads). Historians believe that the “other horn” that grew so large represents Antiochus Epiphanes who reigned from 175-163 BC. He came to the throne by deception. He ordered daily sacrifices to end in the temple (see 8:11). He also defiled the temple by setting up a pagan altar there. He was hated by faithful Jews of the time. The Jewish feast of Hanukkah celebrates the time when Jerusalem was taken back and the temple rededicated to the Lord. The 2,300 “evenings and mornings” of the vision represent the number of sacrifices that would have been offered on 1,150 days when the altar was desecrated by Antiochus.

Notice how the vision affected Daniel (8:27), making him ill and exhausted. He was appalled at the thought of what he had seen. Daniel was told that the vision concerns the distant future (8:26). Daniel saw the vision in 551, and the latest events of Antiochus happened in about 164, almost 400 years later.

Open

• What general picture do you get from the symbols used in the vision of chapter 8? Remember that a horn generally symbolizes power or strength in the Bible.
• Can you sympathize with Daniel’s weakness concerning the vision?

Examine

1. Daniel was told to seal up the vision. Perhaps the vision has more meaning for our faith today as we see it in retrospect than it would have for anyone in that day. What do you think?

2. It is difficult for us to picture the emotion Daniel must have felt at seeing the desecration of the temple at the hands of Antiochus. Can you think of a similar instance that would cause such revulsion?

Reflect and Apply
• Imagine being told that a near neighbor or ally of the U.S. is going to rise to conquer us in the near future. That is what Daniel saw. The Medes and Persians would soon conquer Babylon only to be conquered later by Greece. What would you think? How would you react?
• Daniel was seeing a symbolic representation of major world events and it was not a pretty picture. It actually made him ill. Do you sometimes feel small in the face of world events? Is there a message in Daniel for that?
• For those who want to delve a bit more into Daniel, read his beautiful prayer of repentance in 9:1-19. Daniel was interceding on behalf of the nation of Israel. What are some elements of the prayer? Which ones stand out? How much of the prayer could apply today?