CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Daniel 8
Chapter 8 of 12
Chapter Overview
What happens in Daniel 8
Daniel sees a vision of a ram and a goat battling each other. The angel Gabriel explains that the ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire and the goat represents Greece. A small horn that grows very powerful represents a future king who will persecute God's people.
Scripture
Daniel 8
The Vision of the Ram and the Goat
Study note
This vision came two years after the vision in chapter 7. Daniel saw himself at Susa, which would later become the capital of Persia. The ram with two horns represents the Medo-Persian Empire. The goat with one great horn represents Greece and its first king, Alexander the Great. When the great horn broke, four horns replaced it, representing the four generals who divided Alexander's empire.
1 Two years later, during King Belshazzar's third year, I, Daniel, had another vision. It followed up on the first one. 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 In this vision, I found myself in the fortified city of Susa, in the province of Elam. I was standing on the bank of the Ulai canal. 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 I looked up and noticed a ram standing by the water. It had two tall horns, but one grew taller than the other, and the taller one came up second. 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 watched the ram charge toward the west, the north, and the south. No other animal could stand against it or escape its power. It did whatever it wanted and became very strong. 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 As I puzzled over this, a male goat appeared from the west, racing across the land so fast its hooves did not even touch the ground. Between its eyes was one enormous horn. 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 The goat charged straight at the two-horned ram I had seen by the water, slamming into it with unstoppable force. 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 I watched the goat ram into the other animal in a blind rage. It shattered both of the ram's horns. The ram had zero strength to fight back. The goat threw it to the ground and trampled it, and nobody could save the ram. 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 The goat grew exceedingly powerful. But right when it was at peak strength, its huge horn snapped off. Four impressive horns sprouted up in its place, pointing toward the four directions. 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.
The Small Horn Grows Powerful
Study note
The small horn that grows exceedingly great represents Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Greek ruler who persecuted the Jews around 167 BC. He stopped the daily temple sacrifices and set up an idol in God's temple. The 2,300 evenings and mornings refers to the time period until the temple would be cleansed and restored.
9 From one of those four horns, a small horn emerged. It grew stronger and stronger, pushing south, east, and toward the beautiful land of Israel. 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.
10 It grew so powerful that it reached all the way up to the army of heaven. It dragged some of those heavenly soldiers and stars down to the ground and stomped on them. 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 It even challenged the commander of heaven's army. It shut down the daily sacrifices offered to him and tore down his sanctuary. Yea, 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 Because of widespread rebellion, this horn was given an army. It threw truth to the ground and succeeded in everything it did. 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 practised, and prospered.
13 Then I heard two holy beings talking. One asked the other, "How long will the things in this vision go on? How long before the daily sacrifices start again? How long will this destructive rebellion continue? How long will the sanctuary and heaven's army be trampled?" 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 The answer came: "After 2,300 evenings and mornings, the sanctuary will be restored and set right." And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Gabriel Explains the Vision
Study note
Gabriel is one of the named angels in the Bible. He explained that the vision concerns the end times. The ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. The goat represents the king of Greece. The fierce king who rises later will destroy many through cunning and deceit but will ultimately be broken by God's power, not by human hands.
15 As I, Daniel, tried to make sense of the vision, someone who looked like a man suddenly appeared in front of me. 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 Then I heard a voice call out from across the Ulai canal, "Gabriel, help this man understand the vision." 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 Gabriel walked toward me, and I was so terrified that I collapsed face-first on the ground. He told me, "Pay attention, son of man — this vision reveals what will happen at the very end." 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 While he talked, I passed out cold, my face pressed against the earth. But he reached down, touched me, and lifted me back to my feet. 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 "I am going to show you what will happen during the final time of God's anger," he said. "This vision is about the set time of the end." 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 "That two-horned ram you saw stands for the kings of Media and Persia." The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 "The male goat stands for the king of Greece, and the big horn between its eyes is the first king." And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
22 "The four horns that grew where the broken one was stand for four kingdoms. They will break off from that nation. But none of them will be as strong as 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.
23 "Toward the end of their rule, when rebellion has run its full course, a fierce and cunning king will grab 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.
24 "He will become tremendously powerful — but not through his own abilities. He will bring shocking destruction and succeed at whatever he attempts. He will crush powerful nations and God's own people." 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 "His craftiness will make deception thrive. He will think he is invincible. He will ambush and destroy many people when they least expect it. He will even challenge the Prince of princes himself. But in the end, he will be shattered — not by any human force." 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 "The vision about the evenings and mornings is true. But lock it away and seal it up, because it is about events far in the future." 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 After all this, I, Daniel, was completely drained. I got sick and stayed in bed for days. Eventually I got up and went back to handling the king's affairs. But the vision haunted me, and I could not find anyone who could explain it. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
Key Themes
Themes in Daniel 8
The ram and the goatThe rise of greeceThe little hornDesecration of the sanctuaryGod reveals the future
Apply This Today
Living Daniel 8
God showed Daniel that empires would rise, conquer, and fall — but none of it was outside God's control. When we see powerful leaders and nations acting with arrogance, we can trust that God knows the timeline and the outcome. Our job is to remain faithful, even when the world around us seems to be spinning out of control.
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