YAHWEH’S PROPHETIC DETAILS FOR HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL ARE FOUND IN DANIEL CHAPTERS 8-12
PART I: ISRAEL AND ITS TEMPLE WILL BE RE-ESTABLISHED DURING THE SECOND AND THIRD KINGDOMS BUT WILL BE SEVERLY PERSECUTED DURING THE THIRD KINGDOM (GREECE)
Daniel 8:1-27
As taught by Dave Lindstrom
I. Daniel’s vision concerning the ram (Medo-Persia) and the goat ( Greece ) (Daniel 8:1-14).
A. The historic background of Daniel’s vision (verses 1, 2).
1. Daniel now returns to writing in Hebrew instead of the Aramaic he used in chapters 2-7. He writes chapter 1, chapters 8-12 in Hebrew because these chapters have special significance to Israel .
2. The third year of King Belshazzar would have probably been 550- 551 B.C. (two years after the vision in 7:1). Daniel would have been about 70 years old when he received this (verse 1).
3. In the vision, Daniel gets his geographical bearings by first being in the palace at Susa , the capital of Elam , located 230 miles east of Babylon . He then finds himself on the bank of an artificial canal (called the Ulai Canal ) a few miles away from Susa . King Cyrus of Persia took the nation of Elam and the capital Susa over about 550 B.C.
B. Daniel first sees a ram with two long horns (verses 3, 4).
1. This animal represents the Medo-Persian Empire that was going to replace the Babylonian Empire in 539 B.C. It ruled from 539-331 B.C. It was the second kingdom of Daniel 2:32b, 39a; 5:28 ; 7:5 and is interpreted for us in Daniel 8:20 .
2. The longer horn is Persia , the stronger part of the Medo-Persian Empire.
3. The conquests of King Cyrus had primarily a westward, northward, and southward direction (already discussed in Daniel 7:5).
C. Daniel next sees a quick, powerful one-horned goat (verses 5-8).
1. Alexander the Great came from the west ( Macedonia and Greece ) and with speed and fury took over the whole Medo-Persian Empire in under three years (333 B.C. – 331 B.C.)(verses 5, 6).
2. Alexander the Great ended up dying in Babylon in 323 B.C. at the age of 33 years old. At the height of his power, he had people worship him as a descendent of the Greek god Zeus (verse 7).
3. Alexander the Great did not have children, therefore, four of his generals battled it out and claimed their right to rule the kingdom of Greece : 1) Cassander – Macedonia and Greece ; 2) Lysimachus – Thrace and Bithynia ; 3) Ptolemy – Egypt and Palestine ; and 4) Seleucus – Phrygia to the Indus River. The Greek kingdom ruled from 331 B.C. to approximately 88 B.C. (verse 8; Dan. 7:6; 8:22 ; 11:4).
D. Daniel next sees another small but growing ruler arising out of the Grecian kingdom which will persecute the people of Israel (verses 9-14).
1. This ruler comes out of the third kingdom which is Greece but has some similar characteristics of the little horn coming out of the fourth kingdom which is Rome in Daniel 7:8, 23-27. We should not confuse the two, they are two separate people. However, it could be that Yahweh through Daniel is revealing some characteristics of the final persecutor of Israel (from the revived fourth kingdom of Rome who is also called the antichrist) through this third kingdom persecutor (see also Dan. 9:20-27; 11:21–12:3; Matt.24:15, 24; II Thes. 2:1-12; Rev. 13:1-18; 19:19-21).
2. The person in Greek history which relates to every aspect described by this person is Antiochus IV Epiphanes who ruled from 175-164 B.C. After murdering his brother and usurping power from his nephew, Seleucus IV, he invaded Egypt (south), Parthia and Armenia (east) and forcibly used Israel (the Beautiful or Glorious Land) at this time called Palestine, as a buffer between his kingdom and the Egyptian Ptolemaic armies (verse 9).
3. The terms “host of the heavens” and “starry host” in this context means true Israelite believers who will be persecuted and killed under Antiochus IV Epiphanes reign. The “stars” who “shine like the brightness of the heavens” are the same and similar terms found in Daniel 12:3 (verse 10).
4. Antiochus IV Epiphanes was very corrupt during his reign (verses 10-14)
a. He had the coins of his kingdom inscribed “theos epiphanes” which means “God Manifest” in Greek. Therefore, he set himself up as the Prince of the host, Yahweh Sabaoth, the only true God (verse 11).
b. He also, in December 167 B.C., erected a statue of Zeus Olympius in Yahweh’s temple and sacrificed pigs on the altar. He had already taken away the Jewish daily temple sacrifice months before this.
c. He made the possession of Hebrew Scriptures an offense deserving the death penalty. Therefore, truth (the Scriptures) was thrown to the ground (verse 12).
d. He made it a death penalty for Hebrews to circumcise their children bringing many faithful Jewish believers over to death (verse 12).
e. The prophesied time for the extreme persecution of this Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes is 2,300 evenings and mornings. The two ways of looking at this are either 2,300 days or 2,300 evening and morning burnt offering sacrifices making it 1,150 days (verse 13; Ex. 29:38-42; Numbers chapters 28, 29). Some Jewish and Christian scholars have calculated the reconsecration of the temple by the Jewish Maccabees to be exactly 1,150 days. The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah ( December 14, 164 B.C. ) celebrates this event (verse 14).
Thought: Yahweh cares and loves His people by revealing events, many in extraordinary detail, in His written revelation. These Scriptures should bring comfort, direction, and hope for His believers. Praise Yahweh “Hallelu-Yah.”
II. The angel Gabriel’s direct interpretation of the vision to Daniel (Daniel 8:15 -27).
A. Gabriel seems to be Yahweh’s messenger specifically to His Jewish people. This is the first place in Scripture where he is mentioned by name but he is mentioned three other times (verses 15, 16; Dan. 9:21 ; Luke 1:19 , 26).
B. Gabriel explains that the vision occurs at “an appointed time of the end” and “a time of wrath.” The idea of these statements seem to directly relate to the Antiochus IV Epiphanes time frame but could possibly hint at a preview of the time before the return of Christ (verses 17-19; Dan. 9:20-27; 11:36-12:3; Matt. 24:14-30; Rev. 3:10, 11).
C. Prophetic insights into Israel , the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and a possible glimpse into some of the characteristics of the antichrist (verses 20-26).
1. Yahweh’s discipline was going to once again fall on Israel due to their rebellion, transgression, and sin. They were becoming corrupt, buying the high priesthood from Antiochus IV, and breaking the Mosaic covenant which they were under (verse 23a).
2. Antiochus IV would be severe, deceitful (winning the Jews over and then turning on them), powerful, and ultimately motivated by Satan. He will cause devastation in Israel , Jerusalem , the Temple and be a destroyer of Yahweh’s holy people (verses 23b-26, the details of this will be studied further in Daniel 11:21 -36, also for a history read the Apocryphal book of I Maccabees chapters 1-6 and Josephus chapter 16).
3. Daniel was distraught and disturbed at contemplating that the true people of Israel , after returning to the Beautiful Land from exile, will have to go through more trial later on. However, little does he know that he will be receiving more visions to come which will all be sealed up, written in Hebrew, for the time of the end (verse 27; Daniel 12:4).
Thought: Israel struggled with sin through their history with Yahweh, was disciplined and yet unconditionally loved! We as New Testament believers have the same sin, the same God, and yet more grace and Holy Spirit power because Christ has already died and rose again! (2 Cor. 3:4-18; Heb. 12:4-13)
