Daniel: Chapter 8

I think that this is probably the simplest of chapters in the Book of Daniel. I truly hope you will come to think so as well.

Daniel 8:3-4

3 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 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.

If we remain true to the rules; then if the identity of the ram is not found within the context of this passage, then it is elsewhere in scripture.

Daniel 8:20

20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

Ram with two horns – Kings of Media and Persia

Daniel 8:5

5 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.

Daniel 8:21

21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

He goat – King of Grecia, (Alexander the Great) great horn between his eyes is the first king.

Daniel 8:8

8 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.

Daniel 8:22

22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

Four Horns – Four generals under Alexander the Great which took over after Alexander died.

After Alexander the Great died his kingdom was ruled by 4 generals who divided the world up into 4 parts. The 4 generals were the 4 heads and the 4 wings were the four parts of the earth.

The names of the Generals are as follows:

1. Gassander: Who ruled out of Greece.

2. Lysimachus: Who ruled out of Asia Minor.

3. Selecius: Who ruled out of Syria

4. Ptolemy: Who ruled out of Egypt.

We will see this laid out in the scriptures a bit later. The reason God described it this way was because after Alexander the Great, the Greeks were still in control. The kingdom did not pass to another nation it was just divided and given to these 4 generals.

Daniel 8:23-26

23 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.

Please note here that “a king of fierce countenance” is another name for the anti-Christ. But I want you to also note that if you follow the train of thought from the verse above (vs.22), four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. This phrase refers to the Grecian Empire, but notice the beginning of the 23rd verse carries this

kingdom all the way to the latter days. I want you to consider that the kingdom of the anti-Christ will

be all inclusive of the Babylonian, Persian, and Greek empires. He will have the strength that was found in all these kingdoms.

24 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.

Here we see the strength of the iron in the kingdom of the anti-Christ. His power will come directly from satan. He himself will be the embodiment of the devil, the son of perdition.

25 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.

John too, saw that this beast would make war with the armies of the Lord.

Revelation 19:19-20

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Beast – anti-Christ empowered by Satan

26 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.

Daniel is instructed to close the book and write no more. Therefore the vision is hidden from all but those who are given the wisdom of God.

The Great Sea References:

Numbers 34:6

6 For the western border, you shall have the great sea and the border of it : this shall be your west border.

Numbers 34:7

7 This shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall mark out for you Mount Hor;

Joshua 1:4

4 From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border.

Joshua 9:1

1 It happened, when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it

Joshua 15:12

12 The west border was to the shore of the great sea. This is the border of the children of Judah according to their families.

Joshua 15:47

47 Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the brook of Egypt, and the great sea with its coastline.