Expanding Knowledge of the Future

About two years after his vision in Daniel 7, and about fifty years after interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2, Daniel had another vision.  Daniel 8:1-14 describes the vision.  “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.  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.

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.  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.

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.  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.  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.

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.  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.  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.  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.  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 practiced, and prospered.

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?  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

When Daniel questioned what the vision meant, the angel, Gabriel was sent to interpret the message for him, in Daniel 8:15-19, so that he could know what would happen at the end of the present world.  “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.  And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.  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.  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.  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.”

The ram Daniel saw at the first represents the Medo-Persian Empire, as Daniel 8:20 tells us.  “The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.”  The Medo-Persian Empire was just coming to power at the time, and about six years later would conquer Babylon, as described in Daniel 5.  At the time it was a joint effort, but after the death of their first leader, the Persian king would take over and the empire would become known as the Persian Empire. 

About a hundred fifty years after Daniel saw this vision, in 323 BC, the Greek Empire would conquer most of the known world of the day under Alexander the great, as described in Daniel 8:21-22.  “And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is 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.”  Three years later, in 320 BC, Alexander the great died.  Since he had no heirs, the Empire was split among his four generals.  Later, although it is not mentioned here, the Roman Empire would reunite them, and that empire would continue to influence them until the last days, as we saw in Daniel 2 and 7. 

Ultimately, this will lead to a final world power ruled by a wicked king, the little horn of Daniel 7, as Daniel 8:23-25 describes.  “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.  And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.  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.”

Modern Christians know this last ruler as the Antichrist.   He will be empowered by Satan, and will use treaties and promises of peace to get control of nations and destroy them, much like Hitler did in the 1930’s.  As a result of his policies, there will be a period of economic prosperity that will draw people to him, but ultimately, he will be destroyed.  While the Medo-Persian Empire would occur shortly, most of the prophecy dealt with things so far in the future that it would not affect the people alive at the time so the vision was shut up for the time being, as Daniel 8:26 tells us.  “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.”