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Daniel 8
Superpowers in Conflict
Daniel and the End of History
The GBC Inheritance Class
Fall 2010
Dr. Gene Pond
Our Story So Far
Daniel, a Hebrew
statesman and prophet
advising the leaders of
Babylon under two great
empires, has revealed
future events including a
coming world leader
who will persecute the
Jews, God’ people.
—Daniel 1–7
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The Book of Daniel
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1–6 7–12
Court Stories Apocalyptic Visions
Daniel presented in 3rd person Daniel records in 1st person
1:1–
2:4a 2:4b–7:28 8–12
Heb. Aramaic Hebrew
Near-History to Inform Far-Prophecy
Babylon
Persia
Greece
Rome
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Daniel 8
A Pair of Locked Horns
The Vision Experienced 1–14 The Vision Explained 15–27
• The Background of the Ram • The Angel Gabriel
1–4 15–18
• The He-Goat from the West • The Interpretation
5–8 19-27
• The Little Horn
9–14
Daniel 8:1-4
The Background
of the Ram
Time: Belshazzar’s third year (551 B.C.)
A subsequent vision: Vision #2
His location in the vision: Susa, later to
be one the palace cities of the Persian
Try to learn as much as you can kings (Neh 1:1; Esth 1:2)
about the Bible. History supports History records that the Persians
the Scriptures. considered a ram with sharp, pointed
horns to be their guardian spirit, and the
king bore the head of a ram instead of a
crown when he led his armies into
We are involved in history and battle.
God’s plan personally. He chose
Ram = Media and Persia (8:20)
Daniel and Cyrus to work in
everyday history. Pushing without opposition in several
directions: for 200 years, Persia would
be unstoppable in controlling the world.
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The Conquests of Alexander the Great
334–323 B.C.
Daniel 8:5–8
The He-Goat
from the West
He-Goat
From the West
= Greece (8:21)
Large horn = “First King”
ALEXANDER
Seleucus over
Lysimachus over Cassander over Ptolemy over
Syria and vast
Thrace and most Macedonia and Egypt and
territory to the
of Asia Minor Greece possibly Palestine
east
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Daniel 8:9–14
The Little Horn
of the He-Goat
• He comes from a different beast Homesickness (“the Beautiful land”, 9)
8-9 Seleucus’ horn, evidently, gave rise to a
man named Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
• He opposed Israel
(the host of heaven) 10a Made himself a god, equal to the prince
• He tried to subvert Israel Israel was God’s “host” (Exod 7:4; 12:41)
(through Hellenism) 10b
• He tried to replace the high priest
(the Commander) 11
The 2,300 Evenings and Mornings
• Then I heard a holy one • 2,300 years, ending in 1844
speaking; and another holy one when the temple in heaven
said to the one that spoke, “For would be cleansed
how long is the vision concerning (Seventh Day Adventism)
the continual burnt offering, the • 3 ½ years of Great Tribulation
transgression that makes —but this is not that tribulation
desolate, and the giving over of • The 2,300 days between 171 and
the sanctuary and host to be 164 BC during which Antiochus
trampled under foot?” would hold sway
• And he said to him, “For two • The 1,150 days (3 ½ years)
thousand and three hundred between when statue set up until
evenings and mornings; then the temple cleansed, from
sanctuary shall be restored to desecration until restoration
its rightful state.”
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Daniel 8:15-19
Gabriel the Vision Interpreter
• Angels
in Daniel
• Gabriel
• Daniel’s
reaction 17
• “Time of the
end” 17, 19
God knows the future, and He has apponted an ending time for
1. Antiochus Epiphanes’ reign of terror
2. The future end times
Daniel 8:20-27
The Vision Explained by Gabriel
The little goat horn’s rule The little goat horn’s ruin
• The animals explained • Shrewd and deceitful
20-22 self-aggrandizement 25a
• Antiochus IV Epiphanes • False peace with Israel 25b
23-24 • Messiah-hater 25c
▫ A case of prophetic • Limited by God 26
pre-illustration
▫ A type of the Antichrist • The effect on Daniel 27
• God is willing to chart out our • When you seem to be down,
future; we should listen sad, miserable: “Rise up
again” and get about the
King’s business
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