Daniel 8:1-27

The Vision of the Ram and the He-Goat

In the third year of Belshazzar Daniel has a vision in which he seems to stand by the river Ulai, near Susa (Daniel 8:1). He sees a two-homed ram which behaves aggressively for a time (Daniel 8:3), but is attacked and overthrown by a he-goat which comes rapidly from the w, (Daniel 8:5). The he-goat has a notable horn (Daniel 8:5), which is presently broken, and instead of which four others come up (Daniel 8:8). From one of these there springs a little horn, which

Identification.

Daniel 2

Daniel 7

Compare Daniel 8

The Babylonian empire, or Nebuchadnezzar himself

The head of gold

The lion

The 'Median' empire, or Belshazzar

The breast and arms of silver

The bear

The Persian, or the Medo-Persian empire

The belly and thighs of brass

The leopard

The ram (the Medo-Persian empire)

The Greek empire of Alexander and his successors

The legs of iron and the feet of iron and clay

The beast with 10 horns

The he-goat

The Messianic kingdom

The stone cut from the mountain.

The human figure 'a son of man'

prospers greatly, and behaves arrogantly and wickedly, especially against the sanctuary and the continual burnt offering (Daniel 8:9). An angel proclaims that its oppressions will last for 2,300 evenings and mornings (Daniel 8:13). The angel Gabriel then explains the vision to Daniel (Daniel 8:15). It relates to 'the time of the end' (Daniel 8:17). The ram is the Medo-Persian empire (Daniel 8:20), and the he-goat the Greek empire (Daniel 8:21). The notable horn is the first Greek king (Alexander the Great), and the four horns which succeed it are the rulers of the four divisions of his empire (Daniel 8:20). The little horn is a king of one of these divisions, and the description plainly points to Antiochus Epiphanes. Gabriel foretells his various acts of oppression and blasphemy and his sudden overthrow (Daniel 8:23). The last two vv. contain Gabriel's parting message to Daniel, and describe the effect of the vision on the latter (Daniel 8:26).