Day 16 – Another Vision of Superpowers in Conflict

Read Daniel 8: 1 – 21

Daniel is not a chronological book. The vision recorded in Chapter 8 came to Daniel about two years after the vision in Chapter 7 and it took place chronologically between the fourth and fifth chapters. This vision isn’t about Babylon or Rome but rather about the Persians and the Medes and the Greeks – nations that are very prominent in the history of the Jews. Under Persian rule, the Jews were allowed to return from Babylon and set up temple worship and under the Greeks the Temple and city of Jerusalem were ultimately destroyed.
A phrase used in Daniel 8:9 provides a clue to the significance of the Israelites in this prophecy when it refers to “The Glorious Land (some translations use The Beautiful Land)”. The Glorious Land is Israel. Daniel didn’t understand the vision but history provides us with details that show us how incredibly accurate the vision was in predicting future events. The two-horned ram represents the Medes and Persians and history records that the Medes came first and were joined by the Persians. The Persian empire did eventually grow more powerful and assimilate the Medes just as the prophecy showed. The Goat represents Greece and when the goat began to move out of the west it moved very quickly toward world domination. From history we know that in twelve brief years, the Greeks conquered the entire civilized world, never losing a battle.
The horn in the middle of the forehead of the goat represents the first king of Greece – Alexander the Great – who did indeed defeat the Persian army under King Darius III. The Greeks subdued the Medo-Persian Empire just like God said they would, two hundred years before it happened! Verse 8 tells us that “the large horn was broken off at the height of his power” and Alexander did indeed die at the age of thirty-three – a victim of drunkenness and fever. Upon his death, Alexander’s kingdom was divided between his four generals just as prophesied in verse 8.

Q1. Read Daniel 8: 3 -8 and write the literal meaning of each of the symbols used in the passage. The Ram, the higher horn, the lower horn, the Goat, and the large horn.

Q2. God used the angel Gabriel to interpret the vision to Daniel. In the Old Testament, the word “gbr” means “the mighty one.” One of the names for God is “el.” The name for Gabriel, “gbrel” means “the mighty one of God.” Why did God sometimes use angels to speak directly to men and women? Does He still do this today?

Final thought: Much of scripture takes place in the Promised Land – i.e. the land of Israel. In the Bible, Israel is called Canaan, the Holy Land, the Lord’s land, Emmanuel’s land, land of Israel, land of the Hebrews, land of Judah, land of Promise, land of Palestine and the Beautiful or Glorious land. The Holy Land has been the focus of history, it plays a prominent role in current events, and it will once again dominate future events in the end times when Christ the King comes to establish his kingdom.