6.6 The Governor of Christ                                       

 

1. What appeared to Daniel in 538 BC, the same year in which Babylon fell?
Daniel 8:1 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.

2. Where was Daniel at that time?
Daniel 8:2 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.
Note: A distinctive feature of God's Word is the accuracy with which time and circumstances are cited. Verse 1 indicates the time at which Daniel received this vision. Verse 2 indicates the place, Shushan in the province of Elam, north of the Persian Gulf and east of the Tigris River. Shushan later became the capital of the Persian Empire. It now belongs to Iran.

3. What first caught the prophet's attention?
Daniel 8:3 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.
Note: The ram had two horns, of which the highest rose up last. In the previous vision, Medo-Persia was represented by the bear rising up on one side. Although Persia rose to power later than Media, it defeated the Medes (the highest rose up last). But Persia made a covenant with the Medes, in which they were not treated as inferior.

4. What power was represented by the ram that had two horns?
Daniel 8:20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
An angel reveals to Daniel who is represented by the ram.

 

5. How are the rise and work of this power described?
Daniel 8:4 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.
Note: Their most notable expansion was toward the West, where Cyrus conquered Lydia in 547 BC and Babylon in 539 BC. Under Cambyses, it extended its victories toward the South, where it conquered Egypt and Ethiopia in 525 BC. Darius Hystaspes marched toward the North where he captured Scythia in 513 BC.

6. What symbol was subsequently introduced into the vision?
Daniel 8:5 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.

7. What did the goat with the prominent horn represent?
Daniel 8:20-21
20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
The angel gives Daniel the interpretation of the male goat.

8. How was the conquest of Medo-Persia by Greece foretold in this symbolic prophecy?
Daniel 8:7 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.
Note: The triumphal campaign of Alexander the Great is the most magnificent spectacle of Antiquity. With incredible speed, like a four-winged panther (see Daniel 7:6), he charged at the ram, which stood there as invincible. The angel states that the great horn between the goat's eyes is the first king, which points to Alexander the Great.

9. What happened when the goat “had become strong”?
Daniel 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.
Note: Daniel saw that that horn was broken at the height of his power. That was the end of Alexander; it was a tremendous tragedy for his empire. He was not overcome or killed by another power, but as a result of his excess, he died within a few days. He was only 32 years old.

10. Who was represented by “the great horn” and what followed when it was broken?
Daniel 8:21-22
21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
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.
Note: His four generals who had the upper hand decided to divide the kingdom into four.Macedonia under Cassander Thrace and Asia Minor under Lysimachus Syria under Seleucus Egypt under Ptolemy The four empires arose without his power. See here the accuracy of this prophecy.


11. What came out of one of the four horns of the male goat?
Daniel 8:9-12
9 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.
10 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.
11 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.
12 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 practised, and prospered.
Note: Rome had come from across the Adriatic Sea and conquered Macedonia in the Battle of Pydna (168 BC). This event is regarded as the beginning of Roman world power. From there, Rome expanded its dominion. Against the South (Egypt), against the East (the Seleucian Empire), and against the Ornament (Palestine) in 63 BC. The host of heaven refers to God's people (see verse 24). The stars are the leaders of God's people. This power trampled them. This expression points to the inhumanity with which the pagan and subsequently the spiritual Rome would persecute God's children. This power would also set itself against (the Prince of the host) and deprive Him of the daily sacrifice. This points to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 and through the destruction of the temple, the daily offering was taken away from the Jews.

12. What did this little horn do to God's people?
Daniel 8:10 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.
Note: The host of heaven refers to God's people (see verse 24). The stars refer to the leaders of God's people. This expression points to the inhumanity with which the pagan and subsequently the spiritual Rome would persecute God's children.

13. In what literal terms is this persecution of God's people further described?
Daniel 8:24 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.

 

14. How would this little horn exalt itself against Christ and His work as Mediator?
Daniel 8:11 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.
Note: The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (70 AD) by the Romans, as Jesus had foretold in Matthew 24:15, put an end to the daily sacrificial service that so vividly represented the doctrine of Atonement. It was taken away by Imperial Rome. Forever the earthly sacrificial service, which was already powerless after the death of the true Lamb, was taken away from the Jewish people.

15. How is this self-exaltation described in the interpretation of the vision?
Daniel 8:25 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.

16. What similar words did the apostle Paul use to describe this power?
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Note: Here we clearly see the spiritual power of Rome, namely the little horn. No other power fits this description.

 

17. What was given into the hands of this power, which is represented by the little horn?
Daniel 8:12 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 practised, and prospered.
Note: This power has instituted its own worship and positions itself as a mediator between God and people. Jesus is the only mediator between God and people. “No one comes to the Father except through Me,” says Jesus.

 

18. What did this power do to the truth?
Daniel 8:12 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 practised, and prospered.
Note: God's people would be subjected to false worship by that same power. Rome did not cease to exist with the fall of the Roman Empire; it continued in spiritual Rome. Daniel first sees Rome in its imperial phase, which turns against the Jews and the first Christians, and then in its spiritual phase which casts the truth to the ground. The imperial power and the spiritual power are presented as a single power in this prophecy. Daniel 7 describes the spiritual phase of Rome.

19. What question was asked in the hearing of the prophet?
Daniel 8:13 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?

 

20. What answer was given to Daniel?
Daniel 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

 

21. Which prophetic era begins with the time when the continual mediation of Christ by this power was taken away from Christ?
Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

 

22. What assurance was given to Daniel concerning the era mentioned in verse 14?
Daniel 8:26 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.