April 17, 2023
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Reading along with us in Daniel? Here’s today’s reading:
Daniel 8 (NIV)
Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat
1 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later...............Continue Reading
Antiochus Epiphanes was a nasty man who chose to challenge God and try to exterminate his people. But God destroyed him shortly afterwards.
Verse 14 probably refers to the approximate interval between the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus and its reconsecration by the Maccabees in 165 bc.
In this vision Daniel describes the ram and goat. The ram with two horns is Medes and Persia, The goat is Greece which destroys the ram. As we know the little horn that comes up is the antichrist that wars against the Prince of princes. [ Jesus ]. The antichrist is defeated by Jesus.
Daniel 8
Daniel went through a lot of distress and confusion seeing these visions. And understandably so, it being about the end times. But after a time of rest, he went about the kings business even though he was still shaken by them.
Another strange vision that God interprets for Daniel through Gabriel. I read a little about some of the rulers that are represented by the horns in this vision and in particular Antiochus Epiphanes who was just a horrible man and persecutor of the Jewish people but we know that God can use the evil of man as part of His plan and in this case as the consequences for their disobedience. These visions do seem to contain things that happened but also will occur again during the end times so it is no wonder Daniel was distressed and confused by them!
Something that hit me in reading this that is pertinent for many of the visions Daniel has seen, that in spite of how powerful or ferocious one earthly kingdom is, there is always someone who rises up more powerful until they finally meet the power of God. As Gabriel tells Daniel, the Ram is the Medes and Persians and the goat is the Greeks. It is true that Alexander the great was a gifted general and strategist and established the greatest empire the world had known before the Romans came. It was said he cried because there were no more kingdoms to conquer. He also died young and his kingdom was divided amongst 4 of his generals. I can’t recall if Antiochus was one of those or he usurped power later on. But he was evil as well as a conniver and deceiver. He was also ruthless. He did shut down sacrifice and brought an unholy sacrifice in the temple. It really is amazing that Daniel receives these visions centuries before they happen. Those who question the Bible actually say these prophecies are so accurate that they must have been written later and just attributed to Daniel…..or naturally, they were written by Daniel and show the divine inspiration of Scripture and that for God, the future is as easy to see as the present….
Daniel 8
Daniel 7
Daniel 8
Daniel 9
Can you imagine being told the future and having an angel explain it to you? I think I might feel a little sick too.