Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Daniel 8 Devotional

Evil Has a Limit

“Through his craft and by his hand, he will cause deceit to prosper, and in his own mind he will make himself great. In a time of peace he will destroy many, and he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken off, but not by human hands.”Daniel 8:25 (BSB)

Daniel sees a ram with two horns charging in every direction until a goat with one great horn comes from the west and tramples it (8:3-7). Gabriel explains that these stand for the kings of Media and Persia and the king of Greece (8:20-21). A small horn then grows proud, reaches toward heaven, takes away the daily sacrifice, and throws truth to the ground (8:9-12). One holy one asks another the sufferer's question: how long (8:13)?

The answer is a set limit, after which the sanctuary will be restored (8:14). The insolent king will even stand against the Prince of princes, but he will be broken, and not by any human hand (8:25). Evil can rage, but only on a clock God has set. Daniel lies ill for days and admits the vision is beyond understanding. Then he gets up and goes back to the king's business (8:27). You do not need to understand every detail of God's plans to trust him and do today's work.

To think about: What part of God's plan do you not understand, and what faithful work is in front of you today anyway?

About Daniel 8: The Ram, the Goat and the Little Horn

In a second vision Daniel sees a two-horned ram trampled by a goat whose great horn snaps and is replaced by four, and a small horn that attacks God’s sanctuary and sacrifice. The angel Gabriel explains the ram as Media and Persia’s kings and the goat as Greece’s king, and Daniel is left exhausted and bewildered.

Take the Daniel 8 quiz →Study notes

Get the next chapter and its devotional in your inbox each morning

One short email a day, no account needed. Stop anytime.