Daniel 8 Study Notes: 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.
General
How did the vision affect Daniel once Gabriel had finished explaining it (Daniel 8:26-27)?
Answer: He lay sick for days, then resumed the king’s business
Gabriel told Daniel that what he had seen about the evenings and mornings is true, but that he must keep the vision sealed because it looks far into the future (8:26). Daniel was worn out and sick for several days. Then he rose and went back to his work for the king, though he was stunned by the vision and could not understand it (8:27). Even without grasping it all, he returned to faithful daily service. His earlier vision had left him troubled and pale as well (7:28), and a later one would leave him without strength (10:8). Near the end of the book Daniel is again told to close up and seal the words until the end (12:4).
- Daniel 8:26 (BSB)“The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.””Gabriel tells Daniel the vision is true and that he must seal it up, since it looks far ahead.
- Daniel 8:27 (BSB)“I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was confounded by the vision; it was beyond understanding.”Daniel is worn out and sick for days, then returns to the king’s work, still unable to understand the vision.
- Daniel 7:28 (BSB)“Thus ends the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. But I kept the matter to myself.””After the previous vision Daniel was likewise deeply troubled and pale.
- Daniel 10:8 (BSB)“So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision. No strength remained in me; my face grew deathly pale, and I was powerless.”A later vision again leaves Daniel without strength.
- Daniel 12:4 (BSB)“But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase.””Near the book’s close Daniel is told to keep these words shut and sealed until the end.
Theological
What effect did the vision have on Daniel after Gabriel’s explanation (Daniel 8:26-27)?
Answer: He lay sick for days, then resumed the king’s business
Gabriel affirms the truth of what was shown about the evenings and mornings and commands Daniel to keep the vision sealed, since it pertains to far-off days (8:26). Daniel is spent and lies sick for days; then he rises and resumes the king’s business, bewildered by the vision and without understanding it (8:27). The prophet who received the revelation could not fully comprehend it, yet he returned to faithful service under a pagan king. The same overwhelming effect follows his previous vision (7:28) and a later one (10:8), and at the book’s close he is again told to shut up and seal the words until the end (12:4).
- Daniel 8:26 (BSB)“The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.””Gabriel tells Daniel the vision is true and that he must seal it up, since it looks far ahead.
- Daniel 8:27 (BSB)“I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was confounded by the vision; it was beyond understanding.”Daniel is worn out and sick for days, then returns to the king’s work, still unable to understand the vision.
- Daniel 7:28 (BSB)“Thus ends the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. But I kept the matter to myself.””After the previous vision Daniel was likewise deeply troubled and pale.
- Daniel 10:8 (BSB)“So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision. No strength remained in me; my face grew deathly pale, and I was powerless.”A later vision again leaves Daniel without strength.
- Daniel 12:4 (BSB)“But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase.””Near the book’s close Daniel is told to keep these words shut and sealed until the end.
General
True or False: When a holy one asked how long the vision would last, the reply was that after 2,300 evenings and mornings the sanctuary would be set right again (Daniel 8:13-14).
Answer: True
This is true. Daniel heard a holy one, a heavenly being, talking, and a second holy one asked how long the things in the vision would go on: the halting of the daily offering, the rebellion that brings ruin, and the sanctuary and the host being given up to be trodden down (8:13). The reply named a set number of evenings and mornings, after which the sanctuary would be put right again (8:14). Gabriel later confirmed that what was shown about the evenings and mornings is true (8:26). The suffering had a limit set by God. Psalm 74 voices the same cry of God’s people, asking how long the enemy will be allowed to mock His name (Psalm 74:10). The LORD’s plans stand firm forever, while the plans of nations come to nothing (Psalm 33:10-11).
- Daniel 8:13-14 (BSB)“Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long until the fulfillment of the vision of the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?” He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be properly restored.””A holy one asks another how long the desolation will last, and the reply sets a fixed count of evenings and mornings before the sanctuary is put right.
- Daniel 8:26 (BSB)“The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.””Gabriel confirms that what was shown about the evenings and mornings is true.
- Psalm 74:10 (BSB)“How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?”God’s people elsewhere cry out to ask how long the enemy will be allowed to mock His name.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD’s purposes stand firm through every generation, while the schemes of nations come to nothing.
Theological
True or False: The answer given to the holy one’s question was that the sanctuary would be set right again after 2,300 evenings and mornings (Daniel 8:13-14).
Answer: True
This is true. As one holy one speaks, another asks how long the vision will run, covering the rebellion that brings desolation, the removal of the daily sacrifice, and the giving over of sanctuary and host to be trodden down (8:13). The reply fixes the span at a set number of evenings and mornings, after which the sanctuary is to be restored to its rightful state (8:14), and Gabriel affirms that this part of the vision is true (8:26). The desolation is real but bounded by divine decree. The lament of Psalm 74 asks the same question of how long the enemy may revile God’s name (Psalm 74:10), and the answer rests in the LORD whose counsel stands forever while the nations’ plans are frustrated (Psalm 33:10-11).
- Daniel 8:13-14 (BSB)“Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long until the fulfillment of the vision of the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?” He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be properly restored.””A holy one asks another how long the desolation will last, and the reply sets a fixed count of evenings and mornings before the sanctuary is put right.
- Daniel 8:26 (BSB)“The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.””Gabriel confirms that what was shown about the evenings and mornings is true.
- Psalm 74:10 (BSB)“How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?”God’s people elsewhere cry out to ask how long the enemy will be allowed to mock His name.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD’s purposes stand firm through every generation, while the schemes of nations come to nothing.
General
When Gabriel was told to explain the vision, what did he say the vision was about (Daniel 8:16-19)?
Answer: The end, at the time God has appointed
While Daniel was trying to understand the vision, someone who looked like a man stood before him, and a man’s voice called from the Ulai Canal, telling Gabriel to make the vision clear to Daniel (8:15-16). Gabriel is an angel, a messenger sent from God. When he approached, Daniel was seized with fear and dropped face down. Gabriel told him that the vision has to do with the final end (8:17). Daniel sank into a heavy sleep, face downward, but Gabriel touched him, set him on his feet, and promised to make known what would happen in the later time of wrath (8:18-19). Gabriel returned later to give Daniel understanding (9:21-22), and in Luke he tells Zechariah that he stands before God (Luke 1:19). The meaning of visions comes from God, who makes mysteries known from heaven (2:28).
- Daniel 8:15-16 (BSB)“While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard the voice of a man calling from between the banks of the Ulai: “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.””As Daniel tries to understand, a figure like a man appears, and a voice from the Ulai tells Gabriel to explain the vision.
- Daniel 8:17-19 (BSB)“As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” While he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, helped me to my feet, and said, “Behold, I will make known to you what will happen in the latter time of wrath, because it concerns the appointed time of the end.”Daniel falls on his face in fear; Gabriel tells him the vision is about the end, raises him up, and promises to explain.
- Daniel 9:21-22 (BSB)“while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.”Gabriel, whom Daniel had seen in this earlier vision, returns later to give him understanding.
- Luke 1:19 (BSB)““I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.”Gabriel tells Zechariah that he stands before God and has come as His messenger.
- Daniel 2:28 (BSB)“But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:”Heaven’s God is the One who discloses what lies ahead.
Theological
What did Gabriel, commissioned to explain the vision, tell Daniel it concerned (Daniel 8:16-19)?
Answer: The end, at the time God has appointed
As Daniel sought the vision’s meaning, a figure who looked like a man stood before him, and a human voice from the Ulai’s banks commanded Gabriel to make Daniel understand the vision (8:15-16). At Gabriel’s approach Daniel fell prostrate in terror, and the angel told him that the vision pertains to the final end (8:17). Overcome, Daniel sank into a heavy sleep face down; Gabriel touched him, raised him up, and announced that he would disclose what is to occur in the latter period of wrath, since it bears on the end at its appointed time (8:18-19). The same Gabriel later comes to give Daniel insight (9:21-22) and identifies himself in Luke as one who stands before God (Luke 1:19). Interpretation is God’s gift, since it is God who unveils mysteries from heaven (2:28).
- Daniel 8:15-16 (BSB)“While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard the voice of a man calling from between the banks of the Ulai: “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.””As Daniel tries to understand, a figure like a man appears, and a voice from the Ulai tells Gabriel to explain the vision.
- Daniel 8:17-19 (BSB)“As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” While he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, helped me to my feet, and said, “Behold, I will make known to you what will happen in the latter time of wrath, because it concerns the appointed time of the end.”Daniel falls on his face in fear; Gabriel tells him the vision is about the end, raises him up, and promises to explain.
- Daniel 9:21-22 (BSB)“while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.”Gabriel, whom Daniel had seen in this earlier vision, returns later to give him understanding.
- Luke 1:19 (BSB)““I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.”Gabriel tells Zechariah that he stands before God and has come as His messenger.
- Daniel 2:28 (BSB)“But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:”Heaven’s God is the One who discloses what lies ahead.
General
In Daniel’s vision by the Ulai, what happened when the goat from the west reached the ram (Daniel 8:5-7)?
Answer: It struck the ram, broke both its horns, and trampled it
In a second vision Daniel saw himself at the fortress city of Susa by the Ulai Canal (8:1-2). A ram stood by the canal with two long horns; the longer of the two had grown up last. It charged west, north and south, no beast could resist it, and it did whatever it wanted and grew great (8:3-4). Then a goat with one prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, sweeping across the whole earth without its feet touching the ground. It rushed at the ram in fury, struck it, shattered both its horns, threw it down and trampled it, and nothing could save the ram (8:5-7). The ram did as it pleased for a time, but only God truly acts at will, and no one can hold back His hand (4:35). He is the One who removes kings and sets up others (2:21).
- Daniel 8:3-4 (BSB)“Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a ram with two horns standing beside the canal. The horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one grew up later. I saw the ram charging toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no deliverance from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.”A two-horned ram charges in three directions, no beast can resist it, and it does whatever it wants.
- Daniel 8:5-7 (BSB)“As I was contemplating all this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with furious power. I saw him approach the ram in a rage against him, and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him, and the goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and no one could deliver the ram from his power.”A goat with one prominent horn races from the west, smashes the ram’s horns, and tramples it.
- Daniel 4:35 (BSB)“All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’””Unlike the ram, God is the One who truly acts at will, and no one can hold Him back.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God takes kings away and sets others in their place.
Theological
What happened in the vision when the goat from the west encountered the ram by the Ulai Canal (Daniel 8:5-7)?
Answer: It struck the ram, broke both its horns, and trampled it
Seeing himself in vision at the fortress of Susa by the Ulai Canal (8:1-2), Daniel sees a two-horned ram, the longer horn rising last, butting westward, northward and southward; no beast can withstand it, and it acts at will and grows great (8:3-4). A goat bearing a conspicuous horn then sweeps in from the west, skimming over the earth with its feet never meeting the ground, charges the ram in fury, shatters both its horns, casts it down and tramples it, with none to deliver (8:5-7). The ram’s seemingly unchecked power, doing as it pleased, is exposed as borrowed and temporary; only the Most High does as He wills with heaven’s armies and earth’s peoples (4:35), and He alone removes and installs kings (2:21).
- Daniel 8:3-4 (BSB)“Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a ram with two horns standing beside the canal. The horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one grew up later. I saw the ram charging toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no deliverance from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.”A two-horned ram charges in three directions, no beast can resist it, and it does whatever it wants.
- Daniel 8:5-7 (BSB)“As I was contemplating all this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with furious power. I saw him approach the ram in a rage against him, and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him, and the goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and no one could deliver the ram from his power.”A goat with one prominent horn races from the west, smashes the ram’s horns, and tramples it.
- Daniel 4:35 (BSB)“All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’””Unlike the ram, God is the One who truly acts at will, and no one can hold Him back.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God takes kings away and sets others in their place.
General
How does Gabriel say the fierce king of the later days will meet his end (Daniel 8:23-25)?
Answer: He will fall, but not by any human power
Gabriel said that toward the close of the four kingdoms’ rule, when rebellion had run its full course, a bold and fierce king skilled in scheming would arise. His power would be great, yet not his own. He would cause terrible destruction, succeed in what he did, and destroy mighty men and the holy people. By cunning he would make deceit thrive, he would think himself great, and he would destroy many during a season of calm. He would even oppose the Prince of princes; but in the end he would be broken, and not by any human power (8:23-25). That recalls the stone in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, cut out with no human hand involved, which struck the statue (2:34). God humbles the proud (4:37), and even Pilate had no authority over Jesus except what was given from above (John 19:11).
- Daniel 8:23-25 (BSB)“In the latter part of their reign, when the rebellion has reached its full measure, an insolent king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne. His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause terrible destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men along with the holy people. 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.”Gabriel describes a fierce, scheming king who destroys many and defies even the highest Prince, yet is broken, though not by any human power.
- Daniel 2:34 (BSB)“As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.”In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream a stone cut out with no human hand involved strikes the statue.
- Daniel 4:37 (BSB)“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”God is able to bring low the proud.
- John 19:11 (BSB)“Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.””Jesus tells Pilate that any power he holds over Him comes only from above.
Theological
According to Gabriel, how will the insolent king who opposes the Prince of princes meet his end (Daniel 8:23-25)?
Answer: He will fall, but not by any human power
In the latter period of the four kingdoms, when rebellion has run its full course, an insolent king, a master of intrigue, will arise; his might will be vast yet derived, and he will cause astonishing destruction, prosper in his schemes, destroy the mighty and the holy people, make deceit flourish by his cunning, magnify himself in his heart, and destroy many in a season of calm. He will even rise up to oppose the Prince of princes, but he will be broken, and not by any human power (8:23-25). His strength is not his own, and no human power brings him down, recalling the stone cut out with no human hand involved that struck the statue (2:34). The God who humbles the proud (4:37) stands behind every ruler’s authority; even Pilate held authority over Jesus only as it was given from above (John 19:11).
- Daniel 8:23-25 (BSB)“In the latter part of their reign, when the rebellion has reached its full measure, an insolent king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne. His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause terrible destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men along with the holy people. 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.”Gabriel describes a fierce, scheming king who destroys many and defies even the highest Prince, yet is broken, though not by any human power.
- Daniel 2:34 (BSB)“As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.”In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream a stone cut out with no human hand involved strikes the statue.
- Daniel 4:37 (BSB)“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”God is able to bring low the proud.
- John 19:11 (BSB)“Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.””Jesus tells Pilate that any power he holds over Him comes only from above.
General
True or False: The goat’s great horn snapped off only after the goat had grown weak and its power had faded (Daniel 8:8).
Answer: False
This is false. The goat grew very great, and it was at the very height of its strength that its large horn snapped. In its place four notable horns sprang up, facing toward the four quarters of the sky (8:8). Gabriel explained that these four horns stand for four kingdoms arising out of that nation, none of them as strong as the first (8:22). The goat did not slowly fade; it was cut off at its peak. Kingdoms rise and fall at God’s command, for God Most High governs human kingdoms and hands them to whomever He chooses (4:17). The LORD brings the plans of nations to nothing, but His own plans stand forever (Psalm 33:10-11).
- Daniel 8:8 (BSB)“Thus the goat became very great, but at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off, and four prominent horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.”At the peak of the goat’s strength its great horn snaps, and four notable horns sprout to replace it.
- Daniel 8:22 (BSB)“The four horns that replaced the broken one represent four kingdoms that will rise from that nation but will not have the same power.”Gabriel explains the four horns as four kingdoms from that nation, none as powerful as the first.
- Daniel 4:17 (BSB)“This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’”God Most High governs human kingdoms and gives them to whomever He chooses.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD foils what nations scheme, while His own purposes endure forever.
Theological
True or False: The goat’s great horn was broken only once the goat had become feeble and its strength had waned (Daniel 8:8).
Answer: False
This is false. The goat grew exceedingly great, and precisely when it was strongest the great horn was broken, with four conspicuous horns rising in its place toward the four quarters of the sky (8:8). Gabriel interprets them as four kingdoms emerging from that nation, though without the first king’s power (8:22). The sudden breaking at the zenith of power displays the Most High’s rule over human kingdoms, which He gives to whom He wills (4:17); the LORD thwarts what the nations scheme, while His own purposes endure forever (Psalm 33:10-11).
- Daniel 8:8 (BSB)“Thus the goat became very great, but at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off, and four prominent horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.”At the peak of the goat’s strength its great horn snaps, and four notable horns sprout to replace it.
- Daniel 8:22 (BSB)“The four horns that replaced the broken one represent four kingdoms that will rise from that nation but will not have the same power.”Gabriel explains the four horns as four kingdoms from that nation, none as powerful as the first.
- Daniel 4:17 (BSB)“This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’”God Most High governs human kingdoms and gives them to whomever He chooses.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD foils what nations scheme, while His own purposes endure forever.
General
How does Gabriel explain the ram with its pair of horns and the shaggy goat (Daniel 8:20-21)?
Answer: The ram is Media and Persia’s kings; the goat is Greece’s
Gabriel, an angel sent by God, explains that the ram with its two horns pictures Media and Persia’s kings, the shaggy goat pictures Greece’s king, and the great horn between its eyes is that kingdom’s first king (8:20-21). Later, on the night Belshazzar was killed, Daniel would tell him that his kingdom was split up and handed to Media and Persia (5:28). This earlier vision already shows that the power of Media and Persia, too, will be struck down by another. Such knowledge comes only from God, who makes mysteries known from heaven (2:28) and who announces how things will end before they begin, so that His plan stands (Isaiah 46:10).
- Daniel 8:20-21 (BSB)“The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.”Gabriel explains the ram as Media and Persia’s kings and the goat as Greece’s king, its great horn being that kingdom’s first king.
- Daniel 5:28 (BSB)“PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.””Later, on Belshazzar’s last night, Daniel tells him that his kingdom is split and handed over to Media and Persia.
- Daniel 2:28 (BSB)“But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:”Daniel confesses that heaven’s God discloses what lies ahead.
- Isaiah 46:10 (BSB)“I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”The LORD foretells the outcome before anything begins, and His purpose will stand.
Theological
What identifications does Gabriel give for the ram and the goat (Daniel 8:20-21)?
Answer: The ram is Media and Persia’s kings; the goat is Greece’s
Gabriel himself supplies the key: the ram with its pair of horns pictures Media and Persia’s kings, the shaggy goat Greece’s king, and the great horn between its eyes the first king (8:20-21). The power of Media and Persia, to which Belshazzar’s divided kingdom would later be handed (5:28), is shown in advance to be temporary, destined to fall before the next. That such a sequence can be disclosed beforehand rests on the God who unveils mysteries from heaven (2:28) and who announces the outcome from the outset, accomplishing all His good pleasure (Isaiah 46:10).
- Daniel 8:20-21 (BSB)“The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.”Gabriel explains the ram as Media and Persia’s kings and the goat as Greece’s king, its great horn being that kingdom’s first king.
- Daniel 5:28 (BSB)“PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.””Later, on Belshazzar’s last night, Daniel tells him that his kingdom is split and handed over to Media and Persia.
- Daniel 2:28 (BSB)“But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these:”Daniel confesses that heaven’s God discloses what lies ahead.
- Isaiah 46:10 (BSB)“I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”The LORD foretells the outcome before anything begins, and His purpose will stand.
General
What did the little horn do against the Prince of the host when it exalted itself (Daniel 8:11-12)?
Answer: Stopped the daily offering to Him and ruined His sanctuary
From one of the four horns came a small horn that spread its power far southward and eastward and into the Beautiful Land. It reached up as high as heaven’s host, hurled down some of that host and of the stars, and trampled them (8:9-10). It exalted itself even against the Prince who rules that host. It took away the daily sacrifice offered to Him and tore down the place where He was worshiped, His sanctuary. Amid the rebellion, the daily offering and the host were given into its power, and it threw truth down and prospered in everything it did (8:11-12). The pride of this horn echoes Isaiah’s picture of a ruler who tried to set his throne higher than God’s stars and was thrown down to the depths (Isaiah 14:13-15). God humbles all who live proudly (4:37).
- Daniel 8:9-10 (BSB)“From one of these horns a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew as high as the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the earth and trampled them.”A small horn grows toward the south, the east and the Beautiful Land, and even hurls some stars to the ground.
- Daniel 8:11-12 (BSB)“It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary. And in the rebellion, the host and the daily sacrifice were given over to the horn, and it flung truth to the ground and prospered in whatever it did.”The horn exalts itself against the Prince of the host, stops His sacrifice, overthrows His sanctuary, and casts truth down.
- Isaiah 14:13-15 (BSB)“You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you will be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.”Isaiah pictures a proud ruler who tried to set his throne above God’s stars and was brought down to the Pit.
- Daniel 4:37 (BSB)“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”God is able to bring low the proud.
Theological
What did the little horn do in its self-exaltation against the Prince of the host (Daniel 8:11-12)?
Answer: Stopped the daily offering to Him and ruined His sanctuary
The little horn sprouting from one of the four extends its reach southward, eastward and into the Beautiful Land, rises to heaven’s host, and casts down and tramples part of that host and of the stars (8:9-10). It exalts itself against the Prince who commands that host, abolishes His daily sacrifice, and throws down His sanctuary; amid the rebellion the sacrifice and the host are surrendered to it, and it hurls truth down and prospers (8:11-12). Even this sacrilege happens only as things are given into its power, within God’s sovereign rule. The horn’s presumption mirrors the ruler of Isaiah’s taunt, who sought to raise his throne higher than God’s stars and was thrust down to the Pit (Isaiah 14:13-15), and it stands under the God who humbles the proud (4:37).
- Daniel 8:9-10 (BSB)“From one of these horns a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew as high as the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the earth and trampled them.”A small horn grows toward the south, the east and the Beautiful Land, and even hurls some stars to the ground.
- Daniel 8:11-12 (BSB)“It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary. And in the rebellion, the host and the daily sacrifice were given over to the horn, and it flung truth to the ground and prospered in whatever it did.”The horn exalts itself against the Prince of the host, stops His sacrifice, overthrows His sanctuary, and casts truth down.
- Isaiah 14:13-15 (BSB)“You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you will be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.”Isaiah pictures a proud ruler who tried to set his throne above God’s stars and was brought down to the Pit.
- Daniel 4:37 (BSB)“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”God is able to bring low the proud.