Road Map of History

Daniel 8 begins the Hebrew portion of this book. The reason it shifts from Aramaic (the language of chapters 2-7) to Hebrew is that God has a special message for His people, the Jews. They truly should have understood the times to usher in the arrival of our Lord. 

Daniel 8:1 (ESV) In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.

Daniel 8 begins with the prophet being transported to Susa, which will become the capital of the kingdom about to conquer Babylon.

Daniel 8:3–4 (ESV) I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

After Daniel sees the ram with two horns, he sees a swift goat with a horn between its eyes come and break the two horns of the ram. Then Daniels sees:

Daniel 8:8 (ESV) Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

The vision continues with interesting detail:

Daniel 8:9–12 (ESV) Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. 11 It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper.

Now, Daniel, the great interpreter of dreams, needed assistance with this vision. Thus, a figure that seems to represent the Lord instructs Gabriel to interpret the vision and run down the roadmap of history until the time of Christ!

Daniel 8:20–22 (ESV) As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

Now we know from history how accurate this chapter is. With stunning specificity the Lord showed Daniel the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians (Ram with two horns), the rise of Alexander the Great and the Greek empire (Goat with the horn between his eyes), and the breaking of Alexander's kingdom into four.  Most amazing, Daniel sees Antiochus Epiphanes coming to power. 

Daniel 8:23 (ESV) And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.

The name "Epiphanes" was a name Antiochus gave to himself which means, "“illustrious, manifestation" for he claimed to have the revelation of the gods. 

What we see is a picture, a forerunner of the end times anti-Christ who will exalt himself above god and seek to dominate the Jews. The road map to history for Christ's first coming was laid out, and Jesus told us to look to Daniel to see the desecration of the temple once again for His second coming. 

Matthew 24:15 (ESV) “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

As Antiochus forced the Jews to stop worshipping and even erected an altar to Zeus in the Temple, so too, the antichrist will seek worldwide domination through his own false religion. 

Paul wrote:

2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 (ESV) Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

But like Jesus said, the READER will understand. It's been mapped out. We need to stand strong and be wise, letting God's Word and the HOly Spirit keep us separate and distinct from this world.