Goat

Greece

Daniel 8:5-8, 21, 22

Daniel 8:5-6, 21,22.  The he goat, according to the angel, symbolized Grecia (see verse 21), the great horn being "the first king" that is, the kingdom of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian leader who forged out the Greek Empire. Alexander "came from the west" and swiftly stuck down the Persian forces.  Within a few years after his death, his empire became divided into four kingdoms (see verse 22.)

Daniel 8:9,23-25   At the "latter time," or toward the end of the divided Hellenistic (Greek) kingdom, the angel declared that a "a little horn" would arise  (see verse 9,23)  Who is this little horn? Some have suggested that this symbol points to the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian king who ruled over Palestine in the second century BC and who disrupted the Jewish worship services.  Others, including many of the leaders of the Reformation, believed that this little horn represents Rome in both its pagan and papal forms.  The considerations below show that Rome fits exactly the specifications given by Daniel, whereas Antiochus Epiphanes does not.

1. Chapters 2 and 7 point to Rome as the successor of Grecia. In turn, they show Rome in a divided and modified state succeeded by the kingdom of Christ.  The little horn of chapter 8 fits this pattern exactly, for it follows Grecia and finally is supernaturally destroyed, or "broken without hand" (verse 25: compare Daniel 2:34).

2. We should expect both Grecia, which became "very great" (verse 8), and the little horn, which became "exceeding great" (verse 9) to surpass in some way  Medo-Persia , who only became great (verse 4). Rome fits this specification, while Antiochus Epiphanes falls short.

3. Rome did extend its empire to the south (Egypt), the East (Macedonia), and "the pleasant land" (Palestine), just as the prophecy predicted (verse 9).

4. Only Rome stood up against "the prince of host, "the Prince of Princes" (verse 11,25)  This Prince is non other than Jesus Christ( Daniel 9:25, Daniel 11:22).  Against Him and His people as well as His sanctuary, the power of "Rome fought a most amazing warfare".  This decription covers both the pagan and papal phases of Rome.

While pagan Rome withstood Christ and did indeed destoy the Jewish temple, papal Rome effectively obscured the priestly, mediatorial ministry of Christ (in the heavenly sanctuary) in behalf of sinners  (Hebrew 8:1,2) by substituting a priesthood that proposes to offer forgiveness through the mediation of men.

Daniel 8:10-12  The little horn, according to Daniel, was to wage a warfare of a distinctly religious nature, its energies bent on bringing to naught the sanctuary and its services.

The Goat (Greece) in Daniel 8

Daniel 8:5 - And as I was considering, behold, an he goat come 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.

Daniel 8:6 - And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

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

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.

Daniel 8:9 - 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.

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.

Daniel 8:11 - Yea, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and by him the daily was taken away and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

Daniel 8:12 - 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, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

Note: The "little horn"  that persecuted God's people, trampled holy things, and stood up against Jesus represented Rome both pagan and papal.  No other power except Rome followed Grecia and became exceeding great.  Nothing else fits.

Daniel was told that his little horn would defile the sanctuary.  How long until it would be cleansed?

Daniel 8:14 - Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Note:  It would be 2,300 days.  This is the longest time prophecy in the Bible, but the starting point is not given until the next chapter.  Daniel 9:25

5. How did Daniel respond when he saw the little-horn power persecute God's people and obscure the truth?

Daniel 8:27 - And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days;.... and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

Note:  Daniel was so deeply grieved by what was to come upon God's people that he fainted and was sick for some time.  But initially neither Daniel nor his friends understood the 2,300 day section of the vision.

In the next chapter, the angel explains the prophecy in greater detail.  How long was the time period not previously described in the vision?

Daniel 9:24 - Seventy Weeks are determined upon thy people and upon they holy city,... to seal up the vision and prophecy.

Note:  Several years after Daniel's vision about the 2,300 days, an angel of heaven flew quickly to his side to help him understand it.  The angel also expanded the vision to include 70 prophetic weeks that were "determined upon ", or alotted to, the Jews and the city of Jerusalem.  God was giving His chosen nation another chance a 490 year opportunity to accomplish its purpose of presenting the Messiah to the world (Daniel 9:23,24)

What was the starting point for 2,300 day and 70 week time prophecies to begin?

Daniel 9:25 - Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.

Note:  The angel told Daniel to begin counting the 2,300 day and the 70 week prophecies from the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.  God's people were in captivity in the Persian empire at this time.  The decree was made in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, who began to reign in 464 B.C. (Ezra 7:7) Artaxerxes's decree in 457 BC was the only one that specified restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem.

8. The angel said that if you count 69 weeks from 457 B.C. you will come to Messiah the Prince.  Did this happen?  Acts 10:37, 38 That word, I say, ye know.... after the baptism which John preached, How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.

Note:  Yes, it did.  Here is a fantastic miracle.  Hundreds of years before Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost, the event was foretold in prophecy! "Messiah" is the Hebrew word for "anointing and the word"Christ" is the Greek equivalent.  Luke 3:21, 22 says this special anointing by the Holy Ghost took place at His baptism.  Now remember that in Bible prophecy, one prophetic day equals one literal year (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6; Luke 13:32)  Adding 69 weeks, or 483 prophetic days (69x 7=483), to 457 B.C. brings us to the year A.D. 27.  483 years + 457  beginning date = A.D. 26 + 1 year for 1B.C. -A.D. 1 (there  was no zero year) =AD. 27.  Jesus began His ministry as the Messiah after His baptism in A.D. 27 exactly 483 years after the degree given in 457 B.C.  This is why Jesus began preaching after His baptism, that the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" Mark 1:15

Daniel 8

What was to take place next in the prophecy?  Daniel 9:26,27 After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself... And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.

Note:  The prophecy next predicted that Jesus would be "cut off" or crucified, in the middle of the  last week of the 70 week prophecy.  Counting three and one-half years from His anointing in the fall of A.D. 27 would take us to the spring of A.D. 31 which is precisely when Jesus was crucified.  At the time He died, the temple veil was torn into two sections from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50,51)  indicating that Jesus had caused the sacrificial system to cease by His death as the Lamb of God.  Please review the time line below.

Jesus told His disciples to preach first to which group of people? Matthew 10:5,6 Go not into the way of the Gentiles,   ...But go rather to the lost sheep of of Israel.

Note:  Jesus insisted that His disciples preach first to the Jews, they still had three and one half years remaining  of the 490 year opportunity to accept and proclaim the Messiah.  The prophecy in Daniel 9:27 said that Jesus would confirm the covenant or the great plan of Salvation, with many for one prophetic week  (seven literal years)  But Jesus  was crucified in the midst of the week alloted to His chosen nation, so how could He confirm the covenant with them after His death? The answer is found in Hebrews 2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him," Jesus disciples preached to the Jews for that final three and one half years, until the nation officially rejected the gospel message in A.D. 34 when Stephen, a righteous deacon, was publicly stoned.

What warning did Jesus give to His chosen people? Matthew 21:43 The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Note:  Jesus had made it very clear that the special status of the Jewish nation would be taken away if the people persisted in rejecting the Messiah.

So what is the other "nation spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 21:43, which would become His chosen people? Galatians 3:29 and if ye be, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Romans 2:28, 29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; But he is a Jew which is one inwardly.

Note:  As of A.D. 34 with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58,59) the literal Jewish nation was no longer God's only chosen nation. Because they consistently resisted God's plan for them, the nation of Israel is no longer the central focus of end time prophecy.  Now all who accept Jesus are His chosen people, and the Promises God made to literal Israel now also apply to spiritual Israel (Romans 9:6-8)

According to the angel who spoke with Daniel, what would happen at he end of the 2,300 years?

Daniel 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Note:  in A.D. 34, there remained 1810 years of the 2,300 year prophecy. Study the diagram below and notice the dates.)  Adding 1810 years to A.D. 34 brings us to the autumn of 1844.  The angel said that at that time, the heavenly sanctuary woud be cleansed (The earthly sanctuary was destroyed in A.D. 70)  Jesus, our High Priest in heaven (Hebrews 4:14-16; 8:1-5) began removing the records of sin from the heavenly sanctuary (Revelation 20:12 Acts 3:19-21 )  in 1844.  This is the first phase of  the judgment, also called the pre-advent judgement because it takes place before Jesus second coming.