I have gone into quite a bit of historical detail up to this point but I find it hard to apologize for the time it has taken. Even though I have tried to cut down on the repetition it is sometimes necessary to be repetitive in order to strengthen a point being made. I believe that is why God gave Daniel so many different views of the same subject…world history.
It is not that we are stupid or anything, but we do have a tendency to just ignore a fact if it stands by itself. Place the same fact with a few others and we begin to see a distinct pattern that is more than just human in comparison.
Now that you have gotten the feel for the way Bible prophecy reads I do not believe I need to be quite so tedious, so we will go on from here and only hit the high points that will add detail to the previous two visions.
The vision Daniel describes in chapter 8 was given to him when he was about eighty-eight years old. In Daniel 8:1 Daniel says that he had a second vision two years after his first vision. This vision included more details than the first one. He was on business for the king at the palace in Susa and as he was walking along the side of the Ulai River, he was taken away in vision.
While in vision, he saw a ram standing beside the river. It had two large horns, but one horn was higher than the other. The higher horn had come up last.
In verse 20 of this chapter an angel tells Daniel that the ram with the two horns represented the kings of Media and Persia. This gives us a true point of reference for the beginning of the vision.
He saw that the ram was pushing westward, then northward and then southward. The Medo-Persian Empire had its beginning in the eastern area of the known world. When they extended their kingdom, they invaded the western, northern and southern areas of the Earth, just as the ram was said to have moved in Daniel’s vision.
There was no other animal that could withstand it. The ram did as it pleased and it grew to be very great.
While Daniel was thinking about what he was seeing he suddenly saw a male goat come charging from the west. It was moving so fast that its feet did not even touch the ground. It had a notable horn sticking out from between its eyes.
This goat headed straight for the ram standing by the river and charged towards it with a savage fury.
As Daniel was watching, the goat hit the ram head-on and broke off both of the rams’ horns. The ram was powerless to stand up against the goat, so the goat knocked the ram down and trampled on it. No one could rescue the ram from the goat.
Meanwhile, the goat became very great, but at the height of his power the huge horn broke off and four notable horns came up in its place. The four horns pointed to the four winds of heaven.
I want to stop here and once again point out the similarities we have with the previous two visions we have already seen in the book of Daniel.
Nebuchadnezzar’s image had two arms, representing the kingdoms of Medo-Persia, the second world power. In the first vision that Daniel has, the second animal he saw come out of the sea was a bear that was taller on one side than it was on the other. Once again, the kingdom of Medo-Persia is described. When Daniel receives this second vision the Babylonian Empire has already passed from the scene of Earth's history so the vision begins with the Medo-Persian Empire.
In Daniel’s second vision, the ram he saw by the river had two horns and we are told that one horn was bigger than the other and that it had come up last.
As I mentioned earlier, Persia had allied itself with the Medes and therefore came onto the scene of history after the Medes. It grew in power however and soon became the leading power of the empire. This ram with one horn bigger than the other represents the same empire in the previous vision of the bear that was raised up on one side, the Medo-Persian Empire.
While at the height of its power the ram was destroyed by a goat with a huge horn between its eyes. The goat flew across the earth with such a speed that its feet did not even touch the ground. In verse 21 of this chapter the angel who is giving the interpretation of the vision says the goat was the kingdom of Greece. It is difficult to find any serious disagreement as to what/who the animals of Daniel chapter 8 represent.
In the first vision that Daniel had, the third animal to came out of the sea had four wings. Wings, as mentioned earlier, represented speed and therefore represented the Greece as it quickly became a world power. Four wings on an animal would make the animal extremely fast; the speed with which Alexander conquered the known world has never been seen before or since. In Daniel’s second vision the second animal he sees, the goat, traveled so fast that its feet did not even touch the ground; again, it moved fast. The large prominent horn between the eyes of the goat represented Alexander himself. Scripture says that during the height of the goat’s power the huge horn was broken off. The ram’s horns were broken off by the goat, however, there was no animal, or world power, that broke the goat’s horn off. We are told that it just broke off. It was actually broken off at the hands of Alexander himself when he died of alcohol toxicity at the age of thirty-two and at the absolute height of his power.
In Daniel's first vision the leopard with four heads represented the empire of Greece. In Daniel's second vision there were four horns that grew out of the broken horn and they pointed towards the four winds of heaven. As I mentioned in Daniel's first vision, Greece was eventually divided between the four strongest of Alexander’s generals; each general controlled a different area. Lysimachus had the area to the north; Cassander controlled the area to the west; Ptolemy governed to the south and Seleucus to the east.
In verse 9 we are told that one of the four horns sprouted a little horn. The little horn grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east and toward the Glorious Land. Who is represented by the little horn that grew in strength?
This view is the same as the one given in chapter 2 and chapter 7. In both of those instances, the power that follows the Grecian Empire was the Roman Empire. The only natural conclusion to the small horn that grew bigger and stronger than the others after the Grecian Empire would have to be the Roman Empire.
It says, the little horn grew exceedingly great toward the south. Egypt, to the south of Rome, was made a province of the Roman Empire in 30 B.C.
It says, the little horn grew exceedingly great toward the east. Syria, to the east of Rome, was conquered by the Roman Empire in 65 B.C.
It says, the little horn grew exceedingly great toward the Glorious Land. That prediction was fulfilled when the Roman Empire made Israel one of their provinces in 63 B.C. and when they later destroyed Jerusalem, its temple, and scattered the Jewish people across the face of the Earth.
It says, the little horn grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground and trampled them. The host of heaven and the stars that are cast down are representative of the powerful leaders and rulers within the Jewish nation. The Roman Empire did this as well.
It says, the little horn exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host. This is an obvious reference of how the power of the Roman Empire would be responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. Although the Jewish leaders and people demanded the death of Jesus, Rome alone did this; only because the Jews were not allowed to execute anyone.
WARNING: THE NEXT FEW VERSES CAN BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. VERY CAREFUL READING IS RECOMMENDED.
I am going to have to be a little repetitious for a while, only in order to be very clear on what is going to take place in this time of history.
First, I want to make it clear that there are two Roman powers that have ruled during this world's past. The first Roman power was a pagan power that we know as the Roman Empire. The second Roman power is a religious power that we know as the Roman Catholic Church. We will be seeing these two Roman powers at the same time because the Roman Catholic Church is a powerful descendant of, and fills the void in the west, the city of Rome, as the Roman Empire is declining in its own power.
In verses 11 and 12 there are events that are going to happen in prophecy, and things will become a bit obscure because of the transition of power that takes place between the pagan Roman Empire and the papal Roman Catholic Church. This is the time in Earth's history when the Roman Empire is declining and being replaced by a religious power that is growing in strength. The papal Roman Catholic Church is taking over the place of power being left by the dying Roman Empire. Read carefully and all will be clear.
I am going to quote everything in its symbolic language first. After that I will write everything out in its symbolic form and enter the literal translations for those symbols in parenthesis. Lastly, I am going to write everything out in its literal language without the use of any symbolism and explain that literal translation.
SYMBOLIC TRANSLATION: "He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily were taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered." - Daniel 8 11, 12.
SYMBOLIC AND (LITERAL TRANSLATION): "He (the pagan Roman Empire), even exalted himself as high as the Prince of host (Jesus/Christ); and by him (the papal Roman Catholic Church) the daily (the pagan Roman Empire) were taken away, and the place of his (the pagan Roman Empire) sanctuary (the city of Rome) was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn (the papal Roman Catholic Church) to oppose the daily (the pagan Roman Empire); and he (the papal Roman Catholic Church) cast truth down to the ground. He (the papal Roman Catholic Church) did all this and prospered." - Daniel 8:11, 12.
LITERAL TRANSLATION: "The Roman Empire exalted himself as high as Jesus/Christ; and by the papal Roman Catholic Church, the Roman Empire was taken away, and the place of the Roman Empire's city of Rome was taken over by the papal Roman Catholic Church. Because of transgression, an army was given to the papal Roman Catholic Church to oppose the Roman Empire; and the papal Roman Catholic Church cast truth down to the ground. The papal Roman Catholic Church did all this and prospered." - Daniel 8:11, 12.
It says "by him (the little horn) the daily sacrifices were taken away." The little horn, as we have understood it so far, symbolizes Rome in all of its history. As we have seen there are two phases of Rome however. There is the secular, pagan phase and there is the religious, papal phase. Those two phases are used interchangeably. They are also described in verse 11 as "the daily sacrifices" and in verse 13 as "the transgression of desolation."
The term "daily sacrifices" should actually only read "daily". The word "sacrifices", in the King James Version and in the New King James Version, is shown in italics. A word in italics, in both of those versions, mean that the word being used was a word that was not in the original text, but was supplied by the translators because they believed it would help make the verse a little easier to understand. Actually, in this case, it complicated things a little more.
The word that is translated daily, in verse 11, is also translated as continual, or continuing and it represents the government that is in power, or continuing, when the transition between secular and religious power takes place. That would be the power of the Roman Empire of the Caesars during its pagan form.
"The transgression of desolation", mentioned in verse 13 can also be translated as a transgression that is appalling or a transgression that will stun you, and it represents the ruling power of Rome during its religious, or papal phase. "The daily" (the pagan Roman government) declines as Gibbon so aptly described it and changes into "the transgression of desolation" (the religious papal government).
History shows us that pagan Rome, the Rome of the Caesars, was transformed into papal Rome, the Rome of the Catholic Church. The place of his (pagan Rome's) sanctuary, or worship, the city of Rome, was cast down and the government was moved to Constantinople in 330 AD at the direction of Constantine, leaving the papal Roman government to fill the vacuum that was left behind.
The three barbarian nations, who were later uprooted by papal Rome, first began slowly eating away at the pagan Roman Empire. Their power was later taken away by the force of war. Those of the Arian belief who remained became forced converts to the Catholic faith.
Lastly, in verse 12, it says "he (papal Rome) cast truth down to the ground. He (papal Rome) did all this and prospered."
God's explanation of these world events has actually only taken two verses. It is my clumsy attempt at translating those two verses that has taken so much time and space. It does not take very many words in verse 12 to explain the path the papacy would take through history. It threw the truth of God to the ground and prospered. The papacy made a mockery of truth. They have filled the minds of God's people with traditions and superstitions and have obscured and thrown down the plain and simple teachings of God in order to substitute and prosper with their own traditions that bind the hearts and souls of humanity to itself. It is sad, but it is history.
Jesus said, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." - Matthew 15:3, 9.
We are told that one day all forms of human government and oppression will be broken, "without hands." Then those governments will be turned over to the flame that burns until all is destroyed when the Lord appears the second time, in the power of His kingdom.
In Daniel 8:14 we find one angel asking another angel, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?"
The other angel said, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleaned.”
From here on I will always refer to time periods mentioned in prophecy by both their figurative and their literal meanings. The figurative 2,300 days mentioned above is literally 2,300 years and will be shown as 2,300 days/years. All other day/year prophecies will be shown that way as well.
After the angel makes his 2,300 day/year statement concerning the cleansing of the sanctuary the vision Daniel was caught up in ends. In verse 15 Daniel says that after he "had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, 'Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.'"
Gabriel then does his best to help Daniel understand what he has seen but he is having a tough time of it. I know I would be just as blown away by what was happening as Daniel was if the same vision, and appearance of an angel, were to happen to me. Daniel, for lack of a better word, hyperventilated and passed out from the excitement of it all. The angel Gabriel had to touch him and bring him back to his senses before continuing to help Daniel understand what he had seen. In verses 20-22 Gabriel outlines the final three world kingdoms, mentioning by name the current kingdom of Medo/Persia which was described as a ram with two horns. He then mentions by name the kingdom of Greece, represented by the goat with a great horn between its eyes and how it would overthrow the Medo/Persian Kingdom. He then tells Daniel that the great horn would be broken off and would be divided into four separate horns, denoting the death of Alexander the Great and the dividing of the kingdom of Greece amongst his four most powerful generals.
Although Gabriel does not mention the little horn which grew out of one of the four horns, or how the little horn grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east and toward the Glorious Land he does go on to explain what the little horn would accomplish during its time on the Earth in verses 23-25. It is the same little horn I have already extensively talked about in verses 9-12.
In Daniel 8:23-25 we come across the same transition from a secular Roman ruling power to a religious Roman ruling power as we found in verses 11 and 12. It is the same transitional period of Earth’s history I mentioned earlier, the one that is almost seamlessly blended together. This time however, Daniel is not relating the vision himself; an angel is doing his best to help Daniel understand what he has seen in vision.
We will find in one other place where God blends those same two powers together into one nearly seamless event in world history. That occurrence will be found in Daniel 10:23 and I will explain the transition between secular and religious powers again when we reach that point. Just remember that in Daniel 8:23-25, a change is taking place from an earthly power (the Pagan Roman Empire) to a religious power (the papal Roman Catholic Church) and it will be shown again in Daniel 10:23.
The power mentioned in chapter 8:23 is the kingdom that has always followed the Grecian Empire and that would be the Roman Empire.
The king is described as “having fierce features." Moses predicted the punishment that would happen to the Jews from this same power, "The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. - Deuteronomy 28:49, 50.
Not only was the Roman Empire a nation of fierce countenance but they were also "a nation whose language" the Jewish people "would not understand." The Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians and the Greeks used the Chaldean and Greek languages. Those were languages that were understood and used, for the most part, in Israel. Latin however, the language of the Romans, was a language they were not familiar with.
Now we will go into the transition between the secular and religious powers I mentioned earlier. Verse 24 says “he shall destroy…the holy people.” and that is exactly what the secular Roman power did when they overthrew and destroyed the city of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Right after this act is mentioned we go on to verse 25 and come up against a power that is different than the one mentioned in the previous 2 verses. It is the religious power that arises as the Roman Empire is declining. It is also the power mentioned in chapter 7:24 as the power that uproots three of the ten horns in order to make room for itself, it is the power that would “speak pompous words against the Most high…,” that would “persecute the saints of the Most High,” and “the saints shall be given into his hand.”
This is where the transition between the secular power of Rome is turned into the religious power of the city of Rome, the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. It happens so smoothly between verses 24 and 25 that it is barely seen. It happened in the pages of Earth’s history in just that same way. The transition between the fall of the earthly power of the Roman Empire to the rise of the religious Roman Catholic power is virtually seamless and can be very easily missed. More detail concerning this "transition" can also be found in Chapter 17, concerning Daniel chapter 11 verse 23.
Gabriel ends his conversation by telling Daniel that after the fourth kingdom falls then a very bold little king would come on the scene of action and "Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human means.
The bold little king who arises after the kingdom of Rome has been shown to be the papal power of Rome. That power was to rule for 1,260 years, which it did until it was given a “deadly wound” by Napoleon’s general, and the pope of Rome was taken captive. Later, the deadly wound it received would be healed, when in 1929, Mussolini signed the “Concordat of 1929” with the papacy, restoring to them their properties and power. Papal Rome once again became a religious/political power. Any power it has had since 1929 however, pales in comparison to what it had for the first 1,260 years of its reign. Since Napoleon took away the papacy’s power it has not been and according to the word of God, it will never again become, a forceful power like it was before it received the “deadly wound” in 1798. It would however, continue to influence nations and people, and would “in its own mind consider itself great”. It would continue to be a “power” in the religions of the world until it is destroyed, but not by human hands. It will eventually be destroyed in the same way that all other kingdoms will be destroyed. It will be destroyed by a stone that is cut out from a mountain without hands and like all other earthly kingdoms it will be ground into powder and be blown away into oblivion.
To finish what he had told Daniel, Gabriel once again mentions that, "the vision of the evenings and mornings (the 2,300 days/years), which was told, is true." He then tells Daniel to "seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future."
With that, Daniel fainted and was sick for days. Later, he was well enough to go on about the kings business. I would imagine that he shared the vision he had had with his three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego because he says that he was "astonished by the vision, but no one understood it."