Page 238 - Daniel

The kingdoms represented by the four horns that replaced the great
horn were identified as four kingdoms arising from the goat nation. They
are described as not having the power of the great horn. Aside from
expositors pressed to relate this to the Roman Empire, where there is no
reasonable parallel, the four kingdoms are obviously the four generals of

Alexander who partitioned his empire as previously noted. Most
expositors agree that verses 20–22 have been fulfilled completely in
history in connection with the Medo-Persian and Greek empires and the
four divisions following Alexander the Great. The exegetical challenges
arise in the passage that follows.

THE LATTER TIME OF THE KINGDOM (8:23–26)

8:23–26 “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. His power shall be great—but not by

his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall
succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who
are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his
hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he
shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of
princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. The vision of
the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up

the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

Here an individual is pictured prophetically who is said to have the
following characteristics: (1) he will appear “at the latter end of their
kingdom,” that is, of the four kingdoms of verse 22; (2) he will appear
“when the transgressors have reached their limit”; (3) he will be “a king
of bold face, one who understands riddles,” that is, having a strong or
bold countenance and able to interpret riddles, a mark of intelligence (1

Kings 10:1); (4) he will have great power but his power shall be derived
from another (either God, Satan, or Alexander the Great); (5) he will
accomplish great exploits including destroying Israel, the mighty and
holy people; (6) by his policies “he shall cause fearful destruction and
shall succeed in what he does,” always busy hatching plots (1 Macc.