Page 22 - C031_Babylon 4-Kingdom

The Ram and the He-Goat
Chapter 8
In the first part of this vision Daniel sees a ram with two horns (representing the Medes,
and the Persians, led by Cyrus the Great) that conquered east to west and north to south.
This was the same Cyrus that the prophet Isaiah had called by name in his prediction 150
years earlier. Next, he sees a goat “with a prominent horn between its eyes that came
from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground.” This represents
Alexander the Great, whose army moved with such speed that they seemed to hardly
touch the ground. The Scripture then goes on to say, “The goat became very great, but
at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent
horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.” This was fulfilled when Alexander died at
age 33 and a power struggle ensued among his generals, with four generals each taking a
different portion of the Greek empire.

“ Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the
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south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew until it reached the host
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of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on
them. It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took
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away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. Because
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of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in
everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. Then I heard a holy one speaking,
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and another holy one said to him, ‘How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the
vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of
the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?’ He said to me, ‘It will
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take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated’” (Daniel 8:9-
14).

The little horn that arose and entered the beautiful land was Antiochus. He ended the
daily sacrifice for six and half years (September 6, 171 B.C. to December 26, 165 B.C.), which
constituted the 2,300 evenings and mornings). After his death, the Jews celebrated the
cleansing of their Holy Place with the Feast of Lights (Hanukkah).
“ In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-
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looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his
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own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does.
He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper,
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and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take
his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power”
(Daniel 8:23-25).

The near fulfillment of this was Antiochus who was
the persecutor of the Jews and who was “broken
without human means” when he died of insanity
and a disease of the bowels. The far fulfillment of
this will be the “little horn” Antichrist. He also will
enter the Beautiful Land (Israel), will cause deceit to
prosper, and will be destroyed by God.

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