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The Book of Daniel Chapter 8 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1984-2001 by Dr. Richard W. Fry Published by Promise of Life Ministries. Printed in the United States Of America. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or database, or translated into any human or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, photocopying, recording, manual, or otherwise, or disclosed to third parties without the express written consent of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Making copies of any part of this publication for any purpose other than your own personal use is a violation of United States copyright laws.
Belshazzar began his reign in 553 BC. This chapter commences in 550 BC, in the third year of Belshazzar’s reign.
Thus far, Daniel has lived under three different rulers
This seems the appropriate time to introduce a segue about Daniel and Belshazzar.
Daniel received the visions of chapters 7 and 8 PRIOR to the actual fulfillment of chapter 5. Ergo, it was no difficult matter for Daniel to interpret the handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar.
I
Saw In A Vision: His presence in Shushan (also Susa), a city 250 miles east of Babylon, was in vision only. Shushan would later become a capital over Babylon in the Persian Empire.
The
Palace: A future structure, a Persian palace. Daniel probably saw the palace of Xerxes a century later (486-465 B.C.), one of the most magnificent of all antiquity, covering two and one-half acres. The events of Esther took place there. (cf. Esther 1:2)
Verse 3 A
Ram Which Had Two Horns: The duality of the Medo-Persian empire is again suggested (cf. pair of breasts and of arms in the image of chapter 2).
The
Higher Came Up Last: Although Persia was more prominent in the union, it was the younger kingdom. In 550 B.C. Cyrus, a Persian, builder of Pasargadae, twenty-five miles north of Persepolis, the older capital rebelled against the Medes, who had been the ruling force, and became lord of the dual kingdom. This took place at about the time Daniel was prophesying.
Verse 5 An
He Goat Came From The West: This is the Greek empire.
Notice that both animals (ram and goat) are relatively mild domestic farm animals rather than the ravenous bear and leopard of chapter 7. This seems to be because, as they related to Israel, both were relatively mild in their treatment of Israel. But towards one another, they were vicious.
Just as the metals of the image became progressively stronger, so the buck goat is stronger than the ram of sheep. The total destruction by Alexander’s armies is predicted here in verse 7. His small, fast army, with its devastating phalanx formation, swept through Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and finally Mesopotamia (334-331 B.C.). After that his armies advanced eastward to India, then turned back again toward the west.
Verse 6 Greece moves against Media & Iran.
Verse 8 The
Great Horn Was Broken: Alexander died, at the age of thirty-third, of fever and alcohol, at Babylon. In the subsequent twenty years, his winnings were divided into four parts among four of his military successors.
Four
Notable Ones: After the death of Alexander the Great, 4 of his generals divided his kingdom. Those 4 generals were:
Two of the resultant divisions - Egypt under the Ptolemies (the last of whom was the famous Cleopatra) and Syria under the Seleucids, the historic kings of the South and the North, respectively - are important neighbors of the Jews. Both of them are prominent figures in chapter 11.
Verse 9 A
Little Horn: This is Antiochus Epiphanes. He was nicknamed Epimanes (madman) by his enemies. It was under the tyrannical rule of Antiochus Epiphanes that the Jews were forbidden to celebrate the Sabbath and feasts, to offer the traditional sacrifices and offerings, and to perform circumcision. Antiochus Epiphanes also ordered the destruction of all copies of the Torah and commanded that the Jews offer unclean sacrifices and to eat swine’s flesh.
The
Pleasant Land: Palestine
Verse 14 The 2,300 days is literally, evening-mornings, i.e., evening and morning daily burnt sacrifices, and so refers to only 1,150 days (just over 3 years). It seems to refer to a period in 168-165 B.C. when the Temple was desecrated by pagan sacrifices. Verse 15 Now begins the interpretation of the vision.
Verse 16 Gabriel: This is the first time Gabriel (Gabriel means hero of God) is mentioned by name. Verse 17 I
Was Afraid: For Daniel, a man of righteous character, to react this way, demonstrates the moral hiatus separating God and the holy beings of heaven from mankind.
Fell
Upon My Face: This is the typical biblical posture of those who fall under the overwhelming presence of God or angelic beings.
Verse 18 He passed out.
Verse 19 The terms, the end and the indignation (cf. 11:36), suggest that there is more here than history relating to the time of Antiochus and the Maccabees. This observation suggests the typical interpretation suggested above (9-14). It is not uncommon to find a near, literal view combined with a far, typical view within the scope of a particular prophecy.
Verse 23 Verses
23-26: These verses add specific details to the bible’s picture of Antiochus. The Jews could hardly fail to recognize him when he appeared. This prophecy may well have been the very divine means used to carry the faithful through those hard days. Hebrews 11:34-37 memorializes their heroism.
Verse 27 Sick: He was worn down in strength. |
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