Daniel Chapter 7 & 8
Introduction
The chapter of our focus which fall between the second segment : Chapter 7 to 12 are the most difficult part of O.T. H. C. Leupold wrote "This is one of the grandest prophetic passages; and yet, if there was ever an exegetical crux, this is it.” In light of its difficulty, a bible teacher advised, ‘should certainly approach this passage with humility, and not dogmatically’.
It will be helpful to avoid drawing conclusions that contradicts clear teachings of Scripture with the understanding scripture interprets scriptures.
We will be looking at World kingdoms and the eternal plans of God to overrule and take over the Kingdom as the theme of the book run though and says: Daniel 4 :17,25,26, 32 & 34 : Vs 17 "
'The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'
25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven.
Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.
26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
Division of Daniel
- A. DIVISION OF DANIEL 7: 1 – 26 Daniel’s vision of the four beasts and a son of man& INTERPRETAION
- The visions and Daniel had were written down and the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea symbolizes each world empire and represent nations which would reign on Israelite with evil and cruelty and there are assurance the fulfillment of the word in Dan 4:26:”…..the Most high is sovereign over the Kingdom of men and give them to anyone he wishes. That God’s Kingdom which is spiritual and powerful will definitely appear and conquer all kingdoms of the earth and His people will enjoy this.
- The four beasts which were each World empires are these:
- Like a Lion, with wings of an eagle meaning The Babylonian empire and Lion with wings as statue is associated with what was seen with Babylonians ruins. By this it show that Babylonian had a sudden conquest when they came on the seen.
- Like a bear: This is another Medo-persian empire and the three ribs in its mouth showed their invasions of a three main adversaries.
- Leopard is another and on it back it had four wings like those of a bird, had four heads and had authority to rule. This symbolize Greece empire. The wings show the rapidity of her leader Alexandra the great’s campaign as he overpower much of the civilized world in four years.The four heads were the four divisions of the Greek empire after the death of Alexander.
- The fourth beast was terrifying and frightening and very powerful with large iron teeth, it crushes and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot and it was different from all the former beasts and had ten horns. This point to both Rome and the end time. Bible scholar saw the ten horns as the ten kings who will reign shortly before God set up His everlasting Kingdom. The little horn we saw is a future human ruler or the antichrist. Further understanding about the no ten is the totality of the powers on earth that will serve the antichrist and war against Christ and His followers.. It will also be that the ten horns will like rule under the antichrist. They ten horns were the ten kings. The same was seen by Apostle John :Rev 17:3,12
3. VS 9 -26 :(9 is the same with what Apostle saw in Rev 1:14-15, 5;11-12,20:12,3:5) , Here the prophecy shifted to the end time.This is judgement seen as Apostle John saw .The Ancient of Days is the Almighty God who will judge all those kingdoms he as assign power at the end.
The opening of the books refers to Judgemnet. All these call for us to live as we will all appear before the throne of God and we need to please him. Let all in rulership know God will bring all to judgement. His Kingdom is eternal.
Conclusion: Daniel Interpretation Of The Vision
God is the only one who can give interpretation as this second segment of Daniel are the most difficult part of OT.
Yet the word of God can be understood by the help of Holy Spirit as Daniel consulted one (The angel ) of those standing and asked for the true meaning. We must always come to God the author and giver of all mysteries.
If He brings about any issue ,only Him can interpret and provide solution to issue above any human reasoning.
The issues we see around the globe have answers and solution in God’s words as all have been spoken in His words ahead of time.
We shall see more in our second exposition the contest between two opposing kingdoms and powers.
All Kingdoms and nations will be judge and the Kingdom will be of Our God and of His saints.
DIVISION OF DANIEL 8: 1: DANIEL VISION OF THE RAM AND THE GOAT AND INTERPRETATION
Both Daniel Chapter 7 and 8 took place chronologically between Chapter 4 and 5 of the book of Daniel. As Daniel Chapter 7 , Daniel saw the vision and dream when Belshazzar had just been given position of authority after his father in his first year (553 BC) while Daniel saw this further vision in Chapter 8 when Daniel was 70th years of age and at the third year of Belshazzar and still took place between Chapter 4 and 5 and this vision give more details about Medo-Persian and Greek empires.,the two world power that rule after Babylonia.
- DANIEL 8 : 1 TO 14 : THE VISION ABOUT A RAM AND A GOAT
- DANIEL 8: 15 TO 27 : THE INTERPRETATION
- 1. DANIEL 8 : 1 TO 14 : THE VISION ABOUT A RAM AND A GOAT
VS 1 -4 THE RAM AND IT HORNS
- Daniel was a prophet who saw this vision of things we will discussed.He saw a ram with two horns, standing beside the UlaiCanal.The horns were long,one was longer than the other but grew up later. This ram, no animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power.He also dis all he pleases and was great.
- In verse 2:Susa was one of the capitals of the Babylonias empire. It was in now what is call Iran.Susa was a well-developed city.It was the winter capital of the Persian empire and a mighty fortress (Citadel). Daniel, in his vision find himself in an important location.It is at Susa where the earliest known Code of law: the Code of Hammurapi, was found . In cultural sophistication, Susa was equal to Babylon.
- The two horns of the ram represented The kings of Media and Persia.The longer horn represented the growing dominance of Persia in the Medo-Persian empire. The King of Persia was Cyrus : This is the man who conquered Babylon. Centuries before Cyrus appeared on the scene, the Prophet Isaiah called him by name and even called him God's "shepherd"2(Isa 41:2,25; 44:28-45:4). It was Cyrus whom God chose to defeat the Babylonians and permit the Jews to return to their land. Just as Babylon was identified with the lion and eagle, Persia was identified with the ram. The two horns symbolize the Medes and Persians, the Persians being the higher (stronger) of the two.
- VS 5 -8, 21 - 22 THE GOAT :Alexander the Great of GreeceGreece is symbolize by this goat.
In Nebuchadnezzar's image, Greece was depicted as the thigh of brass (2:32,39), and in Daniel's vision described in chapter 7.
Greece was a swift leopard with four heads. Now Daniel sees Greece as an angry goat who runs so swiftly his feet don't even touch the ground! The large protruding horn represents Alexander the Great who led the armies of Greece from victory to victory and extended his empire even beyond what Cyrus had done with the Persian army.
But the horn was broken, for Alexander died in Babylon in June 323, at the age of thirty-three, and his vast kingdom was divided among four of his leaders, symbolized by the four horns that grew up (see 7:4-7; 11:4).
What Alexander and the Greeks began, the Romans completed, helping to prepare the ancient world for the coming of Christ.
They are represented by the legs of iron (2:33,40) and the "dreadful beast" (7:7).
Roman roads and bridges enabled people to travel and share their ideas; Roman law kept nations under control; Roman legions enforced that law with an iron fist; and the Roman peace (PaxRomana) gave people the opportunity to experience more security than they had known before. All of this contributed to the taking of the Christian message throughout the Roman Empire, and sometimes, as in the case of Paul, Rome paid the bill for the missionaries to travel!
As we have already seen, after the death of Alexander the Great (the "notable horn," v. 5), his empire was divided into four parts with four of his officers taking control (v. 8). Out of one of those horns a "little horn" appears who becomes a great leader, and this is Antiochus Epiphanes, the ruler of Syria from 175 to 163 B.C., and known as one of the cruelest tyrants in history.
Antiochus gave himself the name "Epiphanes," which means "illustrious, manifestation," for he claimed to be a revelation (epiphany) of the gods.
He even had the word theos(god) put on the coins minted with his features on it, and his features on the coins came to look more and more like the Greek god Zeus. He had a passionate desire to turn the Jews into good Greeks.
Knowing these facts about Antiochus helps us better understand the text of Daniel's prophecy. Antiochus started in a small way but gradually accumulated power as he magnified himself and dealt ruthlessly with the Jewish people.
- The Antichrist (Dan 8:23-27)
The angel awakened Daniel from his deep sleep and told him there was yet more prophetic truth for him to hear, and it related to "the time of wrath" (v. 19, NIV) and the "time of the end" (vv. 17, 19, 23), which is the time of tribulation.
The Old Testament prophets called this period "the time of Jacob's trouble" and "the day of the Lord." the period when God's wrath would be poured out on an evil world (Jer 30:7; Isa 2:11-12; 13:6,9; Joel 2:1ff: Zeph 1).
In other words, what Daniel learns in Dan 8:23-27 relates to the end times when Antichrist will oppose God and God's people.
The "king of fierce countenance" is the Antichrist, not Antiochus Epiphanes; but if you compare verses 23-27 with verses 9-14, you will see that the characteristics and career of Antiochus parallel those of Antichrist.
Both begin modestly but increase in power and influence
Both blaspheme God with mouths that speak great things
Both persecute the Jewish people
Both claim to be gods and put images in the temple
Both impose their own religion on the people
Both are opposed by a believing remnant that knows God
Both are energized by the devil and are great deceivers
Both appear to succeed marvelously and seem to be invincible
Both are finally defeated by the coming of a redeemer (Judas Maccabeus and Jesus Christ)
Many other parallels exist which you will discover as you study the relevant Scriptures.
When he got over his weakness and sickness, the prophet went back to work for the king and didn't tell anybody what he had learned. But God still had more truth to teach him, and he was ready to receive it.
Our God Himself is the Prince of princes as we have seen that He reign in the affairs of men and : “… that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.' Dan 4:17, Though no human power could not defeat the king whom Daniel saw in his vision but God would bring him down.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes reportedly went in sane and died in Persia in 164 BC. God ‘s power and justice will prevail, so we should never give up our faith even in the midst of all we see happening around us which are live threatening ,Our God will overcome all these as He bring down His kingdom.We should not lose hope no matter how powerful the enemies of Our God may seem.