In the 1third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a second vision appeared to me, Daniel, this was two years after the one that first appeared to me.The events recorded in ch 8 precede the feast recorded in ch 5. 2 I alooked in the vision and it seemed that I was at the citadel of 1bSusa, the capital of Persia, which is in the province of cElam; and I looked in the vision and I saw myself by the Ulai Canal.Heb Shushan. This once great city, located about 250 miles east of Babylon, was the winter home of the Persian kings, and is the ancient site where the Code of Hammurabi was discovered in 1901.Num 12:6; Dan 7:2, 15; 8:3Neh 1:1; Esth 1:2; 2:8Gen 10:22; 14:1; Is 11:11; Jer 25:25; Ezek 32:24 3 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there in front of the canal stood a lone aram which had two horns. The two horns were high, but one was higher than the other , and the higher one came up last.Dan 8:20 4 I saw the ram acharging westward and northward and southward; no beast could stand before him, nor was there anyone who could rescue anything from his power, but bhe did as he pleased and magnified himself. Dan 8:20Deut 33:17; 1 Kin 22:11; Ezek 34:21Dan 11:3
5 As I was observing this, behold, a male goat was coming from the west rushing across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a aconspicuous and remarkable horn between his eyes. Dan 8:21Dan 8:8, 21; 11:3 6 He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and charged at him in the fury of his power and wrath. 7 In my vision I saw him come close to the ram , and he was filled with rage toward him; and the goat struck the ram and shattered his two horns, and the ram had no strength to stand before him. So the goat threw him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly, and when ahe was young and strong, the bgreat horn was suddenly 1broken; and in its place there came up four prominent horns among whom the kingdom was divided, one toward each of the cfour winds of heaven.Alexander the Great died unexpectedly at the height of his power, and his empire was divided into four parts—east, west, north, and south—ruled over by his four generals.2 Chr 26:16; Dan 5:20Dan 8:22Dan 7:2; Rev 7:1
9 Out of one of them came forth a rather asmall horn but one of irreverent presumption and profane pride which grew exceedingly powerful toward the south, toward the east, and toward the bBeautiful Land . Dan 8:23Dan 8:23Ps 48:2; Dan 11:16, 41 10 And in my vision this 1horn grew up to the host of heaven, and caused some of the host and some of the astars to fall to the earth, and it btrampled on them.This horn of vv 9-12 is not to be confused with the “little horn” of 7:8. The near fulfillment of the prophecy most likely pertains to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who came out of one of the four dynasties (the Seleucid Empire) into which Alexander’s empire was divided, and became a great conqueror, ruling from 175-164 B.C. Hating God, he profaned the temple, persecuted God’s people, the Jews (represented in this passage by “host” and “stars”) and attempted to destroy the Jewish faith (see note 11:21). The far fulfillment of the prophecy in vv 23-25 most likely pertains to the Antichrist and the period of tribulation (Rev 13:4-9).Is 14:13; Jer 48:26; Rev 12:4Dan 7:7; 8:7 11 Indeed, it amagnified itself to be equal with the 1Commander of the host of heaven; and it took away from Him the bdaily sacrifice , and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down .Or Prince, i.e. God.2 Kin 19:22, 23; 2 Chr 32:15-17; Is 37:23; Dan 8:25; 11:36, 37Ezek 46:14; Dan 11:31; 12:11 12 Because of the transgression of God’s people—their irreverence and ungodliness the host will be given over to the wicked horn, along with the regular sacrifice; and righteousness and truth will be aflung to the ground, and the horn will do as it pleases by divine permission and prosper.Is 59:14 13 Then I heard a aholy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who was speaking, “bHow much time will be required to complete the vision regarding the regular sacrifice, the transgression that brings horror, and the ctrampling underfoot of both the sanctuary and the host of the people?” Luke 21:24Dan 4:13, 23; 1 Pet 1:12Ps 74:10; 79:5; Is 6:11; Dan 12:6, 8; Rev 6:10Is 63:18; Jer 12:10; Luke 21:24; Heb 10:29; Rev 11:2 14 He said to me, “For a2,300 evenings and mornings; 1then the sanctuary will be cleansed and properly restored.”The Jewish celebration of the Feast of Lights (Hanukkah) in December commemorates the recapture of Jerusalem by the army of Judas Maccabeus and the purification of the sanctuary.Dan 7:25; 12:7, 11; Rev 11:2, 3; 12:14; 13:5
15 When aI, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; then behold, standing before me was one who looked like a bman.Dan 8:1Dan 7:13; 10:16, 18 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of the Ulai, which called out and said, “aGabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” Dan 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26Dan 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26 17 So he came near where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and afell face downward; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the fulfillment of the vision pertains to events that will occur in the btime of the end.”Ezek 1:28; 44:4; Dan 2:46; Rev 1:17Dan 8:19; 11:35, 40
18 Now as he was speaking with me, I adrifted into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he btouched me and made me stand where I had stood before.Dan 10:9; Luke 9:32Ezek 2:2; Dan 10:10, 16, 18 19 He said, “Behold, I am going to alet you know what will happen during the final time of the indignation and wrath of God upon the ungodly, for it concerns the appointed time of the end.Dan 8:15-17
20 The aram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia.Dan 8:3
21 The shaggy male goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is the 1first king.I.e. Alexander the Great, who consolidated the empire. 22 Regarding the ashattered horn and the 1four others that arose in its place, four kingdoms will rise from his nation, although not with his power and heritage.The four generals who divided the empire established by Alexander were: Seleucus (the north—Syria, Israel, Mesopotamia); Ptolemy (the south—Egypt, parts of Asia Minor); Lysimachus (the east—Thrace, parts of Asia Minor); and Cassander (the west—Greece, Macedonia).Dan 8:8
27 And I, Daniel, was aexhausted and was sick for several days. Afterward I got up and bcontinued with the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was no one who could explain it.Dan 7:28; 8:17; Hab 3:16Dan 2:48