Empires Rise and Fall: The Goat and the Ram Part 2
Introduction
The Goat and the Little Horn
four conspicuous At his death, Alexander divided his empire among four of his generals.
The generals initially divided the satrapies and ruled jointly. War broke out among the generals (often referred to as the Diadochoi from the Greek word for “successors”) within two years. The Diadochoi continued to fight for decades until the Ptolemies and Seleucids eventually won. The unsteady relationship between the Ptolemies and Seleucids is detailed in ch. 11.
came forth a horn, a little one Seleucus received part of Alexander’s empire; Antiochus IV Epiphanes came from his line. The same imagery of the “little horn” from ch. 7 is used again of Antiochus IV (see 7:8 and note).
If the second through fourth beasts represent Media, Persia, and Greece, the little horn of ch. 8 (as in ch. 7) is a reference to Antiochus. Because the book addresses Jews undergoing persecution (especially during the reign of Antiochus), it is likely that the little horn represents Antiochus throughout and that the fourth empire is Greece.
If the fourth beast represents Rome, the identity of the little horn is more difficult to establish. Taking this approach, the little horn imagery of ch. 7 represents the antichrist, while the little horn in ch. 8 is Antiochus—not a continuation of the preceding vision. This interpretation is supported by the argument that the little horn in ch. 8 comes from Greece and therefore must be a reference to Antiochus, who came to power from the Seleucid rulers. But the little horn in ch. 7 is from Rome and therefore cannot be Antiochus.
Further, under the Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome schema, the little horn does not come from Rome in the biblical period. Rather—since he is considered to be the antichrist—he would have to come from a revived Roman Empire during the last days before Christ’s second coming. Still, considering the context in which the book was written, it is probably best to view the little horn as Antiochus throughout.
Daniel 8:13-14
Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”
8:14 For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings The angel measures the length of time that the sanctuary would remain defiled by the number of missed sacrifices.
The number 2,300 describes the total number of evening and morning sacrifices that would be missed (compare to Dan 7:25 and note). In total, 2,300 sacrifices—one in the evening and one in the morning—would take 1,150 days to complete. For the rededication of the temple, see 1 Maccabees 4:52–54.
52 Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning, 53 And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made. 54 Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.