Daniel 8 - The Lord of Restoration

Big Idea:

The Lord’s battles bring restoration.

Intro:

Our church vision this year (that is, what we’re focusing on) is “Jesus is Lord in 2024.” In other words, He is Master over everything in our lives: church, family, job, money, free time, food, and even basketball.

A few months ago, the 7-8th grade Glastonbury basketball season began. I’m one of the coaches. Obviously, Kade (my middle son) is on my team. I’ve been coaching him since 3rd grade.

Side note: I played basketball in middle and high school on some pretty competitive teams. I wasn’t the best player, but I was a solid role player. Shooting and defense. I was slow, but I was smart. That didn’t help me get very far personally, but I think it helps with coaching.

In 6th grade, we made our first run for the championship, but got knocked out in the first-round of playoffs by literally a 3-point hook shot. In 7th grade (last year), we had a good team, but got knocked out in the Final Four by a team we previously beat by 30. So, this year… my final year of coaching Youth sports, I wanted to win.

Hey, I’m a pastor. I’m a Christian. But I’m also competitive.

Now, our church is growing. And we’ve started having kids show up that fit the offense I use. One was Ryan (Sprague). Quiet kid with a nice jump shot and floater.

However, in GBA, they use a draft to select kids. So, I can’t just pick whoever I want. The kids get assessed, and then coaches pick round by round. Ryan had never played in GBA, so he had no previous assessment score. He was a 0 out of 10.

At first, I told him, don’t go to the assessment. Stay a 0. And then we’ll steal you in a later round. But then, there was the whole “integrity” thing… and that plan didn’t seem to honor God. Thankfully, Ryan broke his foot and couldn’t go to tryouts anyway. The Lord moves in mysterious ways.

However, Ryan also plays baseball. And other basketball coaches knew him and were planning on picking him before I could. MY PLAN FELL APART. But then, the commissioner said no one could pick him until his parents cleared him to play. So, Ryan went into draft-limbo. A week later, I get a phone call from the commissioner saying Ryan’s on my team! Favor of God is real!

The rest of the team I drafted were solid kids. But we weren’t very big or impressive. Yet, I knew I could piece them together to play good fundamental basketball. And as the season began, we kept winning, and winning, and winning. And we finished the regular season 11-0.

But Kade would often tell me the kids at school say our team sucks. The lunch ladies must serve “haterade” at Smith Middle. Additionally, there was another undefeated team that was blowing teams out and was pretty flashy. Everyone favored them as the best team. Yet, going into playoffs, we still got the 1-seed because of our strength of schedule.

When you’re the 1-seed, that means you get a first-round bye, and the easiest path in the playoffs. Our regular season record earned us the right to play the lowest ranked teams. Usually. But when the playoff schedule was released, we found ourselves playing the more difficult teams.

So the first team we played, we crushed them. We beat them by 31 and put the rest of the league on notice.

Then, our final four game (semi-finals), we played another difficult team - one that took us into overtime in the regular season… and we crushed them, again, beating them by 20.

And Friday was the Championship game. We finally faced the other undefeated team. And it was crazy. To connect this story to our current series, our boys were playing in the lion’s den, because the haters came out in full force. If you were there, you’d never think you’re watching a middle school rec basketball game.

Nevertheless, our team went up early. I knew we would. Yet, the other team fought and came back. And the haters were roaring! It was pretty intense…

But then… they went really quiet… when we went up by 20 points and walked away with “one of these…”

I’m so proud of these boys. They did it right. They worked hard and are true champs.

But it got me asking… “Lord, what was the point? Why the difficulty with drafting Ryan? Why the more difficult path in the playoffs? Why the haters?”

I think the Lord had a plan.

Over this season, despite everything, these kids kept playing. They were faithful. Kept moving forward. Kept trusting God. Literally praying under the basketball hoop at Gideon Welles before every game. And God took care of them. Yes, they had to fight tough battles, but God knew they needed it. Yes - I’m saying God… He’s Lord over everything… even basketball!

But why? Because these boys got the opportunity to PROVE they were a good basketball team. If it were too easy, the haters would’ve pointed that out. But when beat the best by 20 in the finals… you leave no doubt.

The Lord has a plan. He knows the beginning from the end. And when we trust Him, we’ll see that. And that’s something God’s word speaks about today in Daniel 8, so let’s jump in…

Daniel 8:1–2 NLT

During the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, saw another vision, following the one that had already appeared to me. In this vision I was at the fortress of Susa, in the province of Elam, standing beside the Ulai River.

Exegesis:

Instead of a dream, this time Daniel has a vision where he is taken to Persia. Actually, to the location where Queen Esther’s story takes place many years later.

Daniel 8:3–4 NLT

As I looked up, I saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river. One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had grown later than the other one. The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great.

Like his dream in chapter 7, Daniel’s apocalyptic vision involves imagery using beasts/animals. This time a ram with two horns. Horns were often a symbol of power. And one horn (that grew later) was bigger than the other. The ram’s name was lopsided Larry (the text doesn’t say that). But Larry dominated the world.

Daniel 8:5 NLT

While I was watching, suddenly a male goat appeared from the west, crossing the land so swiftly that he didn’t even touch the ground. This goat, which had one very large horn between its eyes,

Another powerful beast enters the vision. As the ram expands his kingdom, a goat comes quickly from the west and…

Daniel 8:6–9 NLT

headed toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the river, rushing at him in a rage. The goat charged furiously at the ram and struck him, breaking off both his horns. Now the ram was helpless, and the goat knocked him down and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s power. The goat became very powerful. But at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off. In the large horn’s place grew four prominent horns pointing in the four directions of the earth. Then from one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel.

Notices chapter 8’s vision is similar to chapter 7’s dream…

In chapter 7, the second beast was lopsided bear, much like the ram.

And the third beast was a winged leopard - an animal known for it’s speed, which is similar to this goat moving so fast that it seems like it’s flying! Additionally, the winged leopard had four heads, just as the goat had four horns.

Hang onto these details, because it’ll make more sense later…

Daniel 8:10–12 NLT

Its power reached to the heavens, where it attacked the heavenly army, throwing some of the heavenly beings and some of the stars to the ground and trampling them. It even challenged the Commander of heaven’s army by canceling the daily sacrifices offered to him and by destroying his Temple. The army of heaven was restrained from responding to this rebellion. So the daily sacrifice was halted, and truth was overthrown. The horn succeeded in everything it did.

Something just happened. Did you sense it? What’s happening on earth seems to now be connected to what’s happening in the heavens - it reaches into the spiritual.

There’s an important lesson here…

Every physical battle has a spiritual dimension.

Or, as one Bible Commentator put it, “There’s a cosmic war behind the conflict.”

The apostle Paul taught this. He wrote to the Ephesians…

Ephesians 6:12 NLT

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Again, there’s a cosmic (spiritual) war behind every earthly (physical) conflict. That means…

The literal wars we fight here on earth. Spiritual darkness is behind this.

The conflicts we face at work, school, home, or even unexplained haters during sporting events. Spiritual darkness is exercising influence.

That’s what’s happening in Daniel’s vision. The goat’s activities are not just earthly battles, rather, they are strategic attacks against the Kingdom of God.

Attacks against the worship of God.

Attacks against the truth of God.

Attacks against the people of God.

More than that, they are attacks against God Himself - the Commander of heaven’s army!

And here’s what’s crazy… in chapter 8, it seems like darkness is winning. Ever have that feeling? It feels wrong, right?

It felt wrong in Daniel’s vision too…

Daniel 8:13–14 NLT

Then I heard two holy ones talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the events of this vision last? How long will the rebellion that causes desecration stop the daily sacrifices? How long will the Temple and heaven’s army be trampled on?” The other replied, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the Temple will be made right again.”

The angel is like, “Bro, how is this even allowed? How long can this go on?” And the other angel says…

2300 days - if taken literally, which is a little over 6 years.

Or 1150 days - if the phrase “evenings and mornings” refer to the “evening and morning” sacrifices that happen in the Temple.

Both are a possibility…

Daniel 8:15–17 ESV

When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

Daniel - the veteran dream interpreter - needs help interpreting his vision. So, a Voice (likely God’s voice) commands the angel, Gabriel, to give the interpretation. And Gabriel says, “The future is being revealed to you.”

Two things before we move on:

This prophetic vision has something relevant to the original, and near audience; that is, to the Jewish people.

That being said, sometimes, prophetic visions (a biblical foretelling of the future) have both a near and far fulfillment. If you will, there’s a double prophecy. And when Gabriel says this vision is about the future, there’s a near fulfillment, but there is also a far (even future to us) fulfillment.

With that in mind, let’s read about the interpretation…

Daniel 8:18 ESV

And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up.

Basically, Daniel faints because he’s so overwhelmed by the vision. But, the angel wakes him up and gives him strength to stand. I think there’s a quick application moment for us…

We will face crazy overwhelming battles in this life. Scary battles. Some of us are in one right now. But the right response isn’t to fall asleep. No, we must wake up. And stand in the strength of the Lord against spiritual darkness.

That’s how Paul instructed the Ephesians to respond…

Ephesians 6:13 NLT

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

When you must fight, don’t faint. Rather, receive strength and stand firm in the Lord.

Daniel 8:19–22 ESV

He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

Apocalyptic imagery is very symbolic. That doesn’t mean it’s inaccurate. The imagery points to something both important and true. That being said, remember, precision is not always the goal of apocalyptic imagery. Meaning NOT every detail means something specific.

However, in this vision, God decides to speak specifically. With great precision, He tells us that the ram is the future Medo-Persian empire. And that the goat is the future Greek empire.

Additionally, check the prophetic precision of the vision…

The kingdom of the Medes and Persians were truly like two horns of one head. History confirms this. Additionally, history tells us that the Persians ended up becoming more powerful later on… which was symbolically predicted by both the lopsided ram and lopsided bear (of chapter 7).

Then, history teaches Greece (under the leadership of Alexander the Great) came out of the West and conquered the world with blazing speed.

It’s really cool when biblical prophecy is confirmed by actual history. But we gotta ask… if apocalyptic writing is supposed to be symbolic rather than specific, why be specific in this case? And the answer is: Because that’s what God wanted to reveal.

Think of it this way:

When God chooses to give specific details, believe them.

When God chooses to speak symbolically, then discover what those images are supposed to mean, biblically, and… believe them.

In all things, humble yourself and trust God with whatever He chooses to reveal…

Daniel 8:22 ESV

As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

Again, more historically precise prophecy. Alexander the Great quickly died (he was broken). Then, the Greek kingdom was divided between his four generals (symbolically represented by the four horns and even the four heads of the leopard). But they never had the same power Alexander had.

Daniel 8:23–25 ESV

And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand.

Remember, the original and near audience for this vision are the Jewish people of the BC era. This was a look into their future. And this “bold face king” who rises is none other than the Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. And he had beef with the Jews. He burned Jerusalem, killed people, and forbade them to worship the God of Israel. More than that, he desecrated God’s rebuilt temple - allowing unholy things to happen in it.

Why? Verse 24 gives us a clue, “His power shall be great - but not by his own power…” This is another reference to the cosmic war behind the conflict. This battle is first and foremost spiritual. This is REALLY spiritual darkness - Satan - attacking God and His people.

Nevertheless, in the words of hip-hop theologians Ice Cube and Das Efx, “You better check yourself before your wreck yourself.”

Psalm 2:1–3 NLT

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”

… but look at what’s next…

Psalm 2:4 NLT

But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.

God’s like, “Are you kidding me?” And at just a flick, spiritual darkness is done. As verse 25 said, “he shall be broken - but by no human hand.” God ain’t worried about Antiochus.

And guess what, if God ain’t worried, we shouldn’t be either. Because God is going to take care of every spiritual battle we face too…

Daniel 8:26 ESV

The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

Whether it’s 2300 days or sacrifices may or may not be important…

On one hand, it does precisely fit the timeline of how long Antiochus was allowed to desecrate the Temple before the Jewish people victorious restored the Temple thru the Maccabean rebellion.

On the other hand, there’s also a broader (more symbolic) meaning too…

Because, ultimately, God revealing the future speaks two powerful truths…

God is in control.

God has placed limits on our battles; meaning, there’s an end.

Therefore, precision isn’t as important as resting in the PEACE that comes from knowing that “there will be joy in the morning.” One day, God promises the battle will end. And if you belong to God’s family, you will win.

So don’t faint or sleep. Don’t get distracted by details. Be comforted. The Lord is in control. And He has a plan.

But that brings up the question… why allow these battles in the first place? What purpose do these spiritual (and even physical) struggles produce? I think the answer is given in verse 14, “…then the sanctuary shall be restored to it’s rightful state.” Here’s the purpose…

The Lord’s battles bring restoration.

We may not understand. We may even feel like we’re losing. But remember, God is in control. And every battle He ALLOWS us to face is bringing God’s restoration to our lives and this world.

Daniel 8:27 ESV

And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.

Today, your battle is real. You may feel overwhelmed, sick, or confused. But remember, God is bringing restoration. Therefore, keep moving forward. Keep doing the King’s business - God’s business. And know a better, more glorious day is coming!

Question: What if everything you lost in this life because of sin - all the things you deep loved and miss - could be RESTORED thru a controlled season of conflict. Would you allow the Lord to take you into this battle? Would you trust Him with this time?

I think we all would. If God showed us the end, we’d say “It’s worth it!” And in Daniel 8, God tells the Jewish people, “I’m showing you the end!”

But this matters to us too! Because we (His church - His people) are fighting our own battles today. And there are more in our future. How do I know this? Because of the double prophecy of Daniel 8…

Jesus taught in Mark 14 that another desecration of God’s temple is coming. Remember, at this point, the fulfillment through Antiochus has already happened. There’s still another battle coming, even future to us. That’s because Antiochus biblically foreshadows the anti-Christ - the future world leader (empowered by Satan) who will seek to destroy both the world and God’s people. The cosmic war is not over. God has revealed this to us.

The question is, “Will we trust Him with our battles?”

Response:

As we close [and the worship team comes up], I want to ask, what battle are you facing? Are you close to giving up? If so, don’t…

God has a word for His people this morning. “I am making all things new.” (Rev 21:5). Restoration is coming. God’s will for your life is on the way. Just be faithful about the King’s business. Be encouraged by the words of Paul…

2 Timothy 4:18 ESV

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Additionally…

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

For the people of God, joy is set before us. But the path runs thru a cross. Restoration requires a purposeful battle. It’s part of the Lord’s plan and process. Therefore, don’t give up.

Keep running for Jesus. Keep running toward Jesus. Keep fighting for Jesus. And in Jesus, know your victory is guaranteed.

Let’s pray…