Vision of the Indignation (Daniel 8)

Introduction

Michael Jordan is arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In my opinion, he in fact is the goat of Professional Basketball and Lebron doesn’t even come close. There I said it. 

One of the spectacles of Michael Jordan was that he could leap from the free throw line to dunk the basketball in the net during the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest.  This of course led to him earning the nickname, Air Jordan.

Michael Jordan believed he could fly, for that matter the world with him. For how else could one explain the moves of Michael Jordan with the lengths of these jumps? An incredible feat that is maybe best portrayed by Michael not in a game, but in his acting in the movie Space Jam. 

At the end of the game against the Monstars, Michael Jordan leaps from half-court, is grabbed mid-air, and because of being in toon land, his arm stretches to dunk the ball for the game winning shot. 

It is a movie of course, but the scene paints what all felt when it came to Michael Jordan and his remarkable flying dunks. What was perceived embellished what really was going on. 

This morning we come to the embellishment of another picture. An embellishment that one moved so swiftly that it did not even touch the ground. A swiftness that came and brought about much destruction and evil. And yet, as swift as it came, so did it leave. That’s what I want to talk to us about this morning as we continue our Daniel series and make our way into Daniel 8. 

 Please then take your Bible and turn with me to Daniel 8, our passage this morning. If you do not have your own Bible, please grab the Red Bible there in your seats and open it to Daniel 8 found beginning on page #885.

While you are turning there, let me set the stage for us all to make sure we understand what has been happening in the book of Daniel so far. In the first 6 chapters of Daniel, we got a look throughout the years of the exile and how God was at work through history to bring about his purposes. That he was over kings as he both set them up and removed them. We also saw in both Daniel 3 and Daniel 6 that God is the God who delivers his people. 

But after a more historical writing in the first half of the book, in Daniel 7-12 we turn to an apocalyptic writing, a painting the picture of what is to come in the future. We saw the first of the visions to come to Daniel last week in Daniel 7 with the appearance of four beasts with more emphasis on the last beast. This morning we will be looking at two other of those beasts, that of the 2nd and 3rd beasts in a different picture. So let us then hear the word of the LORD from Daniel 8, beginning in verse 1…

Main Idea: In this life there will be opposition for God’s people, but it will not last as the LORD brings about his complete and utter victory. Therefore, let us not despair and continue to press on in the matters of our King.

The Meaning of the Vision

The Response for Us Now

1. The Meaning of the Vision

In verses 1-2 we have the introduction of a second vision that came to Daniel. A vision that takes two years after the vision in Daniel 7, as this vision now takes place in the third year of King Belshazzar. A vision that we see there in verse 2, that takes Daniel out of Babylon and into the city of Susa in the province of Elam. This put Daniel in his vision, some 200 miles east of Babylon. 

Like the first vision in Daniel 7, Daniel here in chapter 8, receives the vision in the first 14 verses of the chapter, but then it is interpreted in the second half of the chapter, beginning in verse 15. This interpretation comes from the angel Gabriel at the direction of the LORD himself. And Daniel is told that this vision is for the time of the end. 

This time of the end we will circle back around to reiterate this point a few times. Daniel 8 in saying the time of the end is not particularly talking about the end of time as we know it. This end here in Daniel 8 is different from even other parts of Daniel. This time of the end has more to do with the end of exile from Babylon and the restoration of the temple. Again, we will circle back around to this a few times, but keep that in mind as we seek to understand the meaning of this vision. 

1.1 The Ram with Two Horns (Daniel 8:1-4, 20)

First, there is the Ram with its two horns in verse 3. In the vision, after being brought to Susa in it, he lifts his eyes up and sees this ram standing on the bank of the canal. Like most rams it has two horns, but one of these horns is higher than the other. 

Down in verse 20, we are told that the two horns on this ram are the kings of Media and Persia. Based on history then, it is clear that the higher of the two horns is that of Persia. This further explains more of Daniel 7 with the second beast, the bear raised on one side, that it was this split kingdom of the Medes and Persians. 

This kingdom of the Medes and Persians is said to have no beast that can stand before him and that none can rescue from the power of this ram. That it would do as it pleases and become great.

Presently, we can look back and see how this vision played out precisely according to how the LORD foretold. For the Medes and Persians as we see at the end of Daniel 5 and the start of Daniel 6 charged westward and northward and southward (Dan 8:4) and overthrew the Babylonian empire by striking King Belshazzar dead. In this conquest, as noted last week, they also conquered Lydia and Egypt. The Kingdom of the Medes and Persians lasted two centuries between the years 550-331 BC. 

And for Daniel, he saw the rise of this Ram, the kingdom of the Medes and Persians as they entered into Babylon and claimed it as their own. 

But here in this vision, the LORD is pulling back the curtain for Daniel as he longs for the exile to end. The LORD is making known to Daniel that though the time of exile is drawing near to its end, there is still a difficult road ahead for the people of Israel. It will be full of nations with great power rising up with none to oppose them. They will seem to do as they will, then they will fall and fall greatly according to the LORD’s appointing. 

We see that here with the appearance of this ram with its two horns being great and doing as it pleased and then it is brought to an abrupt end. 

1.2 The Goat with the Horn

This brings us to the second creature in the vision. At the end of verse 4, we see this greatness mentioned of this kingdom of the Medes and Persians, but moving into verse 5, we see that a goat now appears. It moves from the west across the face of the earth. It is said to move without touching the ground. This painting the picture that this goat is moving so swiftly that it doesn’t even touch the ground because of its speed. 

And this goat has a horn between its eyes. It says it is a conspicuous or prominent horn. And this goat with this prominent horn comes swiftly in a powerful wrath at the ram that had been standing there. And the goat strikes the ram, breaking its two horns, tossing it to the ground and trampling all over it. 

This goat comes and does not just stand before the one that none could stand before, but obliterates the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians. And now with the ram out of the way, this goat rises to power. It becomes exceedingly great and becomes strong. But it is noted that when it was strong, this one prominent horn breaks off and four other prominent horns arise from the one. Four horns moving towards the four winds of heaven or the four directions of the world. 

But then out of these four horns comes a little horn. And this little horn we see there in verse 9 is said to grow exceedingly great towards the south, the east, and the glorious land. This being that of the Promised Land of Israel. This  little horn then is said to grow so great that it stood toe to toe against the host of heven and began to seven through some of the host and stars of heaven to the ground to trample on them. That he grew even as great as the Prince of the host. And in so doing a taking away from this Prince of host the regular burnt offerings, and the overthrowing of the sanctuary. This little horn would throw out truth and would prosper in his actions. 

Down in verse 21, we are informed that this goat is the king of Greece, particularly that of Alexander the Great. He in his greatness came and crushed that of the Medes and Persians in 331 BC. It is noted in history how Alexander had three grand victories, crumbling Babylon in a 3 year period. Defeating the Mede-Persians at Granicus in 334 BC, at Issus in 333 BC, and then Arbela in 331 BC. 

Alexander the Great established a strong kingdom. He achieved greatness. But then he died an early death in 323 BC. And so his rule was divided into four parts, hence the four other horns that arose from the one, but not with his power. These are the four kingdoms that arose then after Alexander as noted down in verses 21-22. 

But then from these four, one would arise from one of them, this little horn towards the end of the Greek Empire. He will arise, it says in verse 23 when the transgressors have reached their limit.  It continues there and adds that this little horn that arises will be one of bold face, he will understand riddles. In verse 24, it says that his power shall be great. He will cause destruction and destroy mighty men and the saints of the Most Holy God. Then in verse 25 it says that he will make deceit prosper in his hand and that he shall be great, destroying many without any warning. 

It is no wonder that this vision left Daniel so deeply troubled. That he lay in bed sick for days. That he didn’t fully understand all that was going on with this vision, even with the interpretation of this being kingdoms rising out of kingdoms. This goat, being tied back to the leopard in Daniel 7 indeed is a beast of swift terror. 

Furthermore it was foretold that though this little horn that arose from the four was great, that he would even rise up against the Prince of princes, yet that he would be broken. Broken by that which was no human hand. It was foretold to Daniel that this little horn that would arise would be broken by God himself. 

All of this was foretold to Daniel, and despite seeing God’s ultimate triumph, and that it was after his own time, Daniel still was troubled. He lay sick at what was to come against his own people in the suffering that awaited them. But he soon arose and went about the business of the king, King Belshazzar. 

Now, we have an added benefit standing on this side of history. For we have seen how this part of the vision plays out. We have seen how Alexander the Great crushed the Medes and the Persian Empire. We have seen how Alexander in the peak of his greatness died. We have seen how four rose after Alexander during the Greek Empire. And then we have seen this one little horn arise.

This little horn by almost all scholars is affirmed to have been that of Antiochus IV Epiphanes who descended from Seleucids. Antiochus came to power in 175 BC. Antiochus would arise at the time appointed by God himself, a time to be used as an instrument of judgment against Israel. 

For while the canon of Scripture in the Old Testament was left silent, there are various books that are helpful during this period. The books of the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha is a collection of 15 obscure books. It is a collection of books that both the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church have deemed part of the Biblical canon. They are foolishly mistaken here. For these books are not part of the authoritative word of God. For we do not see Jesus or the authors of the New Testament use these books in this way. However, we do see them refer to them according to events and history. And so we too can learn bits of history from them, but again these books are not authoritative over our lives as Christians. 

That being said, in 1 Maccabees, we are aided by the recording of these events that took place. In 1 Maccabees 1:11-15 we learn that there was a group of Jews who were transgressing the Torah and urging others to do so. And so, these transgressions brought about God’s judgment against them in the rising of Antiochus who would wreak havoc on Jerusalem. And further in that chapter, it is stated how Antiochus  pillaged the city of Jerusalem and set it ablaze. 

Some have noted how Antiochus desecrated the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in its having been rebuilt by sacrificing a pig on the altar and building a statue of the Greek God, Zeus, in the temple. 

Antiochus was a terror for the Jews in those days. And yet, both his rising and his fall were at the hands of the LORD. The LORD used him to bring discipline against Israel in their continued unbelief. And when the arrogance of Antiochus had reached its limit and God’s appointed period of time was done, Antiochus was brought down by the hand of God. In fact, from study this week, there is some confusion on what happened to Antiochus, but one thing was clear: it was not by battle or assassination that led to his end. This comes from 1 Maccabees 6:1-16. 

Just as God had foretold Daniel, this period of this little horn would come but be limited according to the LORD’s appointed time, this time of 2,300 evenings and mornings. 

History even here is telling of God’s sovereign reign. While 2,300 days did not pass between the defilement of the temple and its restoration, 2,300 sacrifices did. For the Jews counted according to the sacrifices here vs the days. Sacrifices that would happen in the evening and in the morning. And this equated to 1,150 days. According one final time to 1 Maccabees in 1 Maccabees 1:54 it is noted that the desecration of the temple took place on December 6, 167 and by December 14, 164 as noted in 1 Maccabees 4:52-53, a new altar had been consecrated as Judas Maccabeus recaptured Jerusalem, purified the temple and erected this new altar. An event that is still celebrated by the Jews to this day in their celebration of Hanukkah. 

Beloved, while this all may seem overwhelming in the information, one thing should be abundantly clear to us, God reigns over human history. And though things might be tough, we must never forget who is truly sovereign over it all! For it is God the Most High who is over time and kingdoms. All are under him. 

2. The Response for Us Now

The visions here in Daniel 8 were given, but clearly are fulfilled in the coming of the kingdoms of the Medes and Persians followed by that of the Greeks. Is there then anything for us here today from Daniel 8? 

Firstly, this pattern of kingdoms arising and being removed will continue until the very end. Make no mistake, the horn here in Daniel 8 is not the same as the horn in Daniel 7. Daniel 7 is pointing to a horn to arise after the Roman empire, a horn that is still yet to come in the Antichrist. Whereas this horn in Daniel 8 as has repeatedly been said has already come in Antiochus. But these two horns have the same origin. For this horn in Daniel 8 is typological, a foreshadowing of this coming greater one. And they both find their origin in the great enemy, that ancient serpent, Satan himself. 

And so, throughout the ages of this world, Satan will raise up various kings to do his bidding, his will to threaten to undo God’s people. Do not be surprised when these things arise. But those who belong to the LORD as his people, those who have come to take refuge in him through his Suffering Servant, Jesus, take heart and stand firm. 

The evil may threaten to undo us in the midst of the allotted time of suffering. But it is a limited allotment and then it will end. And when it does, our God will stand forever and we with him!

A second and similar application then follows this. Because God alone will stand victorious, not only will the allotted time of suffering end, but evil itself will be seen to fall flat on its face. For though sin rises high, it will come crashing down. 

We see this with the transgressors of Israel in verse 12. That it is because of their transgressions that everything they hold dear will be thrown to the ground. Transgressions led to Israel’s first captivity, and will lead to this hardship in later years after Daniel’s time. 

But Israel was not the only ones to trip over itself due to its transgressions against the LORD. The nations were likewise doing the same. The Medes and Persians sought to be great of their own. They were thought to do as they pleased, but they could not please themselves in standing forever. Their pride would be their fall. Then there is Antiochus. Though he was part of God’s discipline against the Jews, he was one who worked in deceit, opposing the truth. He even rose up trying to assert himself against the LORD himself. The arrogance and evil of his sin sent him tripping over his own feet landing face first in the muck of despair and shame. For his sin left him struck by no human hand, but the hand of God.

Sin is not to be taken lightly. This is why the transgression of the Jews was so tragic, they transgressed the sacrifice that was to remind them of their sins. They were to remember that their sins left them separated from God for all eternity had it not been for God’s grace in the shedding of blood from one without blemish. 

As we heard though from our Scripture Reading earlier in the service from Hebrews 10, a more perfect sacrifice now has come in Christ. A once for all sacrifice. By the shedding of his blood on the cross, Christ shed his blood so that all who have fallen short of the glory of God due to their sin may be declared righteous. A declaration not from anything of themselves, but a righteousness that comes from Christ himself! 

And so for us who have placed our faith in Jesus, those of us who are rightly named Christians, we look continually to Jesus in understanding the seriousness of our sin. We look to Jesus to have washed away our sins. We look to Jesus for our hope in life and death. For in him, we have eternal life. 

Yet, even for us as Christians, the mark of being a Christian is one who has trusted in Christ and continues to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Those who trust in Christ see the beauty of what Christ has done for us and continue to seek to draw all the more near to our precious redeemer! 

However, those who may profess Christ but fail to persevere in bearing the fruit of ongoing repentance, are no Christian. For the continuing to walk carelessly in your sin will be the cause of your great stumbling, a stumbling away from the faith. So beware your sin and repent of it.

As for others, you who have never professed Christ. You who think you are doing just fine in this world. You who love your sin and prefer it to the one who laid down his life on a tree. See your end. Your sin too will trip you up. It will send you flying downward as one who trips over their own feet. And the fall will be great. 

See this now and turn from your sin as there is hope in Jesus! There is hope by seeing that your sin is serious and yet that there is grace more abounding in God’s beloved Son, Jesus! Come and rest in him today!

One final application then flows from this. We who have such a great King in Jesus. A King who gladly suffered on our behalf on the cross. We then as we await his return are to continue about his business as we await. Yes, continue about his business even in the midst of ongoing suffering and opposition. 

Consider Daniel here again who only had a partial understanding of this vision. He was troubled, he lay sick, but he arose and went about the king’s business. He went about the business of the LORD to continue serving King Belshazzar as he was called to do. 

How much more should we then continue about the business of King Jesus in seeing a fuller picture of these truths? Knowing that our God’s Anointed King is on the throne, ruling over all time, kingdoms, and worldly events down to the smallest detail. Therefore, let us be about his business! In the words of Sinclair Ferguson [1]:

Do the King’s business; walk in obedience; live in holiness; purify yourself as He is pure.

Let us endure in this work until our faith in our beloved King is made sight. 

Let’s pray….

Endnotes:

[1] Ferguson, Sinclair B. Daniel: The Preacher’s Commentary. (Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson, Inc, 1988). 165.