Daniel 8.10-The Small Horn Grew Larger Than the Host of Heaven, Causing Some of this Host, Yes These Stars to Fall to Earth and It Trampled on Them
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday August 6, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 8:10-The Small Horn Grew Larger Than the Host of Heaven, Causing Some of this Host, Yes These Stars to Fall to Earth and It Trampled on Them
Lesson # 237
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 8:1.
Daniel 8:1 During the third year of Belshazzar’s reign, the king, a vision appeared to me, I, Daniel after the one appearing to me previously. 2 Indeed, I was staring because of this vision. Specifically, I myself was in a trance like state staring as I myself was in Susa, the citadel, which was in the province of Elam. Furthermore, I was staring because of this vision as I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 Then, I lifted up my eyes and then I was staring as behold a ram was standing in front of the canal with it possessing two horns. Furthermore, the two horns were long. However, one was longer than the other with the longer one growing up last. 4 I saw this ram continually butting westward as well as northward and in addition southward as all the beasts could by no means stand in front of it. Furthermore, none could deliver out from its power so that it acted according to its desire. Indeed, it became great. 5 Then, I myself was in a trance like state as behold a male-goat who is ruler over the goats, was traveling from the west over the earth’s surface. In fact, it was not touching the earth’s surface. Also, this male-goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes. 6 Next, it traveled up to the ram possessing two horns which I saw standing in front of the canal. In fact, it charged against it in a powerful rage. 7 Consequently, I saw it wage an attack opposing this ram while causing itself to become enraged against it. Indeed, it repeatedly struck this ram so as to shatter its two horns. Also, there was no ability in the ram to stand in front of it. Then, it drove it to the ground as well as trampled on it repeatedly. Indeed, to the detriment of the ram, there was none who could deliver from its power. 8 So the male-goat who is the ruler over the goats was very great. However, as soon as it became powerful, the unusual horn was broken. Then, in its place, four conspicuous ones arose towards the heaven’s four winds. 9 Next, from one of them, a small horn in comparison emerged which grew excessively large toward the south as well as the east and in addition the beautiful land. (Author’s translation)
Daniel 8:10 It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. (NASB95)
“It grew up to the host of heaven” is defining specifically what group of people Daniel is referring to by the expression “beautiful land.”
“It grew” is the verb gā·ḏǎl (גָּדַל) (gaw-dal´), which means “to grow up larger” since it refers to being in a state of physically growing larger indicating that this small horn “grew physically large” up to the host of heaven.
“Up to the host of heaven” is composed of the preposition ʿǎḏ (עַד) (ad), “up to” and its object is the noun ṣā·ḇā(ʾ) (צָבָא) (tsaw-baw´), “the host of” and then we have the noun šemǎ∙yin (שְׁמַיִן) (shaw-mah´-yin), “heaven.”
The noun ṣā·ḇā(ʾ) means “host” referring to a large group or vast array of people, a huge amount of people.
It can be used of the armies of the nation of Israel which serve the Lord (Numbers 1:3; 2:3; Joshua 22:12; Judges 4:2), the citizens of the nation of Israel (Exodus 6:26; 7:4; 12:17), or human armies (Genesis 26:26), the angels (1 Kings 22:19) or celestial bodies (Genesis 1:2; Deuteronomy 4:19).
Here in Daniel 8:10, the noun ṣā·ḇā(ʾ) refers to the citizens of the nation of Israel since Gabriel in Daniel 8:24 interprets this word as referring to “mighty men” of Israel, which is a reference to the nation of Israel.
“Mighty men” is the adjective ʿā·ṣûm (עָצוּם) (aw-tsoom´), which is used often in the Old Testament to describe the Israelites and never the elect angels of God (Genesis 18:18; Exodus 1:9; Numbers 14:12; Deuteronomy 26:5).
In Daniel 8:24, Gabriel also describes the Israelites as a “holy nation,” which parallels and interprets the phrase “stars of heaven” in Daniel 8:10.
The construct state of the noun ṣā·ḇā(ʾ) means that it is governing the word which follows it, which is the articular form of the dual noun šemǎ∙yin, which means “heaven” and contains the figure of metonymy where heaven the place of God’s abode is used for God.
The construct state of the noun ṣā·ḇā(ʾ) indicates a genitive relation with šemǎ∙yin, which is possession indicating that this host “belongs to” heaven, i.e. God.
The noun ṣā·ḇā(ʾ) is the object of the preposition ʿǎḏ, which is a marker of comparison indicating a comparison between the nation of Israel and the nation led by the small horn, which was Greece.
This would mean that Daniel is telling the reader that the small horn grew larger “than” the host belonging to heaven.
This interpretation of the preposition is indicated by Gabriel’s interpretation in Daniel 8:24, in which he informs Daniel that this small horn will be mighty but not by his own power and will destroy to an extraordinary degree, destroying mighty men, yes the holy people, which is Israel.
So the nation led by the small horn is more powerful than the host of heaven, yes the holy people.
Daniel says in Daniel 8:11 that the small horn continually grew large, which refers to the increase in political and military power of the king represented by the small horn.
“And caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth” is advancing upon and intensifying the previous statement that the small horn grew larger than the heaven’s host.
“Some of the host” and “some of the stars” refers to the same group of people, namely the nation of Israel.
“And it trampled them down” denotes that the male goat which possessed the small horn on its head trampled on the stars of heaven when they reached the earth in that it repeatedly stamped on these stars with its hooves.
Daniel 8:10 Specifically, it grew larger than the heaven’s host. Indeed, it caused some of this host, yes some of these stars to fall to the earth. Also, it trampled on them. (My translation)
Now, here in Daniel 8:10, Daniel describes the people of the beautiful land as “the heavens’ host” and “the stars.”
Daniel tells the reader that the small horn grew larger than the host of heaven.
Then he advances upon this by informing the reader that the small horn caused some of this host, yes some of these stars to fall to the earth and it also trampled on them.
The “heaven’s host” and the “stars” are both a reference to the nation of Israel and specifically regenerate Israelites, which is indicated by Gabriel’s interpretation in Daniel 8:24.
In this verse, the elect angel interprets “the heaven’s host” as referring to “the mighty people.”
Also, in verse 24, Gabriel describes the faithful Israelites as a “holy nation,” which parallels and interprets the phrase the “stars” in Daniel 8:10.
Nothing in the context of chapter eight would indicate that the host of heaven and the stars is a reference to the elect angels.
Gabriel’s interpretation and history make clear that regenerate Israel is being referred to by the expressions “host of heaven” and the “stars.”
So in Daniel 8:10, Daniel describes this small horn causing some of the heaven’s host, yes the stars to fall to the earth, which is a symbolic description and prophecy of Antiochus Epiphanes IV waging war against Israel and killing some of regenerate Israel.
The description of the small horn trampling on the stars refers to Antiochus Epiphanes IV attempting to wipe out this faithful remnant in Israel.
Archer writes “From 171 or 170 B.C. and thereafter, Antiochus pursued his evil policy of securing control of the high priesthood and bringing increasing pressure on the Jewish hierarchy to surrender their religious loyalties in the interests of conformity to Greek culture and idolatry. Already in 175, at the beginning of his reign, he had expelled the godly high priest Onias III from office and replaced him with his Hellinizing younger brother, Jason. But before long a certain Jew named Menelaus, who was apparently also of the high priestly family, bribed Antiochus to depose Jason and appoint him high priest in his place. But while Antiochus was successfully campaigning in Egypt against Ptolemy VII (181-145 B.C.), Jason laid siege to Jerusalem in the hope of ousting Menelaus. In the process of dealing subsequently with Jason, Antiochus took occasion to storm Jerusalem and pillage the temple itself. Reinstalling Menelaus as high priest, Antiochus gave him the mandate to continue an aggressive policy of Hellenization. But in December of 168, he had Jerusalem again seized by treachery and subjected it to prolonged looting and massacre, as he converted its sanctuary into a temple to Zeus. So it continued until that memorable day, three years later, when Judas Maccabaeus rededicated the sacred structure to the worship of God (25 Dec. 165 B.C.) an event celebrated as Hanukkah by the Jewish community ever since.”
As we have noted many times, this prophetic vision recorded in Daniel chapter eight took place in the sixth century B.C.
Antiochus Epiphanes and his persecution of the Jewish people did not appear on the pages of history until the second century B.C.
Therefore, God is forewarning the nation of Israel of this persecution.
He is encouraging the faithful Jewish remnant in Israel that this persecution will only last a certain amount of time and will end.
In fact, God will judge Antiochus Epiphanes and remove him from power.
The fact that God warns the faithful remnant in Israel in this prophetic vision centuries before the persecution led by Antiochus Epiphanes took place reveals that warns His people before they face undeserved suffering and persecution.
In 2 Timothy 3:11, the apostle Paul forewarns Timothy and all church age believers that those who live godly lives in fellowship with Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
By God forewarning us of persecution, He is reminding us that He is sovereign and in control and not those who persecute us.