Daniel8

In the third year of King Belshazzar, Daniel receives a vision of a ram with two horns, representing Media and Persia, which is swiftly conquered by a he-goat with a notable horn, symbolizing Grecia. The he-goat's great horn is broken, and four horns arise, from one of which a 'little horn' emerges, growing exceedingly great and persecuting the sanctuary. The angel Gabriel explains the vision, revealing that the desolation of the sanctuary will last for 2,300 days before its cleansing.
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The Vision at Shushan

1
In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. ​
2
And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. ​

The Ram and the Goat

3
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. ​
4
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. ​
5
And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. ​
6
And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
7
And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8
Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. ​

The Rise of the Little Horn

9
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. ​
10
And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. ​
11
Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. ​
12
And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. ​
13
Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. ​

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

15
And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16
And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. ​
17
So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. ​
18
Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
19
And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

Interpretation: Media-Persia, Greece, and the Little Horn

20
The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. ​
21
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. ​
22
Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
23
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. ​
24
And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. ​
25
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. ​
26
And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. ​

Daniel's Reaction and Conclusion

27
And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. ​

Study Notes for Daniel 8

Verse 1

This vision occurs two years after the vision in chapter 7 (c. 550 B.C.), but while Belshazzar is still king. Chapters 7 and 8 are highly symbolic and focus on the succession of Gentile world powers.

Verse 2

Daniel is placed in Susa (Shushan), which was a major city in the Persian Empire, east of Babylon. This setting anticipates the rise of the next world power, Medo-Persia.

Verse 3

The ram with two horns is explicitly identified later as the combined monarchy of Media and Persia (v. 20). The higher horn coming up last signifies Persia’s eventual dominance over Media.

Verse 4

The ram's pushing westward, northward, and southward symbolizes the historical expansion of the Medo-Persian Empire, conquering territories across Asia Minor, the Levant, and Egypt.

Verse 5

The he-goat represents the kingdom of Grecia, and the notable horn is Alexander the Great (v. 21). The phrase 'touched not the ground' emphasizes the incredible speed of Alexander’s conquest (334–331 B.C.).

Verse 8

Alexander died suddenly in 323 B.C. The breaking of the great horn refers to his death, and the four horns that replace it symbolize the division of his empire among his four leading generals (the Diadochi).

Verse 9

This little horn arises from one of the four Greek successor kingdoms (specifically the Seleucid kingdom). Historically, this figure is identified as Antiochus IV Epiphanes (reigned 175–164 B.C.), a fierce persecutor of the Jews.

Verse 10

The 'host of heaven' and 'stars' are symbolic terms referring to the people of God, particularly the leaders, priests, and faithful within Jerusalem, whom Antiochus violently oppressed and deposed.

Verse 11

The little horn magnified himself against the 'prince of the host' (likely God Himself or the High Priest). This refers to Antiochus’s halting of the daily sacrifice (*tamid*) and the subsequent desecration of the Temple.

Verse 12

The little horn's success was permitted 'by reason of transgression,' suggesting that Israel's own apostasy and unfaithfulness allowed the persecutor to temporarily prevail over the sanctuary and the truth.

Verse 14

The 'two thousand and three hundred days' (literally 'evenings and mornings') refers to the 1,150 days (3.15 years) that the daily sacrifices were suppressed and the Temple was defiled by Antiochus IV, until it was rededicated by the Maccabees in 164 B.C.

Verse 16

Gabriel is an archangel, whose name means 'God is my strength.' This is the first time in Scripture that an angel is identified by name, emphasizing the authority and importance of the interpretation.

Verse 17

Gabriel stresses that the vision relates to the 'time of the end.' In this context, it refers to the final period of God’s 'indignation' upon Israel, culminating in the persecution by the little horn.

Verse 20

This verse begins the explicit, non-symbolic interpretation, confirming the ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire, consistent with the earlier visions in Chapter 7.

Verse 21

The identification of the he-goat as Greece and the great horn as Alexander the Great provides a clear historical anchor for understanding the prophetic timeline.

Verse 23

Gabriel describes the little horn as a king of 'fierce countenance,' characterized by cruelty, and 'understanding dark sentences,' meaning he is skilled in cunning, intrigue, and deceit.

Verse 24

The statement that his power is 'not by his own power' suggests a supernatural or divinely permitted source for his destructive abilities, particularly against 'the holy people' (Israel).

Verse 25

The little horn will act against the 'Prince of princes,' an elevated title referring to God or the Messiah. His end, being 'broken without hand,' signifies that his destruction will come through divine, not human, intervention.

Verse 26

Daniel is commanded to seal the vision because the fulfillment of these events (the persecution under Antiochus) was still centuries away from Daniel’s lifetime.

Verse 27

Daniel's physical faintness and sickness demonstrate the profound psychological and spiritual burden of receiving such intense prophetic revelation concerning the future suffering of his people.

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