Sunday School Lesson
Lesson: Daniel 8:19-26
Golden Text: “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 8:26).
INTRODUCTION. Many of us have come across rumors and fanciful claims about the last days and the end of time. If only we would pay attention to the truth of God’s own Word, we would see what He himself has already said about these things. In our lesson this week, we look at one vision Daniel had that shows us some of the things that must come before the end. This vision provides not just information but also encouragement to all Christians.
II. THE FUTURE KINGS (Daniel 8:19-22). The background for our text is Daniel 8:1-18. Daniel had this dream during the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, around 551 B.C. Belshazzar was a descendent of Nebuchadnezzar the king under which Judah was taken captive beginning in 605 B.C. Daniel and other bright and wise young men were among those taken in the first deportation. At the time of this second dream, Daniel was about 70 years old. Daniel said in this dream he found himself in the palace at Shushan one of the royal cities about 250 miles southeast of Babylon. Suddenly in the dream he saw a ram with two horns (vs. 3) one horn longer than the other charging toward the west and no beast was able to stop it (vs. 4). Daniel then saw a male goat with one horn fight against the ram and defeat him. However, the goat’s horn was broken but four other horns grew in its place (vss. 5-8). From one of the four horns came a little horn that asserted itself against the host of heaven, their prince, and their sanctuary. This desecration of the sanctuary continued for twenty-three hundred days (vss. 9-14). This portion of the vision was fulfilled during the latter persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes and in the cleansing of the sanctuary in Jerusalem. As Daniel contemplated the meaning of the vision, the angel Gabriel stood before him (vs. 15). Daniel then heard a man’s voice. Although the person who spoke with a man’s voice is not identified, most likely it was God Himself speaking as he ordered Gabriel to “make this man understand the vision” (vs. 16). The understanding Daniel was to receive would not be complete. He would receive insight into the meaning of the symbolism so that he could relate the vision to specific peoples. He was not enabled to know the exact times and circumstances in which these predicted events would occur (see Daniel 8:17; 12:8-9).
A. A general overview of desperate times (Daniel 8:19). Our text begins with Daniel referring to Gabriel speaking saying “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.” The angel promised to reveal “what shall be in the last end of the indignation” which appears to mean the same thing as “the time appointed the end shall be.” Both these phrases no doubt refer to a future time when God will complete His chastening of Israel for their sins. Note: Although all of the events foretold in the vision seem to have been fulfilled by the second century B.C. (as we will see later), most of the events Daniel saw didn’t pertain to his day but to a later time, often referred to as the times of the Gentiles (see Luke 21:24). We are living in the times of the Gentiles which includes the period from Nebuchadnezzar’s reign to the second coming of Christ. During this period, Israel is undergoing divine discipline. It is best to understand the vision as having a literal fulfillment in ancient history and in certain features a second prophetic fulfillment in the future. History seems to make it obvious that some aspects of the vision have been fulfilled and will have no parallels in the future. But other aspects of the vision clearly point to the tribulation and the antichrist.
B. Detailed prediction of the earlier kingdoms (Daniel 8:20-22).
1. (vs. 20). The angel now began to interpret the specific parts of the vision. He said “The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.” First, the “ram” that Daniel saw with “two horns” represented “the kings of Media and Persia.” The two horns represented the two kingdoms that made up the Medo-Persian Empire. As one horn was longer than the other (see vs. 3) so it was with these two kingdoms. The Medes rose to power first, but under Cyrus the Great the Persians subdued them and took the leadership. As the “ram” in the vision pushed westward, northward and southward crushing all resistance (see vs. 4), so did the Medo-Persian Empire sweep all before it. Moving westward they conquered Babylon, Syria, and Asia Minor. To the north they took Armenia and the area on both sides of the Caspian Sea. In the south the Medo-Persians took Egypt. Ancient Persia encompassed much of the land that is now modern Iran. Note: We must remember that the Medo-Persian empire was just beginning to take shape when Daniel saw his vision; so most of the political accomplishments Daniel mentioned were still future. Because of the accuracy of prophecies like these, some critics believe that Daniel was written after these events took place. But they fail to consider the fact that the God who directs human events can also reveal them to man way in advance.
2. (vs. 21). Gabriel continued to speak now identifying the goat saying “And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.” As the ram represented Medo-Persia, the “rough goat” represented “the king of Grecia (Greece).” This is a reference to the Greco-Macedonian Empire established in the fourth century B.C. by Alexander the Great who ascended the throne at the age of twenty. The “great horn” was Alexander himself, the first ruler of the Greco-Macedonian Empire. Note: In the vision Daniel saw the goat approaching from the west (see vs. 5), just as Alexander’s forces did. Just as the goat moved so swiftly that it did not touch the ground (see vs. 5), so the Greeks and Macedonians conquered with great speed. In a mere thirteen years (from 336-332 B.C.) Alexander the Great amassed more territories than the Medo-Persian Empire that he displaced. Under Alexander, the Greco-Macedonians quickly subdued Asia Minor, Palestine and Egypt. He moved from there into Babylonia and Persia. Just as the ram (Medo-Persia) in the vision lacked the power to resist the goat’s (Greco-Macedonia) onslaught (see vss. 6-7) so the Persian Empire could not mount an effective campaign against Alexander and the Greco-Macedonians. After eight years of fighting, Alexander’s troops were weary and returned to Babylon. There, Alexander caught malaria and died at the age of thirty-three.
3. (vs. 22). In the next event in Daniel’s vision, Gabriel said “Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.” The phrase “Now that being broken” refers back to the “first king,” Alexander the Great (the rough goat) in the previous verse and his death. The phrase “whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation,” means that four kingdoms arose out of Alexander’s kingdom. After Alexander died, his heir was assassinated and the empire he created was divided among four of his generals, Antipater, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. The words “but not in his power” means that although these four rulers were powerful in their own separate realms (see vs.8), they didn’t rule with the same power that Alexander had. Intermittent fighting among these four rulers kept the Greek Empire divided and pushed along the later Roman conquests.
A. Great sin (Daniel 8:23). As Gabriel continued to interpret the vision for Daniel he said “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.” This interpretation of Gabriel indicates that a “king of fierce countenance” would arise “in the latter time of their kingdom” or toward the end of the rule of the four divisions of the Greco-Macedonian Empire. Note: This prophecy was fulfilled in the past by Antiochus IV (also called Epiphanes), the eighth Seleucid king who ruled in western Asia from 175 to 164 B.C. and he extended his control over Phoenicia, Palestine, and Egypt. After he began his rule, Antiochus decided to enslave the Jews and force Hellenization, or Greek culture on them. This meant that Jews had to adopt everything Greek. To accomplish this, Antiochus disallowed the reading and keeping of the Mosaic Law. Sabbath observances were also forbidden along with Jewish feasts like Passover. Parents were not allowed to circumcise their baby boys, and the Hebrew Scriptures were publicly burned, and Jewish sacrifices were outlawed. He also raided the temple treasury and stole the money that was to be used for the Lord’s work. But perhaps the greatest insult to Judaism was in 167 B.C. when an altar to Zeus was erected in the temple at Jerusalem and a pig was offered in sacrifice to Zeus. Threatened with death, Jews had to continue these abominable sacrifices. All of these desecrations of the temple eventually led to the Maccabean revolt that freed the Jews from Antiochus’ despotic control. The time when the four divided kingdoms would be close to ending, Gabriel said this would be a time “when the transgressors are come to the full.” This expression implies that sin in Israel would have reached such a state that it demanded God’s judgment. This judgment would come at the hands of Antiochus who was a type of the final world dictator, the antichrist. The same sinful condition that Israel was in during Antiochus’ day will also be true in the tribulation, when Israel will be purged through much suffering. Gabriel also describes this king in the vision as having a “fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences.” The first characteristic, “fierce countenance” means that this king (Antiochus in the past and the antichrist in the future) would be very stern in his looks and his actions. The second characteristic, “understanding dark sentences” refers to his intelligence in problem solving. Even though Antiochus possessed these characteristics to some extent, the antichrist will possess them to a much larger degree (see II Thessalonians 2:3-4, 8-10; Revelation 13:2-8).
B. Great power (Daniel 8:24). Still referring to this king, Gabriel said “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.”This ruler would have great power but it is “not by his own power.” It is best to take this statement as the satanic influence that was behind the acts of Antiochus and will also motivate the antichrist (see II Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:2, 4). Through his power this ruler “shall destroy wonderfully” succeeding in destroying the “mighty and the holy people.” Just as Antiochus wreaked havoc on the Jewish nation, so also will the antichrist (see Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7).
IV. THE FINAL KING (Daniel 8:25-26)
A. Temporary victory (Daniel 8:25). Here Gabriel said of the “king of fierce countenance” that “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.” Through cunning and treachery this king would cause “craft to prosper in his hand.” In other words, deceit would be his normal method of achieving his ends. This was true of Antiochus and will be true of the antichrist. He will also “magnify himself in his heart” meaning that this ruler will be self-exalting, for he will claim deity and receive worship (see II Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:5-6). This person will “by peace shall destroy many.” One of the tactics of Antiochus was to lull his enemies into a false sense of security and then destroy them without warning. The antichrist will also use this approach with the Jews, making a covenant and then breaking it (see Daniel 9:27). This ruler will “also stand up against the Prince of princes.” This has its fulfillment in Antiochus’ slaughter of the Jews, the desecration of the temple, and pride of heart. In essence he was opposing the one true God who holds all rulers accountable. As a result of his opposition to God, “he shall be broken without hand.” This means that his destruction would not come by human power but by divine intervention. There are two accounts as to how Antiochus died. The first is that he died a despicable death similar to the death of Herod Agrippa (see Acts 12:21-23). However, the most reliable sources indicate that he died suddenly in Babylon after hearing of the Jewish victories under Judas Maccabeaus. Just like Antiochus, the antichrist will oppose the One who will return as King of kings, and Lord of lords (see Revelation 19:16-19) but the antichrist too, will be “broken” as he is cast alive into the lake of fire (see Revelation 19:20).
B. A final instruction about the true vision (Daniel 8:26). As Gabriel concluded his interpretation, he emphasized the fact that “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.” First Gabriel reassured Daniel that the vision was true. Then he told Daniel to “shut thou up the vision.” This can be interpreted as either preserving, or keeping secret what he saw. Perhaps preserving the vision and keeping it secret was necessary for that present time. For sure, it was crucial that the contents of the vision be preserved because later generations could profit from its revelation. But in Daniel’s own day, it was probably best to keep it a secret since it had political implications for Belshazzar’s kingdom (Babylon) and could be depressing to Jews in captivity. Gabriel also said that the vision “shall be for many days.” In other words, it would not be fulfilled in the immediate future: many days would elapse before the vision came to pass. If we accept that these prophecies related to Antiochus and then to the antichrist (and I do accept it), it would be many days before they would be fulfilled. Even the time between Daniel and the reign of Antiochus was a few hundred years. As we see it now, all of the vision has been fulfilled historically. However, there is still a future fulfillment in the antichrist. Many antichrist figures have already arisen but will culminate with the end of time in a final ultimate antichrist.
V. Conclusion. As we have seen, this prophecy of Daniel’s vision has a double fulfillment. The first fulfillment is found in history. The king described by Gabriel was actually Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He was a ruthless successor to Alexander the Great who ruled in Palestine in the middle of the second century B.C. Because of his extremely cruel treatment of Jews, Antiochus is considered one of the Jews’ worst enemies of all times. However, the prophecy does not stop there. It will also find fulfillment in the future antichrist who will arise in the end times to torment the world. We can be assured that all this will happen because of what has already been fulfilled.
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