Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, 01 March 2026 by Major Michael Ramsay
This book is written in a couple of different languages as we have it today. Chapter 7 that Susan looked at with us is the last Aramaic chapter - if that is on purpose then chapter 7 probably concludes the first section of Daniel rather than beginning the next section but Chapter 8 that we are looking at today (and everything flowing from it) is obviously connected to Chapter 7 as Daniel refers to the first dream when relaying the second one.
Chronologically speaking, Chapter 8 and Chapter 7 take place before Chapters 5 and 6. In Chapter 5, Babylon falls, Belshazzar is killed and the Persians take over. None of that has happened in Chapter 8 which we are about to read. Verses 1-4
8 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.
Daniel relates this vision to the previous vision of Chapter 7. In this new vision he sees himself in the citadel of Susa. Do we know what that is? A citadel is a fortress. Susa is the capital city of Persia. We remember from Chapter 5 that the Persians and Medes are the ones who overthrow Babylon. In this vision, before that happens, Daniel is standing beside the canal at the Persian capital city and he sees this ram. It grew one horn first and then it grew another, and the second horn was longer than the first. This Ram in the Persian capital city wrecked all kinds of havoc. Continuing reading from Verse 5 to 8:
5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. 7 I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven
Here is Daniel, still considering the ram with the two horns, and trying to make sense of it when a big shaggy goat appears: this one with a giant unicorn horn coming out of its head who comes out flying or floating above the ground. (I picture almost a Macy’s parade balloon) It attacked the Ram. No one could help the Ram. The goat was really powerful and then his horn breaks off and four little horns grow up, Next, Verses 9-11:
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
Picture this with me: first we have a ram from Susa with 2 horns, who conquers all in its way. Then we have a flying unicorn goat who defeats the ram and then his massive unicorn horn falls off and is replaced by 4 small horns. Now out of one of the 4 horns on the goat, another horn grows. The horn grows towards the promised land and then towards the stars in the sky, some of which it knocks to the ground and tramples. This horn then becomes as great as an army commander as the commander of the Lord’s army - so what does that mean? Who is the commander of the Lord’s army? Is it the Arch Angel Michael? (see Chapter 10) Is it the military leaders among the Judeans? Who is it? The horn is as great as maybe even an archangel and it takes away the daily sacrifices to the Lord and overthrows the sanctuary. The Lord’s people and the sacrifice are now offered to this horn, instead of God. The horn prospered and truth was thrown to the ground. This is quite the vision. There is more. Verses 13-14:
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?”
14 He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
I don’t know what I can say here before the interpretation other than the word ‘holy one’ is the same word for ‘saint’. Two saints (in the NT that is what Christians were called) are having this conversation that Daniel overhears – some commentators liken these saints to angels or spirit beings but the term ‘messenger’ / ‘angel’ is not used here so a holy one could be anyone set apart for God’s purpose here. Then vv. 15ff.
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”
17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
Daniel is still trying to figure all this out when he heard a voice from the Ulai calling – remember that the Ulai is the canal where he is in his dream. Someone asks Gabriel to tell Daniel what it all means. Is this Gabriel the same one who told Mary and Jospeh they were going to have a baby?... probably, possibly, I don’t know. Gabriel terrifies Daniel. Daniel bows down before him. Gabriel says ‘Son of Man, your vision is about the end’ - Son of Man here may just mean person or it may mean something more - Then verse 18 says that Daniel was asleep when this was happening – so all of this vision so far seems to be a dream or he is asleep in the vision or something like that but then Gabriel wakes him. Verse 19ff.
19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
I don’t know to what the phrase ‘the time of the end’ is referring. The next part is a little easier to understand. This is what Gabriel says – the 2 horned ram is Media and Persia - this ram is defeated by a goat which is the Greeks and the unicorn horn is Alexander the Great. The four horns we know are the kingdoms founded by Alexanders’ successors: the two most famous being Ptolemy whose family ruled Egypt for a long time (Cleopatra was a Ptolemy) and Seleucid ,whose family ruled Persia, Babylon, and most of the middle east for hundreds of years. Verse 23ff:
23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
This part – I have no idea. I know Rome defeated three and the last part of the 4th kingdom represented by the horns of the goat (Pompey defeated the Seleucids) but Pompey was Roman; he was not a horn of the Greek goat. Before that we have Antiochus IV Epiphanes who ruled over Syria and Palestine under the Seleucid dynasty; most writers believe that he is the one referred to in this vision. He could be the horn. He cracked down on worship and even set up an idol to Zeus in the temple, which is possibly the abomination of desolation mentioned elsewhere (9:27, 11:31). I am not convinced about tise other horn. It could be Antiochus IV Epiphanes. But why? I have no idea. What is the point?
Actually, the whole Hebrew part of the book of Daniel – the rest of the book from here on out - I find more than a little confusing. I think the prophecies are referring to all the things we chatted about – and the bulk of the scholars certainly agree – and I think the rest of the book is talking about all of these same things and I would be happy to leave it just at that - but then Jesus gets involved. He applies, re-applies, or draws an analogy to an ‘abomination of desolation’ that will still be set up sometime in the future, as recorded in Matthew 24. Jesus applies the horrors of Daniel’s vision to the end of time and then leaves us with the caution not to believe people always saying this is the end or that is the end – no one knows the end except God
So that brings us nicely to verse 27 which says.
27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
I guess that is where this vision leads me – worn out; I was certainly exhausted trying to figure out not only what these visions mean but why they are in the Bible. I certainly have read and re-read it as well as consulted the scholars but I found that for me, like Daniel, that regardless what the commentators say it is honestly beyond my understanding; so then, I will flip ahead a few hundred years and a few hundred pages to Matthew’s Gospel and what he wrote that Jesus said about all this. Reading from Matthew 28, starting at verse 15:
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, [THAT] generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
So when is everything happening at the end of Daniel Chapter 8? I don’t know but I do know that Jesus said that if it has already happened that something like it – only more dreeadful – will happen again in the future and the key for us is to just keep being faithful in the work we are doing for Him. He says it won’t be a missable event when He comes back; so don’t be tricked into thinking it is happening when it is not – but he also says that no one knows when it will happen so make sure you are ready for it when it does occur. And in the context of the book of Daniel I would say that Jesus’ return is like the writing on the wall. You can’t miss it but when it appears it is too late. So the encouragement for us today is that we don’t need to worry about charging goats and evil horns, we just need to keep serving our Lord the way we are now, reading our Bibles, praying and serving here, at the Bread of life, with CCM, and the food truck and so much more and then, in the end, when some are taken and some are left, He promises we will be on the good side of that – whatever the good side of that actually is.
Let us pray
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