BOOK 27 OF 66 · MAJOR PROPHETS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Daniel 8

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Daniel 8 Overview

Daniel sees a ram with two horns defeated by a male goat whose great horn is broken and replaced by four. From one comes a little horn that attacks the glorious land and sanctuary; Gabriel identifies the ram with Media and Persia and the goat with Greece, while the vision extends toward a fierce persecuting ruler.

DanielBook

8Chapter

27Verses

Major ProphetsDivision

Before you read Daniel 8

Coming from

Daniel 7 presented four kingdoms symbolically as beasts and focused on the final judgment and the Son of man’s kingdom. Daniel 8 narrows attention to explicitly named Medo-Persian and Greek powers and to desecration of the sanctuary.

In this chapter

Leads into

Daniel turns from symbolic visions to Scripture and prayer. Reading Jeremiah’s prophecy of seventy years, he confesses Israel’s sin and asks God to restore Jerusalem; Gabriel then gives the prophecy of seventy weeks.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Unlike Daniel 7, this chapter names key symbols: the ram represents the kings of Media and Persia, and the rough goat represents Greece. The great horn is its first king and four later horns arise after it.

Many interpreters see the little horn’s immediate historical fulfillment in Antiochus IV Epiphanes because of his persecution and temple desecration, while some understand parts of the language to foreshadow a later end-time adversary. The text’s explicit identities should be distinguished from debated extensions.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

God knows empires before they rise

The vision names powers and transitions before Daniel experiences their full historical development.

Persecution and desecration have appointed limits

The sanctuary crisis is severe but not outside God’s measured sovereignty.

Revelation can overwhelm the prophet

Daniel is physically affected and does not treat prophetic knowledge as entertainment.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Daniel 11

The later vision gives far more detail about Greek-era conflicts and a contemptible persecutor associated with sanctuary profanation.

John 10:22

The later Feast of Dedication remembers the temple’s rededication after the Antiochene desecration, providing historical background to this prophetic horizon.

Matthew 24:15

Jesus later speaks of the abomination of desolation in a future-facing warning, showing that Danielic desecration language can have further application beyond an earlier historical crisis.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not ignore the interpretations Gabriel actually gives.

Media-Persia and Greece are explicit in the chapter and should anchor discussion before speculative identifications are added.

Do not claim universal agreement about the 2,300 evenings-mornings or the little horn’s full scope.

Several readings exist; the overview should state what is clear and mark disputed chronology as disputed.

Read Daniel 8 watching for…

Which symbols Gabriel explicitly identifies.

The great horn’s breaking and the rise of four in its place.

The little horn’s attack on the sanctuary and truth.

The stated time limit on the desecration.

Daniel’s physical reaction to the vision.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-8Daniel sees a ram overcome by a goat whose great horn is broken and replaced by four 9-14A little horn grows greatly, attacks the sanctuary, and the vision reaches two thousand three hundred days 15-19Gabriel is sent to explain the vision and tells Daniel it concerns the time of the end 20-27The ram and goat are identified with kingdoms, and a fierce king is described who will finally be broken without hand

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

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.

And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

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.

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.

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 ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Daniel 8:14

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