| Subject: Dan. Chap 8 vss 15-27 post 43 |
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Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 20:36:22 06/20/10 Sun
Daniel 8:15-27 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. 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. 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.
The first half of this chapter is devoted to the actual details of the combat between the he goat and ram, the subsequent results of that battle and the time element for the cleansing of the temple. This second half of the chapter is devoted to the interpretation of the events Daniel saw in the vision.
Daniel,. while still asleep, sees the similitude of a man and hears a man's voice. The one who appears to him is Gabriel (vs.16). This explains why Daniel said in verse 15 "as the appearance of a man". When Daniel wrote the account it was looking back on the events and it is apparent that he took Gabriel to be a man. In verse 16 Daniel hears a voice from out in the midst of the river Ulai which commands Gabriel to give Daniel the understanding he desires. My assumption is that it was the pre-incarnate Jesus who spoke and commanded Gabriel.
Upon the command Gabriel walks toward Daniel and Daniel is still asleep but in his vision he sees all this and is in great fear and falls upon his face. In the vision Daniel is standing upright but from verse 18 it appears he is seeing all this in his sleep. When Gabriel touches him and sets him upright it is not clear whether he is awakened from his sleep or the vision continues while he is still asleep. My own feeling is that Gabriel wakes him from his sleep and Daniel realizes that what he has seen while asleep is actually taking place.
In verse 19 we are shown that the vision is future as Gabriel tells him: "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 wording leaves open the door for more than one fulfillment. Historically what Daniel saw in the vision took place with Greece and Media/Persia before Rome ascended to power. Historically the little horn of verse 9 could have been Caesar Nero. The problem is we find other events that did not take place historically so we look for a still future fulfillment at a later time. Everything was in place at the time of Jesus' resurrection for the fulfillment of everything in this vision. All that was needed was for Israel to embrace Jesus as the Messiah. Had this taken place Rome would have been the beast with Nero as the anti-Christ. Jesus would have come back as Jerusalem was surrounded and taken the victory over the beast. It did not happen so much of the vision will fall under the "last end of the indignation". We need also to remember this vision builds on the vision in chapter 2 with Nebuchadnezzar's dream where all the kingdoms still existed when the the stone cut out without hands destroyed all the kingdoms. Babylon fell as a power but still existed just as Media/Persia, Greece and Rome still exist today.
In verse 20 Gabriel tells Daniel the two horns on the ram are the kings of Media/Persia and in verse 21 we learn the great horn on the rough goat is the first king of Greece. The horn is situated in a strange location because it is between the goats eyes. This would look closely like a unicorn except the body would be that of a goat instead of a horse. This great horn that cast the ram to the ground and stamped on him has to be Alexander the Great because he was the one who defeated Media/Persia.
The four kingdoms that come from the broken great horn will be the kingdoms of his four generals as we saw in the first post on chapter 8.
Verse 23 gives us to understand "a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up." This is the little horn that comes up from the four kingdoms out of Greece. We should take note he is of fierce countenance and understand "dark sentences". My guess on the dark sentences would be the occult, magic and things such as the power of the magicians who withstood Moses in Exodus. "His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:". Reference this with Revelation 13:2 "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." I believe Daniel is given a glimpse of the coming anti-Christ.. Notice the target of this "horn's" wrath: He "shall destroy the mighty and the holy people." Those who stand against him whether it be nation or God's people the Jews. The reference to the holy people would be the ones who flee in Revelation 12. It is the woman who gives birth to the man child who his caught up to His throne. (12:5) This is the opponent of Satan from Genesis 3 and the prophecy of the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. It is a warfare as old as the creation and before. It has been building since Lucifer was cast from heaven in Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-19.
In verse 25 we see more evidence of a end time fulfillment. Craft is to prosper. The meaning of the word can be craftiness, beguiling, deceit, treachery and trickery. (Short for Washington politician.) It also can used in the sense of bowmen casting arrows. That would fit with our current use of missiles in combat and notice the little phrase "and by peace shall destroy many:". The quest for "peace in the middle east" has destroyed countless thousands of lives and is still bringing death and destruction. This thought is enforced in Daniel ll:25 where we read: "but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. " Also at the beginning of this verse we see wording that would fit nicely today: "through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand;". It will be through "his policy" this craft will flourish and destroy so many. It is the policy of many nations to destroy Israel and I am afraid it is becoming the policy of the U.S. under our current genius in chief!
The last part of verse 25 brings us assurance that God is still in control. "he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." (just as the anti-Christ) This one verse fairly screams of a last time fulfillment. The "Prince of princes" can be none other than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who destroys the anti-Christ at his coming. We know we have victory because we read the back of the Book.
Three things in closing this chapter. 1. The vision is true. It will come to pass as it is written. 2. It is for "many days". I believe it is the time of the tribulation. 3. Daniel is told to shut up the vision just as he is told to "shut up the vision". This is in agreement with Daniel 12:4 where Daniel is told "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."
All evidence points to this vision of Daniel's as being aimed at the events that are just around the corner to us. The signs and politics of the world show the stage is set and waiting for the players to reveal themselves as to who they really are.
Daniel collapsed after the vision and it's interpretation. Daniel had the details but none could understand their meaning. As Daniel pondered the vision in later days he was astonished at what he had seen and heard but was as everyone else. It was all sealed until the end time when the Lord Himself will make known all the mystery.
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