The Vision of the Ram and the He Goat
Daniel 8: 1-14
Introduction
The vision recorded by Daniel in chapter 8 came to him two years after the vision of chapter 7 (Belshazzar’s third year, 8:1, with his “first year,” 7:1). In his vision Daniel saw himself in the palace in Shushan, one of the Persian royal cities, more than 200 miles east of Babylon on the Ulai Canal. A century later the Persian king Xerxes built a magnificent palace there, which was where the events recorded in the Book of Esther took place (Est. 1:2). Nehemiah was King Artaxerxes’ cupbearer in the Susa palace (Neh. 1:1).
I. Relationship with Chapter 7
A. Dan. 7:1 – first year of Belshazzar
B. Dan. 8:1 – third year of Belshazzar
1. Daniel has already received the vision of the four beast, ten horns, little horn, and Messiah’s kingdom.
2. The third year of Belshazzar would be about 551/550 B.C. The vision was very timely as Cyrus would make his move in 550 B.C. to lead the Persians over the Medes uniting the two forces into one.
C. Developments on the second and the third kingdom that have significant effect on the kingdom of Judah
1. Second Kingdom- Medo-Persia – Under the Persian government the Jews are allowed to return to the promise land and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple.
2. Third Kingdom – Greece – on the latter part of the Grecian rule – Jerusalem and the Temple were Desolated while the people suffered under the hand of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
D. With Daniel 8:1, the texts shift back from Aramaic to Hebrew. The focus is no longer on the dealing of God with the Gentile nations but rather the future of Israel during the “Times of the Gentiles”.
II. The Vision (Dan. 8:1- 2)
A. The time of the Vision (v. 1) – 3rd year of Belshazzar. Two years after the vision of Dan. 7, and just prior to the empire-ending events of Dan. 5
B. The Type of Vision (v. 1) – “That which appeared unto me at the first…” refers to the vision of Chapter 7. It was not a dream but while Daniel was awake. From Dan. 7:28 we see Daniel was most concerned about the implications of that vision. Now God elaborates.
C. The Transport of the Vision (v.2) – Daniel was “transported” in the vision to Shushan – at the time an insignificant place, but destined to become the capital of Persian world. The later times, both Esther and Nehemiah lived there (Neh. 1:1, Esther 1:2)
Note: compare the experience with that of apostle John in Rev. 1:10. Both men were “transported” into the future to see things to come
III. The ram from the East (Dan. 8:3-4)
A. The identity of the Ram (v. 20)
B. The Description of the Ram (vs. 3 & 4)
1. It had two horns – These correspond with the two arms of the image in Dan. 2, and symbolize the two-kingdom confederacy of Media and Persia.
2. One of horn was higher – this corresponds with the bear of Dan. 7 raised up on one side. It symbolizes the Persian dominance in the alliance.
3. The higher horn came up last – the Persian kingdom was younger than Media but stronger
4. The Ram pushing – this symbolizes aggression and conquest. The three directions correspond to the three ribs in the mouth of the bear in chapter 7.
a. Westward – Babylon, Syria, Asia Minor
b. Northward – Lydia Armenia, and regions around Caspian Sea.
c. Southward – Palestine and parts of Egypt, Arabia, Ethiopia
5. The Ram becomes great – the Persian armies were invincible for two centuries “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. (v. 4)
6. The Persian battle standard always carried a Ram. Coins that ancient empire had been discovered, bearing a ram’s head on one side.
7. The Zodiac sign traditionally assigned to Persia is Aries- the Ram!
IV. The He Goat from The West (Dan. 8:5)
A. The Identity of the He Goat. (v. 21) – The He Goat symbolized the Grecian empire.
B. The Description of the He goat (v. 5)
1. It was from the West- the Bible accurately shows Greece to be Westward from Persia.
2. It touched not the ground – this corresponds with the 4 wings leopard of Dan. 7, and symbolizes the speed, swiftness, and mobility of the armies of Alexander the Great.
3. It had one notable horn between its eyes (v.21) – tells us this horn refers to Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C. Alexander was only 20 years old when he received the kingdom of Greece from his father Philip of Macedonia. His tutor was the famed Aristotle
C. The He Goat attacks the Ram (Dan. 8:6)
1. The anger of the He Goat – In v. 6 the word “fury” is used; in v.7 the word “choler” is used. These show extreme anger. There was much animosity toward Persia from the Greeks because of earlier attacks upon Greece by Persians under Xerxes (480 B.C.). The Greek moves here were retaliatory.
2. The Smashing of the Ram. (Dan. 8:7)
a. The Battle of Granicus (334 B.C.). Crossing the Hellespont with only 30,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalries, at the Granicus River in Asia Minor, Alexander defeated the Persian armies of Darius III which were far superior in numbers and position.
b. The Battle of Issus (333 B.C.). Alexander again defeated the 600,000 strong army of Darius III at Issus near Antioch in Cilicia. Following this victory, Alexander turned to conquer the island fortress of Tyre. Next, he took Egypt (which surrendered passively) whereupon he founded the great city, Alexandria.
c. The Battle of Arbela (313 B.C.). Alexander once again “came close to the Ram” at the battle of Arbela, a plain near Nineveh. In this third clash between the Greeks and the Persians, Darius himself led a vast army of 1 million men. His forces were routed and he was assassinated.
Note: At this point of history, Greece supplanted the Mede-Persian empire as a world power. From Arbela, Alexander went on to take Susa (Sushan) with its fabulous wealth of Gold, and for 3 years he completely subjugated all the provinces of the Persian empire.
It was a new thing in the history of human affairs for power to come from the west. Before Alexander, new powers usually arose from the east where most ancient civilizations had developed. When Alexander took his armies across Hellespont (334 B.C.), he changed the course of history for 2,300 years and perhaps forever. For the first time, the center of the world dominion shifted from the Orient to the Occident. Alexander prepared the way for Christianity to spread westward.
D. The division of the Kingdom of Alexander (v. 8).
1. At the height of his career and power, Alexander died. He had completely conquered the then known world, and would have gone on to the Ganges River except for the refusal of his armies. Alexander established himself at Babylon and finished his life in hedonistic pleasure and drunkenness. At the age of 33, he died worn out, feverish, and drunk. Note how a bad habit can conquer even the conqueror of the world.
2. Alexander left no heir and for about 20 years his kingdom was left in a state of confusion. This ended, just as the bible predicted, with a fourfold division corresponding to the four heads of the winged leopard of Dan. 7 and the four notable horns of Dan. 8. Alexander’s’ 4 generals divided the empires among themselves.
a. The Seleucid Empire (Anatolia, Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia) was founded by
Seleucus. It was the largest part of the Greek Empire.
b. The Ptolemaic Empire (Egypt, Palestine, and part of north-eastern Africa) was
founded by Ptolemy, Alexander’s childhood friend and bodyguard.
c. The Antigonid Empire (Macedonia and Greece) was founded by Cassander and Antigonus.
d. The Lysimachus Empire (Thrace and Asia Minor) was founded by Lysimachus,
another of Alexander’s bodyguards and childhood friends from Macedonia.
Note: The symbol of Greece has always been a GOAT. An ancient city was Aegean (Goat City).
The sea between Greece and Turkey is still called the AEGEAN SEA meaning the “Goat Sea”.
3. Out of one of the four horns came another horn. It had an insignificant beginning but it exerted power southward and eastward and toward the Beautiful Land, that is, the land of Israel. He became a great persecutor of the people of Israel (the host of the heaven; cf. “host” in v. 13) and he subjugated that nation (trampled on them). He set himself up as Israel’s king, calling himself the prince of the host. He compelled the nation to worship him, as suggested by
the fact that he prohibited Israel from following her religious practices (removing the daily sacrifice) and desecrated the temple (brought the sanctuary… low). The nation Israel (the saints; cf. comments on Dan 7:18) acceded to this individual’s wishes because of his rebellious attitude (“rebellion” in 8:13). He prospered and so despised the truth contained in God’s Word that truth was said to be thrown to the ground.
4. This part of the vision anticipated the rise of a ruler in the Greek Empire who subjugated the people and land of Israel, desecrated her temple, interrupted her worship, and demanded for himself the authority and worship that belongs to God.
V. Conclusion:
This part of the vision is probably the easy to understand. The identity of the ram and the he goat is clearly identified and revealed. History had shown the conflict between Medo-Persian Empire and Greece. After the death of Alexander, the Great, the division of his empire was also shown. The rise of Antiochus Epiphanes and his desecration of the temple in Jerusalem was also historically confirmed by this vision.
