Daniel 8

Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and Goat

During the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, saw another vision, following the one that had already appeared to me.H7969H8141H4438H4428H1112H2377H7200H1840H310H7200H8462 2In this vision I was at the fortress of Susa, in the province of Elam, standing beside the Ulai River

.H7200H2377H7200H7800H1002H4082H5867H7200H2377H180H195 3As I looked up, I saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river

. One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had grown later than the other one.H5375H5869H7200H5975H6440H180H259H352H7161H7161H1364H259H1364H8145H1364H5927H314 4The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great.H7200H352H5055H3220H6828H5045H2416H5975H6440H5337H3027H6213H7522H1431 5While I was watching, suddenly a male goat appeared from the west, crossing the land so swiftly that he didn’t even touch the ground. This goat, which had one very large horn between its eyes,H995H5795H6842H935H4628H6440H776H5060H776H6842H2380H7161H5869 6headed toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the river, rushing at him in a rage.H935H352H1167H7161H7200H5975H6440H180H7323H2534H3581 7The goat charged furiously at the ram and struck him, breaking off both his horns. Now the ram was helpless, and the goat knocked him down and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s power.H7200H5060H681H352H4843H5221H352H7665H8147H7161H3581H352H5975H6440H7993H776H7429H5337H352H3027 8The goat became very powerful. But at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off. In the large horn’s place grew four prominent horns pointing in the four directions of the earth.H6842H5795H3966H1431H6105H1419H7161H7665H5927H702H2380H702H7307H8064 9Then from one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel.H259H3318H4704H7161H3499H1431H5045H4217H6643 10Its power reached to the heavens, where it attacked the heavenly army, throwing some of the heavenly beings and some of the stars to the ground and trampling them.H1431H6635H8064H5307H6635H3556H776H7429 11It even challenged the Commander of heaven’s army by canceling the daily sacrifices offered to him and by destroying his Temple.H1431H8269H6635H8548H7311H7311H4349H4720H7993 12The army of heaven was restrained from responding to this rebellion. So the daily sacrifice was halted, and truth was overthrown. The horn succeeded in everything it did

.H6635H5414H8548H6588H7993H571H776H6213H6743 13Then I heard two holy ones talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the events of this vision last? How long will the rebellion that causes desecration stop the daily sacrifices? How long will the Temple and heaven’s army be trampled on?”H8085H259H6918H1696H259H6918H559H6422H1696H2377H8548H6588H8074H5414H6944H6635H4823 14The other replied, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the Temple will be made right again.”H559H505H7969H3967H6153H1242H6944H6663

Gabriel Explains the Vision

15As I, Daniel, was trying to understand the meaning of this vision, someone who looked like a man stood in front of me.H1840H7200H2377H1245H998H5975H4758H1397 16And I heard a human voice calling out from the Ulai River, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of his vision.”H8085H120H6963H195H7121H559H1403H1975H995H4758 17As Gabriel approached the place where I was standing, I became so terrified that I fell with my face to the ground. “Son of man,” he said, “you must understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the time of the end.”H935H681H5977H935H1204H5307H6440H559H995H1121H120H6256H7093H2377 18While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.H1696H7290H6440H776H5060H5975H5977 19Then he said, “I am here to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath. What you have seen pertains to the very end of time.H559H3045H319H2195H4150H7093 20The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia.H352H7200H1167H7161H4428H4074H6539 21The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece

, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire.H8163H6842H4428H3120H1419H7161H5869H7223H4428 22The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first.H7665H702H5975H702H4438H5975H1471H3581 23“At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power.H319H4438H6586H8552H4428H5794H6440H995H2420H5975 24He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people.H3581H6105H3581H7843H6381H6743H6213H7843H6099H6918H5971 25He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.H7922H4820H6743H3027H1431H3824H7962H7843H7227H5975H8269H8269H7665H657H3027 26“This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings

is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret.”H4758H6153H1242H559H571H5640H2377H7227H3117 27Then I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for several days. Afterward I got up and performed my duties for the king, but I was greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it.H1840H1961H2470H3117H6965H6213H4428H4399H8074H4758H995