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From Kings To The King Inter-Testament Times Lesson 20 Daniel’s Second Vision: The Greeks Daniel 8

Seeing The Future While Anchored In Time Key Points The Book of Daniel is divided into two logical groupings—the • Daniel Sees The Next Two historical event (chapters 1-6) and then the prophetic visions Great Empires (chapters 7-12). This is not to say that historical parts don’t involve • The Rapid Rise And Division any visions (Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Ch. 2, was a great prophecy) Of The Greeks or that the visions aren’t historical events. While each section is • Persecution Of God’s People chronological in itself, some of the earlier events in the prophetic section occurring before the last of the historical events. Daniel’s second vision of the future (Ch. 8) was two years after first (Ch. 7). This places it about nine years before the “handwriting-on-the-wall” incident of Ch. 5. When the writing foretold the end of the Babylonian Empire, Daniel had already known for years that a change in Empires would occur. Daniel received the vision while “in the citadel of , which is in the province of ; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal” (8:2). This was the Babylonian’s summer capital, east of in the Persian mountains. So both the year and location of this vision are given. The Ram: And Persians 8:2-4 The vision began with a great ram with unequal horns. We’re told that the ram represented the “the kings of and Persia” (8:20). The longer horn seems to represent the Persian part of the Medo-Persian. Most histories know this empire simply as “the Persians.” Daniel saw this as “the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his power, but he did as he pleased and magnified himself” (8:4) History tells us that Persian dominance lasted for about 200 years, from 539 to 331 B.C. Think the power of the Persians in the book of Esther or in Greek history in the time of the classical city-states, such as the mighty Persian army that the 300 Spartans briefly held back at Thermopylae. The Billy Goat: Greeks 8:5-7 But then, from the west, came a flying billy goat. (Various translations will say “male-goat,” “he- goat” etc. We’ll go with the vernacular “billy goat.”) This billy goat was coming so fast he came “without touching the ground” (8:5). The goat was long the symbol of . The Greek word “aigos” means goat. Thus the Aegean Sea is named “The Goat Sea” in Greek. Other prophecies fulfilled during this rapid journey. Ezek. 28:1-10 and Zech 9:1-4 tell of ’s quick and total destruction of Tyre. An odd thing about this billy goat was that he had one horn, “a conspicuous horn between his eyes” (8:5). This goat comes us to the great ram and just rushes right at him to attack in a mad fury and “shattered his two horns.” He toppled the ram, then proceeded to stomp him to pieces, and “there was none to rescue the ram from his power” (8:7).

81 From Kings To The King

The Billy Goat’s Great Horn & Four Hours: Notable Greek Rulers Alexander & His General’s Kingdoms 8:8 336-323 The goat greatly gloried in what he accomplished, but the glory didn’t last long. “Then the male goat in magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as he was mighty, I 323-283 the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up Ptolemy II Philadelphus 283-246 four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of Library heaven” (8:8). Daniel was later be told exactly what this 203-184 meant. “And the shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Rosetta Stone Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the VII 51 -30 B.C. first king. And the broken horn and the four horns that arose last ruler in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his in nation, although not with is power” (8:21,22). 306-321 After conquering from Greece to Egypt, through father named Antiochus Babylon and Persia, and into India, Alexander died in 323 Antiochus III “the Great” 223-187 B.C. at the age of 33. His kingdom was left to a regency Seleucus IV 187-175 of two of his generals. Alexander had several wives and Antiochus IV Epiphanes 175-164 young children, but none were of age or position to take Maccabean Revolt the throne. The regency ruled only a few years before multiple ambitions and desire for power led to civil war. Alexander’s wives schemed for power for their children and were used by ambitious men. All of his wives and children, and his mother, who got involved, were killed in the infighting. The lands he conquered were eventually divided into four parts just as Daniel foresaw. Only two of these are important to the story. Ptolemy and his descendants established a 200-year dynasty based in , Egypt. They ruled North Africa and the Nile Valley, and up towards Jerusalem. Early on, they fought the Seleucids for control of Jewish areas. Later they had to be protected by Rome from them, even in Alexandria. This weakness led to them being dragged into Roman politics, eventually siding with Mark Antony in a Roman civil war. Antony and Cleopatra (Cleopatra VII, the last and most famous of the line) were defeated in 30 B.C. and the Romans added Egypt to their Empire. This explain why Mary and Joseph were able to go to Egypt as a place of safety when they fled from Herod (Matt. 2:13-15). One Magnifies Himself In The Beautiful Land & Tramples The Holy Place 8:9-14 One of four horns becomes the main subject of the prophecy. “Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land” (8:9). The description of pride and bad behavior fits Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Alexander’s general Seleucid and his descendants grabbed and were mostly able to hold on to the former Persian Empire They controlled and , most of modern and Lebanon and the Bible lands. Early one, they fought in the Bible lands against the Ptolemys. Between 319 and 302 BCE, Jerusalem changed hands numerous times between them. Ptolemys then controlled for a long time. The Seleucids finally won it, but ruled it badly, leading to great conflicts, terrible oppression, and eventually the Maccabean rebellion. They are known for many rulers and cities named and Antiochus. They were conquered by the Romans in 63 B.C.

82 From Kings To The King

The main Seleucid ruler in the prophecy is Antiochus IV, (175 Control of BC til 164). He was also named Epiphanes ("God Manifest" or 332 Alexander “Glorious”), but some of his people called him Epimanes (the mad). The Jews simply called him “the wicked.” He was married to 301 Ptolemys his sister Laodice (he was the third of her brothers she was 201 Seleucids - married to), who was the high priestess of the state cult. He Antiochus III murdered his nephew, who he’d adopted and made his heir. He 168-164 Maccabean Revolt nearly conquered Egypt. (During this war, the Roman ambassador Antiochus VI, Judas M. told him that if the crossed a line he drew on the road that he 164 - 63 Hasmoneans would be at war with Rome, giving us the phrase “line in the sand.) Jewish, Priestly family 63 - 614 A.D. Rome While he was fighting in Egypt, there was a rumor that he had died leading a priest in Jerusalem named Jason led a revolt to throw off Seleucid rule. He wasn’t dead and cruelly crushed the rebels. He sought to strengthen the Jews who had adopted Greek customs, and who had largely sided with him, by outlawing Jewish practices including circumcision and sabbath keeping. He ordered the worship of and set up idols to him in the temple along with pagan sacrifices, including pigs. He also had his soldiers perform lewd acts in the temple. This was as prophesied. That horn “grew up to the host of heaven” (8:10), “even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down” (8:11). The Lord allowed this to chastise the people “on account of transgression” (8:12). This prophecy ends during this terrible oppression of the Jews and the sacrifices stopped. Daniel asked how long this “horror” (8:13) would last and was told, “2,300 evenings and mornings” (8:14). According to the account recorded in the book of 1 Maccabees (1:54.59 and 4:52,53), there was about a three year period before the sacrifices were restored with the rededication of the temple. So 1,150 morning and 1,150 evening sacrifices did not occur. The cleansing and rededication of the temple on 25 Kislev, 165 A.D. is still marked by the festival of Hanukah. Gabriel Send To Give Help And Understanding 8:15-27 In our study, we have explained the meaning and fulfillment of the vision as we’ve described it. For Daniel, he got the symbols first, then the meaning. And it was for him a vivid, frightening future. For us, it is ancient history. So Daniel was greatly troubled about what was coming for his people. He was also frightened by the appearance of an angel (8:17). Gabriel explains that these things were not immediate, but in the “time of the end” (8:17), in the coming kingdoms of the Greeks (8:21). Although God sometimes revealed the names of future rulers by the prophets, He did not do so here. Who would be the little horn that caused so much trouble was not revealed, at least not in Daniel’s writing, since, “The vision...is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future” (8:26). This was a dark prophecy in many ways. Daniel was told that the empire he’d spent a lifetime serving was going to be defeated by the Medes and Persians. They would then be defeated by the Greeks, who would oppress the people of God and stop the temple sacrifices—although at the time of this prophecy the temple was still in ruins and no sacrifices were being offered. But compared to the decades-long stoppage when the temple was destroyed, this would only be for a few years, and that oppressor would be stopped, “he will be broken without human agency” (8:25). Antiochus IV died unexpectedly died at the age of 49 while fighting the Parthians. For Daniel this was overwhelming. “I,

83 From Kings To The King Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king's business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it” (8:27). Hidden Then, Known Later At the time, Daniel didn’t understand it (8:27) and since for that time (548 BC) the vision was “many days in the future” (8:26), Daniel kept it secret. But at some point, he wrote it in the book we now read. So when these things began to occur the Jews understood that it was as prophesied. It was clearly understood by 332 B.C. In a long, and maybe somewhat embellished passage, Josephus tells about Alexander going Jerusalem, (Antiquities 11.317-345). He tells of the priests meeting Alexander in all their priestly garments, welcoming him with the gates of the city open. And Alexander falling to worship God, as he had seen this exact seen in a vision. Then the priest turning to Daniel 8 and reading the prophecy of the billy goat conquering the ram the represented the Persians. Although many modern scholars and skeptics doubt this story, two facts are incontrovertible: that Josephus told this story 2,000 years ago and Jerusalem was entirely spared any fighting when other major cities in the region were completely destroyed. Questions 1.) When did Daniel see the vision of the Greeks defeating the Persian Empire?

2.) Why is the incident of Daniel 8 told after that of Ch. 5 if it happened almost 10 years before it?

3.) What did the great ram with 2 unequal horns represent?

4.) What did the billy goat do to the ram? How did he do it?

5.) What is significant about the billy goat not touching the ground?

6.) When did the goat have one horn? When did it have four?

7.) Who are the one horn and four horns?

8.) What do we know about the horn that turns toward the “beautiful land?”

9.) Why is he allowed to stop the regular sacrifice?

10.) Did he stop them tor a long time?

11.) What put and end to him?

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