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The
Book of Daniel
Daniel was taught by Dr. James Modlish
Chapter
Eight
(The
Ram and He-Goat - 8:1-27)
Intro:
This
vision of the "RAM" and "HE-GOAT" occurred
in the "third year" of the reign of Belshazzar, 538 B.C.,
or two years after the previous Vision of the Four Wild
Beasts. It occurred in the same year as the "Fall of
Babylon," and probably before its "Fall," and its purpose
was to inform Daniel what Empires were to succeed the
Babylonian, and to further trace the Little Horn, for it
is worthy of note that while the prophecies of Isaiah
relate mainly to the "Christ," the Visions of Daniel are
for the purpose of unveiling the Anti-Christ. The Prophet
was in Babylon when he received the Vision, but was
transported in spirit to Shushan, the Capital of Persia,
in the Province of Elam, where as he stood by the side of
the river Ulai, he saw a wonderful sight.
I. The Ram -
(Dan. 8:3,4)
The
Ram is seen as a great conquering kingdom. It is
identified in (Dan. 8:20) as Media-Persia. The two horns,
different in size, are obviously representative of Darius
and Cyrus. - Remember from Daniel's viewpoint this is
prophecy.
The Ram
attacks West, North, and South.
II. The
He-Goat - (Dan. 8:5-7)
The
Goat is given the ability to defeat the Ram. The Goat
defined in (Dan. 8:21). Of course this is what happened
historically. The great horn between his eyes would be
Alexander
the Great,
who became King of Greece when but 20 years of age, 336
B.C. Two years later in (334 B.C.), in goat-like fashion,
he leaped the hellespont and with an army of 30,000
infantry and 5,000 calvary he defeated a Persian force on
the banks of the Granicus. By a swift advance eastward
the, following year, 333 B.C., defeated at Issus a
Persian army of 600,000 men, commanded by a Persian king,
Darius.
After minor
conquests in Phoenicia and Egypt he returned to Syria,
where on the banks of the Trigris River he defeated an
enormous army lead by Darius. This is known as the Battle
of Arbela, 331 B.C.. From 330 to 337 B.C., Alexander was
engaged in subjugating the outlying provinces of the
Persian Empire. Later he returned to Babylon, where at
the climax of his glory, he died of marsh fever and
drunkenness in June, 323 B.C. when he was 33 years
old.
III. The
Four Horns - (Dan. 8:8)
After
the death of Alexander there was dissension as to who
should be his successor, which ended, as the prophecy
foretold, in four of his Generals dividing the territory
of the Empire among themselves. Gassander took Greece,
Lysimachus took Asia Minor, Selecius took Syria, Ptolemy
took Egypt. These four kingdoms were in time absorbed in
the "Fourth World Wide Empire," the Roman. The last to
lose its identity was Egypt in 30 B.C..
IV. The
Little Horn - (Dan. 8:9)
Daniel
give us a progressive look at the Anti-Christ and his
kingdom. Each time we learn a few more characteristics.
The little horn of (Dan. 8) is the same personality as
the little horn in (Dan. 7). They are both one in the
same, and consequently the king over the 10 toed kingdom
of (Dan. 2).
Note:
The
Little Horn is actually coming out of one of these
other four horns. If you were to look at the map you
would see that by the process of elimination all of
the countries except Syria are eliminated (Dan. 8:9).
If that is the case we have the Anti-Christ coming out
of Assyria. Judas Iscariot was from the town of
Kerioth, which was in Moab, which was in Assyria.
Interestingly the Anti-Christ is referred to as the
Assyrian in (Isa. 10:5-6; 14:24-25; 30:27-33). See
also: (Jer. 48:25,41).
The
"Pleasant Land" refers to Palestine.
Other
Bible names for the Anti-Christ:
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"The
Wicked" - (Isa. 11:4)
"King of Babylon" - (Isa. 14:4)
"Lucifer" - (Isa. 14:2)
"King of
Tyrus" - (Eze. 28:11-19)
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"The Little
Horn" - (Dan. 7:8; 8:9-12)
"A King of Fierce Countenance" - (Dan.
8:23)
"The Prince that shall come" - (Dan.
9:26)
"The Willing King" - (Dan. 11:36)
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In The
New Testament -
"The Man of Sin" - (2
Thess. 2:3-8)
"That Wicked" - (2 Thess. 2:3-8)
"The Beast" - (Rev. 13:1-8)
"Son of Perdition" - (2 Thess. 2:3-8)
"Anti-Christ" - (1 Jn. 2:18)
A. Identity of The
Anti-Christ
[1]. He is
called "Son of Perdition" (2 Thess. 2:3).
[2]. Jesus makes reference to the same (Jn.
17:12).
[3]. This man was on the earth before
John wrote (Rev. 17:8), he is in the bottomless pit
now; he will ascend out of the bottomless pit in the
tribulation.
[4]. Jesus called Judas "a devil" (Jn.
6:70).
[5]. Judas went to "his own place" (Acts
1:25).
B. Daniel's description
of the Little Horn
[1]. Very
powerful - but receives it from another (Dan. 8:10,24;
Rev. 13:2).
[2]. Magnifies himself against God (Dan. 8:10;
Rev. 12:3,4).
[3]. Makes peace with Israel (Dan. 9:25). Ever
hear of "foreign Policy"? (Dan. 9:27)
[4]. He evidently dies (probably assassinated)
but is resurrected and makes the world "wonder" (Rev.
13:3).
[5]. The temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt
(Rev. 11:1) and Israel will be conducting O.T. worship
in it during the Tribulation (Heb. 10:11; Deut.
21:1-8).
[6]. Exalts himself as God and demands worship
(2 Thess. 2:4).
[7]. Offers human sacrifices in the Temple
(Rev. 6:9).
[8]. Seeks to destroy Israel (Dan. 7:25;
8:24).
(VS. 10)
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A Supernatural King (Rev. 12:3,4,9)
(VS.
12)
- (Rev. 11:1) Sacrifice taken away. (Matt. 24:13-22)
Sacrifices going on in the temple when this shows up (Dan
9:27).
(VS. 13)
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Host (vs. 10)
(VS. 14)
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End of Tribulation (Dan. 12:4,6,13; Matt. 24:13; Heb.
3).
(VS. 23)
-
Little horn (vs. 8-10).
(VS. 24)
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He gets his power from the devil (Rev. 13:4-5). Destroys
the Jews - (Lam. 5:2-22) = Last prayer before Lord comes
back.
(VS. 25)
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Craftsmen
(Acts 19:24-25, 35;
Zech. 11:16,17,13;
2 Thess. 2). The
making of idols for worship!!!
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Chapter
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