The Little Horn Revealed

This week in Daniel chapter 8:15-27 Daniel is seeking the meaning of the vision. One with the appearance of a man stands before Daniel. Then a voice came to Daniel from the middle of the river Ulai. This voice could be the voice of God and He calls out to the angel Gabriel to make Daniel understand the dream. When Gabriel came to Daniel, Daniel was afraid and fell prostate on the ground at the time. The angel touched Daniel and raised him to his feet. Daniel reacted to angelic presence much the way John did on the Isle of Patmos (Revelation 22:8). This reaction occurs throughout the Old and New Testament (Daniel 10:9, 15, 17; Exodus 3:6; Isaiah 6:5; Ezekiel 1:28; Acts 9:3–4; Revelation 1:17).

Daniel is referred to as the “son of man”. The term “son of man” emphasizes the prophet’s humanity. Jesus used it frequently to describe himself in the same manner. The term is used 93 times in the book of Ezekiel but only two times (Daniel 7:13; 8:17). The vision references the “time of the end” and points to two different occurrences one of which the end of Antiochus IV Epiphanes transpires and the other when Jesus returns the second time.

Gabriel describes the dream to Daniel and explains what the ram with two horns means. It represents the kings of Media and Persia. The male goat is the kingdom of Greece and the large horn of the goat between its eyes is the first king - Alexander the Great. He goes on to say that the broken horn and the four who stood up in its place are the four kingdoms that shall arise out of the single horn nation. They are four lesser kingdoms and do not have the same power as the single horn. The four kings are: Cassander, over Macedonia and Greece; Lysimacus over Asia Minor; Seleucus over Mesopotamia and other parts of the Eastern region; Ptolemy over South Syria, Palestine and Egypt. But more pointedly, Seleucus and Ptolemy had control of the regions which surrounded Israel. These kingdoms had major influences in the transformation of Israel and the Jewish people bringing their Hellenistic culture to the region.

The latter time means in the future time of their kingdom. At that time a king shall arise being described as having fierce features who understand and commit sinister schemes. The Seleucid king who arises with mighty power is Antiochus IV Epiphanies. His power is not his own and can be understood as he receives power from Satan. In 167 BC he horribly desecrated Jerusalem and the temple. The act of disrespecting God and the desecration of the temple caused the Maccabean revolt which lead to the Jewish victory and ultimately the restoration of the temple in 164 BC.

We see today that evil is running out of control in the same manner as it was throughout history. We see nations that hate God and Israel. These attacks are not only physical but also spiritual warfare from many nations and leaders of nations including some leaders in our own country. To blame Israel for everything has become a convenient common lie for a lot of people across the globe. But we see today just as we read history that God is and has always been in control not only of Israel but the whole world. The bible teaches us to look up as things begin to turn darker (Luke 21:28). We also know that things will get worse in the last day (2 Timothy 3:1). Case in point, our own government is so splintered that it will never come together on any one issue because there is a group of people who strive to control and maintain power no matter what the cost. Even at the cost of destroying our nation.

In order to stay outside of the claws of evil, we must control the things that we ingest from the media, from movies and music to conversations, we can do this by turning away from the things that tempt us into sin and staying in our word. The word of God is so important for the growth in our relationship because it cleanses our souls. It renews our minds and refreshes our Spirit.

Being in the Word means that you are reading it daily. You are seeking and speaking to the Lord on a continuous basis seeking His will for your life and seeking the truth about what is really going on in the world. But more importantly, you are seeking to develop a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That you would begin to walk with Him daily knowing that if you are walking with Him your relationship will grow deeper and more fruitful. It is only through the strength of Jesus that we will have peace and the foresight to discern the evil around us and who we are in Christ and where we will spend eternity.

I pray that each one of us see Jesus, hear Jesus and follow Jesus for the rest of our days. And that we would be fully committed to Him and only Him so we may see and live in the Kingdom of heaven for eternity. In Jesus Mighty Name Amen! Amen!