Week 29: The Ram & the Goat
WEEK 29 | Daniel 8:1–14
Days 1–2 Father, open my eyes to see the truth in Your Word that I may know and love you more deeply.
Historical Context –– Recall that Daniel switched to Aramaic in chapter 2 as he related the eschatological impact of the four Gentile kingdoms on Israel. But here in chapter 8, he returned to Hebrew to describe the ultimate fate of the of the nation of Israel itself during the times of the Gentiles (Tanner 477). Again, this age began when Babylon took Judah into exile, and this age will continue until Jesus returns at His Second Coming. Chapter 8 reports the events of the second (Medes–Persian) and third (Greece) kingdoms. I can already hear my old students’ Laredo whine, “Ay, Ma’am, the second and third kingdom... otra vez?!?!?! To which I say one, take it up with the Lord, and two, let’s turn our impatience into wonder. I wonder, Lord, why are you returning to these kingdoms? What did You want Daniel and the exiles to know about You? (Also, He is going to reveal a very relevant new someone, so keep reading.)
For Daniel, these events are for the fairly near future, but for us these events that occurred between the sixth and second centuries BC, are in the distant past. We know this vision as history. I wonder, Lord, what you want us at Grace Bible Church in Laredo, Texas, in October 2026 to know about you?
In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. 2And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. 3I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. Daniel 8:1–4 ESV
OBSERVE DETAILS
Ask and answer simple w-questions: when? where? who? what? how?
1. Background (vv1–2)
How many years have passed since Daniel received his vision of chapter 7? (See Dan 7:1)
If Belshazzar is in his third year, then at the time of Daniel’s vision (551 BC), which empire still dominates the world?
Where specifically is Daniel transported when he receives this vision? Note a “citadel” is a fortified city.
. The Ram (vv3–4)
Where is the ram Daniel sees?
Describe the “first” horn of the ram.
Describe the “second” horn of the ram.
In which directions did the ram charge?
Historical Context vv 3–4 –– According to Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s commentary Daniel, the ram is associated with Medes-Persia in three ways: 1)The Bundahishn, a Persian religious book, states the guardian spirit of Medes-Persia is a ram with two-pointed horns. 2) When standing before his army, the Persian king wore a golden figure of a ram’s head. 3) Different Ancient Near Eastern nations identified with zodiac nations, and the sign for Persia was Aries, the ram. We already have noted that Persia emerged as the later power, yet became the greater power. So the ram is the silver portion of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision with arms crossing the chest (2:32) and the lopsided bear (7:5). But we see more historical fulfillment as well. The Medes-Persian army conquered westward (Babylon, Syria, Asia Minor) and northward (Armenia, Scythia) and southward (Egypt, Ethiopia).
As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. 7I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. 8Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. Daniel 8:5–8 ESV
OBSERVE DETAILS
Ask and answer simple w-questions: when? where? who? what? how?
The Goat (v5)
What does Daniel do?
From what direction does the Goat emerge? How much territory has he crossed?
What is striking about his manner in crossing the face of the whole earth?
What lies between the goat’s eyes?
The Goat (Medes–Persia) and the Ram (Greece) Lock Horns (vv6–8)
How does the goat come running at the ram? (vv6–7a)
List the results:
Who could rescue the ram from the goat’s power?
How great does the goat become? (v8)
Historical Context Daniel 8:5 –– According to Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s commentary Daniel, the goat is associated with Greece in three ways. 1) Alexander the Greek came from the west via Macedonia and Greece. 2) The zodiac sign of Greece was Capricorn, the one-horned goat. 3) The national emblem of Macedonia was a goat. The goat is described as crossing the face of the earth “without touching the ground,” and we have already noted in Lesson 24 that Alexander defeated the Persian empire, which took years and years to build, in three years. What is fascinating is that the root of this “conspicuous horn” is a remote, semi-barbaric inconspicuous nation called Macedonia. Read more here: https://worldhistoryedu.com/how-did-a-small-kingdom-like-macedon-take-on-the-might-of-persia/.
Historical Context Daniel 8:6–8 –– Over a hundred years before the “he-goat, “Alexander the Great, charged the ram, the Persians had attempted to conquer Greece twice. These attacks caused major destruction to Greece, so Persia became the Greeks’ arch enemy. With “powerful wrath,” therefore, Alexander moved against the Medo-Persians in five stages. In Fruchtenbaum’s commentary Daniel, he considers the details from Daniel 8:6–8, and traces them to specific events ––
1. Alexander “struck” the ram at River Graicus (May 334 BC). 30,000 Greeks v.s. 40,000 Persians + their Greek mercenaries. Score= all Greek cites of Asia Minor set free from Persia.
2. Alexander “broke his two horns” at southern Anatolia (November 333 BC). Left flank routed Persian calvary. Central phalanx routed the Persian Greek mercenaries. Score = Phoenicia + Egypt + Israel. Game over.
3. The ram “had no power to stand before him.” The last battle at Gaugamela (October 331 BC). Score = All territory of Medo-Persians given to Alexander.
4. Alexander cast Medo–Persia “to the ground and trampled” key cities starting with Susa, then moving to Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Medes-Persian empire. Here his armies looted and burned the palace and then burned the rest of city. The last major city he destroyed was Ecbatana.
5. Finally, “there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.” Although Darius III of Medo-Persia sought mercy through negotiations, Alexander refused. He moved east to the Indus River, then south to the Indian Ocean, then back to Babylon where his conquest was completely complete.
Tanner translates “became exceedingly great” as “magnified himself beyond”(482) and comments, “Unfortunately, he [Alexander] did not have the humility to go with his military genius. Rather, he came to think of himself as divine and sought to be worshiped as a god while still alive” (489). At the height of his strength, Alexander the Great “was broken.” He died at age 32, perhaps through alcohol poisoning. After his death, “four conspicuous horns,” Alexander’s four generals engaged in civil war for twenty years and the empire was divided between Cassander (Macedonia, Greece) west wind; Lysimachus (Thrace, Bithynia) north wind; Ptolemy (Egypt, Israel, Arabia Petrea) south wind; Seleucus (Syria, Babylonia, territory in India) east wind.
1. Consider how God gave Daniel two years to think about the visions of the four beasts, the Antichrist, the Ancient of Days, one like a son of man, and each of these persons’ impact on the saints and all peoples, nations and languages.
Having read the historical context, go back and re-read Daniel 8:1–8. So far what do you think God wanted the original readers to know about Himself through our time in chapter 8?
And then...how about you just take a break and talk to God for a bit and ask, “What is it You want me to know about you from this intricate text?”
Days 3–4 Father, open my eyes to see the truth in Your Word that I may know and love you more deeply.
9Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. 11It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. 13Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” 14And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.” Daniel 9:9–14 ESV
OBSERVE DICTION
Ask: Which words/phrases might provide clues to the author’s message? What do they literally mean?
Tanner offers the following information and alternate interpretation in his commentary Daniel (482–483).
Ex. glorious land > The Hebrew word “beauty” is used here and is to be understood as a “cryptic” reference to Israel cf. Daniel 11:16; Ezekiel 20:6.
Ex. was taken away from him > Tanner’s trans. = “was abolished”
Ex. transgression > Tanner’s trans. = “defiant transgression”
Ex. transgression that makes desolate > Tanner’s trans. = “desolating defiant transgression”
OBSERVE DETAILS
Ask and answer simple w-questions: when? where? who? what? how?
A Different Little Horn (i.e. not the same Little Horn described in Daniel 7: 8, 11, 20–21)
Is the Roman empire addressed in this text at all?
From what (and where) does the little horn originate? (v9)
Toward what does this little horn grow great? __________, __________ & ______________________
Who does this little horn trample ? (v10)
How great does the little horn become? (v11)
What does the little horn take from the prince? What does he overthrow?’
Who will be given to this little horn? (v12 cf. v10) What else is given to him?
Why will a host and regular burnt offering be given to the little horn?
What does this little horn throw to the ground?
Will he succeed in throwing truth to the ground?
Are the description and activities of this “little horn” followed by the setting up of God’s kingdom?
The 2,300 Evenings and Mornings (vv13–14)
A holy one is an angel. What does one angel ask the other?
Historical Context Daniel 8:9–10 –– From the east wind, the Seleucid empire, arose the very relevant new person referenced in Days 1–2: Antiochus Epiphanes, a Hellenistic King who ruled from 175 BC until his death in 165 BC. He “grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land” in this way: He marched south to subdue Ptolemaic Egypt, east to conquer Armenia east of Mesopotamia, and finally to Israel, the glorious land. His presence in Israel resulted in Israel becoming a battlefield between Syria and Egypt. This little horn’s chosen name for himself Epiphanes means “the manifest of God,” or “God Manifest” or “the Glorious/Illustrious.” However, some of his contemporaries referred to him as Epimanes, meaning mad man because of his capricious nature and cruel treatment of the Jewish people.
How to Read Your Bible –– Our goal when we read the Bible is always to determine the author’s intended message to his original audience. Every word, every detail, every use of figurative language, and even, sometimes especially, an author’s chosen genre help us to determine the author’s message. Our first step is ALWAYS to read the text carefully. Keep in mind that we also have dual-authorship in play (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Sometimes a single word of a given text is in question and that one word depending on how it is interpreted could change how we understand the dual–authors’ intended message.
In our text today these words are in question: host of heaven, host and stars. To determine what these words refer to, first consider that “glorious land” refers to Israel (See diction box). Then consider how host of heaven is used in this context. Consider that seventeen times “host of heaven” is used in the Old Testament, to refer to celestial bodies in the heavens. If this were the case, then perhaps “host of heaven” refers to an army of angels in heaven. But! Just because a word means something elsewhere in Scripture, even a LOT of times, does not guarantee at all that this is the author’s intended meaning in this context. Perhaps “host of heaven” just means literal stars as it does in Jeremiah 33:22. So test it out in the context, did Antiochus Epiphanes go to heaven and hurl angels to earth and trample them? Could he have hurled stars to earth? Finally, let’s consider our genre: apocalyptic. We learned that apocalyptic literature often relies on figurative language in order to reveal God’s heavenly perspective. Is it possible these words are used figuratively? If so, then how? Two more considerations: one, these words are used elsewhere in Scripture to refer to Israel (See Exodus 15:5; Exodus 12:41). And two, angels are employed in defense of Israel (See Daniel 12:1).
Daniel 8:10 Extrabiblical Historical Source ––
“And after two years fully expired the king [Antiochus Epiphanes] sent his chief collector of tribute unto the cities of Juda, who came unto Jerusalem with a great multitude. And spoke peaceable words unto them, but all was deceit: for when they had given him credence, he fell suddenly upon the city, and smote it very sore, and destroyed much people of Israel. And when he had taken the spoils of the city, he set it on fire, and pulled down the houses and walls thereof on every side. But the women and children took they captive, and possessed the cattle” (I Maccabees 1:29-32 KJVA).
1. If you still have some brain energy left, review Daniel 8:9–13 and all your notes from today. What do you think would be a valid meaning for host of heaven, host, and stars? I have read three different interpretations, and I will share those with your leaders. But if you are up to it, have some fun with your group defending your choice.
2. Tomorrow we will wrap up the last four verses. Enjoy a brain break with some reflective silence and prayer.
Day 5 Father, open my eyes to see the truth in Your Word that I may know and love you more deeply.
Re–read Daniel 8:9–14.
Daniel 8:10 Extrabiblical Historical Source ––
Thus they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled it; Insomuch that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: whereupon the city was made a habitation of strangers, and became strange to those what were born in her; and her own children left her... Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people, and every one should leave his laws: so all the heathen agreed according to the commandment of the king...That they should also leave their children uncircumcised, and make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation: To the end they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances. And whosoever would not do so according to the commandment of the king, he said, he should die...At which time according to the commandment they put to death certain women, that had caused their children to be circumcised. And they hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled their houses, and slew them that had circumcised them...And there was very great wrath upon Israel. (I Maccabees 1:37–38, 41–42, 48–50, 60–61, 64 KJVA)
INTERPRET
Ask: Why did the author choose to include these details and use these words?
1. What choices did the Jewish people have to make during this time of persecution? What do you think motivated these choices?
Historical Context –– Just as we had read of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 1, Antiochus Ephiphanes desecrated the Jewish Temple by removing items of worship that were made of gold or silver, including the vessels. He then forbid the Jewish people to worship the Lord through celebrating the Sabbath and the feasts ordained in the law. They could no longer offer burnt offerings, drink offerings, or any offerings to the Lord. In the Temple Antiochus Epiphanes set up altars, “and chapels of idols” so that offerings of animals unclean to the Jews, including swine, could be offered.
The ultimate blasphemy occurred on the fifteenth day of Kislev when Antiochus Ephiphanes set up the Abomination of Desolation on the altar of Yahweh. All the scrolls of the Torah were destroyed. He also renamed the Jewish Temple “The Temple of Zeus: The Friend of Strangers.” In the House of the Lord transpired all manner of debauchery as acts of worship to Gentile gods.
Commentators disagree about how to historically reckon the 2,300 evenings and mornings. Some believe this refers to a 2,300 days and some to half of 2,300 since sacrifices were made in the morning and evening. But we do know for sure that December of 164 BC is when the House of the Lord was cleansed and rededicated.
2. Evangelicals agree that Antiochus typifies the Antichrist. Connect the text to the historical events and support that position.
3. Remember how we started with the ram and the goat? Then from that goat came four conspicuous horns. Consider that. Now that we have reviewed these last verses you should be ready to answer this question: Why does God open this vision with more talk about the Medes Persian kingdom (ram) and Greece (goat)? Consider again what God would want the original readers to know about Himself.
How to Read Your Bible –– In verse 11, the designation for who the Prince of the host might be is not clear. This person could refer to Yahweh, Michael the archangel (“prince” guardian of Israel), or to the high priest. Fruchtenbaum favors the last because the Hellenistic Jewish designation of the time for the high priest was “prince.” Tanner favors interpreting this Prince as Yahweh Himself because of the way “prince” is used; he sees a similar use in Joshua 5:14. According to your How to Read Your Bible notes (Days 3–4), you should consult the text first. Read carefully to see which interpretation might best fit the context. Be ready to share with your group, your view.
Duos & Trios Prayer Time ––
Discuss with your duo/trio the October Prayer Requests. Discuss what God wants us to know about Himself and how knowing these truths impacts our prayers to Him.
By the grace of God, this time of persecution for the Jews living under the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes was limited to a set number of days. Share with one another a prayer request that you have waited to see God answer for a long time now. Pray for one another at group and during the week as well. Send texts of encouragement to those standing firm in the wait with you.
October Prayer Requests for the Church
“His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:14
1. Our Spiritual Growth –– Ask God to deepen our allegiance to Christ and strengthen us to stand firm when following Him comes at a cost, confident that His everlasting kingdom will prevail.
2. Children & Families –– Pray that God would use our Fall Festival, Regalos de Amor, and Heart Gallery to reveal His love and care for children and families. Ask Him to provide places of refuge and belonging, meet practical needs, and move hearts to care for children who need a family.
3. The Persecuted Church –– Pray that God would help them obtain Bibles, training materials, and necessary aid (food, shelter) without being discovered.
God’s joy and strength to you,