15 “Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, ‘Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.’ 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, ‘Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.’ 18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said, ‘Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be broken without human means.
26 And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.’”
8:15
Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.
Verses fifteen through twenty-six give the interpretation of the vision. Gabriel, appearing as a man, stood before Daniel.
8:16
And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
The person speaking in “a man’s voice” was probably an angel. “Gabriel” is also an angel. Gabriel conveyed important communication from God to man (Lu 1:19,26).
8:17
So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”
When Gabriel came near Daniel, Daniel fell on his face before the angel. The phrase “son of man” here refers to human weakness. Gabriel explains to this frail human being that the vision has to do with “the time of the end.” It refers to the end times (v.19), a future time from Daniel’s viewpoint.
8:18
Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.
The vision so shocked Daniel that he fainted dead away. Gabriel revived him.
8:19
And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be.
Gabriel communicated to Daniel that the vision has to do with “the latter time of the indignation” and “the appointed time the end shall be.” This refers to both the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and the end times before the Second Coming.
The “indignation” is a time of judgment against Israel. God used Antiochus for corrective purposes. This also anticipates the Tribulation period after the Rapture. This is another dual fulfillment, one historical and one prophetical. The near fulfillment is Antiochus, and the far fulfillment is the Antichrist in the Tribulation.
1 Macc 1:11,11 “In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us: for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow. 12 So this device pleased them well. 13 Then certain of the people were so forward herein, that they went to the king, who gave them licence to do after the ordinances of the heathen: 14 Whereupon they built a place of exercise at Jerusalem according to the customs of the heathen: 15 And made themselves uncircumcised, and forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathen, and were sold to do mischief.”
Oppression under Antiochus did not end with the death of Antiochus. The reference here is to the one Antiochus foreshadows – the Antichrist. Antiochus provided partial fulfillment of this prophecy. The Antichrist gives complete fulfillment. The actions of the coming Antichrist exceed the persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes.
8:20
The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.
Gabriel clearly declares that the ram with two horns symbolized “the kings of Media and Persia.”
8:21
And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.
The “male goat” is Greece. The large horn is the “first king” of Greece, Alexander the Great.
8:22
As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.
The “four kingdoms” are Macedonia and Greece, Thrace and Asia Minor, Egypt and Palestine, and Syria and Persia (v.8).
8:23
And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
Antiochus Epiphanes rose toward the end of the period after Greece was divided into four kingdoms. He was full of “sinister schemes.” The “transgressors” are Jews who continued to sin after the captivity.
8:24
His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
Antiochus was powerful because God used him as an instrument of divine discipline on the Jews. The future Antichrist will form alliances with other nations and achieve world influence and will attack the Jews.
8:25
Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be broken without human means.
Antiochus exalted himself and opposed the “Prince of princes.” Antiochus falls under the principle of dual fulfillment. He is a type of the coming Antichrist (7:8, 11, 21-22, 24-26; 9:27; 11:36-45; 12:11; Mt. 24:5, 23-24, 26; Mark 13:6, 21-22; Luke 21:8; 2 Th 2:3-12; 1 Jn 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 n 7; Re. 13:1-10; 19:20; 20:10, 15). The coming Antichrist will do much greater violation than Antiochus did. The future Antichrist will gain power through a peace program. Direct judgment from God terminates his rule.
8:26
And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.”
The phrase “the vision of evenings and mornings” describes the period when this vision would be fulfilled – four centuries later in 167-164 B.C. and in a future Antichrist. Daniel must seal the vision because of its impact on prophecy. Daniel sealed up the vision by recording it.
PRINCIPLE:
Jesus will defeat the Antichrist in the last days.
APPLICATION:
The prophecy of Daniel carries the principle of dual fulfillment. Both Antiochus and the future Antichrist are in view. Antiochus only foreshadows the Antichrist.
The details of this prophecy go beyond that fulfilled in Antiochus Epiphanes. This future Antichrist will deceive many through remarkable propaganda. He will promise false security. He will stand up against Jesus Christ Himself, “the Prince of princes,” but Jesus will defeat him in judgment.
Does vs 21-25 inicate that the Antichrist will come forth from the kingdoms that come from Greece? Would it be safe to say this would include the Old Roman Empire?
Lori, the anti-christ of the future will come from the 10 nation confederacy (something like the Eurpean Union) of which Greece is a part.
Already but not yet