26/06/22 – Daniel 8:15-22
Daniel 8:15 – And it came to pass, when I, [even] I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
the appearance – sight; appearance; vision. Daniel sees what appears to be a man but probably considers this to be a heavenly being such as an angel. The context does point to an angel appearing in the form of a man.
a man – man; strong man; warrior (emphasising strength or
ability to fight). Not just the appearance of a man, but the sort of man that you
perhaps wouldn’t want to pick a fight with in a hurry.
sought for the meaning –
Like many of the parables, they lack meaning until put into proper context.
Here that means putting names and titles to the symbolism of the animals
depicted (Eg the ram represents the kings of Media
and Persia – Vs 20 below). It still would have remained somewhat confusing to
Daniel, being yet in the future, but permits us some substance to the vision, allowing
it to be assessed today according to recorded history. Daniel also asked for clarification
of his vision of Ch.7 in Daniel 7:15-16 – 15I Daniel was grieved
in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head
troubled me. 16I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked
him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me
know the interpretation of the things.
I, [even] I – This expresses a real emphasis on the action. Here it emphasises that it was surely Daniel himself who saw the vision and none other.
After seeing this vision (as recorded in Daniel 8:2-14), Daniel desired to know what it meant. Because it referred to events in Daniel’s future, it would have been difficult to understand it (as we can because we now look back upon these events in history).
Daniel 8:16 – And I heard a man’s voice between [the banks of] Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this [man] to understand the vision.
Some (Eg Ellicott) suggest that the man here is a Christophany; that is, an appearance of pre-incarnate Christ in the form of a man. However, we may assume the man to be Gabriel the angel who stands in the presence of God (see Luke 1:19), and that it is God (unseen to Daniel) who speaks to Gabriel.
between (the banks of) Ulai – Either Shushan (Susa, where the vision is placed) is situated between two courses of the Ulai, or else the voice speaks the words seemingly from the river itself.
Gabriel – = “man or
warrior of God”
God instructs Gabriel (an angel who stands in His presence and may be seen as God’s messenger) to explain to Daniel what the vision was about in such terms as Daniel would understand. Note that the word “angel” means “messenger” in both its OT and NT terms.
Daniel 8:17 – So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end [shall be] the vision.
came near – Gabriel moves closer to Daniel so that he can better communicate with him. This supposes that Gabriel was at some distance to begin with.
where I stood – In this vision Daniel is awake and standing upright.
was afraid – “was terrified” would be closer to the meaning.
fell – to fall prostrate; prostrate oneself before. Daniel is terrified at facing such a great one, it seems. In those days kings could have you executed for just looking directly at them, so it was acceptable behaviour to fall on your face before great people, in order to ensure that you didn’t convey any disrespect to that person.
son of man – A term often used (as it is here) in the OT for man as opposed to God. However, note that in the NT it is almost always applied to Christ.
for at the time of the end [shall be] the vision – It could mean the time at which these things end, but it can also refer in some way to the end times before the coming of the Messiah. The context can be seen in Vs 19 below where it says (“for at the time appointed the end [shall be].”). Thus the time appointed here for the end includes the ram and the male goat and Antiochus, all events in our past. That is its primary interpretation. It will happen until all these things in the vision come to their end (with the demise of Antiochus).
Yet the message it portrays is also relevant for the end-times before the Messiah returns. Antiochus is a type of the future antichrist and therefore his behaviour will predict to some extent the future antichrist’s behaviour. Much prophecy may be seen at more than one level or stage.
Some commentaries may teach that this passage refers to Antiochus until Vs 22 below, and from Vss 23-27 it refers to the future antichrist (who, according to them, is then depicted by the little horn of Daniel Ch.8). This interpretation seems to rest on the term “in the latter time of their kingdom” (Daniel 8:23) where “latter time” is often assumed to mean the end-times yet in our future. But “latter time” here clearly refers to the latter times of the kingdom of either the four horns or just one of them (the Seleucid empire). After Antiochus IV Epiphanes, history records that the Seleucid empire commenced to fall away in power and domination of its part of the world. More on this next time when we look at Daniel 8:23-27.
While I believe that all the events depicting the little horn could and do apply to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, it is also very clear that Antiochus is a foreshadow or type of the coming end-times antichrist. That is, much of Antiochus’ behaviour depicts the behaviour of the beast of Revelation 13:1, so much so that many commentaries teach that the both little horns of Ch.7 and Ch.8 represent the same person. On this basis, many commentaries then teach that Antiochus is the little horn in both chapters, in spite of the little horn in Ch.7 being clearly the same as the antichrist/beast of Revelation 13:1. This has led to most well-known commentaries teaching that such events are already in the past, despite Jesus referring to the abomination spoken of by Daniel the prophet (especially in Daniel 9:27) as a future event (Matthew 24:15). We’ll note a lot of this problem as we progress through Daniel when discussing end-times prophecies.
The pattern of Antiochus’ behaviour follows very similarly to that prophesied for the end-times antichrist. Thus this vision that Daniel has seen uses Antiochus to depict (to the Jews in particular) what the end-times will be like before their Messiah appears. It is suggested that this is why Daniel has reverted to writing in Hebrew from Ch.8 onward, because the prophecy has more relevance to Israel now.
Daniel 8:18 – Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
a deep sleep – to be asleep; be
unconscious; be in heavy sleep; fall into heavy sleep; be fast asleep.
It could read “a dead sleep” or the sleep of a dead person, a deep faint or
swoon. Daniel is so stunned that he is effectively rendered senseless.
Note Numbers 24:2-4 – 2And Balaam lifted up his eyes,
and he saw Israel abiding [in his tents] according to their tribes; and
the spirit of God came upon him. 3And he took up his parable, and
said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath
said: 4He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the
vision of the Almighty, falling [into a trance], but having his eyes
open:
in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground – Daniel uses a similar term in Daniel 10:9.
Daniel 10:7-9 – 7And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. 9Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
Daniel appears to have swooned because of the shock of the
vision and the events that follow. Daniel
has already fallen on his face in Vs 17 above, but, it seems, as Gabriel speaks
his words (as per Vs 17), Daniel goes into a deep swoon.
Gabriel then touches him, probably to get him to stand up and pay attention to what he is being told.
This is much like what may have happened to Paul on the road to Damascus.
“we were all fallen to the earth” (Acts 26:14) “But rise, and stand upon thy feet” (Acts 26:16)
Daniel 8:19 – And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end [shall be].
I will make thee know – or “I will cause you to know”
indignation – anger; indignation. In the OT this generally refers to God’s righteous anger against sinners and sin. In this case, this has to apply to God’s righteous anger against the sins of His people, Israel. They have already been in captivity (as was Daniel as he wrote this account) for the sins of Judea, and had not come back an improved nation after their time in Babylon. (The corrupt, esoteric Babylonian Talmud and the hypocritical rule of the pharisees in Jesus’ time are both clear evidences of the sins of the Jews.) The book of Malachi (last book of the OT) was written during the 400s BC, probably during or soon after the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. It details a corrupt sacrificial system that God rejects.
Malachi 2:11 – Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.
It is reasonable to see Antiochus as the instrument of God’s indignation against the Jews.
Malachi 2:1-3 – 1And now, O ye priests, this commandment [is] for you. 2If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay [it] to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay [it] to heart. 3Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, [even] the dung of your solemn feasts; and [one] shall take you away with it.
In the end-times yet in the future, Israel will experience God’s indignation much more so than ever before. The end result will be the purifying of Israel to become God’s people once more, and forever. This is the culmination of God’s indignation as per Daniel 9:24 – Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
at the time appointed the end [shall be] – The end of this indignation shall come at the appointed or predetermined time. That appears to relate to the 2300 evening / mornings (sacrifices) of Daniel 8:14.
While many passages with seemingly similar wording are readily applied to the end-times before the return of Christ the Messiah (and this may be no exception), the primary interpretation of Vs 19 above is that Daniel will be told how this indignation of Antiochus will play out and end, and some information on how long this “indignation” of Antiochus should last. And, because Antiochus is a type of the future end-times antichrist, this prophecy will also have some application to the behaviour of the antichrist of the end-times.
Daniel 11:36 – And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes appears to be discussed in some detail in Daniel 11:21 onward, where he is referred to as the king of the north. The term “king of the north” is applied in general to the kings of Syria (the Seleucid empire), and Antiochus Epiphanes in particular from 11:21 until about Daniel 11:35 – And [some] of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make [them] white, [even] to the time of the end: because [it is] yet for a time appointed.
Daniel Ch.11, being a prophetic passage, like all such passages, is always going to require some careful interpretation. But while it may have been all in Daniel’s future, much of it applied to historical events now in our past and, as such, can be checked out reasonably well. However, at some stage, Ch.11 transitions into an account of the end-times tribulation antichrist. Antiochus is certainly a type of the antichrist to come, and being a type of the future antichrist, the descriptions, while clearly of Antiochus, can also be made to describe the future antichrist. But somewhere from 11:35 to 11:38 the account begins to fit in better with the end-times antichrist. By Daniel 11:39 it seems that it must be the end-times antichrist with its “and shall divide the land for gain”, for history is adamant that this does not appear to apply to Antiochus IV Epiphanes. And thus Daniel 11:39-45 deal primarily with the end-times antichrist.
We will look at Ch.11 in much more detail when we get to it later on.
Daniel 8:20 – The ram which thou sawest having [two] horns [are] the kings of Media and Persia.
horns – Horns often represent earthly dominion authority or sovereignty; here they represent the two kingdoms. The Medo-Persian empire is also described as a bear in Daniel 7:5.
The two horns of the ram represent the kings of Media and Persia. This seems straight-forward, but as this was written before Babylon was defeated by the Medes and the Persians, then Daniel is predicting during the rule of Belshazzar that Belshazzar’s kingdom will one day be ruled by the Medo-Persian empire. See notes on Daniel 8:3-4 for further details.
Daniel 8:21 – And the rough goat [is] the king of Grecia: and the great horn that [is] between his eyes [is] the first king.
rough – literally “hairy”
but can mean he-goat; male animal such as buck;
sacrificial animal; or even satyr, may refer to
a demon possessed goat like the swine of Gadara. It is derived from a word
meaning to storm; shiver; dread; bristle
(with horror); be very afraid. Translated “hairy” in Genesis 27:11 – And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother [is]
a hairy man, and I [am] a smooth man:
Grecia – Yavan (Ionia) May be
translated as Grecia or Greece which controlled Ionia. The Ionian Sea is
between Italy and Greece.
This rough or hairy goat represents the kingdom of Greece with Alexander the Great being the first king of this Greek kingdom (or empire), after commencing as the king of Macedonia. See notes on Daniel 8:5-8 for further information.
Daniel 8:22 – Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
Daniel 8:8 – Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
but not in his power – Alexander the Great had built a huge empire but never actually left it to anyone in particular; for he died suddenly while yet young (33) without plans for his succession. After his death, efforts were made to have his son (who was born just after his death) inherit the throne, but this was thwarted by his army generals. In the end, after many years of infighting and struggles, four of those generals each took a share of Alexander’s empire, not by right of inheritance nor by right of succession, but by right of an agreement between the four of them. Effectively, Alexander the Great built up his empire based upon his Greek kingship, but the 4 kingdoms that followed were separate from this line of succession; only one of those four kingdoms included Greece. Thus the 4 kingdoms that came up after Alexander’s death took them by their own power and not by any influence of Alexander’s power.
The four kingdoms that arose were Macedonia and Greece (ruled by Cassander); Thrace and Bithynia (ruled by Lysimachus); Syria, Babylonia and other eastern countries (ruled by Seleucus); and Egypt (ruled by Ptolemy). See notes on Daniel 8:8 for further information.
Notes on the Babylonian Talmud
It appears to have been derived originally from the Jewish captivity in Babylon. It was transmitted by oral tradition for many centuries. It wasn’t until around 200 AD and after that it was actually written out. It is different from the Torah which originally was the 5 books of Moses but now generally contains all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh). (The Oral Torah is a collection of teachings and oral sayings allegedly based on the Torah.)
The Torah is the Jewish equivalent of our Old Testament, while the Talmud is more a collection of Jewish religious law and theology, and could be seen as Jewish application of the Torah. Jews today place more emphasis upon the Talmud’s interpretation of the Torah, rather than the Torah itself. A lot of its teachings derived from their time in Babylon and afterwards, with the pharisees of Jesus’ day being good examples of the application of the Talmud in their religious life. And Jesus declared them to be hypocrites and deceivers, children of the devil their father.
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