Daniel Unlocked #46

Daniel Unlocked #46. The Passage of Time.

There was just over 50 years between Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of Daniel 2 and the apocalyptic vision of Daniel 7 with the four beasts following the same succession of empires as the metals in the dream – Babylon, Medio-Persia, Greece and Rome; with Rome being histories Humpty dumpty until the second coming. Daniel 7 added more detail to the dream of Daniel 2. Several years later, Daniel would receive another vision, following the same historical pattern but with more detail.

There is, however, a change. The language between Daniel 7 and 8, in the original manuscript, changes from Aramaic to Hebrew. The ‘unclean’ animals of Daniel 7 change to ‘clean’ animals as per their use in the sanctuary sacrificial system – rams and goats. The use of Hebrew from chapter 8 also indicates that the following visons intimately affect the people of God. Daniel 8 occurs 2 years before the fall of Babylon, the story of which is told in chapter 5.

Daniel 8 forms the basis of the entire eschatological (end time) scheme of the New Testament.

Each New Testament passage which deals in detail with the end times specifically, quotes this chapter. Not e.g. Matthew 24:15, but also Mark 13, Luke 21, 2Thesselonians, and Revelation.
The vision in Daniel 8, given around 548 or 547 B.C., adds important details to the judgment mentioned in Daniel 7. Unlike the visions in Daniel 2 and 7, Daniel 8 skips Babylon and begins with Media-Persia, reflecting Babylon’s decline and the impending rise of Persia as the next global power. While Daniel 7 focuses on the heavenly tribunal and the Son of man receiving the kingdom, Daniel 8 shifts its language and symbols to highlight the purification of the heavenly sanctuary during the heavenly Day of Atonement. Essentially, Daniel 8 emphasizes the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, complementing the judgment scene in Daniel 7.
Now would be a good time to read all of Daniel chapter 8 and consider how it parallels Daniel 2 and 7. In Daniel chapter 8 the rise and fall of nations is documented through a different kind of symbolism.

The symbols in this passage are directly linked to God’s sanctuary, intentionally referencing the Day of Atonement ritual—a judgment time for ancient Israel. Rams and goats, used as sacrificial offerings in the sanctuary, are chosen here to symbolize the Day of Atonement, a key focus of the vision.

As the vision unfolds, (and is interpreted by an angel v18ff) Daniel observes a ram pushing in three directions—westward, northward, and southward—indicating the expansion of power. The ram with two horns represents the Medo-Persian Empire, with the three directions representing its major conquests.
Next, a swiftly moving goat with a big horn emerges, symbolizing the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great. The quick movement reflects the speed of Alexander’s conquests. However, the prophecy foretells the breaking of the large horn and the rise of four horns, symbolizing the division of Alexander’s kingdom among his four generals after his death in 323 B.C.
Considering the named empires in Daniel 2:38 and Daniel 8:20, 21, three of the four revealed in the visions are identified. This alignment strengthens the accuracy of our interpretation of these prophecies.