Daniel Study | Session 11 | 7:18-8:19

Today in our study, we pick up in 7:18 and work our way down through 8:19 where we find the interpretation of Daniel dream in regards to the four beasts, but also we are introduced to his next vision of the ram and the goat.

Verse 19: "Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;" Daniel seems to be particularly interested in the fourth beast.

Verses 20-28: "And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart." This is Daniel's interpretation of the dream which we've already covered in detail.

Note: The Seventh Day Adventists believe that verse 25 was fulfilled when the pope, who was merely known as the Bishop of Rome at the time, changed worship from Saturday to Sunday and that worshiping on Sunday is the sign of the Antichrist or the Mark of the Beast. Historically, this did happen after Constantine's edict in 321 AD under Sylvester I (314-335 A.D.) who was then Bishop of Rome. This change from Saturday to Sunday was later confirmed at a council of Bishops at the Council of Laodicea (363 A.D.) said; "Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath"...meaning Saturday. By the way, the Roman Catholic Church has always been anti-Semitic. 

Chapter 8

In this chapter verses 1-14 are the dream, verses 15-25 are the interpretation and verses 26-27 are Daniel's response to it. 

Verse 1: "In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first." Of the course, the one at the first was the vision we studied in chapter 7. 

The Palace of Shushan

Verse 2: "And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai." Shushan was the location of the Babylonian palace.

The Vision

Verses 3-18: "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 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. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 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. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 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. 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. In these verses the vision is given. 

Notice the angel Gabriel in verse 16. Only three angels are mentioned in the Bible by name, Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer. 1. Gabriel seems to be especially chosen to send messages (cf. Daniel 9:21; Luke 1:19, Luke 1:26). 2. Michael seems to be a warrior (Cf. Daniel 10:10-13; Jude 1:9). 3. And of course, e Lucifer, the music guy (cf. Isaiah 14:10-12). 

Time of the End

Verse 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." Gabriel is projecting these prophecies all the way down to the time of the end. If we understand the book of Daniel, a great part of it has to do with the Gentile age with very little regard for the Jew. Daniel's prophecies begin in 600 BC with the birth of Babylon and according to this verse all the way to the end.

"For at the time appointed" means that God already has this thing worked out. God already has the dates set! He is a date-setter.