The passage of Scripture found here in Daniel is a very important Scripture for our day because it gives us a starting point, and the end point of the timeline for declaring of the Holy place righteous. Knowing this will help us to understand the rest of the timelines for the End Times prophecies found both here within Daniel and of those found in Revelation.
Daniel 8:1-15… In the third year of the kingship of Belshazzar the king, there was a vision that appeared to me, even me, Daniel, after the one appearing to me at the start. (This is the 2nd vision about the small horn) 2 And I began to see in the vision; and it came about, while I was seeing, that I was in Shushan the castle, which is in Elam the jurisdictional district; (this castle was found to be in the far east territory of Babylon) and I proceeded to see in the vision, and I myself happened to be by the watercourse of Ulai. 3 When I raised my eyes, then I saw, and look! a ram standing before the watercourse, and it had two horns. And the two horns were tall, but the one was taller than the other, and the taller was the one that came up afterward. 4 I saw the ram making thrusts to the west and to the north and to the south, and no wild beasts kept standing before it, and there was no one doing any delivering out of its hand. And it did according to its will, and it put on great airs. 5 And I, for my part, kept on considering, and look! there was a male of the goats coming from the sunset upon the surface of the whole earth, and it was not touching the earth. And as regards the he-goat, there was a conspicuous horn between its eyes. 6 And it kept coming all the way to the ram possessing the two horns, which I had seen standing before the watercourse; and it came running toward it in its powerful rage. 7 And I saw it coming into close touch with the ram, and it began showing bitterness toward it, and it proceeded to strike down the ram and to break its two horns, and there proved to be no power in the ram to stand before it. So, it threw it to the earth and trampled it down, and the ram proved to have no deliverer out of its hand. 8 And the male of the goats, for its part, put on great airs to an extreme; but as soon as it became mighty, the great horn was broken, (June 10 323 BCE Alexander Dies) and there proceeded to come up conspicuously four instead of it, toward the four winds of the heavens. 9 And out of one of them there came forth another horn, a small one (Sept 281 BCE Seleucus 1 Nicator Dies / the last of the 4 generals of Alexander. After his death a small Horn appears on the scene), and it kept getting very much greater toward the south (Strong’s #H5045 Negeb a region south of Judah.) and toward the sunrising (#4217 East.) and toward the Decoration (#6643 Tsbiy = beautiful / Like Jerusalem’s Temple). 10 And it kept getting greater all the way to the army of the heavens, so that it caused some of the army and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it went trampling them down. 11 And all the way to the Prince of the army it put on great airs, and from him the constant [feature] was taken away, and the established place of his sanctuary was thrown down (#4720 Holy Place / Temple Burned 70 CE). 12 And an army itself was gradually given over, together with the constant [feature], because of transgression; and it kept throwing truth to the earth, and it acted and had success. 13 And I got to hear a certain holy one speaking, and another holy one proceeded to say to the particular one who was speaking: “How long will the vision be of the constant [feature] (Strong’s #H8548 regular sacrifice) and of the transgression (Strong’s #H6588 rebellion) causing desolation, (idolatry has always caused destruction of the Temple by God) to make both [the] holy place and [the] army things to trample on?” 14 So he said to me: “Until two thousand three hundred evenings [and] mornings; and [the] holy place will certainly be brought into its right condition.” (Sometime after September 281 BCE to sometime on or after September 2020 will be the fulfilling of the 2300 days.)
The Vision Explained
Daniel received this vision around the year 543 BC while Babylonia the Lion was still the world power. In 539 BC Media Persia the Bear became the world power but the fulfillment was still after that. In this vision Media Persia is now pictured as the 2 horn Ram and in 331 BC it was killed by Greece now pictured by the hairy, he-goat. This vision is still for the time of the end when the spiritual rebellion against God is stopped, and kingdom rule is returned to the heir. He who has the legal right comes and restores the rightful rulership over the earth. How long will we need to wait for this fulfillment? 2300 years has now almost come to pass, and the last player is making his move now.
Daniel 8:15-22… Then it came about that, while I myself, Daniel, was seeing the vision and seeking an understanding, why, look! there was standing in front of me someone in appearance like an able-bodied man. 16 And I began to hear the voice of an earthling man in the midst of the Ulai, and he proceeded to call out and say: “Gabriel, make that one there understand the thing seen.” 17 So he came beside where I was standing, but when he came I got terrified so that I fell upon my face. And he proceeded to say to me: “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of [the] end.” 18 And while he was speaking with me, I had become fast asleep on my face on the earth. So, he touched me and made me stand up where I had been standing. 19 And he went on to say: “Here I am causing you to know what will occur in the final part of the denunciation, (#2195 indignation this has to do with God’s wrath) because it is for the appointed time of [the] end. 20 “The ram that you saw possessing the two horns [stands for] the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the hairy he-goat [stands for] the king of Greece; and as for the great horn that was between its eyes, it [stands for] the first king. 22 And that one having been broken, so that there were four that finally stood up instead of it, there are four kingdoms from [his] nation that will stand up, but not with his power. (After the death of Alexander, the great the four generals divided up his kingdom and they begin to rule one by one, till they fell, all four of them were gone and we end up with a king of the North and King of the South scenario of the pushing and shoving until the time of the end.)
Daniel 8:13-26… “And in the final part of their kingdom, as the transgressors act to a completion, (#6586 Rebel = this is a spiritual rebellion against God) there will stand up a king fierce in countenance and understanding ambiguous sayings. 24 And his power must become mighty, but not by his own power. And in a wonderful way he will cause ruin, and he will certainly prove successful and do effectively. And he will actually bring mighty ones to ruin, also the people made up of [the] holy ones. 25 And according to his insight he will also certainly cause deception to succeed in his hand. And in his heart, he will put on great airs, and during a freedom from care he will bring many to ruin. And against the Prince of princes (#8269 Sar = Chieftain, Chief, Captain.) he will stand up, (Daniel 10:13 / Daniel 12:1) but it will be without hand that he will be broken. 26 “And the thing seen concerning the evening and the morning, which has been said, it is true (sometime after 281 BCE / sometime on or after September 2020 this could be fulfilled). And you, for your part, keep secret the vision because it is yet for many days.”
The Secret of the Vision
Amos 3:7-8…For the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets. There is a lion that has roared! Who will not be afraid? The Sovereign Lord Jehovah himself has spoken! Who will not prophesy?
So, by the angel’s own mouth we now have a starting point and an end point, the end of the vision, it will be when the holy place is brought into the right condition.
What does that mean to you? It should mean no more undefiled and unaccepted worship will be given to Jehovah God! How does knowing this going to help us?
We are given the duration of time so that we can now figure out the sequence of events. Knowing how long this duration is going to be and what year it should fall on for the completion of this vision / prophecy is very important to us.
The next clue is found back in verse nine when it speaks of the small Horn which Bible readers understand to be a very specific reference. The reason being is God’s other prophecies speak of a little Horn that speaks against God in the last days before it is brought to nothing. According to the Scripture the little Horn shows up after a specific event. That event happened after the four horns of the male goat are broken and die.
It is Just History & Simple Math
History has proved to be an indicator that the male goat was that of the Greek empire and Alexander the Great being the Horn or King. These four horns proved to be his four generals that divided up the kingdom after the death of Alexander the Great. Now that we know this how is this going to help us?
With using some simple math and using a starting time of the death of General Seleucus 1 Nicator the last of the 4 horns to be broken or killed. His death occurred in September of 281 BCE. Now by taking the 2300 days and subtracting the 281 from it we get 2019 but we need to count for the zero year because there are still 12 months in the zero-year making it equivalent to 1 year. So, then we would add that one year back on to 2019 giving us the year 2020 and the month would still be September, this prophecy / vision cannot start any sooner than this date. Because the fourth Horn of Alexander’s kingdom had to be broken before the little Horn showed up.
Who is the Small Horn?
There are some very specific characteristics that the small Horn displays, let’s consider some of them and see who will fit this description best.
Our first clue comes from the fact that the small horn has a Greek or Hellenistic background, remember Alexander the great was a Greek and so were his generals.
Daniel 7:8…I kept on considering the horns, and look! another horn, a small one, came up in among them, and there were three of the first horns that were plucked up from before it. And look! there were eyes like the eyes of a man in this horn, and there was a mouth speaking grandiose things.
Our next clue is that this horn is speaking great things. You might ask like what?
Daniel 7:23-25… This is what he said, ‘As for the fourth beast, there is a fourth kingdom that will come to be on the earth, that will be different from all the [other] kingdoms; and it will devour all the earth and will trample it down and crush it. 24 And as for the ten horns, out of that kingdom there are ten kings that will rise up; and still another one will rise up after them, and he himself will be different from the first ones, and three kings he will humiliate. 25 And he will speak even words against the Most High, and he will harass continually the holy ones themselves of the Supreme One. And he will intend to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand for a time, and times and half a time.
The words he speaks are against God of heaven. The next set of clues is that he will harass the holy ones of God, that harassment turns into outright war and that war will last for 3 ½ years. He will intend to change established times and laws of the land.
Daniel 7:21… “I kept on beholding when that very horn made war upon the holy ones, and it was prevailing against them.
Could the United States of America fit the role of the small horn? Or could it be a leader of the USA that fits the role?
We know the United States of America has a strong Roman background stemming from the Greek empire.
We can see that laws of the land that have been established from the founding of it are being changed to that contrary to the established laws of God.
We have seen in history where United States of America has supported the state of Israel and at the same time undermines its self-determination or its interest for the sake of some greater good or peace.
United states of America has had leaders who worship the wicked one openly, by displaying such worship publicly in rituals and ceremonies.
We have had leaders who openly speak against God in a prideful manner. Refusing to admit that the elements of this world are against mankind as God continues to display his wrath against them.
We even had President Trump seeking a peace deal in the Middle East since he has come into office, and it looks like he finally achieved it on September 15, 2020.
Before his election, Donald Trump declared the number one goal of his presidency would be to achieve peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors.
After three years of determined diplomacy, President Trump surprised the world by announcing a peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. A few days later, the country of Bahrain announced they too would establish peace with Israel.
On September 15, 2020, representatives from Israel, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain met in Washington, DC on the White House lawn. There they signed the Abraham Accords.
On September 22, 2023 the Prime Minister of Israel declared at the United Nations 78th assembly day that they had achieved a peace deal with the Arab states using the Abraham Accords. Just 15 days later Hamas attacks Israel on October 7. The peace deal with Israel starts to spiral out of control to a world conflict.
Can there be World Peace without God? No as long as the small horn fights against the holy ones of God there will be no peace. Not until the small horn is destroyed will there be peace.
Daniel 2:44… And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.
Daniel 7:26-27… And the Court itself proceeded to sit, and his own rulership they finally took away, in order to annihilate [him] and to destroy [him] totally. And the kingdom and the rulership and the grandeur of the kingdoms under all the heavens were given to the people who are the holy ones of the Supreme One. Their kingdom is an indefinitely lasting kingdom, and all the rulership’s will serve and obey even them.
World peace is only achieved when all other kingdoms submit to the Holy Ones of the Supreme One. Amen come Lord Jesus!
Writingwithlogos.com – Last Updated 1/8/24