Daniel Sees Future Kingdoms
Shared on September 29, 2024
The future can be quite scary, even when we have insight about the things to come. Should we fear or worry about the future? Watch this week’s lesson as Pastor McCrary covers Daniel’s vision over a man who reminds us of the Antichrist. In this week’s lesson, we will see that God will always make a way for us, even in the worst of times.
Introduction
Our lesson last week introduced us to one of the many visions that Daniel received from the Lord. As we saw last week, Daniel’s visions could extend to the end of time and to the heavenly kingdom. In our lesson this week, Daniel’s vision took him to what is now history for us. These visions and Daniel’s prophecy through them, we should understand, displays the sovereign power of the Lord.
Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and God
Before we dive into the selected scripture of our lesson this week, we need to first take a look at Daniel’s vision. This vision of Daniel, recorded in Daniel 8:1-14, is known as the vision of a ram and goat. We will notice in this vision some familiar players that were involved in the vision of the four beasts (Dan. 7:1-8).
Daniel had this vision in the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign which would put him at about 70 years old. Belshazzar was the last king of Babylon.
As for the vision, Daniel was in Shushan, the citadel, in the province of Elam. He tells us that he saw by the River of Ulai when he saw a ram having two horns. The ram pushed westward, northward, and southward so that no animal could withstand it.
Daniel then saw a male goat from the west that moved without touching the ground – it moved swiftly. He described the goat as having a horn between its eyes that came to meet the ram head on. The goat attacked the ram and broke its two horns and it fell to the goat. Daniel saw the goat grow to be very great and saw the large horn break with four horns replacing it.
Out of those horns grew a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the Glorious Land. The little horn grew up to the host of heaven and cast down some of the host, some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. The little horn even exalted himself as high as the “Prince of the host”. Daniel saw that by the little horn, daily sacrifices were taken away and the place of His (God) sanctuary was cast down (destroyed).
In the vision, Daniel heard a conversation between two holy ones. One asked how long would the part of the vision be concerning the desolation and trampling of God’s sanctuary? The other answered, “For two thousand three hundred days.” Afterwards, that number of days, the holy one said the temple would be cleansed.
Interpreting Daniel’s Vision
Now, I ask all of you: what can you make out of that vision? Seriously, are you able to understand that vision without any help?
I remember the first time I seriously read Daniel’s vision, it was right after my dad passed away. I was in the process of reading the entire bible, and had been trying to get to the book of Daniel before he passed. Before he passed away, my dad had been fascinated with diving into Daniel’s visions and we were having fun discussing them.
With that said, this vision of Daniel, without any guidance, could be utter gibberish to some. Even Daniel, one who had been given the gift of being able to interpret dreams and visions from the Lord, needed assistance with this one.
God supplies an interpreter
Now, I ask all of you: what can you make out of that vision? Seriously, are you able to understand that vision without any help?
I remember the first time I seriously read Daniel’s vision, it was right after my dad passed away. I was in the process of reading the entire bible, and had been trying to get to the book of Daniel before he passed. Before he passed away, my dad had been fascinated with diving into Daniel’s visions and we were having fun discussing them.
With that said, this vision, without any guidance, could be utter gibberish to some. Even Daniel, one who had been given the gift to interpret dreams and visions from the Lord, needed help! As he sought help, Daniel tells us that suddenly standing before him was one having the appearance of a man (Dan. 8:15).
The one standing before him introduced himself as Gabriel (Dan. 8:16). This is the first introduction of the angel Gabriel in scripture. Gabriel is the one that interprets the vision and who is the main one speaking in our lesson this week. Gabriel said to Daniel, “the vision refers to the time of the end (Dan. 8:17).”
The wording of that, “the vision refers to” is very interesting wording. I say that because Gabriel doesn’t say, “the vision is about the time of the end.” This is to say this vision is an image, or reflection, of time of the end but is not the end exactly. Gabriel repeats this same notion by saying, “I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation (Dan. 8:19).”
Future destruction of the kingdoms
Gabriel right away explains that the ram having two horns were the kings of Media and Persia (Dan. 8:20). In last week’s lesson, we saw that the bear represented these empires in the vision of the four beasts (Dan. 7:5). The bear, or Persia, devoured much at the heights of its empire both in Daniel’s vision and according to history. There have been movies made showing the strength and tenacity of the Persians.
Gabriel then explained that the goat was the kingdom of Greece and the horn between its eyes was the first king – Alexander the Great (Dan. 8:21). In the vision of the four beasts, Greece was represented by the leopard with four wings and four heads (Dan 7:6). Alexander the Great is known as one of the best tacticians to walk this earth in how swiftly he moved his army.
Again, history shows us that it was the Persians that defeated the Babylonians. The Persians were then defeated by Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great conquered the land until there was none left to conquer. He died young, at the age of 32, to either being poisoned or to being drunk as history has it.
Alexander’s death is represented by the broken horn which led to the rise of four kingdoms from it. This speaks to the four kingdoms that rose out of the monarchy of Greece: Egypt (Ptolemaic Kingdom), Asia (Pergamon Kingdom), Macedonia, and Syria. However, Gabriel pointed out that neither of the four horns could match the large horn – Alexander the Great (Dan. 8:22).
The rising of the sinister king
Gabriel then began to speak about a king rising in the latter time of the four kingdoms (Dan. 8:23). This king was described as having fierce features, who would understand sinister schemes as well. His power, Gabriel pointed out, would be mighty but not by his own power (Dan. 8:24). What does this mean?
Well, if we take a look back at Daniel’s vision, Daniel saw a “little horn” rising from one of the four horns. The little horn of Daniel 8 should not be confused with the little horn of Daniel 7. Because the little horn of Daniel 8 is history for us, we know who he was. The little horn of Daniel 8 is known to be Antiochus Epiphanes and he came from the Seleucidae kingdom in Syria.
Antiochus Epiphanes “the Mad” was truly a wicked and evil man. As shown in Daniel’s vision, he desecrated the temple by offering up offerings to Jupiter (Zeus). In Daniel’s vision, the little horn “grew up to the host of heaven” – meaning he challenged God in his wickedness. This is not to say that he posed a threat to God but speaks about his great wickedness.
There was certainly a spiritual battle taking place and Antiochus was a vessel of evil. Some even suggest that some of the feats he accomplished came through being possessed. His name appears throughout the Maccabees as his desire was the destruction of the Jews. Again, Daniel saw that the little horn grew toward the south, east, and toward the Glorious Land. The “Glorious Land” is talking about the land of Israel.
This is all spoken of through Gabriel’s interpretation of Daniel’s vision. Gabriel said, “He shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people (Dan. 8:24).” Antiochus did kill many but the Jews were not completely wiped out.
Gabriel said of the little horn, Antiochus, “he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes (Dan. 8:25).” This draws a direct parallel to Antiochus being like the Antichrist. During the time of the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will rise, deceive many, and lead them to destruction.
The “lawless one” – that is the Antichrist – coming is according to the working of Satan, Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10. Paul wrote how the Antichrist will come with all power, signs, lying wonders, and unrighteous deceptions. During the Tribulation, many will truly believe the Antichrist to be Christ but they will perish because of this lie.
Trouble Don’t Last Always
While Antiochus prospered for a time, Gabriel said that he would be “broken without human means”. This was said about the defeat of Antiochus.
Antiochus did not die by man’s hands. The Maccabees records Antiochus’ death with him falling ill – being struck with illness by God. It is said that he had a “pain of the bowels” for which there was no remedy. It is written in the Maccabees that worms rose up out of his body and his flesh rotted away in a foul stench. Herod had a similar death being struck by an angel of God (Acts 12:23).
The lesson ends with Gabriel saying, “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 (Dan. 8:26).” Gabriel, through God, is able to put a seal on whether these things are true. Of course God knows these things to be true because He is the truth.
Now, the prophecy of prophets was and is something that should be tested. In Deuteronomy 18:20-22, the Lord warned about false prophecy. The Lord instructed that prophets were to be tested by if what they said did not come to pass, then it didn’t come from God.
Today’s prophets are not like Old Testament prophets as there is no new prophecy to share. Christ has given the final prophecy. Those that love to give themselves the title of a prophet are simply teachers – they have nothing new to prophecy.
All who minister the word of God today can and should be put to the test. John said that we should test the spirits of others by the Spirit that resides in us (1 John 4:1). Even more, we can even verify the ministered word by simply opening our bibles. For this very reason, I always encourage those who listen to me to follow along with me through scripture so that they know the doctrine I’m sharing is sound.
Daniel’s prophecies can be proven to be true to the Lord’s words. Even his most distant prophecies can validate that Daniel was indeed a prophet. On multiple occasions Jesus verified Daniel’s prophecies. Even more than that, the Book of the Revelation of Christ confirms his far distant prophecies. So, when we read and study Daniel’s visions and prophecy, we have comfort in knowing they are true.