Daniel 8 (FBV) · Opened

1In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign I, Daniel, saw another vision after the one I had seen previously.In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one that had appeared to me earlier.

2In my vision I looked around and saw I was in the castle at Susa in the province of Elam. In the vision I was beside the River Ulai.And in the vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa, in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal.

3I looked around and saw a ram standing beside the river. It had two long horns, one longer than the other, even though the longer one had grown last.Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a ram with two horns standing beside the canal. The horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one grew up later.

4I watched the ram charging west, north, and south. No animal could stand up to it—nor was there any chance of rescue from its power. It did whatever it wanted and grew powerful.I saw the ram charging toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no deliverance from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

5As I was thinking about what I'd seen, a male goat came in from the west, racing in across the surface of the earth so fast it didn't touch the ground. It had a large, prominent horn between its eyes.As I was contemplating all this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground.

6It approached the ram with the two horns which I had seen standing beside the river, rushing in to attack in a furious rage.He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with furious power.

7I watched as the goat charged furiously at the ram, hitting it and breaking off its two horns. The ram did not have the strength to resist the goat's attack. The goat threw the ram to the ground, trampling on it, and there was no possibility of rescuing it from the goat's power.I saw him approach the ram in a rage against him, and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him, and the goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and no one could deliver the ram from his power.

8The goat grew very powerful, but at the height of its power its large horn was broken off. In its place four large horns came up, pointing to the four winds of heaven.Thus the goat became very great, but at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off, and four prominent horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.

9A little horn came up from one of them, and grew extremely powerful to the south and to the east and to the Beautiful Land.From one of these horns a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the Beautiful Land.

10It grew in power until it reached the heavenly army, throwing some of them and some of the stars down to the earth and trampled on them.It grew as high as the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the earth and trampled them.

11It even tried to make itself as great as the Prince of the heavenly army—it removed the continual service, and the place of his sanctuary was destroyed.It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary.

12An army of people and the continual service were handed over to it because of rebellion, and it overthrew truth, and it was successful in everything it did.And in the rebellion, the host and the daily sacrifice were given over to the horn, and it flung truth to the ground and prospered in whatever it did.

13Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one asked the one who was speaking, “How long is this vision for—the removal of the continual service, the rebellion that causes devastation, the handing over of the sanctuary and the army of people to be trampled down?”Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long until the fulfillment of the vision of the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”

14He replied, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings, then the sanctuary will be cleansed.”He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be properly restored.”

15As I, Daniel, tried to work out what this vision meant suddenly I saw someone who looked like a man standing in front of me.While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.

16I also heard a human voice calling from the River Ulai, “Gabriel, explain to this man the meaning of the vision.”And I heard the voice of a man calling from between the banks of the Ulai: “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.”

17As he approached me, I was terrified and fell facedown before him. “Son of man,” he told me, “You need to understand that this vision refers to the time of the end.”As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”

18As he spoke to me I lost consciousness as I laid facedown on the ground. But he took hold of me and helped me to my feet.While he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, helped me to my feet,

19He told me, “Pay attention! I'm going to explain to you what's going to happen during the time of anger, which refers to the appointed time of the end.and said, “Behold, I will make known to you what will happen in the latter time of wrath, because it concerns the appointed time of the end.

20The ram with two horns that you saw symbolizes the kings of Media and Persia.The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.

21The male goat is the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is its first king.The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.

22The four horns that came up in place of the large horn that was broken represent the four kingdoms that arose from that nation, but not as powerful as the first.The four horns that replaced the broken one represent four kingdoms that will rise from that nation but will not have the same power.

23When those kingdoms come to an end, when their sins have reached their fullest extent, a ferocious and treacherous kingdom will rise to power.In the latter part of their reign, when the rebellion has reached its full measure, an insolent king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne.

24It will become very powerful but not by its own power. It will be terribly destructive, and will succeed in everything it does. It will destroy great leaders and God's dedicated people.His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause terrible destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men along with the holy people.

25Through its deviousness, its lies will be convincing and successful. It shows its arrogance both in thought and action, destroying those who thought they were perfectly safe. It even fights in opposition against the Prince of princes, but it will be defeated, though not by any human power.Through his craft and by his hand, he will cause deceit to prosper, and in his own mind he will make himself great. In a time of peace he will destroy many, and he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken off, but not by human hands.

26The vision about the evenings and mornings that has been explained to you is true, but for now seal up this vision because it refers to the distant future.”The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”

27After this, I, Daniel, became exhausted, and I was sick for days. Then I got up and went back to working for the king, but I was devastated at what I'd seen in vision and I couldn't understand it.I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was confounded by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

Daniel’s Vision of the Ram and the Goat

Gabriel Interprets Daniel’s Vision

You’ve read Daniel 8

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Daniel’s Vision of the Ram and the Goat

Gabriel Interprets Daniel’s Vision

You’ve read Daniel 8

Go deeper