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- See God in the details of life (8:1-2)
- Dan 8:1-2 (ESV) In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. [2] And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal.
- Ask how God is at work
- Dan 2:20-23 (ESV) Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. [21] He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; [22] he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. [23] To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
- “A vision appeared to me”
- God gave the vision (there was something Daniel needed to see and to understand)
- God gave us his word (there is something we need to see and to understand)
- See God over all time (8:3-8)
- Dan 8:3-8 (ESV) I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. [4] I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. [5] As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. [6] He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. [7] I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. [8] Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
- Daniel saw this vision around 550 B.C.
- The vision gave Daniel a glimpse of the future from the time of Cyrus to the time that most scholars believe is the reign of Antiochus IV which ended at 163 B.C.
- This vision comes before the events of chapter 5 by about 11 years. Daniel understood that the kingdom of the ram was probably going to follow the kingdom of Babylon. So, he knew that this kingdom would take down the one in which he was living. He just didn’t know when. Then when Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the wall in chapter 5, Daniel knew that the time had come.
- God didn’t just predict or foresee these events. He removes and he sets up kings to the praise of his glory and majesty and power and wisdom.
- God is over 2024 and beyond
- To borrow a phrase from one of my favorite theologians—“to infinity and beyond.”
- See God has reasons for all he does (8:9-14)
- Dan 8:9-14 (ESV) Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. [10] It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. [11] It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. [12] And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. [13] Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” [14] And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”
- “Because of transgression” (he used Antiochus as judgment for sin)
- “It will act and prosper” (he permitted Antiochus to succeed)
- “The giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot” (he gave the temple over to be looted and defiled and he permitted some to be taken captive)
- God gave Daniel a vision to prepare his people for what was coming, not what had already happened! There would not be much help in the latter. (Daniel Akin)
- Antiochus Epiphanes was violently bitter against the Jews. He hated them and was determined to exterminate them and their religion. He devastated Jerusalem in 168 B.C., murdered tens of thousands, defiled the Temple, offered a pig on its altar, erected a shrine to Jupiter, prohibited Temple worship, forbade circumcision on pain of death, sold, according to 2 Maccabess 5:11-14, 40,000 Jews into slavery, destroyed all copies of Scripture that could be found, and slaughtered everyone found to be in possession of God’s torah. He resorted to every conceivable torture to force Jews to renounce their religion. (Daniel Akin)
- One interpretation of verse 14 is that the 2,300 days is a number that would try to encompass the persecution of the reign of Antiochus IV.
- Antiochus Epiphanes (God manifest). A title he gave to himself which represents the arrogance and pride of his heart. He went so far as to have coins minted with his face on one side and on the other side a picture of the god Zeus sitting on some sort of throne.
- His nickname by the Jews was Antiochus Epimanes (madman).
- These visions were to prepare the people of God for what was to come so that they would not be taken by surprise. So, they would be ready to face the day.
- These visions were to provide hope for the endurance of things to come. They knew they could endure because they knew the final outcome of their hope in the Lord.
- The same is true for us concerning God and his word. His word prepares us through the knowledge of Scripture. We are not ignorant of the day in which we are living because God’s word has prepared us.
- His word provides us the hope that we need to endure these days and to live with peace, joy, and strength. We know the Lord and we know his word and because we do we hold onto hope!
