All scripture quoted is from the New Living Translation. Other quotations are from Ellen White, unless otherwise credited.
In the illustration are some of the symbols introduced to us in the book of Daniel.
1. It is quite a collection that can seem confusing.
2. They all appear suddenly to Daniel, some 600 years before the birth of Jesus.
3. No Old Testament book has anything like what was shown to Daniel.
4. Nothing was repeated until the book of Revelation almost 700 years later.
QUESTION: WHAT IS GOING ON WITH GOD THAT HE FOUND IT NECESSARY TO THROW THIS WHOLE GROUP OF SYMBOLS AND BEASTS AT US ALL AT ONCE IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL? WHY?
Dan 4:34 – After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal.
1 Chron 29:11-12 – Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
Ps 47:1-2 – Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! 2 For the Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth.
Ps 90:2 – Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
Lamentations 5:19 – But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation.
John 17:1-3 – After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
Rev 1:4-5 – Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.
From Splendor to Shadow 284 – From the books of Daniel and Revelation we need to learn how worthless is worldly glory. Babylon, with all its power and magnificence, how completely has it passed away! So perished Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome. And so perishes all that has not God for its foundation. A careful study of God’s purpose in the history of nations and in the revelation of things to come will help us to learn what is the true aim of life. Viewing time in the light of eternity, we may, like Daniel, live for that which is true and enduring. Learning the principles of the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, we may at His coming enter into its possession.
Letter 57, 1896 – The light that Daniel received direct from God was given especially for these last days. The visions he saw by the banks of the Ulai and the Hiddekel, the great rivers of Shinar, are now in process of fulfillment, and all the events foretold will soon have come to pass.
TRUTH NEVER DIES. Since God is eternal, and all truth originates with Him, it will never die. Try as he may, Satan cannot destroy truth and take control of this world.
Stop for a minute, and think about the context of these prophecies in Daniel. Why did God directly intervene in the affairs of earth in the time of Daniel?
ADAM TO NOAH. Adam lived 930 years, and there was a 55-year overlap with Noah’s father Lamech. So, Noah had the truth about God and salvation.
NOAH TO ABRAHAM. There was a 35-year overlap. So, Abraham had the truth about God and salvation.
ABRAHAM CALLED BY GOD AS HIS REPRESENTATIVE ON EARTH TO SHARE TRUTH. Moved to the area of the earth where all going North to South, or East to West would come in contact with those who knew the true God.
Abrahams family would later inter-marry and bring in other Gods thus destroying the truth about the creator God. As a result, God moved them to Egypt and slavery.
Why God Chose Israel
Isa 26:10 – Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the Lord’s majesty.
From Eternity Past 232 – After the Flood, the inhabitants of the earth again rebelled against the Lord. Twice God’s covenant had been rejected by the world. Both the people before the Flood and the descendants of Noah cast off the divine authority. Then God entered into covenant with Abraham and took to Himself a people to become the depositaries of His law.
To seduce and destroy this people, Satan began at once to lay his snares. The children of Jacob were tempted to contract marriage with the heathen and worship their idols. But Joseph’s fidelity was a testimony to the true faith. To quench this light Satan worked through Joseph’s brothers to cause him to be sold as a slave. But God overruled. . . His influence was felt throughout the land, and the knowledge of God was spread far and wide.
Rom 4:1-3 – Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
Rom 3:21 – We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
10 TRIBES TURN FROM GOD. Ends there witness for truth.
2 TRIBES TURN FROM GOD. Overcome by Babylon, their witness ends. Large number taken to Babylon. Witness ends.
There were some things positive that came out of Babylonian captivity for 70 years:
The 70 Years in Babylon Brought Many Changes in God’s People
During the 70 years in Babylon the Jewish people learned a big lesson. They were despaired because they lost their Temple and their homeland, but they had not given up hope. God was with them and they were revitalized in many remarkable ways. God loves His people and He fully intended to keep His promises to their father Abraham. During their captivity they were cured of many things, and they recommitted themselves.
1. Cured of Idolatry
The Jews were almost completely cured of idolatry, no matter what their faults and downfalls were in later periods of history, they never returned to the idolatry of the nations around them as they had. The Babylonian Captivity had taught them to abhor the worship of idols.
2. The Scribes and Rabbinic Literature
The situation caused them to be separated from Jerusalem and the Temple and thus there came a new order called the “Scribes.” In their earliest stages they served the Jewish colonists in a very valuable way, especially in teaching, guarding and preserving the Scriptures. The Scribes produced the rabbinical literature known as the Mishna (God’s laws allegedly passed down orally and not recorded in Scripture), the Gemara (a commentary on the Mishna and a compilation of accepted traditions). These two volumes were later added to and combined to form the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud). Their was also other important literature and secular writings.
3. The Synagogues
Places for assembly or “synagogues” were instituted in order to conduct formal Jewish worship, and to provide schools for education while they were far from their homeland. It was the difficult circumstances of the Babylonian Captivity that allowed for the synagogues, without these unusual circumstances there might not have been synagogues which kept the national spirit of the Jewish people even after the fall of the Second Temple.
4. The Teaching of the Scriptures
The Jewish people pursued the Scriptures. They compiled the Scriptures and studied them intensely, realizing the reason for the Captivity and teaching this to their children. Later Ezra, the Scribe, taught the Scriptures and gave light to its meaning.
5. Unification of the Jewish People
Similar to the captivity in Egypt, the Babylonian Captivity brought a common hardship and isolation which brought a common sympathy and a closer relationship with each of individual of the nation. They returned united and purified, anyone who would not learn this lesson remained in Babylon only to become lost in history.
GOD TAKES OVER AND DIRECTLY REVEALS HIMSELF TO THE WORLD LEADERS AS RECORDED IN DANIEL. HE OUTLINES WORLD EVENTS INTO THE FUTURE, INCLUDING THE DATE FOR THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH AND THE RISE OF COUNTERFEIT TRUTH IN A NEW FORM – PAPAL POWER UNTIL THE END OF TIME. TRUTH NEVER DIES.
Since everything in the world is a part of the Great Controversy, God is preparing us to know the issues ahead of time. Daniel 8 expands on the issues introduced in Daniel 7.
Prophets and Kings 547 – As we near the close of this world’s history, the prophecies recorded by Daniel demand our special attention, as they relate to the very time in which we are living. With them should be linked the teachings of the last book of the New Testament Scriptures. Satan has led many to believe that the prophetic portions of the writings of Daniel and of John the revelator cannot be understood. But the promise is plain that special blessing will accompany the study of these prophecies. “The wise shall understand” ( verse 10), was spoken of the visions of Daniel that were to be unsealed in the latter days; and of the revelation that Christ gave to His servant John for the guidance of God’s people all through the centuries, the promise is, Rev 1:3 – “God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.” NLT
QUESTION: WHAT DO THE SYMBOLS MEAN?
STATUE WITH HEAD OF GOLD
Dan 2:36-45 – “That was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. 37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. 38 He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold.
39 “But after your kingdom comes to an end, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise to take your place. After that kingdom has fallen, yet a third kingdom, represented by bronze, will rise to rule the world. 40 Following that kingdom, there will be a fourth one, as strong as iron. That kingdom will smash and crush all previous empires, just as iron smashes and crushes everything it strikes. 41 The feet and toes you saw were a combination of iron and baked clay, showing that this kingdom will be divided. Like iron mixed with clay, it will have some of the strength of iron. 42 But while some parts of it will be as strong as iron, other parts will be as weak as clay. 43 This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix.
44 “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. 45 That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”
1. World empires in order.
2. Break up of Roman Empire into ten pieces. Never to unite again. Never to be another world ruling power.
3. A rock comes out of space and destroys the statue, symbolizing the coming of Jesus and establishing of His kingdom on earth.
FOUR ANIMALS
Dan 7:4-7 – The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And it was given a human mind.
5 Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, “Get up! Devour the flesh of many people!”
6 Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast.
7 Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns.
1. The four beasts correspond to the sections of the statue, but add more detail about each kingdom.
2. The fourth beast is not depicted as like any animal. It is more vicious than the others which is a good representation of pagan Rome.
3. Rome is the last world power until Jesus comes back. It was broken into ten parts.
RISE OF LITTLE HORN
Dan. 7:8 – As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.
1. This power was spoke words against the Most High, persecutes the saints of God, and pretends to change Gods times and laws.
2. It was to rule for 1260 years.
3. It would be both a secular and religious power.
Dan 7:19-25 – Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It had devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, trampling their remains beneath its feet. 20 I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast’s head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This horn had seemed greater than the others, and it had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against God’s holy people and was defeating them, 22 until the Ancient One—the Most High—came and judged in favor of his holy people. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom.
23 Then he said to me, “This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path. 24 Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. 25 He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.
RAM AND GOAT
Dan 8:1-14 – I, Daniel, saw another vision, following the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In this vision I was at the fortress of Susa, in the province of Elam, standing beside the Ulai River. 3 As I looked up, I saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river. One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had grown later than the other one. 4 The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great.
5 While I was watching, suddenly a male goat appeared from the west, crossing the land so swiftly that he didn’t even touch the ground. This goat, which had one very large horn between its eyes, 6 headed toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the river, rushing at him in a rage. 7 The goat charged furiously at the ram and struck him, breaking off both his horns. Now the ram was helpless, and the goat knocked him down and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s power.
8 The goat became very powerful. But at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off. In the large horn’s place grew four prominent horns pointing in the four directions of the earth. 9 Then from one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel. 10 Its power reached to the heavens, where it attacked the heavenly army, throwing some of the heavenly beings and some of the stars to the ground and trampling them. 11 It even challenged the Commander of heaven’s army by canceling the daily sacrifices offered to him and by destroying his Temple. 12 The army of heaven was restrained from responding to this rebellion. So the daily sacrifice was halted, and truth was overthrown. The horn succeeded in everything it did.
13 Then I heard two holy ones talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the events of this vision last? How long will the rebellion that causes desecration stop the daily sacrifices? How long will the Temple and heaven’s army be trampled on?”
14 The other replied, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the Temple will be made right again.”
- Rams and goats were used in the sanctuary service but are only mentioned together on the Day of Atonement – the major focus of the vision in Daniel 8.
- The angel explains the meaning of the vision:
Dan 8:20-26 – The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire. 22 The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first.
23 “At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. 25 He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.
26 “This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret.”
- The ram and the goat symbolism us used to make sure we understand the timing and focus of the attack by Satan on Gods sanctuary and what it represents.
ATTACK ON THE SANCTUARY
The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 841 – “This little horn represents Rome in both its phases, pagan and papal. Daniel saw Rome first in its pagan, imperial phase, warring against the Jewish people and the early Christians, and then in its papal phase, continuing down to our own day and into the future.”
According to the biblical text, the little horn first undertook a horizontal movement and “grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land” (Dan. 8:9, NKJV). These three directions correspond to the three major areas that fell under the domination of pagan Rome. As the little horn becomes the main player in the vision, its vertical expansion receives detailed attention. In this regard, the horn corresponds closely to the little horn of Daniel 7, as the following comparison shows: (1) Both horns are little in the beginning (Dan. 7:8, 8:9). (2) Both become great later on (Dan. 7:20, 8:9). (3) Both are persecuting powers (Dan. 7:21, 25; 8:10, 24). (4) Both are self-exalting and blasphemous (Dan. 7:8, 20, 25; 8:10, 11, 25). (5) Both target God’s people (Dan. 7:25, 8:24). (6) Both have aspects of their activity that are delineated by prophetic time (Dan. 7:25; 8:13, 14). (7) Both extend until the time of the end (Dan. 7:25, 26; 8:17, 19). (8) And both face supernatural destruction (Dan. 7:11, 26; 8:25). Last, because the little horn of Daniel 7 represents the papacy, the vertical expansion of the little horn in Daniel 8 must represent the same power. Thus, as in Daniel 2 and 7, the final main power is Rome, both pagan and papal.
In Daniel 8:11, the “daily sacrifice” is a reminder of what happened in the earthly sanctuary to designate the various and continual aspects of the ritual services—including sacrifices and intercession. It is through these services that sinners are forgiven and sins are dealt with in the tabernacle. This earthly system represents Christ’s intercessory ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. So, as the prophecy predicts, the papacy exchanges the intercession of Christ for the intercession of priests. By means of such counterfeit worship, the little horn takes away Christ’s intercessory ministry and symbolically casts down the place of Christ’s sanctuary. “And he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered” (Dan. 8:12, NKJV). Jesus declares Himself to be the truth (John 14:6) and also points to the Word of God as truth (John 17:17). In contrast, the papacy prohibited the translation of the Bible into the language of the people, put the interpretation of the Bible under the authority of the church, and placed tradition, alongside the Bible, in theory, but, in practice, tradition is placed above the Bible as the supreme rule of faith.
CLEANSING OF THE SANCTURY
And just as that happened in the earthly Day of Atonement when the sanctuary was cleansed, how much more so in the heavenly, when Christ’s blood alone gets us through the judgment? The cleansing of the sanctuary, depicted in Daniel 8:14, is the heavenly counterpart of the earthly service, whose basic message is: as sinners, we need the blood of the Messiah to forgive us our sins and enable us to stand in judgment.
THE PROPHETIC TIMETABLE
- What is the timing of the 2,300 evenings and mornings? First, we must note that after Daniel is shown the ram and the goat, followed by the actions of and the damage caused by the little horn, the vision turns into a question in Daniel 8:13. This question is especially concerned with what will happen at the end of that prophetic period, as well as the duration of the entire vision. In addition, such a period cannot be limited only to the duration of the actions of the little horn, because the term vision includes everything from the ram to the actions of the little horn. So, this must be a long period of actual historical time.
- Daniel 8 does not provide the information to allow us to calculate the beginning of this time period, which, of course, could establish its end. But Daniel 9 provides the crucial piece of information.
Life Application: In our daily struggles with sin and suffering, we are not alone. We have Jesus taking our sin and the Holy Spirit empowering our life so we can reflect the character of heaven. We can enjoy the manifestation of God’s grace and share our assurance with those around us. The sanctuary message not only shows us that we are forgiven but also points to the ultimate eradication of sin.
2 Selected Messages 109 – In history and prophecy the Word of God portrays the long-continued conflict between truth and error. That conflict is yet in progress. Those things which have been, will be repeated. Old controversies will be revived, and new theories will be continually arising. But God’s people, who in their belief and fulfillment of prophecy have acted a part in the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages, know where they stand. They have an experience that is more precious than fine gold. They are to stand firm as a rock, holding the beginning of their confidence steadfast unto the end.