Daniel: Chapter 8
Setting
As in Daniel 7, Daniel 8 was written during King Belshazzar’s reign. This chapter was written in the third year of the king’s reign, but many years before the fall of Babylon. The events of this chapter precede those events in Daniel 5 and Daniel 6. The book of Daniel reads as if the events and dreams and visions occur in rapid succession, but years actually separate the chapters. Though Daniel was given these dreams and visions, he was not given an understanding of all their interpretations, as they were meant for a future time, Daniel 12:8-9. He inquired and prayed, but he could not entirely understand the full nature of his visions and dreams. God had honored Daniel to be His messenger for the succeeding generations. It is through him that the timetables of God have been revealed as to when the first and second advents of Christ would occur. In addition, these dreams and visions had a profound impact on Daniel personally. At the end of many of these events, Daniel reports to have suffered, probably from the understanding of how much persecution is yet in store for the people of Israel because of their continued rebelliousness against God. This is instructive to us as well, in that God in his mercy does not give us details into our future. If we saw the enormity of the events ahead of us, like Daniel, we would probably fall ill and crumble under the immense weight of that knowledge. Just look at the physical response of Jesus the night before his crucifixion, Luke 22:42-44. Those who have believed and put their trust in Christ have hope in God’s Word. Through Isaiah, as with other writers of the Bible, great hope and comfort are given to them, Isaiah 64:4.
| Verses | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | When and where the vision took place |
| 3-7 | The Ram and the Goat |
| 8-12 | The four horns and the little horn |
| 13-18 | The conversation and command |
| 19-22 | Persia and Greece |
| 23-25 | The little horn's similarity to the Antichrist |
| 26-27 | The affect of the vision on Daniel |
There appears to be an interesting parallel between Daniel with the experience of Joseph, recorded in the latter chapters in Genesis. Joseph dreamed two dreams, and their interpretation and meaning did not escape either the brothers of Joseph or Jacob’s attention. Despite the brothers and Jacob having expressed disbelief in the dreams, it was recorded that Jacob kept it in his heart. It is argued that the dreams were mainly for the benefit of Joseph. He was a man of faith, who stated that he “feared God.” The dreams would have served as a means of comfort and strength for Joseph during the years of his slavery. For in faith, he would have understood that this would be fulfilled in some future date. He could not perish at the hands of his captors. In fact, on several occasions it is written that God was with Joseph, but Joseph did not know when or how the dream would be fulfilled. But as Peter wrote in his second epistle, after listing eight virtues of a believer, faith being first in the list, and patience in the middle, Peater said that if these abound in us, then we will productive in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2Peter 1:4-8.
Joseph indeed had a tremendous relationship with God. When he heard the dream of Pharaoh, he could have begun to understand how the dream he had many years earlier, would be fulfilled. By comparing the dream Pharaoh had with his, where both dealt with grain, he could have understood that his brothers would soon come to Egypt to purchase grain during some time in the seven lean years. Similarly, Daniel had a tremendous relationship with God, and also had dreams. He had some understanding of what they meant, but not how or when they would be fulfilled. In his dreams, Daniel recognized the area he was standing within the dream, which was the region of Shushan.
In Daniel 8:1-2, Daniel recounts the vision he had during the 3rd year in the reign of King Belshazzar. He noted the sequential nature of this vision with the first vision just two years earlier. In the vision Daniel had, though the temple did not exist at the time of the vision, there would be a future rebuilt temple, which is central to this vision. This is similar to today, where many prophecies point to a temple to be in existence where sacrifices occur, but it is not in existence yet, Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, and Revelation 11:1-2
Daniel had the vision about a location that he was familiar with during the reign of King Nabonidus. King Nabonidus chose not to stay at Babylon but left it in the hands of his son Belshazzar, which would force Daniel to make many official trips to Shushan. Shushan would ultimately become the new capital during the reign of the Persians, so the Lord choosing this site to give Daniel his second vision was no coincidence. In the book of Nehemiah there is a reference to the same location, the palace of the king, when King Cyrus issued his decree to rebuild the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, Nehemiah 1:1, Esther 1:2. The map above shows the approximate location of Babylon, Shushan, and Jerusalem.
The geographic region was specifically identified, and apparently very familiar to Daniel. The King of the Medes and the Persians, after defeating the Babylonian kingdom, moved their palace to the area of Shushan. Daniel witnessed the transition of the kingdom with the golden head, to that kingdom represented by the arms and breast of silver, according to the dream that King Nebuchadnezzar received from the Lord. Daniel 2:32. The location of Daniel’s dream in this chapter would have been further validation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its interpretation. From Daniel's vantage point in time, it would have been difficult to comprehend how all of these prophecies would have been fulfilled and how they related one with another when he first knew the dream. To see a part of his dream came true, would have offered comfort to Daniel. In contrast, think of the comfort to Christians today, seeing the nation of Israel form during our lifetime, to then grow, flourish, and retake Jerusalem as their capital. These events, which are unfolding in our lifetime, occurred just as prophesied by Jesus and the prophets, despite many hardships the Israelis have endured. For non-Christians, this has served as a stumbling stone, but for Christians, it is a source of comfort knowing that God is indeed in control. Christ will soon be coming in the clouds to call his church to him.
In Daniel 8:3, there are several interesting characteristics demonstrated in this vision concerning the ram, and its interpretation by the angel Gabriel. These characteristics are listed in the following table.
| The Ram | Order # | Order of events | Verses | Other related verses and possible interpretations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Location of the ram in the Province of Elam | Daniel 8:2-3 | Location of the ram's palace |
| 2 | Two long horns | Daniel 8:3 | Daniel 8:20, the ram represents the two kings of the Medes and Persians |
| 3 | One horn was longer than the other, but grew later | Daniel 8:3 | One king became more powerful than the other king |
| 4 | The ram charged to the north, south, and west | Daniel 8:4 | The Medes and Persians conquered all in the Near East |
| 5 | No animal could stand against him | Daniel 8:4 | The Medes and Persians could not be stopped in their conquests |
| 6 | He did as he pleased and became great | Daniel 8:4 | The Medians and Persians, the silver portion of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, were prominent Gentile rulers over Israel |
| 7 | The ram was attacked by a goat, and his horns were broken | Daniel 8:7 | The Medians and Persians lost their power after being attacked by Alexander the Great |
| 8 | No one could rescue the ram from the goat | Daniel 8:7 | There were no other governments that could rescue the Medes or the Persians from Greece |
It is interesting that Daniel saw the ram pushing in every direction but eastward. They conquered all the areas held by Babylon, but they did not venture toward the east into India. Whether there was no desire on the part of the kings of Persia or geography played a key role in their reluctance to push eastward, Daniel 8:4 states that Persia did do whatever the king willed.
Daniel soon noticed a goat coming from the west in his dream. As is known in history, Alexander the Great achieved great and mighty victories through speed and with an elite and disciplined force from Greece. These characteristics are represented in the goat in Daniel's vision; the goat's progress was achieved without its feet touching the ground, it had a single notable horn between its eyes, and came from the west. The following table lists the characteristics of the goat and its interactions with the ram, illustrating the violent transition of kingdom from the Persian empire (the arms of silver) to the Grecian empire (the sides of brass).
| The Goat and the Four Horns | Order # | Order of events | Verses | Other related verses and possible interpretations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The goat's location relative to the ram | Daniel 8:5 | Daniel 8:21, the goat represents the kingdom of Greece |
| 2 | The goat's feet did not touch the ground | Daniel 8:5 | Alexander the Great was able to move his armies swiftly and effectively |
| 3 | There was one notable horn between its eyes | Daniel 8:5 | Daniel 8:21, Alexander the Great is the horn |
| 4 | The goat charged the ram with furious power | Daniel 8:6 | The battles were violent and bloody, and ended in the transfer of power to Alexander |
| 5 | No one could save the ram | Daniel 8:7 | The ram's power was going to end |
| 6 | The goat's horn broke at the apex of his strength | Daniel 8:8 | Alexander died due to illness and not in battle in 323 B.C. |
| 7 | Four notable horns grew in the place of the notable horn, toward the four winds | Daniel 8:8 | Daniel 8:22, the four horns did not achieve the notable horn's power |
| 8 | A little horn grew exceedingly great toward the south, east, and Jerusalem | Daniel 8:9 | Daniel 8:23-25, later in time, during the Grecian rule, a little horn will emerge, and be a sinister king, who will have the attributes of the Antichrist in Revelation 6 and Revelation 13 |
Consequences of Alexander the Great's conquests, were: he destroyed the eastern influence in Israel and Jerusalem, and he developed a new, common form of Greek that he required all people throughout his realm to adopt as their native language. From this, the Old Testament was retranslated from Hebrew, into the koine Greek, and the New Testament books were written in koine Greek.
In Daniel 8:8, Daniel begins to detail the future death of Alexander the Great, and the wrestling of control by the four generals over the empire. It is important to also be familiar with the four-way division of Alexander's empire in order to fully grasp all of the details that are presented in Daniel 11. The map to the right shows the relative location and boundaries of each general's kingdom, as follows:
- Cassander controlled Greece and Macedonia
- Lysimachus controlled Thrace (Bulgaria) and much of the Asia Minor
- Seleucus controlled Syria and Mesopotamia
- Ptolemy controlled Lybia, Egypt, and Palestine
Despite being cooperative in battle, they made very bad neighbors with each other. There was continual fighting among most of the four kingdoms, and Israel was typically in the middle of it all because of their geographic location between the kingdoms of Seleucus and Ptolemy.
In Daniel 8:8, Daniel observed a little horn growing out from among the four horns on the goat. Though this is similar to the little horn that was revealed in Daniel 7:8, this little horn is not the Antichrist, but a type of Antichrist. This is the historical figure, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who was the ruler of Syria from about 175-163 B.C. There are several differences to note between this little horn and the one that represented the Antichrist in Daniel 7. First, the little horn in Daniel 7 was on the fourth beast that represents the revived Roman empire, the little horn in Daniel 8 was on the goat, that represented Greece. Second, the little horn in Daniel 7 came up from among the ten horns on the beast, the little horn in Daniel 8 came up from among four horns on the goat. Both little horns are similar, and is why the little horn on the goat is a type of the one in Daniel 7. Millennia in time separate the two, as well as the extent of their influence. The little horn in Daniel 7 has worldwide influence, whereas the little horn in Daniel 8 has influence only in parts of the Near East. These distinctions between the two will be more apparent when studying Daniel 11.
A great amount of time elapses following the division of Alexander's kingdom among the four generals, to the time of the little horn in this chapter. Daniel’s vision and the interpretation given by Gabriel show a significant interest in the little horn. It may be due to the desecration of the temple and the blatant attempt by Antiochus Epiphanes to replace completely the worship of the Jews with pagan rituals and to separate mankind from the true and living God, worshiped by the Jews.
This pattern of Satan to disrupt and destroy God’s plan is replayed over and again through time. In this instance, Satan sought the corruption of the worship of the Lord by the Jews and of all people having a right relationship with God. In a similar example, Balaam provided advice to Balak who was bent on destroying the children of Israel, who were on their way to possess the land God promised them. Balak made several attempts to persuade Balaam to place a curse over the children of Israel, only to have Balaam speak words of blessing as God gave him utterance. When they finally realized that Balaam would not be able to curse the children of Israel, Balaam left Balak with advice that if he would cause his women to fornicate with the men of Israel, then God being righteous would have to judge and destroy them. Balaam did not fully understand the ways of God, and that He is in the business of judging and forgiving sin. Despite the attempt of Balak to implement this plan, the sin of some in Israel were judged and forgiveness was given, but the full brunt of judgment fell upon Balak and his people, Numbers 31:15-16.
The events suffered by Israel at that time were later referred to by the Lord to the Apostle John in the revelation. After commending the church of Pergamos, the Lord then listed the few things He had against the church, which is relevant then and now, Revelation 2:14. The doctrine of Balaam is not necessarily limited to a blatant effort to throw out an obvious stumbling block to cause the church to stumble. It may also include subtle efforts to introduce compromise into the church that would dilute and corrupt the simple gospel of Christ, and the word of God. James wrote concerning the enmity between the world and God, and there is no compromise that could ever exist between the child of God and the world, James 4:4.
This is what the Antichrist will do as well, and why there is a strong similarity between Antiochus Epiphanes and the Antichrist, though separated by thousands of years. Considering Daniel 8:19 above, Gabriel stated that he wanted Daniel to know what should occur in the last end of the indignation. It can be inferred that the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes, and his practices, behaviors, and attempts against God’s people would be exhibited by the Antichrist. Antiochus Epiphanes would not have had the influence upon the heavenly host, but Satan could, and he was not only behind Antiochus Epiphanes, but he will also give power and his authority to the Antichrist as discussed in Daniel 7, Isaiah 14:12-15, Revelation 12:3-4, Revelation 13:2 b, and Revelation 13:4-8.
Contrasting Antiochus Epiphanes with the Antichrist, there is an obvious difference in the geographic extent of influence between them and the time of influence over the operation of the temple. Antiochus Epiphanes was limited by the rising Roman government to war only toward the east and south of his kingdom, and the land of Israel. His influence over the temple sacrifice was limited to 2,300 days, or over six years. In contrast, the Antichrist will be given power over all kindred, tongues, and nations for a 42-month period, the last half of the seven years of tribulation.
The following table provides a comparison between the little horn in Daniel 8, which represents Antiochus IV Epiphanes, with the Antichrist in Revelation, which again is represented by the little horn in Daniel 7. The information in this table illustrates the character displayed by Antiochus IV that the Antichrist will possess, but with greater effectiveness and lethality.
| Antiochus IV Epiphanes | Other related verses and possible interpretations | Order of events | Daniel 8 | Antichrist in Revelation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Satanic influence | Daniel 8:10 | Revelation 12:3-4, Revelation 13:2, 4-8, Isaiah 14:12-15 |
| 2 | He magnified himself | Daniel 8:11 | Revelation 13:4 |
| 3 | The daily sacrifice is taken away | Daniel 8:11 | Revelation 13:6 |
| 4 | He prospered | Daniel 8:12 | Revelation 13:5 |
| 5 | A set time for the desolation of the temple | Daniel 8:13-14 | Revelation 13:5 |
| 6 | He will have a fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences | Daniel 8:23 | Revelation 13:13-14, (the false prophet) |
| 7 | His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power | Daniel 8:24 | Revelation 13:2, 4 |
| 8 | He shall destroy the mighty and the holy people | Daniel 8:24 | Revelation 13:7 |
| 9 | He will stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken without a hand | Daniel 8:25 | Revelation 19:19-21 |
Antiochus IV Epiphanes was a very wicked individual who enacted the vilest actions against the Jews. The worst of his actions occurred when his final attempt to war against Egypt was thwarted by the Romans, led by Consul Gaius Popillius Laenas. It is thought that Popillius faced Antiochus to turn from his planned attack on Alexandria. When Antiochus attempted delay tactics in response, Popillius is said to have drawn a circle in the ground around Antiochus, and commanded him not to leave the circle until he decided what he would do. Rome forced him to turn from his intentions of plundering Egypt, so he took his forces to Jerusalem and vented his anger against the Jews. He was a man whose influence could be bought for a high price, and he had no regard for anyone other than himself. He even thought of himself a god, and had the "Epiphanes" attached to his name. His vanity and evil knew no bounds.
Antiochus Epiphanes attempted to abolish the worship of the Lord by taking away the daily sacrifice, and through abominable acts of sacrilege. He attacked the Jews and attempted to force those in Jerusalem to feast on the pigs that he had offered upon the altar that was dedicated to the worship of the Lord. The people of the Lord, believed in Him, knew His words and commandments, and never suffered an inch in compromise to Antiochus, despite the cruel and tortuous death sentences that he imposed on them. This led to the successful revolt of the Maccabees, and the festival of Hanukkah. The Lord had made covenants and promises to Israel, and neither Antiochus, Hitler, the Antichrist, or any other man or Satan will change one iota of God's Word. Israel is the apple of God's eye, Zechariah 2:8. More detail on this can be found on the Jewish Encyclopedia.com site, and searching on Antiochus Epiphanes.
As illustrated in the table above, Antiochus Epiphanes was a type of the Antichrist. There are two main differences. First, no doubt that the acts of Antiochus were demonic, but he was not indwelt by Satan as the Antichrist will be. Second, the Antichrist will severely persecute the Jews, as Antiochus did, but the persecution by the Antichrist will occur during the seven years of tribulation, particularly the latter half of that time. The Antichrist's influence will be worldwide, not regional as with Antiochus Epiphanes. Therefore, the power of the Antichrist will be orders of magnitude greater, and through his actions, he will nearly destroy the entire world.
In Daniel 8:13-14, Daniel heard the conversation between two holy ones. Their dialog consisted of questions concerning the temple and the timing of events surrounding it, which was:
- How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled
- The vision concerning the daily sacrifice
- The rebellion that causes desolation
- The surrender of the sanctuary and the host that will be trampled underfoot
Similar to when King Nebuchadnezzar was given the victory over Israel and Jerusalem because of the Lord’s judgment over His people Israel, Daniel 1:1-2, so too this scenario of God's judgment over His people will occur. At that time, the period of judgment on Judah for her rebellion against the Lord would be shorter than in their days of Babylonian exile. The Lord’s judgment included taking away their temple worship of Him, allowing the sanctuary to be desecrated by this person of Greek origin, the little horn in this chapter, and allowing the people to be sorely persecuted by him.
Daniel was greatly astonished and grieved in his heart as he heard this conversation concerning the daily sacrifice and the desolation. The number of days set aside for the desolation of the sanctuary until its cleansing was set to be 2,300 days. Based on the Jewish calendar of 360 days, this period of time would have lasted 6.4 years. The time of desolation that the Jews would suffer under the rule of Antiochus Epiphanes is shorter than the seven years for the tribulation yet to occur under the Antichrist in the last days. This reference related to the time of Antiochus Epiphanes in Daniel 8:13-14, is not to be confused with the days of the Antichrist, as given in Daniel 7:25. They are two entirely different events, similar in their horrors against Israel, but separated by millennia. There are many similarities between the two events, but only because Antiochus Epiphanes is a type of the Antichrist. These two saints in Daniel's vision were referring to the weaning years of the Grecian influence over Israel and Jerusalem. It would not be long before Rome assumed full authority over the land of Israel, its people, and Jerusalem.
The judgment of the 2,300 days upon Judah occurred in 165 B.C. with the cleansing of the temple. There is an argument of when the judgement started. Some who take the literal view of interpreting the Bible, feel that the beginning of this period was in 171 B.C. when Onias was removed as High Priest. He was taken out of his office by Antiochus who received a bribe from one who coveted that position. Another view is based on Israel observing the morning and evening sacrifices as commanded by the Lord to Moses, Exodus 29:38-39. Based on that view, dividing the 2,300 days by half, the start time would begin in 168 B.C. when the desecration of the temple occurred with the image of Zeus put in the holy place. In either case, the end point is the same for both cases.
In Daniel 8:15-18, Daniel is seen looking for understanding and the meaning of what he had seen on the Ulai River. Some believe this to be the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. As Daniel proclaimed back in Daniel 2:19-22, it is the Lord who reveals the deep and secret things, and makes known what is in the darkness. It is the Pre-incarnate Christ who directs Gabriel to make known the understanding of the vision to Daniel. This must have been an awesome and holy moment for Daniel. Having been brought up in the customs of royalty, he was afraid and fell on his face. These events impacted him so much that while on his face he appeared to be in a deep sleep, out of great fear from all that he had seen. Gabriel touched Daniel and set him upright so that the words of revelation from the Lord would be clearly known and understood.
In Daniel 8:19, Gabriel tells Daniel that he will make known what the end of the of the Lord's anger against Antiochus Epiphanes for what he had done against Judah. This is in fulfillment of the promise God made to Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3. The end of the matter with Antiochus and the desolation of the temple is for a set time; it is the Lord's time. Just what Jesus told His apostles prior to His ascension, Acts 1:6-7.
These passages reveal two empires that are associated with two of the metallic colors on the image that King Nebuchadnezzar dreamt in Daniel 2:31-35. The silver arms in the image represented the Media and Persian empire and the brass thighs represented the Grecian empire. Note also that the beasts revealed in Daniel 7:3-7, are thought by some to represent the countries in the same multi-metallic image. Though the bear and leopard are not repeated here, a ram and goat are used to represent the Media and Persian empire and the Grecian empire respectively. More precisely, the notable horn between the eyes of the goat represents the first king of Greece. There have been other kings of Greece, but Alexander was the first Grecian king to rule and influence the land of Israel and Jerusalem. Israel and Jerusalem are the keys to unlock and understand these prophetic passages.
Upon the death of Alexander the Great, represented by the breaking of the notable horn, four other horns stood up in their place. These are the four generals of Alexander's army who divided the empire into four parts, rather than fighting an endless war in order to control it all, shown above in the discussion of the "four horns and the little horn." As a result, these four generals, now kings, did not attain their rule and kingdom out of their own power, but from the existing kingdom of Alexander's, as stated in Daniel 8:22.
Daniel 8:23, is the time referenced in Daniel 8:19. This the time appointed for the end of the indignation. During the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, is when the transgressors are come to the full. It is Antiochus who has the fierce countenance and understanding of dark sentences.
In Daniel 8:24, Antiochus Epiphanes is shown to be the person who possesses mighty power, but it was not his own. He emerged upon the throne through cunning and subtlety. Once in power, he did many mighty things in an evil sense, for his time. Antiochus is a type of the Antichrist, who achieved much in a secular sense.
In Daniel 8:25, Antiochus Epiphanes is shown to achieve his will through deceit, and he magnified himself. He destroyed many through false peace offerings. This is exactly the image of the Antichrist with the opening of the first seal, showing a man with a crown, having a bow without arrows, and riding on a white horse, Revelation 6:1-2.
The following table lists the differences between the two little horns.
Differences Between the Two Little Horns
Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Daniel chapter 8) and the Antichrist (Daniel chapter 7) |
Daniel chapter 8 | Daniel chapter 7 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The little horn came out of one of the four horns on the goat, which represented Greece, Daniel 8:21-22 | The little horn came out of the beast among the 10 horns, Daniel 7:8 |
| 2 | The little horn will emerge near the end of the four horns' reign, Daniel 8:23 | He uprooted three of the horns, Daniel 7:8 |
| 3 | For over 2,300 (6 years) will the sanctuary be surrendered and desolate, Daniel 8:13-14 | Had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully, Daniel 7:8 |
| 4 | ...He shall destroy the mighty and the holy people, Daniel 8:24 | He will oppress the saints for 3 ½ years, Daniel 7:25 |
| 5 | The characteristics applied to the little horn show that he is a type of the Antichrist in the tribulation period, Daniel 8:23-25 | The court of God will be seated and judge the beast, Daniel 7:26 |
| 6 | The temple will be cleansed, Daniel 8:14 | After 69 sevens the temple and Jerusalem will be destroyed (Titus 70 AD) Daniel 9:26 |
| 7 | There is therefore a relationship between the two little horns based on type, but not substance. | There will be a covenant made with the Antichrist for 1 week (7 years), and in the midst of the week the covenant will be broken, he will cease the sacrifice and offering, and setup the abomination that causes desolation Daniel 9:27 |
| 8 | THIS LITTLE HORN HAS BEEN FULFILLED BY ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES and is a TYPE OF THE ANTICHRIST | THIS LITTLE HORN IS THE ANTICHRIST DURING THE TRIBULATION |
As demonstrated on several occasions within this book, pride was the downfall for many in positions of responsibility. In Daniel 4:1-37, King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was dealt with by God. The king was warned of impending judgment through the interpretation provided him by Daniel. A year elapsed before the king’s pride was fully manifest, and he was immediately judged for seven seasons, Daniel 4:30-32. King Nebuchadnezzar did repent, and his kingdom was restored to him, and more so, as God had promised him.
King Belshazzar in Daniel 5:1-31 and King Darius in Daniel 6:1-28, both experienced trouble with pride. As Daniel records the events in Daniel 8, it is evident that in all these cases concerning the ram, goat, and little horn, pride was a base issue for them, Daniel 8:4, Daniel 8:8, Daniel 8:11.
This site uses the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, which indicates that the two beasts became great, and the little horn magnified himself. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) interprets these verses in a way to show a more negative connotation to the attribution of the word “great” used in the KJV. In verse 4, the NASB reads: Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. In verse 8, the NASB reads: the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. Verse 11 in the NASB reads: It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host. In all three instances, as well as with King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 5:1-31, judgment immediately follows the sentence of pride. The issue of pride is one that God does not ignore. It is something exhibited in a person’s character that the Bible says God hates, Proverbs 16:5. This is evident when a man’s pride takes away from God’s glory by attributing success to man’s own efforts.
The three kingdoms described in Daniel 8 did not recognize God's influence over the success in their kingdoms. Instead, they allowed pride to be their god. In contrast, King Nebuchadnezzar did repent and he enjoyed the fruits of his kingdom throughout his lifetime, Daniel 4:37. This is summed up by Daniel’s praise to the Lord when the dream and interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream were made known to him by the Lord, Daniel 2:20-21.
In Daniel 8:26, after giving the interpretation, Gabriel told Daniel to shut up the vision for it was meant for a future time. Since these visions occurred in the third reign of King Belshazzar, there were many details and events yet to unfold that would lead up to the fulfillment of these prophetic passages. From our vantage point in time, we can look back and see how many of these events were fulfilled, yet there are still some questions in our time yet to be resolved. Not only did Daniel suffer physically and emotionally because of the visions and interpretation, but he could not keep it to himself, since he also stated that none understood the visions, Daniel 8:27.
Daniel had an awesome responsibility placed upon him. He had some understanding of the affliction on the children of Israel during these terrible times. Added to this was the necessity to accurately and completely record all the details and interpretations he received. He was not merely viewing a visual rendering of a future event, as if watching a televised event, he was experiencing the emotions of these revelations because he knew that these events were real. The physical manifestations he suffered were because of his faith in the Lord, and he knew that these terrible events would occur sometime in the future.