Posted by Elana Janson on July 10, 2006 at 14:16:01:
Daniel, Chapter 8:1-12
Daniel, Chapter 8:1-3
“In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that appeared unto me at the first. (2) And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw that is was at Shushan in the place which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.”
(3) “Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram, which had two horns: and the two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.”
Two horns
This verse is linked to Revelation through the words “two horns”. The words “two horns” appear in Revelation in 13:11 in which the beast out of the earth is described. “And I beheld another beast coming out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb.” These words of Revelation that are linked to the ram in Daniel through the words “two horns” are of great significance. The reference in Daniel gives greater insight into the beast out of the earth. Through the vision in Daniel that reveals the movement of the horns, it is made known that the influence of the beast out of the earth is not static, but develops in time.
High
In Daniel is said that “the two horns were high”. The word “high” Is used in Revelation 21:12 “And had a wall great and high”. Through the word “high” in Daniel and Revelation we know that the time that the influence of the beast out of the earth is going to rise and be most powerful is at the time 1860 to 2004 and beyond, the time of the “wall” of the New Jerusalem. Those who have not read my books are not going to understand what I have just said. I am therefore going to give the following explanation.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
In Revelation chapter 21:2 John saw the holy city come down from heaven. In the understanding of the symbolism of Revelation “holy city, new Jerusalem come down from God” means that at a certain point in the end time God will give the understanding that the symbolism of the New Jerusalem relates to that which took place on earth in the past two millennia. In the centuries past this vision of the New Jerusalem was to readers of Revelation a vision of the life after death. With the understanding of time measure in Revelation and that time measure ultimately explains all the symbolism of Revelation came the knowledge that the total time of Revelation is two millennia and “a season and time” (Daniel 7:12). This time of some two thousand years on earth is “reflected” in the symbolism of what we are told concerning the New Jerusalem in Revelation, chapter 21. In this way Revelation expresses a unity of life on earth with those who are going to inherit eternal life.
Revelation reveals the figurative “temple” on earth in Revelation through a time measure of “three days and a half” (Rev 11:1 “Measure the temple of God and the altar”). This is done through the words of Jesus Christ in John 2:19 “Destroy this temple and in three days I shall raise it up”. The figurative temple on earth is linked to the New Jerusalem through the symbolism of the New Jerusalem.
The figurative ‘temple’ of Christians on earth in Revelation is a construction of “thee days and a half” in each millennium. The last “half day” of the second millennium is a time of 144 years from 1860 to 2004, and is the time that the beasts of Revelation, ”the beast out of the sea” and the “beast out of the earth” are in a process of becoming more and more powerful and destructive. It is this process of development that is symbolically represented by the growth of the horns of the ram in Daniel 8:3. The visions of Daniel reveal this insight into the meaning of Revelation. This time of 144 years is symbolically the time that the beasts will cause persons to bear the mark of the beast in their forehead and in their right hand and they might ultimately not enter the kingdom of heaven (Rev 20:4-5). In the time 1860 to 2004, the influence of the beasts progressively becomes very powerful. This increasing hindrance in the last 144 years by the beasts is symbolically represented by the “wall” of the New Jerusalem.
One was higher
It is the “two horns” of the ram that also reveals that the beast out of the earth consists of two time measures. The time 666 which is the period from 1266 to 1932 and then the time 1932 to 1992 which is “threescore years” and what Revelation refers to as the “fourth part of earth” in Rev 6:8. During this second time period the beast becomes more powerful and man becomes more arrogant. This ‘arrogance’ is also figurative expressed in the word “higher”. In Daniel 8:3 ”but one was higher than the other and the higher came up last”.
The “two horns” Rev 13:11 also reveal that the beast out of the earth is strengthened by the beast out of the sea (Rev 13:12 “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast”.)
Daniel 8:4 “I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward and southward, so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
Westward, northward and southward
Through Daniel 8:4 we are given further insight that the “beast out of the earth” that has “two horns” is an influence of evil that will spread westward, northward and southward in the time of its development. This is true. In the time 1266 to 1932 the scientific advancements of Europe would largely spread and develop westward, northward and southward. In conjunction with Revelation that we now know is a global view, this verse of Daniel substantiates that Daniel is also an apocalyptic message for the entire earth.
According to
The latter part of Daniel 8:4 is also substantiated by the words of Revelation. This is done through the words “according to” that are repeated three times in Revelation. Rev 20:12 “And I saw the dead small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Rev 20:13 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” Rev 22:12 “And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Therefore with the knowledge that great insight lies in the words of Revelation, it is also revealed through the description of the ram of Daniel’s vision. Through the “two horns” that link the ram to the beast out of the earth of Revelation, we know that the scientific achievements of the latter part of the second millennium would be the predominant way (“that ho beasts might stand before him”) that man would be distracted from his eternal purpose. In no way would man be persuaded that harnessing the minerals of the earth could be a way through which the forces of evil would divert man’s thinking away from the eternal (“neither was there any who could deliver out of this hand”).
“But he did according to his will and became great”
Therefore through the words “according to his will” used here show that the ram would not be stopped in his purpose to mislead man through scientific achievement. In turn the words “according to” repeated in Revelation reveal that those who were misled through their focus that was placed entirely on what science could reveal in the time of the second half of the second millennium and particularly in the second half of the twentieth century, when the beasts of Revelation are at their most powerful, would ultimately be judged according to the way they were deceived.
Great
Significant is the use of the words “great”. As mentioned in the previous posts it is through the word “great” that Revelation reveals the time of the power of the beast at its strongest. That is the time of the casting of the seventh bowl of wrath (Rev 16:17 – 21 – where it is used seven times) which is also the time that the beast is ‘great’ in the sight of the misled peoples of the earth.
Finally it is through the symbol of the ram with “two horns” in Daniel that we get a further perspective on the beast out of the earth. It is a perspective that is substantiated by history for we know that there was a falling away from the faith in the second half of the second millennium and particularly in the latter half of the twentieth century. Most significant is the way it sustains the meaning of Revelation and supports the method of analysis of Revelation, that is, through information of words in Daniel.
The ram sustains why it is difficult for man in the time after 1860, the time of the “wall” to enter the kingdom of heaven. There is hope for all persons on earth at this point in time for there are four gates in the wall, three to the west, three to the north, three to the east and three to the south (Rev 21:13).
Daniel 8:5 “And as I was considering, behold a he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.” Through the words “the west” in Rev 21:13 and with the knowledge that the wall of the New Jerusalem pertains to the time after 1860 we can use the symbolism of Daniel 8:5 to further understand the time after 1860 as revealed through the words of Daniel. This verse again substantiates what we know through history that is that the influence of the ideology of the ruling of man (the horn being the symbol of the rule that would come in the place of kings - between the eyes of the he goat) of the west would in the time after 1860 spread on the face of the whole earth. The words “and touched not the ground” substantiates the discoveries of aviation and world-wide telecommunication that would come in the twentieth century to carry the ideology of man to the ends of the earth.
Therefore through the word ”notable horn” and the meaning of horn relating to the fourth beast of Daniel, the symbol of the he goat reveals further information of the deception that would come about in the twentieth century. It was a deception that would arise from the west and would through the achievements of men be carried across the waters of the earth. Once again the symbolism of Daniel proves to be apocalyptic and corroborates the meaning of Revelation.
Dan 8:6 “And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran into him in the fury of his power.” This verse reveals that the ideology of man in the ruling of the nations will be stronger than man’s desire to achieve through his knowledge of the earth and its elements. This is true for we know today that many would for example question cloning or the discovery of nuclear power for they can lead to the destruction of man, but the majority of the inhabitants of the earth choose the rule of man or democracy.
Dan 8:7 “And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and break his two horns, and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him, and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.” This verse reveals that ultimately the ruling of the nations of the twenty-first century will destroy any idea that scientific achievement is detrimental to man (“none could deliver the ram out of his hand”).
Dan 8:8”Therefore the he goat waxed very great; and when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.”
With the knowledge of Revelation that “horn” pertains to the rule of men that came in the place of the rule of kings this verse and the following can be understood.
Through the knowledge that the verses of Daniel reflect a time of “season” in the end time this verse relates to the little season (that is the time beyond 2001) when the he goat with the horn is at its strongest. “For it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven” The words “four winds” also appear in Revelation 7:1 and in the understanding of Revelation these winds blow in the time of the “little season” when the symbolic beasts Daniel and of Revelation are at their most powerful. It is also the time that we are seeing major hurricanes and typhoons (2004-2005). This verse reveals that the authority of the rule of men will decline in the west, but the influence would by that time have spread to the four corners of the earth (“toward the four winds of heaven” and will have great authority in all the regions of the earth (“four notable ones”).
Dan 8:9 “And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceedingly great, toward the south, and toward the east and toward the pleasant land.”
This verse relates to the last season that we cannot measure. The rule of men will have in the final time much authority in the nations south, to the east and also to the pleasant land. Of significance is the mention of the “pleasant land” which is the land God gave to the Israelites, the Holy Land. In other words the prophecy of Daniel corresponds with the prophecy of Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15 concerning the last days: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place.” The rule of men that would have destroyed the unity of Church and State would ultimately cause mankind to fall away from the faith (“the abomination of desolation”) but the final reckoning will be in the time that it also finally reaches the Holy Land. We are living that time now. It is the time that the rule of men is reaching the Middle East.
Dan 8:10-11:”And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea he magnified himself even to the prince of the host and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.”
Stars to the ground
Through the words “cast them to earth” in Rev 12:4 “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth”, we can understand the apocalyptic meaning of the “stars to the ground” in Daniel. Rev 12:4 means that the deceit (“tail”) of the dragon (the dragon in Revelation being the division between Christians - “accuser of the brethren” – Rev 12:10 - that for centuries led to war and death among Christians) was a reason that the nations were misled and played a role in taking man’s attention away from his faith and made him look to fulfilment in that which is taken from the earth and pertains to the earth (“cast them to the earth”). In Daniel, through the symbol of the horn that is the rule of man in the twenty-first century, the book Daniel brings the deceit of the nations of the earth to the twenty-first century. The deceit which causes mankind to see the heavens and the beings that are described in Scripture as being from the heavens (“host of heaven”) as no longer existing (“stamped upon them”) in man’s scientific understanding (“to the ground”) in the twenty-first century. They see the planets and stars as places to travel and no longer as the stars of heaven created by God who is in control of all that takes place in the heavens and on earth.
The rule of the final time will be regarded as equal to the ruler of the heavens and this will have a further detrimental effect on the religious practices of the faithful (“daily sacrifice was taken away”) and the Church (“his sanctuary was cast down”).
Dan 8:12 “And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast the truth to the ground, and it practised, and prospered.
Many (“an host”) would be misled and no longer regard religious practices (“the daily sacrifice”) as essential because of the deceit. As Daniel is an apocalyptic message in the twenty-first century - this is true -for many no longer regard taking Holy Communion as essential. A deceit that came upon man because he sinned (“transgression”) and was misled. The truths of the ‘spiritual’ heaven will be trampled by man who has his focus on the earth (“cast the truth to the ground”). The rule of men will be practiced and will prosper.