The Ram and the He-Goat. Daniel 8
GOD is pleased to cause a second vision to pass before Daniel. It is still the period of the first beast’s power. The Babylonian empire, though nearing its end, is still in existence. But the prophet is carried in vision to the capital of the kingdom that was to follow upon its downfall.
It is of importance to observe that a remarkable change comes at this part of the book. From the first verse of this chapter to the end of the book the language is Hebrew, whereas from chapter 2:4 to 7:28 it is Chaldee. The reason of this is that in the first part of the book we have especially what has reference to the course of the great Gentile powers, their rise and fall, their succession, and their moral characteristics, hence the language used was that in common use in the Babylonian capital. But in the chapters that follow, God is pleased to describe what has specially to do with His own people―the Jews― consequently Hebrew is the language employed. True, we likewise find much about the third and fourth beasts, or at least their representatives in the last days, but this only because of their close connection with the history of the Jewish nation.
It is well to remember that whilst stupendous changes may be taking place amongst the nations of the earth, empires may rise and empires may crumble into dust, God has one object of interest on the earth, and that is the people that He brought out of Egypt. So far as the earth and God’s dealings with the earth are concerned, that only is of importance which has to do with them. They are beloved for the fathers’ sakes, and of them as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. (Rom. 9:1-61I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 6Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: (Romans 9:1‑6).)
The attempt of the rationalists to prove that Daniel lived under the third or Grecian empire breaks down at every turn, it is evidence to all but themselves of that hostility to God and His word that fills the natural mind which is enmity against God. The spirit of God is here giving us through Daniel a marvelous outline of what was all future at the time that it was written, and much of which, as we shall see, remains to be accomplished.
“I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns, etc.” (vet. 3). We do not need history to explain, for in verse 20 we are told that “the ram which thou rawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.”
The ram of chapter 8. is the same as the bear of chapter 7. If we remember that the empire had not yet arisen, we cannot but be struck with the remarkable accuracy of the details given. Need we wonder? God is the author of the book, Daniel is but the instrument. The ram had two horns; here we are shown the composite nature of the Persian empire. Two peoples went to form it―the Medes and the Persians. But of these two horns one was higher than the other, and this fact is well known to history, for the Persian element preponderated; and yet, strange to say, it was the later in asserting itself: “the higher came up last.”
In all this we see the absolute accuracy of the Scripture. It would have been impossible, apart from divine inspiration, to have given in two or three lines such a perfect forecast of the future.
No wonder that the deniers of revelation exert their utmost powers to disprove the early date of Daniel. Porphyry, the heathen writer of the second century, did the same; how sad and awful a spectacle to see the twentieth century theologians and doctors of divinity in such company. But apostate christendom is more guilty than dark heathendom, and its damnation slumbereth not.
The ram pushes “westward, and northward, and southward” (vs. 4). It is an Eastern power―Eastern so far as Palestine is concerned―that is here represented, and in this language we are shown the direction of its conquests.
But now the prophet’s gaze is directed to the west: “an he-goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth” (vet, 5). The chapter further on explains this to be “the king of Grecia” (vs. 21). It is the same as the leopard of the previous chapter. He is seen to come on the face of the whole earth, and with such impetuous rapidity that he “touched not the ground.” Unlike the ram, which pushed west, north, and south, aggrandizing itself slowly, if surely, according to its own will, the he-goat has one point of furious attack, “he came to the ram... and ran unto him in the fury of his power.” But this is not sufficient to describe his bitter antagonism, he “came close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him.” The fact was that Greece had an old and very real ground of antagonism to the Persian empire. The vast armies of Persia had invaded Greece in the days when this latter was but a small and insignificant people, but now God’s time had come for the passing away of the second empire and the uprising of the third. “There was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.”
But further details are given that place beyond all doubt the true interpretation of the vision; “the goat had a notable horn between his eyes” (vs. 5), and this great horn, we are told, is “the first king” (vs. 21). It was Alexander the Great, the mighty conqueror so well known to history. Only here let us remember, the Spirit of God was giving prophetically what was not accomplished historically till nearly three hundred years after. Through Alexander’s extraordinary energy the power of Greece made itself felt far and wide in a remarkably short space of time, “the he-goat waxed very great” (vs. 8). But at the very zenith of his fame and power he was suddenly stricken down, “when he was strong the great horn was broken.” He died when he was still but a young man, only about thirty-three years of age, and in the midst of his victories.
Then after a short time the empire that Alexander had built up was divided into four parts, over which four of his generals became rulers.
No language could more accurately describe what really took place. When the great horn was broken, that is, after Alexander’s death, there “came up four notable ones towards the four winds of heaven” (vs. 8). Though powerful, yet they were not so strong as he, “four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power” (vs. 22).
Nobody in the smallest degree familiar with the history of those times can fail to be struck with the marvelous accuracy of the description here given so briefly. Had Daniel been writing history instead of prophecy it would have been absolutely impossible to have given a more correct account of what actually took place. So clear is this that a mere schoolboy can discern the perfect accord between the facts of history and the words of Daniel. If, as the higher critics assert, Daniel lived in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes in the second century before Christ, that is to say, after the events had taken place, how is it that what he wrote was not understood? The last verse of our chapter tells us that Daniel was “astonished at the vision, but none understood it.” This alone is sufficient to shatter the rationalists’ pet theory of the late date of Daniel.
But Scripture does not merely relate history, even prophetically. Nothing is inserted without definite purpose, and here, as we have seen, the object before the Spirit’s mind is to record what concerns the Jewish nation, and that especially in the last stages of its history. Consequently two of the divisions of Alexander’s empire are passed over in silence. Two only out of the four came into close contact with the Jewish nation, and though all appearance of their dominion has long since passed away, yet they are destined to revive, and representatives of these will play a most important part in the future history of God’s earthly people. They are spoken of in chapter 11. as “the king of the north” and “the king of the south. “The first of these, the king of the north, is typified by “the little horn” of chapter 8.
We must not suppose that the little horn of chapter 7. is the same as the little horn of chapter 8. They are two distinct personages, each of which will influence in a marvelous way the affairs of the world, and of the Jews in the future, possibly at no very distant date. Some have thought that the little horn of chapter 7. was the Papacy, and that of chapter 8 Islamism, the great scourges of Christendom in the West and the East respectively. But it is of importance to remember that Daniel is treating not of Christians and the Church, but of the times when God will once more be directly dealing with His earthly people, Israel. If this were better understood many sincere and well-meaning Christians would be saved from their lamentable and futile attempts at fixing the date of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. What have the 1260 days, call them years or what you please, to do with anything taking place during this unreckoned period? In saying this we do not for one moment question that they are literal days. But these days will not commence to be counted until the removal of the Church, and the resumption of God’s dealings with His earthly people.
(To be continued.)