Interpretation of Daniel's Ram and Goat

The Ram and the He-Goat

Part 26

Map of Babylonian Empire (605 - 539 B.C.)

In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. -- Dan 8:1 (KJV)

And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. -- Dan 8:2 (KJV)

Then I lifted up mine 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. (Persia was a greater kingdom than the Medes) -- Dan 8:3 (KJV)

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. -- Dan 8:4 (KJV)

And as I was considering, behold, an 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. -- Dan 8:5 (KJV)

And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. -- Dan 8:6 (KJV)

And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns:

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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. -- Dan 8:7 (KJV)

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. -- Dan 8:8 (KJV)

And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. -- Dan 8:9 (KJV)

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. -- Dan 8:10 (KJV)

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. -- Dan 8:11 (KJV)

And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered. -- Dan 8:12 (KJV)

Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? -- Dan 8:13 (KJV)

And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. -- Dan 8:14 (KJV)

And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. -- Dan 8:15 (KJV)

And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. -- Dan 8:16 (KJV)

So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. -- Dan 8:17 (KJV)

Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. -- Dan 8:18 (KJV)

And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. -- Dan 8:19 (KJV)

The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. -- Dan 8:20 (KJV)

Note: The emblem of Persia was a Ram.

Coins have been discovered which display a Ram's head on one side and a Ram lying at rest on the other side.

Some Persian kings also wore a golden figure of a Ram's head set with gems instead of a diadem.

In the Zend Avesta, Ized Behram, the guardian spirit of Persia, appears like a Ram, with cloven feet, and sharp pointed horns.

Great god of the Chaldean mysteries

Nebo - Babylon (Egypt - Nub or Num) - "The Prophet" - Great Powers of Magic

Map of Median-Persian Empire (539 - 331 B.C.)

And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: -- Dan 8:21 (KJV)

The national emblem of Macedonia (Greece) was a Goat.

Note: The national emblem of Macedonia (Greece) was a Goat and is found on the coins of this country, the ancient capital of which was called Aegae, or the "Goat City", while the adjacent waters were called the Aegean or "Goat-Sea".

And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. -- Dan 8:21 (KJV)

Alexander the great, the son of Roxana was also called by the name Aegus which literally means the son of a goat.

Map of Greecian Empire (331 - 168 B.C.)

Gassander took Macedonia and the Western part

Lysimachus took Thrace and the Northern part

Seleucus took Syria and the Eastern part

Ptolemy took Egypt and the Southern part

Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. -- Dan 8:22 (KJV)

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. -- Dan 8:23 (KJV)

Antiochus Epiphanes the king of Syria desecrated the Temple but was he the final fulfillment of prophecy ? (168 B.C.)

And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. -- Dan 8:24 (KJV)

And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. -- Dan 8:25 (KJV)

And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. -- Dan 8:26 (KJV)

And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. -- Dan 8:27 (KJV)

Daniel's dream reveals many mysteries

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. -- Dan 7:1 (KJV)

Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. -- Dan 7:2 (KJV)

And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. -- Dan 7:3 (KJV)

The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: -- Dan 7:4 (KJV)

I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. -- Dan 7:4 (KJV)

And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. -- Dan 7:5 (KJV)

After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. -- Dan 7:6 (KJV)

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. -- Dan 7:7 (KJV)

I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. -- Dan 7:8 (KJV)

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. -- Dan 7:9 (KJV)

A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. -- Dan 7:10 (KJV)

I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. -- Dan 7:11 (KJV)

As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. -- Dan 7:12 (KJV)

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. -- Dan 7:13 (KJV)

And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. -- Dan 7:14 (KJV)

I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. -- Dan 7:15 (KJV)

I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. -- Dan 7:16 (KJV)

These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. -- Dan 7:17 (KJV)

But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. -- Dan 7:18 (KJV)

Remember Nebuchadnezzar's image ?

Daniel's beasts correspond to Nebuchadnezzar's image

Babylon was the Head of Gold

Babylon is also represented by the Lion

The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: -- Dan 7:4 (KJV)

I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. -- Dan 7:4 (KJV)

Lion seems to have been a sign associated with Babylon

Lions guarded the walls of the city of the Babylonians

Winged Lions guarded the gates of the royal palaces of the Babylonians

Winged Lions guarded the temples of the Babylonians

Kingdom of Babylon

Medo-Persia was the Silver Arms and Chest

Medo-Persia was also the Bear

This second earthly kingdom was to be fulfilled by the jointly ruled kingdom of the Medes and the Persians. We also see the truth concerning the second horn being greater than the first just as it is said that the bear had been lifted up on one side. This lifted up side of the bear or greater horn of the Ram was Persia while the other was represented the kingdom of the Medes.

Cyrus had been a specially chosen instrument, predestined, anointed, and called of God, to devour the kingdom of Babylon. We can see from these scriptures that the angels of God who fought against the Prince of Persia, would now fight along his side against the Prince of Greece.

That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and

shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to

Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple,

Thy foundation shall be laid.

Isa 44:28 (KJV)

Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose

right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him;

and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him

the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

I will go before thee, and make the crooked places

straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and

cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee

the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret

places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which

call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For

Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have

even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee,

though thou hast not known me.

Isa 45:1-4 (KJV)

The three ribs within the bear's mouth might represent Babylon, Egypt, and Lydia, which were all considered to be provinces of the kingdom of Babylon, forming a strong alliance against the bear, but the alliance was not powerful enough to fight against the word of God. ^{^[1]} Cyrus had been called forth by the will of God, and he would accomplish that which God had called him forth to accomplish.

The Medo-Persian Empire Emerged (539 - 331 B.C.)

Greece was the belly of brass

According to Clarence Larkin, the words "his belly and thighs of brass" should be translated as "his belly of brass, and his thigh parts and legs of iron". When translated as he has suggested, we are able to distinguish the division of the iron kingdom, beginning as one kingdom but then later splitting into it's two separate parts, the Eastern and Western divisions of the Roman Empire in 364 A.D. ^{^[2]}

The Greecian Empire Emerged (331 - 168 B.C.)

Historically, Alexander the Great became the king of Greece in 336 B.C., being himself twenty years of age. He began his conquest of the Persian empire shortly thereafter. Alexander died at the age of thirty-three of marsh fever, after having successfully conquered the greater portions of the then known world. After his death, his kingdom was divided between his four generals, Gassander (assuming rule in Macedonia and the western parts of the kingdom), Lysimachus (assuming rule in Thrace and the northern parts of the kingdom), Seleucus (assuming rule in Syria and the eastern parts of the kingdom), and Ptolemy (assuming rule in Egypt and the southern parts of the kingdom). This four fold division of the Grecian kingdom, is not visibly represented within the vision of Nebuchadnezzar's great image, but as we can see from the visions of the leopard having his four heads, and the goat having his four horns that the future of this Grecian kingdom was completely and perfectly foretold.^{^[3]}

We know from Daniel's own interpretation of this kingdom that this beast represents the Grecian empire and conquest of Alexander the Great, while the four heads might easily be identified as Thrace, Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt. Remnants of this Grecian kingdom existed from the death of Alexander the Great (323 B.C.), falling one by one until the final conquest of Egypt by the Romans (30 B.C.).

Greece was also the four headed leopard