CHAPTER 8
In the third
year
of the reign
of King
Belshazzar,
a vision
appeared
to me,
Daniel,
subsequent
to the one that had appeared
to me
previously.
And in the vision
I saw
myself
in the citadel
of Susa,
in the province
of Elam.
I saw
in the vision
that I
was
beside
the Ulai
Canal.
Then I lifted
my eyes
and saw
a ram
with
two horns
standing
beside
the canal.
The horns
were long,
but one
was longer
than
the other,
and the longer
one grew up
later.
I saw
the ram
charging
toward the west
and the north
and the south.
No
animal
could stand
against him,
and there was no
deliverance
from his power.
He did
as he pleased
and became great.
As I
was
contemplating all this,
suddenly
a goat
with a prominent
horn
between
his eyes
came
out of
the west,
crossing
the surface
of the entire
earth
without
touching
the ground.
He came
toward
the two-horned
ram
I had seen
standing
beside
the canal
and rushed
at him
with furious
power.
I saw
him approach
the ram
in a rage
against him,
and he struck
the ram
and shattered
his two
horns.
The ram
was
powerless
to stand
against him,
and the goat threw
him to the ground
and trampled him,
and
no one
could deliver
the ram
from his power.
Thus the goat
became
very
great,
but at the height of his power,
his large
horn
was broken off,
and four
prominent
horns came up
in its place,
pointing toward the four
winds
of heaven.
From
one
of these horns
a
little
horn
emerged
and grew
extensively
toward
the south
and the east
and toward
the Beautiful Land.
It grew as high
as
the host
of heaven,
and it cast down
some of
the host
and some
of the stars
to the earth,
and trampled them.
It magnified itself,
even to
the Prince
of the host;
it removed
His daily sacrifice
and overthrew
the place
of His sanctuary.
And on account of rebellion,
the host
and
the daily sacrifice
were given over to the horn,
and it flung
truth
to the ground
and prospered
in whatever it did.
Then I heard
a
holy one
speaking,
and another
holy
one said
to him,
“How
long until the fulfillment of
the vision
of the daily sacrifice,
the rebellion
that causes desolation,
and the surrender
of the sanctuary
and of the host
to be trampled?”
He said
to me,
“It will take
2,300
evenings
and mornings;
then the sanctuary
will be properly restored.”
While I,
Daniel,
was watching
the vision
and trying to
understand it,
there
stood
before me
one having the appearance
of a man.
And I heard
the voice
of a man
calling
from between the banks of
the Ulai:
“Gabriel,
explain
the vision
to this man.”
As he came
near
to where I stood,
I was terrified
and fell
facedown.
“Son
of man,”
he said
to me,
“understand
that
the vision
concerns the time
of the end.”
While he was speaking
to me,
I fell into a deep sleep,
with
my face
to the ground.
Then he touched me,
helped me to my feet
and said,
“Behold,
I will make known to you
what
will happen
in the latter time
of wrath,
because
it concerns the appointed time
of the end.
The shaggy
goat
represents the king
of Greece,
and the large
horn
between
his eyes
is
the first
king.
The four horns
that replaced
the broken one
represent four
kingdoms
that will rise
from that nation,
but will not have
the same power.
In the latter part
of their reign,
when the rebellion
has reached its full measure,
an insolent
king,
skilled
in intrigue,
will come to the throne.
His power
will be great,
but it
will not be his own.
He will cause terrible destruction
and succeed
in whatever he does.
He will destroy
the mighty men
along with the holy
people.
Through
his craft
and by his hand,
he will cause deceit
to prosper,
and in his own mind
he will make himself great.
In a time of peace
he will destroy
many,
and he will even stand
against
the Prince
of princes.
Yet he will be broken off,
but not
by human hands.
The vision
of the evenings
and the mornings
that
has been spoken
is true.
Now you
must seal up
the vision,
for
it concerns the distant
future.”
I,
Daniel,
was exhausted
and lay ill
for days.
Then I got up
and went about
the king’s
business.
I was devastated
by
the vision;
it was beyond
understanding.