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Book of Daniel
Chapter 8

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 8

This chapter contains Daniel's vision of the ram and he-goat (vs. 1-14); which refer as the angel explained, to the Persian and Grecian monarchies (vs.15-26). The little horn mentioned in the ninth verse, (or fierce king, as interpreted in the twenty-third verse), is thought by some to mean Antiochus Epiphanes; but seems more probable to apply to the Roman power in general, by which the political entity and the Temple of the Jews were destroyed, because of the great transgressions of these ancient people of God; and especially because of their very stubborn and incredible rejection of the glorious doctrines of Christ, which had been preached among them by Christ Jesus Himself and His apostles, plus the fact of the Truth of which God had confirmed by signs and wonders, and by divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost (Heb.2:4). Daniel is then informed of the two thousand and three hundred prophetic days (vs.14)) which must elapse before the sanctuary would be cleansed; or, in other words, before righteousness shall prevail over the whole earth.
THEME: Daniel's vision of the ram and he goat; the meaning of the vision.
The vision recorded by Daniel in this chapter was prophetic when it was given, but it has since been fulfilled. Because it has been so clearly and literally fulfilled, this chapter is the reason for liberal critics giving a late date for the writing of the Book of Daniel. This argument rests on the fact that prophecy concerning the future is supernatural and they do not believe in the supernatural; so this prophecy could not have been written at the time of Daniel, but had to have been written afterward as history. As far as I am concerned, I believe that the Book of Daniel was written by the prophet Daniel. If Daniel did not write the Book of Daniel at about 600 B.C., then it must have been written by another man with the same name at the same time.
We should also note that the preceding section (Dan. 2:4 through Dan. 7:28) was written in Aramaic, the original language of Syria and the world language of these four great empires. With the beginning of chapter 8, the book returns to the use of the Hebrew language. With this chapter the Hebrew part of the book begins and continues to be the language of the remainder; the visions relating entirely to the Jews and Jerusalem. The scene here narrows from world-wide prophecies to those affecting the one covenant people in the five centuries between the exile and the advent.

The Vision of the Ram And He Goat (8:1-14)

Daniel 8:1 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. (KJV)
This follows in time after chapter 7. Those things that were right for the Chaldees to know are recorded by Daniel in that tongue; but now he writes in Hebrew, which lasts to the end of the book, because these things relate to the church of Christ (Jew and Gentile), to the end of the world. This is the third year in the reign of Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon. The vision given in chapter 7 was in the first year of his reign; so, both of these visions took place toward the end of the Babylonian empire. This vision supposedly came two years later than the one in Daniel chapter 7, giving additional information to some questions. Each vision was complete in itself, but both were helpful to understanding the whole truth of the future. The time of the vision was at the end of the reign of Belshazzar which corresponds to the time of the handwriting on the wall of Daniel chapter 5, for he only reigned a little more than two years. If Babylon had not fallen yet, then it must be understood that Daniel was on official business in Persia (Dan.8:2). Shushan was the chief city of Persia.

Daniel 8:2 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. (KJV)
In the vision, Daniel finds himself at Shushan, which is Susa, the capital of Medo-Persia, the second world empire. In the palace would be more accurately, near the fortress. Ulai is the Kerkah River which flowed by Susa.
The reason for the setting of the vision being at Susa instead of Babylon is that this vision concerns the second and third world empires. The events foretold in this vision were all fulfilled within two hundred years. Such fulfillment is so remarkable that the liberal critic insists upon a late dating of the Book of Daniel. They maintain that Daniel was written after these events had happened and so it is merely a historical record. This is a ridiculous attempt to get rid of the miraculous prophecies of God, which humiliates their stupid system of interpretation.
Daniel was at Shushan in his mind and thoughts, not in body, and was by the river Ulai. Some think he was locally there, being sent there in a mission by Cyrus; but Daniel was at Babylon, when it was besieged and taken (Dan.5:1-31); he was only there in spirit, as the prophet Ezekiel said he was in Jerusalem (Eze.8:3). Daniel had this vision at Shushan, because their deliverance was to come by Cyrus the Persian or Elamite, for Elam is Persia. This city was called Shushan (a lily), for its pleasantness. The river of Ulai was a river whose waters were so wholesome that they were carried far, and the king drank of no other.

Daniel 8:3 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. (KJV)
A ram which had two horns will be identified later as Media-Persia (vs.20). Before he was called a bear (Dan.7:5), and here a ram. A ram because he is a fighting creature, charging, pushing. The two horns were high . . . they were very powerful. One was higher than the other . . . the Median came up last; but afterward the Persian was much superior in magnificence and fame, which was verified in Cyrus. The higher came up last . . . in other words, the horn representing Media came up first when Gobryas the Median general destroyed Babylon. Then later the Persian monarchs gained the control over the Medes and took the great empire to its highest peak. Persia, which was of little note until Cyrus' time, then became dominant over Media, the more ancient kingdom. Darius was sixty-two years old (Dan.5:31) when he began to reign. During his short reign of two years, being a weak king (Dan.6:1-3), the government was almost entirely in Cyrus' hands. Some historians do not even mention Darius; but one does under the name of Cyaxares II. The ram here parallels the bear in (Dan.7:5). The king of Persia wore a jeweled ram's head of gold instead of a crown, such as are seen on the pillars at Persepolis. The one horn higher than the other answers to the bear raising itself on one side (Dan.7:5).

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. (KJV)
Persia conquered westward: Babylon, Mesopotamia, Syria, Asia Minor; northward: Colchis, Armenia, Iberia, and the dwellers on the Caspian Sea; southward: Judea, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya; also India, under Darius. He does not say eastward, because the Persians themselves came from the east (Isa.46:11).
He did according to his will, and became great; he prevailed against all that opposed, and did what he would and became the greatest king of the Earth then.

Daniel 8:5 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. (KJV)
As Daniel was dazed by the power and ability of the ram, yonder from the west came a goat with great movement and a dominant horn. The goat represents Greece (vs.21), and the horn symbolizes Alexander the Great.
Under Xerxes, Persia intended to move west, but from the West, came this goat which moved so fast it touched not the ground, which agrees with the four wings of the leopard (Dan.7:6) and states the speed with which Alexander moved his army. In just six years, he overcame the Medes and Persians, Babylon, Egypt and all the countries around far and near.

Daniel 8:6 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. (KJV)
And he came to the ram . . . this and verse 7 give an account of the overthrow of the Persian Empire by Alexander. The ram that had two horns . . . the kings of Media and Persia. And ran unto him in the fury of his power . . . the conflicts between the Greeks and the Persians were overly severe. Alexander first conquered the generals of Darius, at the river Granicus, in Phrygia; he next attacked and totally routed Darius, at the straits of Issus, in Cilicia; and afterwards at the plains of Arbela, in Assyria.
As we read these words: the ram—which I had seen standing by the river, ran unto him in the fury of his power . . . it is as though we can see Darius' army standing and guarding the river Granicus, with Alexander on the other side, with his forces rushing the enemy with all the fire and fury that can be conceived.

Daniel 8:7 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: 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. (KJV)
He was moved with choler means that he moved with anger and great hatred. He wanted to destroy him. Xerxes was the last great ruler of Persia, and he made an attack against Europe, against Greece; but the Greeks were smart . . . they did not go out to meet him. They waited until he got to a narrow pass. They destroyed that great Persian army as it tried to come through the pass a few soldiers at a time. Then at Salamis, Xerxes' fleet of 300 ships was destroyed by a storm. It is said that when Xerxes heard that his fleet had been destroyed, he supposedly went down to the sea, took off his belt, and beat the waves with it . . . because they had destroyed his fleet! He does not sound like he had very many smarts! This was the last effort of the East to move toward the West. No great advance was ever made again. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerxes_I
http://www.ancient.eu/Xerxes_I/
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15041-xerxes
Then there arose in the West this tremendous general, a young man, Alexander the Great. He was only thirty-two years old when he died. He was a military genius, one of the greatest. He could move a striking force by land quicker than any man ever had.
In Daniel’s vision, Daniel saw the goat furiously attack the ram, striking him and breaking off both his horns. The ram had no strength to resist. He was thrown to the ground and trampled, and there was no one who could save him. Brake his two horns . . . Alexander subdued Persia and Media; burned the royal city of Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Empire. This he supposedly did because he was moved with choler against Darius, who had tried to bribe his captains, and had tried to persuade some of his friends to assassinate him. When Alexander learned this, he would not listen to any offers of peace. He was determined not to rest until he had destroyed Darius and his whole empire. In Media, Darius was seized and made prisoner by some of his own treacherous subjects, and afterwards sordidly murdered.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_the_Mede
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4903-darius-iii

Daniel 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. (KJV)
When he was strong, the great horn was broken . . . WHAT was it that caused this horn to be broken? There was NO human power that could have broken it. It has been said that when Alexander came to power, the whole world was under the heel of Alexander the Great. But, in the midst of his vast schemes, he was seized by a fever after a nightlong drinking session, and he died in Babylon in the year 323 B.C. at the age of thirty-two. When he was strong, the great horn was broken.
All three of these empires: Babylon, Medo-Persian and Greece went down in a drunken orgy. This country has a very serious drug problem: marijuana, heroin, prescription drugs. As I see it, alcohol is a drug. A person can be addicted to any drug, and millions are addicted to alcohol! Many well-known and famous people and many high up in our government are addicts! I think our nation will be destroyed by drugs and alcohol. Just like those ancient kings dimmed their brains by booze, so too it does today on booze and drugs. The great empire of Alexander the Great went down because he was an alcoholic. He conquered the world, but he could not conquer Alexander the Great.
The he-goat waxed very great . . . he conquered all the Eastern Empire and power, all the way to India. The great horn was broken . . . this was by the mighty power of the Lord of hosts, who is higher than the highest, and stronger than the strongest, even though they seem invincible (Ecc.5:8; Ps.95:3). Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. (Ps.39:5).
Alexander the Great was greatest in his youth, when he supposedly called himself the son of Jupiter; when he was swollen with victories and successes . . . it was then that he was broken . . . he, his mother, son, brother, and all his kindred were destroyed. So weak are the greatest in the eyes of Almighty God! Man, by pride, luxury, wealth and passion, seem to prepare themselves for ruin. I am sure that Alexander wept because he did not have another world to conquer . . . but he died before his 33rd birthday. For it came up four notable ones . . . Four kingdoms were formed out of Alexander’s Empire. (1.) Antipater got Greece. (2.) Asia was possessed by Antigonus. (3.) Ptolemy got Egypt. (4.) Seleucus had Babylon and Syria.
All these were variously situated: to the east: Babylon and Syria; to the south: Egypt; to the north: Asia the Less; to the west: Greece. They would be known today as Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Egypt.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1120-alexander-the-great
http://www.livescience.com/39997-alexander-the-great.html
http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/alexander-the-great

Daniel 8:9 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. (KJV)
The little horn of this chapter is not the same as described in chapter 7. There the little horn arises out of the fourth kingdom; here the little horn comes out of the third kingdom. This little horn is historical, while the little horn of chapter 7 is prophetic, to be revealed in the future. This little horn came out of Syria from the Seleucid dynasty. He was Antiochus IV, or Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus the Great. He is sometimes called Epiphanes the madman, he was another maniacal ruler.
Antiochus came to the throne in 175 B.C. and he made an attack on Jerusalem. It was against him that the Maccabees were raised up in Judah. He was anti-Semitic, and tried to exterminate the Jews. He placed an image of Jupiter in the Holy Place in the temple in Jerusalem. This was the first abomination of desolation (Dan.9:27; 12:11; Mat.24:15; Mk.13:14; Lk.19:43; 21:20; 2 Thes.2:4). He also poured swine broth over all the holy vessels in the Temple.
http://www.gotquestions.org/Antiochus-Epiphanes.html
http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1589-antiochus-iv-epiphanes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_III_the_Great
The pleasant land is Israel. Judea (Ps.106:24; Jer.3:19; Eze.20:6,15; Dan.11:16,41). It is well known that they took Judea, and made it a province; and afterwards burnt the city and the Temple, and scattered the Jews over the face of the Earth.

Daniel 8:10 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. (KJV)
There are some statements in the Bible that are very difficult to interpret. As for me, I certainly do not claim to know it all. There are going to be many questions I will have, when I sit at Jesus’ Feet (Lk.10:39).
I think a possible interpretation of this verse is, that the power of this little horn reached such heights that he actually tried to challenge God and was permitted to capture Jerusalem and the Temple. Possibly the warfare included the spiritual realm where angels and demons were involved. Some of the accomplishments attributed to Antiochus are amazing; and IF they are true, demonic power might have been displayed. I do not have the answer.
One commentator suggests: Even to the host of heaven . . . the people of God who worship the God of heaven, who are citizens of Heaven, whose names are written in Heaven (Lk.10:20) . . . and among these mainly the priests, nobles and champions, who were as stars shining above the rest. These the little horn profaned and cruelly killed.
Another suggests: The host of heaven is the Jewish hierarchy. The stars, the priests and Levites. The powers or host of heaven are possibly intended by our Lord Jesus to mean the whole Jewish chain of command (Mat.24:29).

Daniel 8:11 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. (KJV)
Antiochus was a devoted follower of Jupiter, the Roman god of the skies and king of the gods. Antiochus may have thought he was an incarnation. He chose for himself the title Theos Epiphanes, meaning God manifest.
He magnified himself even to the prince of the host . . . not only against the high priest Onias, whom he ousted from his priesthood, and sold the high priesthood, but against God himself, which showed his bold disrespect. By him the daily sacrifice was taken away . . . he persecuted the people of God, and forced them to stop the worship of their God.
The place of his sanctuary was cast down . . . he removed all the holy service and sacrifices in the Temple, commanding that it should NOT be called the Temple of God, but of the temple of Jupiter Olympus, whose image he set up in it, then giving the priesthood to vile, wicked men. The daily sacrifice was taken away by the destruction of the city and Temple; and has never been restored from that day until now.

The daily sacrifice will AGAIN be taken away by the little horn or Antichrist during the Great Tribulation period (Dan.9:27; 12:11; Mat.24:15; Rev.13), and the place of God’s Holy Sanctuary will be cast down (2 Thes.2:4; Rev.11:1-2). The place where the sacrifices were offered (the altar) will be destroyed and taken away, and the image of the beast will be set up to be worshiped (Rev.13:11-18; 14:9; 15:2; 16:2; 20:4).

Daniel 8:12 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 practised, and prospered. (KJV)
The host of heaven was restrained from responding to this rebellion, in other words, God allowed this little horn to practice and prosper during this period, or he would have failed. So the daily sacrifice in the Temple of God was halted, and the little horn succeeded in everything it did.
So too, it shall be in the coming Tribulation Period. Almighty God shall allow all the things prophesied in Daniel and the Book of Revelation to happen. The Fourth Beast (Antichrist) will do atrocious and brutal things on a monumental scale. Hiller’s Nazi Holocaust will be nothing when compared to what shall take place in the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation under the reign of the little horn (the Fourth Beast Dan.7:7, 9) that Daniel speaks of. Christ Jesus said: Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (KJV) . . . Believe Him! He does not lie! You do NOT want any part of the Great Tribulation Period! And, you do not have to! Believe God and accept His Son today! Only Jesus can save you (Jn.14:6; Acts.4:12). http://www.hisservants.org/truth_about_salvation_h_s.htm

Daniel 8:13 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? (KJV)
It seems that the first saint means a holy angel . . . another saint . . . is this just another angel OR could this possibly be Christ Jesus? Christ certainly is a wonderful Revealer, a revealer of secrets (Dan.2:19, 28, 47). The first angel asks the second angel: How long will this transgression of desolation continue? How long will that blasphemous sin replace the daily sacrifices to the God of Heaven?
God of Heaven: (Ezra 1:3; 6:11-12; 6:10, 12, 21, 23; Dan.2:18-19, 37, 44).
See God of Heaven in Special Comments at the end of this chapter.

Daniel 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. (KJV)
There is so much disagreement in the interpretation of the two thousand and three hundred days. Many scholars find it difficult to place WHERE to begin and WHERE to end these days. I do not have the answer. I will bring some interpretations:

A year is three hundred and sixty-five days; so that would make the two thousand and three hundred days six years, three months and eighteen days, calculating in two days of the leap years gained from the extra hours and minutes. This time begins at the first entrance of Antiochus into Judea, when he profaned the priesthood; and takes in also his second coming in, when he banned their worship, set up an idol in the temple, and interrupted the daily sacrifice.
The two thousand and three hundred days start from the people's revolt, which was gained by Menelaus, which began in the year 141 of the reign of the Seleucidae . . . but Antiochus did not act out his transgressions until the year 142, in the 6th month and the 6th day; from where if we count to the 25th day of the 9th month of the year 148, there will fall out precisely six years, three months, and eighteen days.
Others calculate differently, from the beginning of Antiochus's profanations to his death; from 143 to 148, taking in both years to the number. For although Judas Maccabeus recovered the city and cleansed the temple in 148, Antiochus did not die until 149, after the work was finished.
Still others begin in the year of the Seleneidea 145, and end 151, two years after Antiochus's death, because the abomination of desolation was set up in the ninth month Chisleu, for not until two years after Antiochus's death was Nicanor overthrown with all his army.
Others calculate not days, but sacrifices, (at two every day, morning and evening) and restrain the time to fewer years.
Still others say the two thousand and three hundred days took placebetween 171 BC and 165 BC.

IF the two thousand and three hundred days are taken to be literal twenty-four-hour days, the period would be between six and seven years, which approximates the time of Antiochus who began to perform his mayhems in about 170 B.C. Finally the Jewish priest, Judas Maccabeus (the hammer), drove out the Syrian army, at which time the Temple was cleansed and rededicated after its pollution. The Jewish community's celebration of Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights (Jn.10:22), commemorates the violent Maccabbean revolt against the Seleucid Empire led by Antiochus Epiphanes. This was one of the holy days celebrated at the time of Christ and which is still remembered by the Jews. It is a feast not mentioned in the Old Testament, because it was established in the time period between the Old and New Testaments.
http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9034-judas-maccabeus
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Judas_Maccabeus.aspx

Why did the angel speak to Daniel, and not to the angel that asked the question? I think that it was because it would be Daniel who would relate and communicate the answer given, and the writing it in the Book (Dan.12:4) as commanded.

In Rev.11:2-3 and 12:6, John mentions 1260 days in two prophecies concerning another persecution of the Jews during the end times. The main differences between these two prophecies are (1.) Daniel’s prophecy has been fulfilled, and John’s has not; and (2.) Daniel predicts the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes, while John predicts those of the Antichrist in the Great Tribulation Period.

The time period covered, 2,300 days, figures to about 6 1/3 years. Some believe this prophecy was fulfilled before the birth of Christ, during the reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV (Epiphanes). Antiochus desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem and severely persecuted the Jews from about September 171 BC to December 165 BC. When Antiochus died, the Jews purified and rededicated the Temple, just as Daniel had predicted. These events are commemorated in the celebration of Hanukkah.
See 2300 Days of Daniel in Special Comments at the end of this chapter.

The Meaning of the Vision (8:15-27)

Daniel 8:15 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. (KJV)
As the appearance of a man . . . Daniel was puzzled by the vision, and he really wanted to know the meaning of it. There appeared to him the angel Gabriel. This is the first time Gabriel is introduced to us in the Bible. Angels often appeared as a man, as angels are the messengers of God in the great things concerning His church (Heb.1:14). There are those who think this angel was Christ Himself.
Having obtained the favor of knowing some things, Daniel longed for a clearer understanding of those things; and his desire was granted. IF we truly want to know the mind of God (Isa.55:8-11), we must go to Christ Jesus, in Whom are hid ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col.2:3). These treasures are NOT hidden FROM us, they are hidden FOR us. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge . . . ALL THAT WE WILL EVER NEED IS IN CHRIST. If only we could learn that! And He is our storage tank of all we ever need to know!
I do not know everything, BUT . . . I do know where to find all that is necessary for my walk with Christ. Christ has been made unto us wisdom (1 Cor.1:30). We need to learn to rest in this Truth. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Him. What a blessing that is!

Daniel 8:16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. (KJV)
I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai . . . this is a strange place to hear a man’s voice. Gabriel is an angel, the heavenly messenger God used to explain Daniel's visions (Dan.9:21). He also announced the birth of John the Baptist (Lk.1:11) and the birth of the Messiah (Lk.1:26). A man's voice . . . a Man, Whom I believe was Christ Jesus, speaks to Gabriel, and tells him to tell Daniel the meaning of the vision. I believe that this was Jesus, and that this clearly shows Christ to be God, in commanding and sending His angel Gabriel.
http://www.hisservants.org/is_jesus_god_h_s.htm

Daniel 8:17 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. (KJV)
He came near . . . again I say, I think this man’s voice was Jesus. He came near so that He might speak more intimately to him . . . but Daniel could not bear the glory of it (Mat.17:6).
And when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face . . . do you see what the effects were when Daniel came in contact with an angelic being and the Divine Presence? How much less can we bear the glory of God? Fell at His Feet: (Gen.17:3; Lev.9:24; Dan.8:7, 18, 27-28; 10:8-9, 16-19; Eze.1:28; Hab.3:16; Acts 9:4; Rev.1:17)
Gabriel, in the explanation that follows, will make it clear that Antiochus Epiphanes is just a small image, or symbol of the coming of the vile and wicked Antichrist that is to come in the Great Tribulation Period.
For at the time of the end shall be the vision . . . notice that it is for the time of the end, NOT the end of time. NOWHERE in the Bible are we ever told about the end of time because God is eternal and our souls are eternal, so there shall NOT be an END of time.
Daniel is told that the vision he had concerned the time of the end, which pinpoints the complete fulfillment of this prophecy in the period which our Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation (Mat.24:21). The man (power) referred to in the vision is the Antichrist (the fourth beast), also called the man of sin, and son of perdition (2 Thes.2:3) and the little horn of Daniel chapter 7. This prophecy is projected into the distant future . . . and even today, it still lies in the future. The horrible Antiochus Epiphanes that Daniel spoke of is a symbol of another horrible little horn who will come at the end of the times of the Gentiles (Lk.21:24) which is made very clear by the use of these symbolic terms.

Daniel 8:18 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. (KJV)
Daniel was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground; being terrified and astonished with the splendor and grandeur both of the messenger and message; by the sight and by the voice. Set me upright, by just touching Daniel. The power of angels is so much greater than the strongest of men. Carnal and flesh and blood in Scripture symbolizes weakness (Jn.15:4-5).
While he was speaking, Daniel must have fainted, and fell to the ground on his face. Do you see the physical effect the vision had on Daniel? While he was talking, he took hold of me, raised me to my feet. Effects of angelic and the Divine Presence: (Eze.1:26-28; Dan. 8:17-18, 27; 10:5-11, 16; Mat.17:6; Lk.9:32 Rev.1:17).
Six Examples of Deep Sleep

1. Adam (Gen.2:21)
2. Abraham (Gen.15:12)
3. Saul and his army (1 Sam.26:12)
4. Israel (Isa.29:10)
5. Daniel (twice, Dan.8:18; 10:9)
6. Eutychus (Acts 20:9)

Daniel 8:19 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. (KJV)
Then he said, I will tell you what will happen in the last end of the indignation. God's great displeasure rises high against the Jews for their sins. For their comfort, here they are told, the future calamities that shall come will not to be forever. The time (Tribulation) is limited (Dan.9:27, 35-36; 12:7; Hab.2:3). He tells Daniel that what you have seen in the vision refers to the time of the end (the Great Tribulation). In the last end of the indignation . . . God will raise up the little horn to execute His holy wrath against the Jews for their sins, but that there shall be an end of that indignation (righteous wrath). At the time appointed the end shall be . . . this he said to make us wait patiently.

Daniel 8:20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. (KJV)
See comment on Daniel 8:3.

Daniel 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. (KJV)
The rough goat is regarded as the king of Greece, and the great horn is the first king, Alexander the Great. Philip was king of Macedon before Alexander, but the latter was the first who, as a general of Greece, subdued the Persian Empire.

Daniel 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. (KJV)
But not in his power . . . the four kingdoms which shall arise out of the Macedonian Empire shall not have the power of Alexander, nor have his strength and dignity. In other words, none of these kings would have the power that Alexander the Great had. A united empire such as under Alexander, is more powerful than one divided, as under the four Diadochi (successors).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_kingdoms_of_Daniel
http://www.livius.org/di-dn/diadochi/diadochi.htm

Daniel 8:23 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. (KJV)
When the transgressors are come to the full . . . when the utmost degradation has taken place, by the buying and selling of the high priesthood . . . Onias was ejected for a sum of money, to make room for wicked Jason; and Jason again was supplanted for a greater sum by a worse man, if possible, than himself, Menelaus. The golden vessels of the Temple were sold to pay for this profane and sacrilegious purchase, bringing the horrid transgressions to the full, before the Romans had commission to destroy Jerusalem and its temple, etc.
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Onias
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11710-onias
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelaus_(High_Priest)
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_10009.html
A king of fierce countenance . . . one who will spare neither old nor young, meaning the Roman government, for a king often means a kingdom or empire. Understanding dark sentences . . . very learned and skillful in all things relating to government and its conspiracies. This learning of Rome is well known in today’s world.
I think this refers to the little horn which was Antiochus Epiphanes of the line of the Seleucidae that took Syria in Daniels’ time . . . but I think it also relates to a distant future, the Great Tribulation Period and the fourth beast (Dan.7:7, 19), that being the first beast in the Book of Revelation (Rev.13:1), the Antichrist, the man of sin, the son of perdition (2 Thes.2:3).
Consider this: it seems the only acceptable explanation of this verse, along with the facts of history, is that thispast king of fierce countenance was demon possessed . . . and in this respect he is also a picture of the coming Antichrist. The Lord Jesus spoke of him when He said: Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (KJV)
If we compare the following Scriptures, we can clearly SEE the wickedness of the entire world just before Christ's Second Coming.
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (KJV)
2 Timothy 3:1-9 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (KJV)

Israel's guilt too, shall then be at the full, when they who rejected Christ Jesus shall receive Antichrist; fulfilling Jesus words: John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (KJV)

Daniel 8:24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. (KJV)
Not by his own power . . . which in the beginning was little, but by gaining over others through craft, the once little horn became mighty (Dan.8:25; 11:23). In the coming Tribulation Period, the Antichrist shall act by the power of Satan, who shall at that time be permitted by the One and Only TRUE God of Heaven, to work through him in a limitless license (Rev.13:2), which at present time he does NOT have!
It will be then that the ten kingdoms (ten horns Dan.7:7, 20, 24; Rev.12:3; 13:1; 17:3, 7, 12, 16) shall give the beast their power (2 Thes.2:9-12; Rev.17:13). Shall prosper, and practise . . . prosper in all that he attempts (Dan.8:12).
And shall destroy the mighty and the holy people . . . God’s holy wrath will be especially directed against the Jews in the Great Tribulation. I believe that the Great Tribulation Period is mainly for the Jews, but it is also for anyone else who refuse to believe God (1 Jn.5:10), and refuse to accept His only begotten Son to save their soul from and eternal Hell (Jn.3:15-18,36; 8:24). Holy people here refers to Israel (Deut.14:2, 21; 28:9). http://www.hisservants.org/israel_h_s.htm
The slaughter in the past of these people by Antiochus Epiphanes seems almost unbelievable. He was as bad as Hitler. However, he is only a symbol of the horrid beast, the Antichrist who is coming, of whom it is said: And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" (Rev,13:7). The coming Antichrist’s terror will also be much worse than Hitler’s Nazi Holocaust.

Daniel 8:25 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. (KJV)
Antiochus Epiphanies was just a feeble type of this king of fierce countenance who is yet to come. But he shall be broken without hand . . . by God's special power. The stone cut out of the mountain without hands (Dan.2:34), is Christ Jesus, Who shall smite the world power image on his feet and brake them to pieces. That will be last development (Dan.7:11; Rev.20:10).
Antiochus Epiphanes supposedly died a horrible death by worms and ulcers, when on his way to Judea, intending to take vengeance for the defeat of his armies by the Maccabees, was a primary fulfilment, foreshadowing God's judgment on the last enemy of the Jewish people.
A comparison of the two Antichrists can be found on: http://www.prophecyforum.com/antiochus.html

This coming Antichrist monster shall do four things which Antiochus did in a tiny way:
(1.) He shall cause craft to prosper in his hand. NO person anywhere will be able to buy, sell, go to a doctor, have a bank account, etc. EXCEPT those who willingly accept the mark of the beast (Rev.13:17). He will be in COMPLETE control of the economy.
(2.) He shall magnify himself in his heart. His mouth speaks great things and blasphemies. He will be given power to continue forty-two months (3 ½ years). Pride is a main characteristic of the coming Satanic Antichrist! He does not know humility. He is like Satan who was filled with pride (Rev.13:5).
(3.) By peace he shall destroy many. He comes as a gentle lamb, but he goes out as a roaring lion. In Revelation chapter 6, he is the rider on the white horse. Right after that, he comes on the red horse of war which brings famine and disease, as all wars do. He will lie about peace. He wants NO peace! He will bring only a false peace. The Jews will think they are entering the 1000 Millennium (Rev.20), but instead shall be entering the Great Tribulation (Mat.24:21).
(4.) He shall stand up against the Prince of princes (Dan.8:25). Dear one, the Antichrist will oppose and fight against Christ and all those who take a stand with Him. The Antichrist (the first beast in Rev.13:1-7), will be totally against Christ.
http://hisservants.org/tribulation_what_h_s.htm
http://www.judgmentcoming.org/j_c_books_judgment_in_great_tribulation.html
http://lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_tribulation_what.htm
http://lastdaysprophecy.org/L_D_tribulation,_why.htm
http://www.judgmentcoming.org/noah_end_times_what_happens.html

Daniel 8:26 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. (KJV)
For it shall be for many days . . . Daniel was told that the vision would be for the distant future.
Shut thou up the vision . . . meaning the vision was not to be understood at the present time. In Rev.22:10, it states: Seal not the vision, for the time is at hand. What in Daniel's time was hidden was more fully explained in the Book of Revelation, and as the time draws closer, it will be clearer still. It shall be for many days . . . refers to remote times (Eze.12:27; Dan.10:14).

Daniel 8:27 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. (KJV)
Daniel was sick . . . because of the calamities coming on his people. The physical and mental effect of this vision upon Daniel was devastating. At this point God was starting to weave the times of the Gentiles (Lk.21:24; Rom.11:25) into the history of the nation Israel. This may have been the main thing that puzzled Daniel at first, and it still puzzles many people. How can God weave His program with Israel into His program for the Gentiles in the world? And what about the TRUE church? The answer is really simple. In today’s world, God is calling out a people to His Name (Christians). TRUE Christians can be Jew or Gentile. It is those people who believe God (1 Jn.5:10), and accept His only begotten Son to save them (Jn.3:15-18, 36; 8:24). When this quota is filled, and the church is removed from the Earth at the Rapture (1 Thes.4:13-18), it will be then that He will again turn to His purpose with Israel and the Gentile nations.
Daniel had heard of kings, but did not know their names; he foretold the events, the happenings but not the time when they were to take place. No wonder he could only feel astonished (overwhelmed) and leave it all with the omniscient God.
Daniel transacted the affairs of state that belonged to his department, after having been sick for certain days because of the effects of this vision. He had a reverent and deep feeling heart; and he was distressed because of the desolations that were coming upon his people.

Special Comments in Daniel Chapter 8

Fourteen Things about Cyrus

1.     God would raise him up (Isa.41:2; 13).
2.     God would call him (Isa.41:2).
3.     God would make him ruler over kings.
4.     God would give nations to him to destroy.
5.     God would hold his right hand (Isa.45:1).
6.     God would subdue nations before him (Isa.41:2; 45:1).
7.     God would loose the loins of kings (Isa.45:1).
8.     God would open the two leaved gates before him.
9.     God would be before him (Isa.45:2).
10.   God would make crooked places straight.
11.   God would break the gates of brass.
12.   God would cut the bars of iron in sunder.
13.   God would give him the treasures and riches of Babylon (Isa.45:3).
14.   God would direct all his ways (Isa.45:13).

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

Edward Gibbon wrote a book over 200 years ago; The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Some things he said then, ring just as true today. He gives 5 reasons why the Roman Empire fell.

The corrupting of decency and sanctity of the home.
Higher and higher taxes; and spending of that money for free bread and circuses for the people.
The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting, more brutal and bloodthirsty, more immoral.
The building up of great armies and weapons when the real enemy was within . . . the decay of individual responsibility.
The decay of religion; with faith fading into a mere pattern of words, losing touch with reality, losing power to lead and guide the people in the right way.

ALL the above are happening in the USA at this very moment!

Demons Are Evil Spirits

Revelation 16:13-14 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (KJV)
Do you SEE the devil’s imitation of the Godhead (Trinity) in this Scripture Passage? The Bible mentions the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet. An evil spirit (demon) comes from each of these to gather the wicked kings of the Earth to the Battle of Armageddon (Megiddo in Israel). This final battle shall conclude the Tribulation Period when the Lord returns to put down the Antichrist (the Beast) and the False Prophet and the Dragon (Satan himself, Rev.20:2).

Dear one, there is a massive demonic attack taking place today all across America. Satanic influences are saturating American society, from homosexual Hollywood to Sin City Las Vegas. These Satanic spirits (demons) influence people through lust on TV, and through filthy Rock music that stirs the flesh and hardens the soul. Rock music and TV have done their best to make people think that sin is not so bad.

To stand up and say abortion is wrong today, you may end up in jail. To say same sex marriage is wrong and against what the Bible teaches, again you could end up in jail. To say homosexuality is an abomination to God (Lev.18:22; 20:13) will get you in big trouble. Preachers and chaplains are forbidden to say the Name JESUS, and they certainly are not allowed to pray in Jesus’ Name (Jn.14:13-14)! Prayer is outlawed in schools!

Demons look for human weakness and vulnerability. Alcohol and drugs are popular ways through which demons (evil spirits) are able to invade (attack and occupy) a person's soul and corrupt their behavior. YES! Demon possession is something that does happen! Anyone who is not a TRUE Christian, who does not have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within them (Rom.8:9; 1 Jn.4:4), can be possessed by a demon. A TRUE Christian CANNOT be demon possessed!
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (KJV) . . . A TRUE Christian has the Spirit of Christ abiding within them, and MUCH greater is He Who is in you, than the devil and his demons who are in the world! Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (KJV) . . . NO unbeliever has the Spirit of Christ!

Some of the most monstrous crimes ever committed were done by drunks. There really is no law in America against drinking and driving. The law only punishes alcoholics if their blood alcohol content is higher than .08. Many deadly accidents involved alcohol impaired drivers which are less than the .08. Demons love beer drinkers! BEWARE!!!

The God of Heaven

The God of Heaven: (Ezra 1:2; 5:11-12; 6:9-10; 7:21, 23; Neh.1:4-5; 2:4, 20; Ps.136:26; Dan. 2:18-19, 37). This expression was used only AFTER the glory of God was removed from the Temple (Eze.9:3; 10:4, 18; 11:22-23). God’s glory would then be gone from the Earth until Christ Jesus came (Lk.1:9; 2:1-30)

Daniel calls the true God the God of heaven, because He made Heaven and His Throne is there. The heathens and magicians' gods did NOT come from Heaven . . . but were evil demons of Hell. The God of Heaven (Ezra ch.7), will set up a Kingdom on Earth that shall never be destroyed.

2300 Days of Daniel

Daniel Chapter 8 seems to speak of 2,300 days in a prophecy concerning a persecution of the Jewish people during the period of time between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Also in Revelation chapters 11 & 12, John mentions 1260 days in two prophecies concerning another persecution of the Jews during the end times. The main differences between these two prophecies are (1.) Daniel’s prophecy has been fulfilled, and John’s has not; and (2.) Daniel predicts the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes, while John predicts those of the Antichrist.

The prophecy of the 2,300 days (“evenings and mornings”) is found in:
Daniel 8:13-14 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? 14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. (KJV) . . . . The angel told Daniel it would take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be re-consecrated.
The time period of 2,300 days figures to about 6 1/3 years. Many believe this prophecy was fulfilled before the Birth of Christ, during the reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV (Epiphanes). Antiochus desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem and severely persecuted the Jews from about September 171 BC to December 165 BC. When Antiochus died, the Jews purified and re-dedicated the Temple, just as Daniel had predicted. These events are observed in the celebration of Hanukkah.

The detailed, in depth prophecies contained in God’s Holy Word are a huge part of what makes the Bible so unique among religious writings. Our Almighty God can tell us the end of things from the beginning! Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (KJV)

Consider the following prophecy. It absolutely amazes me!

Joshua 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. (KJV) . . . To me, this is one of the most awesome prophecies in the Bible, apart from the prophecies of the Messiah. Read this! Now, read the following: 1 Kings 16:34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun. (KJV) . . . Jericho was destroyed in 1550 BC. People still lived there, but 5 ½ centuries later, during the reign of Ahab of Israel, Hiel the Bethelite, rebuilt Jericho as a fortress. It was at that time, that this amazing prophecy of Joshua was fulfilled to the letter! 5 ½ centuries after Joshua spoke the words! My dear friend, God’s Word is TRUE! Every word of it! God can indeed declare the end from the beginning!

Why do Daniel and Revelation give different numbers of
1,260, 1,290 and 1,335 days for the Tribulation Period?

The books of Daniel and Revelation are often studied together, because their prophecies concerning the end times weave together nicely. Both books mention a certain number of days during the Tribulation Period. Daniel mentions 1,290 days and 1,335 days; Revelation mentions 1,260 days, for a total “discrepancy” of 75 days (1,335 – 1,260 = 75).
Daniel 12:11-12 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (KJV)
Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. (KJV)
Both of these prophecies deal with precise time periods associated with the seven-year tribulation.
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (KJV)
The Tribulation Period begins with the signing of a peace treaty between the Antichrist and Israel, intended to be for one “seven,” meaning a set of seven years. But the “seven” is divided into half . . . and midway through the seven years (3 ½ years), the Antichrist breaks the peace treaty and sets up in the temple a sacrilegious object (the abomination that causes desolation Dan.11:31; 12:11; Mat.24:15; Mk.13:14; 2 Thes.2:4; Rev.13:14-15). The phrase in the midst of the week indicates that the first half of the tribulation lasts for 3½ years (1,260 days, using a “prophetic year” of 360 days). Likewise, the second half of the tribulation lasts another 1,260 days (another 3½ years), for a total of seven years.

Revelation 11:3 precisely mentions 1,260 days, which corresponds exactly with Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation. In Revelation, there is an added detail: my two witnesses will preach and perform miracles for half of the Tribulation Period . . . which is the first half, according to the timetable of Revelation. These two witnesses are killed in the midst of the week. Their bodies will lie in the streets for three and a half days as the world celebrates their demise; then they will be resurrected and taken up to Heaven (Rev.11:7-13). http://www.godcannotlie.org/rev_ch11.htm

The 1,260 days of the second half of the Great Tribulation begins when the Antichrist breaks the treaty, occupies the third Jewish temple, and sets up a profane and irreverent object of worship in the Temple of God. This 1,260 day period ends when the Antichrist is defeated at the battle of Armageddon upon Jesus’ Return to Earth (Zec.14:1-5; Rev.19:11-21). At that time, the Great Tribulation will end.

Consider the following:
• After the rapture of the church, the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel which begins the seven-year Tribulation Period.
• In the midst of the week (1,260 days later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, defiles the Temple of God, and launches an outright persecution of the Jews.
• At the end of the Tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the Temple), Christ Jesus returns to Earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.
• During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the Temple), Israel is rebuilt and the Earth is restored.
• During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel.
• The 1000 year Millennium begins (Rev.20:3-5).

Will the Son of Man Find Faith on Earth?

Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (KJV)

This is a hard saying because so many are not quite sure what it means, especially in relation to its context. When a question is asked, the answer expected is either a yes or a no . . . but not here! Many consider that the answer implied here is no, and I absolutely agree with that.

Luke is the only Gospel writer who records the question, and he places it at the end of the parable of the persistent widow . . . the widow who refused to take no for an answer. Jesus told this parable to teach His apostles that "they should always pray and not give up" (Lk.18:1). But what has that to do with the Son of Man finding faith on earth when He comes?

The widow in the parable showed faith of an unusually determined quality, NOT personal faith in the unjust judge whom she pestered until he granted her petition to keep her quiet, but faith in the effectiveness of persistent prayer. The point of the story seems to be: even a hard-headed judge, who neither feared God nor regard man, saw to it that a widow got her rights, NOT for the sake of seeing justice done but to get rest from her persistent demands. How much more will God, who is NOT an unjust judge but a loving Father, listen to His children's plea for justification!

SO . . . the question: When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? The Coming of the Son of Man is a major theme in the preceding chapter of Luke's record, in the discourse of Jesus about the day when the Son of Man is revealed (Lk.17:22-27). The lesson impressed by this discourse on the hearers is that they must keep alert, watching and be ready for that day when it comes. When it comes, God will vindicate His righteous cause and also the cause of His people who trust Him. But they must trust him and not lose heart; they must here and now continue faithfully in the work assigned to them. (This is the lesson also of the parable of the pounds in Luke 19:11-27).

The Son of Man, when He comes, will be like the lightning, illuminating the sky from one end to the other (Lk.17:24), and He will be able to survey the Earth to see IF there is any faith on it (and how much), and see IF there be any faithful and wise steward whom his master when He comes will find loyally fulfilling his service (Lk.12:42-44). So the question Will he find faith on earth? I think the answer depends on the faithfulness of those who wait to give account of their stewardship when Judge Jesus calls for it.

How many will there be with faith? It is my humble opinion, NOT many! "Will he find faith on earth?" Very little, according to the way the world is going today. Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (KJV) . . . More and more are walking on the broad road that leads to eternal destruction. BEWARE!!! Which road are you on? Do you trust and obey Jesus, the Master? Or are you on the broad road with the other master, Satan?

Special Comments for Daniel Chapter 8

Fourteen Things about Cyrus
1.     God would raise him up (Isa.41:2; 13).
2.     God would call him (Isa.41:2).
3.     God would make him ruler over kings.
4.     God would give nations to him to destroy.
5.     God would hold his right hand (Isa.45:1).
6.     God would subdue nations before him (Isa.41:2; 45:1).
7.     God would loose the loins of kings (Isa.45:1).
8.     God would open the two leaved gates before him.
9.     God would be before him (Isa.45:2).
10.   God would make crooked places straight.
11.   God would break the gates of brass.
12.   God would cut the bars of iron in sunder.
13.   God would give him the treasures and riches of Babylon (Isa.45:3).
14.   God would direct all his ways (Isa.45:13).

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
Edward Gibbon wrote a book over 200 years ago; The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Some things he said then, ring just as true today. He gives 5 reasons why the Roman Empire fell.

The corrupting of decency and sanctity of the home.
Higher and higher taxes; and spending of that money for free bread and circuses for the people.
The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting, more brutal and bloodthirsty, more immoral.
The building up of great armies and weapons when the real enemy was within . . . the decay of individual responsibility.
The decay of religion; with faith fading into a mere pattern of words, losing touch with reality, losing power to lead and guide the people in the right way.

ALL the above are happening in the USA at this very moment!

Demons Are Evil Spirits

The God of Heaven

That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven . . . expressions such as this are found only in the books of the captivity: Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel. It was only AFTER the departure of the glory of God from Jerusalem, from the Holy of Holies in the Temple, that God was addressed as the God of heaven. These young Hebrew men knew that God did not dwell in the Temple in Jerusalem. The One and Only Almighty God is the God of Heaven.
The God of Heaven: (Ezra 1:2; 5:11-12; 6:9-10; 7:21, 23; Neh.1:4-5; 2:4, 20; Ps.136:26; Dan. 2:18-19, 37). This expression was used only AFTER the glory of God was removed from the Temple (Eze.9:3; 10:4, 18; 11:22-23). God’s glory would then be gone from the Earth until Christ Jesus came (Lk.1:9; 2:1-30)
Daniel calls the true God the God of heaven, because He made Heaven and His Throne is there. The heathens and magicians' gods did NOT come from Heaven . . . but were evil demons of Hell. The God of Heaven (Ezra ch.7), will set up a Kingdom on Earth that shall never be destroyed.

2300 Days of Daniel

Daniel Chapter 8 seems to speak of 2,300 days in a prophecy concerning a persecution of the Jewish people during the period of time between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Consider the following prophecy. It absolutely amazes me!

Why do Daniel and Revelation give different numbers of
1,260, 1,290 and 1,335 days for the Tribulation Period?

The Books of Daniel and Revelation are often studied together, because their prophecies concerning the end times weave together well. Both Books mention a certain number of days during the Tribulation Period. Daniel mentions 1,290 days and 1,335 days; Revelation mentions 1,260 days, for a total difference of 75 days (1,335 – 1,260 = 75).
Daniel 12:11-12 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (KJV)
Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. (KJV)
Both of these prophecies deal with precise time periods associated with the seven-year Tribulation.
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (KJV)
The Tribulation Period begins with the signing of a peace treaty between the Antichrist and Israel, intended to be for one “seven,” meaning a set of seven years. But the “seven” is divided into half . . . and midway through the seven years (3 ½ years), the Antichrist breaks the peace treaty and sets up in the temple a sacrilegious object (the abomination that causes desolation Dan.11:31; 12:11; Mat.24:15; Mk.13:14; 2 Thes.2:4; Rev.13:14-15). The phrase in the midst of the week indicates that the first half of the tribulation lasts for 3½ years (1,260 days, using a “prophetic year” of 360 days). Likewise, the second half of the tribulation lasts another 1,260 days (another 3½ years), for a total of seven years.

Revelation 11:3 precisely mentions 1,260 days, which corresponds exactly with Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation. In Revelation, there is an added detail: my two witnesses will preach and perform miracles for half of the Tribulation Period . . . which is the first half, according to the timetable of Revelation. These two witnesses are killed in the midst of the week. Their bodies will lie in the streets for three and a half days as the world celebrates their demise; then they will be resurrected and taken up to Heaven (Rev.11:7-13).
http://www.godcannotlie.org/rev_ch11.htm

The 1,260 days of the second half of the Great Tribulation begins when the Antichrist breaks the treaty, occupies the third Jewish temple, and sets up a profane and irreverent object of worship in the Temple of God. This 1,260 day period ends when the Antichrist is defeated at the battle of Armageddon upon Jesus’ Return to Earth (Zec.14:1-5; Rev.19:11-21). At that time, the Great Tribulation will end.

Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (KJV)
This mentions 1,290 days, which is 30 days more than the second half of the Tribulation. Many different comments try to explain what happens in those 30 extra days. I do not know the answer to this. One possible idea is that the nation of Israel will be rebuilt in that month after the utter devastation it endured during the Great Tribulation.
Daniel 12:12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (KJV)
This mentions 1335 days, there will be an extra 45 days, on top of the extra 30 days, after which something else will happen. Daniel does not clearly say what will happen, but he does say those who remain until the end of that segment (1,335 days after the breaking of the treaty and 75 days after the end of the Tribulation) will be blessed. The blessing here is entry into the 1000 year Millennium Kingdom (Rev.20). What will take place during those 45 days? I think it is very possible that this may be when the judgment of the Gentile nations, described in Matthew 25:31-46) will take place, possibly when the Gentiles are judged for their treatment of Israel during the Great Tribulation. Did they help Jesus’ brethren (Mat.25:40), or did they turn a blind eye to the Jews’ troubles or worse, assist in their persecution?
So, those who survive the Great Tribulation and survive the sheep and goat judgment will enter the Millennium. This is a blessing, indeed.
Consider the following:
• After the rapture of the church, the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel which begins the seven-year Tribulation Period.
• In the midst of the week (1,260 days later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, defiles the Temple of God, and launches an outright persecution of the Jews.
• At the end of the Tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the Temple), Christ Jesus returns to Earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.
• During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the Temple), Israel is rebuilt and the Earth is restored.
• During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel.
• The 1000 year Millennium begins (Rev.20:3-5).

Book of Daniel

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