It is a matter of great interest to the candid student of the Scriptures to find that they reveal the time of the judgment, or the time when Christ will enter upon the closing service of his ministry in the true tabernacle. In the eighth and ninth chapters of the book of Daniel, we have a clear and comprehensive line of prophecy reaching from the time of Daniel till the close of earthly rule. The eighth chapter records a vision which Daniel had in the third year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, B.C. 538.
Formerly the Belshazzar of Dan. 8:1 and Daniel 5 was supposed to be the Nabonadius of secular or profane history, who began his reign B.C. 555. The chronology used in the margin of our reference Bibles, Archbishop Usher's, was based on that supposition, hence it gives the date of Daniel's vision as B.C. 553. Researches and discoveries made in recent years, however, show that Belshazzar was the son of Nabonadius, or Nabonedus, and that the latter associated his son with him as king about B.C. 540.
This would make the third year of Belshazzar B.C. 538, which was the last year of his reign, for in that year Belshazzar was slain and Medo-Persia conquered Babylon. The third and last year of Belshazzar's reign would therefore coincide with the first year of Darius, who succeeded him; namely, B.C. 538. This would bring the vision of Daniel 8 and the vision of Daniel 9 in the same year, B.C. 538, and consequently only a few months apart, instead of fifteen years, as given by Usher's chronology. This fact establishes a close connection, chronologically, between the two chapters, and strengthens the view that the vision of Daniel 9 was given to explain the time brought to view in Daniel 8. It also explained why we have no symbol of Babylon introduced in the vision of Daniel 8. It was given in the last year of Babylon's supremacy, B.C. 538, the very year it was overthrown by the Medo-Persians under Darius and Cyrus. It was then just passing away. It may be well to add in this connection that the dates and references in the margin of our Bibles are not inspired, neither were they written by inspired men, hence they may be wrong. Some have been proved wrong, while others have been proved correct by indisputable evidence.
In this vision Daniel was taken to Shushan, in the province of Elam, and by the river Ulai. Shushan, or Susa, was a very ancient city, and after the capture of Babylon by Cyrus it became the capital of Persia. It was located on the river Ulai, and Daniel was placed by that river in the vision here related. It is worthy of note that the standpoint of this vision was not Babylon, the capital of the kingdom about to be overthrown, but Shushan, the capital of the kingdom fast ascending to the supremacy of the world. So in this vision Babylon is left out and Medo-Persia is first in the list of the kingdoms symbolized, as the seat of empire was transferred to Medo-Persia that very year, B.C. 538.
In this vision Daniel saw a ram, goat, and little horn. Verses 1-12. No argument is necessary to prove that the ram was a symbol of Media and Persia, and that the goat was a symbol of Grecia, for this is directly stated in verses 20 and 21:—
"The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king."
The rise and history of those nations are forcibly illustrated by the symbols used. The great or notable horn between the eyes of the goat fitly represented Alexander, the first king of Grecia, and it being broken when the goat was strong fitly symbolizes the death of Alexander in the zenith of Grecia's power. The division of the Grecian Kingdom into four kingdoms after the death of Alexander is illustrated by four notable horns coming up toward the four winds of heaven. These four divisions of Grecia are also represented by the four heads of the leopard (Dan. 7:6), and are brought to view in the literal prophecy of Dan. 11:3, 4. These four kingdoms were Thrace, now Turkey, on the north, Syria on the east, Egypt on the south, Macedon on the west. Hence, when we read in Daniel 11 of the king of the North and the king of the South, reference is made to these kingdoms into which Grecia was divided toward the four winds of heaven.
The Little Horn.
"Out of one of them," that is, out of one of the four notable horns, "came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land." Dan. 8:9. The little horn here brought to view is a symbol of Rome throughout its entire career, from the time it conquered Macedon, B.C. 168, until it is "broken without hand" (verse 25), when Christ smites the nation with a sharp sword that goeth out of his mouth (Rev. 19:11-13), and breaks them in pieces as a potter's vessel (Ps. 2:8, 9).4The following specifications of the prophecy clearly and conclusively prove that Rome is the kingdom symbolized by the little horn of this chapter:—
1. Having conquered Macedon, one of the kingdoms symbolized by the four notable horns, it went forth to further conquests, till it waxed exceeding great.
2. It made conquests toward the south, Egypt, and toward the east Syria, and toward the pleasant land, Palestine.
3. The comparison made and the expression used concerning its greatness. The ram, Medo-Persia, became "great" (verse 4), the goat, Grecia, "waxed very great" (verse 8), and the little horn "waxed exceeding great" (verse 9). This clearly points to Rome, for no other nation or kingdom could be truthfully compared with Medo-Persia and Grecia in such terms.
4. It cast down the truth to the ground by suppressing the word of God, and trampling upon his law; and it has practiced and prospered as no other power has since the time of Greece. Dan. 7: 21, 25.
5. It came up in the latter time of the four kingdoms of Grecia, B.C. 168. The great horn was broken in 323 by the death of Alexander, and the four kingdoms came up within fifteen years after his death. They were all conquered by Rome, one after another, beginning with Macedon, B.C. 168.
6. It was "mighty, but not by his own power." Rome secured its power largely by its craft and policy, by which it bound other nations to it through alliances and treaties, which made it for their interest to support Rome with men and money.
7. It has destroyed "the mighty and holy people." The word of God says, "He shall destroy wonderfully." Surely the millions of martyrs that have gone down under the cruel power of Rome, both pagan and papal, bear silent but truthful witness to Rome's relentless and unparalleled persecutions.
8. It stood up against the Prince of princes. Rome was the power that ruled the world in the time of Christ (Luke 2: 1), and, in the person of Pilate, delivered him up to be crucified (Luke 23: 23-25).
9. "He shall be broken without hand," that is, by divine power, as manifested in the burning glory of that day when Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. 2 Thess. 1: 7, 8; 2: 8.
Here are nine important specifications which clearly refer to Rome, and which are true of no other power. These symbols, therefore, the ram, goat, and little horn, represent the three great kingdoms of the world, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, which rule from B.C. 538 till earthly kingdoms are broken in pieces and Christ's kingdom is established.
Angels in Conversation.
After these symbols had been presented before Daniel in this vision, he says: "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 underfoot?" Dan. 8: 13. Here is an important question,—How long shall be the vision? That is, how long will these wicked, persecuting powers bear sway, and trample underfoot the truth, the worship, and the people of God.
It is worthy of notice that one saint or angel spoke. It is evident that he said something about the wonderful things presented in the vision, for another saint, or angel, then asked him the question above quoted. The one who first spoke was no doubt Michael, or Christ, the Archangel, the chief, or head, over the angels. This is proved by the following Scripture facts: (1) He was higher in position and greater in knowledge than the angel who questioned him. This is obvious, and needs no argument. (2) The same personage afterwards commanded Gabriel to explain the vision to Daniel. Dan. 8: 16. He therefore must have been higher in authority than Gabriel. (3) But the only one who held with Gabriel in these wonderful revelations which were given to Daniel was Michael. Dan. 10: 13, 21. Michael is the first of the princes. See margin of verse 13. He is "the great Prince which standeth for the children of Thy people." Dan. 12: 1. In Jude 9 he is called "Michael the Archangel." In 1 Thess. 4: 16 we read that "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first." From this we know that the voice of Christ himself and the voice of the Archangel are the same. That voice, the voice of the Son of God, awakes the sleeping dead. John 5: 26-29.
It is an interesting fact that the answer was addressed to Daniel, and not to the angel Gabriel, who asked the question. Evidently the Lord designed to have this answer revealed to his people, for it was addressed to his servant Daniel, and he was inspired to write it for their benefit. The question pertained to time. "How long shall be the vision?" Gabriel asks the question, and Michael, Christ, answers it.