Daniel is written on the principle of repeat and enlarge. The prophecy in this study is found in Daniel 8. In particular verse 14, which is the 2300-day prophecy. In order to understand what is happening in Daneil 8, there must be an understanding of the previous two prophetic chapters 2 and 7. The prophetic chapters following chapter 8 are 9, 11, and 12. So, Daniel 2 is the foundation for the remaining prophetic chapters (7, 8, 9, 11, and 12). Chapter 7 builds on 2, chapter 8 builds on 7, chapter 9 builds on 8, and chapters 11 and 12 build on 9 with the most in-depth details.
Daniel 2 – King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream and Interpretation
Nebuchadnezzar has a dream, doesn’t remember it. Daniel tells him the dream and the interpretation of it. Nebuchadnezzar saw an image of a man who had a head made of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet/toes of iron mixed with clay. Then a stone was cut without hand which struck the image upon his feet and destroyed the entire image. The stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
The image represented four kingdoms that would succeed one another:
* head of gold is Babylon
* arms and chest of silver is Medo-Persia
* belly and thighs of brass is Greece
* legs of iron is Roman Empire (aka: Pagan Rome)
Then there are the feet and 10 toes of clay mixed with iron, which represents ten kingdoms that would rise up out of Roman Empire. It is important to note, that the feet/toes were different in that they had an element that those before did not have. Those before were all metal, but the feet/toes were clay mixed with iron. In the Bible, clay is a symbol for professed people of God (Isa. 64:8, Jer. 18:1-6 Rom. 9:21). So, there is a rising power (clay) that claims to be of God, but it mixes with the iron Roman Empire (state). According to the vision, these 10 kingdoms were still Roman because the iron was mixed with the clay. Simply put, Rome remains it just looks different.
The stone that was cut without hands hit the image on the feet and broke the entire image into pieces, this represents Christ at His second coming. Why did the stone hit the feet? It didn’t hit the head, chest, thighs, or legs. There must be something significant as to why it hit the feet. The Bible doesn’t say, so is it fair to say there must be something so offensive to God about the mix of iron (Rome, state) and clay (professed people of God) that it brings about the second coming of Christ. Nothing good ever comes from a state and ecclesiastical union…just think about the Dark Ages. There is something about this clay that appears to be Christian, but mingles with the world around it. Apparently, it is not in a good way. Does this mingling happen before or after the first coming of Jesus Christ? It happens after because we know that Christ is crucified during the kingdom of the iron legs (Roman Empire) under the reign of Tiberius, Augustulus’ step-son. The kingdom that persecuted Christ, was the Roman Empire (legs of iron). So, Christ is not on earth when the feet/toes of iron and clay come on the scene for He already was resurrected and returned to heaven. Why is this important to understand? Because in Daniel 7 we have a repeat and enlarge, and we are going to get more information about this clay element.
The stone then became a great mountain and fills the earth, this is yet to come, which represents Christ who will establish a kingdom on the earth consummating after a 1,000-year reign in heaven with the resurrected/translated saints. It is at this time when those that are unrepentant are raised up for the execution of the penalty for their sins which is consumption by fire and they perish. The fire cleanses the earth and Christ makes a new heaven and new Earth for the former passes away. The city of God, the New Jerusalem, is brought from heaven and placed on the New earth.
Daniel 7 – Repeat and Enlarge of Daniel 2
Daniel has a dream and in the dream he sees four beasts that come up from the sea. Water in prophecy means people, multitudes, nations, and tongues (languages) Revelation 17:15 This is telling us that these beasts come up among a populated area.
Daniel tells us that these beast represents four kingdoms.
* Lion with eagle wings is Babylon
* Bear which is lifted up on one side with three ribs in its mouth is Medo-Persia – ribs represent Babylon, Egypt,
and Lydia
* Leopard with four wings and four heads is Greece (shortly after Alexander the Great’s conquests, he
died and his kingdom was initially divided between his four generals (four heads): Cassander, Ptolemy,
Seleucus, Lysimachus
* Beast with iron teeth is Roman, initially empirical (state), then ecclesiastical (little horn) that mixes with the
state
Basically, what we see is a repeat of the kingdoms of Daniel 2 but this time they are represented by beasts. These particular beasts are used because of their characteristics in their horizontal conquering and dominion (these beasts are predators).
The fourth beast (Rome) has iron teeth which parallels with the legs of iron in Daniel 2. As Daniel is beholding this beast, he sees that it has ten horns. The ten horns parallel to the 10 toes in Daniel 2. Then Daniel sees a “little horn” rising up among the 10 horns. As the clay arises (mixes) upon the iron feet and 10 toes, so the little horn rises up among the 10 horns that is on the dragon-like beast. SO, the clay in Daniel 2 is the same thing as the little horn in Daniel 7, it is ecclesiastical meaning professes the name of God. What kingdom is the “little horn” a part of? It is part of the fourth kingdom (Rome), therefore, it is a Roman horn…it arises on a Roman beast and among the 10 horns or divisions of Rome.
Did this “little horn” come on the scene before or after Christ’s first coming? After, because the ten horns, of which the little horn arises, come up after the fall of the Roman Empire (Pagan Rome). We know that the Roman Empire crucified Christ, so that tells us the 10 horns come after Christ’s first coming; therefore the “little horn” that arises among the 10 came after as well.
This little horn is significant, because he would “speak words against the Most High, persecute the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they (saints) shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time”. (v. 25). This is the 1,260-days (prophetic years) prophecy.
God is saying that this little horn is going to persecute His people even though it professes to be His people. The little horn claims to be clay, but in reality, it is the iron…so it is Romanish. It is going to think it has the power to change His time and laws and will speak blasphemous words against God himself. How does it blaspheme? The little horn institutes its own plan/system of salvation of works replacing God’s plan/system as pictured by the sanctuary. Again, this happens after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ AND after Pagan Rome falls from the scene and has divided into these smaller 10 kingdoms.
Daniel 8
Daniel now sees a vision where he sees a ram and a he goat. These are the only two beasts that he sees. This is different because in chapters 2 and 7, there are four predatory beasts. The animals depicted in Daniel 8 are sanctuary animals. This is pointing out something very different.
An angel comes to Daniel to explain the vision. The ram with two horns, one horn being higher than the other, represents the Medes and Persians. Remember the bear, lifted up on one side – one side higher than the other. The Persians were stronger than the Medes. Just a note, Cyrus (Persia) and Darius (Mede) were relatives. Why did Daniel not have Babylon (first kingdom, head of gold / winged lion) in this vision? Babylon is falling off the scene, for Medo-Persia is about to conquer them. We are told that the ram pushed westward, northward, and southward and he became great (powerful).
Who is the he goat who overthrows the ram? The he-goat came from the west touching not the ground having a notable horn between his eyes. With fury, the he-goat smote the ram breaking the ram’s two horns and there was no power left in the ram any longer and the he-goat trampled him. The he-goat waxed great, and when he was strong the great horn (also described at the first king) was broken and four notable horns (divided Greece) came up in its place towards the four winds of heaven (north, south, east, west). Out of one of the four winds (one of these directions) came up a little horn which waxed exceeding great toward the south, east, and toward the pleasant land (west). So, this tells us that the little horn is from the north. This little horn in Daniel 8 is the same little horn in Daniel 7. This little horn rises to power after the kingdom of Greece is conquered, therefore, it is not a part of the kingdom of Greece. What kingdom comes after Greece? It is the kingdom of Rome, the Roman Empire (Pagan Rome). It is the Roman Empire that conquered Greece.
The ram was great, but the he-goat was very great. So, the he-goat was greater in power than the ram. Many people teach that this little horn of Daniel 8 was Antiochus Epiphanes. The description of the little horn is that it waxed exceeding great (more than great, and more than very great). SO, this little horn had to be more powerful than Medo-Persia (great) and Greece (very great)! The question then becomes, was Antiochus Epiphanes more than very great, meaning greater than Alexander the Great of Greece? No, he was not. The next kingdom was the Roman Empire, in fact in Daniel 7 the fourth beast is described as “strong exceedingly”. In fact, the word “exceedingly” is used twice. Again, was Antiochus Epiphanes more than exceedingly great? No, he was not. The little horn CANNOT be Antiochus Epiphanes. Not only that, the timing of the little horn is much later than when Antiochus Epiphanes lived. Antiochus was born and died in B.C. The little horn does not come to power until after the death/resurrection of Christ AND the division of the Roman Empire.
In Daniel 8, this little horn is described as doing several things (vs. 10-12), waxed great even to the host of heaven, cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground stamping upon them, magnified himself even to the prince of the host, took away the daily sacrifice, cast down the place of the sanctuary, a host was given to him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, he cast down the truth to the ground, and it practiced and prospered. To recap: the little horn of Daniel 8 is the same as the little horn in Daniel 7 is the same as the iron/clay mix of Daniel 2. Now in Daniel 8 we see there are two phases of Rome, Pagen Rome and then the last which is the little horn. God used one symbol to describe: Pagan Rome and the ecclesiastical element that mixes with Rome. Both phases are Rome.
If this power is attacking the sanctuary, which sanctuary is he attacking. Well, Pagan Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. The sanctuary being attached cannot be an earthly temple. The sanctuary being attacked occurs after the resurrection of Christ and after the fall of Pagan Rome; so, cannot be an earthly temple because there was no earthly temple for it had already been destroyed by Pagan Rome long before it fell. So, this little horn must be attacking something in the heavens, and must not want God’s people to understand something about Christ’s work as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. This leads up to Daniel 8:13-14. Daniel hears two angels speaking, and he is enraptured about this little horn and Daniel asks “how long is this vision going to last”? What vision? This vision of the ram and the he goat and the little horn. The answer comes back 2,300-days. This cannot be 2,300 literal days. If this vision encompasses the reign of Medo-Persia, and then the reign of Greece, and then the reign of Pagan Rome, and then the reign of the little horn…2,300 literal days does not even cover the reign of even one of those kingdoms. Therefore, this 2,300 days must represent 2,300 years of prophetic time in order to cover Medo-Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, and this little horn power that rises after the fall of Pagan Rome.
| Daniel 2 | Daniel 7 | Daniel 8 | |
| Babylon | Head of Gold | Lion w/wings | |
| Medo-Persia | Chest & Arms of silver | Bear one side lifted up | Ram |
| Greece | Belly & Thighs of brass | 4 headed winged Leopard | He Goat / 4 horns |
| Pagan Rome/Papal Rome | Legs of iron / Toes of iron & clay | Iron toothed beast with 10 horns, then a little horn | Little horn |
The 2,300-days cannot be literal and demands that it be interpreted as years. This prophecy cannot include Antiochus Epiphanes for he never became exceedingly great, nor did he live in the time period. Daniel’s prophecy clearly foretells 2300-years of history.
Daniel 8:24-27
Note in verse 24, “power will be mighty but not by his own power, and he shall destroy wonderfully and will prosper and practise and shall destroy the might and holy people” – this causes Daniel to faint. The little horn uses civil power to destroy.
We must remember that the little horn power will be “broken without hand”, which is very similar to Daniel 2 “rock cut without hand”.