Daniel 8

In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me before. I looked in the vision, and as I looked, I was in the citadel of Susa, in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw that I was beside the Ulai Canal. I lifted my eyes and saw a ram standing before the canal. It had two high horns, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram charging westward, northward, and southward. No beast could stand before it, and no one could deliver from its power. It did as it pleased and grew great. As I considered this, a male goat came from the west across the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a prominent horn between its eyes. It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing before the canal and charged at it with furious strength. I saw it draw close to the ram, enraged against it. It struck the ram and broke its two horns. The ram had no strength to stand before it. The goat hurled it to the ground and trampled it, and no one could deliver the ram from its power. The male goat grew exceedingly great, but at the height of its strength the great horn was broken. Four prominent horns rose in its place toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came a horn, small at first, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, the east, and the Beautiful Land. It grew as high as the host of heaven and cast some of the host and some of the stars to the ground and trampled them. It exalted itself even against the Prince of the host. The regular offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down. Because of rebellion, a host will be handed over along with the regular offering. It will cast truth to the ground and act and prosper. Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who was speaking, “How long will the vision last concerning the regular offering, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the handing over of the sanctuary and the host to be trampled?” He said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be restored to its rightful state.” When I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking to understand it, there before me stood someone with the appearance of a man. I heard a human voice from between the banks of the Ulai, calling, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” He came near where I stood. As he approached, I was terrified and fell facedown. He said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision concerns the time of the end.” As he spoke with me, I fell into a deep sleep, facedown on the ground. But he touched me and set me on my feet. He said, “I will make known to you what will happen in the latter part of the indignation, for it concerns the appointed time of the end. The ram you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy male goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between its eyes is the first king. The horn that was broken and the four that arose in its place mean that four kingdoms will arise from that nation, but without his strength. In the latter part of their reign, when the rebels have reached their full measure, a fierce-faced king, skilled in riddles, will arise. His power will become great, but not by his own power. He will cause astonishing destruction, and he will prosper and act. He will destroy the mighty and the people of the holy ones. Through his cunning he will make deceit prosper in his hand, and in his heart he will exalt himself. He will destroy many while they are at ease. He will rise against the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human hand. The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been told is true. But you must keep the vision secret, for it concerns many days to come.” I, Daniel, was exhausted and ill for days. Then I rose and attended to the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision, and no one understood it.

Rights and attribution