Daniel 8-12
Introduction
Daniel was a young man when he was taken into exile in Babylon with the people of Judah, before the group that would include Ezekiel. Many have tried to push the date of writing past the events predicted, out of nothing but bias against divine inspiration, because the prophecies concerning historical events are so accurate and detailed. Jesus referred to Daniel specifically, as also did Ezekiel. Please refer to these resources as well: this commentary, the NETS Bible, and this LXX Interlinear.
Daniel 8
Now we come to the vision about a goat and a ram. The ram’s horns were different lengths, with the longer one growing after the shorter one. The ram was unstoppable in conquest, but then came the goat with a horn between its eyes, flying toward the ram with blinding speed and easily destroying it. The goat, like the little horn, was very arrogant, but its power was short-lived, and the single horn was replaced with four others pointing to the four compass points.
A small horn grew up among them and aimed against the north, south, east, and Israel, “the beautiful land”. This same horn is then said to have “reached to heaven” and drawn away some of the stars, but it trampled them and then turned against “the prince of the army of heaven”, from whom the daily sacrifice was removed and the temple destroyed. Truth itself was also hurled to the ground.
Taking one-third of the stars from heaven and hurling them to earth is mentioned in Rev. 12:4, but what can it mean that they’re trampled? Some say the stars here must refer to the people of Israel, since they had the Temple, but others say that they represent the fallen angels. Yet why would Satan destroy his own angels? A possble answer is that they had been defeated by heaven’s armies according to Rev. 12:7, so Satan destroys them in a fit of rage for their failure. But though we really can’t rule out either interpretation, the commentary considers it beyond dispute that it refers here to the people of Israel because of verse 12. So what we have here may be another type and shadow, the defeat of Israel foreshadowing the defeat of the fallen angels.
Now for interpretations of the ram and goat. The ram seems to represent Medo-Persia, which was also portrayed as the bear and the silver part of the statue in earlier visions, and it had pushed in those directions. The goat seems to represent Greece, especially its unprecedented conquest under the tactical genius of Alexander the Great. This was portrayed in the earlier visions as the leopard and the bronze part of the statue. This all played out in history, more details of which we’ll see later.
Then Daniel hears someone ask the duration of this event, and the answer is that it will last 2,300 “evenings and mornings”, a familiar expression from Creation Week, and equivalent to either 6-1/2 or 3-1/2 years, depending on how one takes the expression. A fulfillment took place after the defeat of Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BC, and the subsequent rededication of the temple, which the Jewish feast of Hanukkah commemorates.
In verse 16 the angel Gabriel is sent to Daniel to explain the vision, which was for “the time of the end”. The ram’s two horns represent the kings of Media and Persia. The goat is Alexander, “the king of Greece”, after whose death four of his generals ruled: Lysimachus, Cassander, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. We’ll see more about them in chap. 11. The “rash and deceitful king” coming later was none other than the vile and treacherous Antiochus Epiphanes, who did not die in battle “at the hands of men” but from an infestation of worms. But though he fulfilled this prophecy, which Daniel is told to “seal” in verse 26, he was surely a type and shadow, so we can use him as a clue about what to expect from the future Beast or Antichrist.
Daniel 9
Now we come to what is easily the most familiar and controversial passage in Old Testament Bible prophecy, the Abomination of Desolation. As mentioned in the study of Jeremiah, Daniel understood from his writings that the seventy-year captivity of Israel in Babylon was coming to an end, and you may want to look at the chart in the commentary on this chapter for where this captivity fits in the timeline. But pay attention to the fact that Daniel interpreted Jeremiah’s prophecy literally, so we shouldn’t think that Daniel’s prophecies aren’t also to be taken literally, especially since history shows their literal, physical fulfillment thus far.
Daniel’s response to this understanding was to go to God in prayer, confessing the sins of his people. Shouldn’t we Christians do the same as “we see that day approaching”? Instead, many show either apathy or hostility to the study of prophecy. But Daniel prays for God’s deliverance, even though he already knows it’s coming, because that’s how true servants of God behave.
As we see in verse 20, the answer was already on its way via Gabriel, who gives a short but massively important prophecy starting in verse 24. This is the famous “Seventy Weeks Prophecy”, packed with significant details. Because of those details, we know in hindsight that the “weeks” or “sevens” refer to groups of years, such that seventy of them amount to a total of 490 years. These are divided into three groups, but notice first of all the purposes and people involved:
- to “your people” and “your holy city”
- to end and atone for sin
- to begin eternal righteousness
- to seal up prophetic vision
- to anoint and dedicate “the Most Holy Place”
”Your people” are Daniel’s people, the Hebrews. “Your city” is Daniel’s and the Hebrews’ city, Jerusalem. “The most holy place” is the Temple in Jerusalem. “Eternal righteousness” and “sealing up prophecy” refer to the end of all things in life as we’ve known it. So this is a very specific prophecy for the people and land of Israel, and only involves us as Christians insofar as it involves the righteous of all ages.
In verse 25 we’re given a starting point: the command to restore and rebuild the literal, physical city of Jerusalem. We know this because it happened in history that way. Various such commands are discussed in the commentary, but one in particular gave permission to rebuild Jerusalem specifically, and the calculations include the key fact that prophetic years were of 360 days rather than our modern 365. So counting 69x7 (483) prophetic years from the decree of 444 b.c. gives us 476 of our years, and then we determine the year a.d. by subtracting the 444, bringing us to 32 a.d.. And that’s the year Jesus was crucified or “cut off”.
But what about the “seven and sixty-two” for that first 69? It depends on how one understands the ancient languages here, and how it should be punctuated. You can check this discussion for some painstaking detail about all that, and for widely different views on what the verse actually says. But we should be able to point to something that happened 7x7 (49) years after the decree, and then count 62x7 (434) years from there to Jesus’ crucifixion. The part about it being built “with plaza and moat but in distressful times” is the key; the rebuilding would begin first with the perimeter, and would only be completed in 49 years.
To say (as some do with meticulous arguments) that this prophecy cannot refer to Jesus, is to say that there was no significance of “the fullness of time” for Jesus to come per Gal. 4:4, no reason for the people of Jesus’ day to have been looking for their redemption per Luke 2:38, and no explanation for why Simeon had been told in Luke 2:26 that he wouldn’t die until he had seen the Messiah. I’m more inclined to reject the Hebrew upon which the linguistic arguments are made against this being a Messianic prophecy, especially since the Greek isn’t nearly as ambiguous. The prophecy in Greek says something like this, as far as I can determine, though no two translations seem to agree:
And you shall know and perceive, from the giving of word to respond and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed prince comes, there will be 7 sevens and 62 sevens. The wall and square will be rebuilt in difficult times [or “when the time is exhausted”]. (26) After the 62 sevens, the anointed will be devastated for no valid reason. The coming leader will pollute the city and holy place, and they will be cut off as in a flood. Devastations will be ordered until war ends. (27) He will enforce a covenant with many for one seven, and halfway through it sacrifices and offerings will be terminated. There will be a very defiling desecration upon the temple, and there will be desolation until the completed time.
Needless to say, this passage is very controversial, but the whole of scripture must be considered in order to guide us when the ancient wording is in so much dispute. A consistent approach to Bible interpretation both allows and demands that this be taken as Messianic. And that all came from just verse 25.
Verse 26 is about an anointed one being cut off, which we recall was also spoken of in similar terms in Isaiah 53, a clearly Messianic passage. Then the city and temple/sanctuary would be destroyed by “the people of the coming prince”. It’s unclear whether the demise to come quickly like a flood refers to the prince or to the city and sanctuary, but it could be both, and a similar expression was used in Isaiah 59:19. It’s the people of the prince who do the destruction, not the prince himself.
The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple took place in 70 a.d., 37-38 years after Jesus’ ascension. It came at the hands of the Roman general Titus, whose soldiers burned the temple and then took it apart piece by piece to get the melted gold. This is what Jesus spoke of in Mat. 24:2.
Now to verse 27. The “he” points to the nearest person mentioned, which was the one who would destroy the temple. But Titus didn’t desecrate the temple or enforce any covenant. Some claim that “he” is Jesus, who destroyed the temple and ended sacrifices in the middle of Passover week. Yet not only does this theory make the seventieth seven a week of days rather than years like the first 69, Jesus didn’t make any covenant with a seven-year limit. In fact, the New Covenant wasn’t enacted until his death, which would be the start rather than the midpoint. And the temple system kept going until 70 AD. Another theory claims that Jesus’ public ministry was ended after 3-1/2 half years, but not only is it impossible to prove that it lasted that precise length of time, once again he made no seven-year covenant when he was baptized by John.
But what does fit is a yet-future fulfillment, where someone in the manner of both Antiochus Epiphanes and Titus will come and do all these things. This also blends well with Mat. 24:15-16, where the people of Judea are to run when they see what happens to the temple, and Rev. 12:13-15, where Israel is taken to safety for 3-1/2 years. So here’s the gist of the prophecy:
- 483 years from the command to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah is put to death
- Armies under the Roman general Titus destroy Jerusalem and the Temple
- War and disasters continue until the end
- The Beast will confirm a treaty with many for the final 7 years
- Midway through the 7 he will end Temple sacrifice and desecrate it
- The end decreed upon him will come
Daniel 10
Yet another prophetic vision is given here. Notice in verse 3 that Daniel had given up meat and wine for three weeks, which means the vegetarian diet he was on when he first came to Babylon was not his lifelong habit. He was shown a vision of a glowing being in white linen, resembling John’s description of Jesus in Revelation. But the context indicates this is an angel rather than Jesus.
Notice also in verse 12 that God came to him because he had humbled himself and sought understanding. We often miss out on God’s will for our lives because we won’t do either or both of those things. But who is “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” in verse 13? To delay a heavenly angel requires another supernatural being, so we can deduce that the Prince of Persia was a fallen angel that ruled behind the human powers of the land. Its power was such that the archangel Michael had to come and help.
After giving Daniel the strength to even listen to the message, notice again in verse 20 that this angel wasn’t looking forward to the return trip, which somehow would also involve the being ruling over Greece. Verse 21 mentions “a dependable book”, a likely reference to a book of prophetic decrees in heaven. The angel or “prince” Michael is said to be “your” prince, with “your” being plural. This refers to Daniel’s people, Israel, but this does not mean Michael is the Messiah, as some false religions teach. The angel’s words about all this continue into the next chapter, which really should begin at verse 2.
Daniel 11
In hindsight we know this is past to us today, and it begins with what would happen in Persia’s near future to the time of Daniel. Three Persian kings would arise, and then a fourth who stirs up trouble against Greece. Yet another king would arise, and by description we can identify him as Alexander the Great. This is where we get more detail about all that, and it goes on for quite a while, so I’ll just try to summarize.
Ptolemy I was the king of the south. The daughter was actually the granddaughter Berenice, who was given in marriage to Antiochus II in a doomed plan to achieve political gains by intrigue and deception. After various raids and generations, this king of the south was Ptolemy IV and then Ptolemy V. The king of the north was Antiochus III, who as prophesied was utterly defeated in 217 b.c.. The details fit historical record as with the Ptolemies, right up to the contemptible person Antiochus Epiphanes. It is he who is believed to have engineered the murder of a prince of the covenant, Onias III, the high priest. The first chapter of the apocryphal book 1 Maccabees details his plundering of the temple and other acts of savagery.
Again, though these things were indeed fulfilled in the past, we can’t dogmatically state that no future fulfillments remain. But neither can we presume that these alliances and military campaigns will be repeated in the future. In all the details of the remaining prophecies given in Revelation, there is no mention of the kings of the north and south and details that would connect them to future events. So though a future fulfillment is possible, it seems unlikely.
Yet in verse 36 we read of the king who exalts himself, who has no regard for the gods of his ancestors or the desire of women. This means a god honored by women, not that this person will be a pervert, though that’s certainly possible. Neither will this be a Muslim, since by definition he’d have to honor their god. Instead, he’ll honor a god of fortresses, in whose name he attacks other fortresses, and he’ll give out conquered lands as prizes.
We might still tie him in with the preceding discussion of Antiochus Epiphanes and the kings of the north and south, but in verse 40 we see the phrase “at the time of the end”, so there’s a shift in fulfillment here, and new details to follow have no historical precedent. A king of the north will attack this future king, and the attack is then joined by a king of the south with a huge multi-faceted force. But he still manages to attack the land of Israel, though the people now occupying the country of Jordan will escape the assault. Egypt and the countries on the south side of the Mediterranean will fall, but he’ll hear alarming reports from the east and north, so he’ll go off in a rage. However, as he camps between the Mediterranean and Dead Seas he’ll come to his end. Though the Beast will begin with the appearance of peace, per 8:25 and Rev. 6:2, we’ve seen that war will rage for most of its short reign.
Daniel 12
Ch. 12 starts again with “at that time”, and again Michael is mentioned as the prince watching over Israel. This is where we see the phrase Jesus used, “a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then”. There has been much terrible suffering in the world since 70 a.d., such that the fall of Jerusalem at that time cannot have been the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy.
Now because of this overlap and duality, teachers of Bible prophecy must exercise restraint and caution in looking for modern fulfillments. All we can be sure of is that those things without any historical match will certainly take place. And what it tells us here is that Daniel’s people, at least the ones whose names are in “the book”, will escape. We know that whoever sees the Abomination of Desolation and runs will be kept safe during the Great Tribulation, the final 3-1/2 years.
Then we see the first clear Old Testament statement about eternity: Some will arise to experience everlasting life, but others to experience everlasting contempt. The contrast is not between existence and non-existence, or long and short existence since both are everlasting, but honor and shame. Now in verse 4 Daniel is told again to seal the prophecy, but in this case, “until the time of the end”. This is why Revelation, which means the opposite, is a book for the time of the end, not the past. But what does it mean that people will run around and increase knowledge? The two together suggest a desperate thirst for understanding, though it could also be a clue about modern life. All we know is that the reign of the Beast is for a mere 3-1/2 years.
We should take comfort in knowing that not even Daniel could figure this out, but we aren’t to know the timing until the fulfillment begins. The angel repeats that there will be 3-1/2 years from the Abomination of Desolation and the end of the Tribulation, but adds that there’s a special blessing for whoever waits patiently for another 45 days after that. I was unable to find any consistent explanations for the extra days, though some think it might be a time of purification or reconstruction between Jesus’ defeat of the Beast and his entering Jerusalem.
Daniel’s book is short, but that’s a good thing, because it’s jam-packed with prophecy.