Dany'AL (Daniel) — 8

Vision of a Ram and a Goat

1 In the third year of the reign of King Balshazzar a vision appeared to me Danyal, after the one that appeared to me the first time. 

2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Alam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai. 

3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns  were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 

4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole Arath, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 

6 Then the goat came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at the  ram with furious power. 

7 And I saw the goat confronting the ram; the goat was moved with rage against the ram and attacked the ram, and broke the ram's two horns, There was no power in the ram to withstand the goat, but the goat cast the  ram down to the ground and trampled the ram; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from the  goat's hand.

8 Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when the goat became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable horns came up toward the four winds of Shamaym. 

9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Esteemed Land. 

10 And the  horn grew up to the host of Shamaym; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 

11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 

12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground, he did all this and prospered.

13 Then I heard a Qadash one speaking; and another Qadash one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

Gabri'AL Interprets the Vision

15 Then it happened, when I Danyal, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 

16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabri'AL, make this man understand the vision.” 

17 So Gabri'AL came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but Gabri'AL said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”

18 Now, as Gabri'AL was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 

19 And Gabri'AL said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 

20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. 

21 And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece, The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. 

22 The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first, which is Greece.

23 “At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. 

24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power, he will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does, he will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the Qadash people. 

25 He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning, he will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by man's power.

26 “This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is true, but none of these things will happen now, it is for the future time, so keep this vision a secret.”

27 Then I Danyal was overcome and lay sick for several days, afterward I got up and performed my duties for the king, but I was greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it.