Ch8 Goat and Ram

Goat and Ram Prophecy

While we were visiting the zoo in Kansas city, there was a most interesting goat with 4 horns. I had never seen one like it. I had read about it in the book of Daniel but I thought it was only in symbol that such a thing existed.

Daniel had another animal dream that told the future. God was hiding truth in symbols. He does this to help us think and think. Some never can figure things out right. Others make up things they think fits. But God can help those who ask Him to help them understand the secrets.

Here is a promise that if you pray, God will teach you the meaning of things in the Bible that are hard to understand. So let's pray as we begin this most interesting prophecy of the goat and ram.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you don't know.

Psalms 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon You: for You will answer me.

Psalms 91:15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.

In the third year of the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was given a dream. He was at the palace by the river Ulai. Standing by the river was a ram with two horns. One was higher than the other just like on the bear that symbolized Medo Persia one shoulder was higher. Daniel was still in the time of Babylon when this dream came. He had not yet experienced the lions den and his friendship with King Darius of the Medes and Persians. The kingdom of the Medes and Persians lasted for about 200 years.

Daniel 8:1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, [even unto] me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
8:2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I [was] at Shushan [in] the palace, which [is] in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
8:3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had [two] horns: and the [two] horns [were] high; but one [was] higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 8:4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither [was there any] that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

Daniel was trying to figure out the meaning of what he saw when a goat with a big horn between his eyes ran through the sky and smashed into the ram.

8:5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat [had] a notable horn between his eyes.
8:6 And he came to the ram that had [two] horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
8:7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

After the ram was smashed, the goat became a very strong and big animal. Later his horn broke off and four horns grew on his head. Next a little horn started growing from one of the four horns.

8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

It had four interesting horns that pointed in different directions. These were the divisions of Greece that happened after Alexander the Great died. These horns all fit on one goat head. This sounds like the goat we saw at the zoo.

A most interesting horn started growing out of Macedonia horn. It just grew and grew and the Bible begins to tell us clue after clue who it represents by how it acts. Let's read it from the Bible.

Daniel 8:9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant [land].
8:10 And it waxed great,

This great horn grew and grew and pulled stars from the sky just like the dragon of Revelation. (Rev. 12) Satan took a third of the angels from heaven with him when he was cast out of heaven. We are now talking about a power inside Rome that is controlled by Satan.

Daniel 8:10 And it waxed great, [even] to the host of heaven; and it cast down [some] of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
8:11 Yea, he magnified [himself] even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily [sacrifice] was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
8:12 And an host was given [him] against the daily [sacrifice] by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.

Revelation 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

The next question that comes to our minds is how long will this power be allowed to be so violent and hateful to God and His people? The answer was 2300 days. If you add up those days it makes 7 years. Since the prophecy covered kingdoms that lasted longer than 7 years it is not literal, it is a symbol. In prophecy a day equals a year.

8:13 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 under foot?
8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
8:15 And it came to pass, when I, [even] I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

Daniel was trying to understand what it all meant. A voice called out and commanded angel Gabriel to help Daniel understand the vision. When Daniel saw the angel, he was afraid and fell on his face and went to sleep. The angel Gabriel touched him and helped him stand up. Then he began to explain things.

8:16 And I heard a man's voice between [the banks of] Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this [man] to understand the vision.
8:17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end [shall be] the vision.
8:18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
8:19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end [shall be].

This man of dark sentences is different. His power was really not from himself. He was getting power from Satan. That is why it says he took stars from heaven. He harmed God's people. This person dared to sass God. He stood up against the Prince of princes. The Prince is Jesus. The power that put Jesus on the cross was Pagan Rome. Also, Herod a king of a part Rome also had all babies under age two killed in an effort to kill baby Jesus.

Then this long horn power changed. It threw truth about God's sanctuary onto the ground. He did something to the daily sacrifice that made God angry. This power would be broken but not by humans.

8:20 The ram which thou sawest having [two] horns [are] the kings of Media and Persia.
8:21 And the rough goat [is] the king of Grecia: and the great horn that [is] between his eyes [is] the first king.
8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
8:24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify [himself] in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told [is] true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it [shall be] for many days.

Daniel was so sad when he saw what was coming. He fainted and was sick for several days. He then got up and went about his work at the palace. He thought a lot about what he had seen. He really wanted to know more. In the next chapter we will watch Daniel pray until he gets an answer.

It is very important to study prophecy that has already been fulfilled. When we do this, it makes our faith grow. It shows us that God can do the rest of what He said He will do. He is coming soon.

8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick [certain] days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood [it].

1. What River was Daniel standing by when he saw ram and goat?

2. What year of king Belshazzar's reign was the dream given to Daniel?

3. Who did the one great horn between the goats eyes represent?

4. What happened after he died?

5. Where did the little horn grow from on the 4 horned goat head? (which horn?)

6. What did the long horn do against God?

7. How many days/years would this power trouble God's people?

8. What was the name of the angel who spoke to Daniel to explain things?

9. Can you name the 4 sub divisions of the Grecian empire after Alexander the Great died?

10. What did it mean to draw stars out of the sky?

11. Can you think of another place in the Bible that the dragon pulls stars from heaven?

12. Who did the ram represent?

13. Describe the horns on the ram.

14. How long did the Medo Persians rule the world?

15. Who destroyed the Medo Persian world leadership?

16. What is the importance of studying prophecies that have already been fulfilled?

Look at what Daniel wears during his prayer. He is really upset about something. He is real serious about this prayer. Click here to see the next chapter of Daniel "Daniel's Prayer"