81 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, Daniel , subsequent to the one which appeared to me previously . 2 I looked in the vision , and while I was looking I was in the citadel of Susa , which is in the province of Elam ; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal . 3 Then I lifted my eyes and looked , and behold , a ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal . Now the two horns were long , but one was longer than the other , with the longer one coming up last . 4 I saw the ram butting westward , northward , and southward , and no other beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his power , but he did as he pleased and magnified himself. 5 While I was observing , behold , a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground ; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes . 6 He came up to the ram that had the two horns , which I had seen standing in front of the canal , and rushed at him in his mighty wrath . 7 I saw him come beside the ram , and he was enraged at him; and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns , and the ram had no strength to withstand him. So he hurled him to the ground and trampled on him, and there was none to rescue the ram from his power . 8 Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly e . But as soon as he was mighty , the large horn was broken ; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven . 9 Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south , toward the east , and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew up to the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth , and it trampled them down . 11 It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host ; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down . 12 And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice ; and it will fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper . 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking , and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking , " How long e will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror , so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled ?" 14 He said to me, "For 2,300 e e evenings and mornings ; then the holy place will be properly restored ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Daniel 8:1-14
Commentary on Daniel 8:1-14
(Read Daniel 8:1-14)
God gives Daniel a foresight of the destruction of other kingdoms, which in their day were as powerful as that of Babylon. Could we foresee the changes that shall be when we are gone, we should be less affected with changes in our own day. The ram with two horns was the second empire, that of Media and Persia. He saw this ram overcome by a he-goat. This was Alexander the Great. Alexander, when about thirty-three years of age, and in his full strength, died, and showed the vanity of worldly pomp and power, and that they cannot make a man happy. While men dispute, as in the case of Alexander, respecting the death of some prosperous warrior, it is plain that the great First Cause of all had no more of his plan for him to execute, and therefore cut him off. Instead of that one great horn, there came up four notable ones, Alexander's four chief captains. A little horn became a great persecutor of the church and people of God. It seems that the Mohammedan delusion is here pointed out. It prospered, and at one time nearly destroyed the holy religion God's right hand had planted. It is just with God to deprive those of the privileges of his house who despise and profane them; and to make those know the worth of ordinances by the want of them, who would not know it by the enjoyment of them. Daniel heard the time of this calamity limited and determined; but not the time when it should come. If we would know the mind of God, we must apply to Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; not hid from us, but hid for us. There is much difficulty as to the precise time here stated, but the end of it cannot be very distant. God will, for his own glory, see to the cleansing of the church in due time. Christ died to cleanse his church; and he will so cleanse it as to present it blameless to himself.