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8
Daniel's vision of a ram and a goat
1 During the third year that Belshazzar was the King of Babylonia, I had another vision. 2 In that vision I was in Susa, the capital city of Elam Province. I was standing alongside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up and saw a ram that was standing alongside the canal. It had two long horns, but the one that grew last was longer than the one that grew first. 4 The ram butted/knocked away with its horns everything that was west and everything that was north and everything that was south of it. There were no other animals that were able to oppose it, and none that could rescue/save other animals from its power. The ram did whatever it wanted to do and became very powerful.
5 While I thinking about what I had seen, in the vision I saw a goat come from the west. It ran across the land very quickly, with the result that it seemed that its feet did not touch the ground. This goat had one very large horn between its eyes. 6 It was very angry, and it ran straight toward the ram that I had seen previously, the ram that was standing alongside the canal. 7 The goat struck the ram furiously and broke off its two horns, with the result that the ram had no power to defend itself. So the goat knocked the ram down and trampled on it. No one could rescue the ram from the goat's power. 8 The goat became very powerful. But when its power was very great, its horn was broken off. But four other large horns took its place. They each pointed in a different direction.
9 Then from one of those large horns appeared a little horn, which became very big, and pointed toward the south and then toward the east and then toward the beautiful land of Israel. 10 The man who was represented by that horn became very strong, with the result that he attacked some of the soldiers of the army of heaven, and (OR, meaning) the stars in the sky which represented God's people. He threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them. 11 He ◄defied/considered himself to be greater than► the leader of the army of heaven, and prevented priests from offering sacrifices to him. He also ◄defiled the temple/caused the temple to become unholy►. 12 Then God's people allowed the man who was represented by that horn to control/rule them, with the result that they sinned by offering sacrifices to him. And he threw to the ground the laws that contained the true religion. Everything that he did was successful.
13 Then I heard two angels who were talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the things/events that were in this vision continue? How long will the man who rebels against God and causes the temple to be defiled be able to prevent priests from offering sacrifices? How long will he trample on the temple and on the armies of heaven?”
14 The other angel replied, “ It will continue for 1,150 days. During each of those days, people will not be permitted to offer sacrifices in the morning or in the evening. After that, the temple will be purified.”
Gabriel explained the vision
15 While I, Daniel, was trying to understand what the vision meant, suddenly an angel who resembled a man stood/appeared in front of me. 16 And I heard a man call out from the other side of the Ulai Canal, saying, “Gabriel, explain to him the meaning of the vision that he saw!”
17 So Gabriel came and stood beside me. I was very terrified, with the result that I fell onto the ground. But he said to me, “You human, it is necessary for you to understand that the events that you saw in the vision will occur near the time that the world will end.”
18 While he was speaking, I fainted. I lay there, unconscious, with my face still on the ground. But Gabriel put his hand on me and lifted me up in order that I could stand again.
19 Then he said, “I have come here to tell you what will happen because of God being angry. These things will happen near the time when the world will end. 20 As for the ram with two horns that you saw, those horns represent the kingdoms of Media and Persia. 21 The goat that you saw represents the kingdom of Greece, and the horn that appeared between its eyes represents its first king. 22 As for the four horns that grew after the first horn was broken off, they represent four kingdoms into which that first kingdom will be divided after the first king dies. Those four kingdoms will not be as strong/powerful as the first kingdom was.
23 The people in those kingdoms will become very wicked, with the result that it will be necessary for them to be punished. But near the time when those kingdoms will end, one of those kingdoms will have a king who will be very proud/defiant [IDI]. He will also be very fierce and very deceitful. 24 He will become very powerful, but it will not be because of what he himself does. He will terribly destroy things in many places, and he will succeed in doing everything that he wants to. He will get rid of many powerful men, and also some of God's people. 25 Because he is very cunning/clever, he will succeed by doing things that deceive many people. He will be proud of himself. He will get rid of many people when they think that they are safe. He will also rebel against God [EUP], who is the greatest king. But God will destroy him, without the help [MTY] of any human being.
26 What you saw in the vision about priests being prevented from making sacrifices in the morning and in the evening, which I explained to you, will surely happen. But for the present time, do not reveal the vision to others, because it will be many years before those things happen.”
27 Then I, Daniel, became weak, and I was sick for several days. Then I arose and returned to doing the work that the king had given to me, but I was perplexed/confused about the vision, and I could not understand it.

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© 2008-2016 Ellis W. Deibler, Jr.