This is a key element in which much debate has been taken and many take to be part of a Tribulation prophecy. That would be taking Daniel chapter eight entirely out of context and thus twisting the Word of God to fit the desires and needs of God.
What needs to be understood that at the point in chapter eight this reference is made is during the time of the little horn that rose from one of the four horns that took the place of the goat’s horn. As was shown in the previous part of this study. That goat’s horn was Alexander the Great, as he is called. Upon his death four of his generals took equal parts of power and territory for the most part. From one of these generals rose the little horn. Who as was pointed out was Antiochus Epiphanes. Who in turn defiled the temple and placed the statue of Zeus within it as well as the sacrifice of pigs upon the altar of God. In Daniel a specific amount of time was listed which would identify how long the desolation was to occur.
Daniel 8:14 – The other replied, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the Temple will be made right again.”
“2,300 evenings and mornings.” The wording here is extremely important, and it is here that many twist the words of an angelic reply to meet their own needs, wishes and desires.
When you understand the ways of the temple then you understand how this wording was made in such a way. This is why it is so important to study history, and the very cultures involved within the Bible. The most important and the most key culture is Judaism. So understanding the ways of this people and their lifestyles, especially in their worship of God is of utmost import.
The words “evenings and mornings” correspond to the evening and morning sacrifices performed within the temple. Since the day begins when the sun sets as the Jewish people originally followed. Thus why evening is placed first. What this means in both the sacrificial sessions in one day. So in actuality it is 1150 days. Gleason L. Archer Jr. states this from “The Expositor’s Bible Commentary vol. 7” (1985):
“Consequently we are to understand v. 14 as predicting the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabaeus on 25 Chislev (or 14 December) 164 B.C.; 1,150 days before that would point to a terminus a quo of three years, one month, and 25 days earlier or in Tishri 167 B.C. While the actual erection of the idolatrous altar in the temple took place in Chislev 167, or one month and 15 days later, there is no reason to suppose the Antiochus Epiphanes’ administration may not have abolished the offering of the tamid itself at that earlier date.”
To quote from John F. Walvoord when looking at both theories of it being 2300 days or 1150 days he says this:
“In looking at all the evidence it appears both interpretations have the potential to fit the historical record. At this point we simply don’t have sufficient historical data to know which is correct. But in either case this prophecy may safely be said to have been fulfilled and does not have any other eschatological significance in the sense of anticipating a future fulfillment. It is adequately explained in the history of the Medo-Persian and Greek Empires, and specially, in the activities of Antiochus Epiphanes.”
Simply this use of the 2300 or 1150 days is exclusive to the 160s B.C., and the use of this in any contemporary, modern or future context is a violation of the word of God and any that teach such a message should be turned away from and the true and actuate study of the Word of God should be sought after.

Daniel 8:3 – As I looked up, I saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river. One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had grown later than the other one. 4 The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great.
This imagery re-enforces the case for Medo-Persia as the next power to follow Babylon. For the Median Empire was first yet weak, while the Persian part came later took control of the Median part and was stronger. To quote John F. Walvoord once again:
“This prophecy is so accurate that it is embarrassing to the critic who does not want to accept a sixth-century Daniel who wrote genuine prophecy.”
Continuing:
“Not only are both the ram and the goat mentioned in the Old Testament as symbols of power, but Cumont has noted that different lands were assigned to the signs of the Zodiac according to astronomical geography. In this view. Persia is thought of as under the zodiacal sign of Aries, the “ram,” and Greece as sharing with Syria – the principal territory of the Seleucid monarchy – the zodiacal sign of Capricorn, the “goat.” The word “Capricorn” is derived from the Latin, “caper,” a goat and “cornu,” a horn. Taken as a whole. As Driver states. ‘The verse describes the irresistible advances of the Persian army, especially in the direction of Palestine, Asia Minor, and Egypt, with particular allusion to the conquest of Cyrus and Cambyses.’”
So any that state chapter eight has to do with the present era have not fully studied the Bible. They wish to cling to a fantasy that enables them to deny God and the true teachings of Jesus Christ. Those teaching that clearly state that we are in the end time we now live within. That those that do not conform to obedience of the teaching of the Bible are in actuality living in sin, and are not one with God. Even those that say they are with God, for they are showing themselves to be like the Pharisees. Living in their own version of the Bible that does not resemble Jesus Christ in any way shape or form.
Daniel 8:5 – While I was watching, suddenly a male goat appeared from the west, crossing the land so swiftly that he didn’t even touch the ground. This goat, which had one very large horn between its eyes, 6 headed toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the river, rushing at him in a rage. 7 The goat charged furiously at the ram and struck him, breaking off both his horns. Now the ram was helpless, and the goat knocked him down and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s power.
Again I quote from the commentary on the book of Daniel by John F. Walvoord:
“There is no discrepancy between history, which records a series of battles, and Daniel’s representation that the Medo-Persian Empire fell with one blow. Daniel was obviously describing the result rather than the details. That the prophecy is accurate, insofar as it goes, most expositors concede. Here again, the correspondence of the prophecy to later history is so accurate that liberal critics attempt to make it history instead of prophecy.”
It is clear from those who really study that the leopard with the four wing and four heads, and the goat are one and the same. This is made crystal clear in the next verse of chapter eight:
“The goat became very powerful. But at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off. In the large horn’s place grew four prominent horns pointing in the four directions of the earth.”
From one of the four generals rises a forerunner of the antichrist, Antiochus Epiphanes ruler of Syria from 175 B.C. to 164 B.C. He is the reason for the Maccabean rebellion. Now if you remember in part one of this series I layout the geographical boundaries of these prophecies. Now you will see this come into play at this time”
Daniel 8:9 – Then from one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel. 10 Its power reached to the heavens, where it attacked the heavenly army, throwing some of the heavenly beings and some of the stars to the ground and trampling them.
South of Syria is Egypt, east was Medo-Persia or Armenia. As for the heavenly army. It is well established within the Bible that even though we live within a physical temporal domain. We are instructed to pray to give strength to the heavenly armies which fight in the domain of heaven. There is a spiritual battle taking place that is beyond our ability to see now, however it is noted and mentioned in the Bible many times.
Ephesians 6:10 – A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
Part of wearing the armor of God is truly studying the Bible and coming to a true understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Father: God.

Yesterday I started this look into Daniel and the dilemma it has caused throughout those that try to interrupt the prophecies within this book of the Old Testament. Today we shall look at the four kingdoms that are first shown in the Statue dream of Daniel chapter two.
Daniel 7:4 – The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And it was given a human mind.
At the time of this prophecy the royal palace had statues of winded lions at its gate, which was one of the factors in agreement that this is a representation of at the least Nebuchadnezzar and the most an imagery of Babylon itself. To quote the commentary by John F. Walvoord:
“In spite of the power indicated in this symbolism, Daniel saw the beast become man-like. This is most commonly interpreted as the symbolic representation of Nebuchadnezzar’s experience in chapter 4 when he was humbled before God and made to realize that, even though he was a great ruler, he was only a man. His lion-like character, or royal power, was his only at God’s pleasure. The symbolism is accurate and corresponds to the historical facts.”
So in all scholarly studies of this verse. It is agreed that this is an image of Babylon and the first empire of the Gentiles. Then the next verse should describe the next empire in the chain.
Daniel 7:5 – Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, “Get up! Devour the flesh of many people!”
The imagery suggested by this verse shows a strong yet less refined empire that has one side stronger than the other. The Persian side being stronger than the Median part which the former had taken over from the latter before its move against other kingdoms. This is shown in the imagery of defeating and devouring three kingdoms, thus the three ribs. That being Lydia, Babylon and Egypt. The bear is also known to be a more ferocious animal than other animals in the animal kingdom as seen within biblical times.
Daniel 7:6 – Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast.
Starting with the image of a leopard. It is an imagery within the Bible of something not as grand as the lion, but is known for its swiftness. This is amplified by the four wings upon its back. The four heads indicate a division into four parts but of equal power and control. The conquest of Alexander was extremely swift. Upon his death at thirty-two the Greek Empire was given to his four top generals and their power was divided equally.
Daniel 7:7 – Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns. 8 As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.
One of the main tendencies of the Roman Empire was to remove the cultural from those it dominate. This was accomplished through death, destruction and an insistence of following Roman law. In some areas they tried different tactics, but in the end it resulted in their mainstay as mentioned above. This is clearly seen in 70 A.D. when the last temple was destroyed and the Israel nation scattered throughout the Roman Empire and then the world.
A great debate still continues into the description as to who or what the little horn is that replaces three of the ten horns. Has it happened or will it happen? At this time it is still open for debate. What is made clear is that it is not the little horn of chapter eight.
That little horn has been identified as Antiochus Epiphanes. He is called this due to his representation of the little horn still to come, that being the antichrist. What is known for sure is that Antiochus IV Epiphanes did abolish the worship of God by the Jewish people and he did defile the temple in the 160s B.C. by establishing the worship of Zeus within the Temple and the sacrifice of pigs upon the alter. Antiochus Epiphanes is described by many to be an image of the antichrist that is yet to come during the time of the Tribulation.
In recent times, that being the previous president the United States. Another image of the little horn came to power and brought devastation to this Christian nation. Again a fore image of the true antichrist yet to appear. Even though his actions could be said to have signaled a major step into the end-times that are shown within the Bible as the signs to look for. For from his actions a power has risen within the former boarders of the Babylonian empire that correspond to the beast described within the book of Revelation 13:7.

The main challenge that the book of Daniel encountered. Came from those that believed the book was not first off written by Daniel and in turn was not written in 540 to 530 B.C. Many imply the book was written in the 200 B.C. time frame.
Why is this so important? Why must we accept and understand that the Book of Daniel was written by Daniel and was complete before his death which is stated to have occurred in 530 B.C.?
This is the dilemma.
First off you need to understand that this book was not just written for the Jewish people as all the other book of the Old Testament (OT) were originally written for. This book was also written for the Gentiles and signaled the beginning of the rule of the Gentile nations over the world. This is seen in the way Daniel wrote this book. The beginning and the end of the book is written in Hebrew. As all other book of the OT were written, with the exception of Ezra. The middle of the book though is written in Aramaic (2:4 – 7:28). This is the common tongue at the time throughout the Middle East. It also stayed this way well into the time of the Roman Empire. It is still used in some form by many Middle Eastern Christian Churches.
These parts of the Book of Daniel that were written in Aramaic deal specifically with Gentile nations within the Middle East. For the focal point is the nation of Israel, so it deals only with those nations that will have an effect upon it, which included Greece and the Roman Empire. This is something that really needs to be understood. Many in today’s Christian culture reject in some part the Judaism of the OT. They feel that only Christianity is the focal point of the Bible. This is the furthest thing from the truth.
Abraham is the father of the Jewish and as well as the Islamic nations. Jesus, the Son of God, was born to a descendant of David. Both Joseph and Mary have a direct lineage to David, the first king of the united tribes of Israel. Christianity came from Jesus Christ who was raised upon the books of the OT. At the age of twelve His knowledge of these books, which included Daniel. Far exceeded the understanding of the Bible by the Pharisees and Sadducees at that time and was noted as such (Luke 2:46-47). So Christianity is the “grandchild” of Abraham. And the Bible teaches that we must honor our fathers and mothers, even to the point of the source of our faith. So any that deny Israel, and the Jewish people, deny God.
This non-focus on Israel as the focal-point has led to many misinterpretations of this book by those that have not taken the time to truly study the Bible and history itself. This is why it is extremely important to study the Bible. Not just read it. As is the case of the book of Daniel, knowing history is extremely important as well. For within the book of Daniel is facts related to not only Israel, but Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire. Without knowledge of this history of these nations misunderstanding the book of Daniel comes into play and so causes the rise of false teachings and teachers.
First we need to understand the four Gentile world dominate kingdoms. As shown above these are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. The last of these is the most complicated to understand, but when taken in context with the statute of four layers you come to a better understanding, and once again see that Israel is the focal point as well.
Babylon is the first major Empire of any true note that affected the Middle Eastern area. Many times this empire changed hands, but the one that dealt with Israel was the Assyrian rule which began in 911 B.C. and ended during the book of Daniel in 619 B.C. This version of the empire at its apex, which is approximately 671 B.C. reached from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean down into Egypt itself. The boarder cities were Susa, Ecbatana, Musasir, Tushpa, Kanish, Tarsus, and Dumah and reached down to Jeb in Egypt. To give you a more up to date imagery, the eastern boarder would conform for the most part to the border between Iraq and Iran. Its northern border went from Van, Turkey to the Lake of Tuz just south, southeast of Ankara. The western border starts at the north at this lake down to between Silifke and Adana, along the entire eastern coast of the Mediterranean. It then extended into Egypt just west of Al Hammam down south to Mut and then met the Red Sea near Halaib. Its southern border extended from the Gulf of Aqaba in a near straight line to the Persian Gulf.
Why I went into so much detail describing this area? Is due to the fact that this area is all the land mass that the book of Daniel deals with. Even though Greece and Rome are not in this area today. At one point during their conquests they held domain over this area, which is why they are a part of the prophecies within the book of Daniel. The land mass within these prophecies never changes. However the effects to each of these empires especially the last does constitute the overall lands, and cultures they have affected, due to their existence within the Gentile world. So to make this clear. The prophecies within the book of Daniel deal exclusively within the lands of the Middle East, that deal with the original boarders of the Babylonian/Assyrian Empire. In today’s terms that that means Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait and parts of Saudi Arabia and Turkey. So when a direction is mentioned within the prophecies it conforms to an area within these boundaries. In the book of Revelation this area also conforms to the boundaries of the city of New Jerusalem.
In the prophecy of the statue four nations are given reference to, but not truly identified. The head is, which is shown to be Babylon. However the other, even though described, are not given identity. This changes in chapter seven. Here the seven nations are given identification for those that have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.