Chapter 8

“Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from Me against her, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 51:53

“O Babylonians, there shall come a Persian to impose servitude upon you. A Mede shall be his associate.” King  Nebuchadnezzar

I.     Daniel chapter 8

      A. Verses 1-8       The coming Medo-Persian and Greek empires

      B. Verses 9-14      Later kingdoms of Greece

      C. Verses 15-19     The time of the end

      D. Verses 20-27     Interpretation of the vision

II.     Key verses and terms found elsewhere in the Scriptures

      A. Verse 1    Third year of the reign of Belshazzar as co-ruler with his father, Nabonidus.

      B. Verse 2    What was the significance of Susa?   Esther 1:1-4

      C. Verses 3-4       (Verse 20 interprets)   Medes and Persians

          Ram with 2 horns = Chest of Silver with two arms (ch. 2) = Bear (ch. 7) =

          Ram with one horn higher than the other = Bear raised on one side (ch. 7)

          Higher horn came up last = Cyrus the Great of Persia coming after the Medes

          Isaiah 13:1-5, 17; Jeremiah 51:11, 28; Isaiah 44:28-45:7

Homework: Read Jeremiah 50 and 51 and see the judgment of Babylon.

D.                              Verses 5-7      (Verse 21 interprets)   Alexander the Great and the Greek empire

Goat with 1 great horn = Waist and thighs of bronze (ch. 2) = leopard (ch. 7)

Goat not touching the ground = leopard with four wings = great speed of conquest

Alexander defeated last Persian king (Darius III) within six years of becoming king.

      E. Verse 8        (Verse 22 interprets)   The division of the Greek Empire

          1. Ptolemy I Soter – Egypt    Cleopatra was the last and most famous

          2. Seleucus I Nicator – Syria   Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the most notorius

          3. Antipater (through his son Cassander) – Macedonia

          4. Lysimachus – Thracia

F. Verses 9-14    (Verses 23-26 interprets)   Antiochus IV Epiphanes was from the Seleucid Kingdom (#2 above) about 175 B.C. He will be discussed in more detail in chapter 11.

      G. Verse 9    “Glorious Land” is Jerusalem      Psalm 48:2, 50:2; Ezekiel 20:6

      H. Verse 10    “Stars” and “host of heaven” are the Israelites, God’s people      Gen. 15:5

      I. Verse 11    He made himself to be as great as God and forbade the daily sacrifice.

      J. Verse 12    He was given this power “because of transgression” committed by God’s people.

K. Verse 14    “2300 evenings and mornings” is how long the Temple had been desolate under Antiochus before he finally died of a distemper and “without human hand.” (verse 25)