Amen, you may be seated. Turn in your Bibles this evening to the book of Daniel and chapter eight. Book of Daniel, chapter eight. We'll read the entirety of the chapter tonight. Let's give our attention now to God's holy word. Daniel, chapter eight. In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel. After that, which appeared to me at the first, and I saw in the vision, and when I saw, I was in Susa, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Yulkal, or canal, and I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal, They had two horns and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to the ram with two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal. And he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him. But he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken. And instead of it, there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great even to the host of heaven and some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. It became great even as great as the prince of the host and the regular burnt offering was taken away from him and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown and a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression. and it will throw truth to the ground and it will act and prosper. Then I heard a holy one speaking and another holy one said to the one who spoke for how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate and the giving over of the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot. And he said to me, for 2,300 evenings and mornings, and the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state. When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it, and behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man, and I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Uli, and it called, Gabriel, make this man understand the vision. So he came near where I stood, and when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. And he said to me, understand, oh son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end. And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep. with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. He said, behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation. For it refers to the appointed time of the end. As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. And the goat is the king of Greece. and the great horn between his eyes is the first king. As for the horn that was broken in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. His power shall be great, but not by his own power, and he shall cause fearful destruction, and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many, and he shall even rise up against the prince of princes, and he shall be broken. by no human hand. The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now. And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it." Thus far, the reading of God's holy word. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that you, as you did for Daniel, would give us understanding of your truth. not just for what happened in days long ago, but what is happening now and what will continue to happen until the end, until Christ returns. Lord, we long for that day when he shall come and destroy all wickedness and evil with the breath of his mouth, with the power of his might and glory. Lord, bless us tonight as we consider these truths and use them to strengthen us and comfort us. Help us for we pray in Jesus name for his sake. Amen. Well, it's been quite a few years since I used to go to a traditional Christian bookstore. But as I remember that particular store, I found that books on reform theology were non-existent. Brethren, we have a great privilege in this town to have two solid bookstores that provide us with ample material from a solid biblical perspective. But back then, that was not the case. And as a matter of fact, in this particular store, there were two sections that were very popular and had lots of books. The first of them was a section on improving your self-esteem. And the second one was a section on prophecy and the end times. That section was full of books. And I don't think any of them were legitimate, but anyway. What that means is that had Daniel lived in our day, he could have been a multi-millionaire because he could have written all kinds of books on prophecy, on dreams, on visions, and every one of them would have been on the bestseller list. What we see, particularly in Daniel 7 and Daniel 8, As we looked at chapter seven this morning, we saw the vision of four beasts and of 11 horns, and we saw that those beasts represented four kings and kingdoms of the world, all of which were in strident conflict with God's king and with God's kingdom. Tonight, we are told of yet another vision. And once again, there are three significant figures. There's a ram, and there's a goat, and there's a little horn. But unlike the previous vision, this one is interpreted for us by the angel Gabriel. And so if it's possible we might have got something wrong in our interpretation of the message this morning, I don't think we're gonna get it wrong tonight because Gabriel tells us exactly in very precise terms what this vision means and how to interpret it. Now for Daniel, things are slightly different. One, two years have passed since the first vision. And Daniel, at least in the vision, is no longer in Babylon. He is in Susha, the capital of Persia. We're not given any explanation of why he's there, except to say that Persia is where the next great struggle and conflict is going to take place. And that is what is being presented to us in chapter eight, is this struggle that is taking place in Persia. Now, let's look first of all at the ram and the goat. So the first participant in this struggle is presented to us in the vision and introduced in verse three. And Daniel simply describes him as one, a ram which had two horns. And so we're told a little bit later by Gabriel that this ram with two horns is a picture of the Persian kings and the Persian Empire. Now Daniel sees this ram pushing westward, northward and southward and literally no one seems to have power against him. He does according to his will and he becomes great. Now all you have to do is type it in to Google or look in your history book and you will find that history records that the Persian Empire became expansive and it did so rather quickly. Persia pressed westward, not only through Babylon, but into Syria and into Asia Minor. It pressed northward to Romania and then all the surrounding area of the Caspian Sea, so right near what we know as Russia. And it pursued southward into Africa and Egypt. So when you see this Persian empire, growing and expanding, that is exactly what Daniel is describing here. And this ram that is pushing forward and no one can stop him. What that means is, is that Babylon was soon to collapse. And Daniel knew this. Remember, this is in the third year of Belshazzar. Daniel knew this long before Belshazzar's feast. Daniel is keeping these things to himself, but he's seen this vision, and he knows that Persia is getting ready to conquer and to subdue Babylon. Now Daniel, Knowing this, perhaps is emboldened even more to speak words that cut right to the heart with Belshazzar at the feast. Belshazzar, you have been weighed in the balance. You've been given many opportunities and you've refused them all and it's over. And he addresses Belshazzar in no uncertain terms. You have been found wanting. And of course, Belshazzar dies that night. Well, my friends, like Daniel, we also may speak boldness to our generation. We don't know everything that's going to happen. We don't know the details like Daniel was revealed to him. But brethren, we do know We know that this world, with all its riches, with all its glory, with all its pleasures, is going to pass away. It's going to be burned up, and a new world, a new heavens, and a new earth are going to be established wherein dwells righteousness. You remember how Peter describes this? 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 10, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat, but the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, notice, this is not just some interesting little tidbit for you to tuck away in your mind. Notice what Peter says, therefore, Since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons should we be?" Understanding God's plan for the universe and the fact that this world in which we live is going to be destroyed, that should have an impact on the way we live. And Peter says, what manner of persons should we be in holy conduct? and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Brethren, this is designed to help us. It's designed to give us hope, and we may speak forthrightly with our families, with our coworkers, with our schoolmates, And we may tell them, this world is not the end. There is a better world coming for those who will humble themselves before God and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So Babylon was getting ready to be destroyed. Then we have a second participant introduced in verse five, and it is a goat. that comes from the West and, as it were, can leap across the entire world without touching the ground. This creature, as I've mentioned the story several times before, I think, but this creature, my friends, was not the B-52 bombers that could fly from distant lands all the way to Iraq and back in the Gulf War. This is the way some people think. That's not what this passage is talking about. This goat that can leap across the entire globe without touching the ground. He is representative, according to verse 23, of the kingdom of the empire of Greece. Here, my friends, is prophetic language being used to describe this empire that expands extensively and rapidly. Then in verse six and seven, we see that Daniel sees this goat rushing against the ram with furious power, attacking the ram, breaking his two horns. But then, shortly thereafter, the goat's large horn is broken, Four more arise out of that and then one little horn appears in verse nine. This little horn is different than the one we saw in chapter seven. This one stands out as one who is obsessed with the glorious land, the land of God's people. the land of Israel. He is obsessed with destroying that land. He is against the host of heaven, even the prince of those hosts. Further, we read that this little horn takes away the daily sacrifice, destroys the sanctuary, and casts truth down to the ground. This ruler, whoever he is, and I'm gonna tell you who he is in just a few moments, but this ruler seeks to make the worship of God and obedience to the truth as illegal. Gabriel will give us more specifics in just a moment, but here's a question that I wanna ask you before we get there. What would you do if the ruler of this land said worship of the God of the Bible is no longer allowed? What would you do if our religious practices were outlawed? upon the pain of death. How full would this place be every Lord's Day if that was the case? If they knew where you were and they would come and take you away, put you in prison, perhaps put you to death, what would you do? My friends, if you've never read Church history about the killing times under Charles II. If you've never read about the persecutions and suffering of the Scottish Covenanters, you should. Brethren, this is not hypothetical. It was going to happen in the days of Daniel. It did happen in those days and in those kingdoms. It has happened before. In Scotland, in England, we have seen days in which multiple numbers were burned at the stake. We have seen days when 2,000 Puritan ministers were ejected from their churches because they refused to bow and not just preach from the Bible. It was a very difficult time, so that is what Daniel sees this ruler who essentially makes worship illegal. Well, then we come to the second main point and that is the interpretation of the vision. As Daniel wondered about the meaning of this vision, He tells us that a holy one, most likely an angel, says in verse 17 and following, this holy one says, Gabriel, make this man understand. So we don't always have that luxury that an angel comes and explains things to us. But Daniel did. Gabriel speaks and he says, understand that this son of man, this is, this vision refers to the time of the end. And so he describes it a little bit later as the latter time of the indignation. And then with unmistakable clarity and precision, look at verse 20. The ram which you saw having the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. And so, Gabriel lays out in very simple, clear language, this is what we're dealing with. Now when we talk about the kingdom of Greece, and particularly about the large horn, who is the first king. Practically every commentator agrees this is a clear reference to Alexander the Great. I don't know how many of you have ever studied his life or campaigns. It can be quite a fascinating description. Alexander was 21 years old when he became a general. I suppose that could happen but I don't think it happens very often. 21 years old, by the time he was 26, he had conquered the known world. And it's said that he wept because there were no more lands left to conquer. At 26, years old. But near the end of that kingdom, we read that a little horn arises, not as strong as the large horn, but one who will be fierce and mighty, one who will destroy many. And Obviously there is great power, there's ferocity, there is hatred in all of this, but what stands out about this little horn is his violent hatred for God and for God's people. The little horn, as I said, different from the one we saw in 725, which may not have been a single individual, but here, my friends, the specific things that are named about what this man does enables us to say that Antiochus Epiphanes fits the bill. Antiochus named himself Theos, Antikos, Epiphanes, meaning the illustrious God. He thought he was God and was worthy of worship. He removed the high priest in Jerusalem And when the Jews tried to reinstate the high priest, he executed 40,000 Jews in three days. That's the kind of man that we're talking about. After that, he entered into the Holy of Holies, and he sacrificed a pig on the altar of God. Without a high priest in the temple, The daily sacrifices were no more. A few years later, he placed a statue of Zeus. In year 168, he made human sacrifices on the altar of God. He outlawed circumcision and the observance of the Sabbath day. This man was wickedness in every way. But perhaps the most difficult part of all is the length of time that this was allowed to go on. So when the angels are discussing this in verse 13, and one cries to the other, how long will the vision be? concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation and the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot? Well, the answer given is 2,300 mornings or evenings and mornings that could be simply a reference to the days, 2,300 days, in which it would cover the entire period in which Antiochus was king. Or it could be 2,300 evening and morning sacrifices, which would be half that and would include the period of time from the placing of the statue of Zeus in the temple to its restoration in 164 BC by Judas Maccabeus. Well, this is the interpretation that we see. These are the kingdoms, kingdom of Medo-Persia, the kingdoms of Greece. This is Alexander the Great. This is the little horn Antiochus Epiphanes. But then we come to this third element, And that is the time of the end. So in verse 19, Gabriel tells Daniel, look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation. For at the appointed time, the end shall be. The question is, the end of what? Most of the time, at least in our generation, when people think of these terms or they hear these terms, they think of the very end of time, of the return of Christ, of the final judgment. And when it comes to the prophecy of Daniel and the misery inflicted upon so many of God's people, people often think of the Antichrist, You remember how Paul puts it in 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 3, he says, let no one deceive you by any means for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped and sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Now, that's what people tend to think of. But brethren, that's what we call reading the New Testament back into the Old Testament. That is not what these verses is talking about. He's not talking about the Antichrist. He's talking about the little horn. He's talking about this wicked individual that takes away the daily sacrifice. He's talking about this one who desecrates the temple for a period of time. Now, are there parallels between Antiochus Epiphanes and the Antichrist? Absolutely. They both hate God. They both hate God's people. They hate God's worship, and if they could, they would kill God. But my friends, they do not stand by their own power. And if you notice that phrase, they will be broken, but not by a human hand. It's not going to be because some great army comes against Antiochus that he's broken, it will be by the hand of God. In this case, I believe it best to read the time of the end as referring to the end of the days of Antiochus, the end of the days of the desecration of the temple. We may not understand it all now, and God one day will make it clear, but my friends, we have to understand God's ways are not our ways. And when you think about how Satan worked in the crucifixion of Jesus, of all the people involved in this process, not just Judas, but Pilate and Herod and all the people that witnessed against him and made blasphemous statements and lied about him, and Satan thought he was accomplishing his grand goal of putting Jesus to death on the cross. But what happened? When Jesus died on that cross and rose again, Satan's empire fell. God brought Satan to an end of his power. No longer is he able to deceive the nations. The strong man has been bound by the Lord Jesus Christ. And so we must understand, though God sometimes allows suffering to endure for a long time, and that's why I wanted you to have those books on singing in the fire. Sometimes that goes on for a lifetime. Sometimes we must endure pain and suffering and persecution. We have been so blessed in this land and in this country to have the freedoms and the privileges that we enjoy. But there are people all over the world that don't enjoy what we do. And again, we need to pray for them that God would be gracious to them. Three things that I want to leave you with from this chapter. Number one, evil in all its forms will have an end. There will be a fullness that transgression reaches, and when it does, the judgment of God will fall. evil will have an end. Secondly, the strongest men are weak before the strength of God. Does anybody here know how Antiochus died? This man who destroyed so much, who killed so many, who in rage and hostility against God, desecrated the most holy of holies. You know how he died? Of a fever. Some little microorganism caused an infection, caused a fever, and took this man down. The strongest of men. are weak before the power of God. Thirdly, the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes are only representative of Satan in every generation. There have been many times where in the history of the Christian church, worship of God has been outlawed. The Sabbath day has been forbidden. Evangelism has been ruled punishable by death, particularly in Muslim lands. Several times in which persecution has raged against the Saints. In face of that satanic opposition that you and I, to one degree or another, will surely face, In the face of that opposition, how should we live? How did Daniel live? He's just seen this vision. He's just heard its interpretation. He knows what's coming. And what does he do? Well, look at verse 27. I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days. Afterward, I arose and went about the king's business. My friends, the first thing you need to do is your responsibility, whatever that is, in your family, in your home, in your church, in whatever particular need there may be. Just go about your life. Be a witness for God. Fulfill your obligations and serve God with joy. But I think Peter gives us a little bit more in 1 Peter chapter five, in verse eight, when he writes, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. That's real. How do we respond? Peter says, be sober, be vigilant and resist him steadfast in the faith. Rather, in the only way we can survive against the opposition of satan, that which Daniel saw that which we say is to be steadfast and to be of the faith, resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brothers in the world. And may the God of all grace who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus. After you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, we do thank you for this tremendous vision which you gave your servant Daniel. We thank you even more for the interpretation of it, how clear and precise your word can be about the kings and kingdoms of this world raging against the power of God. And yet we know they shall be broken and not by human hands. We thank you for the glorious hope that we have of one day receiving a new world, new heavens, and a new earth in which dwells righteousness. Oh, Lord, hasten that day, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.