WHO ARE THE RAM AND THE GOAT IN DANIEL 8?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone asked me a few questions about ‘Daniel 8’. Among other things the person wrote to me as follows:
“I read last night in the NLV Daniel 8 and I do not understand at all that section and wondered if you can help me to understand it better.
Who is the goat and who is the ram?”
I will be the first to admit openly that I do not understand or can explain all the prophecies in the Word, but I believe some of them our Lord opened up to me when I prayed about it and used the information that is available to us.
Let us begin with the ‘ram’:
Now this is quite easy to say who this is, because the Word tells us in ‘Daniel 8:20’ exactly who this is:
DAN 8:20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.
As I understand, the Medes are known today as Iraq and Persia is Iran.
Although the ‘goat’ is a little more difficult to explain because it is not directly mentioned, it is easier to explain when you know a little of the history.
I love history and there is especially one General/ruler that fascinates me and that is Alexander the Great.
I am very, very certain that the horn of the goat that they talk about is Alexander the Great.
I will explain to you why I believe this and then you must decide for yourself how much my viewpoint merits.
The first thing that we know about the ‘goat’ is that it is a Greek.
DAN 8:21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece …
We also know that Alexander’s father was very bellicose[a] and Alexander was his successor and after that Alexander in less than two decades for all intense purposes conquered and subjected the whole civilized Word to his rule.
The following is why I say that the horn between the goat’s eyes was Alexander the Great:
.
Alexander lived from 356 BC until 323 BC.
In 331 BC Alexander finally conquered Darius III from the Persia kingdom and ruled it. Darius fled but on his flight he was murdered.
Now I want to tell you something very interesting:
According to a believable historical writer namely Josephus, (that as far as I know was not religious) who was in Jerusalem when Alexander with his army arrived, decided not to fight and opened his court to Alexander. The people showed him the book of Daniel and specifically chapter 8, the section pertaining to the goat with the horn between the eyes etcetera to which Alexander decided not to destroy Jerusalem.
Now I will get to the four horns.
DAN 8:21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.
DAN 8:22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
In June 323 BC Alexander died on the throne at the young age of 32 years in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon.
The horn is now broken.
DAN 8:22 … the one that was broken off …
Alexander did not, as it was the usual thing to do by the people of that time, announce his heir.
After great controversy his extensive empire was eventually divided between his four greatest generals into four kingdoms.
Now I come to the four horns:
Because Alexander did not announce his heir, the four kingdoms came to be but not through what he wanted. In other words:
DAN 8:22 … four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
The prophecy from Daniel goes still further up to where The Ruler of the universe conquers all His enemies.
Now I want to draw your attention to something great and glorious:
The Book of Daniel according to the people who know, was written between the years 540 and 530 BC and we know that many of Daniel’s prophecies have been fulfilled – like that of Alexander ± 200 years after Daniel. Yes, even up to the crucifixion of Jesus.
Jesus says the following about one of Daniel’s prophecies:
MATT 24:15 So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—
If there are of Daniel’s prophecies for example, that have already been fulfilled, it is just logical to know that all the other prophecies in the Word are trustworthy and true.
Well, this Word, namely the Bible, that is actually nothing less than God’s words/discussions with you and me, which we also say is from Jesus.
JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
JOHN 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
I want to ask you the question: Do you want to be saved and not lost?
This Word/Bible, which is full of prophecies that have already been fulfilled, also says:
JOHN 1:12 Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His Name, he gave the right to become children of God—
Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
Have you already opened your heart to Jesus?
If you have not done this yet, just the fact that you are reading this writing, is proof of the following from the Word:
REV 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.
REV 3:21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with My Father on His throne.
The best that you can do now, is to do what the Word also says. This Word/Bible that has always told the truth, now says to you today:
HEB 3:7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,
HEB 3:8 do not harden your hearts …
If you truly want to do this, pray now just where you are the following prayer and then contact a shepherd / minister from a Christian congregation that accepts the complete Word as the Word of God and tell him that you have opened your heart to Jesus and that you are looking for further guidance.
If that is where you are now, then say the following to Jesus:
“Lord Jesus I want to belong to You. I want to be part of Your kingdom. I am answering the knocking on the door of my heart.”
Then you continue your life fully for our Lord, with this wonderful knowledge:
All the prophecies in the Bible, a 100% of those that should be fulfilled, have already been fulfilled. So, you can be 100% sure that all prophesies who are yet to be fulfilled will also be fulfilled – whereof the most important, according to myself, is the next to be fulfilled namely Jesus Christ's return – and this was not a prophesy by an ordinary man:
ACTS 1:9-11
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
11 and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
Greetings,
Sakkie