“Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place.” Revelation 4:1.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:4 NKJV.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. Psalm 28:7.

Our chapter, Daniel 8, is another vision Daniel had that troubled him greatly. In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great. As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and His sanctuary was thrown down. Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. v. 1-12. In the notes below: “The two horns were the kings of Media and Persia. The longer horn represented the growing dominance of Persia in the Medo-Persian empire. The goat is Greece and Alexander the Great’s empire was divided into four parts after his death (predicted long before Greece became a world power). Israel, the Beautiful Land, was attacked by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the second century B.C. He overthrew Israel’s high priest, looted the temple, and replaced worship of God with a Greek form of worship. A further fulfillment will occur in the future with the coming of the antichrist.” Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to Him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled – the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?” He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.” v. 13-14. Again in the notes below it said this time refers to the desecration of the temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the restoration of temple worship under Judas Maccabeus in 165 B.C. Can you imagine being Daniel and seeing these things in the years he is living? While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.” As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” v. 15-17. Prophecy has a near and a later fulfillment. The reasons for its need remain the same. While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 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 the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding. v. 18-27.

How can we read these verses and not be troubled by the times we live in, the times all mankind have lived in? Rebels becoming completely wicked…causing deceit to prosper – the way of this broken world. But there is a truth that we can hold on to: Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, knows the way through all the darkness of this world. Will we be guided by His love? His Law, as He intended it, was given for our good in Him and it brings healing and hope. So when this world chooses the way of deception that hurts and destroys, and rebellions leading to wickedness that hurt and destroy, remember…Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. All else not of God’s love will fall away. God’s truth is thrown to the ground every time we choose the way of darkness. And God’s love will not fail us. These visions given to Daniel show what is absolute and in part has already happened; and they show what will yet be. Creator God shows us a better way and it is with Him teaching us. Will you let Him be your guide? He’s here. Always.