A prophecy for then and Now

 Read Daniel 8.

Two years later God gave Daniel this second vision.  Some of the events in this chapter were future to Daniel and history to us.  Other prophesies were future to Daniel and remain unfulfilled. 

This is the third time in the book that the same sequence of empires is presented in a dream or vision.  See also chapters 2 and 7.  Each time the interpretation is included within the chapter.  The angel Gabriel explained what Daniel saw.  The prophet observed a ram with two horns in verse 3.  In verse 20, we are told that this represented the kings of Media and Persia.  Next, in verse 5, a goat appeared with a powerful horn that broke the horns of the ram.  In verse 21, the goat is identified as Greece and the first powerful king was Alexander, the Great.  After Alexander, the empire was divided among four generals (vv.8 and 22).

As predicted in verses 23-25, one of those generals, Antiochus Epiphanes, became intolerant of any who did not conform to Greek culture.  He especially hated the Jews.  He stormed the Temple in Jerusalem and offered a pig on the altar to desecrate the holy place.

What remains unfulfilled?
Some of the statements do not match the historical events.
Three times in verses 16-19 alone, it is stated that the vision is for "the time of the end", "at the latter end of the indignation", and "the appointed time of the end".  In Matthew 24-25, some of these events were still future to Jesus.  While Antiochus did fulfill what Daniel saw, he only foreshadowed a similar evil ruler to come in the end times.  The final period of wrath, or indignation, will come during the Great Tribulation.  The Antichrist will possess the same attributes and perform similar acts of hatred against Israel.

So, what do we learn from this?
1. God will not tolerate pride. (vv.4, 25)
Where is the once powerful Medo-Persian Empire?  Where is the seemingly unstoppable empire of Greece?  Their downfalls came due to the same basic root.  When a person becomes self-deceived into thinking they are great, they live only to please themselves, and they do not need God, their downfall becomes certain.

2. God can use unbelievers to accomplish His purposes. 
Though these leaders and their empires did not honor God, He used them to fulfill His plans.  "Surely the wrath of man shall praise you." (Psalm 76:10a)  We do not have to live in fear of the evil others may do.  "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!" (Psalm 37:7)

3. God has a plan for restoration.
The exiled Jews in Daniel's day looked forward to being restored to their homeland, the Temple being rebuilt, and their relationship with God renewed.  Even in the toughest of personal times, God is in the business of renewal and restoration.  The key is repentance of sin.  Elihu was spot on with his counsel to Job when he said, "Then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness.  He sings before men and says: 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, and it was not repaid to me.  He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.'" (Job 33:26-28)