Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word

Menu
Contact Us

The Book of Daniel – Dan 8:1-27  A vision appeared unto me

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Audio Download

Daniel 8:1-27  A vision appeared unto me

[Study Aired April 18, 2024]

Dan 8:1  In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. 
Dan 8:2  And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. 
Dan 8:3  Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 
Dan 8:4  I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. 
Dan 8:5  And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 
Dan 8:6  And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 
Dan 8:7  And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 
Dan 8:8  Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 
Dan 8:9  And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 
Dan 8:10  And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. 
Dan 8:11  Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
Dan 8:12  And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. 
Dan 8:13  Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? 
Dan 8:14  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 
Dan 8:15  And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 
Dan 8:16  And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 
Dan 8:17  So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
Dan 8:18  Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
Dan 8:19  And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. 
Dan 8:20  The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
Dan 8:21  And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 
Dan 8:22  Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
Dan 8:23  And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 
Dan 8:24  And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
Dan 8:25  And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
Dan 8:26  And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. 
Dan 8:27  And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

In chapter 8 of the book of Daniel we will be given another breakdown of what was discussed in chapter 7 and see the-dream-is-one principle in play once again with these very parallel chapters (Gen 41:25). 

Gen 41:25  And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

In chapter 7 it is in the first year of the reign of Belshazzar that Daniel had visions in his head upon his bed: and he told Nebuchadnezzar the sum of the matters of this dream. The vision Daniel had represents the day of the Lord, the gospel of Jesus Christ that declares all nations will be saved through judgment which will come upon each man in his own order (1Co 15:23). It is in the first year of Belshazzar’s reign, which represents the day of the Lord, that Daniel is given these powerful dreams of “four great beasts [that] came up from the sea, diverse one from another.”

Then in chapter 8, it is in “the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar” that this next vision comes to Daniel, and as the number reveals, it will be a vision that is centered around the process of judgment [3] that must unfold during the day of the Lord to which Daniel is witnessing, without comprehending the spiritual meaning of these very powerful dreams that caused him to faint and be sick for days (Dan 8:27).

Dan 8:27  And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

————————————————————

Dan 8:1  In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. 
Dan 8:2  And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. 
Dan 8:3  Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 

What appeared to Daniel at first was the first vision of chapter 7, and so this vision of chapter 8 is  adding to the vision from chapter 7 and was written for the elect’s sake upon whom the ends of the ages are come (1Co 10:11). Daniel cannot stand any more than any other man without God’s spirit abiding in him (Rom 8:9), and chapter 8 points to how we can stand spiritually when we are given to trust in the Lord and stop believing that we contribute anything to our salvation (1Co 10:12). With that miracle of having God’s holy spirit within, we can labor to enter into that rest found in Christ, knowing that He will make a way for us to stand as described in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The vision that comes to pass finds Daniel “at ShushanH7800 in the palace, which is in the province of ElamH5867; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of UlaiH195“, a place that represents Babylon where God is already preparing our hearts to ‘come out of her, my people’ through these visions He sets before us via His word which is a light to our path in this dark world (Psa 119:105, Pro 29:18). 

This river Ulai [“my leaders“] does not represent the rivers of living waters God will eventually give to all men, but rather the waters of Babylon that need to be purified with the fiery judgment of God’s word. It is “at Shushan [“lily“] in the palace, which is in the province of Elam [“hidden“ or “veiled“] where we learn in time that there really is no stay of bread or water in Babylon, and so we do immediately lose our first love in this vast wilderness we all must go into at first to later come out of her as God’s people, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16).

It is when God opens our eyes to see the truth, symbolized by this statement, “Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw“, that we then begin to understand the vision of this ram by the river with “the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.” For Daniel, the interpretation will be given in time, but alas never the spiritual inward meaning of what these horns mean, seeing it was not written for his admonition but for the elect’s (1Pe 1:12).

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

There are two horns, two powers, being spoken of in Babylon with this imagery of a goat by the river. Two horns on the goat represent a witness [2] of Babylon, however the horn that comes up last is the prominent horn of mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots, in this age that has “waxed rich” (Rev 18:3, Rev 17:5). The smaller horn is the small beginnings of the churches of Asia which all forsook Paul in time where the mystery of iniquity was already at work back in that era (2Ti 1:15, 2Th 2:7-8). 

Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

That historical, outward, dispensational view is one way of looking at the horns. However, thinking of these horns inwardly, we are reminded of Christ’s words telling us that we must lose our horn, our ‘power’ in this life (Rev 18:4, Mar 10:21) if we are going to learn to trust solely on the Lord for our salvation. Having our hand and foot cut off symbolizes how we overcome the mystery of iniquity (2Th 2:7), which is our own righteousnesses that takes credit for works that are done with our hands and our feet (Mar 9:43-45, Pro 3:5-8, Isa 64:6, Eze 33:13).

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Mar 10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, [lose that horn, God willing] and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Mar 9:43  And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed [lose that horn, God willing], than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mar 9:44  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:45  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: [lose that horn, God willing]  it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Dan 8:4  I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

Mystery Babylon has become great, “but he did according to his will, and became great“, as another Jesus in name only (Isa 4:1) coming from the east as the true Christ would. However, this counterfeit Christ does the same (Mat 24:27). He pushes toward the west, the north and south and dominates the world scene with the mark of the beast, which is the number of a manG444 (Rev 13:18), so that mankind cannot buy or sell unless they have this number (Rev 16:2). That number represents our being yet in bondage to the powers and principalities of this world, represented by the goat, whose spirit works within mystery Babylon, and to this day tries to take the kingdom by force, pushing westward, northward and southward as we read in Revelation 13:11-2 and Matthew 11:12. Saying, “neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand“, is just another way of saying “who is able to make war with him?” of Revelation 13:4.

Mat 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Dan 8:5  And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

The “he goat” that comes from the west represents the powers and principalities we wrestle against in our heavens that “touched not the ground” (Eph 6:12). It comes from the west in the opposite direction of Christ (Mat 24:27), opposing the truth, and this goat “had a notable horn between his eyes” representing the fourth empire (Dan 7:23), the fourth horn of Daniel 7:20, as well as the feet of miry clay and iron of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue in his dream (Dan 2:43), and the fourth interpretation of Daniel’s dream of the most fierce of all the differing beasts (Dan 7:19) that are revealed to be the same composite beast spoken of in Revelation chapter 13. This he goat, as we saw in chapter 7, has power to overtake the “the whole earth” and will prevail against the elect but not overcome them, because the horn [Christ’s power (Col 1:27, Rom 8:9)] that is in the elect is greater than him who is in the world (1Jn 4:4). This “notable horn” is used by the Lord as a spirit sent to try the patience and faith of the saints in this life, and especially at the end of our age in these marred vessels of clay (2Th 1:4, 1Ti 6:11, Jas 1:3, Rev 13:10, Rev 14:12).

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Dan 8:6  And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 
Dan 8:7  And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 

This goat with the notable horn represents the beast that will make war against the harlot church and burn her with fire of Revelation 17:16-18. The goat “ran unto him in the fury of his power” with the intention of taking away the two horns of the ram that represent the ram’s power. The power of the church is taken away at the end of the age, as the beast rules over the harlot being bitterly enraged against her, “and he was moved with choler.” The stamping that this goat with the notable horn does is the same terminology describing the fourth beast or fourth empire in Daniel 7:23 that is also represented by the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which was mixed part of iron and part of miry clay (Dan 2:43).

Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 
Rev 17:17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

Dan 7:23  Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

Dan 2:43  And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

Dan 8:8  Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken;

The he goat represents the fourth empire that waxes great, and in his strength he breaks the great horn of Babylon the great in one hour (Rev 18:2).

Rev 18:1  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev 18:2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

God’s elect are admonished with these following verses of Revelation 18:3-4 as these outward events of the falling of Babylon unfold.

Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 
Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. [her plagues (Rev 17:16-17)]

Dan 8:9  And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
Dan 8:10  And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

These next two verses start to describe the attack that the beast will have on the churches of Babylon, and tells us it will “cast down of the host and of the stars“, which stars represent the false ministers, or messengers which are angels that will be brought down “to the ground, and stamped upon them” (Mar 13:25), meaning their supposed salty words have been proven to have no lasting savour and are now being trodden under foot by men (Mat 5:13-14).

Mar 13:25  And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Dan 8:11  Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
Dan 8:12  And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.

These end-time events of Daniel 8:11-12 are expressed in Daniel 7:25 as a changing of times, and represents the abomination of desolation being set up in the temple of God, which is the transgression this goat inflicts upon Mystery Babylon (Mar 13:14). The he goat is a healthy complete beast magnifying itself, “he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.” What he does is exalt himself and tear down “the prince of the host” who represents the religious elite at the end of this age. The sanctuary being cast down means that Babylon will no longer have any power or authority as it once had in the earth, and all of these events herald the end of this age and the return of our Lord and Savior (Mat 24:4-51).

Dan 7:25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Mat 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mat 24:16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: [Psa 121:1-2]
Mat 24:17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

Dan 8:13  Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? 

The “transgression of desolation” typifies the abomination of desolation spoken of in Mark 13:14, and the answer to this question of ‘how long’, is answered for us in Revelation 6:10. It is also found in Daniel 7:25 where we’re told how long the saints must endure in order to be saved at the end of this trying and testing time, where we’re told, “and he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (Dan 7:25). The inward application of these events has been true for every Christian since Pentecost, however there is an outward end time event as well that we are looking at.

Mar 13:14  But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: [Psa 121:1-2]

Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 

Dan 8:14  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 

The numbers in God’s word mean what they mean and not what they say, and “until a time and times and the dividing of time” of Daniel 7:25 is the same as the “two thousand three hundred days” of Daniel 8:14. The three and a half years represents the time of Christ’s ministry within the body of Christ that is accomplished by grace through faith, which is represented by the numbers 2300 days. The 2+3 adding to 5 represents grace. The number two (2) is the witness of Christ’s life within us Who makes it possible for us to go through the process of judgment in this life (1Pe 4:17), represented by the number three (3).

Dan 8:15  And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
Dan 8:16  And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 

This man’s voice represents the angels or messengers of God that the elect are to each other. It is by the church that the manifest knowledge of God is made known represented by “the appearance of a man” and “a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision” (Heb 10:24-25).

Dan 8:17  So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

As was discussed in chapter 7, Daniel is given the physical interpretation of the vision, but not the spiritual inward meaning, which is reserved for those to whom he prophesied, the elect (1Pe 1:12). There is fear associated with not knowing “and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face“, but when God’s spirit enters into the elect, the comforter leads us into all truth (Joh 16:13, Joh 8:31-32). His love is shed abroad in our hearts (Rom 5:5), so that fear is pushed away, and the torment is overcome through Christ (1Jn 4:17-18). The body of Christ prays and helps each other in that regard with our fervent prayers which avail to that end (Jas 5:15-16).

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 
1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Jas 5:15  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 
Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Dan 8:18  Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. 
Dan 8:19  And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

Daniel is like one of the ten virgins being woken from his deep sleep and typifies how we must trim our lamps in order to know what shall be “at the time appointed the end” (Mat 25:7, Eph 4:31).

Mat 25:7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: [trimmed their lamps]
Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you [the fruit of the spirit produced through a trimmed lamp].

Dan 8:20  The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
Dan 8:21  And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 
Dan 8:22  Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. 
Dan 8:23  And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 
Dan 8:24  And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

In this section of Daniel, we are being given another rundown of the statue of Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2 of the book of Daniel, starting with “The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia” that represents the Medo-Persian empire. Then “the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king“, which represents the Grecian empire whose power and influence upon the world is described this way: “and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.” The last part of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue is represented by the fourth empire which will be the most dominant of all the empires. “Now that being broken (the third empire broken by the forth), whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.” This empire that represents the end of the age for mankind has taken on an evil power that exceeds all the other empires, and so it is expressed “but not in his power“, meaning not as the other empires ruled. This represents the time when God will send forth evil spirits that will be given power to dominate all the kingdoms of this world, making it possible for the sins of the Amorites to reach their fullness (Gen 15:16), “when the transgressors are come to the full” (Rev 16:12-14, Rev 16:15).

Gen 15:16  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 

Rev 16:12  And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared [this represents Babylon falling]. 
Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. [this represents the spiritual powers that are going to come up against mystery Babylon]
Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Dan 8:25  And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

The policyH7922 [man’s wisdom (1Co 2:5)] of this evil time fast approaching us is already being implemented as we speak, being enforced, “through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many.“

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 

There are “three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet”  because there is a process of ungodly judgment [3] that must unfold in order to set the stage just prior to the appearing of Christ and the elect. He destroys many by saying ‘peace and safety’, “and by peace shall destroy many“, “then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1Th 5:3).

The “through his policy” is another way of saying what we read of in Daniel 7:25. 

Dan 7:25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws [“through his policy” man’s wisdom (1Co 2:5)]: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time [1260 days].

The fruit of this age is also revealed in this verse (Dan 8:25), where we’re told that the craft which represents the powers and lying wonders of the devil will abound at the end of the age (2Ti 3:1, 2Ti 3:13), empowering the stout, ‘I am a god sitting in the temple of God’, the spirit of the man of perdition who is on the throne of mankind’s heart, who says his ways will bring peace, when in reality they will only bring destruction. Even this is the spirit of this age that is the spirit of antiChrist that “shall also stand up against the Prince of princes” against Christ and His Christ (Mat 10:22, 1Jn 2:18, 1Jn 2:2, 1Jn 4:3, 2Jn 1:7-8).

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

1Jn 2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 

Dan 8:26  And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. 

Daniel is told that this vision is true, and the vision is all about the new creation which is going to be formed through judgment, a vision that is “of the evening and the morning which was told is true“ just as the creation story that typifies the creation of the new creature formed in Christ “which was told is true.” Like Daniel, who typifies the patience and faith of the saints, the elect must wait patiently for it, “for it shall be for many days“; many days that in reality are a mist from God’s perspective as He, Lord willing, matures us in this life so we can possess our souls patiently and endure to the end (Gen 1:5, Gen 1:8, Gen 1:13, Gen 1:19, Gen 1:23, Gen 1:31, Heb 10:37, Luk 21:19).

Gen 1:5  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 

Gen 1:8  And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. 

Gen 1:13  And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Gen 1:19  And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. 

Gen 1:23  And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Gen 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 

Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

Dan 8:27  And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

Daniel was astonished at the vision and at the interpretation of the words so much so that he fainted and was sick for a period of time. This typifies for God’s elect how the word is sweet in our mouth but bitter in our bellies causing us to faint and be sick as we can’t rise up and run with horses as Elijah was told he must do (1Ki 18:46). In time he did and in time so did Daniel rise up as a type of the elect who “was astonished at the vision, but none understood it“, typifying how God’s elect are astonished at what God has given us eyes to see and ears to hear what none of the prophets of old understood (Mat 13:17).

1Ki 18:46  And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Other related posts