A vision of a battle between a ram and a goat. 20 The understanding of the vision.
1.In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzár, a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniél, aafter that which appeared unto me at the first.
2.And I saw in a vision, and when I saw it, I was in the palace of Shushán, which is in the province bof Elám, and in a vision methought I was by the river of Ulái.
3.Then I looked up and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a cram, which had two horns: and these two horns were hie: but one was dhier then another, and the hiest came up last.
4.I saw the ram pushing against the West and against the North, and against the South: so that no ebeasts might stand before him, nor could deliver out of his hand, but he did what he listed, and became great.
5.And as I considered, behold, fa goat came from the West over the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and this goat had an ghorn that appeared between his eyes.
6.And he came unto the ram that had the two horns, whom I had seen standing by the river, and ran unto him in his fierce rage.
7.And I saw him come unto the ram, and being moved against him, he hsmote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand against 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 power.
8.Therefore the goat waxed exceeding great, and when he was at the strongest, his great ihorn was broken: and for it came up four that kappeared toward the four winds of the heaven.
9.And out of one of them came forth ia little horn, which waxed very great toward the mSouth, and toward the nEast, and toward the opleasant land.
10.Yea, it grew up unto the phost of heaven, and it cast down some of the host, & of the stars to the ground, & trod upon them,
11.And extolled him self against the qprince of the host from whom the rdaily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his Sanctuary was cast down.
12.And sa time shalbe given him over the daily sacrifice for the iniquity: and it shal tcast down the truth to the ground, and thus shal it do, and prosper.
13.Then I heard one of the uSaints speaking, and one of the Saints spake unto a certain one, saying, How long shal endure the vision of the daily sacrifice, and the iniquity of the xdesolation to tread both the Sanctuary and the yarmy under foot?
14.And zhe answered me, Unto the aevening & the morning, two thousand & three hundreth: then shal the Sanctuary be cleansed.
15.¶ Now when I Daniél had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, behold, there stood before me blike the similitude of a man.
16.And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulái, which called & said, Gabriél, cmake this man to understand the vision.
17.So he came where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, ô son of man: for din the last time shalbe the vision.
18.Now as he was speaking unto me, I being a sleep fell on my face to the ground: but he touched me, & set me up in my place.
19.And he said, Behold, I will shewe thee what shal be in the last ewrath: for in the end of the time appointed it shal come.
20.The ram which thou sawest having two horns, are the Kings of the Medes and Persians.
21.And the goat is the King of Grecia, and the great horn that is between his eyes, is the first King.
22.And that that is broken, & four stood up for it, are four kingdoms, which shal stand up fof that nation, but not gin his strength.
23.And in the end of their kingdom, when the rebellious shalbe consumed, a King of hfierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shal stand up.
24.And his power shalbe mightie, but not iin his strength: and he shal destroy wonderfully, and shal prosper, and practice, and shal destroy the kmightie, and the holy people.
25.And through his lpolicy also, he shal cause craft to prosper in his hand, and he shal extol him self in his heart, and by mpeace shal destroy many: he shal also stand up against the nprince of princes, but he shal be broken down owithout hand.
26.And the vision of the pevening and the morning, which is declared, is true: therefore seal thou up the vision, for it shalbe after many days.
27.And I Daniél was stricken and sick qcertain days: but when I rose up, I did the King’s business, and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
After the general vision, he comes to certain particular visions: as touching the destruction of the monarchy of the Persians, and Macedonians: for the ruin of the Babylonians was at hand, and also he had sufficiently spoken thereof.
Though he came in the name of all Grecia, yet he bare the title and dignity of the general captain, so that the strength was attributed to him, which is meant by this horn.
Alexander’s great power was broken: for when he had overcome all the East, he thought to return toward Grecia to subdue them that there had rebelled, and so died by the way.
That is, which were famous: for almost in the space of fifteen year there were fifteen divers successors before this monarchy was divided to these four, where of Cassander had Macedonia, Seleucus, Syria, Antigonus Asia the less, and Ptolomeus Egypt.
Which was Antiochus Epiphanes, who was of a servile and flattering nature, and also there were other between him and the kingdom, and therefore is here called the little horn, because neither princely condi- tions, nor any other thing was in him, why he should obtain this kingdom.
He laboured to abolish all religion, and therefore cast God’s service out of his Temple, which God had chosen as a little corner from all the rest of the world to have his Name there truly called upon.
He shows that their sins are the cause of these horrible afflictions: and yet comforts them, in that he appoints this tyrant a time, whom he would not suffer utterly to abolish his religion.