A Mighty Ram That Isn't so Mighty After All

O. T, #2001  "A Mighty Ram That Isn't so Mighty After All"

August 12, 2021

Daniel 8

LET IT GLOW

In this chapter, Daniel records his second vision, which occurred about two years after the vision of the four beasts. Keep in mind as we go through it, these events had not  actually taken place, but would be in his future. It is to our advantage that we can read it and most of those events have already taken place.

What Daniel saw made him sick for days. (verse 17) Afterwards, he got up and performed his duties for the king, but remained greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it.

God sent Gabriel, an angelic messenger, so Daniel understood the events he had seen in his vision and that they related to the time of the end. this is the first mention of Gabriel in Scriptures. (He announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth, found in Luke1.)

Here is what happened in Daniel's vision:

• It occurred during the third year of Belshazzar's reign as king of Babylon. (verse 1)
• In his vision, Daniel was at the fortress of Susa, standing beside the Ulai River. (verse 2) Susa was about 250-350 miles east of Babylon, the capital city in which Daniel lived at this time. It was the birthplace of the Merdo-Persian Empire, and later became a common vacation spot for King Darius. Now the Ulai River was a man-made irrigation ditch that ran near Susa.
• He saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river; one was longer than the other. (verse 3)
• The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, north, and south; no one could stand against him nor help his victims. He did as he pleased and magnified himself. (verse 4)
• The two-horned ram represented the kings of Media and Persia. They were coming to conquer the Babylonian Empire, and did just that.
• No one could rescue nor other beasts could stand before it. (Later, Persia gained power over the Medes, which were two allied nations at first.) The land acquisitions of the Medo-Persians were not typically peaceful. Frequently, they resulted in war, death, destruction, pain, and misery.
• During the sixth century B.C., King Cyrus and his military moved south toward Babylonia, Israel, and Egypt, as well as north toward the Caspian Sea, and west toward Asian Minor and Greece. The Persian Empire is the second empire revealed in the book of Daniel.

What can we gleam from this? As almost all of Daniel's prophecy has been fulfilled, we can gain confidence in Scriptures being true and reliable.

 

LET IT GROW

Daniel's prophecy coincided with that of Isaiah in chapter 45, some 150 years earlier.

You will recall that King Cyrus allowed and supported the Jews (three groups) to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, city, and their homes. We studied this back in Nehemiah. The Jews reestablished the sacrificial system and worship of Almighty God, such faithful servants of the One True Living God.

Will we remain a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, no matter who is president, no matter if America is conquered?

LET IT GO

We are more than conquerors, dear friend.

We believers must continue to overcome the tests, temptations, and discouragements in this life.

Do not be afraid of our future, for God has it.

He's got the whole world in His hands.