Did you know that the longest time prophecy in the Bible covers more than 2,000 years? It is written in Daniel chapters 8 and 9.
There, God tells us His cosmic schedule in advance, first giving us the year that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was to arise on earth. God then reveals the year of Jesus' death. Finally, this prophecy tells us when God's final judgment begins.
This is perhaps the most important prophecy in all of Scripture, yet few people are aware of it! Others completely misinterpret it.
Let's take a look ...
Q. Who are the participants in the prophetic events in Daniel 8 and 9?
Daniel is a young Hebrew who has been taken captive into Babylon. During his captivity, he has visions and dreams (see chapter 8) and does not understand the symbols and message. So God sends the angel Gabriel to help Daniel understand the visions and their purpose. With Gabriel's help, the symbols of the prophetic vision become clear and easy to understand.
Q. What are some of the things Daniel saw in vision?
In vision, Daniel saw a two-horned ram pushing west, north, and south and conquering every beast he met (Daniel 8:3, 4). Gabriel explains what this ram is.
- "The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia" (Daniel 8:20).
Next in Daniel's vision, a male goat with one huge horn suddenly appeared, traveling at great speed. He attacked and conquered the ram.
- "And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation" (Daniel 8:21, 22).
Q. Did the events that Daniel saw and Gabriel interpreted really happen?
Yes. The great horn of the male goat represents Alexander the Great, and his kingdom of Greece did indeed conquer the kings of Media and Persia. The four kingdoms that stand up are the four kingdoms that arose when the kingdom of Greece was divided. These symbols are so fitting that it is easy to identify them in history.
Q. According to Daniel 8:8, 9, a little horn power next arose. What does the little horn represent?
Some have suggested that the little horn represents Antiochus Epiphanes, a Seleucid king who ruled over Palestine in the second century B.C. and who disrupted the Jewish worship services. Others have believed that the little horn represents Rome in both its pagan and papal forms.
But what does the Bible say about the little horn power?
Click below to see our eye-opening Study Guide,
“Right on Time! Prophetic Appointments Revealed!”