Deeper Reflection
Daniel is about God’s plan for world history under His supreme sovereignty, with a particular focus on human kingdoms, theologically represented by the great statue in Daniel 2 and the four great beasts in Daniel 7. In Daniel 7, particular attention is given to the “little horn” that arises out of the “fourth kingdom” – the “fourth beast” (Dan 7:7-8, 11-12, 19-28). Daniel’s vision in Daniel 8 was “subsequent” to the one in Daniel 7 (v.1). The “little horn” in Daniel 7 (Dan 7:8, 11, 20-26) is the “rather small horn” (v.9) in Daniel 8.The “male goat” was Alexander the Great of the Greek Empire (vv.5-7, 21). After Alexander’s death, his empire was divided into four kingdoms among his four generals, one of which was the Seleucid Kingdom (vv.8, 21-22). In the second century BC, “a king will arise” – the “small horn” (vv.9, 23) – out of the Seleucid Kingdom: Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BC).Antiochus IV is a theological representative of any anti-God figure in history and the final most evil one – Paul’s “man of lawlessness” (2 Thess 2:3-4). The evil days (cf. Eph 5:16; 6:13) under Antiochus’ reign of terror is an eschatological paradigm of “the final period of indignation” at “the appointed time of the end” (Dan 8:19). Antiochus was destructive and deceptive: “a ruthless king, skilled in intrigue” (v.23, CSB). He would “destroy to an extraordinary degree” (v.24) and “cause his deceit to succeed by his influence” (v.25). His target was God’s “holy people” (v.24). Likewise, in spiritual warfare, the enemy attacks us with affliction and deception.