Chapter 8 provides the shift we talked of earlier, from the Aramaic in chapters 2 through 7, now going to back to Hebrew for the rest of the book. Like Chapter 7, the events of Chapter 8 precede what happens in Chapter 5, but verse 1 specifically puts this event two years after the events of Chapter 7.
Chapter 8 features another vision of Daniels connected to two of the beasts he saw in Chapter 7, but this time, the beasts are a ram and a goat. In verse 20, another angelic messenger, this time identified specifically as the angel Gabriel, leaves no doubt as to the vision’s meaning. The ram represents the Medeo-Persian Empire. The Goat represents the Greek Empire. Out of the center of the Goats head are a group of horns. First, there is a large horn between the goat’s eyes, presumably representing Alexander the Great, which is broken off and replaced by four other horns, which represent four kingdoms (the four nation-states that were carved out of the Greek Empire after Alexander’s death) which “will emerge from his nation, but not have the same power.” (v. 22).
In v.23, there is a new evil king (described as “fierce looking,”) who will “arise” as a “master of intrigue.” This is most likely King Antiochus IV of the Syrian state that broke away from Alexander’s empire. History shows that he did take the Syrian throne through intrigue and deceit, despite not being the rightful successor. Verse 24 says he will “cause astounding devastation,” and will “destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.”
Antiochus attacked Jerusalem, taking over the city, and indiscriminately murdered its citizens. Verse 25 says he will “consider himself superior.” At the time of his conquest of Israel, he renamed himself “Epiphanes,” which means “God manifest,” meaning, like Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, he exalted himself above God.
He desecrated the Jerusalem temple, bringing pagan images into the court of the Priests, and offering sacrifices to the Greek god Zeus. While history generally refers to him as “Antiochus Epiphanes,” other Greek historians of the time referred to him as “Epimanes,” meaning “madman,” because of his erratic behavior. In the end, he is destroyed by God (v. 25 says “destroyed, but not by human power”). Antiochus fled to the capital of Persia when he was driven from Jerusalem by the Maccabean revolt and died there in 164 BC either through illness or accident. Indeed, the miraculous nature of Israel’s victory over Antiochus is celebrated each December in the festival of Hanukah.
