Daniel 8:20 -22 – God sovereignly controls history

Daniel’s vision of the ram and the he-goat in chapter 8 is additional information about the second and third beasts of the night visions recorded in chapter 7. They are referring to Medo-Persia and the Kingdom of Greece, respectively. 

Daniel 8:20 straightforwardly says that the ram represents Medo-Persia. And according to verses 21-22, the shaggy goat is the Kingdom of Greece. The goat’s noticeable horn we have established is Greece’s first king, Alexander the Great. He was a mighty conqueror who had conquered the world from Italy to India.  

How do we make out of the four horns in verse 22? Alexander died at age 33 suddenly of a strange disease. Though he had two sons who could have succeeded him on the throne, they were murdered. So, four of his generals divided and controlled the kingdom he had conquered. These were the four horns that arose after the noticeable horn was broken.

What could be the profound purpose behind this vision of the ram and goat? It's crucial to grasp that Daniel’s vision and its interpretation unfolded two centuries before the actual events.  These are not mere coincidences or human predictions, but divine revelations. The interpretation was so precise, down to the smallest detail, that some have speculated this book was penned much later. 

In these revelations, God has graciously provided a timeline for His people to understand the duration of the time of indignation and be prepared. This is not a timeline of fear or uncertainty, but one that offers comfort and reassurance in the knowledge that God's plan is unfolding. We cannot ignore the accuracy and reliability of God’s Word.  

For us, the word of God must be our guide for life. We must remember what Paul has said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The word is “inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” We must not neglect to study and apply what we have discovered to live a godly and transformed life.