Daniel 8:9-14 – The challenge to be faithful.

The message of Daniel’s vision in chapter 8 focused on the little horn, while the ram and the goat served as the background. This little horn emerged from the four horns of the he-goat. It then grew enormously towards the south, east, and the Beautiful Land. The south refers to Egypt, the east is probably Armenia, and the Beautiful Land refers to Israel.

Verse 10 states that the little horn grew so powerful that it confronted the heavenly hosts, causing some stars to fall to the earth. The little horn trampled them down, signifying it had engaged in a conflict. This little horn that grew so powerful had widely been identified as Antiochus Epiphanes, the eighth king of the Seleucus dynasty. The host of heaven is a symbol of the people of God. In other words, Antiochus’ conflict was with the people of God.

This little horn, a symbol of arrogance and delusion, was intolerably magnifying itself to be equal to the Commander of the host, a direct reference to God. Antiochus Epiphanes, the eighth king of the Seleucus dynasty, was said to consider himself a deity, a manifestation of the gods. What arrogance and delusion!

According to verse 11, this little horn (Antiochus Epiphanes) sacrilegiously removed the continual regular sacrifice offered to God in the temple. He desecrated the temple, rendering it no longer suitable for the sacred function it was built for.

The experience of the sacrilege and the desecration in the temple was caused by God’s people’s transgression. With Hellenization, the people of God were influenced by the undergirding Greek culture and led into a life of compromise. The desecration of the temple was a chastisement brought on the people of God.

While the little horn was booming for a duration, at a crucial point in the narrative, in verse 13, Daniel overheard a conversation between two holy ones, meaning angels. The subject of their discussion was the duration of the temple's desecration, a period of immense suffering for the people of God, and the trampling of the saints. The answer given was that it would be for a staggering 2,300 evenings and mornings, a duration that must have felt like an eternity before the temple would be restored.

Three key lessons can be gleaned from these verses. Firstly, we learn about the danger of arrogance. No one is equal to God. Arrogance unwittingly causes one to elevate oneself to a position where God’s role in one’s life is usurped. Secondly, we must emphasize the importance of remaining faithful to God. We are more susceptible to the world's influences if we don't. Compromise results when we are unduly influenced. Thirdly, there is a need to patiently persevere in times of trials. Hard times may seem like an eternity, but faith in God, a steadfast belief, will see us through to His restoration.