Daniel Has a Vision About a Ram and a Goat

8 It was the third year of King Belshazzar’s rule. After the vision that had already appeared to me, I had another one. 2In my vision I saw myself in the city of Susa. It has high walls around it. It is in the land of Elam. In the vision I was beside the Ulai Waterway.

3I looked up and saw a ram that had two horns. He was standing beside the waterway. His horns were long. One of them was longer than the other. But it grew up later. 4I watched the ram as he charged toward the west. He also charged toward the north and the south. No animal could stand up against him. Not one of them could save anyone from his power. He did as he pleased. And he became great.

5I was thinking about all of that. Then a goat suddenly came from the west. He had a large horn between his eyes. He raced across the whole earth without even touching the ground. 6He came toward the ram that had the two horns. It was the ram I had seen standing beside the waterway. The goat was burning with anger. He charged at the ram. 7I saw him attack the ram with mighty force. He struck the ram and broke his two horns. The ram didn’t have the power to stand up against him. The goat knocked him to the ground and stomped on him. No one could save the ram from his power.

8The goat became very great. But when his power was at its greatest, his large horn was broken off. In its place four large horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.

9Out of one of the four horns came another horn. It started small but became more and more powerful. It grew to the south and to the east and toward the beautiful land of Israel. 10It grew until it reached the stars in the sky. It threw some of them down to the earth. And it stomped on them.

11It set itself up to be as great as God. He is the Prince of the heavenly army. It took the daily sacrifices away from him. And his temple in Jerusalem was brought low. 12Because many of God’s people refused to obey him, they were handed over to the horn. The daily sacrifices were also given over to it. It was successful no matter what it did. And the true worship of God was thrown down to the ground.

13Then I heard a holy angel speaking. Another holy angel spoke to him. He asked, “How long will it take for the vision to come true? The daily sacrifices will be stopped. Those who refuse to obey God will be destroyed. The temple will be handed over to an enemy. And some of the stars will be stomped on.”

14One of the holy angels said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the temple will be made holy again.”

Gabriel Tells Daniel What His Vision Means

15I was watching the vision. And I was trying to understand it. Then I saw someone who looked like a man. 16I heard a voice from the Ulai Waterway. It called out, “Gabriel, tell Daniel what his vision means.”

17Gabriel came close to where I was standing. I was terrified and fell down flat with my face toward the ground. He said to me, “Son of man, I want you to understand that the vision tells about the time of the end.”

18While he was speaking to me, I was sound asleep. I lay with my face toward the ground. Then he touched me. He raised me to my feet.

19He said, “I am going to tell you what will happen later. It will take place when God is angry. The vision tells about the appointed time of the end. 20You saw a ram that had two horns. It stands for the kings of Media and Persia. 21The goat stands for the king of Greece. The large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22Four horns took its place when it was broken off. They stand for four kingdoms that will come from his nation. But those kingdoms will not be as powerful as his.

23“Toward the end of their rule, those who refuse to obey God will become completely evil. Then another king will appear. He will have a mean-looking face. He will be a master at making clever plans. 24He will become very strong. But he will not get that way by his own power. People will be amazed at the way he destroys everything. He will be successful no matter what he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people.

25“He will tell lies in order to succeed. He will think he is more important than anyone else. When people feel safe, he will destroy many of them. He will stand up against the greatest Prince of all. Then he will be destroyed. But he will not be killed by human beings.

26“The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given to you is true. But seal up the vision. It tells about a time far off.”

27I was worn out. I lay sick for several days. Then I got up and returned to my work for the king. The vision bewildered me. I couldn’t understand it.