“As I, Daniel, was trying to understand the meaning of this vision, someone who looked like a man stood in front of me. And I heard a human voice calling out from the Ulai River, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of his vision.” As Gabriel approached the place where I was standing, I became so terrified that I fell with my face to the ground. “Son of man,” he said, “you must understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the time of the end.” While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet. Then he said, “I am here to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath. What you have seen pertains to the very end of time. The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire. The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first. “At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power. “This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret.” Then I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for several days. Afterward I got up and performed my duties for the king, but I was greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it.”
Daniel 8:15-27 NLT
Sometimes there is nothing left to do but to continue conversation with the Lord privately, while returning to the king’s business. In this case, Daniel was being given information about the events that would immediately follow the kingdom he was currently residing in. In one sense, the vision was meant to give him closure as to the events of his life. In another sense, the vision didn’t provide closure at all because it highlighted a seemingly endless battle against God’s kingdom. Now he knew that there wasn’t just one little horn to spit blasphemies in the future. There two. The apostle John would speak of a third horn, just as Paul would prophecy about the Man of Lawlessness. The future would no longer be exile for God’s people, but it would still be seemingly endless persecution. This would require them all the more to look for the Son Of Man. It would require them to place their hope on the prophecies offspring of David, who would eventually take God’s everlasting thrown. Yet, besides their hope, there was only one thing they could do. Be patient, and return to work. This isn’t unlike Christians today who await the return of Christ against the onslaught of Little Horns. Let us return to godly living as we await Christ again.
