Daniel 7 records the vision Daniel had in the first year of Belshazzar. Daniel 8 records a vision Daniel had in the third year of the reign of Belshazzar.
You may have noted that in getting here, I skipped from Chapter 4 to Chapter 7. I am reading sequentially this time through Daniel, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 reflects the order of the events as they occurred.
In this vision, he sees himself in the province of Elam, in Susa the citadel, at the Ulai Canal. In this vision he sees the interaction between a ram with 2 horns, and a male goat, which started with just one horn, which was broken and four sprouted up to take its place....then out of one of the four horns grew a little horn - which became beyond-belief powerful. And Daniel heard one holy one say to another: "For how long....?" And the holy one who responded directed his answer to Daniel, saying "For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state."
(2,300 days equals 6 years and 110 days according to our calendar.)
Gabriel was called upon to reveal the interpretation of the vision to Daniel but even with the interpretation he could not understand, because it was for the time of the end. Still, he was given a defined explanation. The 2 horns on the ram are described as being the kings of Media and Persia, and the goat is the king of Greece. The great horn between his eyes is the first king. After that kingdom is broken, 4 kings will arise, but none with as much power, until the little horn emerges. That horn represents the one who will become extremely powerful at the end of time. His power will not come from himself. He will become great in his own eyes and will be a formidable force, causing fearful destruction. He will destroy mighty men and those who are saints. He will defy God - but he will be broken.... That is a promise!
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