Day 1

Scripture to Read: Daniel 8:1–4

Daniel, led by the Holy Spirit, wrote about things 400 years before they happened. Read Daniel 8:1. Daniel had a second vision in the third year of Belshazzar the King, about 551 B.C. Some doubt that Daniel wrote the Book of Daniel. But in Matthew 24:15, Jesus quotes Daniel 9:27 and says this was given through “Daniel the prophet.” In Daniel 8:20–21, God reveals this is about Persia and Greece. In Daniel 2, Persia was the chest and arms of silver and Greece was the belly and thighs of bronze. In Daniel 7, Persia was the bear and Greece was the leopard. In Daniel 8, the ram represents the Medo-Persian empire and the one-horned goat represents the empire of Greece. Read Daniel 8:2–3. Daniel saw the two-horned ram representing Persia, which replaced the Babylonian Empire. The ram had two horns, one larger than the other. The Persians and Medes had an alliance, so Daniel saw the ram having two horns signifying that alliance. The longer horn represented the Persians, who were more powerful than the Medes. Eventually, that empire became known as the Persian Empire. Read Daniel 8:4. God showed Daniel the conquest of Medo-Persia over Babylon. Daniel, twelve years in advance, saw what we studied in Daniel 5. Note the end of Daniel 8:4, “he did as he pleased and magnified himself.” The arrogance of the ram (the Persian Empire) brought it to its destruction. God’s Word is clear that “pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 18:12, Proverbs 29:23).

Challenge & Application

• Why is it important to know the history of God’s Word, and what does God show us about Himself as He gives Daniel this vision? (Hint: See 1 John 3:20.) • What brought the destruction of Babylon, and what does God teach us through this?

Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!

Devotionals from this week

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Day 1

Daniel, led by the Holy Spirit, wrote about things 400 years before they happened. Read Daniel 8:1. Daniel had a second vision in the third year of Belshazzar the King, about 551 B.C. Some doubt that Daniel wrote the Book of Daniel. But in Matthew 24:15, Jesus quotes Daniel 9:27 and says this was given through “Daniel the prophet.” In Daniel ...

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Day 2

Persia conquered the Babylonians, but Persia was also conquered, as we read in Daniel 8:5–8. God allowed Daniel to see the ram (the Medo-Persian Empire) conquer Babylon, but he also saw Greece (the one-horned goat) conquer the Medo-Persian Empire a few centuries later. Daniel 8:5 says, “While I was observing, behold, a male goat was coming fr...

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Day 3

Alexander the Great received the discipline of God. Though Alexander the Great had conquered the world, the history books tell us that he died of debauchery at around age 32. Some attribute his death to alcoholism; others attribute it to sexually transmitted disease(s). Basically, his lustful passions cost him his life. God warns us, as His ...

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Day 4

We covered Alexander the Great in last week's devotions, but God reveals more in Daniel 8. Since Alexander the Great died young, his empire went to his four generals; that’s the four horns Daniel saw emerge on the goat to replace the large horn. General Cassandra ruled Macedonia. General Ptolemy ruled Egypt. General Lysimachus ruled Thrace an...

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Day 5

We know Antiochus Epiphanes was a tyrant toward Israel, and in Daniel 8:11, we read, “It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down.” God shows how Antiochus exalted himself and made himself equal to God. Even his name, Antioch...

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Day 6

Read Daniel 8:13–14. We have two angels discussing the desecration of God's temple and wondering how long it would last. God makes it clear it would last 2,300 days, about six years. After the 2,300 days, the Maccabean Revolt took place and though Israel was outnumbered, God gave them favor and they succeeded in taking the temple back from An...

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Day 7

In Daniel 8:15–19, Daniel “sought to understand” the vision God showed him. In Daniel 8:20–25, God gave Daniel the interpretation of the vision. Note that Daniel chose to diligently seek an answer. Sadly, today, too many who claim to be Christians in America choose to be apathetic toward hungering for God’s Word. Many don’t have an appetite f...

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