The eighth chapter of Daniel gives us an account of a vision seen by the prophet in the third year of the reign of Belshazzar. We need not go outside of the chapter for explanation. First, the prophet is shown the Two Universal Kingdoms that were to follow the Kingdom of Babylon, Medes-Persia and Grecia, and the line of events which follows the rise of Grecia before another Universal Kingdom comes upon the stage of action; therefore Rome, the next Universal Empire in the order of time, is not even so much as mentioned in this chapter, and none of the Horns could possibly represent Rome.

    From chapter eight to the end of Daniel, the prophecy, even though it concerns the Gentiles, is occupied with human history as it relates to Israel. First, Daniel seven is a broad summary of the time of the Gentiles, with emphasis on the climactic events culminating in the second coming of Christ to the earth. Beginning in chapter eight, Daniel’s second vision concerns the Empire of Persia and Greece as they relate to Israel. Under Persian government, Israelites went back to rebuild their land and their city, Jerusalem. Under Grecian domination, in particular under Antiochus Epiphanies, the city and the temple were again desolate. Daniel chapter nine presents the history of Israel from the time of Ezra and Nehemiah to the inauguration of the Kingdom from Heaven at the second coming of Christ immediately preceded by the time of great trouble for Israel. Chapter ten and eleven reveal the events relating the Persian and Greek Empires to Israel, with emphasis on the Gentile oppression of Israel. The final chapters deal with the end of this age, the period of the revived Roman Empire, and the deliverance of Israel.

     This prophecy of Daniel was given to him in 553 B.C., and the prophecy of chapter nine was given in 538 B.C. “Then one of the saints, (angels), said, how long shall be the vision concerning the Daily Sacrifice, and the Transgression of Desolation?” “And he said, unto two thousand and three hundred days, (evening and morning), then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” (Daniel 8:13-14). The 2300 days is God’s time for this oppressor to work, climaxing in “then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

     Daniel, in his vision, finds it necessary to portray the two horns representing the two major aspects of the Mede and Persians, and is very accurate, as the Persians comes up last and represents by the higher horn: the more prominent and powerful. There is no discrepancy between history, which records a series of battles, and Daniel’s representation that the Persian Empire fell with one blow.

     Now we come to some questions. When was this to become a fact of history, and who was to be the oppressor that would do the treading down of the sanctuary and the host, and by whom and how was this cleansing done? To get the answers we must study the vision as given and explained in this chapter.

    The eighth chapter of Daniel gives us an account of a vision seen by the prophet in the third year of the reign of Belshazzar. Daniel finds it necessary to define in particular the location of this city: Shushan by the river Ulai (Daniel 8:1-2), which was to be the capital of Persia, the home of Esther, (Esther 1:2), and the city from which Nehemiah came to Jerusalem. This unusual setting described in detail by Daniel in the opening verses of the eighth chapter now become the stage on which a great drama is portrayed in symbol describing the conquests of the second and third empire.