Coachlight Bible Study – Daniel Chapter 8
The Ram
And The He-goat
Two years after the vision of the Four Wild Beasts, Daniel
sees another vision of beasts. This time
he saw himself by a river in the city of Susa. This vision included a ‘Little Horn.’
It was the 4th beast and its little horn of the
last vision that troubled and confused Daniel.
God sends the angel Gabriel to interpret and help Daniel understand the
vision. While the previous section was
written in Aramaic and mostly concerned the Gentiles, this new section of the
Book of Daniel is in reference to Daniel’s people, the Jews, and was written by
Daniel in Hebrew.
The purpose, besides helping Daniel interpret the ‘Writing
on the Wall’, is to show Daniel what happens to his people and their Sanctuary
(temple) during the rest of the Times of the Gentiles, and especially during
the ‘Time of the End.’
I.
The Time And Place Of The Vision
Daniel 8:1 ¶ In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel,
after that which appeared unto me at the first.
Daniel 8:2 And I saw
in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan
in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I
was by the river of Ulai..
A. This
Section Of Daniel – Written In Hebrew
1. Daniel 1:1-Daniel 2:4 Written In Hebrew
a. Covers the fall of Jerusalem
b. Covers Juda’s Captivity
2. Daniel 2:4 – Daniel 7:28 Written In Aramaic –
Relates to Gentile Empires
3. Daniel 8:1 – Daniel 12:13 Written In Hebrew
a. In reference to the Jews
b. In reference to Jerusalem
c. In reference to the
sanctuary – Millennial Temple
d. In reference to the
antichrist who will desecrate the sanctuary
e. Purpose – Show Daniel what would happen to the
Jews In latter days
B. The Time Of This Vision - The 3rd Year Of Belshazzar’s Reign – BC 538
1. The same year as the fall of Babylon – before
Babylon’s fall
2. 2 Years after the vision of the 4 wild beasts
C. The Purpose
Of This Vision
1. Show Daniel what empires followed Babylon
2. To further explain the little horn
D. The Place Of This Vision
1. Susa or Shushan – The capitol of Elam – Later Capitol of Persia
2. By the river Ulai
II.
The Vision Of The Ram
Daniel 8:3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold,
there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were
high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
Daniel 8:4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward,
and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any
that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and
became great.
A. The
National Emblem Of Persia Was A Ram
1. Coins have been discovered which display a
"Ram's Head" on one side
2. On the other side a Ram
recumbent on the other.
B. The Guardian spirit Of Persia Is A Ram
1. Has cloven feet
2. Has sharp-pointed horns
III. The Vision Of The He-goat
Daniel 8:5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came
from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and
the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
A. The
National Emblem Of Macedonia Or Greece Was A Goat - Is Found On Ancient Greek
Coins
B. The Ancient
Capital Of Macedonia Was Called Aegae
- Or The Goat City
1. The waters next to Greece was called the the Aegean, or ‘Goat Sea’
2. Alexander’s son was Aegus
– ‘Son of a Goat’
IV.
The Vision Of War
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Daniel 8:6 And he came to the ram that had two horns,
which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of
his power.
Daniel 8:7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he
was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two
horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him
down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could
deliver the ram out of his hand.
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A. The Great
Horn Between The Eyes Of The He-Goat Is Its 1st
King
1. We all know
this is Alexander The Great – BC 356-323
a. Was the son of Philip of Macedonia
b. Became King of Greece at 20 years old – BC 336
2. Two years
later BC 334
a. Acted in goat-like fashion
b. Alexander leaped the Hellespont
c. He defeated the Persian army – By the river Granicus
1. He had an army of 30,000 infantry
2. He had 5000 cavalry
3. The next
year – BC 333 – At Issus
a. Alexander advanced East
b. Defeated Darius, The Persian King & 600,000
men
4. Alexander
Had Minor Battles on the Persian Border 2 Years
5. The Battle
of Arbel – BC 331
a. In Syria
b. Defeated Darius & a large army
B. Alexander
Dies In Babylon At The Climax Of His Glory – BC 323
1. He died of
high fever
2. Too much
alcohol
3. Only 33
years old
V.
The Vision Of The Four Horns
Daniel 8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when
he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones
toward the four winds of heaven.
A. After Alexander’s Death – Struggle To Be Successor – Lasted
20 Years
B. Four Of Alexander’s Generals
Split The Empire
1. Cassander – Greece – The
Western Part
2. Lysimachus – Turkey –
North Part
3. Seleucus – Syria – East
Part
4. Ptolemy – Egypt – South Part
C. Eventually
Taken Over By The Romans
1. Many wars between them
2. The last to loose identity was Egypt – BC 30
D. The Empires
Did Not Succeed Each Other Without A Break
VI.
Comparison Of The Visions And Dreams
A. Daniel
Could Correspond The Ram & He-Goat To The Bear
& Leopard
B. Daniel Saw The Silver And The Brass Abdomen Were Medo-Persia
& Greece
C. Daniel Saw
Bear’s Higher Shoulder – Corresponds To Actions Of The
Ram
1. Correspond
to the higher horn Persia
2. The 3 ribs
in the bear’s mouth was 3 kingdoms – Eventually taken by Persia
a. Lydia
b. Babylon
c. Egypt
3. Corresponds
to Ram that pushed
a. West to Lydia
b. North to Babylon
c. South to Egypt
VII.
The Vision Of The Little Horn
Daniel 8:9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn,
which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward
the pleasant land.
Daniel 8:10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven;
and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped
upon them.
Daniel 8:11Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of
the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his
sanctuary was cast down.
Daniel 8:12 And an host was given
him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down
the truth to the ground; and it practised, and
prospered.
A. Daniel Saw
4 Leopard Heads Corresponded to 4 Horns Of The He-Goat
B. The Little
Horn Was A Mystery To Daniel
1. Nothing corresponded to Little Horn on the Leopard
2. No Beast in this vision to correspond to the 4th
Wild Beast
a. It had 10 horns
b. Also had a little Horn
VIII.
Daniel Talks With The Angel
Daniel 8:13 Then I
heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily
sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and
the host to be trodden under foot?
Daniel 8:14 And he said unto me,
Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
A. The
Sanctuary Cleansed in 2,300 Days
1. 2300 evening-morning sacrifices
2. The abomination of desolation happens in middle of
the week – Daniel 9:27
3. Would run 2 years, 10 months, and 20 days
a. 3 ½ years are 1260 days
b. 2300 days – 1260 days =
1040 days
4. This would be Ezekiel’s temple – Ezekiel 41:1 –
43:7
B. Ezekiel’s
Millennial Temple Finished Almost 3 Years After
Tribulation
IX.
The Interpreter
Daniel 8:15 ¶ And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel,
had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood
before me as the appearance of a man.
Daniel 8:16 And I heard a man’s
voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and
said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
A. Daniel
Heard A Man’s Voice Over The River
1. Probably Out of a cloud
2. Commanded
Gabriel to Interpret the vision
B. Daniel’s
Troubling with the Vision of the 4 Beasts Was the Little Horn
C. There Was
Now another Little Horn
1. Are They The Same?
2. Are They Different
3. Was This Vision To Give More Light On The Little
Horn?
X.
The Key To The Time Of The Vision
Daniel 8:17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came,
I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of
man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
Daniel 8:18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep
sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
Daniel 8:19 And he said, Behold, I
will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at
the time appointed the end shall be.
A. The Time Of The End
1. Did not refer to Daniel’s time
2. Referred to the end time of the Times of the
Gentiles
B. What Shall
Be In The Last End Of The Indignation – End Of The
Visions
XI.
The Interpretation Of The Ram And The He-Goat
Daniel 8:20 The ram which thou sawest having
two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
Daniel 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia:
and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Daniel 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for
it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
A.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Was In BC 603
1. Would Be 4 World Empires succeeding Each Other
2. Daniel not told who they were – Except gold was
Babylon
3. At the end of the dream the Stone Kingdom broke
the others to pieces
B. Daniel’s
Vision Of The 4 Wild Beasts Was In BC 541
1. Given 62 years later
2. Still did not specifically tell who the successors
were
C. In This
Vision Two of The Empire Names Are Given
1. The Names Of The Silver
& Brass Given
2. Also corresponds to the bear and the leopard
D. Names Were
Withheld Until The End Time Of The Babylonians
1. So that Daniel could know that the Medes &
Persians were Next
2. Undoubtedly helped him interpret the handwriting
on the wall
XII.
Interpretation Of The Little Horn
Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time
of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce
countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Daniel 8:24 And his power shall be
mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall
prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty
and the holy people.
Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft
to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace
shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but
he shall be broken without hand.
A. With No
Interpretation – We Would Suppose Was A Future King Of
Grecia
1. Like
Antiochus Epiphanies – He fits in some respects
a. But Gabriel tells us he comes at the Latter Time
of their Kingdom
b. But Gabriel says he comes when the transgressors
are come to the full
2. Tells us
that there is a 1st Stage & 2nd Stage of the 4 kings
after Alexander
a. The 4 Kingdoms will be 4 of the 10 end time
kingdoms
b. All 4 are independent today
3. This latter
time of the 2nd Stage is not the latter time of the 4 kingdoms
a. They were all taken over by the Romans
b. They were not all taken over at the same time
c.
Ptolomies & Seleucids fought for
years
d. Egypt was the last to be taken over – BC 30
B. The Little
Horn does not mean Antiochus Epiphanes
1. Antiochus
did not live in the latter times of the 4 kingdoms
2. He was 8th
out of 26 kings that ruled over Syria
3. He died in
BC 164 - 134 years before the last of the 4 kingdoms were gone
4. Antiochus
could not be the horn and the little horn that sprang out of it
5. The Little
Horn waxed exceedingly great - Antiochus never did
6. While it is
true he desecrated the Temple
a. But the Maccabees
rebelled
b. Restored the Temple
Worship - BC 165
7. Jesus spoke
of the Abomination of Desolation in Daniel – Matthew 24:15
a. He did not refer to it as a thing of the past
b. He did refer to something still in the future –
Antiochus dead 200 years
8. Antiochus
never stood up against the Prince of Princes
a. The Prince of Princes is Christ
b. Antiochus died 160 years before Christ was born
9. It can’t be
said of Antiochus that he was ‘broken without hand’
a. He died a natural death
b. His death was at Tabae - Persia)
in BC 164.
10. Verses
9-12 can’t refer to Antiochus and 23-25 refer to Antichrist
a. Verses 23-25 make up the interpretation of 9-12
b. They must refer to the same person
11. There is a Gap between the former and latter time
of the 4 kingdoms – Corresponds to the Gap between the 69th & 70th
weeks of the next chapter
XIII.
Progressive Revelation Of The Little Horn– Each
Description Adds New Information – Until The Portrait Is Complete
A. In Chapter
7
1. The Little
Horn plucks up 3 of the ten horns
2. He has eyes
like a man’s eyes
3. He has a
mouth speaking great things
4. The
interpreter says he will subdue 3 kings
a. He will speak great words against the Most High
b. He will wear out the saints of the Most High
c. He will think to change Times & Laws – 3 ½
years
(Times, Time, & The
Dividing of Time)
B. In Chapter
8
1. The Little
Horn Waxes Great toward the South, East, & Israel
2. Waxed great even toward the Host of Heaven
1. Cast down some of the Host
2. Cast down some of the stars
3. He
magnified himself to the Prince of the Host
4. He took
away the daily sacrifice
5. Christ’s
sanctuary cast down
6. He cast the
truth to the ground
7. He
practiced & prospered
8. The angel
Gabriel Interpreted
a. King of fierce countenance will stand up
b. He will understand dark sentences – Reveal Secrets
c. He will have mighty power
d. He won’t be under his own power
e. He will destroy wonderfully
f. He will practice and prosper
g. He will destroy the mighty and holy people - the Jews
h. He will prosper in business
i. In his heart he will
magnify himself
j. He will by peace destroy many
k. He will stand against the Prince of Princes
l. He will be broken without hand
C. In Chapter
11 – The Wilfull King
1. He will do
according to his will
2. He will
exalt himself above every god
3. He will
speak things against God
4. He will
prosper until the end of the Tribulation
5. He will not
regard the God of his fathers
6. He will not
have regard for women
7. He will
honor the god of forces – god his fathers did not know
a. With gold and silver
b. With precious stones
c. With pleasant things
9. He will
have religious power over the most strong holds
a. He will acknowledge them
b. He will increase in glory
c. He will have them to rule over many
10. He will
divide the land for gain
D. To
Summarize – The Little Horn Will
1. Rise among
the 10 horns of the 4th wild beast – Roman Empire
2. 4 of the 10
horns will be the 4 kingdoms of Alexander’s division
a. Greece
b. Turkey
c. Syria – (includes Iran & Iraq)
d. Egypt
3. Out of one
of these Antichrist will come
4. Willful
king reveals him as Syria – king of the north – Daniel 11:40
5. The king of
fierce countenance will reveal secrets – (dark sentences)
6. He will
stand up against the Prince of Princes
7. He will
bring his transgression to the full
8. He will be
broken without hand
E. Paul’s
Revelation Of The Antichrist Broken Without Hand
II Thessalonians 2:8 And then
shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of
his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
F. John
Revealed This in his scene of the Battle of Armageddon
Revelation 19:11 ¶
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Revelation
19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and
he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Revelation 19:13 And he was
clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Revelation 19:
Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white
horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Revelation 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp
sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a
rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the
fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 19:17
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying
to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together unto the supper of the great God;
Revelation 19:18
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of
mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the
flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Revelation 19:19
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered
together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Revelation 19:20
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles
before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the
beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a
lake of fire burning with brimstone.
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The Progressive Revelation Of The
Little Horn Of Daniel
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Four Wild Beasts
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Ram And The He-Goat
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The Wilfull
King
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Revelation 7:24
And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and
another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he
shall subdue three kings.
Revelation 7:25
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall
be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
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Revelation 8:9 And out of one of them came forth a
little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the
east, and toward the pleasant land.
Revelation 8:10 And it waxed great, even to the host of
heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and
stamped upon them.
Revelation 8:11
Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the
daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
Revelation 8:12 And an host was given him against the
daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the
ground; and it practised, and prospered.
Revelation 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom,
when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance,
and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Revelation 8:24
And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy
wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and
shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
Revelation 8:25
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and
he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he
shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken
without hand.
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Revelation11:36 And the king shall do according to his
will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and
shall speak marvellous things against the God of
gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be
accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Revelation11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his
fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify
himself above all.
Revelation11:38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew
not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with
precious stones, and pleasant things.
Revelation11:39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall
acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over
many, and shall divide the land for gain.
Revelation 11:40
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the
king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and
with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries,
and shall overflow and pass over.
Revelation 11:41
He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many
countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom,
and Moab, and
the chief of the children of Ammon.
Revelation 11:42
He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land
of Egypt shall not escape.
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XIII. Shut Up The Vision
Daniel 8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told
is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
Daniel 8:27 And I Daniel fainted,
and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business;
and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
A. Daniel Told
To Shut Up The Vision
1. Its fulfillment would not be for many days
2. Its fulfillment would not be until the latter time
of the 4 kingdoms
B. Then Daniel
Fainted And Was Sick Certain Days
1. This new revelation about his people was too much
for Daniel
2. This new revelation about his people made his
heart sick.
3. None understood why he was sick – He shut up the
vision
C. Daniel’s
Astonishment Did Not Prevent Him From The Affiairs
Of State
“…I rose up, and did the King's business." Verse 27
Times of the Gentiles
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
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Daniel's Vision
4 Beasts
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Daniel’s Vision Ram and He Goat
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Fulfillment
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Daniel
2:19-45
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Daniel 7
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Daniel
8:1-14
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World
Empires
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Head of Gold
Daniel 2:37- 38
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Lion
Daniel
7:4
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Babylon
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Breasts & arms of silver
Daniel
2:39
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Bear
Daniel
7:5
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Ram
Daniel
8:3-4, 20
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Medo-Persia
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Belly & Thighs of Brass
Daniel
2:39
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Leopard
Daniel 7:6
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He-goat
Daniel 8:5, 21
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Greece
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Legs of Iron
Daniel
2:40
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Diverse Beast
Great, Strong w/ Iron Teeth
Daniel 7:7,19
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Rome
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Feet of
Iron & Clay
Daniel
2:41-43
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Four Horns
Daniel 8:9-14
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Greece, Turkey, Syria, Egypt (Alexander’s Generals)
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10 Horns
And The Little Horn
Daniel
7:8,24
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Last Empire Ten Kings Including the Antichrist
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Little Horn
Daniel 7:11-12
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Little Horn
Daniel
8:9-14,22-25
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Antichrist
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The Stone
Daniel 2:44-45
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Ancient of Days & Son of Man
Daniel 7:9,13-14
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Prince of Princes
Daniel 8:8:25
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Jesus Christ
Second Advent & Millennial Reign
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