Daniel 8

In the third year of Belshazzar a vision appears to Daniel, after that which appeared at the first. Wesley: after that—in the other vision he speaks of all the four monarchies; here only of the three first; this vision being a comment upon the first.

Application: a named year, a second vision. Stay with the three: Medes and Persians, Greece, then the little horn. Common ground: this comments on what was already shown, not a chart of modern flags.

Calvin: another vision, differing from the former as a part from the whole. God had shown four monarchies; now only two remain in view, because Babylon is about to fall. The chief object: to prepare the faithful to bear patiently the horrible tyranny of Antiochus.

God shows a part so the church will not faint when the sanctuary is hurt. Neither side disputes this: this comes after the first vision.

He sees in the vision: Susa the citadel, in Elam, at the Ulai canal. Wesley: the river of Ulai—which ran round the city.

A place in the vision, not a cue to invent a modern capital. Susa, Elam, Ulai. Daniel is shown, not relocated as a tourist.

Calvin: he was in Shushan when he saw—caught up by the prophetic spirit, not dwelling in Persia as if he had left Babylon. By naming Belshazzar he shows he still dwelt under that power. The Ulai is the Eulaeus. The repetition adds certainty: not a vanishing specter.

Vision-place, not a private trip. Susa by the Ulai. God locates the ram where Persia will stand.

A ram on the bank of the canal; two horns, both high; one higher, and the higher came up last. Wesley: two horns—the kingdom of Media and Persia. And the higher—the kingdom of Persia which rose last, in Cyrus, became more eminent than that of the Medes.

For the hearer: two horns, not a modern map. Shared with Calvin: Medes and Persians, Persia later and higher.

Calvin: the empire of Persia and Media under the image of a ram; two horns for two empires, not two persons, united under one sovereignty. The two horns were lofty; the Persian horn higher than the Median; it rose backwards—afterwards—so that Cyrus’s later horn obscured the former glory.

In practice: two empires, one ram. Media and Persia; the higher came last. This is history under God.

The ram charges west, north, and south; no beast can stand; none can rescue; he does as he pleases and becomes great. Wesley: west-ward—toward Babylon, Syria, Cappadocia, Asia the less, and Greece, all westward from Media and Persia. North-ward—against the Armenians, Iberians, Lydians, Colchi Caspians. South-ward—against Ethiopia, Arabia, Egypt.

Directions from Media and Persia. The ram becomes great, still a creature.

Calvin: the ram struck west, north, and south. The Persian and Median territory lay east of Babylon, Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece. This extends to Cyrus’s successors, who convulsed the world. No beasts stood before him; he did according to his pleasure and became mighty—formidable, not flawless in every campaign.

Greatness is still timed. West, north, south; none rescue. Not a modern flag-chart.

A male goat from the west over the whole earth, and didn’t touch the ground; a notable horn between his eyes. Wesley: an he-goat—the Grecian empire. The whole earth—the whole Persian empire. Touched not the ground—went with incredible swiftness. A horn—this was Alexander the great.

Greece, Alexander, swift. Shared with Calvin.

Calvin: a he-goat from the west—Macedon relative to Persia—over the surface of the whole earth, yet he did not touch the ground: speed, not census. A remarkable horn between his eyes: Alexander, general of Greece against the Persians.

Swift and conspicuous is still a creature. Shared: goat from the west, Alexander.

He comes to the ram with two horns and runs at him in powerful wrath. Wesley: the ram—the king of Media and Persia.

Wrath against a named ram, not a modern proxy. Greece strikes Persia. The Most High still times the charge.

Calvin: it came to the ram which had two horns—the king of the Medes and Persians—and ran against it in the ardor of its bravery. Alexander’s perseverance and celerity: Darius sat secure; the goat surrounded him by speed.

For the hearer: fury is still permitted, not final. Shared: the goat runs at the ram.

He comes close, is enraged, strikes the ram, breaks both horns, casts him down, tramples him; none can rescue. Wesley writes no note here; his nearest (v. 6): the ram—the king of Media and Persia. His next (v. 8): when Alexander was greatest, then was he broken.

Application: both horns break; the ram is trampled. Persia falls to Greece. Wesley identifies the horn as Alexander.

Calvin: God showed the victory of Alexander. He struck the ram and broke his two horns; the ram had no power to stand; he threw him prostrate and trod him down; none could deliver. Alexander acquired the Median as well as the Persian empire.

Trampling is true and timed. Both of the ram’s horns are broken.

The goat becomes exceedingly great; when he is strong, the great horn is broken; four notable horns toward the four winds of heaven. Wesley: was broken—when Alexander was greatest, then was he broken, and that to pieces, for he, his mother, son, brother, and all his kindred were destroyed. The four winds: Antipater got Greece; Asia was possessed by Antigonus; Ptolemy got Egypt; Seleucus had Babylon and Syria. To the east, Babylon and Syria; to the south, Egypt; to the north, Asia the less; to the west, Greece.

Broken at the height, then four. Alexander falls; four succeed.

Calvin: when the he-goat was in his strength, the great horn was broken—Alexander at the height of prosperity, then suddenly snatched away. Four conspicuous horns: Cassander obtained Macedon; Seleucus, Syria; Antigonus, Asia; Ptolemy, Egypt. By the four winds of heaven: west, east, north, south.

Greatness does not last. One horn broken, four toward the four winds.

Wesley: this little horn was Antiochus Epiphanes. The south—Egypt where he besieged and took many places. The east—in Syria, Babylon, Armenia. The pleasant land—Judea, so called because of the temple and people of God in it, and the fruitfulness of it.

Wesley names Antiochus, not a license to invent a modern little horn. South, east, glorious land.

Calvin: out of one of those four horns a little horn arose—Antiochus Epiphanes is most distinctly pointed out. Little, because no one supposed he would be king. Mighty toward the south (Egypt), the east, and the glory—Judea, the sanctuary of God.

In practice: a named tyrant in a named land. Wesley agrees: Antiochus, toward the glorious land.

It grew great, even to the army of heaven; some of the army and of the stars thrown down and trampled. Wesley: the host of heaven—the church of God militant, who worship the God of heaven, who are citizens of heaven, whose names are written in heaven; and among these the priests, and champions, who were as stars shining above the rest; these he profaned and slew cruelly.

The church is thrown down, not abandoned. Host and stars are God’s people. Not a star-chart of modern politics.

Calvin: the horn became magnificent even to the army of the heavens—without doubt the elect people of God. The Church, precious before God though trodden on earth. Some of that army and of the stars cast down and stamped: the tyrant loosed to treat the Church with contempt, as if drawing stars from heaven.

For the hearer: trampling is permitted, not final. Both traditions agree: the host is the church. God still numbers his own.

It magnified itself even against the Prince of the army; it took away the continual burnt offering, and his sanctuary was thrown down. Wesley: the prince—not only against the high-priest, but against God himself. Was cast down—he took away the use of the temple as to the holy service and sacrifices.

Wesley will later (v. 16) name Christ’s voice in this vision; here the Prince is God himself, and the high-priest is not excluded. Do not flatten. Common ground: offering taken, sanctuary hurt. The time will be limited.

Calvin: some take the prince of the army for the high priest; that is too forced. The true sense: such arrogance that Antiochus declared war with God himself. God is the Prince of the army because he defends his Church. The perpetual sacrifice snatched away; the place of his sanctuary cast down.

The Prince is God; do not flatten him into a mere priest. God still limits what he permits.

A host given over with the continual burnt offering because of transgression; truth thrown to the ground; it acted and prospered. Wesley: by reason of transgression—both the transgression of the priests, and of the people.

Prospering is permitted because of sin, not because God has left the temple. Shared: truth thrown down, yet the sanctuary will be restored.

Calvin: time shall be given him—Antiochus can do nothing unless divinely permitted and limited. In sin: the Jews must feel this as the reward of their sins. He casts truth to the ground and prospers. God moderates the evil by bounding the time, and humbles the people by naming their transgression.

Given over is still given. Transgression, truth down, it prospers for a time. God limits the trampling.

One holy one speaking; another asks how long: the vision about the continual burnt offering, and the disobedience that makes desolate, the sanctuary and host trampled. Wesley: one saint—that is, one holy angel. How long—how long shall Antiochus continue his vexations against the people and prevent the worship of God? This is the treading down of the sanctuary, and the host.

The question is mercy: how long, not whether. On this both agree: trampling is timed.

Calvin: Daniel heard one holy one—an angel—and another asked the Wonderful One. Reason requires a superior glory: Christ, chief of angels, the wonderful. How long will the vision of the perpetual sacrifice and the devastating sin last? How long will sanctuary and host be trodden?

Heaven asks for the church’s sake. How long is a limit. The passage is not a rapture timetable. The sanctuary will be restored.

It will last for 2,300 evenings and mornings, and then the sanctuary will be cleansed. Wesley: he—that angel. Then—just so long it was, from the defection of the people, procured by Menelaus, the high-priest, to the cleansing of the sanctuary, and the re-establishment of religion among them.

Wesley counts days until cleansing, not a day-year scheme he does not use. On this both agree: the time is limited; the sanctuary is restored. God limits the trampling.

Calvin: unto evening and morning, two thousand three hundred—not years or months; those who receive it of years and months are mistaken. Natural days: about six years and four months, from Antiochus’s first insult of the worship to the Maccabean purifying of the temple. Then the sanctuary will be justified—its rights restored.

God bounds the time; the sanctuary is restored.