Context Note: Daniel 8 opens with Daniel’s vision of a ram and a goat. The ram does whatever it wants and becomes great until a goat attacks it. At the height of the goat’s power, its large horn is broken off and four horns grow in its place. One of them produces another horn that grows in power and sets itself up against the Lord’s people, who are given over to it for a time.
Read Daniel 8:15-27
Discover
1. According to verse 19, what’s the timeframe of the fulfillment of Daniel’s vision?
2. How is the fierce king described in verses 23-25?
3. How will the fierce king be broken (verse 25)?
Respond
What’s happening in today’s passage is bigger than what we can see in the physical world. The fierce king foreshadows the ultimate Antichrist – a powerful, destructive, deceptive, and arrogant being that challenges God Himself to a head-on battle. The good news for us today is that this fierce king won’t win. No human power can take him down, but God Himself will break the forces of evil, no matter how powerful they seem.
While God may permit things to happen, He’s always in control. He doesn’t cause or create evil, but He can and will redeem all things. Wherever we feel defeated or see the enemy winning, we can rest assured that God’s power alone can and will overcome.
What battles are you trying to fight on your own strength? Is there a situation you’re struggling to trust God in? Pray about it now, turning over anything that’s holding you back from believing in God as the ultimate victor over evil. Ask Him to fill you with faith as you walk with Him.
Want to go deeper? Visit this link for a full commentary on Daniel 8, including further interpretation of the creatures and kings seen in Daniel’s vision.
*TPCC does not necessarily endorse all “Want to go deeper” sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.