Rescue Ministries International
Chapter 2 Study — The Ram, the Goat, and the Rise of Greece
(Continuation of Chapter 1 — The Bible’s Own Explanation of the Little Horn)
30 Questions & Answers with Full Supporting Text
30 Questions & Answers with Full Supporting Text
Introduction to Chapter 2
This chapter is a continuation of Chapter 1, where the Bible established the sequence of kingdoms in Daniel 8. We now go deeper into the identity of the goat, the notable horn, the fall of Medo-Persia, and the rise of Greece.
This chapter is important because it shows that the prophecy moves directly through the Greek Empire and prepares the way for the appearance of the little horn. The goal here is to let the biblical sequence stand plainly in front of the reader before moving to the historical identification in later chapters.
Section 1 — The Goat from the West
1. From what direction did the goat come?
Answer: From the west.
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.”
2. How widespread was the goat’s movement?
Answer: It moved across the face of the whole earth.
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.”
3. How fast was the goat moving?
Answer: Very fast, so fast that it did not touch the ground.
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.”
4. What did the goat have between its eyes?
Answer: A notable horn.
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.”
5. What does the goat represent?
Answer: Greece.
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.”
Section 2 — The Great Horn (First King)
6. What does the great horn represent?
Answer: The first king of Greece.
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.”
7. Who is this first king historically?
Answer: Alexander the Great, the first great ruler of the Greek Empire.
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.”
8. What does the speed of the goat symbolize?
Answer: Rapid conquest and swift expansion.
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.”
9. Did the goat act in anger against the ram?
Answer: Yes.
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.”
10. What did the goat do to the ram?
Answer: It smote the ram and broke its two horns.
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.”
Section 3 — The Fall of Medo-Persia
11. Did the ram have power to resist the goat?
Answer: No.
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.”
12. What happened to the ram after it was defeated?
Answer: It was cast to the ground and trampled.
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.”
13. Could anyone rescue the ram?
Answer: No.
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.”
Section 4 — The Rise of Greek Power
14. What happened to the goat after defeating the ram?
Answer: It became very great.
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.”
15. What does this greatness represent?
Answer: The expansion and dominance of the Greek Empire.
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.”
16. When was the great horn broken?
Answer: When it was strong.
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.”
17. What does this suggest about the first king?
Answer: That he fell suddenly at the height of power.
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.”
Section 5 — The Division of the Empire
18. What replaced the great horn?
Answer: Four notable 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.”
19. Toward what did these four horns arise?
Answer: Toward the four winds of heaven.
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.”
20. What do these four horns represent?
Answer: Four kingdoms that arose out of the Greek nation.
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.”
21. Did these kingdoms have the same power as the first king?
Answer: No.
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.”
Section 6 — Transition to the Little Horn
22. What follows the four horns in the prophecy?
Answer: 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.”
23. What does “one of them” refer to?
Answer: One of the four Greek divisions.
Daniel 8:8–9
“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.
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.”
24. What does this prove about the little horn’s origin?
Answer: That it comes from the Greek Empire.
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.”
25. Does the prophecy leave the Greek framework before the little horn appears?
Answer: No.
Daniel 8:21–22
“And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
Section 7 — Logical Conclusions from Chapter 2
26. Does the Bible clearly identify Greece in Daniel 8?
Answer: Yes.
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.”
27. Does the prophecy follow a continuous sequence?
Answer: Yes. It moves from Medo-Persia to Greece, then to the division of Greece, and then to the little horn.
Daniel 8:20–22
“The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
28. Can the little horn be separated from Greece according to the text?
Answer: No.
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.”
29. Why are the four kingdoms so important in the prophecy?
Answer: Because they are the immediate source out of which the little horn arises.
Daniel 8:22–9
“Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
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.”
30. What is the key conclusion of this chapter?
Answer: The little horn must arise from the Greek Empire because the Bible places it directly after the division of Greece.
Daniel 8:21–22; 8:9
“And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
“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.”
Conclusion of Chapter 2
This chapter strengthens the foundation laid in Chapter 1. The Bible clearly shows that Greece replaces Medo-Persia, that a first king rises, that his kingdom is divided into four, and that the little horn comes from one of those divisions.
The key truth of this chapter is this: the entire framework of Daniel 8 is Greek-centered at the point where the little horn appears.
Closing Thought
Before identifying the little horn historically, the Bible has already named the empire, established the sequence, and defined the origin. The next chapter can then move from the Greek framework of Daniel 8 to the historical ruler who fits that description.
| Back to Series Untangling Daniel 8:14: Antiochus Epiphanes, the Little Horn, and the Cleansing of the Sanctuary Chapter Topics 1. The Bible’s Own Explanation of the Little Horn This chapter lays the foundation by showing that Daniel 8 itself identifies the kingdoms, sequence, and setting of the little horn. 2. The Ram, the Goat, and the Rise of Greece This chapter focuses on Medo-Persia, Greece, and the great horn, showing that the prophecy moves directly into the Greek world. 3. The Division of Greece and the Emergence of the Little Horn This chapter shows that the little horn arises from one of the four divisions of Alexander’s empire, making its Greek origin unmistakable. 4. The Historical Fulfillment: Antiochus Epiphanes and the Little Horn This chapter demonstrates from Daniel and the books of Maccabees that Antiochus fulfills the little horn in origin, action, and outcome. 5. The Cleansing of the Sanctuary, Hanukkah, and Jesus’ Recognition This chapter shows that Daniel 8:14 was fulfilled in the cleansing of the temple, preserved in Hanukkah, and acknowledged in the time of Jesus. 6. Jewish History and Early Testimony: Confirming the Little Horn This chapter uses Jewish historical witness, especially Josephus, to confirm the temple desecration, the stopping of sacrifice, and the later cleansing. 7. Early Church Fathers and the Historical Understanding of the Little Horn This chapter shows that early Christian interpreters recognized Antiochus as the historical fulfillment of Daniel 8, even when some also saw him as a foreshadowing of later evil powers. 8. Modern Churches, Scholars, and the Debate Over Daniel 8:14 This chapter compares the broader historical interpretation of Daniel 8 with later views, especially the Adventist 1844 interpretation, and asks whether the evidence supports history or later tradition. |