How does Gabriel interpret the ram and goat?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The vision’s Medo-Persian and Greek rulers lead to a persecuting king and the promised cleansing.

Chapter breakdown

In Baltasar's third year Daniel sees another vision in the castle of Susa in Elam, over the gate of Ulai. A ram beside the water has two high horns, one higher and growing. It pushes west, north and south; no beast can resist it. A he-goat comes from the west without touching the ground, with a notable horn between its eyes. Enraged, it attacks the ram before the gate, breaks both horns and tramples it. At the height of its strength the goat's great horn breaks, and four horns rise toward the four winds. A little horn grows southward, eastward and toward the strength. It reaches toward heaven's strength, casting down and trampling some of the strength and stars. It magnifies itself toward the prince of the strength; continual sacrifice is taken away, the sanctuary cast down and truth overthrown, while the horn prospers. One saint asks another how long sacrifice and sanctuary will be trampled. The answer is 2,300 days, evening and morning, before the sanctuary is cleansed.

An appearance like a man stands before Daniel, and a voice between Ulai calls Gabriel to make him understand. Daniel trembles and falls; Gabriel says the vision concerns the end. Daniel lies flat, is touched and stands upright to hear of the end of the malediction. Gabriel names the ram as the king of the Medes and Persians and the goat as the king of the Greeks. Its great horn is the first king; four kingdoms arise from his nation without his strength. After their reign, with iniquities grown, a shameless king understanding dark sentences arises. Strong, but not by his own force, he wastes the mighty and holy people, prospers through craft and is puffed up. In abundance he slays many, rises against the prince of princes and is broken without hand. The evening-and-morning vision is true and must be sealed for many days. Daniel languishes and is sick for some days, then rises for the king's business, astonished, while none can interpret it.

The edition connects the goat's speed with Alexander, and names Seleucus, Antigonus, Philip and Ptolemeus as the four successors. It identifies the little horn with Antiochus, a descendant of Seleucus, referring to his victories over Egypt, Armenia, Jerusalem and God's people. Heaven's strength is explained as the Jewish army. Its note reckons 2,300 days as six years and almost four months from the beginning of the persecution to Antiochus's death. Those historical identifications and calculations remain commentary.

The story inside

The ram’s two horns and the goat’s first horn receive named interpretations. The persecuting ruler is strong but not by his own force. The edition identifies Antiochus and reckons the days; Daniel’s illness and perplexity close the account.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The ram’s two horns and the goat’s first horn receive named interpretations.
2
The persecuting ruler is strong but not by his own force.
3
The edition identifies Antiochus and reckons the days; Daniel’s illness and perplexity close the account.

Test your recall

How many days precede cleansing of the sanctuary?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 98100–98104
8:3. And I lifted up my eyes, and saw: and behold a ram stood before the water, having two high horns, and one higher than the other, and growing up. Afterward A ram.... The empire of the Medes and Persians.
Lines 98111–98118
8:5. And I understood: and behold a he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and he touched not the ground, and the he goat had a notable horn between his eyes. A he goat.... The empire of the Greeks, or Macedonians. Ibid. He touched not the ground.... He conquered all before him, with so much rapidity, that he seemed rather to fly, than to walk upon the earth.—Ibid. A notable horn.... Alexander the Great.
Lines 98136–98143
8:9. And out of one of them came forth a little horn: and it became great against the south, and against the east, and against the strength. A little horn.... Antiochus Epiphanes, a descendant of Seleucus. He grew against the south, and the east, by his victories over the kings of Egypt and Armenia: and against the strength, that is, against Jerusalem and the people of God.
Lines 98165–98170
8:14. And he said to him: Unto evening and morning two thousand three hundred days: and the sanctuary shall be cleansed. Unto evening and morning two thousand three hundred days.... That is, six years and almost four months: which was the whole time from the beginning of the persecution of Antiochus till his death.
Lines 98189–98210
8:20. The ram, which thou sawest with horns, is the king of the Medes and Persians. 8:21. And the he goat, is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn that was between his eyes, the same is the first king. 8:22. But whereas when that was broken, there arose up four for it, four kings shall rise up of his nation, but not with his strength. 8:23. And after their reign, when iniquities shall be grown up, there shall arise a king of a shameless face, and understanding dark sentences. 8:24. And his power shall be strengthened, but not by his own force: and he shall lay all things waste, and shall prosper, and do more than can be believed. And he shall destroy the mighty, and the people of the saints, 8:25. According to his will, and craft shall be successful in his hand: and his heart shall be puffed up, and in the abundance of all things he shall kill many: and he shall rise up against the prince of princes, and shall be broken without hand.