GABRIEL COMMANDED TO EXPLAIN THIS VISION

“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. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 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. 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. 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,” Verses 15-19.S23D 9.2

SYMBOL OF THE RAM EXPLAINED.—“The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.” Verse 20. Then the meaning of the first symbol cannot be misunderstood. By it, the Medo-Persian Empire was presented to the eye of the prophet; its two horns denoting the union of these two powers in one government. This vision, therefore, does not begin with the empire of Babylon, as do the visions of the second and seventh chapters, but it commences with the empire of the Medes and Persians at the right of its power, prevailing westward, northward, and southward, so that no power could stand before it. The explanation of the next symbol will show what power overthrew the Persian Empire and succeeded to its place.S23D 9.3

SYMBOLS OF THE GOAT EXPLAINED.—“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.” Verses 21, 22. The explanation of this symbol is also definite and certain. The power that should overthrow the Medes and Persians, and in their stead, bear rule over the earth, is the empire of the Greeks. Greece succeeded Persia in the dominion of the world B.C. 331. The great horn is here explained to be the first king of Grecia; it was Alexander the Great. The four horns that arose when this horn was broken, denote the four kingdoms into which the empire of Alexander was divided after his death. The same was presented by the four heads and four wings of the leopard. Daniel 7:6. It is predicted without the use of symbols in Daniel 11:3, 4. These four kingdoms were Macedon, Thrace, Syria, and Egypt. They originated B.C. 312.S23D 10.1

SYMBOL OF THE LITTLE HORN EXPLAINED.—“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. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 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.” Verses 23-25.S23D 11.1

To avoid the application of this prophecy to the Roman power, pagan and papal, the papists have shifted it from Rome to Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian king who could not resist the mandates of Rome. See notes of the Douay (Romish) Bible on Daniel 7; 8; 11. This application is made by the papists, to save their church from any share in the fulfillment of the prophecy; and in this they have been followed by the mass of opposers to the Advent faith. The following facts show thatS23D 11.2