Daniel's Terrifying Vision of a Man

   

Daniel 10

 

April 5, 2024

 

Daniel's Terrifying Vision of a Man

In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict.  And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.

In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks.  I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.  On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris), I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.  His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.  And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.  So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength.  Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.

 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.   And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now, I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.  Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.  The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute.  And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision, pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength.  How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now, no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.”

Again, one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me.  And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”  Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come.  But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.

 

When I came to this, “Then he said to me, 'Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”  I am not sure how this affected you, but it sure got my attention.  Could it be that at the time we ask Christ into our lives, the old flesh, or Bob, had been getting my needs met outside of Christ, and I had to be taught how to die to my flesh's desires, and that voice that sounded like me, that had two lines: You deserve, or You have no worth.  That the voice of that old serpent or Jesus calls him a thief.  Both are lies. You do not deserve anything, without the faith God gave you and the grace He extended to you; hell was what you deserved.  And the question of Worth, God put great value on you, never forget Jesus died on the Cross and paid for your sins and mine.

 

I am not sure what the first day was for Daniel, maybe when he and his three friends were taken as teens captive under King Nebuchadnezzar.  God sent so many men to teach me the deeper truth about my flesh.  For me, it has been an ongoing process, but these two things are required: Setting your heart to understand when God is speaking, and being humbled before God.

Psalm 51:17, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Most likely, the prince of Persia is an evil spiritual entity that wields authority over the ancient kingdom of Persia.  Also, the prince of Greece will be Greece, replacing Persia as the world leader for a while.  You and I should understand that Michael is Israel's Prince.  I have heard the stories of how he fought for them in the Six-Day War, and I have no doubt Michael is fighting for Israel today.  You will not hear this from your local media, for they do not believe the Scriptures.  And God calls them fools.  But you as followers of Jesus Christ, should recall, Ephesians 6:12, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” It a real battle, and Persia today is Iran and they desire to remove Israel and the God they Worship from this world.  As followers of Christ, we have been overcome by the blood of our Lord to forgive sin and take our punishment.  Yes, God took His full wrath out on His Son for you.  You do not understand that, nor does anyone, for God's ways are higher than ours. It was His great love for you.

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Seventy Weeks

 

 

 

Daniel 9:24-27

 

April 4, 2024

 

The Seventy Weeks

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.  Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.  And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.  And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

I have often said I’m not an educated person, nor a theologian, so when it comes to a prophesy like in Daniel 9:24-27, I look at “Got Question”.  This was their feedback.

 

The “seventy weeks” prophecy is one of the most significant and detailed Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. It is found in Daniel 9. The chapter begins with Daniel praying for Israel, acknowledging the nation’s sins against God and asking for God’s mercy. As Daniel prayed, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and gave him a vision of Israel’s future.

The Divisions of the 70 Weeks
In verse 24, Gabriel says, “Seventy ‘sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city.” Almost all commentators agree that the seventy “sevens” should be understood as seventy “weeks” of years, in other words, a period of 490 years. These verses provide a sort of “clock” that gives an idea of when the Messiah would come and some of the events that would accompany His appearance.

The prophecy goes on to divide the 490 years into three smaller units: one of 49 years, one of 434 years, and one 7 years. The final “week” of 7 years is further divided in half. Verse 25 says, “From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’” Seven “sevens” is 49 years, and sixty-two “sevens” is another 434 years:

49 years + 434 years = 483 years

 

The Purpose of the 70 Weeks
The prophecy contains a statement concerning God’s six-fold purpose in bringing these events to pass. Verse 24 says this purpose is 1) “to finish transgression,” 2) “to put an end to sin,” 3) “to atone for wickedness,” 4) “to bring in everlasting righteousness,” 5) “to seal up vision and prophecy,” and 6) “to anoint the most holy.”

Notice that these results concern the total eradication of sin and the establishment of righteousness. The prophecy of the 70 weeks summarizes what happens before Jesus sets up His millennial kingdom. Of special note is the third in the list of results: “to atone for wickedness.” Jesus accomplished the atonement for sin by His death on the cross (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17).

 

My prayer is that you are by faith prepared for the Lord's coming, for a time is coming like the world has never see when the man of Lawlessness show-up to rule the kingdom of this earth.  Many will take his mark, and they will be forever, condemn.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice 

Gabriel Brings an Answer

 

Daniel 9:20-23

 April 3, 2024

 

Gabriel Brings an Answer

While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.  He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding.  At the beginning of your pleas for mercy, a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision.

 

When and only when we, as a people, cry out to God, first confessing our sins of a love affair with the world, or anything above Him, and the sin of our Nation, and seek God’s face and not His hand, will we see the answer to our prayers.  I have also come to the understanding that when we call things what God calls them, we experience a closer walk with our God.

 

 To my knowledge, I have never had a vision, I’ve had a few bad dreams, and I‘ve never had God send Gabriel to me.  But God has sent both men and a few of their wives to help me understand many things.  My first mentor was Jack Archer, an independent oilman, who was known as “Dry Hole Jack” in that his first 19 wells were dry holes.  But number 20 was a winner that made him a millionaire.  Jack and 11 men, all high rollers, bankers, lawyers, and successful men in Corpus Christi, were invited to Laity Lodge in the Texas Hill Country.  That weekend, all of them entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

 

It is interesting how I came to meet Jack; it was at a bar in Corpus Christi.  My friend Johnny Anderson asked if I would like to have lunch with Jack and a guy named Hayes O’Quinn, with the Billy Graham films.  I told you it was a bar with good barbecue, but it also had Playboy's best picture above the bar.  While Jack was asking God to bless the meal and our time, I was scoping out the center flows.   Yes, I had Christ living in me, but I was just a baby in Christ with a lot of the patterns I had learned in 27 years of life on Planet Earth.

 

That is how I met Jack, and Jack was not that far ahead of me in his walk with the Lord.  But Jack knew something I needed to know; it was the Key to a relationship.  He told me I was greatly loved by God, showed me that in the Bible, and introduced me to some great books like “Faith is the Victory” and many others.  Jack had a sign at the Ranch in Johnson City, Texas that said: “Smile, you Rascal, God knows all about you and loves you anyway.”

 

Daniel was faithful and blessed, but I am sure that what Gabriel told Daniel was, “and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved.”  Daniel needed that, and so did you, and so did I.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

A great Quote: 

 

“You can’t, but God can.  You’re weak, but God is strong.  You’re tired, but God does not sleep.  You’re confused, but God is all-knowing.  You’re limited, but God is limitless.  You can’t see how, but God is how.

Decisive Moments in My Life

  

Decisive Moments in My Life

 

Have you given thought to defining a time in your life that changed your future?  It maybe one does not give thought to such things at a younger age, but the other day it came to my mind that  I should put it on paper for my grandsons and others in the family, and friends.

 

·      I was 23 years of age and found a young lady who agreed to be my life partner.  We were married on August 27, 1965, but before that, I remember a Bible verse I learned in VBS: the borrower would be a slave to the lender.  Jan and I agree we would not go into debt for anything other than a car or a house.

Why was that a key decision? It required us to wait, and often what we desired and wanted was not a want when we had the money to pay for it.  For 43 years, we have had no debt.

 

·      At the age of 26 in Victoria, Texas, I put the Key into the door of the Christopher Inn.  I heard a voice that said tonight is the last night I will deal with you.  It was not an audible voice, but for six months I had been at a bible study with men who knew the God I only knew about.  I had been trying to make a deal with God, and I knew that was the voice of God speaking to me.

 

What did I do may a dash for the hotel bible and it opened to Romans 10::9-10 was where my eyes went; “If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”  That night, I acted on that, and Jesus came into my life. I was a new creation, with a new eternal destiny, no longer just a Baptist on a church roll, now my name was written in the Book of Life. 

·      Hurricane Celia hit Corpus Christi on August 3, 1970, and we were told by the local press that it covered the whole gulf and the max winds would be 75 to 80 miles per hour.  Our 3M office was on Shoreline Drive, and I was helping tape windows.  Jan and I and our daughter, a newborn just a little over 2 months old, live in Odem, Texas, about a 30-minute drive in a 12’ X 60’ trailer on 5 !/2 acres.  And I heard that voice again, it said, " Take your wife and child and leave.  And we did, and that was a very important moment.

 

·      · The next significant moment was coming back to our home, not only was it not there, but only a twisted frame and a company car that was totaled.  It was a very dark moment, and a Scripture came to my mind as we looked down the 300 ft road that led down to the house, it was 1 Thessalonians 5:18, I had been using it to thank God for flat tires, and miss sales, but today that voice said, now give me praise.  The verse, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”   That day, I looked at my wife and daughter, and it was clear that what I put real value on was in the car with me.  So, that moment was pivotal in so many areas of our lives, and I did as the Lord requested.

I was a marginal salesperson at that time. By the end of that year, I was in the top 2 percent of a sales force of 2000.  When I went to G.E. Supply, I had never been in that store, and I gave my list of things I needed from the electrician who was wiring our 1250 sq. ft house that Jan’s brother had designed for us.  The counterman said this is a big list, and a man in a suit tapped me on the shoulder and said Young man, did your home get damaged.  I told him what happened, and he said to give him our cost,  and it seemed that everywhere people were helping us with a lower cost. It became very clear that God was going before us.  We did get a few surprises, like only $1,300  for our trailer, and none of our contents were covered.  We got a HUD loan of 9,000 dollars at 3%, and by the time the house was built, it was paid for.  Still amazed at our Lord’s blessing.

·      The death of my dad was a devastating moment; my cousin and her husband came to our place one night, and I was keeping Natalie, and they told me my dad had been taken to the hospital from the plant, and they would watch Natalie till Jan came home from her bible study. The speed limit was 70, and as I dove in, I was only going about 50. My dad had not been in a hospital, and I began to ask the Lord, why am I going so slow, and once more He made it clear my dad was gone to be with Him.  At that moment, I knew my role was to be there for my Mother.

 

·      A major moment was at the end of 1982 when I was told that I would no longer have a job in the Business Products division, it was going out of business.  I had been there for 16 years, and once more it came as a shock that I would be looking for a job.  My boss assured me, and my friend David, we would be in high demand by the other 50 divisions of 3M I was not a believer, and yet the phone calls began, and after much thought and prayer, I went with the Electrical Products division.

It would take a few pages to share how God blessed Jan and me with that decision.  A guy who had trouble screwing in a lightbulb became the go-to guy for 5kV to 35kV splices and terminations in the industrial market in Houston and some of  Louisiana.   After 9 years, I was moved to a key account job over Utilities, and then after many big moments and successes, was told to be the lead over the Industrial markets on the Gulf Coast.  After 3 of the worst years at 3M, I was given a job with what my VP called the global market creators, only to be changed by upper management to Construction Trades.  It was a dream job, and I worked for my friend Kim Mulvey, and it was a blast.

·      When I read Proverbs 30:8-9, I ask the Lord to honor this verse in my life.  “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches;  feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal.    and profane the name of my God.”  It was not long after that my daughter called and said Dad it if you have some money to invest, Dell stock would be the place to do so.  I asked my boss, and he said no way, not in any of those computer companies.  I was going to in vest $75, 000 and I believe God had me ask my boss, for if I had done so, I would have been very well off.  One does not know if they would be wise or foolish with a large sum of money, and I choose to believe that God honored my prayer that day.

 

·      Another defining time was our retirement plans. We were going to serve others; that is always a good plan, but it helps to include God in those plans.  First, we were going to move to Asheville, N.C., and volunteer at the Bill Graham Cove for six months, and see if that was to be our new place to serve.  If not, then off to Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.  But God had other plans, and I made a business call on a friend from high school who was a V.P. at Valero, and I was trying to earn their business.  Buddy asked Jan and me to come to an open house where we would see people we had not seen in 40 years; we did, and while sitting on his back porch, looking at the twin sister, we made a major decision to move to that area.  We were 1 hour and 30 minutes from our daughter and those two grandsons, who came along, and we got to be a big part of their lives.  I learned it from a wise person that ask God what His plans for you are.

 

·      Jan and I have been blessed with good health. I had never been in a hospital till age 74, and that was for one night with high blood pressure.  At 79, I was told I tested positive for COVID-19 and went to Sequin, Texas, for a three-hour treatment.  Jan and I prayed about taking the vaccine and got a big no from the Lord.  The day after the treatment, which was supposed to help, my brother called and asked how I was doing. I had never felt that bad in my life, and so we were off to the hospital on December 28, 2022, not with COVID, but with Sodium way below 100.  That night, I needed help, and they had not seen anyone with sodium that low.  I believe Dr. Banks was making her rounds, and they asked her what to do. She told them how to treat me, and the next morning showed up in my room and introduced herself in this manner, Mr. Rice, I’m Dr. Banks, and this morning at 1:30 the Lord woke me to pray for you.  That is the kind of doctor you want.  Came home after 10 days, believing that was all in the rearview mirror, only to return after 14 days,​ not being able to breathe and stay till April 18, 2023.  

 

I learned that God is faithful, and over many long nights where this Scripture became my cry to the Lord, it was found in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  I often had long talks with the Lord, and my only request was to let me go home and help Jan, as she needed me.  I was also quick to say that I am ready if that is your will, but who will you send that will take care of Jan like me?  I can report that he sent me, and I’ve learned to do much that I did not know how to do, for the lady who had taken care of me for so many years.

My friend Larry York asked me to do two things when writing: first, to make clear my reason for this long letter, and second, to understand who my audience was.  

This was my reason for doing this paper: the Lord put in my heart to share the subject of Decisive Moments.  As I reflected on the subject, I began to understand that these were times that changed my life and the lives of my family.  I believe that, and I hope it will move those who read it to record in some way their significant moment.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Daniel's Prayer for His People

 

Daniel 9:1-19

 

April 2, 2024

 

Daniel's Prayer for His People

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.  I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.  We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.  To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.  To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.  To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.  All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.  He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven, there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.  As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.  Therefore, the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.  And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

“O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem, and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.  Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.  O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

 

Daniel, in the first year of Darius, gave thought to Jeremiah's prophecy of the seventy years. captivity.  Next, Daniel acknowledged that not only did Israel sin, but that God was Holy.  Listen and give thought to His prayer; “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,  we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 

 

 We, the people of the USA, have also sinned against God, done wrong, and acted wickedly; we have rebelled and not followed His teaching or His word.  And Lord, like your chosen Israel, have put self before our God, and the people who go by the title of Christian, are guilty of doing so.

 

A great prayer, maybe you would pray it for your Nation, town, your family, or neighbors.  “For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

The Interpretation of the Vision

 

Daniel 8:15-27

 

April 1, 2024

 

The Interpretation of the Vision

When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.  And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”  So, he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up.  He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.  As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.  And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.  As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.  His power shall be great—but not by his own power, and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints.  By his cunning, he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind, he shall become great. Without warning, he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.

 

I can only imagine David’s shock at hearing the voice from heaven saying, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”  You and I would have hit the ground faster than Daniel.  I believe God is often speaking to us, but we will not slow down and sit in a quiet place and listen for His voice.  Blaise Pascal, who lived a very short life of 37 years, left this counsel: “All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.”  It is not a new problem; he lived in the 1600s.  But Daniel knew that, and he waited on God to speak, and he did what God told him to do.

 

Gabriel explained that what Daniel had seen was something that was at the end of what is referred to as time.  The Ram with the two horns will be the Media and Persia, or as it is referred to, Irian.  The Goat that comes with one horn that is broken and four horns come out, and one grows bigger than the others, is Greece.  In verse 8, we see four kingdoms come from Greece, and they were the “four kingdoms”: Macedonia and Greece, Thrace and Asia Minor, Egypt and Palestine, and Syria and Persia.  This has taken place, and it was after the “first king” of Greece, Alexander the Great. The phrase “the vision of evenings and mornings” describes the period when this vision would be fulfilled – four centuries later, in 167-164 B.C., and in a future Antichrist.  Daniel must seal the vision because of its impact on prophecy.  Daniel sealed up the vision by recording it.  The prophecy of Daniel carries the principle of dual fulfillment.  Both Antiochus and the future Antichrist are in view.  Antiochus only foreshadows the Antichrist. 

 

This we know from the book of Revelation, we see the Man of Lawlessness.  The future Antichrist will form alliances with other nations and achieve world influence, and will attack the Jews.  The coming Antichrist will do much greater violence than Antiochus did.  The future Antichrist will gain power through a peace program.  Direct judgment from God terminates his 

rule. The verses are in green at the end or by Grant Richison.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

                Bob Rice

Daniel's Vision of the Ram and the Goat

 

Daniel 8:1-14

 

March 31, 2024

 

Daniel's Vision of the Ram and the Goat

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.  And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal.  I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.  I saw the ram charging westward and northward, and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.  He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath.  I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.  It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them.  It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown.  And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper.  Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?”  And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

 

I asked the lady on my phone to tell me how many years 2,300 days, and it is 6.3 years.  Once more, this is referring to a time yet to come.  The Ram in the vision was a warrior with little or no compassion.  Next, Daniel sees a male goat with one horn between its eyes, which comes from the west without touching the ground, and he not only dislikes the Ram, but it also destroys the Ram.

 

Daniel also saw the Goat becoming great and strong; it attacked all that was Holy, and the sanctuary was overthrown.  But the goat with the big horn was broken off, and four horns came out, and one was greater than the others.  I am beginning to feel as if I write like the talking heads on TV.  They just repeat what is already known.  But this is of great value for me to have insight into Daniel's vision.  One must keep in mind that in the future, it will happen, and yet today it has not.

 

But the one that grew great among the four will be empowered by the old serpent, the devil, and he will be against all that is good, all that is holy, and will do his best to kill the saints of the living God.  You must reread these verses; And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown.  And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper.

Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?”  And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”  Jesus shows up!

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice