The ram and the he-goat

Daniel 8:1-10

In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.

As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.

At this point, the text reverts from Aramaic to Hebrew. The second vision focuses on the second and third empires. The two-honed ram which symbolizes Medo-Persia will be superseded by the swift-footed goat - Alexander's Greek Empire. Alexander himself is the 'great horn'. The 'four horns' are the kingdoms into which his empire was divided.

Why?

The kingdoms of the world were strong and great almost no one can overcome them, but there is another one to grow up and overcome the previous one. This is the generation changing. There is no one kingdom that could stay forever. Only the kingdom of the Lord stands forever.

It did as it pleased and became great. This is the most stronger man like to do in this world. The Lord is my stronghold and my shield only.

How?

Don't put our hope on this world, but focus on Jesus Christ. Everything will pass away in this world.