So here i will disagree Not all was understood, even by Daniel.
God bless
I can understand you point of disagreement. At the time Daniel wrote the prophecy he didn't have the history we have today. What I am posting is to my satisfaction what Daniel prophecied about. I would appreciate your comments.
Fellowservant:
The scriptures in Daniel chapter 8 that you posted (8:23-8:24 & 8:25) caused me to have to study the history of the Grecian Empire and the Jewish encpclopedias.
Da 8:23
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.
In vs.21 we can understand that the kingdom spoken of is the Grecian Empire. Alexander
Is already dead (a transgressor) and Antiochus IV Epiphanes (a transgressor) is the king of this part of the Grecian Empire. He fought campaigns in Egypt and almost conquered them until Roman Government forced him to cease aggression against Egypt. Then he turned his aggression to the east against what is now Iraq and Iran after he had stolen the treasures of the temple in Israel and destroyed many people (A king of fierce Countenance).
Antiochus was a man of subterfuge. He tried to change the society of the people of Israel
to a Hellenistic type society. History tell of the deceit and cunning in trying to bring this about.
He even use a writer to compose a document that deceived God people and changed some to the
writing of the scripture. I think that this is what Daniel was speaking of in the portion about
understanding dark sentences. The evil way of accomplishing your purpose.
Da 8:24
And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy
wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
By his cunning he deceived even the high priest and many of the priestly tribe. He gave concessions to the Samaritans and they named their temple after some Greek character. He gained much of his might by flattery and other means. He destroyed much of Jerusalem, many buildings and tore down walls, etc. He prospered by taxes and stealing anything of value to support his warfare against neighbors. He always practised subterfuge and cunning in everything. He destroyed thousands of Gods chosen people during his reign of 11 years.
There are several articles on Artiocus IV Epiphanes on the web and Josephus works has recorded the events.
Da 8:25
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.
By his evil and devious way, the craft he practised, he was able to cause things to prosperfor himself.
In one account I have read in history Antiochus proclaimed himself as senior God.
He magnified himself to be supreme. He was peaceful until he gained the power by the people who believed him. After he defiled the temple the Jews revolted and under the Maccabees they
defeated the military force left by Antiocus every time they were sent against them.
Finally Antiochus decided to return to Israel and destroy them. I believe this is where he stands up against the Prince of Princes. A terrible illness struck him and he died in Persia (Iran).
He was broken by God, no man’s hand had anything to do with destroying him.
I will try posting a page from history on the web showing the method used to alter the Holy Scripture. I hope I am able to do this.
My personal study. I hope this help you in your studies of this portion of the scriptures.
May our Lord Jesus continue to bless you. Sonnyd
Antiochus and the Jews
According to the account of 1 Maccabees, the High Priests at Jerusalem appointed by Antiochus were involved in systematically changing the traditions of the Jews that were based on the laws of Moses, to make them conform to Greek beliefs. A gymnasium was constructed in Jerusalem, and instead of learning their ancient law, the priests engaged in wrestling contests in the Greek fashion, which meant they were naked. Those who were circumcised endeavoured to conceal it. A general history of the reign of Antiochus IV is given by Morkholm.
Antiochus' program of Hellenization also involved altering the scriptures. Greek cosmology was introduced into the Hebrew scriptures. The nature of the changes which were made at this time were described in Daniel's prophecy, in chapter 8. This prophecy, written by Daniel in ancient Babylon, depicted the rise of the empire of Alexander the Great, the division of his kingdom into four parts after his death, and the emergence of a remarkable "little horn" which grew up to assault the stars of heaven.
Critical scholars have assumed it would be impossible for Daniel to have so accurately foretold future events, so they have invented an unknown Jewish writer, contemporary with Antiochus IV, who represented himself as a prophet who lived centuries before, and who wrote history rather than prophecy. But if this were true, the author of the work must have been a very clever person indeed. He not only managed to convince his contemporaries the book was centuries old, but his message, intended for interpretation in a future generation, reveals the fraudulent introduction of the Greek cosmology in the Hebrew scriptures by Antiochus Epiphanes!
Antiochus managed to change the cosmology believed in by subsequent generations. He caused the truth about the earth's constitution to be "cast to the ground," indeed. The crust of the earth, made on the second day of creation week, was identified with heaven, by the addition of the phrase "and God called the firmament Heaven," in Genesis 1:8. Before this time, the term "raqia" or firmament referred to the earth's rocky crust. This was expressed in the prophecy of Daniel 8 by the figure of a little horn, depicting Antiochus IV, exulting himself to the stars, and casting them to the earth, along with heaven itself. The raqia (firmament) became identified with heaven in the scripture, by certain alterations to key passages which involved locating the stars in the raqia or firmament, and identifying the raqia (or firmament) with heaven. Thus heaven was identified with the earth's crust! So heaven, and the stars, could be said to have been "cast to the earth". A fraud was successfully perpetrated, one that was to endure for more than two thousand years before its exposure.
Daniel's prophecy also indicates the "tamiyd" would be taken away. This word is rendered "daily sacrifice" in the KJV. The word "sacrifice" is shown italicized so was not in the original scriptures in verses 11-13, and probably does not belong. It was added by the KJV translators in an attempt to clarify the passage. The reference is to something "continual" or "perpetual," and it may depict the daily rotation of the earth about its axis. The earth's rotation is "continual" and "perpetual," as well as "constant" and "daily," all words which have been suggested as the meaning of "tamiyd." The knowledge of the earth's rotation was extinguished in the realm of Antiochus. Amongst the Jewish people it was suppressed, perhaps by alterations to the scriptures, such as the addition of the phrase "the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved" in Psalm 93:1 and again in Psalm 96:10. These phrases were cited against Galileo centuries later as evidence that his teachings about the earth's rotation about its axis and its orbit around the sun were unscriptural.
Another effect of the corruptions to the scripture introduced under Antiochus was that the Genesis account seemed to say the creation of the stars was subsequent to the formation of the earth. Yet there are many indications in scripture that the heavens were made before the earth, as the heavens are mentioned first in passages which paraphrase the events of Creation Week. Examples are Exodus 20:11, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 136:5-6, Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 45:18. In scripture, when heaven and earth are mentioned together, heaven is generally mentioned first, and it was also created first. Jesus also followed this rule when he referred to heaven as God's throne, the earth as his footstool, as we read in Matthew 5:33-37.
The true order of events in creation week seems to be, first the heavens were created, with all the stars, and galaxies; on the second day the earth's crust was formed in the midst of the waters, the land rose above the waters on the third day, and the sun, moon and planets of the solar system were made on the fourth day.
God gives this knowledge out a little at a time. So it will all be known in his time, not ours. Why? because the words are sealed till the time of the end. But like i said carry on, we can all learn over time. Im not refering to the easy to be understood things like the anti-christ, but the more harder sayings of prophecy. (ie dark sentences) Did you know that the anti-christ will understand dark sentences too? He must in order to deceive, pride will be his downfall.
