Ram and Goat (1)

Interpreting prophetic scriptures is a tricky task, so when you make a mistake, you should admit it. Especially if you have put it in writing. I will explain my mistake I made in my interpretation of the book of Daniel further down in this post.

Back in 1982, I wrote an areticle for the local newspaper about Daniel and Iran that explained that the events described in one of his visions are beginning to be fulfilled during the season that is currently getting underway. This was a few years after the Islamic Revolution had occurred in Iran.

I recounted how Daniel 8 describes a vision of a two-horned ram and a shaggy goat. The typesetter for the newspaper must have had a sense of humour, because he placed a nature article about a goat-like creature called a “Thar” next to my article. This picture was placed between the two articles. This picture illustrated my article well.

Islam Advances
In my article, I explained that starting in the 1980s, a revival of the Islamic religion began to spread all over the world. People who in the past were ashamed of their religion began taking new pride in Islam and the Koran. Sometimes referred to as Islamic fundamentalism, there has been a return to the foundations of Islam, and a new seriousness in following the Koran. The modern Islamic revival has the entire of the Moslem world. It is very powerful at a grassroots level, and even secular rulers came under its influence.

The resurgence of Islam really got underway in Iran when a secular ruler, the Shah of Iran, was overthrown by militant, fundamentalist Muslims loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini. The Islamic revolution radically changed the entire nation. Iran is now an Islamic Republic and a key player in the Middle East. The ram is a restoration of the empire of the Prince of Persia, centred on the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Islamic Revolution in Iran is described in Daniel 8. This chapter describes a vision that Daniel received while the people of Judah were in exile in Babylon. After the vision, the angel Gabriel appeared to explain its meaning to him. When Gabriel drew near, Daniel fell to the ground in fear, but the angel stood him on his feet and encouraged him. Gabriel first explained the timing of the vision's fulfilment.

Understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.
I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. Dan 8:17,19.

He makes it clear that the vision is not to be fulfilled in Daniel's time. It concerns the time of the end, and will be fulfilled in the later "time of wrath". In the RSV this phrase is translated as the "latter end of the indignation".