Homily for Solemn Evensong, Thursday 29 October, 2026
Daniel 8:1-14
When we come across strange and fantastical portions of Scripture like the one we heard in tonight’s first lesson, it is helpful to go back to the three rules of interpretation: context, context, and context. If we zoom out to look at the book of Daniel as a whole, and where it fits in the wider canon of Holy Scripture, we can then zoom back in, and stop just a bit before and look at the verses around it, and then have a much better understanding of what is going on. This is especially helpful in a reading like tonight’s, about a ram being attacked by a goat, and magical horns “which waxed exceeding great”.
The book of Daniel is about maintaining a steadfast faith in the face of opposition. He was a faithful God-fearing man, kidnapped and transported into the middle of an evil and pagan kingdom. Over the course of his life he saw his friends thrown into fire, and was himself thrown into a pit of hungry lions, all because he would not compromise on the truth.
He was delivered from all these attacks by the Lord not, I think, as a reward for maintaining his steadfast faith. If we took that lesson from his example, we might find ourselves confused when we are persecuted for our faith, even though Christ teaches that it is in our persecution for our faith that we are blessed.
Rather, I think Daniel was allowed to walk out of that lion’s den because God wanted to use him for other things.
So if we are to take Daniel’s example and, by reflecting on him, prepare ourselves to be better ambassadors for Christ, let us be realistic about the fact that martyrs exist, and are glorified in their martyrdom. But more importantly, let us be always ready to be used by the Lord.
Daniel interpreted many dreams and visions for the various kings he served, humbling one, pronouncing judgement on another, and so on. He had dreams and visions of his own, and his most famous happened a chapter earlier, where he saw “one like a Son of Man” ascending on the clouds of glory to the throne of heaven and receiving all power, glory and dominion from the one sitting on the throne – an obvious prophecy of the coronation of Christ as King of the universe immediately following his ascension, and a prophecy our Lord happily ascribed to himself often.
And so that is our wider context for the book of Daniel: someone who handed his life over to the Lord God, to be used by God as he saw fit, a life which was used by God to speak of and glorify Christ Jesus. That is our example and our encouragement for our own lives.
But what of this specific dream? How do we interpret such an esoteric vision? Happily, Daniel himself provides the interpretation in the verses that immediately follow:
15 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.
16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
Daniel’s vision is actually rather straightforward, as far as visions from God in the Bible go. The two horns of the ram are the kingdoms of Media and Persia. Then the goat appears, and he is “the king of Greece”. Following the death of the king of Greece, the kingdom is broken up into four, but they don’t have nearly the same power as the united Greek kingdom. Then, “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.” This successor to the kingdoms of Greece will overwhelm them with his power, and will even “stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.”
If your ancient history is a bit off, then let’s have a quick filler to catch you up: the Medes united with the Babylonians to overthrow the Assyrians; and then the Persians came along and swallowed them up. The Persian Empire was then overthrown by Alexander the Great, who came from the Greek region (although Macedonian Nationalists claim him as their own). Either way, he brought the language we call koine Greek, or common Greek, to that part of the world – the same language that the New Testament is written in. When Alexander the Great died, his empire split into regions controlled by his various generals at the time of his death: the horn of the goat is broken into fou r(we remember some weeks ago reading about the Maccabees and their revolt against the Seleucids, one of those remnant Greek kingdoms). These weaker Greek kingdoms are swept away by the mighty Roman Empire, and Augustus Caesar, indisputably the greatest Caesar who ever lived, came along,
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.
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:
Not only did Augustus Caesar bring about “Pax Romana”, or the peace of the Empire, a period of unparalleled civic peace and prosperity, but he also sent a certain Jewish man to the execution stake through his agent Pontius Pilate:
…he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes.
Let’s now return to the main context of the book of Daniel: someone who handed his life over to the Lord God, to be used by God as he saw fit, a life which was used by God to speak of and glorify Christ Jesus. In this specific instance, it is a whirlwind vision of the coming events of world politics, with the cross of Jesus Christ at the centre.
Let us therefore look to Daniel as a pattern for us to follow. To lay down our lives in humble service to the God of heaven, that our lives may be used by him to point to Jesus. Let us be inspired by his courage before men, and fear before God. May we lead the next generation of the Church to speak boldly before men, and in humble gratitude before God, that he may use us for his glory. For as we see in Daniel’s vision, all of human history centres in on that one event, of the God-man, Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross for our sins, but also as the destruction of every wicked empire and vainglorious man and woman who would snatch political power for their own personal gain. The cross reigns supreme over all history: let us become messengers of this truth.