The Goat and the Ram
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 article 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 goat-like creature called a “Thar” next to my article. This picture was placed between the two articles. This picture illustrated my article well.
https://www.kingwatch.co.nz/Times_Seasons/All_Whats_Going_On/islam_advances.htm
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".
Fulfilment
A few years later, I explained that we have seen the fulfilment of the first part of the vision in our time. It is described in Daniel 8:3,4.
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 he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased, and became great.
This is what Daniel saw, and the interpretation is given in verse 20. The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. The people of Media and Persia now make up the nation of Iran. Most Iranians are Persian. Daniel saw a future ruler of Iran who would rise to power.
The Daniel’s ram is a restoration of the empire of the Prince of Persia, centred on the Islamic Republic in Iran.
Daniel saw the ram charging to the west, the north and the south.
I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great (Dan 8:4).
Daniel was told that the Ram represents the Kings of Media and Persia (Dan 8:20). Iran was previously called Persia.
I explained that the first two of the charges of this Ram had already taken place.
To the west of Iran is the nation of Iraq. In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, and military strategists said that Iran would soon have to surrender. To their surprise, the Iranian troops forced the invading army back across their border. Iran then attempted to invade Iraq and topple its Baathist socialist government of Saddam Hussein.
The nations to the north of Iran are Syria and Lebanon. There are already strong links between Iran and Syria. The war in Syria has strengthened this relationship. Iran has been fighting against the rebel forces that have been supported by the western powers. This is the fulfilment of the Ram's move to the north. Iran also supports Hezbollah, which led the resistance against Israel's invasion of Lebanon.
More interesting still, Daniel says that no nation would be able to "rescue from his power". When the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran, over one hundred American hostages were held in their embassy. The United States, which is the greatest military power in the world, devised a plan called "Eagle's Claw" to rescue them.
Despite elaborate planning and the best equipment that modern technology could provide, the rescue attempt ended in disaster. Helicopters encountered unprecedented headwinds and unexpected dust storms. A helicopter crashed into a plane during refuelling in the Iranian desert, and eight servicemen were killed. The United States was not strong enough to rescue its people from Iran and had to beg for their return.
The nation to the south of Iran is Saudi Arabia. It has a significant Shia population in the areas close to Iran, so it is vulnerable to Iranian influence. However, the charge to the south is still in the future.
Shaggy Goat
The second part of Daniel’s vision explains that when the Prince of Persia is at the zenith of its power, an even more powerful kingdom, the Shaggy Goat, will arise. It will come from the West in a sudden attack.
The Goat is called the King of Greece (Dan 8:21), also known as the King of the North. The King of Greece is not the nation of Greece, but is the civilisation that came out of Greece and the spirit that controls it. Many modern historians and philosophers consider that Western Civilisation emerged out of ancient Greece. The King of Greece symbolises Western Civilisation centred on the United States.
Originally, Western Civilisation was centred on Europe, but since the beginning of the twentieth century, Europe has been eclipsed by the United States. It now dominates Europe in terms of military power and cultural influence. Since the Second World War, Europe has been dependent on the United States. Many European businesses are controlled by United States companies. European defence has been the responsibility of NATO and is guaranteed by the United States. The United States has developed an enormous arsenal of weapons (including nuclear weapons), and it now uses them to exert its influence in the world. Since the end of the Cold War, it has become the dominant force in the world. America, by default, has become the world's policeman.
During the twentieth century, the United States emerged from Europe's shadow to dominate Western Civilisation, both in terms of military power and cultural influence. The prominent horn on the goat in Daniel 8 represents the United States controlling the Western world. A powerful spirit called the King of Greece is currently working through it.
The United States currently dominates Western Civilisation, in terms of military power and cultural influence, so the goat is the United States. This explains the irony of the King of the North "coming from the West". The vision of the Goat is a prophecy of the United States and Europe, acting as the King of the North, attacking and defeating a Middle Eastern nation.
The Goat has a single large horn. Daniel says that it was "conspicuous and impressive". This symbolises the self-confidence and overconfidence of the United States. The horn also represents massive military power. The military power of the United States exceeds anything that has ever been known, and no nation in the world can match it. The large horn represents power focused on one person. It represents the hegemony of the United States’ president.
Daniel saw the goat, representing the United States, flying into a "great rage" against the King of the South.
He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage Dan 8:6).
The goat attacked the two-horned ram and destroyed it.
My Mistake
Back in the 2000s, I wrote that this vision was fulfilled by the US invasion of Iraq and the destruction of Saddam Hussein, but I now believe that I was wrong. This interpretation was a serious mistake.
I now believe the true fulfilment has begun at this time through Donald Trump’s bombing of Iran in June 2025. Several aspects of Daniel’s vision are relevant to what has happened.
The Goat has a single large horn was "conspicuous and impressive". This symbolises the self-confidence and brashness of Donald Trump.
The goat comes “from the west”.
A goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground (Dan 8:5).
The United States is west of Iran. It is “The West”.“Not touching the ground” symbolises an airborne attack. The B-2 bombers that dropped the bunker bombs on the nuclear sites in Iran had flown all the way from Missouri without landing anywhere, and they returned by the same way as they had come. They flew non-stop for thirty-seven hours and had to be refuelled in the air several times. This was truly “not touching the ground”. It is an amazing achievement.
The Iranian defence forces were unable to prevent this attack. None of the US planes were shot down.
There was no power in the ram to stand against him (Dan 8:7).Various allies and supporters of Iran, like Iraq, Russia and China, chose to do nothing to prevent the attack.
None could rescue the ram from his power (Dan 8:7).
I am not sure about the two horns on the ram that were broken. I suspect that the first horn was General Qasem Soleimani, who was the commander of the Quds Force, an IRGC division. He was assassinated by the US with a targeted drone attack in 2020. I am not sure who is the second horn that was destroyed by the Goat.
The Goat knocked the Ram to the ground and trampled on it.
The goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it (Dan 8:7).
Over the past decade, the United States has imposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran. These have severely weakened the Iranian economy. If these are not removed, the Iranian economy will continue to struggle.
Having bombed Iran once with impunity, the US can do it again. This dramatically altars the power dynamic between the two nations.
Having bombed Iran once with impunity, the US can do it again. This dramatically altars the power dynamic between the two nations, but it depends on whether Iran submits to the US demands. If they don’t, the US might bomb Iran again.
The bombing of Iran on 22 June 2024 might just be the beginning of the Goat’s attack on the Ram. Donald Trump might choose to bomb Iran to distract from his political problems at home.
Iran Survives
The Goat did not destroy the Ram, just its two horns. Two rulers will be destroyed, but the nation of Iran will continue on, perhaps with less power. The nation of Persia is mentioned in several prophecies that have not been fulfilled, so Iran will be around for much longer.
Note: the fact that an event is prophesied does not mean that it is justified. The United States was not justified in invading Iraq and it would not be justified in invading Iran.
United States Declines
Daniel’s vision is not really a message about Iran. The emergence of Iran (Ram) was just a signal that the season described by the vision was beginning.
A second message of the vision is that the power of the United States (Goat) power will not last.
When the goat became very great, at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up towards the four winds of heaven (Dan 8:8).
Daniel also warned that the power of the United States will fade for a time soon after defeating the Prince of Persia. His action against Iran will mark the beginning of Donald Trump’s decline. His power will fade.
I am not sure about the meaning of the four horns that rose in its place. The four horns could represent civil war in the United States. Some commentators believe this is possible, but I am not sure. American men are too obese and lazy to fight seriously. I believe that it more likely represents a shift from a uni-polar world to a multi-polar one.
Recent events have shaken the confidence of the American leadership. The financial burden of fighting two wars at a time will become too great, and an economy weakened by the Global Financial Crisis will limit the scope for action.
The US has also struggled to win wars. Military adventures in Syria, Libya and Yemen failed, preventing the US objectives from being achieved. A twenty-year effort to conquer Afghanistan also failed. The US retreat from Afghanistan was an embarrassing shambles. US efforts to defeat Russia via a proxy war in Ukraine appear to be failing. An attempt to bomb the Houthis in Yemen failed, and the US had to withdraw its aircraft carrier groups to a safer place.
Daniel was seeing the end of the so-called uni-polar world that emerged at the end of the Cold War, which had developed at the end of World War 2. During that season, the world was dominated by a struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States emerged as the dominant world power. No other nation could come close to matching its economic wealth and military power. This world is described as uni-polar. It is represented by the large horn on Daniel’s goat.
However, at the beginning of the 21st century, the strength of the Russian economy and military was restored. At the same time, China emerged as a major economic power, with an economy that will soon match the United States in size. Its military capability is growing rapidly. The United States can no longer dominate in the way that it once did. A multi-polar world is emerging. Daniel saw this happening after the large horn was broken off.
In its place, four conspicuous horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven (Dan 8:8b).
Daniel saw four powers (horns) arising towards the four winds of heaven. This is another way of saying the four corners of the earth. These four are probably Russia, China, Germany and France (or perhaps India). Daniel was describing the emergence of a multi-polar world. This temporary weakness of the United States allows these nations to flex their muscles. The ability of the United States to dominate the world is gone forever.
Terrible Beast
The main purpose of Daniel’s vision is not to warn about Iran, but to explain the emergence of a Terrible Beast. It is a powerful nation that dominates much of the world.
The decline of American power will bring a change in power in the nation.
Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. (Dan 8:9).
A new dominant power will seize control of the United States of America. The horn starts off small but grows extremely large. The new political ruler will seem insignificant at first, but will grow into enormous power. As the big four grow in strength, and the situation gets desperate, a ruthless and powerful leader will emerge.
A new leader will take control and unite the nation by force, trampling on those who oppose him and stamping out all opposition. The nation that loves freedom will get a dictator, but they will welcome the order that he brings.
This new, ruthless president will lead this change. He will expand his control in South America by trampling on weaker nations that oppose him. The United States will stand alone, but grow to achieve enormous power. This will culminate in an invasion of Israel.
The United States will be transformed into the Terrible Beast that Daniel described in his previous chapter, by relying on military power and control. It will become the most powerful nation again, but at a terrible cost in terms of freedom. The United States will become a Terrible Beast, continuing the tradition of the Roman and Babylonian Empires.
Followers of Jesus who understand the times should join together in small communities where they can support each other and protect each other during the hard times. By standing together, they will remain firm, while others are being shaken. They should be prepared for distress and equipped for victory.
The Terrible Beast will exercise enormous political, military and spiritual power.
It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord (Dan 8:10-11).
The actions of the Beast will release spiritual powers to work evil on earth.