What is the meaning of Daniel 8:19? Behold, I will make known to you • Gabriel is sent to give Daniel understanding (Daniel 8:16), showing that God Himself initiates prophetic revelation. • This echoes Deuteronomy 29:29 and Amos 3:7—God shares what His people need to know. • Jesus promises the Spirit will “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13), reinforcing that believers can trust God to clarify His plans. what will happen • The phrase points to certain, not speculative, events—history already written by the Author of time (Isaiah 46:10; Acts 15:18). • Daniel’s vision traces Medo-Persia, Greece, and a fierce king—Antiochus IV Epiphanes—who previews the final Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:3-7). • Revelation 1:1 reminds us prophecy is given “to show His servants what must soon come to pass.” in the latter time of wrath • Near view: the Maccabean era of temple desecration (Daniel 8:11-13) was a season of divine indignation for covenant breaches. • Far view: a yet-future tribulation when God’s wrath peaks (Daniel 12:1; Revelation 6:16-17). • Believers rest in the promise “Jesus rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). because it concerns • Gabriel underscores relevance; prophecy strengthens faith and shapes conduct (2 Peter 1:19). • Daniel is told to “seal up the vision, for it pertains to many days to come” (Daniel 8:26), showing long-range significance. • Revelation 22:10 mirrors this urgency: “Do not seal up the words… for the time is near.” the appointed time of the end • “Appointed” signals a fixed point on God’s calendar (Habakkuk 2:3). • Daniel repeats the phrase (11:27, 35; 12:9) to stress God’s sovereign timetable. • History culminates when the Antichrist is destroyed “without human hand” (Daniel 8:25) and Christ’s kingdom fills the earth (Revelation 11:15; 1 Corinthians 15:24). summary • Daniel 8:19 assures us that God reveals the future, defines its certainty, pinpoints a coming season of judgment, highlights its relevance, and ties it to His unalterable schedule. • Antiochus IV’s tyranny foreshadows the ultimate Antichrist, proving God both limits evil and guarantees Christ’s victorious reign. |