5.1- Discussion of Daniel 8, verses 1- 4  

>>> Verse 1: 553BC. The time of the “golden head” (see Dan. 2 verse 38) is almost over. This vision is therefore approximately 50 years after Daniel 2.

>>> Verse 2: Susa was the capital of Elam and part of Persia. (Semitic, see Gen. 10 verses 22, 23: “Shem, the older brother of Japheth, was the ancestor of all the Hebrews. Shem's sons—Elam, Asshur,….). Therefore, Daniel was probably in Susa as an ambassador. Susa was independent but connected to Babylon against Assyria. Later on, Cyrus the Persian, (son of Ester), conquers the weakened Babylon. This is not far away and therefore it talks here in this vision only about the “silver” and “bronze” kingdoms, and the “golden head” is no more mentioned.

>>> Verses 3: The ram (bear in Dan. 7 verse 5), had two horns: One of the horns was Darius the Mede, see Daniel and 9verse1:” Darius the Mede, who was the son of Xerxes, ruled over the kingdom of Babylonia”.  He was the husband of Ester. The other horn was Cyrus from Persia (see Dan. 6verse 28: “Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian”, And Ezra 1 verse 1 to 3, where we see Cyrus giving the command for rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. : “In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor,  the Lord made what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah come true. He prompted Cyrus to issue the following command: ………………….May God be with all of you who are his people. You are to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is worshiped in Jerusalem”. And also Isaiah 44: 28: “I (= The Lord), say to Cyrus, ‘You are the one who will rule for me; you will do what I want you to do: you will order that Jerusalem be rebuilt and that the foundations of the Temple be laid.”). … Cyrus, the son of Darius, was the longer and newer horn.  

>>> Verse 4: The ram was butting with his horns to the west, the north, and the south. To the west: Babylon. To the North: Lydia, and against the south: Egypt.