A Brief Exposition of New Church Doctrine #83
83. BRIEF ANALYSIS
It is written in Daniel:
I saw in a vision... a ram which had two horns that were high . . . but the higher came up last and the horn pushed westward and northward and southward . . . and made itself great. . . . Then I saw a he-goat coming from the west over the face of the whole earth... with a horn between his eyes. And he ran to the ram . . . in the fury of his strength... and broke his two horns... and cast him down to the earth and stamped upon him.... But the great horn of the he-goat was broken, and instead of it there came up four horns. . . . And out of one of them came forth a little horn which waxed exceeding great towards the south, towards the east, and towards glory . . . and even to the host of the heavens; and it cast down those of the host and of the stars to the earth, and stamped upon them. Yea, he raised himself as high as the Prince of the host, and took from him the daily sacrifice, and cast away the dwelling place of his sanctuary . . . and he cast down truth to the earth. Then I heard one of the saints saying . . . How long shall this vision be, the daily sacrifice and the desolating transgression, to give the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said, Even to the evening and the morning; then shall the sanctuary be justified.Daniel 8:2-14.
It is clearly evident that this vision predicts the future states of the Church, for it is said that the daily sacrifice was taken away from the Prince of the host, the dwelling place of his sanctuary was cast down, and that the he-goat cast down truth to the earth further, that a saint said, How long shall this vision be, that it should be given to the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And that this should be even to the evening and the morning, when the sanctuary shall be justified. For, by the evening and the morning is meant the end of the Old Church, when a New Church commences.
Daniel 8:2-14
2
I saw in the vision; now it was so, that when I saw, I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai.
3
Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
4
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
5
As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and didn't touch the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
6
He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran on him in the fury of his power.
7
I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled on him; and there was none who could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8
The male goat magnified himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable [horns] toward the four winds of the sky.
9
Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious [land].
10
It grew great, even to the army of the sky; and some of the army and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled on them.
11
Yes, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the army; and it took away from him the continual [burnt offering], and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12
The army was given over [to it] together with the continual [burnt offering] through disobedience; and it cast down truth to the ground, and it did [its pleasure] and prospered.
13
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, How long shall be the vision [concerning] the continual [burnt offering], and the disobedience that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the army to be trodden under foot?
14
He said to me, To two thousand and three hundred evenings [and] mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
