Q: What are the “Four Notable Ones” that come after the kingdom of the He-Goat (Ancient Greece)?
Years ago it was admitted by some chief Seventh-day Adventist Bible scholars that they didn’t truly understand what are the “Notable Ones” of Daniel 8. Evidently there is some discrepancy with the gender or something in the ancient Hebrew words that doesn’t allow the Notables to be either Horns, Winds or Beasts. I don’t fault them for not knowing this information. In fact I respect them for humbly stating that they didn’t know. And of course they didn’t know.
Remember what the angel said to Daniel?
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. … Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12:4, 10)
In God’s wisdom and timing, He kept this scripture sealed from us, though the answer was always there in plain sight. Here is one of the most profound reasons that we should know we are in the end-times. God has unsealed the plain facts of Daniel so that we can understand the Good News of the Kingdom. Had the men of that day been allowed, they would have seen how Scripture simply solves the dilemma of The Four Notables.
Key Verse:
Daniel 8:8 “Therefore the Male Goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it Four Notable Ones came up toward the Four Winds of Heaven.”
Who are the 4 main characters in this verse?
Male Goat:
Greece “The Male goat represents the kingdom of Greece. …” (Daniel 8:21)
Horn on the Goat: Alexander the Great “…The large horn that is between its eyes is the first [chief, primary] king.” (Daniel 8:2)
Four Winds of Heaven: “These are the Four Sprits [winds, ruach] of the Heavens who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth.” (Zechariah 6:5) These “Four Winds of Heaven” play a key role in bringing to life the kingdoms that are found in Daniel 7. (Daniel 7:2; Revelation 7:1-4) We can see them bring Israel back to life in Ezekiel 37:9-10.
Four Notable Ones
Q: What is the Bible answer to the Four Notable Ones?
A: The Four Notables are the next four in a series of successive Kingdoms.
Daniel 8 solves the dilemma of the gender conflict of verse 8 by explaining that these “Four Notables” are kingdoms!
“As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.” (Daniel 8:22)
This word “power” is clarified in the Hebrew:
Strong’s H3580: ko-akh; force, ability, strength, substance, wealth
So these four new kingdoms will not retain any of Alexander’s strength, substance or wealth.
Historic Background:
Daniel 2 set the stage for a series of kingdoms to carry us down through earth’s history, beginning with the kingdom of Babylon and ending with the Second Coming of Jesus and the Kingdom of the Saints.
Daniel 7 takes up the same theme with Four Kingdoms within the sequence that play key roles in the Plan of Salvation: Lion, Bear, Leopard, 10-Horn Beast. In partnership with the 10-Horned Beast, there arises a blasphemous Little Horn——a small kingdom——who becomes the worst persecutor of God and His people throughout all time. This Little Horn is a key player in bringing about the closing Time of Trouble.
Eventually, with the Second Coming of Christ, the sequence of kingdoms draws to a close as, “the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15) This is the Good News of the Kingdom that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:14. And this is the last message to be preached worldwide. Understanding these Four Notables gives us an important piece of the prophetic jigsaw puzzle that leads to the good news of the coming Kingdom of Christ.
Daniel 8 Gives us the Time Placement
Here in Daniel 8 we are again reviewing the sequence of kingdoms——this time focusing attention on the Ram and the He-Goat, which we are told directly by the angel, represent the kingdoms of ancient Media-Persia and Greece as they follow on the tail of Babylon. (Daniel 8:20-21) These three make up the Head of Gold, the Arms of Silver and the Belly of Bronze on King Nebuchadnezzar’s image. (Daniel 2:37-39)
Scripture tells us that Media-Persia came directly after Babylon.
“That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.” (Daniel 5:30-31)
Daniel 8:7 tells us that the kingdom of Greece directly follows the kingdom of Media-Persia.
“And I saw [the He-Goat] confronting the Ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the Ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the Ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the Ram from his hand.” (Daniel 8:7)
In Daniel 8:8 we are being shown that the Four Notable Kingdoms directly follow in sequence after Greece. And somewhere among the Four Notables, the Little Horn arises. Here is where our key verse fits in.
“Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.” (Daniel 8:8-9)
What do the Four Winds of Heaven do?
They bring in kingdoms, according to Daniel 7:2-3:
“Daniel spoke, saying, ‘I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the Four Winds of Heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.’” (Daniel 7:2-3)
The Four Winds of Heaven will play their role in establishing those next Four Kingdoms of Daniel 8, just as they do with the Four Beasts of Daniel 7. Out of one of the Four Beasts of Daniel 7 comes a Little Horn kingdom. A Little Horn kingdom also arises after the Goat of Daniel 8.
Q: Which of the Four Kingdoms produces the Little Horn?
A: For this answer, we look to Daniel 7 where we also see the same Little Horn.
“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. [The 10-Horned Beast] I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. [The Little Horn]” (Daniel 7:7-8)
⇒ The Little Horn comes out of the 10-Horned Beast in Daniel 7.
⇒ The Little Horn comes out of one of the Four Notable Kingdoms of Daniel 8. (v. 9)
⇒ This means that the 10-Horned Beast in Daniel 7 is one of the Four Notable Kingdoms of Daniel 8!
⇒ This leads us to understand that the Four Notable Kingdoms of Daniel 8 are the same 4 Notable Kingdoms of Daniel 7: the Lion, the Bear, the Leopard and the 10-Horned Beast.
NOTE: Here is a point where the Bible record is slightly different from the traditional Historicist view. But this is the Bible truth, therefore, it will be okay for us to grasp this clue and see where it leads in the study of Daniel and Revelation.
Succession of Kingdoms
This information tells us that the Ram and the He-Goat are followed by the Four Notable Kingdoms of Daniel 7. This is how Daniel 8 helps establish the timing of the kingdoms that are found in Chapter 7. Combining what we know from Daniel 2, 7, and 8, the sequence of kingdoms follows in this order:
BABYLON – Babylon is directly in line before the Ram/Media-Persia. (Daniel 5:30-31)
RAM – Media-Persia
HE-GOAT – Greece
FOUR NOTABLES:
1. Lion
2. Bear
3. Leopard
4. 10-Horned Beast, with the adjunct Little Horn
ANCIENT OF DAYS/STONE/CHRIST
KINGDOM OF THE SAINTS/GREAT MOUNTAIN
Prophetic Pattern
In every prophetic book of the Bible, this is the pattern of earth’s history from King Nebuchadnezzar until the Second Coming. Each book picks up some piece of this pattern at some point in time. Each prophecy may show a small snapshot or a large panorama, it may contain a brief overview or an in-depth high-resolution image, but everything fits this pattern without exception. Once we understand this pattern, we are in a better position to understand more complicated prophetic mysteries, such as Daniel 11 – 12, Revelation 13 and 17 and the Seven Seals.
What is the conclusion of the story?
It is really Good News! The 10-Horned Beast and the Little Horn are directly followed by the Second Coming of Christ:
Says the angel, “Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.”
Then Daniel asked, “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater [older, more elder in age] than his fellows. I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:17-22)
“And I saw the [10-Horned] Beast, [which are] the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse [Christ] and against His army. Then the Beast was captured, and with him the False Prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the Mark of the Beast and those who worshiped his Image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (Revelation 19:19-20)
The Beast and the False Prophet are going straight to the Lake of Fire where they will ultimately be joined by Satan. Their fates are sealed; there is no Great White Throne second judgment scene for them. (Revelation 20:10-11)
Here is when we get the very Good News! The Second Coming of Christ will put an end to all these kingdoms and sin and sorrow, suffering and pain, injustice and persecution will never rise again.
“Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” (Daniel 7:27)
Why the Four Notables of Daniel 8:8 cannot be Alexander’s Generals.
The Bible gives us the answer.
“Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.” (Daniel 11:3-4)
When the kingdom of ancient Greece is broken up, it is completely “plucked up” and given to the command of the Four Winds to bring in the next world players. When you pull up a plant by the roots, it withers and dies without continuing its growth or putting out new shoots. In this passage we are told that Ancient Greece is completely plucked up by its roots. Greece left behind a great amount of culture, philosophy, art and influence on world languages and religions, but after Alexander, Greece was finished with her role in the succession of kingdoms.
The Bible account of the demise of Greece is that the kingdom is not left to Alexander’s posterity——that is, it is not left to his offspring. And we are told conclusively that none of Alexander’s rulers receive the kingdom——as Scripture says, not “according to his dominion with which he ruled.” This tells us that, as far as the Bible account of this great He-Goat kingdom was concerned, none of the ruling party or the political leaders of Greece would keep it alive.
Could the Bible have said this more clearly? It is as if God knew this question would arise at some point in history and He wanted to make it plain that Greece would not be divided to the four generals of Alexander. Instead, “The Four Winds of the Heavens, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth,” were to take over the work of breathing life into the next kingdoms of this world, leading us ever closer to the coming kingdom of Christ. “And He shall rule all nations with a rod of iron.” He will hold a strong scepter that will never be broken or given to others. (Revelation 12:5)
According to Daniel 8:8, Ancient Greece was no longer a part of the lineage of kingdoms that would lead to the coming kingdom of Christ. It was time for the succession of kingdoms to move on to others. And Daniel 7 clearly moves us forward in Earth’s history as it presents the Four Notable Kingdoms that follow Alexander’s demise, beginning with the Lion and ending with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah receiving an everlasting kingdom. ❑ MAM
