Ram and Goat (4) US 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 Terrible Beast will release spiritual powers to work evil on earth.

Source: http://getrad2.blogspot.com/2025/08/ram-and-goat-4-us-declines.html