What does Daniel 8:22 mean?
Daniel's vision (Daniel 8:1–2) has included a prophecy about the rise of Alexander the Great. This was depicted in an earlier dream as a four-winged leopard (Daniel 7:6). In this vision, it is a fast-moving goat with a prominent horn which defeats its rival (Daniel 8:5–7). However, after the victory, the goat's horn shatters and four new horns arise, pointing in all directions (Daniel 8:8).These are predictions about the Greek empire founded and left behind by Alexander the Great. Under Alexander, the Greeks conquered with astonishing speed. Yet he died around 323 BC with no established heir. The vast kingdom was split into four under four of his advisors: Lysimachus, Seleucus, Cassander, and Ptolemy. None of these had the same power or influence as would a unified empire.
From this arrangement, another leader would arise. Daniel's vision portrays this figure as evil and destructive (Daniel 8:9–12). The symbolism predicts a late ruler of the Greeks as well as the events of the far-future end times (Daniel 8:23).