Gabriel explains the vision to Daniel. The ram stands for the kings of Media and Persia. The he-goat is the king of Greece, whose kingdom will be broken into four.

Gabriel appears in order to make known that there will be “seventy weeks . . . to terminate the transgression, and to finish off sin, and to make atonement for error.” Messiah the Leader will come at the end of 69 weeks, after which he will be cut off. The covenant will be kept in force for the many till the end of the 70th week, and finally, there will be desolation and an extermination.​—Dan. 9:24-27.