Daniel 8:10

“And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven, etc.] The people of the Jews, the army of the living God, the church militant, among whom were many of the citizens of heaven, whose names are written there; such was the insolence of this king, as to molest and disturb them: and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped them; some of the common people he persecuted and destroyed, or prevailed upon them, either by threats or flatteries, to relinquish their religion; and even some of the “stars”, the lights of the people, the priests and Levites, that ministered unto them; or the princes, and elders of the people, whom he slew, as Jacchiades interprets it; or…”

“great, even to . . . host of heaven--explained in Dan 8:24, "the mighty and holy people," that is, the Jews (Dan 7:21) and their priests (compare Isa 24:21). The Levites' service is called "a warfare" (Num 8:24-25, Margin). Great civil and religious powers are symbolized by "stars" (Mat 24:29). See 1 Maccabees 1:25, &c.; 1 Maccabees 2:35, &c.; 1 Maccabees 5:2, 12, 13. TREGELLES refers "stars" to those Jews whose portion from God is heavenly glory (Dan 12:3), being believers in Him who is above at God's right hand: not the blinded Jews. cast . . . stars to the ground--So Babel, as type of Antichrist, is described (Isa 14:13-14), "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." Compare Rev…”

“And it waxed great - It became very powerful. This was eminently true of Antiochus, after having subdued Egypt, etc. Even to the host of heaven - Margin, against. The Hebrew word (עד ‛ad) means “to” or “unto,” and the natural idea would seem to be that he wished to place himself among the stars, or to exalt himself above all that was earthly. Compare the notes at Isaiah 14:13 : “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” Lengerke supposes that the meaning here is, that he not only carried his conquests to Egypt and to the East, and to the holy land in general, but that he made war on the holy army of God - the priests and…”

“8:10 The heavenly army could refer to (1) actual divine beings, since the “small horn” attempted to destroy Israel’s divinely given religion and Israel was protected by God’s watchful eye and his armies; and/or (2) the human defenders of Israel that were fighting for God’s holy people and the Temple. Both the physical and the spiritual realms were affected by these events.”

“to the host: or, against the host, Dan 8:24, Dan 8:25, Dan 11:28, Dan 11:30, Dan 11:33-36; Isa 14:13; Rev 12:4 and stamped: Dan 8:7, Dan 7:7 Daniel 8:11”