Daniel 11:3-4. Daniel 11:3-The Prophecy of Alexander the Great. Review of Daniel 11:1-2

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1 Daniel 11:3-4 Daniel 11:3-The Prophecy of Alexander the Great Review of Daniel 11:1-2 Daniel 11:1 Just as, I myself, during Darius the Mede s first year presented myself for the purpose of being of assistance as well as for the purpose of a defense for him. (Author s translation) Daniel 11:1 is a comparative clause which draws a comparison with the previous statement in Daniel 10:21 which records the unidentified elect angel telling Daniel that Michael was the only elect angel who stood firm in combat with him while he fought the angel of Satan who ruled Persia. So the angel is telling Daniel that just as Michael came to his aid when he fought the kingdom of darkness during the third year of Cyrus the Persian so he rendered assistance to Michael during the Darius the Mede s first year. Bible expositors of this verse are not in agreement as to the identity of the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ), him at the end of this verse. Some argue that Darius the Mede is in view here. This would indicate that this angel speaking to Daniel rendered assistance and protection for this king from the kingdom of darkness during his first year. However, it makes no sense for the angel speaking to Daniel to interject helping Darius during his first year because this king is not mentioned in the verse or verses to follow nor is he mentioned in chapter ten. The only reason that the angel mentions Darius the Mede is to use the first year of this king s reign to mark the time when this angel helped Michael fight the kingdom of darkness. So though it makes sense that this angel would help Darius since he was a believer, there is nothing in the context which would indicate that this king is being referred to third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ), him. By interpreting the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ), him as referring to Michael fits the context since he is referred to by this angel in Daniel 10:21. Michael is the only person who this angel could be speaking about. The only legitimate argument against this interpretation or a possible stumbling block to accepting this interpretation is the meaning of the noun mā ʿôz, which can mean protection, stronghold, fortress or a defense. It could be argued this angel couldn t have offered Michael protection because Michael was more powerful than this angel speaking to Daniel and had helped this angel fight the prince of Persia. However, this noun can mean fortress or stronghold which would indicate that the angel was a stronghold or a fortress for Michael in the 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 sense that he held a defensive position against the enemy and did not give up any ground. Therefore, Daniel 11:1 is a comparative clause indicating a comparison between Michael providing support for this angel speaking to Daniel while he fought against the angel of Satan who ruled Persia and this same angel providing support for Michael while he fought Satan s angels during the Darius the Mede s first year. In other words, this unidentified elect angel is informing Daniel that by Michael coming to his aid to help him fight the angel of Satan who ruled Persia during the third year of Cyrus the Persian s reign, the archangel was reciprocating since he helped Michael fight Satan s kingdom during the first year of Darius the Mede. The question arises as to why this angel speaking to Daniel would have to render assistance to Michael during the first year of Darius the Mede s reign? What took place during the first year of this king s reign which would suggest that Michael would have needed assistance from this angel? Daniel chapter six gives us the answer. There was a conspiracy to kill Daniel during Darius first year. Darius was deceived by his government officials who served with Daniel into issuing an order forbidding any one in Darius kingdom to pray to his god. Of course, these officials knew Daniel would remain loyal to his god and continue to pray thus putting him under the sense of death. The motivation for this conspiracy was jealous since Darius was so impressed with Daniel s talents, abilities and wisdom that he was going to put him in authority over his entire kingdom. So both Daniel and Darius were under attack from the kingdom of darkness, who prompted these government officials to deceive Darius into issuing this order. By God delivering Daniel from death, he also delivered Darius from executing an innocent man. Darius subsequent decree praising God for delivering Daniel would serve as a protection to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, thus, thwarting Satan s attempt to destroy the Jews in Babylon. Therefore, in Daniel 11:1 Michael and the angel speaking to Daniel who communicated the revelation which appears in Daniel 11:2-12:13, were engaged in spiritual combat with the angel of Satan who ruled Persia who was attempting to have Daniel killed and the Jews in Babylon exterminated. Daniel 11:2 Now, at this present time, I must reveal to you the truth. Behold, three future kings will ascend to power for Persia. Then, the fourth will cause greater riches to make him wealthier than each and every one of these in comparison. However, when he amasses power through his wealth, the entire nation will stir up the Greek kingdom. (Author s translation) The unidentified elect angel begins to communicate to Daniel revelation of God s prophetic program for the nation of Israel during the Times of the Gentiles. He begins by issuing a prophecy regarding the Persian Empire, which in 536 B.C William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 was a world-wide empire. Cyrus the Persian was the ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire at that time. Persian became more dominant than the kingdom of Media, thus the angel does not mention Media. This Persian dominance is predicted in the prophecies found in Daniel chapter seven and eight. The angel informs Daniel that there will be three kings who will ascend to power immediately after the reign of Cyrus the Persian. These three will be followed immediately by a fourth who will distinguish himself from these three by accumulating more wealth than his predecessors. However, when this fourth king amasses power through his wealth, the entire Persian Empire will stir up hostilities with the Greeks. This prophecy of these four Persian rulers was fulfilled in history, which records the first as being Cambyses, who was the son of Cyrus the Persian, who reigned from B.C. He was followed by Pseudo-Smerdis, who only reigned for a short period of time in 522 B.C. Darius I Hystaspes who ruled from B.C. followed Pseudo-Smerdis. The fourth ruler was Xerxes, he was known in the book of Esther as Ahasuerus and he reigned over Persia from B.C. He was more powerful than his three predecessors and the most influential and wealthy of the four, thus fulfilling the prophecy found in Daniel 11:2. During the reign of Xerxes, he fought wars against Greece which also served to fulfill this prophecy here in Daniel 11:2. The Prophecy of Alexander the Great Daniel 11:3 And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. (NASB95) And a mighty king will arise is composed of the conjunction wa ( (ו (waw), and which is followed by the third person masculine singular qal active perfect form of the verb ʿā mǎḏ (ע מ ד) (aw-mad), will arise and then we have the masculine singular construct form of the noun mě lěḵ (מ ל ך) (meh-lek), a king which is modified by the masculine singular adjective gib bôr (גּ בּוֹר) (ghib-bore ), mighty. wa The conjunction wa means then since it is functioning as a marker of a sequence of closely related events. This means that it is introducing a statement that marks the next event that will take place after the events recorded in verse 2, which records the elect angel informing Daniel that four Persian kings will ascend to power with the four being more powerful than his three predecessors. The angel 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 also states that when this fourth king amasses power through his wealth, his Persian Empire will stir up hostilities with the kingdom of Greece. Now, here in verse 3, the conjunction wa is introducing a statement in which records this angel prophesying that a mighty king will ascend to power and will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. History records that this mighty king was Alexander the Great. Therefore, the conjunction wa is marking Alexander s rise to power as taking place after the reign of the four Persian kings. mě lěḵ The noun mě lěḵ means king and is used with reference to the governmental head of the Greek kingdom and refers to Alexander the Great. The word is modified by the adjective gib bôr, which mighty, powerful since it pertains to being strong politically and militarily. Thus, this word indicates that the angel is predicting in the sixth century B.C. that Alexander the Great will be strong militarily and politically so that he possesses great prestige and influence. ʿā mǎḏ The verb ʿā mǎḏ means to ascend to power referring to a person ascending to power in a particular nation. It denotes coming to power over a nation. Here it is used of Alexander the Great who will ascend to power after the reign of the four Persian kings has ended. The qal stem of the verb is stative expressing the fact that Alexander the Great will exist in the state of ascending to power over the kingdom of Greece. The perfect conjugation of this verb is a future perfect expressing a future state resulting from actions that will have been completed by that time. Here it is expressing the future state of Alexander the Great ascending to power as a result of his actions that will be completed by that time. Alexander the Great will Rule with Great Authority Daniel 11:3 And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. (NASB95) (ו ( wa And he will rule with great authority is composed of the conjunction (waw), and which is followed by the third person masculine singular qal active perfect form of the verb mā šǎl (מ שׁ ל) (maw-shal ), he will rule and then we have the masculine singular noun mim šāl (מ מ שׁ ל) (mim-shawl ), with authority which is modified by the masculine singular form of the adjective rǎḇ (ר ב) (rab), great William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 wa This time the conjunction wa means so that, with the result that since the word is a marker of result meaning that it is introducing a statement which presents the result of the previous statement that a powerful king will ascend to power after the four Persian kings mentioned in verse 2. This conjunction is introducing a statement which says that this powerful king will rule with great authority. Therefore, this word denotes that the angel is predicting to Daniel that this powerful king will ascend to power so that or with the result that he will rule with great authority. So the conjunction is indicating that this powerful king will rule with great authority as the direct result of being powerful. mā šǎl The verb mā šǎl means to rule, to govern and refers to the powerful king who will ascend to power following the four Persian king mentioned in verse 2. History tells us that this powerful king was Alexander the Great. Thus, this verb refers to him exercising authority over his nation and government as well as those nations he conquered during his brief lifetime. The qal stem of the verb is fientive expressing the action of Alexander governing or ruling over his nation and those nations he had conquered. The perfect conjugation of this verb is a future perfect expressing a future state resulting from actions that will have been completed by that time. Here it is expressing the future state of Alexander the Great governing with great authority as a result of his actions that will be completed by that time. mim šāl The noun mim šāl means authority referring to the rulership and governing of a government or kingdom. This word is modified by the adjective rǎḇ, which means great in the sense of remarkable in magnitude, degree and effectiveness. Therefore, these two words indicate that the angel is predicting to Daniel that this powerful king who history records is Alexander the Great will rule with great authority in the sense that his authority will be remarkable in magnitude, degree and effectiveness. Alexander Will Do as He Pleases Daniel 11:3 And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. (NASB95) 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 And do as he pleases is composed of the conjunction wa ( (ו (waw), and which is followed by the third person masculine singular qal active perfect form of (ךּ ) k- (aw-saw ), do and then we have the preposition (ע שׂ ה) ʿā śā(h) the verb (kee), as and its object is the masculine singular construct form of the noun rā ṣôn (ר צוֹן) (raw-tsone ), pleased and this is followed by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû ( הוּ) (who), he. wa The conjunction wa is a marker of result meaning that it is introducing a statement which is presenting the result of the previous statement that this powerful king will rule with great authority as a result of his being powerful. The conjunction wa is introducing a statement which informs the reader that this powerful king will do as he pleases. Therefore, the conjunction wa indicates that this powerful king will rule with great authority so that he will do as he pleases. Therefore, the king will do as he pleases as the direct result of ruling with great authority. ʿā śā(h) The verb ʿā śā(h) means to do in the sense of performing an action indicating that this powerful king will do as he pleases as a result of ruling with great authority. The qal stem is stative expressing a state indicating that this powerful king will exist in the state of doing as he pleases as a result of ruling with great authority. The perfect conjugation of this verb is a future perfect expressing a future state resulting from actions that will have been completed by that time. Here it is expressing the future state of this powerful king who history records is Alexander the Great doing as he pleases as a result of his actions of ruling with great authority that will be completed by that time. ḵi r e ṣōnʹ The noun rā ṣôn means will, wish referring to a strong desire which implies choice. Here it denotes that Alexander will do as he pleased or desired. The noun rā ṣôn is modified by the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû, which means his referring to this powerful king who history records is Alexander the Great and is functioning as a possessive personal pronoun. The noun rā ṣôn is also the object of the preposition k-, which is functioning as a marker of correspondence indicating that Alexander will do as or according to his desire William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 Translation of Daniel 11:3 Daniel 11:3 Next, a powerful king will ascend to power so that he will rule with great authority with the result that he will do according to his desire. Exposition of Daniel 11:3 The unidentified angel continues to present to Daniel God s prophetic program for the nation of Israel during the Times of the Gentiles and thus simultaneously during the seventy weeks or four hundred ninety prophetic years. The angelic being informs Daniel that after the four Persian kings mentioned in verse 4 and in particular after the fourth Persian king amasses great power and his nation stirs up hostilities with the kingdom of Greece, a powerful king will ascend to power so that he will rule with great authority with the result that he will do according to his desire. History records that this mighty king was none other than Alexander the Great who reigned from B.C. before dying unexpectedly at the age of 32 from complications of malaria and alcoholism. He conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and the Medo-Persian Empire. Daniel 10:20 also reveals that like the Persian Empire, the kingdom of Greece was under the authority of Satan. Daniel 10:18 Then, he did it again, namely, he whose appearance resembled a human s, touched me so that he strengthened me. 19 Then, he said, Please do not be terrified, O precious man so that you possess peace of mind. Please become strong, yes very strong! Consequently, as soon as he spoke for my benefit, I caused myself to enter the state of being strengthened. Then, I said, O my lord, please speak because you caused me to enter the state of being strengthened. 20 So then, he said, Do you understand why I have come to you? Now, at this present time, I must return to wage war against the ruler over Persia. Therefore, I am about to go forth. Indeed, behold, the ruler over Greece is about to arrive. (Author s translation) After posing a question to Daniel, this angelic being reveals new and fantastic information, namely that he must return to wage war against the angel of Satan who ruled over the Persian Empire. This statement refers back to the angel s statement to Daniel in Daniel 10:13. The unidentified elect angel speaking with Daniel and who came to give to him God s answer to his prayer on behalf of Israel lifts the veil over the activities among the angels of God and Satan. He informs Daniel that the ruler over the Persian kingdom stood opposing him for three weeks, which according to Daniel 10:2 was the amount of time Daniel spent mourning over his people the Jews. As we noted many were not returning to their homeland from Babylon while those 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 who did return were facing stiff opposition. So Daniel 10:13 presents a contrast between this angel delivering an answer to Daniel s prayer and not being able to do so immediately because of opposition from the kingdom of darkness, which the prince of the kingdom of Persia was representing. That the ruler over the Persian kingdom is a non-elect angel of Satan is indicated by a couple of factors. First, a human ruler would have absolutely no ability whatsoever to defeat an elect angel in combat since angels are a higher creation than mankind and have superior abilities to that of mankind. The elect angel who came to deliver an answer to the prayer of Daniel fought this ruler over the kingdom of Persia. The human ruler over the kingdom of Persia in Daniel s day would have no chance in combat against an elect angel like the one who came to serve Daniel. That this ruler over the kingdom of Persia is a non-elect angel who belongs to Satan s kingdom is clearly indicated by the fact that he opposes the angel who came to deliver God s answer to Daniel s prayer. The ruler over the Persian kingdom was delegated authority over the Persian kingdom by Satan. The Persian kingdom covered the modern province of Azerbaijan and part of Persian Kurdistan. This angelic ruler of Satan ruled over the inhabitants of Persia, which corresponds to the modern state of Iran. Persia was actually a vast collection of states and kingdoms reaching from the shores of Asia Minor in the west to the Indus River Valley in the east. It reached northward to southern Russia and in the south included Egypt and the regions bordering the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. When Daniel received this visit from this unidentified elect angel as recorded in Daniel chapter ten, Persia was the superpower of the world. They had defeated Babylon and were now a world-wide empire, which was according to the prophecies recorded in Daniel chapters two and seven. Thus, the angelic ruler who opposed this elect angel attempting to give Daniel God s answer to his prayer for Israel was delegated authority by Satan to rule over the Persian kingdom. The Scriptures teach clearly that the Christian is living in enemy territory, which is the cosmic system of Satan. Satan runs this world and deceives it. 1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (NASB95) Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (NASB95) In his temptation of Christ, Satan declared, I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish (Luke 4:5). Of course, God is sovereign and omnipotent, but in accord with God s eternal purposes, the Bible does teach us that this present world is Satan s 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 domain and under his authority. Thus, the Lord frequently spoke of Satan as the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), and Paul likewise asserts the same truth (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 6:12; 1 John 5:19). The fact that Satan is the god of this world and has delegated authority to other fallen angels to rule over the various nations of the earth indicates that Satan influences the human rulers and governments of planet earth. Thus, God the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul in First Timothy 2:1-8 commands Christians to prayer for human governmental rulers. So here in Daniel 10:20, the angel of God speaks once again of the conflict he and the other elect angels of God were involved in when he was commanded by God to deliver the answer to Daniel s intercessory prayer on behalf of his fellow Jewish countrymen. This intercessory prayer was directly related to this conflict between the angels of God led by Michael and the angels of Satan led by the ruler over the Persian Empire since the subject of the prayer was the Israelites and Satan and his angels are devoted to destroying Israel. God has chosen Israel to be the nation through which Son will rule His kingdom on the earth. The land which He promised to Israel is the place in which His Son Jesus Christ will rule His kingdom bodily. The opposition that the Jewish exiles returning from exile in Babylon were facing was the direct result of Satan s forces waging war against Israel. Specifically the angel of Satan who ruled over Persia and the one who ruled over Greece were waging war against Israel and the elect angel of God, Michael was defending the nation of Israel from these fallen angels of Satan. Satan is the god of this world temporarily and the Gentile nations of this world are under his authority and deceived by him (1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:10). Satan is opposed to God establishing His kingdom on planet earth and thus he wages war against Israel in order to prevent this from taking place. Satan assume the rulership of planet earth through the fall of Adam. If you recall, mankind was created to rule over creation. Genesis 1:26 Next, God decreed let Us model man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Consequently, they will rule over the fish in the various bodies of water and over the birds in the earth s atmosphere and over the animal kingdom and over the entire earth and over each and every creepercrawler, those which crawl upon the earth. (Author s translation) So Adam was created and designed in the image and likeness of God in order that he might exercise sovereign authority over all creation. Psalm 8:1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease. 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! (NASB95) The rulership of the creation was lost by Adam and the Woman in the Garden of Eden when they disobeyed the Lord s prohibition to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3). Mankind has no capacity to fulfill God s purpose to rule over the creation because of personal sin, which is the production of the old Adamic sin nature through the function of the volition. Satan usurped the rulership of the first Adam over the earth when he deceived the woman into disobeying the Lord s prohibition to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and getting Adam to do so as well. However, the Last Adam, the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ has regained that rulership over the earth with His obedience to the Father s will in going to the Cross in order to die a substitutionary spiritual death in the place of all of sinful humanity. Hebrews 2:5 For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. 6 But one has testified somewhere, saying, What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him? 7 You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and have appointed him over the works of Your hands; 8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (NASB95) Verse 8 teaches that all things are not in subjection to mankind. Verse 9 tells us that Jesus was crowned with glory and honor as a result of His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross. At His Second Advent, Jesus Christ will restore mankind to the rulership of planet earth and thus defeat Satan. Daniel 7:14 as well as Hebrews 2:5-9 and Philippians 2:6-11 teaches that Jesus Christ is God the Father s true regent on planet earth. Daniel 7:14 as well as Hebrews 2:5-9 correspond to Philippians 2:6-11. Now, in Daniel 10:20 after informing Daniel that he must return to wage war against the angel of Satan who ruled the Persian Empire, the unidentified elect angel reveals another fantastic fact, namely that the angel of Satan who rules the 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 Greek Empire was about to join the angel of Satan who ruled Persia. Together, they would fight Michael and the other elect angels. Interestingly, as we have seen in our studies of Daniel chapters two, seven and eight, Greece would follow the Persia as a world wide empire. Both empires were under Satan s control since he is the temporary ruler of this earth until Jesus Christ returns to earth at His Second Advent. Throughout the history of both empires, we see that in some form or another they attempted to harm the Jewish and the Jewish nation. Therefore, it is not surprising that the angelic ruler over Greece would join the angelic ruler over the Persian Empire since both of them oppose God and Israel and Daniel chapters two, seven, and eight predict that Greece would follow Persia as a world-wide empire. The angelic rulers of Persia and Greece enlisted unregenerate humanity to do their bidding. They deceive the unregenerate inhabitants of these nations to wage war against the Jewish people in order to thwart God s purpose for the Jews and planet earth. Not only is Alexander the Great prophesied about in Daniel 11:3 but he is also prophesied about in Daniel 8:5-8. Daniel 8:5 Then, I myself was in a trance like state as behold a male-goat who is ruler over the female-goats, was traveling from the west over the earth s surface. In fact, it was not touching the earth s surface. Also, this male-goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes. After seeing the vision of a two-horned ram, Daniel informs the reader that a male-goat appeared to him in the vision. He describes this ram as ruler over the female-goats. It was traveling from the west over the surface of the earth. However, it was not touching the earth s surface. It also possessed a conspicuous horn between its eyes. In Daniel 8:21, the elect angel Gabriel interprets this malegoat as being the kingdom of Greece and the conspicuous horn refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece. Therefore, this male goat corresponds to the third beast in Daniel s vision in chapter seven, which also corresponds to the bronze belly and thighs of Nebuchadnezzar s image in Daniel chapter two. As we noted in our study of the third beast in chapter seven, the leopard perfectly characterized the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great since this animal was noted for its speed and cunning in attacking its prey, which characterized Alexander the Great s conquests that were without precedent in the ancient world. The four wings on this leopard emphasizes a speed beyond its capacity, which characterized Alexander the Great s lightening fast conquest of the civilized world from Macedonia to Africa and eastward to India. The four heads depict the fourfold division of Alexander s empire after his death between four of his generals (Daniel 8:8, 22). The fact that governmental dominion was given to this kingdom indicates that it did not achieve its conquests by ordinary means but that it achieved its rapid success because of the God of Israel. This would indicate that 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 Alexander was truly a man of destiny and that God gave him his rapid success so that the world was at his feet by the age of 32. In Daniel 2:39, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that after his kingdom there will arise another kingdom which will be inferior to his kingdom. Since Daniel told the king at the end of Daniel 2:38 that he was the head of gold of the statue in his dream, this second kingdom is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue. History records that this part of the statue represented the Medo-Persian Empire. In the second statement that appears in Daniel 2:39, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that after the second empire, there will be a third kingdom of bronze, which will rule the earth. This description makes clear that the second empire is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue and that the third empire is represented by the bronze belly and thighs of the statue. The bronze belly and thighs of the statue represent Alexander the Great s Greek Empire since history records that this empire conquered Medo-Persia between 334 and 330 B.C. and absorbed it into its empire. Since the metals of the statue in Daniel chapter two decreased in value but increased in strength, the bronze belly and thighs of the statue indicate that the character of authority in rulership of Alexander s Greece was inferior to Media- Persia and Babylon and yet superior to Rome, which is the fourth kingdom. However, its power or strength was superior to Media-Persia and Babylon and inferior only to Rome. In Daniel 8:5, Daniel describes this male-goat as traveling from the west over the earth s surface and was in fact not touching the ground. This corresponds to the description of the third beast in chapter seven which is described as a leopard possessing four wings. Both descriptions in Daniel 8:5 and Daniel 7:6 symbolize the speed beyond its capacity which Alexander s army possessed in conquering the nations of the earth. Daniel 8:5 says that this male-goat came from the west which means that in relation to Media-Persia, which resided in the east in relation to Israel, the kingdom of Greece led by Alexander was located west of Media-Persia. The conspicuous horn of this male-goat which appears in Daniel 8:5 is a symbolic reference to Alexander the Great since he was the first ruler of the Greek Empire and not his father, Philip. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Alexander the Great began to rule in 336 B.C. He defeated the Persians and conquered many nations while at the same time spreading Greek culture and language throughout these territories. He attempted to follow the Babylonian example, but this led to gross immorality and early death in 323 B.C. at the age of thirty-three William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 In Daniel 8:5-8, Alexander the Great s empire is described under the figure of the shaggy goat with a big or conspicuous horn. This horn was followed by four horns according to this passage which represented Alexander s four generals who divided his empire after he died. To Ptolemy was given Egypt and parts of Asia Minor. Casander was given the territory of Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus was given Thrace and parts of Asia Minor (western Bithynia, Phrygia, Mycia and Lydia). Seleucus was given the remainder of Alexander s empire which included Syria, Israel and Mesopotamia. The eastern sections of the Seleucid realm revolted from the central authority in Antioch. However, it was gradually absorbed by the Parthians as far as Mesopotamia. The remainder of the Greek Empire was annexed by Rome after Antiochus the Great was defeated at Magnesia in 190 B.C. Macedon was annexed by Rome in 168 and Greece was permanently subjugated in 146. The Seleucid realms were annexed by Pompey the Great in 63 B.C. Egypt became a Roman province after the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Therefore, the Greek empire represented by the bronze belly and thighs in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar s dream lasted between 250 and 300 years before the Roman Empire defeated it. Daniel 8:6 Next, it traveled up to the ram possessing two horns which I saw standing in front of the canal. In fact, it charged against it in a powerful rage. (Author s translation) Daniel continues his description of the male goat by describing for the reader that it approached the ram possessing two horns which he saw standing in front of the Ulai Canal. He then advances upon this by telling the reader that this male-goat attacked this ram in a powerful rage. In Daniel 8:20, the elect archangel Gabriel identifies this ram as representing the kings/kingdoms of Media and Persia. Then, in Daniel 8:21, the angel interprets this male-goat as being the kingdom of Greece and the conspicuous horn refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece, which was Alexander the Great. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Alexander was the first king of Greece when it was a world-wide empire. Therefore, in Daniel 8:6, the vision presents in symbolic terms Alexander the Great attacking the Medo-Persian Empire in a powerful rage, which refers to his righteous indignation against the latter and as a result seeking vindication. Why was Alexander enraged at the Medo-Persian Empire? He was enraged at the Medo-Persians because they were the hated enemy of his people. The Persians sought to subjugate the Greek peoples. For this reason, Alexander was in a great rage towards the Persians. He sought vengeance because of the years of assaults waged by the Persians across the Aegean Sea against the Greek city states. Decades before at the Battles of Marathon and Salamis, the Greeks had repelled 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 the massive Persian army and navy. Alexander wanted to conquer and subjugate the Persians to himself and the Greek people. Daniel 8:7 Consequently, I saw it wage an attack opposing this ram while causing itself to become enraged against it. Indeed, it repeatedly struck this ram so as to shatter its two horns. Also, there was no ability in the ram to stand in front of it. Then, it drove it to the ground as well as trampled on it repeatedly. Indeed, to the detriment of the ram, there was none who could deliver from its power. (Author s translation) In verse 7, Daniel describes the result of this furious charge by the male-goat. He tells the reader that the male-goat attacked opposing this ram while causing itself to become enraged against the ram. He then advances upon this with emphasis by informing the reader that the male-goat repeatedly struck this ram so as to shatter its two horns. Daniel then adds an additional result of the ram being repeatedly struck by the male-goat, namely, there was no ability in the ram to stand in front of the male-goat. This was followed by the male-goat repeatedly driving the ram into the ground with its conspicuous horn between its eyes. Furthermore, the male-goat repeatedly trampled on this ram. Daniel then advances upon this with emphasis by stating that there was no beast which had the power to deliver the ram from the power of the male-goat. In Daniel 8:20, the elect archangel Gabriel identifies this ram as representing the kings/kingdoms of Media and Persia. Then, in Daniel 8:21, the angel interprets this male-goat as being the kingdom of Greece and the conspicuous horn refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece, which was Alexander the Great. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Alexander was the first king of Greece when it was a world-wide empire. Therefore, in Daniel 8:7, the vision presents in symbolic terms Alexander the Great defeating the Medo-Persian Empire in a powerful rage. Alexander the Great was enraged at the Medo-Persians because they were the hated enemy of his people. The Persians sought to subjugate the Greek peoples. He sought vengeance because of the years of assaults waged by the Persians across the Aegean Sea against the Greek city states. Decades before at the Battles of Marathon and Salamis, the Greeks had repelled the massive Persian army and navy. Alexander wanted to conquer and subjugate the Persians to himself and the Greek people. Therefore, in Daniel 8:7, we have described for us in symbolic terms the Medo- Persian Empire being defeated militarily by the Greek Empire led by Alexander the Great. This description makes clear that this was a decisive victory for Alexander the Great and empire. This prophecy in Daniel 8:7 was fulfilled in May of 334 B.C. when Alexander the Great defeated the Persians in Asia Minor at Granicus. In November 333 B.C. he defeated Darius III, king of Persia, in a battle 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 at Issus in Phrygia. In 331 B.C., he again defeated Darius but this time at Gaugamela near Nineveh. Darius would escape to Ecbatana and then fled to Bactria. However, his cousin, Bessus murdered him there. Persia s reign as a leading world power was finally brought to an end at Gaugamela near Nineveh in October 331 B.C. This along with Darius death marked the end of the Persian Empire s reign as a world power. Daniel 8:8 So the male-goat who is the ruler over the goats was very great. However, as soon as it became powerful, the unusual horn was broken. Then, in its place, four conspicuous ones arose towards the heaven s four winds. (Author s translation) Daniel informs the reader that as a result of conquering the ram and no other beast being able to rescue the ram from its power, the male-goat was very great in the sense that he was preeminent over all the beasts. However, at this point the conspicuous horn between the eyes of the male-goat was broken off. This is a reference to the death of Alexander the Great since in Daniel 8:21 Gabriel interprets this male-goat as being the kingdom of Greece and the conspicuous horn refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece. The conspicuous horn of this male-goat which appears in Daniel 8:5 is a symbolic reference to Alexander the Great since he was the first ruler of the Greek Empire and not his father, Philip. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Alexander the Great began to rule in 336 B.C. He defeated the Persians and conquered many nations while at the same time spreading Greek culture and language throughout these territories. He attempted to follow the Babylonian example, but this led to gross immorality and early death in 323 B.C. at the age of thirty-three. In Daniel 8:8, Daniel informs the reader that in place of this conspicuous horn, four other conspicuous horns arose towards the heaven s four winds. These four conspicuous horns represented Alexander s four generals who divided his empire after he died. The four horns corresponds to the four heads on the third beast in Daniel s vision in chapter seven. So Daniel describes these four conspicuous horns as arising toward the heaven s four winds, which describes in symbolic terms the parting and separation of Alexander s empire toward the four corners of the globe. To Ptolemy was given Egypt and parts of Asia Minor. Casander was given the territory of Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus was given Thrace and parts of Asia Minor (western Bithynia, Phrygia, Mycia and Lydia). Seleucus was given the remainder of Alexander s empire which included Syria, Israel and Mesopotamia. Daniel 8:21 Also, the male-goat, the shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece. Correspondingly, the unusual horn which was between its eyes represents the first king. (Author s translation) 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

16 The elect angel Gabriel interprets the male-goat with the conspicuous, unusual horn between its eyes as representing the kingdom of Greece. Therefore, this shaggy male goat corresponds to the third beast in Daniel s vision in chapter seven, which also corresponds to the bronze belly and thighs of Nebuchadnezzar s image in Daniel chapter two. As we noted in our study of the third beast in chapter seven, the leopard perfectly characterized the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great since this animal was noted for its speed and cunning in attacking its prey, which characterized Alexander the Great s conquests that were without precedent in the ancient world. The four wings on this leopard emphasizes a speed beyond its capacity, which characterized Alexander the Great s lightening fast conquest of the civilized world from Macedonia to Africa and eastward to India. The four heads depict the four-fold division of Alexander s empire after his death between four of his generals (Daniel 8:8, 22). The fact that governmental dominion was given to this kingdom indicates that it did not achieve its conquests by ordinary means but that it achieved its rapid success because of the God of Israel. This would indicate that Alexander was truly a man of destiny and that God gave him his rapid success so that the world was at his feet by the age of 32. In Daniel 2:39, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that after his kingdom there will arise another kingdom which will be inferior to his kingdom. Since Daniel told the king at the end of Daniel 2:38 that he was the head of gold of the statue in his dream, this second kingdom is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue. History records that this part of the statue represented the Medo-Persian Empire. In the second statement that appears in Daniel 2:39, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that after the second empire, there will be a third kingdom of bronze, which will rule the earth. This description makes clear that the second empire is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue and that the third empire is represented by the bronze belly and thighs of the statue. The bronze belly and thighs of the statue represent Alexander the Great s Greek Empire since history records that this empire conquered Medo-Persia between 334 and 330 B.C. and absorbed it into its empire. This is portrayed in Daniel chapter 8. Since the metals of the statue in Daniel chapter two decreased in value but increased in strength, the bronze belly and thighs of the statue indicate that the character of authority in rulership of Alexander s Greece was inferior to Media- Persia and Babylon and yet superior to Rome, which is the fourth kingdom. However, its power or strength was superior to Media-Persia and Babylon and inferior only to Rome. In Daniel 8:21, Gabriel also informs Daniel that the unusual, conspicuous horn between the eyes of the shaggy male goat refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece. The Hebrew expresses the distinctiveness and uniqueness of this first king of Greece. The unusual, conspicuous horn of this male-goat is a symbolic reference 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

17 to Alexander the Great since he was the first ruler of the Greek Empire and not his father, Philip. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Alexander the Great began to rule in 336 B.C. He defeated the Persians and conquered many nations while at the same time spreading Greek culture and language throughout these territories. He attempted to follow the Babylonian example, but this led to gross immorality and early death in 323 B.C. at the age of thirty-three. We must remember that when Daniel received this revelation from this unidentified angel during the third year of the reign of Cyrus the Persian in 536 B.C. Medo-Persia was still the leading super power in the world while Greece on the other hand was simply a coalition of city states who were not unified. Yet, history confirms that these prophecies concerning Alexander the Great in Daniel 8:5-8, 21 as well as Daniel 11:3 were fulfilled. Therefore, the fulfillment of this prophecy teaches us a principle that appears in the book of Jeremiah, namely, God is watching over His Word to execute it. Jeremiah 1:12 Then the LORD said to me, You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it. (NASB95) The fact that God can bring to pass that which He has predicted would happen with regards to Alexander the Great reveals that He is omnipotent and sovereign and omniscient. Speaking in the context of judging Assyria the prophet Isaiah speaking for the Lord under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit said the following: Isaiah 14:24 The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand. (NASB95) Babylon and Assyria both learned this statement is true. Everything that Gabriel told Daniel in this vision in Daniel 8:5-8 and everything the unidentified angel told Daniel in Daniel 11:3 regarding Alexander came to pass exactly as they said it would. This teaches another principle which Balak was taught by Balaam. Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (NASB95) Daniel 8:5-6, 21 and 11:3 teaches us that God s Word is omnipotent in the sense that He can bring to pass whatever He says, which should encourage us and compel us to exercise faith in God s Word and obey His Word in order to solve our problems in life and deal with our adversities. It teaches us that God controls history and circumstances since He is responsible for nations rising and falling and since this is the case, we should be content with our circumstances since God put us in our circumstances in order to glorify Him and fulfill His purpose. It also instructs us with regards to another very important eternal spiritual principle, 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

18 namely that nothing that happens in history or what happens today or will happen in the future is an accident but has been ordained by God from eternity past. Life is not a haphazard set of circumstances governed by fate as the heathen believe, but life is totally controlled by God to eventually bring glory to Him and blessing to His people. Excursus: Persia and Greece in the Prophecies of Daniel 2, 7 and 8 Daniel s description of the content of Nebuchadnezzar s dream appears in Daniel 2: In verse 31, Daniel tells the king that he was in a trance like state staring at a single immense statue, one of impressive size, extraordinarily bright facing toward him and directly in front of him and was intimidating to the king. Daniel 2:31 You O King were in a trance like state staring as behold a single immense statue, one of impressive size as well as extraordinary brightness, was standing directly in front of you. Indeed, its appearance was intimidating. (Author s translation) In this verse, we read that Daniel tells the king that he received a vision of a single immense statue meaning that the size of this statue was exceeding of all ordinary bounds in size or amount or degree with the implication of abnormality or monstrousness. This indicates that the statue was larger than any statue he had ever been seen on the face of the earth. The statue was not normal in the sense that nothing on earth could be compared to, which indicates it was intimidating and amazing from the king s perspective. The statue made a great impression on the king as evidenced by his desire to understand the statue s meaning. The object s brightness went beyond what is usual for a statue or for this world. The brightness of the image was exceptional or unusual, which fits with the fact that the image of the statue originated from God. The brightness of the statue deviated from the norm in the sense that nothing on earth could be compared to the brightness of the statue, which Nebuchadnezzar saw. Daniel says that this enormous, extraordinarily bright statue was facing toward him and directly in front of him, which means that it towered over him. Thus, Daniel says that the object was intimidating to Nebuchadnezzar. This is significant since Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful and intimidating man in the world in the sixth century B.C. when Daniel penned the book that bears his name. Therefore, this verb denotes that the appearance of this statue as it towered directly over him was intimidating to him. The statue is composed of five different substances: (1) gold (2) silver (3) bronze (4) iron (5) clay. The head is the most valuable substance followed by the chest and arms, then stomach and thighs which is followed by the lower legs and 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18

19 then lastly the feet and toes. So the substances which compose each part of the body were telling Nebuchadnezzar something as well as to Daniel and the reader. Namely, the substances descend in value as you go from the head to the feet. The diminishing value of the metals in the statue from gold to silver to bronze to iron represents a decrease in the character of authority in rulership. Consequently, the substances from head to foot go from being soft to harder and then very soft. This is significant since it indicates that the character of authority in rulership of the first kingdom was superior to the second, third and fourth kingdoms, the second superior to the third and fourth kingdoms, the third superior to the fourth. The first was the only self-contained unit, the second and third contained one unit and two parts, the third two parts and the fourth contained two parts and ten segments. However, although the value of the metals decreases in value, the strength of these metals increase. This indicates that Rome was more powerful than Alexander s Greece, Media-Persia and Nebuchadnezzar s Babylon. Alexander s Greece was more powerful than Media-Persia and Babylon. Media-Persia was more powerful than Babylon. Fruchtenbaum writes Two things should be noted concerning these metals: first, they increase in strength; but second, they decrease in value. The fulfillment will be in the decrease of the character of authority in rulership: Babylon was an absolute monarchy with the monarch above the law; with Medo-Persia the monarch was not above the law and he did not have the authority to change his own decrees (cp Da 6:8, 11, 12, 15); the Hellenic kings had no dynastic or royal right to rule, and ruled by force of conquest and personal gifts; and Roman imperialism was a republic which degenerated into mob rule merging with the imperial form of government. Yet there will be an increase in strength of one empire over the other. (Fruchtenbaum, A. G. The Footsteps of the Messiah: A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries) The fact that the statue was in human form would appeal to Nebuchadnezzar s frame of reference since he built statues to Marduk, which occupied an important place in the city of Babylon. Also, figures composed of composite metals were well known in the Mesopotamia region. Statues that were representations of men were built in the region which was similar to the vision in Nebuchadnezzar s dream. In fact, as Baldwin points, Hesiod wrote of a statue composed of a series of metals. He wrote of an image which spoke of five ages, namely Iron, Bronze, Silver, Golden Ages and Heroes. However, Hesiod s image of these ages was different than the image shown to Nebuchadnezzar since the former looked back at human history whereas as the latter speaks of the future. (Baldwin, Joyce G., Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary; page 97; Inter-Varsity Press; Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Illinois, USA; 1978; cited J.A. Montgomery; International Critical Commentary: The Book of Daniel; pages ; 1927) 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19

20 In Daniel 2:32-35, Daniel presents to Nebuchadnezzar the content of his dream. Daniel 2:32 As for this statue, its head was composed of fine gold, its chest and arms were composed of silver, its belly and thighs were composed of bronze. 33 Its lower legs were composed of iron, its feet, part of them were composed of iron and in addition part of them were composed of clay. 34 You were in a trance like state staring as a rock cut out but not by human hands struck the statue on its iron and clay feet so that it crushed them. 35 Then when the iron, clay, bronze, silver and gold were crushed as one, they became like chaff from the summer threshing floors so that the wind blew them away. Consequently, absolutely no trace of them was found. However, the rock which struck this statue became a great mountain so that it filled the entire earth. (Author s translation) Daniel 2:36 records Daniel telling the king that he has completed telling him the content of the dream which is recorded in Daniel 2:31-35 and now he will begin to present its interpretation, which appears in Daniel 2: Daniel 2:36 This was the content of the dream. Now, we will communicate its interpretation in the presence of the king. (Author s translation) Daniel 2:36 contains two statements, which are employed by Daniel to communicate to Nebuchadnezzar that he has completed telling the king the content of his dream and will now, with his statements to follow, tell him the dream s interpretation. By telling Nebuchadnezzar the content of his recurring dream, Daniel fulfilled the demand which the king made of his occult priests, necromancers, witches and astrologers. Review of Interpretation of the Dream Daniel 2:37 You O king are the king ruling over kings who the God ruling the heavens has given sovereignty, military might, governmental authority as well as honor for your benefit. (Author s translation) Daniel 2:37 marks the beginning of Daniel s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar s dream. In Daniel 2:31-35, Daniel told the king the content of his dream which fulfilled the demand that his occult priests, necromancers, witches and astrologers could not fulfill. In Daniel 2:36, he told the king he had completed telling him the content of his dream and now would proceed to the dream s interpretation. In Daniel 2:37, Daniel begins to identify the head of gold as being Nebuchadnezzar. First of all, he describes him in this verse as the king ruling over kings. This description is followed by the relative pronoun clause who the God ruling the heavens has given sovereignty, military might, governmental 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 20

21 authority as well as honor for your benefit which serves to explain how the previous statement You O king are the king ruling over kings came to be. The statement You O king are the king ruling over kings denotes that the Nebuchadnezzar was superior to and in authority over the kings of the earth. It indicates that he is sovereign over the kings of the earth as a result of the Father s decree. It indicates that the kings of the earth in Nebuchadnezzar s day in the sixth century B.C. were under his dominion or subordinate to him because the Father decreed for this to take place. This does not imply that he actually ruled every inch of the globe but rather that God had granted him dominion in whatever direction his ambition led him, which history tells us included Egypt, Nineveh, Arabia, Syria, Tyre, and its Phoenician colonies (Jeremiah 27:5 8). The phrase the God ruling the heavens taught Nebuchadnezzar that the inhabitants of the first, second and third heavens are under the Father s dominion or subordinate to Him. This is reminder Nebuchadnezzar that he is under the authority of Daniel s God. The phrase has given for your benefit taught the king that God gave him sovereignty over the nations he conquered. It taught him that the Father had bestowed upon him and his nation military power and governmental authority as well as honor. Sovereignty denotes the sphere of Nebuchadnezzar s authority or control. It is used to designate the territorial sphere of Nebuchadnezzar, i.e. his kingdom. It refers to his political boundaries, which were determined by the extent to which he exercised his authority. Nebuchadnezzar s kingdom consisted of the nations, cities, villages and farmland he controlled. The Holy Spirit through the prophet Jeremiah warned the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon that the Father had given Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty over the entire earth (Jeremiah 27:6-7, 14). Military power denotes that Nebuchadnezzar s military power enabled him or gave him the ability to impose his will on other kings and nations. Governmental authority refers to the power and ability or capacity of Nebuchadnezzar to exercise his governmental authority or power over other nations. Honor refers to the honor in the sense of public recognition that Nebuchadnezzar received from men as a result of his power over them which was given to him by the Father. Here it denotes the respect paid to Nebuchadnezzar by those individuals under his authority in the sense that they esteemed him because of his ability to impose his will on them because of his great military and governmental power. Daniel 2:38 Therefore, wherever members of the human race, wild animals of the field or birds of the sky live, He has given them into your 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 21

22 power. Consequently, He has caused you to rule over each and every one of them. You are the head of gold. (Author s translation) Daniel 2:38 contains three statements. The first two are result clauses. The last is a declarative and prophetic statement. The first result clause emphasizes that there is no inhabitant on the face of the earth whether a human being or animal that has not been given into the power of Nebuchadnezzar by God. It emphasizes the extent of Nebuchadnezzar s dominion over the earth in that God has even subjugated the wild animals to the king. This does not imply that he actually ruled every inch of the globe but rather that God had granted him dominion in whatever direction his ambition led him, which history tells us included Egypt, Nineveh, Arabia, Syria, Tyre, and its Phoenician colonies (Jeremiah 27:5 8). The second result clause denotes that God had delegated authority to Nebuchadnezzar so that he exercised authority over members of the human race, the wild animals of the field and the birds of the heavens. He delegated authority to Nebuchadnezzar to govern the affairs of mankind. The third statement emphasizes with Nebuchadnezzar that the golden head of the statue in his dream represented his Babylonian kingdom. The Holy Spirit through Daniel wants not only Nebuchadnezzar to dwell or meditate upon this statement but also the reader to do so as well in order to acknowledge that God is sovereign over the nations of the earth. Since the metals of the statue decrease in value but increase in strength, the gold head of the statue indicates that the character of the authority in rulership of this empire was superior to the second, third and fourth kingdoms. However, its power or strength was inferior to Media- Persia, Alexander s Greece and Rome. This identification that Nebuchadnezzar s Babylon was represented by the head of gold indicates that the other body parts of the statue, which were composed of silver, bronze, iron and clay represent future world empires as well. Daniel 2:38 teaches that God delegates authority to certain men to govern the affairs of certain members of the human race. These men are servants of God according to Romans 13:1-7. Daniel 2:39 Following after you will arise another kingdom inferior than you. Then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over the entire earth. (Author s translation) Daniel 2:39 contains two statements. The first records Daniel telling Nebuchadnezzar that after his kingdom there will arise another kingdom which will be inferior to his kingdom. Since Daniel told the king at the end of Daniel 2:38 that he was the head of gold of the statue in his dream, this second kingdom is represented by the silver chest and arms of the statue. History records that this part of the statue represented the Medo-Persian Empire. It was inferior since it lacked 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 22

23 the inner unity of Babylon because the Medes and the Persians, though united, never fused into one people. Since the metals of the statue decrease in value but increase in strength, the silver chest and arms of the statue indicate that the character of authority in rulership of the Media-Persian Empire was superior to the third and fourth kingdoms, which history records were Greece and Rome respectively and inferior to only Babylon. However, its power or strength was superior to Babylon but inferior to Greece and Rome. The Medo-Persian empire was founded by Cyrus, who started out as the king of Anshan in Persia. He fused the Iranian tribes into a great military machine. He married the daughter of the king of Media and added Media to his empire. Then, the Medo-Persian army conquered the Babylonians in 539 B.C. Under Cryus, they defeated the Babylonian army outside the city of Babylon. According to Babylonian and Persian records, the people of Babylon threw open the gates of the city, welcoming the Persian army as deliverers from the despotic reigns of Nabonidus and Belshazzar. They gave Cyrus a triumphal entry complete with palm branches. The Persian kings were good-natured but weak. Most imitated the corruption of Babylon. In Nebuchadnezzar s dream, the arms of silver represented two distinct nations, namely, Media and Persia that together defeated Babylon. Although the Medo- Persia Empire lasted over 200 years ( B.C.) longer than the Neo- Babylonian Empire of 87 years ( ), the Medo-Persian Empire was inferior to it, as silver is compared with gold. History confirms that the Medo-Persian Empire, and the empire of Alexander which followed, lacked the central authority and fine organization which characterized the Babylonian Empire, thus the Babylonian Empire was greater. In the second statement that appears in Daniel 2:39, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that after the second empire, there will be a third kingdom of bronze, which will rule the earth. This description makes clear that the second empire is represented by the silver chest and arms of the statue and that the third empire is represented by the bronze belly and thighs of the statue. History records that the bronze belly and thighs of the statue represent Alexander the Great s Greek Empire. Alexander the Great began to rule in 336 B.C. He defeated the Persians and conquered many nations while at the same time spreading Greek culture and language throughout these territories. He attempted to follow the Babylonian example, but this led to gross immorality and early death in 323 B.C. at the age of thirty-three. In Daniel 8:5-8, Alexander the Great s empire is described under the figure of the shaggy goat with a big horn. This horn was followed by four horns according to this passage which represented Alexander s four generals who divided his 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 23

24 empire after he died. Alexander s four general were Antipater who took control of Macedon-Greece, Lysimachus who possessed Thrace-Asia Minor, Seleucus was in Asia and Ptolemy ruled in Egypt, Cyrenaica and Palestine. The eastern sections of the Seleucid realm revolted from the central authority in Antioch. However, it was gradually absorbed by the Parthians as far as Mesopotamia. The remainder of the Greek Empire was annexed by Rome after Antiochus the Great was defeated at Magnesia in 190 B.C. Macedon was annexed by Rome in 168 and Greece was permanently subjugated in 146. The Seleucid realms were annexed by Pompey the Great in 63 B.C. Egypt became a Roman province after the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Therefore, the Greek empire represented by the silver belly and thighs in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar s dream lasted between 250 and 300 years before the Roman Empire defeated it. Since the metals of the statue decrease in value but increase in strength, the bronze belly and thighs of the statue indicate that the character of authority in rulership of the Alexander s Greece was inferior to Media-Persia and Babylon and yet superior to Rome, which is the fourth kingdom. However, its power or strength was superior to Media-Persia and Babylon and inferior only to Rome. There has been some controversy among interpreters regarding this third empire. Some have argued that Greece is the fourth empire, and they treat the Medes as a separate kingdom. This interpretation is partly due to denying the possibility of prophesy. It is also the result of assuming that Daniel was written about 164 B.C. when the Roman Empire had not come to the forefront yet. However, Media and Persia are usually regarded as one empire. The Median kingdom had been mostly absorbed by the Persians by the time Cyrus II conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. Most conservative scholars identify them as Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Daniel 2:40 Next, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron because iron crushes as well as shatters everything to pieces. Therefore, like iron which breaks into pieces each and every one of these, it will crush as well as break in pieces. (Author s translation) Daniel 2:40 records Daniel continuing to interpret Nebuchadnezzar s dream, which contained a vision of an immense statue in the form of a man. The declarative statement there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron expresses the fact that after the third kingdom, which history records as Alexander the Great s Greek Empire, there will be yet another great Gentile power, which history records is the Roman Empire. This declarative statement makes a comparison between the strength of iron and this fourth kingdom. This fourth kingdom is compared to iron because it would crush and shatter other kingdoms just as iron shatters and crushes all things. This comparison indicates that this fourth kingdom will be more powerful and destructive than the previous three empires which were 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 24

25 represented on the statue by the gold head, the silver chest and arms and bronze belly and thighs, which history records as Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece respectively. The result clause that follows this declarative statement presents the result of this fourth kingdom being strong as iron, which is that it will crush as well as break in pieces every kingdom it confronts in war just like iron breaks into pieces gold, silver and bronze. The Roman Empire broke into pieces and shattered to pieces more kingdoms and brought them into greater subjection than Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece. Some modern interpreters have attempted to identify these four kingdoms as Babylon, followed by Media and then Persia and lastly Greece. They do this in order to fit the Book into their view that Daniel was written during the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes in B.C. However, in Daniel 8:20, Daniel identifies Media and Persia as a single empire represented by a single animal, which is the ram. This confirms the interpretation that Medo-Persia was the second empire. Furthermore history does not demonstrate that Median Empire was followed by a Persian Empire. In 65 B.C., the Roman general Pompey conquered Syria and by 30 B.C. Augustus had conquered Egypt and had taken over Jerusalem establishing himself as the first Roman emperor. The Roman Empire deserved its representation as the iron empire since it subdued and destroyed the remnants of the preceding empires as well as many other nations. Interestingly, however, the Roman Empire and civilization incorporated much of the Greek culture, even identifying their gods with those of the Greeks. Also Persian and Babylonian cults and customs spread throughout the Roman Empire. The Greek language became the language of trade, commerce and government communication in the eastern half of the Roman Empire and even in the city of Rome itself. The fact that the iron lower legs belong to the statue indicates that Rome represented by the iron lower legs would incorporate the language, customs, culture and gods of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece. Thus, in a sense these three previous kingdoms in a sense were not completely destroyed. However, Christ s Second Advent will destroy any remembrance of these former kingdoms as depicted in the rock cut out of a mountain without human hands striking the image on the feet and destroying the entire image. Since the metals of the statue in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar s dream decrease in value but increase in strength, the iron lower legs of the statue indicate that the character of the authority in rulership of the Roman Empire was inferior to Alexander s Greece, Media-Persia and Nebuchadnezzar s Babylon. However, its military power or strength was superior to these three William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 25

26 The two legs of iron are an accurate portrayal of the Roman Empire since it ruled extensive areas of both the western and eastern divisions of the world and eventually was divided in A.D. 364 into two political divisions, the Western portion had Rome as its capital and the East had Constantinople as its capital. The Roman Empire was characterized by its strength, as iron is stronger than bronze (Greece), silver (Medo-Persia) and gold (Babylon) and was thus stronger than all the empires that preceded it. Daniel 7:1 During Belshazzar s, Babylon s king, first year, Daniel saw a dream specifically visions in his mind on his bed. Then, he wrote down the dream. He declares the beginning of the account. (Author s translation) Daniel 7:1 records that during the first year of Belshazzar s co-regency with his father in 553 B.C. Daniel received prophetic revelation from God in a dream, which the rest of the chapter reveals was concerning the future of planet earth and parallels the prophetic revelation that God gave Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in Daniel chapter 2. Like the revelation Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel here in chapter seven received a prophetic revelation in a dream which was concerning the future of the empires of Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, the Revived Form of the Roman Empire and its wicked ruler, who we know from the book of revelation as the Antichrist. This revelation also points to the ascension and session of Jesus Christ at His Father s right hand as well as the destruction of the final form of the fourth empire by the Lord Jesus Christ and in addition, it speaks of His Messianic Kingdom. Like the prophetic revelation that Nebuchadnezzar received, Daniel also received prophetic revelation regarding the Times of the Gentiles. Nebuchadnezzar s revelation dealt with the Times of the Gentiles from the perspective of man whereas Daniel s revelation of the Times of the Gentiles was from God s perspective. Daniel 7:1 tells the reader that Daniel received a dream from God, which emphasizes the unity of this revelation. In this dream, he saw visions which emphasizes the successive stages in which the revelation was given to Daniel. Visions describes an appearance of something in Daniel s mind that was a supernatural revelation to communicate a truth to him, not seen as a sensory perception. Visions were often a revelation of the future plans of God, which could involve either judgment or blessing. Visions speaks of revelation from God the Holy Spirit with regards to the Father s will for planet earth. It denotes that God gave Daniel revelation with regards to His future plans for planet earth. Daniel received this revelation from God while he was in a trance. This is distinguished from the possession trance and dreams since it is an altered state of consciousness in which extrasensory audiovisual experiences, which are revelatory in character, are perceived in private by individuals. Here this word denotes that 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 26

27 Daniel was in an altered state of consciousness in which God revealed what will take place in the future with regards to planet earth. Theses visions were prophetic in that they tell Daniel about the future of planet earth. They were also symbolic as indicated by the fact that the four kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and the Revived Form of the Roman Empire are represented by wild beasts. These visions were also oracles of assurance since Daniel is assured that God will rule this earth through His Son Jesus Christ which acknowledges that God is sovereign over the earth and sovereign of history. These revelations Daniel received from God regarding the future of planet earth were designed to direct him, the Jews and the Gentiles to submit to God s will and to teach them and the reader that God s authority is over every ruler and every nation and over history itself. Therefore, Daniel 7:1 tells us that Daniel received these revelations while he was in a trance or altered state of consciousness in which extrasensory audiovisual experiences, which were revelatory in character, were perceived by the king in the privacy of his own bedroom. Here Daniel was in an altered state of consciousness while God revealed the content and interpretation of the dream to him as well while in the privacy of his own bedroom. Daniel 7:2 Daniel began to speak and said, I was in a trance like state, staring because of my vision during the night as behold the heaven s four winds were blowing violently against the great sea. (Author s translation) Verse 2 marks the beginning of Daniel s written account as to what he saw in this revelation he received from God through visions in a dream during the night during the first year of Belshazzar s reign. He starts of by describing himself as in trance like state staring at this vision in the sense that he could not take his eyes off of this vision. This vision he received was a prophetic, supernatural revelation from God the Holy Spirit with regards to the Father s will for planet earth. Daniel was in an altered state of consciousness while God revealed His future plans for planet earth while in the privacy of his own bedroom. This vision was impressive and astounding to him. The four winds of heaven refer to literal wind in this vision which is symbolic of Satan and his angels causing unrest among the nations of the earth, which results in four great empires, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome which are characterized by evil. The final form of the fourth empire which will take place during Daniel s Seventieth Week will be the worst since it will produce the Antichrist. Though Satan is deceiving the nations and will continue to do so up until the Second Advent of Jesus Christ which terminates Daniel s Seventieth Week, God is still sovereign as demonstrated by the fact that God s kingdom which He will establish through His Son will destroy these other heathen empires at His Son s Second Advent who will at that time establish His millennial reign upon the earth William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 27

28 The great sea here in Daniel 7:2 refers in a literal sense to the Mediterranean Sea since throughout the Old Testament it is identified as such (Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; 9:1; 15:12, 47; 23:4; Ezekiel 47:10, 15, 20; 48:28). The Mediterranean was called the great sea in the Old Testament because it was situated geographically in the center of the earth and borders on so many large continents. The great sea in Daniel 7:2 also has of course a figurative sense referring to the heathen nations of the earth since Daniel 7:3 and 7:17 makes this clear. Both verses reveal that the four great beasts who are identified as four great heathen empires, which history tells are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. This would make clear that the great sea refers to unregenerate mankind since these empires are composed of unregenerate men and women. Revelation 17:5 also supports this interpretation (cf. Isaiah 8:6-8; 17:12-13; 57:20; 60:5; Jeremiah. 6:23; 46:7-8; 47:2; Matthew 13:46; Luke 21:25; Revelation 13:1; 17:1; 21:1.). Daniel describes the four winds of heaven blowing violently against the great sea, which is symbolic Satan and his kingdom causing violent conflict among the inhabitants of the nations. This suggests that Satan and his kingdom is the source of the four great heathen empires in history, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome and final form of the Roman Empire which will produce an evil dictator which the book of Revelation identifies as the Antichrist. Daniel 7:3 Then, four great beasts, one different from the other, came up out from the sea. (Author s translation) After seeing in his vision, the four winds of heaven blowing violently against the great, Daniel saw four great beasts, which were different from each other, coming up out from the sea. These four beasts in Daniel chapter seven correspond to the enormous gold statue of a man in Nebuchadnezzar s vision recorded in Daniel chapter two. Daniel 7:17 tells us that these four great beasts are kings. The ancient Orientals regarded kings and kingdoms synonymously. In Scripture, heathen nations are often depicted by wild beasts in order to express the animal like character of these nations which are unregenerate and deceived by sin and Satan. Here in Daniel chapter seven the Holy Spirit is depicting the unregenerate heathen nations as wild animals in order to convey to the reader God s viewpoint of these nations. The first empire symbolizes Babylon since the first beast corresponds to the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar s dream in Daniel chapter two, which Daniel identified as being Nebuchadnezzar s Babylon (See Daniel 2:37-38). Further confirmation comes from history itself since both the lion and the eagle were both national symbols of Babylon (See Jeremiah 4:7, 13; Ezekiel 17:3). The fact that this first beast was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man and was given a human mind indicates that this refers to the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar after being humbled by God (Daniel 4) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 28

29 The bear symbolizes Medo-Persian since she conquered Babylon and corresponds to the arms of silver in Nebuchadnezzar s dream in Daniel chapter two. The fact that the bear was raised up on one side refers to the one-side merging of the Median and Persian empires in that over time Persia became more dominant over Media (Daniel 10:13). The three ribs in the mouth of the bear represent the kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, which had preceded the empire, represented by the bear and were conquered by Medo-Persian Empire. The leopard represents Greece since it corresponds to the sides of brass in Nebuchadnezzar s image in Daniel chapter two and was noted for its speed and cunning in attacking its prey, which characterized Alexander the Great s conquests that were without precedent in the ancient world. The four wings on this leopard emphasizes a speed beyond its capacity, which characterized Alexander the Great s lightening fast conquest of the civilized world from Macedonia to Africa and eastward to India. The four heads depict the four-fold division of Alexander s empire after his death between four of his generals (Daniel 8:8, 22). The fourth beast if you notice is not likened to some known animal but rather is simply called a beast and was more terrifying and powerful than the three preceding beasts and devoured, crushed and trampled down the other beasts, which characterized the Roman Empire. Also, further confirming that the fourth beast represents the Roman Empire is that it corresponds to the legs of iron in the image that appeared in Nebuchadnezzar s dream in Daniel chapter two, which we noted represented the Roman Empire. These four beasts in Daniel chapter seven correspond exactly to the four metals in the image of Nebuchadnezzar s vision in Daniel chapter two. Like the prophecy in Daniel chapter two, the prophecy that appears in Daniel chapter seven also deals with the Times of the Gentiles from God s perspective. Daniel 7:4 The first beast was like a lion with eagle s wings attached to it. I was in a trance like state staring when its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up from the ground for the purpose of it standing on two feet like a human being. A human mind was also given to it. (Author s translation) The first beast symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar s Babylon since it corresponds to the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar s dream in Daniel chapter two, which Daniel identified as being Nebuchadnezzar s Babylon (See Daniel 2:37-38). Further confirmation comes from history itself since both the lion and the eagle were both national symbols of Babylon (See Jeremiah 4:7, 13; Ezekiel 17:3). Nebuchadnezzar is elsewhere compared to both the lion (Je. 4:7; cf. 49:19; 50:44) and the eagle (Ezk. 17:3, 11 12). Cf. v 4 with 4: Just as gold is the most precious metal on earth so the lion is the king of the wild beasts of the earth. 1 New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.) (Da 7:1 14). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 29

30 The fact that this first beast was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man and was given a human mind indicates that this refers to the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar after being humbled by God and in particular its speak of him after being disciplined by God for seven years and being restored to power by God (Daniel 4). Though the king became a believer as a result of God miraculously delivering Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from his power, Nebuchadnezzar was still thinking arrogantly and conducting himself as an unregenerate person in rebellion against God. The discipline broke this arrogant mentality and sinful behavior in rebelling against God. That this description of the first beast in Daniel 7:4 as standing on two feet like a human being and being given a human mind is a reference to Nebuchadnezzar thinking and acting in accordance with the will of God as a believer. This is indicated by the fact that of all four beasts, the first beast was distinguished as having its beast-like character transformed into a human being. Remember, the four beasts all describe the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome as beasts in order to convey God s viewpoint of these nations. In Scripture, heathen nations are often depicted by wild beasts in order to express the animal like character of these nations which are unregenerate and deceived by sin and Satan. Here in Daniel chapter seven the Holy Spirit is depicting the unregenerate heathen nations as wild animals in order to convey to the reader God s viewpoint of these nations. Therefore, the fact that these four empires are described as beasts emphasizing their unregenerate character and the first beast was transformed from a wild beast to a human being would indicate that Nebuchadnezzar was not only saved but he was obedient to God and no longer in rebellion against him after being disciplined for seven years. The description of the first beast as being transformed from a wild beast to a human being here in Daniel 7:4 indicates that Nebuchadnezzar after the discipline was loving his neighbor as himself after this discipline in contrast to the kings of these heathen empires which followed Babylon. The tearing off the wings of the first beast would be a reference to the end of the discipline administered to him by God as a believer since the eagle s wings correspond to the description of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:33 when he was disciplined by God for seven years. If you recall, Daniel 4:32 tells the reader that Nebuchadnezzar was driven away from mankind so that his dwelling place was among the beasts of the field. He even ate grass like cattle for seven years until he acknowledged that God was sovereign over him. Daniel 4:33 records that Nebuchadnezzar was driven away from mankind and even habitually ate grass like cattle. Furthermore, he was continually drenched with the dew from heaven until his hair became extremely long like 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 30

31 eagle s feathers likewise his nails like a bird s claws. This description in Daniel 4:33 would indicate that the eagle s wings on the first beast speak of Nebuchadnezzar being disciplined and the tearing off the wings would indicate the end of that discipline after seven years. Daniel 7:5 Next, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear with it raised up to one side with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. Then, they issued orders to it, Arise, devour much flesh! (Author s translation) The bear symbolizes Medo-Persia since she conquered Babylon according to Daniel chapter five and human history. It corresponds to the silver arms chest of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar s dream in Daniel chapter two. In Daniel 2:39, Daniel informed Nebuchadnezzar that after his kingdom there will arise another kingdom which will be inferior to his kingdom. Since Daniel told the king at the end of Daniel 2:38 that he was the head of gold of the statue in his dream, this second kingdom is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue. History records that this part of the statue represented the Medo-Persian Empire. It was inferior since it lacked the inner unity of Babylon because the Medes and the Persians, though united, never fused into one people. Daniel chapter five and human history record Medo-Persia conquered Babylon and absorbed this nation into its empire and replaced Babylon as a world-wide empire. In Daniel chapter five, the God of Israel sent a message to Belshazzar through Daniel that his empire was being handed over to the Medes and Persians. This took place that very night. The fact that the bear was raised up on one side refers to the one-side merging of the Median and Persian empires in that over time Persia became more dominant over Media (Daniel 10:13). The three ribs in the mouth of the bear represent the kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, which had preceded the empire, represented by the bear and were conquered by Medo-Persian Empire. Like a bear, the Medo-Persian army was powerful and fierce (Isaiah 13:15-18). The commands to arise, devour much flesh indicates that the Medo-Persian empire was under the sovereign authority of God. It implies that God has sovereignly ordained the Medo-Persian Empire continue its conquests over the nations of the earth. These commands portray the Medo-Persian Empire conquering many nations and peoples to extend its domain. Those commanding the bear must refer to the Trinity since the interpretation of the vision indicates that the God of Israel is sovereign over the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, which are depicted as a lion, bear, leopard and a non-descript beast respectively. The Medo-Persian Empire was founded by Cyrus, who started out as the king of Anshan in Persia. He fused the Iranian tribes into a great military machine. He married the daughter of the king of Media and added Media to his empire. Then, the Medo-Persian army conquered the Babylonians in 539 B.C. Under Cryus, they 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 31

32 defeated the Babylonian army outside the city of Babylon. According to Babylonian and Persian records, the people of Babylon threw open the gates of the city, welcoming the Persian army as deliverers from the despotic reigns of Nabonidus and Belshazzar. They gave Cyrus a triumphal entry complete with palm branches. The Persian kings were good-natured but weak. Most imitated the corruption of Babylon. Daniel 7:6 After this, I was staring in a trance like state as behold, another one, was like a leopard with it having four bird s wings on its back. Also, the beast had four heads. Indeed, governmental dominion was given to it. (Author s translation) The leopard represents Greece since it corresponds to the bronze belly and thighs of Nebuchadnezzar s image in Daniel chapter two and was noted for its speed and cunning in attacking its prey, which characterized Alexander the Great s conquests that were without precedent in the ancient world. The four wings on this leopard emphasizes a speed beyond its capacity, which characterized Alexander the Great s lightening fast conquest of the civilized world from Macedonia to Africa and eastward to India. The four heads depict the four-fold division of Alexander s empire after his death between four of his generals (Daniel 8:8, 22). The fact that governmental dominion was given to this kingdom indicates that it did not achieve its conquests by ordinary means but that it achieved its rapid success because of the God of Israel. This would indicate that Alexander was truly a man of destiny and that God gave him is rapid success so that the world was at his feet by the age of 32. If you recall, Daniel 2:39 records Daniel telling Nebuchadnezzar that after his kingdom there will arise another kingdom which will be inferior to his kingdom. Since Daniel told the king at the end of Daniel 2:38 that he was the head of gold of the statue in his dream, this second kingdom is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue. History records that this part of the statue represented the Medo-Persian Empire. It was inferior since it lacked the inner unity of Babylon because the Medes and the Persians, though united, never fused into one people. Since the metals of the statue decrease in value but increase in strength, the silver arms and chest of the statue indicate that the character of authority in rulership of the Media-Persian Empire was superior to the third and fourth kingdoms, which history records were Greece and Rome respectively and inferior to only Babylon. However, its power or strength was superior to Babylon but inferior to Greece and Rome. In the second statement that appears in Daniel 2:39, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that after the second empire, there will be a third kingdom of bronze, which will rule the earth. This description makes clear that the second 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 32

33 empire is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue and that the third empire is represented by the bronze belly and thighs of the statue. The bronze belly and thighs of the statue represent Alexander the Great s Greek Empire since history records that this empire conquered Medo-Persia between 334 and 330 B.C. and absorbed it into its empire. This portrayed in Daniel chapter 8. Alexander the Great began to rule in 336 B.C. He defeated the Persians and conquered many nations while at the same time spreading Greek culture and language throughout these territories. He attempted to follow the Babylonian example, but this led to gross immorality and early death in 323 B.C. at the age of thirty-three. In Daniel 8:5-8, Alexander the Great s empire is described under the figure of the shaggy goat with a big horn. This horn was followed by four horns according to this passage which represented Alexander s four generals who divided his empire after he died. To Ptolemy was given Egypt and parts of Asia Minor. Casander was given the territory of Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus was given Thrace and parts of Asia Minor (western Bithynia, Phrygia, Mycia and Lydia). Seleucus was given the remainder of Alexander s empire which included Syria, Israel and Mesopotamia. The eastern sections of the Seleucid realm revolted from the central authority in Antioch. However, it was gradually absorbed by the Parthians as far as Mesopotamia. The remainder of the Greek Empire was annexed by Rome after Antiochus the Great was defeated at Magnesia in 190 B.C. Macedon was annexed by Rome in 168 and Greece was permanently subjugated in 146. The Seleucid realms were annexed by Pompey the Great in 63 B.C. Egypt became a Roman province after the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Therefore, the Greek empire represented by the bronze belly and thighs in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar s dream lasted between 250 and 300 years before the Roman Empire defeated it. Since the metals of the statue in Daniel chapter two decrease in value but increase in strength, the bronze belly and thighs of the statue indicate that the character of authority in rulership of Alexander s Greece was inferior to Media- Persia and Babylon and yet superior to Rome, which is the fourth kingdom. However, its power or strength was superior to Media-Persia and Babylon and inferior only to Rome. There has been some controversy among interpreters regarding this third empire. Some have argued that Greece is the fourth empire, and they treat the Medes as a separate kingdom. This interpretation is partly due to denying the possibility of prophesy. It is also the result of assuming that Daniel was written about 164 B.C. when the Roman Empire had not come to the forefront yet. However, Media and Persia are usually regarded as one empire. The Median kingdom had been mostly absorbed by the Persians by the time Cyrus II conquered 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 33

34 Babylon in 539 B.C. Most conservative scholars identify them as Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Daniel 7:7 After this, I was continuing to stare in a trance like state because of these night visions as behold, a fourth beast, intimidating, yes even terrifying as well as extremely powerful, possessing two large rows of iron teeth. It devoured as well as crushed. Specifically, it violently crushed the rest with its feet. Indeed, it was characterized as different from all the beasts which were before it in the sense of possessing ten horns. (Author s translation) The fourth beast if you notice is not likened to some known animal but rather is non-descript and distinct from the previous three beasts. Daniel describes this fourth beast as intimidating, even terrifying as well as extremely powerful, possessing two large rows of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed. Specifically, it violently crushed the other three beasts. In fact, Daniel says that it was characterized as different from the other three beasts which appeared before it in the sense it possessed ten horns. This fourth beast represents the Roman Empire since it corresponds to the legs of iron in the image that appeared in Nebuchadnezzar s dream in Daniel chapter two, which we noted represented the Roman Empire. The mention of this fourth beast possessing large iron teeth and violently crushing the other three beasts characterized the Roman Empire. The Roman armies were known for their iron armor which led some to refer to them as the Iron Legions of Rome, emphasizing their strength and invincibility. The Roman armies were also known for violently crushing countries and civilizations enslaving many peoples. Daniel describes this fourth beast as having ten horns, which makes this beast different from the previous three. These ten horns refer to ten kings according to Daniel 7:24. These ten horns correspond to the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar s image in Daniel chapter two that referred to the Revived Roman Empire that will consist of a ten nation confederation during Daniel s Seventieth Week. The ten horns do not represent a fifth kingdom but rather they grow out of the head of the fourth kingdom and are the last development of the fourth beast, which corresponds to the ten toes on the image in Nebuchadnezzar s dream in Daniel chapter two. Daniel 8:1 During the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, the king, a vision appeared to me, I, Daniel after the one appearing to me previously. (Author s translation) In Daniel 8:1, Daniel informs the reader that he received a vision from God during the third year of Belshazzar s reign which took place prior to the first one he received during the first year of this king s reign, which is recorded in Daniel chapter 7. For the second time during the reign of Belshazzar, God gave Daniel 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 34

35 information about future events which would take place on planet earth which would be related to his people, the Jews. God was once again giving Daniel information about world-empires. In Daniel chapter 8, Daniel receives revelation from God with regards to two of these Gentile world-powers, namely Media-Persia and Greece. The latter is emphasized and the kings which it would produce. One of these kings Antiochus Epiphanes would persecute the Jewish people and he would foreshadow the Antichrist. Daniel 8:2 Indeed, I was staring because of this vision. Specifically, I myself was in a trance like state staring as I myself was in Susa, the citadel, which was in the province of Elam. Furthermore, I was staring because of this vision as I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. (Author s translation) In verse 2, Daniel informs the reader as to his geographical location when this took place. In verse 2, Daniel advances upon and intensifies his previous statement in verse 1 in the sense that he goes from telling the reader that a vision appeared to him to informing the reader that he was staring because of this vision. The rest of the chapter tells us why he was transfixed to the vision, namely it was apocalyptic presenting in symbolic imagery Alexander s Greek Empire conquering the Persia Empire. The latter is symbolized by a ram with two horns with one longer than the other. The former is symbolized by a male goat with a conspicuous horn between its eyes. Daniel explains further by providing even more details. He was in a trance like state staring as he was located geographically in Susa, the citadel, which was in the province of Elam, beside the Ulai Canal, which was an artificial canal about nine hundred feet wide that flowed near Susa on the northeast. Today this canal is dry. The fact Daniel is in the capital city of the Persian Empire some 200 miles east of Babylon where he served under Belshazzar the king of Babylon in the city of Babylon is significant. It indicates that in the vision Daniel was transported by the Holy Spirit from Babylon to the Persian capital when he received this vision, much like Ezekiel s experience (Ezekiel 8:3; 40:1). The contents of chapter 8 indicate that God the Holy Spirit transported Daniel to the Persian capital because Media- Persia would conquer Babylon and be the next world-wide empire after Babylon. This contributes to Daniel in a trance like state staring because of this vision. There is a possibility that Daniel was on a diplomatic mission for Belshazzar but Daniel chapter 5 makes clear that Daniel was not a significant player in Belshazzar s administration. Therefore, in the vision Daniel was no longer in Babylon but in Persia. It does not appear that Babylon controlled Susa during the third year of Belshazzar s reign. In fact, it is highly unlikely since Babylon was in decline at the time and Media-Persia was on the rise as a world power. Daniel 8:3 Then, I lifted up my eyes and then I was staring as behold a ram was standing in front of the canal with it possessing two horns. Furthermore, 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 35

36 the two horns were long. However, one was longer than the other with the longer one growing up last. (Author s translation) After describing that he received a vision from God during the third year of Belshazzar s reign and then identify himself as located in the fortified city of Susa in the province of Elam beside the Ulai Canal, Daniel informs the reader that as he was in a trance like state staring he saw a ram. This ram possessed two long horns. However, one was longer than the other with the longer of the two coming up after the shorter one. In Daniel 8:20, the elect archangel Gabriel identifies this ram as representing the kings/kingdoms of Media and Persia. Therefore, this ram corresponds to the silver arms and chest of the statue in the vision God gave Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter two as well as the second beast which resembled a bear in Daniel chapter seven. The fact that the ram had one horn longer than the other corresponds to the second beast raised up to one side in Daniel 7:5, which represents the fact that the kingdom of Persia would become more dominant over the kingdom of Media. Daniel 8:4 I saw this ram continually butting westward as well as northward and in addition southward as all the beasts could by no means stand in front of it. Furthermore, none could deliver out from its power so that it acted according to its desire. Indeed, it became great. (Author s translation) Daniel describes this ram as continually butting westward, northward and southward as all the beasts could by no means stand in front of it. It describes in symbolic terms the aggressive nature of the Medo-Persia Empire in that it overpowered militarily the nations of the Middle East. History records that the Medo-Persian Empire pushed its borders in three directions. It went westward into Lydia, Ionia, Thrace as well as Macedonia. It also went northward in the direction of the Caspian Mountains, the Oxus Valley and Scythia. It went southward in the direction of Babylonia, Palestine and Egypt. This advancement of the Medo- Persian Empire in these three directions occurred primarily under the rulership of Cyrus and Cambyses. Daniel then tells the reader in Daniel 8:4 that none could deliver out from the power of the ram so that the ram acted according to its desire. This statement describes in symbolic terms that no nation had the capacity or the ability to deliver another nation from the military power of the Medo-Persian Empire. Lastly, Daniel brings out the implication of this, namely that the ram became great which describes in symbolic terms that the Medo-Persian Empire became preeminent over the nations of the Middle East. Therefore, Daniel 8:4 is describing in symbolic terms the rapid military conquest of and expansion in the ancient Middle East. Their military strength was unrivaled for over two hundred years until the emergence of Alexander the Great William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 36

37 Daniel 8:5 Then, I myself was in a trance like state as behold a male-goat who is ruler over the female-goats, was traveling from the west over the earth s surface. In fact, it was not touching the earth s surface. Also, this male-goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes. (Author s translation) After seeing the vision of a two-horned ram, Daniel informs the reader that a male-goat appeared to him in the vision. He describes this ram as ruler over the female-goats. It was traveling from the west over the surface of the earth. However, it was not touching the earth s surface. It also possessed a conspicuous horn between its eyes. In Daniel 8:21, the elect angel Gabriel interprets this malegoat as being the kingdom of Greece and the conspicuous horn refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece. Therefore, this male goat corresponds to the third beast in Daniel vision in chapter seven, which also corresponds to the bronze belly and thighs of Nebuchadnezzar s image in Daniel chapter two. As we noted in our study of the third beast in chapter seven, the leopard perfectly characterized the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great since this animal was noted for its speed and cunning in attacking its prey, which characterized Alexander the Great s conquests that were without precedent in the ancient world. The four wings on this leopard emphasizes a speed beyond its capacity, which characterized Alexander the Great s lightening fast conquest of the civilized world from Macedonia to Africa and eastward to India. The four heads depict the fourfold division of Alexander s empire after his death between four of his generals (Daniel 8:8, 22). The fact that governmental dominion was given to this kingdom indicates that it did not achieve its conquests by ordinary means but that it achieved its rapid success because of the God of Israel. This would indicate that Alexander was truly a man of destiny and that God gave him his rapid success so that the world was at his feet by the age of 32. In Daniel 2:39, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that after his kingdom there will arise another kingdom which will be inferior to his kingdom. Since Daniel told the king at the end of Daniel 2:38 that he was the head of gold of the statue in his dream, this second kingdom is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue. History records that this part of the statue represented the Medo-Persian Empire. In the second statement that appears in Daniel 2:39, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that after the second empire, there will be a third kingdom of bronze, which will rule the earth. This description makes clear that the second empire is represented by the silver arms and chest of the statue and that the third empire is represented by the bronze belly and thighs of the statue. The bronze belly and thighs of the statue represent Alexander the Great s Greek Empire since history records that this empire conquered Medo-Persia between 334 and 330 B.C. and absorbed it into its empire. This portrayed in Daniel chapter William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 37

38 Since the metals of the statue in Daniel chapter two decreased in value but increased in strength, the bronze belly and thighs of the statue indicate that the character of authority in rulership of Alexander s Greece was inferior to Media- Persia and Babylon and yet superior to Rome, which is the fourth kingdom. However, its power or strength was superior to Media-Persia and Babylon and inferior only to Rome. In Daniel 8:5, Daniel describes this male-goat as traveling from the west over the earth s surface and was in fact not touching the ground. This corresponds to the description of the third beast in chapter seven which is described as a leopard possessing four wings. Both descriptions in Daniel 8:5 and Daniel 7:6 symbolize the speed beyond its capacity which Alexander s army possessed in conquering the nations of the earth. Daniel 8:5 says that this male-goat came from the west which means that in relation to Media-Persia, which resided in the east in relation to Israel, the kingdom of Greece led by Alexander was located west of Media-Persia. The conspicuous horn of this male-goat which appears in Daniel 8:5 is a symbolic reference to Alexander the Great since he was the first ruler of the Greek Empire and not his father, Philip. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Daniel 8:6 Next, it traveled up to the ram possessing two horns which I saw standing in front of the canal. In fact, it charged against it in a powerful rage. (Author s translation) Daniel continues his description of the male goat by describing for the reader that it approached the ram possessing two horns which he saw standing in front of the Ulai Canal. He then advances upon this by telling the reader that this male-goat attacked this ram in a powerful rage. In Daniel 8:20, the elect archangel Gabriel identifies this ram as representing the kings/kingdoms of Media and Persia. Then, in Daniel 8:21, the angel interprets this male-goat as being the kingdom of Greece and the conspicuous horn refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece, which was Alexander the Great. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Alexander was the first king of Greece when it was a world-wide empire. Therefore, in Daniel 8:6, the vision presents in symbolic terms Alexander the Great attacking the Medo-Persian Empire in a powerful rage, which refers to his righteous indignation against the latter and as a result seeking vindication. Why was Alexander enraged at the Medo-Persian Empire? He was enraged at the Medo-Persians because they were the hated enemy of his people. The Persians sought to subjugate the Greek peoples. For this reason, Alexander was in a great rage towards the Persians. He sought vengeance because of the years of assaults 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 38

39 waged by the Persians across the Aegean Sea against the Greek city states. Decades before at the Battles of Marathon and Salamis, the Greeks had repelled the massive Persian army and navy. Alexander wanted to conquer and subjugate the Persians to himself and the Greek people. Daniel 8:7 Consequently, I saw it wage an attack opposing this ram while causing itself to become enraged against it. Indeed, it repeatedly struck this ram so as to shatter its two horns. Also, there was no ability in the ram to stand in front of it. Then, it drove it to the ground as well as trampled on it repeatedly. Indeed, to the detriment of the ram, there was none who could deliver from its power. (Author s translation) In Daniel 8:7, the vision presents in symbolic terms Alexander the Great defeating the Medo-Persian Empire in a powerful rage. Alexander the Great was enraged at the Medo-Persians because they were the hated enemy of his people. The Persians sought to subjugate the Greek peoples. He sought vengeance because of the years of assaults waged by the Persians across the Aegean Sea against the Greek city states. Decades before at the Battles of Marathon and Salamis, the Greeks had repelled the massive Persian army and navy. Alexander wanted to conquer and subjugate the Persians to himself and the Greek people. Therefore, in Daniel 8:7, we have described for us in symbolic terms the Medo- Persian Empire being defeated militarily by the Greek Empire led by Alexander the Great. This description makes clear that this was a decisive victory for Alexander the Great and empire. This prophecy in Daniel 8:7 was fulfilled in May of 334 B.C. when Alexander the Great defeated the Persians in Asia Minor at Granicus. In November 333 B.C. he defeated Darius III, king of Persia, in a battle at Issus in Phrygia. In 331 B.C., he again defeated Darius but this time at Gaugamela near Nineveh. Darius would escape to Ecbatana and then fled to Bactria. However, his cousin, Bessus murdered him there. Persia s reign as a leading world power was finally brought to an end at Gaugamela near Nineveh in October 331 B.C. This along with Darius death marked the end of the Persian Empire s reign as a world power. Daniel 8:8 So the male-goat who is the ruler over the goats was very great. However, as soon as it became powerful, the unusual horn was broken. Then, in its place, four conspicuous ones arose towards the heaven s four winds. (Author s translation) Daniel informs the reader that as a result of conquering the ram and no other beast being able to rescue the ram from its power, the male-goat was very great in the sense that he was preeminent over all the beasts. However, at this point the conspicuous horn between the eyes of the male-goat was broken off. This is a reference to the death of Alexander the Great since in Daniel 8:21 Gabriel interprets this male-goat as being the kingdom of Greece and the conspicuous horn 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 39

40 refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece. The conspicuous horn of this male-goat which appears in Daniel 8:5 is a symbolic reference to Alexander the Great since he was the first ruler of the Greek Empire and not his father, Philip. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Alexander the Great began to rule in 336 B.C. He defeated the Persians and conquered many nations while at the same time spreading Greek culture and language throughout these territories. He attempted to follow the Babylonian example, but this led to gross immorality and early death in 323 B.C. at the age of thirty-three. In Daniel 8:8, Daniel informs the reader that in place of this conspicuous horn, four other conspicuous horns arose towards the heaven s four winds. These four conspicuous horns represented Alexander s four generals who divided his empire after he died. The four horns corresponds to the four heads on the third beast in Daniel s vision in chapter seven. So Daniel describes these four conspicuous horns as arising toward the heaven s four winds, which describes in symbolic terms the parting and separation of Alexander s empire toward the four corners of the globe. To Ptolemy was given Egypt and parts of Asia Minor. Casander was given the territory of Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus was given Thrace and parts of Asia Minor (western Bithynia, Phrygia, Mycia and Lydia). Seleucus was given the remainder of Alexander s empire which included Syria, Israel and Mesopotamia. Daniel 8:9 Next, from one of them, a small horn in comparison emerged which grew excessively large toward the south as well as the east and in addition the beautiful land. (Author s translation) Here in Daniel 8:9, Daniel tells the reader that from one of these four conspicuous horns, a small or little horn in comparison to the four emerged which continually grew excessively large toward the south, east and the land of Israel. History tells us that the horn from which the little horn emerged represents Seleucus and the little horn represents Antiochus Epiphanes IV. The little horn does not refer to the Antichrist since he emerges out of the Roman Empire which is represented by the fourth beast in Daniel s vision in chapter seven. In Daniel 8:21-22, the elect archangel Gabriel informs Daniel that the male-goat represents the kingdom of Greece thus the king represented by the little horn in Daniel 8:9 emerges out of the Greek Empire. The little horn of chapter seven and the one of chapter eight are thus not referring to the same person but two different individuals. However, the little horn of chapter eight foreshadows the little horn of chapter seven. Thus, Antiochus Epiphanes IV foreshadows the future Roman dictator called the Antichrist who will reign over the final stage of the Roman Empire during Daniel s Seventieth Week William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 40

41 Antiochus Epiphanes IV was the eighth king of the Seleucid dynasty in Syria reigning from B.C. In 175 B.C., he ascended the throne of the Seleucid dynasty after murdering his brother. Daniel 8:9 tells us that this little horn emerging from one of the four conspicuous horns of the male-goat continually grew excessively large toward the south, east and the land of Israel describes as the beautiful land. By way of implication, the point of reference is Syria with the south referring to Egypt. History tells us that he conducted military expeditions south of Syria in Egypt and in the east toward Medo-Persia and in the land of Israel, which resides between Syria and Egypt. Therefore, Daniel 8:9 symbolizes Antiochus Epiphanes IV defeating Egypt ( the south ), Medo-Persia ( the east ) and Israel ( the beautiful land ) since the description in this verse corresponds to the history of Syria. Antiochus Epiphanes IV began as an insignificant ruler but became a powerful force in the world by waging war against and defeating Egypt, Medo-Persia and Israel, which is symbolized by Daniel s statement here in Daniel 8:9. The description that the little horn in Daniel 8:9 which emerges out from one of the four conspicuous horns of the male-goat symbolizes Antiochus Epiphanes IV increasing in military and politic power. Daniel 8:10 Specifically, it grew larger than the heaven s host. Indeed, it caused some of this host, yes some of these stars to fall to the earth. Also, it trampled on them. (Author s translation) Here in Daniel 8:10, Daniel describes the people of the beautiful land as the heavens host and the stars. Daniel tells the reader that the small horn grew larger than the host of heaven. Then he advances upon this by informing the reader that the small horn caused some of this host, yes some of these stars to fall to the earth. He also trampled on them. The heaven s host and the stars are both a reference to the nation of Israel and specifically regenerate Israelites, which is indicated by Gabriel s interpretation in Daniel 8:24. In this verse, the elect angel interprets the heaven s host as referring to the mighty people. Also, in verse 24, Gabriel describes the faithful Israelites as a holy nation, which parallels and interprets the phrase the stars in Daniel 8:10. Nothing in the context of chapter eight would indicate that the host of heaven and the stars is a reference to the elect angels. Gabriel s interpretation and history makes clear that regenerate Israel is being referred to by the expressions host of heaven and the stars. So in Daniel 8:10, Daniel describes this small horn causing some of the heaven s host, yes the stars to fall to the earth, which is a symbolic description and prophecy of Antiochus Epiphanes IV waging war against Israel and killing some of regenerate Israel. The description of the small horn trampling on the stars refers to the Antiochus Epiphanes IV attempting to wipe out this faithful remnant in Israel William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 41

42 Daniel 8:11 It even presented itself as great as the host s Commander while taking away the daily sacrifice from Him so that His holy place was abandoned. (Author s translation) Daniel continues his description of the actions of the small horn in his vision, which emerged from one of the four conspicuous horns of the male goat. He informs the reader that the small horn did something shocking in that it presented itself as great as the host s Commander while taking away the daily sacrifice offered to this Commander. Daniel then advances upon this statement by presenting the implication of this action on the part of the small horn, namely that the Commander s holy place was abandoned. Who is the Commander of the host? The context indicates that it is a reference to the God of Israel who we know from the New Testament is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The daily sacrifice is said to be taken away from Him, which is an indication that God is the Commander of the host. Furthermore, Daniel says in Daniel 8:11 that His holy place was abandon. The nearest antecedent of the pronominal suffix translated His is the Commander of the host. Lastly, the Scriptures teaches that God is the leader and commander of the nation of Israel since He created this nation and chose the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be a nation of holy people who serve and represent Him before the Gentiles. Therefore, Daniel 8:11 describes in symbolic prophetic terms Antiochus Epiphanes opposing God by abolishing the daily sacrifice in the Jewish Temple which were offered up to the God of Israel as an act of worship. On his return from his campaign in Egypt On his return homeward, Antiochus came to Jerusalem to reinstate Menelaus. He entered the Temple precincts to plunder the temple treasury, and to carry away valuable utensils, such as the golden candlestick upon the altar and the showbread table, as well as gold. When the Romans caused him to abandon another expedition against Egypt, Antiochus attacked the Jews. He ordered his officer Apollonius to go throughout Israel with an armed troop in order kill the Jews. He first entered Jerusalem peaceably but then suddenly turning upon Jerusalem by murdering throughout the city. The men were butchered, women and children sold into slavery. The walls and houses of the city were ordered to be torn down by Antiochus. As a result of making Jerusalem his Greek colony, this king turned his attention to the destruction of the national religion in Israel. He decreed the abolition of the Jewish mode of worship by abolishing the observance of the Sabbaths and the seven great feasts of Israel. Circumcision was abolished. The Scriptures were to be surrendered and the Jews were compelled to offer sacrifices to the idols that had been erected. The Antiochus officers carried out his orders with great vigor. Anyone in possession of a copy of the Old Testament Scriptures was executed. The performance of the rite of circumcision was punished with 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 42

43 capital punishment. Many faithful Jews were killed for opposing Antiochus orders. On Kislew (Nov.-Dec.) 25, 168, the abomination of desolation was set up on the altar of burnt offering in the Temple, and the Jews were ordered to worship it. This was probably the Olympian Zeus, or Baal Shamem. Antiochus Epiphanes actions foreshadow the actions of Antichrist who Revelation 13, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 and Daniel 9:27 teach will abolish the sacrifices in the Jewish temple during Daniel s Seventieth Week and proclaim himself as God and demand the world to worship him as God. He took like Antiochus Epiphanes before him, will set up an abomination of desolation in the temple standing during Daniel s Seventieth Week, which will a statue of himself which he will compel the Jews and the earth s inhabitants to worship or be put to death for failing to obey his orders. Daniel 8:12 Consequently the host along with the daily sacrifice were delivered over to it through transgression. Also, it caused the truth to be thrown to the ground. Indeed, it executed, yes it succeeded. (Author s translation) In this verse, Daniel is presenting to the reader the results of what he presented in verses In verse 10, he tells the reader that the small horn on the male goat grew larger than the heaven s host. Indeed, it caused some of this host, yes some of these stars to fall to the earth. Also, it trampled on them. Then, in verse 11, he says that this small horn even presented itself as great as the host s Commander while taking away the daily sacrifice from Him so that His holy place was abandoned. Now, here in verse 12, he tells the reader that the result of all this is that the host along with the daily sacrifice were delivered over to the power of this small horn through its transgression. He then gives another result, namely that the truth was thrown to the ground. Then, emphatically he informs the reader that the small horn executed, yes, succeeded in all these things he describes in verses The small horn represents a king which will emerge from the Greek empire and specifically from one of the kings represented by the four conspicuous horns of the male-goat, which emerged after the destruction of the conspicuous horn between the eyes of the male goat. This is indicated by Gabriel s interpretation in Daniel 8: In these verses, he tells Daniel that the male-goat represented the kingdom of Greece. The distinguished horn between the male goat s eyes is the first king of the Greek Empire, which history records as Alexander the Great. In verse 22, Gabriel says that four conspicuous horns which arose in the place of the conspicuous horn between the goat s eyes will be four kings who will emerge after the death of Alexander the Great. History records that after Alexander s death, his empire was divided up between four of his generals. To Ptolemy was given Egypt and parts of Asia Minor. Casander was given the territory of Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus was given Thrace and parts of Asia Minor (western Bithynia, 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 43

44 Phrygia, Mycia and Lydia). Seleucus was given the remainder of Alexander s empire which included Syria, Israel and Mesopotamia. Then, in Daniel 8:23, Gabriel informs Daniel that another king will arise from one of these four who will be insolent and skilled in intrigue. In verse 24, he says that this king will be mighty but not by his own power and will destroy to an extraordinary degree. Furthermore, he will kill faithful believers in Israel. This king will defeat the nation of Israel militarily. History records Antiochus Epiphanes IV who came from the Greek Empire doing so in the second century B.C. In Daniel 8:12, the host is a reference to the nation of Israel and specifically faithful Israelites, which is indicated by Gabriel s interpretation in Daniel 8:24. In this verse, the elect angel interprets the heaven s host as referring to the mighty people. Also, in verse 24, Gabriel describes the faithful Israelites as a holy nation, which parallels and interprets the phrase the stars in Daniel 8:10. Nothing in the context of chapter eight would indicate that the host of heaven and the stars is a reference to the elect angels. Gabriel s interpretation and history makes clear that regenerate Israel is being referred to by the expressions host of heaven and the stars. In Daniel 8:10, Daniel describes this small horn causing some of the heaven s host, yes the stars to fall to the earth, which is a symbolic description and prophecy of Antiochus Epiphanes IV waging war against Israel and killing some of the faithful believers in Israel. The description of the small horn trampling on the stars refers to the Antiochus Epiphanes IV attempting to wipe out this faithful remnant in Israel. Therefore, in Daniel 8:12, the reader is told that the host which refers to the faithful believers in Israel along with the daily sacrifice were delivered over to the power of the small horn which depicts Antiochus Epiphanes IV. Daniel says that this will be accomplished through transgression which is a reference to the sinful actions of this small horn which are described in Daniel 8: Some interpret this transgression as being the apostasy and rebellion of the Jews against Yahweh. However, there is nothing in the context or in Gabriel s interpretation which would indicate this to be the case. Though 1 Maccabees 1:11-15, 43 records the apostasy of some in Israel, there is nothing in the book of Daniel and more importantly in Gabriel s interpretation which would indicate that the daily sacrifice and faithful believers in Israel were delivered over to Antiochus Epiphanes IV. Why would God punish faithful Jews for the sin and apostasy of unfaithful Jews? He wouldn t of course. The only sins mentioned in chapter eight are those of the small horn, which represents Antiochus Epiphanes IV. Thus, Daniel 8:12 describes in symbolic prophetic terms Antiochus Epiphanes IV opposing God by killing faithful believers in Israel and abolishing the daily sacrifice in the Jewish Temple which was offered up to the God of Israel as an act of worship. The daily sacrifice and these believers were delivered over to 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 44

45 Antiochus in the sense that God permitted this to take place, though He did not condone this wicked king s sinful actions. This is a reference to the permissive will of God meaning that God permitted the sinful actions of Antiochus Epiphanes IV took place, even though He hated these sinful actions since they were contrary to His directive will and holy character. In Daniel 8:12, the wicked ruler depicted by the small horn was said to cast truth to the ground. This is symbolizes the action of Antiochus Epiphanes IV who ordered the destruction of copies of the Old Testament Scriptures. He executed anyone who possessed a copy or did not surrender their copy when ordered by him to do so. The throwing of truth to the ground is also a reference to Antiochus forbidding the Jews to obey the Old Testament Scriptures in practicing circumcision as well as observing the Levitical sacrifices. Antiochus Epiphanes actions in Daniel 8:10-12 foreshadow the actions of Antichrist who Revelation 13, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 and Daniel 9:27 teach will abolish the sacrifices the Jewish temple during Daniel s Seventieth Week. He will also proclaim himself as God and demand the world to worship him as God. He like Antiochus Epiphanes before him, will set up an abomination of desolation in the temple standing during Daniel s Seventieth Week, which will be a statue of himself which he will compel the Jews and the earth s inhabitants to worship or be put to death for failing to obey his orders. Antiochus set up an idol of Zeus in the temple. He also offered swine to be sacrificed. Daniel 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking and a holy one said to this particular one who was speaking, How long is the vision, the daily sacrifice, specifically the transgression making desolate resulting in delivering over both the sanctuary as well as the host to be trampled? (Author s translation) After the vision has been completed, Daniel informs the reader that in this vision he heard two elect angels of God having a conversation with one asking another how long it would take for the vision to be fulfilled. Specifically, one angel was asking another how long the host and the holy place would be delivered over to the power of the small horn of the male goat. There are several indications that this is a conversation between two angels and not two human beings. First of all, in Daniel 8:15, God orders the elect arch angel Gabriel to interpret the vision for Daniel which would indicate that he was the one who answered another angel s question regarding how long it would take for the vision to be fulfilled. The angel asking the question was a lower rank than Gabriel who we know is an arch angel or ruling angel. 1 Peter 1:12 teaches that angels long to look into revelation given by God to men such as Daniel, which appears to be the case for the angel asking the question of Gabriel. The angel subordinate to Gabriel asks the same question Daniel would have asked William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 45

46 The reference to the daily sacrifice in Daniel 8:13 refers to the Levitical offerings which were presented to Yahweh as means of worshipping Him in the temple in Jerusalem which stood in the second century B.C. The transgression making desolate resulting in delivering over both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled refers to the actions of the small horn which are described by Daniel in verses These verses present a symbolic description and prophecy of Antiochus Epiphanes IV waging war against Israel and killing some of the faithful remnant in Israel. The description of the small horn trampling on the stars refers to the Antiochus Epiphanes IV attempting to wipe out this faithful remnant in Israel. Verses also describe in symbolic prophetic terms Antiochus Epiphanes opposing God by abolishing the daily sacrifice in the Jewish Temple which were offered up to the God of Israel as an act of worship. Daniel 8:14 Consequently he said to me, For 2,300 evenings, and mornings. Then, the sanctuary will be reconsecrated. (Author s translation) In Daniel 8:13, Daniel relates to the reader a conversation which took place between two elect angels of God. One asked a question of the other. The question dealt with the duration of time it would take for the vision to be fulfilled. Now, here in verse 14, the angel who was asked the question turns to Daniel addressing him rather than the angel who posed the question. This seems unusual but the vision is directly related to Daniel s people, the Jews. Daniel and not the elect angel asking the question had a personal interest in this vision since the vision dealt with the persecution of his people, the Jews. The elect angel who asked the question was simply fulfilling a role given to him by God. It was a very important question because the answer to this question would tell Daniel how long his people, the Jews would suffer under this wicked Greek king who is represented by the small horn on the male goat. The angel informs Daniel that it will be fulfilled in 2,300 days. Notice, that when Daniel communicates the vision to the reader in Daniel 8:2-12, the vision deals with both the desecration of the sanctuary and the persecution of the host. Also, in Daniel 8:20-26, Gabriel speaks of the rise to power of the king represented by the small horn as well as his persecution of the Jewish people and in addition his death. Thus, the 2,300 days must be related not only to the taking away of the daily sacrifice but also to the persecution of the host, which we know is the Jewish people and in particular faithful Jews. This period would also entail the king represented by the small horn. This would indicate that the 2,300 days must be literal referring to six years, four months, and twenty days according to the Jewish reckoning of time for a year which is 360 days. Thus, 2,300 days are not referring to the morning and evening sacrifices equivalent to 1,150 days, which would begin with Antiochus murder of the high priest Onias in 171 B.C. and ending with the restoration of the temple by Judas Maccabeus on December 25, 164 B.C. (cf William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 46

47 Macc. 4:52). This interpretation would only cover the desecration of the temple and its restoration but the vision and its interpretation covers not only the persecution of the host and desecration of the sanctuary but also the death of the king represented by the small horn. Therefore, the 2,300 days refers to 2,300 literal days which began with Antiochus invasion of Jerusalem in 171 B.C. and ending with his death in 164 B.C. So we can see that in Daniel 8:9-14 and 8:23-26, the Holy Spirit has given us a prophetic outline of the career of Antiochus Epiphanes IV. Daniel 8:15 Now, I was in a trance like state staring at this vision, which I, Daniel desired to understand as behold one like a man in appearance was standing directly in front of me. 16 Then, I heard a human being s voice between the banks of the Ulai. Indeed, it ordered and said Gabriel, enable this one to understand the vision. 17 Therefore, he approached my location. Indeed, when he approached, I was terrified so that I fell upon my face. Then, he said to me, Please, understand descendant of Adam that the vision extends to the end time. 18 Now while he was speaking with me for my benefit, I was caused to enter the state of being in a deep sleep with my face to the ground. However, he touched me so that he caused me to stand upon my feet. 19 Then, he said, Behold, I am about to cause you to know what will take place during the righteous indignation related to the end because the vision extends to an appointed period of time related to the end. 20 This ram which you saw possessing the two horns represents the kings ruling over Media as well as Persia. (Author s translation) Gabriel informs Daniel that in the vision the ram possessing two horns which was defeated by the male-goat represents the kings of Media and Persia. In Daniel 8:3, Daniel tells the reader that this ram possessed two long horns. However, one was longer than the other with the longer of the two coming up after the shorter one. Now, here in Daniel 8:20, the elect archangel Gabriel identifies this ram as representing the kings/kingdoms of Media and Persia. That one horn was longer than the other represents the fact that Persia was more dominant the Media, which is made clear by history. Therefore, this ram corresponds to the silver arms and chest of the statue in the vision God gave Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter two as well as the second beast which resembled a bear in Daniel chapter seven. The fact that the ram had one horn longer than the other corresponds to the second beast raised up to one side in Daniel 7:5, which represents the fact that the kingdom of Persia would become more dominant over the kingdom of Media. Now, we must remember that the ancient Orientals regarded kings and kingdoms synonymously. Therefore, when Gabriel tells Daniel that the ram with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia, the two horns also represent these two kingdoms. This is also made clear by the context since in 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 47

48 Daniel 8:21, Gabriel informs Daniel that the male or shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece. We saw this phenomenon in chapter seven. In Daniel 7:23 Gabriel tells Daniel that the fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth. He does this after telling him in Daniel 7:17 that the four great beasts represent four kings. Thus, a comparison of these two verses supports the idea that in the mind of Daniel, kings and kingdoms were synonymous. Furthermore, Daniel 8:20 reveals a principle of interpreting the Bible, namely that the Bible interprets itself. There is no guess work as to who the ram represents since Gabriel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit informs Daniel that it represents the kings of Media and Persia. When Daniel received this vision which appears in chapter eight in the sixth century B.C. Babylon was still the superpower of the world but through this vision, God is telling Daniel that Medo-Persian will replace Babylon as the superpower of the world. In little over a decade after Daniel received this vision, Babylon was defeated by Medo-Persia. Therefore, this teaches us that God is sovereign and executes judgments against the nations of the earth, which should comfort the Christian when their government or any government is committing evil of any type. Daniel chapter eight teaches us that God raises up insignificant nations to be great and humbles great nations by subjugating them to other nations. Therefore, this teaches us that God is sovereign and omnipotent in the sense that He can bring to pass anything He desires. This teaches that God s Word is powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and is watching over His Word to perform it according to Jeremiah 1:12. The application for us here in the church age is that if God s Word is powerful enough to raise up an insignificant nation and make it a superpower and world-wide empire as was the case with Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, His Word is certainly able to handle all of our problems and adversities in life. So a comparison Daniel 8:3-4 with Daniel 8:20 reveals that in the sixth century B.C. in symbolic language God was informing Daniel through Gabriel that the Medo-Persian Empire, which at the time was not a world-wide empire, would rise to superpower status and become a world-wide empire. God was symbolically predicting centuries before this empire came to world prominence, that it would become a superpower on the earth. Again, the application for us here in the church age in the twenty first century is that God is not only sovereign over the nations raising up insignificant nations and tribes to superpower status and world-wide empires but he also judges world-wide empires handing them over to other nations (cf. Daniel 2:21; Isaiah 40:15, 17). Daniel chapter eight also teaches us that God s Word is omnipotent in the sense that He can bring to pass whatever He says, which should encourage us and compel us to exercise faith in God s Word and obey His Word in order to solve our problems in life and deal with our adversities William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 48

49 This chapter like the rest of the book of Daniel teaches us that God controls history and circumstances since He is responsible for nations rising and falling and since this is the case, we should be content with our circumstances since God put us in our circumstances in order to glorify Him and fulfill His purpose. Daniel chapter eight also teaches us another very important eternal spiritual principle, namely that nothing that happens in history or what happens today or will happen in the future is an accident but has been ordained by God from eternity past. Life is not a haphazard set of circumstances governed by fate as the heathen believe, but life is totally controlled by God to eventually bring glory to Him and blessing to His people. Daniel chapter eight also reveals to us here in the twenty-first century that God has a plan for this earth and that the events of history, the events of today and the events of the future are all a part of His perfect plan to bring glory to Himself, manifesting His character and nature and to bring blessing to His people. The nations of the earth are deceived by sin and Satan (Revelation 20:3; 1 John 5:19) but God has compassion for the nations and seeks to deliver them from the tyranny of sin and Satan through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. The nations of the earth are in a tumult and at war constantly because they are enslaved to sin and Satan. Yet, the God of love sent His Son to the cross to deliver the inhabitants of the nations to deliver them from the devil and the curse of sin. God also plans to bring peace to the nations now at war in that He will establish His Son on the throne of planet earth. His Son Jesus Christ will rule bodily from Jerusalem over the nations of the earth. The Prince of peace will at that time bring peace to the nations. Therefore, knowing all this, we here in the church age in the twenty-first century must not be discouraged or become disillusioned as to the state of our nation or the deplorable state of the world since our God has a plan for this earth. Our God is sovereign and incomparable and will bring to pass all that He has planned from eternity past, which has now been revealed to those who are His children, in His Almighty Word! Daniel 8:20 reveals that God is sovereign since through Gabriel, God the Holy Spirit in the sixth century B.C. is predicting future events that are in accordance with the Father s will. The term sovereignty connotes a situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction. As applied to God, the term sovereignty indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He exercises His will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning by a finite will or wills. Daniel 8:21 Also, the male-goat, the shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece. Correspondingly, the unusual horn which was between its eyes represents the first king. (Author s translation) 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 49

50 The elect angel Gabriel interprets the male-goat with the conspicuous, unusual horn between its eyes as representing the king of Greece. Now, as we have noted in previous studies, the ancient Orientals regarded kings and kingdoms synonymously. Therefore, when Gabriel tells Daniel that the male-goat with the conspicuous unusual horn between its eyes represents the king of Greece, it also represents the kingdom as well. We saw this phenomenon in chapter seven. In Daniel 7:23 Gabriel tells Daniel that the fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth. He does this after telling him in Daniel 7:17 that the four great beasts represent four kings. Thus, a comparison of these two verses supports the idea that in the mind of Daniel, kings and kingdoms were synonymous. Therefore, this shaggy male goat corresponds to the third beast in Daniel s vision in chapter seven, which also corresponds to the bronze belly and thighs of Nebuchadnezzar s image in Daniel chapter two. As we noted in our study of the third beast in chapter seven, the leopard perfectly characterized the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great since this animal was noted for its speed and cunning in attacking its prey, which characterized Alexander the Great s conquests that were without precedent in the ancient world. The four wings on this leopard emphasizes a speed beyond its capacity, which characterized Alexander the Great s lightening fast conquest of the civilized world from Macedonia to Africa and eastward to India. The four heads depict the four-fold division of Alexander s empire after his death between four of his generals (Daniel 8:8, 22). The fact that governmental dominion was given to this kingdom indicates that it did not achieve its conquests by ordinary means but that it achieved its rapid success because of the God of Israel. This would indicate that Alexander was truly a man of destiny and that God gave him his rapid success so that the world was at his feet by the age of 32. In Daniel 8:21, Gabriel also informs Daniel that the unusual, conspicuous horn between the eyes of the shaggy male goat refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece. The Hebrew expresses the distinctiveness and uniqueness of this first king of Greece. The unusual, conspicuous horn of this male-goat is a symbolic reference to Alexander the Great since he was the first ruler of the Greek Empire and not his father, Philip. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Alexander the Great began to rule in 336 B.C. He defeated the Persians and conquered many nations while at the same time spreading Greek culture and language throughout these territories. He attempted to follow the Babylonian example, but this led to gross immorality and early death in 323 B.C. at the age of thirty-three. When Daniel received this vision of the male-goat with the conspicuous horn between its eyes, he was living in the sixth century B.C. God was prophesying through the vision that the Greek Empire would become a super power 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 50

51 overthrowing the Medo-Persian Empire. In the sixth century B.C., Greece was an insignificant nation or small group of tribes loosely connected to each other. Therefore, this teaches us that God is sovereign and omnipotent in the sense that He can bring to pass anything He desires. This teaches that God s Word is powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and is watching over His Word to perform it according to Jeremiah 1:12. The application for us here in the church age is that if God s Word is powerful enough to raise up an insignificant nation and make it a superpower and world-wide empire as was the case with Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, His Word is certainly able to handle all of our problems and adversities in life. Therefore, a comparison Daniel 8:5-6 with Daniel 8:21 reveals that in the sixth century B.C. in symbolic language God was informing Daniel through Gabriel that the Greek Empire, which at the time was an insignificant nation, would rise to superpower status and become a world-wide empire, defeating the Persians. God was also symbolically predicting centuries before he came to world prominence, that Alexander the Great would conquer the Persian Empire and subjugate the world to himself at a very young age. Again, the application for us here in the church age in the twenty first century is that God is not only sovereign over the nations raising up insignificant nations and tribes to superpower status and worldwide empires but he also judges world-wide empires handing them over to other nations (cf. Daniel 2:21; Isaiah 40:15, 17). Daniel 8:5-6 and 21 also teaches us that God s Word is omnipotent in the sense that He can bring to pass whatever He says, which should encourage us and compel us to exercise faith in God s Word and obey His Word in order to solve our problems in life and deal with our adversities. It teaches us that God controls history and circumstances since He is responsible for nations rising and falling and since this is the case, we should be content with our circumstances since God put us in our circumstances in order to glorify Him and fulfill His purpose. It also instructs us with regards to another very important eternal spiritual principle, namely that nothing that happens in history or what happens today or will happen in the future is an accident but has been ordained by God from eternity past. Life is not a haphazard set of circumstances governed by fate as the heathen believe, but life is totally controlled by God to eventually bring glory to Him and blessing to His people. Daniel 8:22 Furthermore, the one which was broken and in whose place four took its position, represents four kings taking its position from his nation but not by means of its power. (Author s translation) The angel Gabriel continues his interpretation of Daniel s vision by informing Daniel that the four horns which took the place of the broken horn represent four kings taking this broken horn s position. These four are from the same nation as the king represented by the broken horn. This statement here in Daniel 8: William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 51

52 interprets Daniel s statement in verse 8, which records Daniel informing the reader that as a result of conquering the ram and no other beast being able to rescue the ram from its power, the male-goat was very great in the sense that he was preeminent over all the beasts. However, at this point the conspicuous horn between the eyes of the male-goat was broken off. This is a reference to the death of Alexander the Great since in Daniel 8:21 Gabriel interprets this male-goat as being the kingdom of Greece and the conspicuous horn refers to the first king of the kingdom of Greece. The conspicuous horn of this male-goat which appears in Daniel 8:5 is a symbolic reference to Alexander the Great since he was the first ruler of the Greek Empire and not his father, Philip. Though his father Philip II of Macedonia had united all the Greek city-states except Sparta, Alexander is considered Greece s first king. Then, in Daniel 8:8, Daniel informs the reader that in place of this conspicuous horn, four other conspicuous horns arose towards the heaven s four winds. Gabriel in Daniel 8:22 tells Daniel that these four horns represented four kings who will stand in the position of power of the king represented by the broken who we know is Alexander the Great. History records that Alexander s four generals divided his empire after he died. These four horns correspond to the four heads on the third beast in Daniel s vision in chapter seven. In Daniel 8:8, Daniel describes these four conspicuous horns as arising toward the heaven s four winds, which describes in symbolic terms the parting and separation of Alexander s empire toward the four corners of the globe. To Ptolemy was given Egypt and parts of Asia Minor. Casander was given the territory of Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus was given Thrace and parts of Asia Minor (western Bithynia, Phrygia, Mycia and Lydia). Seleucus was given the remainder of Alexander s empire which included Syria, Israel and Mesopotamia. Gabriel tells Daniel here in verse 22 that these four kings will not take the position of the king represented by the broken horn by means of the power of this king represented by the broken horn. This makes that Alexander s four generals did not wield the same political and military power as Alexander. Gabriel is saying that their power would be inferior to Alexander s which history confirms. Daniel 8:8 and 21 along with the rest of Daniel chapter eight and the book of Daniel should cause us to exercise faith in God s Word rather than in the word of men, or human viewpoint which is expressed in psychology, philosophy and politics today. Daniel 8:23 Then, during the latter part of their dynasty, following those who rebel being brought to their end, a bold-face king will take another s position because of being a master of intrigue. (Author s translation) Gabriel now proceeds to give Daniel the interpretation of the small horn which is described in verses The elect angel informs him that this small horn 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 52

53 represents a king who will appear on the pages of history during the latter part of the dynasty of the four kings. History tells us that these four kings were Ptolemy, Casander, Lysimachus and Seleucus. To Ptolemy was given Egypt and parts of Asia Minor. Casander was given the territory of Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus was given Thrace and parts of Asia Minor (western Bithynia, Phrygia, Mycia and Lydia). Seleucus was given the remainder of Alexander s empire which included Syria, Israel and Mesopotamia. Gabriel goes on to tell Daniel that this king represented by the small horn in the vision will follow those who rebel being brought to their end, which is a reference to the kings preceding the king represented by the small horn who descended from the four kings and were a part of their dynasty. The angel tells Daniel that this king represented by the small horn will take another s position because he will be a master of intrigue. This refers to the fact that this king will assume the throne of a kingdom in which he is not the rightful heir. History records that this king was Antiochus Epiphanes IV who was the eighth king of the Seleucid dynasty in Syria reigning from B.C. In 175 B.C., he ascended the throne of the Seleucid dynasty after murdering his brother. Daniel 8:24 In fact, his power will be mighty but not by means of his power so that he will destroy for his own benefit to an extraordinary degree. Indeed, he will execute, yes he will succeed. Furthermore, he will destroy the mighty, specifically the holy people. (Author s translation) Gabriel continues to give the interpretation to Daniel regarding the small horn which appeared in the vision to him. In verse 24, Gabriel is interpreting that part of the vision which is recorded in Daniel 8:10. This verse records Daniel telling the reader that the small horn grew larger than the heaven s host. Indeed, it caused some of this host, yes some of these stars to fall to the earth. Also, it trampled on them. Here in Daniel 8:24, Gabriel advances upon his previous statement in verse 23 by telling Daniel that this bold face king s power will be mighty in the sense that this king will be able to exert great force against other kingdoms such as Israel to defeat them. Then, Gabriel makes an extremely interesting and provocative statement which stands in contrast to this statement the power of the bold face king will be mighty. He tells Daniel that the mighty power of this bold face king was not by means of his power or in other words, this king received this mighty power from another. Based upon the fact that this vision of the small horn symbolically describes Antiochus Epiphanes IV persecution of the faithful remnant in Israel in the second century B.C. would indicate that this wicked king received his power from Satan himself. Furthermore, as we noted in previous studies in this chapter Antiochus foreshadows Antichrist who the book of Revelation says receives his power from 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 53

54 Satan. Revelation 12 makes clear that Satan has persecuted Israel throughout her history and will continue to do so right up to the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. The power of Antiochus and Antichrist to kill faithful Jews does not come from God but rather from Satan. God permits Satan to give these wicked rulers their power but only to glorify Himself in the end by raising these faithful Jews from the dead by means of His omnipotence. Gabriel then tells Daniel that the result of this bold face king receiving his power from Satan is that he will kill to an extraordinary degree. The angel of God then brings out the implication of the bold face king killing to an extraordinary degree, namely that he will execute, yes succeed in whatever he does and whatever he plans against God s people. Lastly, Gabriel tells Daniel that this bold face king will kill God s people, who he describes as a holy people and mighty. The latter describes the faithful remnant in Israel during the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes as being strong in their faith in Yahweh, the God of Israel. The former describes these faithful believers as being set apart to serve the God of Israel exclusively. It describes these believers as setting themselves apart to worship and serve the God of Israel exclusively, implying that they oppose the bold face king. Daniel 8:25 Also, because of his cunning, he will thus cause deceit to succeed by means of his power. He will even be arrogant in his heart. Furthermore, he will cause many while unaware to be killed. He will even stand against the Ruler over the rulers. However, he will be destroyed by no human power. (Author s translation) Gabriel continues his description of the bold face king who is represented in the vision as the small horn of the male goat which emerged from one of its four conspicuous horns, which took the place of the broken horn. The angel tells Daniel that because of his cunning, this bold face king will cause deceit to succeed by means of his power. This means that this king will be deceitful in his dealings with other nations including Israel. He will use his military and political power to spread lies and false information. The reason why he does this is because, as to his character, he is cunning. Gabriel then tells Daniel that this bold face king will even be arrogant in his heart meaning that he will have a distorted view of himself and his own importance and worth. He will think more highly than he ought to think. Then, the angel informs Daniel that this deceitful, bold face king will cause many to be killed as he takes them by surprise. This refers to Antiochus Epiphanes IV killing many faithful Jews in Israel because they would not obey his orders to cease reading and obeying the Scriptures and worshipping the God of Israel in the temple. This king will also do the unthinkable by even opposing God Himself who Gabriel describes as the Ruler over the rulers of the earth. Antiochus Epiphanes was under God s authority but yet was insubordinate to Him as demonstrated by 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 54

55 his killing many faithful believers in Israel and attempting to destroy the Scriptures and the temple worship of Yahweh. However, Gabriel says that this wicked king will meet his end but no human being will be the cause of his death. History records that Antiochus Epiphanes IV died insane in Persia in 163 B.C. Daniel 8:26 Now, this evenings and mornings revelation which was communicated, is truth. Therefore, as for you, seal up this vision because it pertains to the future. (Author s translation) Here in verse 26, Gabriel affirms with Daniel that the vision he received from God and the interpretation he had given him were truth meaning that the revelation originated from God and was a revelation of His will for planet earth and the nation of Israel. He then proceeds to command Daniel with the authority given to him by the God of Israel to seal up this vision because it pertains to many days in the future. When Gabriel commands Daniel to seal up the vision, he does not mean to conceal or hide the contents of the vision and its interpretation but rather to preserve and keep safe for the generation that will need it. This would involve Daniel writing on a scroll the vision and its interpretation and then sealing that scroll with a wax seal. Gabriel identifies the vision and its interpretation as this evenings and mornings revelation. This alludes to an unidentified angel s statement in the vision in verse 14 For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then, the sanctuary will be reconstructed. The 2,300 days refers to 2,300 literal days which began with Antiochus invasion of Jerusalem in 171 B.C. and ending with his death in 164 B.C. So we can see that in Daniel 8:9-14 and 8:23-26, the Holy Spirit has given us a prophetic outline of the career of Antiochus Epiphanes IV. Therefore, in Daniel 8:26, the phrase this evenings and mornings revelation is referring to the 2,300 evenings and mornings mentioned in Daniel 8:14, which began with Antiochus Epiphanes IV invasion of Jerusalem in 171 B.C. and ending with his death in 164 B.C. So Gabriel in Daniel 8:26 is commanding Daniel to preserve this revelation for the benefit of the Israelite generation which will be living during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes IV. Daniel lived in the sixth century B.C. and this vision recorded in Daniel chapter eight was fulfilled in the second century B.C. Thus, Gabriel was ordering Daniel to preserve this revelation from God so that the faithful Jews in the second century B.C. could identify Antiochus Epiphanes IV as the fulfillment of the wicked Greek ruler who is represented by the small horn of the male-goat in the vision. Those Jews who were serious students of their Bible would be able to identify Antiochus Epiphanes IV as the fulfillment of the character and actions of the king represented by the small horn of the male-goat William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 55

56 Excursus: Greece John Tullock writes Located between the Italian Peninsula and Asia Minor, Greece itself is a peninsula with the Adriatic and Ionian Seas on the west and the Aegean Sea on the east. These seas, in turn, are a part of the larger Mediterranean Sea. Greece owes its rough terrain to the fact that it is the southern end of the central European mountain range. Another geographical feature is the numerous islands that lie in close proximity to the Greek mainland. The southernmost area, the Peloponnesus, is itself virtually an island, connected to the mainland by only a narrow neck of land known as the Isthmus of Corinth. Its mountainous nature has played an important role in the development of the country. First of all, it has an unusually long shoreline for such a small area, resulting from the fact that there are numerous bays and inlets, giving it many natural harbors. Since its mountains were heavily forested in earlier times, shipbuilding and the sea trade developed. Secondly, the rough terrain discouraged a sense of unity among its people since communication between them was not easy. Finally, the land for agriculture, while fertile, was limited so that what was produced could not sustain a large population. Small grains, grapes, and olives were the main agricultural products while the mountains provided pastures for sheep and goats. Historical Developments About the time of the great prophets in Israel (after 800 B.C.), city-states began to develop in Greece. The limited food supplies had forced Greeks to leave the homeland. As a result, colonies were established on the Mediterranean islands, Asia Minor, Sicily, Italy, and in the Black Sea area. Colonies provided the basis for trade, and trade, in turn, encouraged the growth of cities since the economy was not tied to agriculture. The high-water mark for the city-states was B.C. The dominant city-states of the period were Athens and Sparta. About B.C. Athens beat off a threat from the Persians. There followed what is known as the Golden Age of Athens. Under its great leader Pericles, art, architecture, and drama flourished. Peloponnesian city-states feared the power of Athens, however, and united under the leadership of Sparta to war against Athens. The defeat of Athens in 404 B.C. began a period of decline for the city-states. About 350 B.C. Philip II came to the throne of Macedonia, a territory in what is now largely northern Greece. In the years that followed, Philip brought the entire Greek peninsula under his control, only to be assassinated in 336 B.C. He was succeeded by his 20-yearold son, Alexander, whose schoolmaster had been the great philosopher, Aristotle. Alexander was one of the most outstanding military and organizational geniuses of human history. By the time of his death in 323 B.C., he had conquered an empire that spanned the Middle East from Greece to the western reaches of India, as well as Syria-Palestine and Egypt. Wherever he went, he left colonies that became dispensers of Greek language and culture, known as Hellenism. When the Romans 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 56

57 took over much of this territory two centuries later, they imposed their legal and military system. They, in turn, were conquered by Greek culture. Thus we speak of the Greco-Roman culture. When Christianity arose, it had Greek, which many linguists call the most flexible language ever devised, as a vehicle to spread its concepts. Christian theologians in later centuries would wed Christian concepts with Greek philosophical methods and ideas to develop Christian theology. Greece and the Bible Very few references to Greece appear in the OT with most of them being found in the book of Daniel (Dan. 8:21; 10:20; 11:2; Zech. 9:13). This is not true of the NT, however, especially in regard to Paul s ministry. Some of his most fruitful work was done in Greek cities. Philippi, in Macedonia, was the first church founded by Paul on European soil (Acts 16). It would become Paul s special favorite among his churches and would be the recipient of his most intimate and loving letter, which was to the Philippians. In the district of Thessaly, Paul founded two churches, Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:1 14). The Thessalonians also would be the recipients of Pauline letters, two of which are in the NT (1 and 2 Thess.). Just as Paul had problems while at Thessalonica (Acts 17:1 9), so he had problems explaining to the church about the return of the Lord. Bible students have long debated about Paul s success or lack of it at Athens (Acts 17:16 33). While the worship of the Greek gods had declined, Paul s experience in the marketplace at Athens shows that it was not entirely dead. It was, however, the sense of the failure of the older religions that led to the rapid acceptance of the Christian religion throughout the Roman Empire. Paul, however, did not win a large number of converts at Athens, but he did win some. No city received more attention or provoked more correspondence from Paul than Corinth. Located on the narrow isthmus that connects the Peloponnesus to the rest of Greece, Corinth was a brawling, sinful seaport town, the crossroads of the Mediterranean (Acts 18:1 17). Here Paul met two people who would be among his most valuable helpers, Priscilla and Aquila. He would be brought to trial; he would establish one of his most troublesome and controversial churches, and later he would write at least four letters to that church. Two survived to become a part of the NT. The Greek influence on the NT and Christianity is immeasurable. Koine, the Greek of the streets, is the language of the NT. At least five NT books are written to churches in Greek cities (Phil., 1 and 2 Thess., 1 and 2 Cor.). All the other books in the NT are written in the Greek language. As the Christian gospel moved out into the Mediterranean world, it had to communicate its values to people who were steeped in Greek culture and religion. Both gained from the relationship with people being transformed by the gospel and Christianity gaining a vehicle for its spread. 2 2 Brand, C., Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., Butler, T. C., & Latta, B. (2003). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary ( ). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 57

58 Eerdman s Bible Dictionary commenting on Greece, writes A major ancient civilization rooted primarily in a confederation of city-states in the southern Balkan peninsula. During the biblical period the Greeks influenced the peoples of the ancient Near East culturally and, at times, politically. The modern name Greece (Lat. Graecia) is apparently quite late, applied to the people and their civilization by the Romans following the invasion of Italy by the Greek general Pyrrhus in the late third century B.C. Prior to that time Gk. Hellas was used to designate the locus of Greek civilization, although not in a strictly geographical sense (derived from the collective Hellēnes, an appellative for those who fostered that culture). Even as late as Homeric times (ca. eighth century) various local appellatives (e.g., Achaioi, Argeioi, Danaoi) were extended to all Greeks. In the biblical Table of Nations Javan (Heb. yāwān; Gen. 10:4 par. 1 Chr. 1:7) apparently designates the Ionians, the earliest Greek-speaking inhabitants of Attica (cf. Dan. 8:21; 10:20; 11:2; Zech. 9:13, Greece ). At 1 Macc. 1:1 Gk. Hellas represents Heb. kittim Kittim (so RSV), since by this time yāwān had come to mean the Seleucid kingdom; at Acts 20:2 Hellas refers to the Roman province of Achaia. In New Testament usage Gk. Hellēn may designate an inhabitant of Greece, in the broader sense (e.g., Acts 16:1; Rom. 1:14). More often it denotes a Gentile or non-jew (e.g., 10:12; Gal. 3:28). It may also refer to a Greek-speaking Jew of the Diaspora (e.g., Mark 7:26; cf. Acts 6:1, Hellenists ; Gk. Hellēnistai; KJV Grecians ). Greece proper generally is 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 58

59 limited to that portion of the lower Balkan peninsula situated between the fortieth and thirty-sixth parallels. The mountainous terrain and irregular coastline that divide the land into a number of distinct regions long served as a deterrent to political unification. Northern Greece is separated from the plains of Macedonia by a string of minor ranges, including the Acroceraunian to the west and the Cambunian to the east, the latter crowned by Mt. Olympus (2920 m. [9570 ft.]); the southern limits of the region are formed by the Gulfs of Ambracia and Maliac and the Othrys mountains. The north-south Pindus mountain range, often called the backbone of Greece, separates Epirus to the west and Thessaly to the east in northern Greece; Thessaly is further divided from Magnesia and the Aegean coast by the Ossa and Pelion mountains and by Lake Boebeis and the Gulf of Pagasae. Spurs of the Pindus divide central Greece into Acarnania and Aetolia to the west and Attica, Phocis, and Boetia to the east; interspersed here are the smaller states of Aenis, Doris, Locris, and Malis. To the south the Peloponnesus (called Morea in medieval times) is nearly severed from central Greece by the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf save for the 6.5 km. (4 mi.)-wide Isthmus of Corinth. Achaia occupies the northern coast of the peninsula, with Elis to the west. Inland is Arcadia, a limestone plateau with several lofty mountains to the north; it is the only major Greek district inaccessible by sea. Messenia and Laconica to the south are relatively fertile regions, while Argolis to the east features lowlands that vary by the season from malarial swamp to barren plain; these districts are characterized by a jagged coastline with numerous small harbors and three major gulfs, the Messeniac, Laconic, and Argolic. The several islands of the Ionian and Aegean Seas as well as Crete in the Mediterranean to the south played important roles in the history and civilization of ancient Greece. Off the western coast lie the Ionian islands, which include Corfu (modern Corcyra), Leukas, Cephalonia, Ithaca, Zante (modern Zakinthos), and, opposite the Laconic Gulf, Cythera. Even more numerous are the various groups of islands in the Aegean Sea. The submerged continuation of the mountains stretching southeast from Mt. Olympus form the Northern Sporades (lit. scattered islands ) east of the Magnesian peninsula, including Skiathos, Skopelos, and Skiros. Euboea, the largest of the Aegean islands, extends the mainland Othris and Oeta mountain ranges and parallels nearly the entire coast of central Greece from Epicnemedian Locris to the eastern tip of Attica. The Cyclades comprise two submerged mountain ranges and include Andros, Tinos, Naxos, Delos, Paros, Kea, Milos, and Thira. Salamis and Aegina are located in the Saronic Gulf. Modern reckonings of the Greek isles include not only Thasos, Samothrace, and Lemnos off the coast of Thrace, but also the numerous islands along the western coast of Asia Minor, such as Lesbos, Chios, Samos, and Ikaria as well as the Dodecanese ( twelve ), of which Patmos, Leros, Cos, Rhodes, and Karpathos are the most important. The earliest traces of Greek 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 59

60 settlement are found at Knossos on Crete and at various sites in the Aegean islands and along the coast of the mainland dating to the Early Neolithic I period ( B.C.). This relatively complex society was reinforced during the course of the third millennium by immigrants from Asia Minor who fostered the use of bronze and copper. Local chieftains amassed power, and trade flourished among the islands and with Anatolia, setting the stage for the Early Helladic era on the mainland and the parallel Early Minoan period on Crete. During the Middle Helladic era ( ) the mainland experienced alternate periods of conflict between the new, Greek-speaking, indigenous populations and periods of peaceful coexistence. Central and eastern Crete, however, flourished both politically and culturally under the strong rule of the Knossos dynasty. The achievements of Minoan civilization, which reached its height ca , are evident in architecture (multistoried residences, elaborate palaces decorated with colored frescoes), arts and crafts (metalwork, jewelry), and the development of pictorial and linear writing. Equally noteworthy are the absence of both fortifications and a warrior class. The fusion of indigenous Pelasgians and newcomers on the mainland produced in the Late Helladic period (ca ) the great Mycenaean civilization, named from Mycenae in Argolis, the focus of a confederation of city-states and the first such site discovered. The Mycenaeans traded extensively with the kingdoms of the Levant and proved themselves aggressive militarists, dispatching forces (including charioteers) against such powers as Cyprus and Egypt; although scholars remain divided concerning the demise of the Minoans, their displacement ca may have come at the hands of the Mycenaeans. Much of the Mycenaean success was forged at the expense of the peasantry and slaves captured in war. In general Mycenaean culture was derivative, imitating that of the Minoans and the Near East; distinctive features include massive burial circles for military heroes and the domed tombs of kings as well as gold work, including inlaid weapons and foil death masks. Events in Greece during the twelfth century accord with the wide-scale disruption and dislocation characteristic of the end of the Bronze Age throughout the ancient world. The mainland and islands were invaded, spelling not only the end of Mycenaean civilization but also the beginning of a cultural dark age. New hordes of immigrants appeared, displacing the existing populations. Among them were the Dorians, Greek-speaking barbarians, elements of which are traced variously to the Danube valley and to Epirus in northwestern Greece. They ravaged Macedonia, Mycenae, and Crete before settling in the southern Peloponnesus. In the process they forced native Aeolian peoples from Thessaly and central Greece to seek refuge in Thrace, the Aegean islands, and Asia Minor. Likewise, the Ionians fled Achaia for Attica, eventually driving the inhabitants to the Cyclades and western Asia Minor. In the ninth and eighth centuries Greek civilization revived, perhaps 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 60

61 most evident through the reappearance of writing (now in alphabetic form) and the literature which evolved (e.g., Homer, Hesiod). Trade was resumed, providing contact with the outside world, and regional ties were established at home, often through leagues formed around the worship of common deities. Of particular importance was the rise of a new political order. The Ionians clustered around the old Mycenaean citadels on the mainland, and those whom they had displaced established similar alignments in the islands and Asia Minor; these city-states (Gk. pólis), actually loose tribal confederations, were administered first by local kings or chieftains and later by magistrates. More than one hundred such states emerged in Dorian Crete, established by constitution and generally headed by annually elected village magistrates and a permanent council of elders. Occasionally, as at Corinth and Sicyon, tension between the traditional aristocracy and the emergent oligarchy over political succession provided opportunity for a dictator or tyrant (Gk. týrannos) to usurp control. At Athens the reformer Draco sought unsuccessfully to shift power away from the clans; in 594 the archon Solon succeeded in creating a new social and political order representative of the entire citizenry. Elsewhere, new political alignments between city-states led to increased strength and prosperity. Sparta, formed at the beginning of the seventh century by the union of five Dorian villages in Laconica, asserted itself against villages and by 720 controlled the neighboring district of Messenia; similar unions were formed at Megara, Corinth, and Thebes. Moreover, city-states began to establish colonies for agricultural purposes as well as trade; by the middle of the sixth century hundreds of such settlements had been founded in the islands and Asia Minor as well as in Mediterranean Europe and North Africa. The resultant commercial and territorial competition between city-states often led to strife. Megara yielded its southern territory to Corinth and later lost the island of Salamis to the Athenians. Sparta was defeated by Argos in 669 and then lost several colonies through revolt before settling the score with Argos in 546. Having prospered under tyranny for some thirty-six years, Athens, with the aid of Spartan forces, revolted in 510 against the descendants of Pisistratus; the ensuing civil unrest was quelled through the democratic reforms of Cleisthenes, and Athens was able to withstand the subsequent aggression of Sparta and allied Peloponnesian states. Greek expansion came to an abrupt halt with the rise of the Persian Empire. Cyrus the Great defeated Croesus of Lydia in Asia Minor, an ally of Sparta, which was at the time the dominant Greek state. Cyrus continued to overrun Greek territory in Asia Minor, and his successor Darius I employed captured Greek forces to gain control by 500 of all Greek territory outside the mainland. Chafing under Persianappointed tyrants, the Ionians revolted in 499 with the aid of Athens and Eretria. Despite initial successes at Sardis, the Hellespont, and Bosporus, the Ionians inexplicably yielded the offensive, and the Athenians withdrew. The Persians, 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 61

62 apparently supported by certain Greek factions, reconquered Cyprus and Caria and in 495 scored a decisive naval victory at Lade; by 493 they had regained control in Asia Minor. As punishment the Persians destroyed Miletus, home of the Ionian leader Aristagoras, and in 490 they sailed against Athens and Eretria. Having reduced Euboea, they landed at Marathon, but the Athenians prevailed there and in the later Persian ambush at Phalerum. Persian forces massed in Asia Minor, but the death of Darius I and rebellion in Egypt delayed action until 480, when Xerxes led Persian troops from Sardis against the Hellenic Symmachy, a defensive alliance of thirty Greek states headed by Sparta. While the fleets fought three indecisive battles at Artemesium in northern Euboea, the armies battled at the pass of Thermopylae; despite heavy losses, the Persians won and proceeded to rampage through Boetia and Attica, putting the Athenians to flight. The Greeks then lured the Persian fleet to Salamis and prevailed although heavily outnumbered. The Persians burned Athens the following spring, but the Greeks were victorious at Plataea and routed the Persian navy at Mycale on the Aegean coast. The increased Athenian might compelled Sparta to acquiesce leadership of the alliance; Athens and several Ionian states then formed the Delian League, which warred almost continuously with Persia until 449. With the Persian threat curbed after the assassination of Xerxes the ephemeral unity of the Greek states dissipated, largely because of the propensity toward democracy in Athens. In 461 the Athenians broke with Sparta and initiated a treaty with Argos, the Spartans archenemy, and Megara; Sparta in turn allied with Corinth and Thebes, a hegemony acknowledged by the Thirty Years Peace accepted in 445. Athens entered the Age of Pericles ( ), a golden age of democracy, economic prosperity, and the flourishing of philosophy and the arts. But the attendant expansion of the Athenian Empire to encompass some 425 city-states angered the Spartan alliance, and in 431 hostilities erupted in the great Peloponnesian War. Despite disproportionate losses of population and resources, a decade later the two sides declared this first stage of the war (called the Archidamian War) a stalemate and, found themselves, under the terms of the Peace of Nicias, allied against their own supporters in the Peloponnesus and Argos. This fifty-year pact lasted but five years. The ostracized Alcibiades, a would-be successor to Pericles, incited the Spartans to attack Athens from Decelea in 413. Two years later the impoverished Athenians adopted an oligarchy, but in 410 the masses revolted and instituted a broadened democracy. That same year Alcibiades returned, leading Athens to victory at Cyzicus and gaining election as strategos; he was deposed in 407 when the Greek fleet was defeated near Notium. With Persian aid the Peloponnesian forces besieged Athens by land and sea throughout the winter of 404; the starving Athenians surrendered in the spring, their city, empire, and institutions in total collapse. The victorious Spartans themselves experienced internal dissension over repressive policies and 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 62

63 external resistance by allies and subject states. From 399 to 394 Sparta battled Persia for control of Asia Minor; the Persians retaliated, assisted by Argos, Athens, Corinth, and Thebes, in the Corinthian War ( ). By the mid-fourth century most Greek city-states were in dire straits, and Hellenic unity was recognized as the only hope for survival. To the rescue came Philip II of Macedonia, a crafty diplomat and ruthless militarist who first unified Macedonia and then commenced a systematic assault on the Greek city-states and leagues. The Athenians, some of whom viewed Philip as a valuable ally against the resurgent Persians, joined with Thebes but were routed by Philip and his son Alexander at Chaeronea in 338. Now master of all Greece, Philip united all but Sparta into the Corinthian League, granting the states autonomy and charting the course for war with Persia. Upon Philip s assassination in 336 the young Alexander rose to power. Having quelled two rebellions in Thebes ( ), he embarked on the Persian campaign. He defeated the Persian satraps of Asia Minor in 334 and a year later overcame Darius III Codommanus at Issus. Proceeding along the coast he subjugated Tyre and Syria (332) and liberated Egypt, where he founded Alexandria (331). He then crossed the Tigris and Euphrates, putting Darius troops to flight at Arbela. In 330 Alexander burned Persepolis in retaliation for the 480 destruction of the Acropolis. Calling himself successor to the Achaemenids, he conquered western Iran and Sogdiana, then set forth to master India as far as the river Hydaspes (modern Jhelum), where his troops balked and he was compelled to return to Babylon (326). There he reorganized the Persian Empire, taking upon himself the threefold crowns of king of Persia, hegemon of the Corinthian League, and king of Macedonia. While planning to extend his rule into Arabia Alexander contracted swamp fever and died in 323 at age thirty-three. Upon Alexander s death Greece attempted to reassert independence but was suppressed by Antigonus. Alexander s direct descendants were cast aside, and prolonged conflict ensued for control of the vast empire (the Wars of the Diadochi [ Successors ], ). Three major dynasties shared the legacy: those of Antigonus I Gonatas in Macedonia and Greece, Seleucus over Syria and Asia Minor, and Ptolemy in Egypt and the southern Levant. Peace was short-lived on the mainland, and Macedonia could manage not even token control of the cities, aligned in the Aetolian and Achaean leagues that warred throughout much of the third century. Philip V earned the disfavor of the emergent Roman state by siding with Carthage in the Second Punic War (215). Rhodes and Pergamum invited Roman intervention in the Second Macedonian War ( ), and the Romans began to forge steady inroads into Greek affairs. When Perseus of Macedonia refused to disband his coalition army, the Romans invaded, setting off the Third Macedonian War ( ) that resulted in the division of Macedonia into four kingdoms. At the first sign of renewed resistance in 148 the Romans seized the region and established it as the province of Macedonia. Two 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 63

64 years later they crushed a revolt by the Achaean League, dissolved all the Greek leagues, destroyed Corinth and enslaved its citizens, and replaced democracy with oligarchy. In 145 the defeated city-states were incorporated in the province of Macedonia; Athens and Sparta were permitted to remain autonomous. Although the Greeks borrowed much from the ancient Near East (e.g., the Phoenician alphabet, Babylonian astronomy and mathematics, aspects of Near Eastern mythology), they developed a unique worldview and a largely rational perspective that can clearly be distinguished as Greek. Despite their geographical and political fractiousness, the Greeks shared a basically unified culture, which they recognized as distinct from all others (hence the differentiation between matters Greek or Hellenic [Gk. Hellēnes] and those which were not [bárbaros foreign, i.e., non- Greek ]). Many of their artistic, scientific, and political accomplishments constitute the foundations of Western civilization. A vast corpus of Greek literature is attested, although much has been lost or survives only through brief quotations in the works of others. The roots of that literature may be found in oral epic cycles formed during the Mycenaean era. The development of alphabetic writing in the centuries after the Greek migrations, fostered by the relative stability of the citystates, gave impetus to the creation of such poetic classics as the Homeric epics (the Iliad and Odyssey) and the didactic Works and Days, Catalogues, and Theogony of the Boetian farmer Hesiod. Various types of poetry, primarily religious and intended for recitation to musical accompaniment, emerged during the eighth-seventh centuries, including the elegy, individual and choral lyrics, and iambic poetry. Ironically, Greek literature attained its highest form at the time of the Persian conflicts (mid-sixth to mid-fifth centuries). In addition to the choral lyrics of Pindar of Thebes, Greek drama flourished at this time, an outgrowth of religious festivities; noteworthy are the tragedies of Aeschylus (e.g., Oresteia), Sophocles (Antigone, Oedipus Rex), and Euripedes (Medea, The Trojan Women) and the comedies of Aristophanes (The Clouds, The Birds). Prose writing, which developed after the sixth century, included the writings of the philosophers, historical works (Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon), rhetoric, and oratory (Antiphon, Andocides, Demosthenes). Distinctively Greek art is first evident in the tenth century, represented by the angular, rectilinear designs on pottery of the geometric period. The eighth-seventh centuries constitute a period of orientalization stemming from trade with the Phoenicians and Asia Minor; mythical animals, curvilinear patterns, and silhouettes with incised outlines are characteristic. During the Archaic Period (ca ) the Greeks began to produce freestanding sculpture, most notably of nude youths (Gk. Koúros) and gowned women (Kórē), as well as elaborate temple friezework; red-figured vase painting appeared after 530. The classical period of Greek art (ca ) coincides with the height of Greek power; it featured the statues of Myron and 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 64

65 Phidias in the fifth century and of Praxiteles and Scopas in the fourth and the Parthenon sculptures of Polyclitus. Greek art, represented by schools of realism as well as idealism, was diffused throughout the ancient world following the conquests of Alexander; well-known works of this period include the Nike ( Victory ) of Samothrace, busts of Alexander, and the Aphrodite of Antioch on the Meander (the Venus de Milo, from its discovery on Melos). Greek religion was this-worldly, dominated by superhuman deities. It developed from Minoan religion, which focused on the Great (or Earth) Mother (later known as Hellotis or Demeter), and featured an extensive pantheon introduced during the secondmillennium immigrations. Among the most important deities were the father and creator Zeus, god of weather; his wife Hera, goddess of the hearth; the sea-god Poseidon; Ares, god of war; the sun-god Apollo; Hermes, god of thieves and merchants; Artemis, goddess of the hunt; Athena, patron of the arts, crafts, and sciences; and Aphrodite, goddess of love. The major deities served as patrons of the city-states and, with numerous minor deities, were worshipped in various local manifestations. Over time, often the result of changed political circumstances, some deities experienced transformation, and new cults arose. For example, the law-giver Apollo gained prominence through the popularity of his oracle at Delphi. The cult of Dionysus, god of wine, became an important focus of orgiastic worship and drama. Of later significance were the cult of Asclepius, god of medicine, the syncretistic cult of Sarapis (from the Egyptian Osiris and Apis), and the mystery cults of Demeter at Eleusis and of Orphism. On a popular level Greek religion also featured family (ancestral) cults and theurgy; a form of sorcery. In the sixth century Greek thinkers began to seek rational explanations for the world order. Ionian natural philosophy, traced first to Thales of Miletus, sought a beginning (Gk. archē prime matter or cause ). Pythagoras of Samos saw harmony in the universe while distinguishing soul and body, thought and the senses. In the fifth century Heraclitus of Ephes, sought truth in rational thought, identifying change as the first principle of the world. The Sophists ( teachers of wisdom ) viewed knowledge itself as a good and established a form of education stressing rhetoric, dialectics. and civics. Socrates, known for his method of cross-examination, sought by the inductive method to determine the nature of values and thus to arrive at universal truths which might be taught for ethical living. Foremost among Socrates pupils was Plato ( ), whose theory of ideas contrasted the realm of existence with that of forms or ideas (e.g., truth, beauty, the Good); his political works stressed wisdom, courage, and justice. Plato s greatest student was Aristotle of Stagira ( ), founder of the Lyceum at Athens, whose vast knowledge and insights encompass the fields of ethics, politics, literary criticism, and metaphysics; he contributed significantly to the scientific method in terms of analytical thinking, empirical methodology, and speculative construction. Developments in the 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 65

66 Hellenistic period included Stoicism, which viewed the world as divinely ordered on rational principles to which mankind must, by freedom of will, conform; and Epicureanism, a largely hedonistic philosophy concerned with the attainment of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Closely related to the philosophical quests was the development of Greek science. In the sixth century Pythagoras expanded philosophy by seeking to explain the world order through mathematics, physics, and astronomy. Democritus advanced solid geometry, but the greatest strides were made by Euclid (ca. 300) in his systematic textbook The Elements and by Archimedes of Syracuse (ca ). During the Hellenistic era the Greeks expanded upon Babylonian astronomy; Heraclides of Ponticus and Aristarchus of Samos concluded that the earth rotated on its own axis as well as around the sun, but Hipparchus of Nicaea, in addition to cataloging the stars and astral phenomena, arrived at the more popular notion of celestial movement around the earth. Perhaps the greatest achievements were in the field of medicine. Hippocrates of Cos ( ), who stressed rational treatment of illness as a natural phenomenon rather than divine punishment, advanced the theory of the four vital forces or humors. Herophilus of Chalcedon and Alexandria discovered the function of the brain and nervous system, and Erasistratus of Ceos studied the circulatory system. Advanced through the conquests of Alexander the Great, Greek culture permeated the ancient world, including not only conquered territories but even the very conqueror of Greece, Rome. Influence on the biblical world is evident from the Hellenistic period on. Scholars have argued the Hellenistic character of such Old Testament books as Daniel and Ecclesiastes. Specific references include the he-goat of Daniel 8:5 8, generally identified as Alexander (cf. 11:3). The imposition of Hellenistic civilization on Palestine was particularly offensive to the Jews, and the excesses of Antioches IV Epiphanes provoked the Maccabean Revolt. The apostle Paul confronted Greek civilization directly in his preaching missions (Acts 16 18, 20); many scholars contend that he introduced into Christianity a Greek perspective. Greek influence on the New Testament is evident not only in the language in which it is recorded but also in certain discernible literary genres (e.g., epistolary formulas and possibly apocalyptic). Moreover, a number of quotations from Greek literature occur. Acts 17:28b is taken from the Phaenomena of Aratus, a Stoic poet from Soli in Cilicia ( ). The first part of the verse is often attributed to Epimenides, a sixth-century Cretan poet named as one of the seven sages of Greece and regarded by his people as a prophet (cf. Diogenes Laertius Vitae ii.112). The quotation at Titus 1:12 is ascribed to Epimenides De Oraculis, a collection of oracular proverbs and noteworthy sayings; some attribute it instead to 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 66

67 Callimachus ( ). The proverb cited by Paul at 1 Corinthians 15:33 may be traced to Thais, written by the Attic comic poet Menander ( ). 3 Excursus: Alexander the Great Eerdman s Bible Dictionary has the following article on Alexander the Great, Alexander III of Macedonia, commonly known as Alexander the Great ( B.C.), the son of and successor to Philip the king of Macedonia. His name does not occur in the Old Testament, but the hegoat of Dan. 8:5 is considered a veiled reference to him. A summary of his military and political achievements is given at 1 Macc. 1:1 8. After Philip s death, the twenty-year-old Alexander fulfilled his father s dream of curbing the Persian influence on Greece. Once secure on the northern frontier, he crossed the Hellespont and terminated Persian rule over the Greek colonies along the west coast of Asia Minor (334). In the famous battle at the narrow plain of Issus (333), Alexander s first real encounter with Darius III of Persia was decided in the Macedonian s favor. He then turned south, conquered Tyre and Palestine, and, without the use of the sword, became the ruler of Egypt. According to Josephus, when he entered Jerusalem the general paid his respects to the high priest, Jaddua, and made an offering in the temple. Whatever the historical reliability of this account, Alexander may have courted the Jews favor and trust before continuing his march toward Egypt. In Egypt he founded Alexandria on the western part of the Nile Delta, opposite Pharos. Having become master of the western part of the Persian Empire, Alexander turned to the east in a final battle with the Persians. He refused Darius offer to share the Empire (cf. Dan. 8:7), leaving his opponent no choice but to prepare for war. Again Alexander won (331), and became the undisputed master of the East. His expedition to India, however, was less glorious. He went as far as the Jhelum river, where his veterans (weary from eight years of campaigns) refused to continue the journey and Alexander was compelled to return to Babylon. While in the process of making the former capital of Babylonia the seat of his new empire, Alexander suddenly died of malaria at the age of thirty-three. His kingdom was soon divided among his generals, the socalled Diadochi ( successors ; cf. the breaking of the horn and the rise of four successor horns at Dan. 8:8); thus his empire came to be divided among Antigonus I and his successors (Macedonia), Seleucus (Asia Minor and Syria), Ptolemy (Egypt), and Eumenes and Lysimachus, founders of the Attalid dynasty (Pergamum). Significant though his military feats were and important as the extensive network of roads he constructed may have been, Alexander s cultural aims and achievements were even more far-reaching. The Greek language, which 3 Myers, A. C. (1987). The Eerdmans Bible dictionary ( ). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 67

68 he made the official language of the ancient Near East, permitted the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament (at Alexandria) and subsequently the writings of the New Testament. In this way many peoples became familiar with the Jewish and Christian religions, and, through the process of Hellenization initiated by Alexander and implemented by his successors, both the Jews and the Christians were exposed to and challenged by writings of the Greek intellectuals. 4 The New Bible Dictionary has the following The youthful king of Macedon whose pan-hellenic expedition of 336 B.C. to liberate the Greeks of Asia Minor unexpectedly demolished the Persian Empire. Only the mutiny of his troops turned him back in India, and he died in 323 while planning the conquest of the W. His generals established the concert of Hellenistic kingdoms to which the Herods performed the epilogue. Probably from necessity rather than idealism, Alexander abandoned the isolationism of the Greeks in favour of racial cooperation. Hellenism became an international norm of civilization. Hence the agonies of the Jews in the Maccabean age, and the tensions that surrounded the crucifixion. Hence also the inspiration of the cosmopolitan philosophies that chimed in with Christian ideals. Presumably it is Alexander to whom reference is made in Dn. 8:21; 11:3. 5 B.W.R. Pearson has the following excellent article on Alexander the Great, he writes The conquest of the Achaemenid (Persian) empire by Alexander III of Macedon in the late fourth century B.C. marked the beginning of a new era. Important in itself, his conquest was especially significant in light of its ongoing legacy of Greek rule, culture and language in the eastern Mediterranean area. The figure of Alexander himself would likewise provide the impetus for the development and implementation of ruler worship in both the Hellenistic successor kingdoms and in the later Roman principate. 1. The Man 2. Alexander s Achievements 3. Alexander and the Jews 1. The Man. 1.1Early Life and Education. Alexander, born in July 356 B.C., was one of several sons of the monarch of Macedon, Philip II, by his first wife Olympias, a princess of neighboring Epuria. Tutored in philosophy, science and culture by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, among others, and trained in the martial arts in his father s army, Alexander was able to glean for himself the best that the Greek world had to offer. During his youth, his father carried out a campaign of Greek unification and military expansion, playing the largest role in the establishment of the Corinthian League, of which he became the head. Alexander was heavily involved in his father s military campaigning and served as his regent in 340 B.C. During his days at court in Pella, Alexander was able to interact with the finest Greeks and 4 Myers, A. C. (1987). The Eerdmans Bible dictionary (37 38). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 5 Judge, E. A. (1996). Alexander the Great. In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible dictionary (D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer & D. J. Wiseman, Ed.) (3rd ed.) (24). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 68

69 Macedonians alive at the time, from poets and philosophers to actors and engineers, all of whose skills he would eventually put to use for his own formidable causes Succession to the Throne of Macedon. Philip II s assassination in 336 B.C. took place a year after he had put Olympias aside for the younger Macedonian princess, Cleopatra. As a result, both Alexander s contemporaries and later scholars have been very interested in the role that Alexander and his mother may have played in Philip s death. Whatever his involvement or lack thereof, Alexander managed to gain the support of some of Philip s more important generals and secured the succession as king of Macedon for himself. The right of succession of Philip s status as leader (hēgemōn) of the Corinthian League had also been granted to his offspring, but Alexander was not able to step so neatly into his father s shoes, for Philip s assassination had left Alexander in a precarious political position. The fragile alliance of Greek citystates that Philip had held together with an iron grip threatened to disintegrate, with the orators and politicians of Athens being by far the most critical of Alexander and the non-athenian leadership of the coalition. Alexander, however, managed to overcome this opposition, and with the vicious exemplary subjugation and destruction of rebellious Thebes (for which Alexander would later be vilified by Athenian poets and statesmen) he was able to hold together his father s alliance. 2. Alexander s Achievements The Conquest. Alexander s conquest of the Achaemenid Empire by the age of twenty-four was an accomplishment without parallel in the ancient world. He took his father s political mantle upon himself completely and in 334 B.C. set out to wrest control from the Persians of the various areas in Asia Minor inhabited by Greek-speaking peoples. The famous battles of the Granicus and the Issus (at which the Persian king, Darius II, personally led the Persian troops) set the tone for many spectacular victories over the next several years. These initial victories were decisive harbingers of many to follow, as Alexander first established control over Asia Minor and then began a systematic siege of each Persian-controlled or -sympathetic port along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, through Phoenicia, Palestine and Egypt. Because he lacked any real navy (and did not trust the loyalty of the small navy supplied by the Corinthian League), after he defeated the Persian land forces at the battle of Issus, his primary objective was to cut the Persian navy off from its land bases. His handling of resistant cities was thorough and savage, killing and/or enslaving the entire population of such cities as Tyre and Gaza. Militarily, Alexander s use of his core Macedonian troops, but especially his Thracian auxiliaries, together with troops from the Corinthian League and other mercenaries, was inspired. It is, however, this latter coastal conquest that makes Alexander s overall purpose difficult to discern. His military purpose in this coastal conquest can be seen as a defensive one, for the naval power of the Persians would have been an ongoing problem for 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 69

70 the newly freed Greek cities along the coast of Asia Minor, as well as within Greece and Macedon. However, it may be that this coastal conquest shows that Alexander was thinking of a much wider conquest from the beginning. On this reading of the evidence, rather than a defensive action, the coastal conquest was his way of decisively protecting his weak rear flank while he went on to conquer the rest of the empire. His rejection of a suit for peace from Darius after the battle of Issus suggests that his objective was always more than simply freeing the Greek cities of Asia Minor. In any case, at the moment he completed this initial conquest and turned his eyes eastward again, his desire for further conquest became evident. Alexander s campaigning drew to a close in the Indus River region, where his men, tired of conquest and weary of foreign climes, convinced him to stop and return. It was in Babylon, soon after the cessation of his campaigning, that he died. The circumstances of his death are unclear, and hence conspiracy theories abound, but it is probable that he died of natural causes related to heavy drinking, old wounds and possibly malaria, contracted during his campaigning in India Characteristics of Alexander s Conquests and Rule. It is difficult to tell whether the mythological language (following in the tracks of Heracles and Dionysus, who were both thought to have traveled to India) and the rhetoric of scientific quest (for the great Ocean Sea, thought to lie east of India) that surrounded Alexander s eastward conquest were blinds to allow him to continue his conquests with impunity or were the driving forces behind his desire for further campaigning. It seems that beneath the surface of Alexander s military and diplomatic genius was a man driven by devotion to the myths of the Greeks and an overwhelming curiosity for new places and peoples. One of the most consistent factors throughout Alexander s career was this devotion to myth. At an early age, his tutor Lysimachus gave him the nickname Achilles the hero of Homer s Iliad and his mother could supposedly trace ancestry to the Homeric figures of both Achilles and Helen of Troy. Likewise, Heracles was seen as the ancestor of the Macedonian kings, and Perseus also found a place within Alexander s lineage. In addition, after her divorce from Philip, Alexander s mother seems to have spread a story that Alexander s paternity was actually divine. Olympias was notorious for her lavish devotion to religion and cult, and it may be that the special relationship Alexander had with his mother was the source of his own religio-mythical devotion. In light of these various emotional and familial ties to the Greek myths and their heroes, some of the stranger things about Alexander s various activities fit (for example, his naked processional around the tomb of Achilles upon arrival in Asia Minor at Troy in 334 B.C., his journey to the famous Oracle at Siwah after his conquest of Egypt in 332 B.C., his identification of himself as the son of Zeus-Ammon [which would have fit well with his mother s claims] and the extent of his eastward conquest [where, at its eastward-most limit, he found Nyssa, the mythic sanctuary 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 70

71 of Dionysus, Fox, ]). There is good evidence to suggest that as his campaigns in Persia and India wore on, Alexander s Macedonian soldiers began to feel that he was becoming a tyrant, that they found his rejection of his own father in favor of Zeus-Ammon unacceptable, that he was taking on far too many oriental characteristics, practices and retainers and that his conquests were going too far and too long. Alexander did occupy a difficult position once he had finally conquered Darius II in Media in 330 B.C. He had set out on his conquest of Asia Minor under the banner of his father s motto of freedom for Greek cities but had ended up conquering not only the Persians in Asia Minor but also the Persian king, and he would go on to conquer the rest of the former Achaemenid territories. As the new king of Persia, as well as the king of Macedon and leader of the Corinthian League, the line that Alexander was forced to tread was an exceedingly fine one. That there were problems encountered by Alexander from all of these quarters is manifest at home, there was continued Athenian polemics and ill will toward their Macedonian overlord; in the field, at least two assassination plots were foiled; and, as he moved further eastward into the Persian homelands, the Persians were less and less happy with his presence. It is difficult, however, to make much of the charge that Alexander did become tyrannical, for the evidence does not bear it out. The loyalty of his men and their following of him beyond all previous knowledge of Greek civilization is testimony that he remained, until the end, the popular leader that he always had been. The evidence for his orientalizing tendencies and divine self-image is at best inconclusive (on the latter, see Plutarch Isis and Osiris 360D). Given his early death, it is impossible to tell how he would have reigned as a Macedonian conqueror, as the rightful successor by conquest of the Persian throne or perhaps as both The Spread of Hellenism. Alexander s conquests were significant not only in light of their legacy of Macedonian and Greek political, economic and military domination over much of the Near East but also because of the impact of Greek culture and language on the various peoples under Macedonian/Greek domination. This bipartite influence, coupled with the openness on the part of the Greeks to incorporating Eastern religions, ideas and wisdom into their beliefs, is often called Hellenism. This phenomenon of Hellenism was to be Alexander s greatest legacy to the world of the NT. On a purely practical level, the widespread use of the Greek language provided a common means of communication; and the unifying force of Greek culture, together with the willingness on the part of the Greeks to amalgamate native religious cults and beliefs with their own, allowed for much cross-fertilization and the spread of both Greek and non-greek ideas in a way that was not previously possible. Alexander s direct involvement in the spread of Hellenism is debatable. He established Greek cities (many of which were named Alexandria) throughout his newly conquered territories, peopled them with veterans and loyal retainers and in effect set up both 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 71

72 garrisons and Hellenistic centers throughout the former Achaemenid Empire, from Egypt to India. However, the common characterization of Alexander as a missionary of Greek culture is overstated. Alexander s spreading of Greek language and culture was tightly tied to his program of conquest much as the Romans would later follow a strict policy of Romanization of their territories before incorporation into the empire as provinces, so too Alexander used language and culture to his own ends. The end effect was a saturation of Greek culture at various levels of native societies, and, for the study of the NT, the extent and character of this saturation for both the Jewish and non-jewish peoples affected by the early Christian movement is an item of much discussion and debate. 3. Alexander and the Jews. Because Alexander s campaigns took him through the region of Palestine, there is quite a bit of discussion regarding his involvement with Jews and Jewish culture. There are several stories about Alexander recorded in rabbinic literature (b. Tamid 31b 32b; Tg. Ps.-J. 2:5, 8c; Gen. Rab. 61:7), but the most significant Jewish tradition about Alexander is found in Antiquities , where Josephus records a story that has Alexander thoroughly embroiled in Jewish-Samaritan politics and credits him both with the foundation of the Samaritan sanctuary on Mt. Gerizim and with the reception of a vision telling of his eventual defeat of the Persian king, after which he sacrificed to the God of the Jews in Jerusalem and granted them extensive rights. This story is repeated in a somewhat different version in b. Yoma 69a but is at best improbable in either form. It probably does reflect, however, the beginning of an ascendancy of the Jews over the Samaritans as the result of Alexander s extreme displeasure with the Samaritans after they rebelled while he was in Egypt. At any rate, when compared with a passage such as Daniel 11:2 4, it seems that the Jews were treated somewhat ambivalently by Alexander. This would change over the next two centuries as Alexander s successors (the Diadochi) waged the five Syrian wars and implemented a series of differing policies toward the Jews some positive, some negative. At this initial stage, though, it seems that Alexander s conquests leveled the political playing field for the Jews to a certain extent, in that previously strong neighbors (Samaritans, Phoenicians) were humbled, and at least their first new overlord rulers (Alexander for a short time, and then, after a brief period of Seleucid control, Ptolemy I) were well-disposed toward them. For the Jews and the early Christians, Alexander s significance after his death was also important his body, embalmed in Babylon and intended for burial in the northern Seleucid kingdom, was transported in a large funeral chariot that amounted to a moving temple, complete with road builders to smooth the way. Ptolemy I hijacked the funeral caravan, however, taking the body to Alexandria, where it was housed in a permanent temple, and Alexander was worshiped as either a demigod or a god until the third century A.D. The influence and effects of this cult on Alexandrian 2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 72

73 Jews and Christians is not to be underestimated and would have resonated well with such a passage as Isaiah 40:3 (Porter and Pearson). Beyond this, Alexander left the Greco-Roman world as a whole with a personal legacy of mystery and romance. Many Hellenistic and Roman rulers would later try to cash in on this mystique not least, for the Jews, the young son of the Roman governor of Idumea, Herod, and their first Roman conquerer, Pompey. 6 Excursus: Battle of Marathon and Salamis When Darius landed near the plain of Marathon in 490 B.C., the city of Athens famously dispatched a runner to Sparta named Pheidippides since Sparta pledged to aid Athens against the Persian hordes. This individual covered 140 miles in two days. However, it was all in vain since the Spartan soldiers could not go to war during the festival of Apollo. Therefore, Athens mustered a small army under the 6 Porter, S. E., & Evans, C. A. (2000). Dictionary of New Testament background: A compendium of contemporary biblical scholarship (electronic ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 73