DANIEL7P15

Daniel 7 - Grecian Empire

Daniel 7:6

6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

336 +/- B.C. Belly of brass - Greek Empire

The third kingdom to bear rule over the whole earth which is confirmed by scripture and secular history is the Grecian empire founded by Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great when he was barely 20 years old set out to conquer the whole known world, particularly Persia. In a few years he had freed almost all neighboring lands from the Persians, and his domain stretched as far east as India. The Egyptians welcome him as a liberator, and the city of Alexandria was named for him. By 331 B.C. at age 25, he was proclaimed king of all Asia. Alexander died young and left no heirs. After his death in 323 B.C. his lands were divided among his generals who ruled them until they fell to Rome one by one. We read in Daniel Chapter 8 where Daniel has more visions of these world empires and he saw them as beasts. Daniel 8:3-7 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. 5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. There is no doubt who the ram is and who the he-goat is with the notable born. God had sent the angel Gabriel to interpret this vision. Gabriel says in Daniel 8:20, 21 20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. It is clear that the Grecian empire follows the Medes and Persians empire. The two horns of the Ram would be the same as the two arms of silver Nebuchadnezzar saw in his great image; a dual empire of the Medes and Persians. The angel Gabriel also goes on to say that the notable horn of the h-goat (the Grecian empire) is its first king. Anyone that has studied the Grecian empire knows that it was founded by Alexander the Great, one of the greatest world conquerors of all time.
Note: The third beast was like a 'Leopard' having 4 heads and 4 wings of a fowl. The leopard is the most agile and graceful of wild beasts. Slight in its frame but strong, swift, and fierce are its characteristics. Both Daniel 8:21 and Daniel 11:3,4 identify the empire following the Medes/Persians (2nd beast of Daniel 7) as the Grecian empire. History clearly records the notable conqueror of the Medo/Persian empire as Alexander the Great who then subdued the whole then known civilized world. He died at the young age of 30 and the Grecian kingdom was divided among his generals into 4 smaller kingdoms (Egypt, Greece, Asia Minor, and Syria). This division of the Grecian empire explains the 4 heads. The progress or speed of accomplishing this was swift but not as swift as the armies of Nebuchadnezzar's empire of Babylonian (the first beast). This is why the symbol of fowl wings is used as compared to eagle wings of the first beast.