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The Greek Empire
Mountain 5
The Greek Empire came into existence under Alexander the Great. In 334 B.C.. Alexander took over Macedonia Greece at the death of his father when he was only 20 years old. He quickly took control of all of the Macedonia-Greece region and then set his sites on the Persian Empire which had menaced the Greeks for several hundred years. By the time of his death in 323 B.C. at the age of 32, he had taken all but a few remote regions of the Persian Empire. In a sense, Alexander the Great was the Greek Empire but after his death the Greek influence continued for centuries. Daniel chapter 8 speaks explicitly of Alexander's conquest of the Persian Empire and the dividing of his empire between four of his generals at his death. The two most important parts of the divided Greek Empire are the Egyptian and Syrian parts of the kingdom. The Egyptians are referred to as the Ptolemies and they controlled the land of Israel for many years at the beginning of this divided Greek Empire. The Syrians who are referred to as the Seleucids did however gain control of Israel for a time. The Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes took over Jerusalem in 167 B.C.. Antiochus entered into the holy of holys, put a stop to the daily sacrifice for three years and set up a statue of Zeus Olympus in the temple of God and forbade the worship of God. He was the antichrist of that day and a forerunner of the end times antichrist. The following verses from Daniel 8 are speaking of the future antichrist that will come at the end of this time of grace to stir the enemies of God against Him and His people and to prepare God's enemies for the final judgment. The most important point to draw from Daniel 8 below, the second half of Danie 11 and Daniel 12 is that it was this kingdom from several thousand years ago that fulfilled much prophesy up to a point. After that, it is all put into the future, to the time of the end and the latter time of this kingdom when it is revived and transgressors are come to fullness. Expect the ten nation alliance of the end times to look similar to the map below.
Daniel 8:9-12
9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
Daniel 8:23-26
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
The Greek Empire is also the third or Leopard like beast of Daniel 7. The four heads are the four generals that all received a portion of the kingdom after Alexander's death. The leopard and the four wings are symbolic of the strength and swiftness with which they conquered.
Daniel 7:6
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.
The Greek Empire lies within the yellow outline on a modern geopolitical map.
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