End Times:
Page 1.
As you read these verses in Daniel 8, we must keep in mind what is being discussed concerns Nebuchadnezzar’s Image of a man. This one image will have represented every king and ruler, and every kingdom since Babylon to today’s world-wide kingdom of Islam. Individual kingdoms represented by one image of one man, all kingdoms and empires packaged into one.
The head of gold beginning with Nebuchadnezzar; King of the Babylon Empire and those who followed after him. These were followed by the Media-Persian Empire and all their Kings; and the Grecian Empire and all their kings; the Roman Empire and all their Caesar’s; the Holy Roman Empire and all their Pope’s; followed by the English, German, French, Spanish and Dutch empires and all their Kings and Queens; followed by the Ottoman’s and now Islam and all their Imam’s. From the head of gold to the toes of miry clay, all represented in this one image of a man.
Some 2,600 years have passed since Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Many Empires and their Kings, Rulers, Caesar’s, Popes and Imam’s have come and gone, as prophesied. Thousands of years are represented in this one image of a man and this will continue until the Lord returns.
So, when you see the following pronouns in Daniel’s interpretation, pronouns such as, it, him, he, etc., concerning this image, he is speaking of nations and kingdoms all rolled into one package. And the one thing these empires have had in common, they have been the enemies of the Jews; of Christs gospel and of Christians. The image represents the history of Kings and their kingdoms all rolled into one. This one image of a man represents the history of mankind, some 2600 years. Mankind’s will has and will continue to war against their Creator will.
Let’s begin with:
Daniel 8:8, “Therefore the he goat (Alexander) waxed (grew) very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken (Alexander’s early and untimely death) and for it came up four notable ones (they pointing to Alexander’s 4 generals: Selencus 1 Nictor; Lyasimacus; Cassander and Ptolemy) toward the four winds of heaven.” After Alexander’s death, these four divided the empire among themselves and became kings over their portion.
Dan.8:9, “And out of one of them (one of the four notable horns) came forth a little horn (General Selencus) which waxed (grew) exceeding great (militarily, politically) (conquering) toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land (Israel).”
War broke out between the 4 as Selencus 1 Nictor remained standing as the other 3 fell. He was victorious, and expanded his rule, thus was born the Seleucid Empire. And from his loins would come his son Antiochus who would be followed by his son, and so on, each ruling over the Empire.
In the year 281 B.C. Seleucus 1 Nictor had consolidated the whole of the empire, but, one year later in September 281 B.C. he was murdered. Remember this very important year, 281 B.C., because the consolidation of the Greek Empire by Seleucus plays an important role in solving the puzzle of Daniel’s end time prophesy.
Alexander and Seleucus began the Hellenization of their conquered territories. Hellenization relates to Greek history, its language, and culture from the death of Alexander the Great to the defeat of Cleopatra and Mark Antony by Octavian in 31 B.C. During this period, Greek culture flourished, spreading through the Mediterranean and into the Near East and Asia and centering on Alexandria in Egypt and Pergamum in Turkey, and including Israel. Also, our LORD had now established the language in which the New Testament would be written, Greek.
Seleucus’ first son, Antiochus 1 Soter was born 324 B.C., died 262. He took power after his father Selencus was assassinated at the age of 62 in the year 281 B.C.
Antiochus 1 Soter was followed by Seleucus the 4th Philopator (187-175 BC) who was assassinated by his minister Heliodorus. But now his younger brother, Antiochus 4th Epiphanes seized the throne. He attempted to restore Seleucid power and prestige with a successful war against the old enemy Ptolemaic of Egypt. He met with initial success as the Seleucids defeated and drove the Egyptian army back to Alexandria.
By 100 B.C, the once formidable Seleucid Empire encompassed little more than Antioch and some Syrian cities, but Seleucid rule was not entirely over yet. Following the Roman general Lucullu’ defeat of both Mithridates and Tigranes in 69 BC, a rump, or small part of the Seleucid kingdom was restored under Antiochus 12th. Even so, civil wars could not be prevented, as another Seleucid, Philip 2ed, contested rule with Antiochus. After the Roman conquest of Pontus, the Romans became increasingly alarmed at the constant source of instability in Syria under the Seleucids. The Mithridates were a Hellenistic kingdom in Asia Minor and of Persian origin. They lived between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.
Antiochus of Ascalon was the last of this line and died in 68 B.C., this ending the generational rule of the Selencus dynasty.
When Rome took over, they divided the region into four smaller republics, and in 146 BC Macedonia officially became a province, with its capital at Thessalonica. The remainder of the Greek city-states gradually and in due course payed homage to Rome ending the Greeks power of self-government. The Romans left local administration to the Greeks without making any attempt to abolish traditional political patterns, also the place of assembly in Athens continued to be the center of civic and political life.
Pompey, Caesar of Rome, now set about the task of remaking the Hellenistic East, by creating new client kingdoms and establishing provinces. Pompey saw the Seleucids as too troublesome to continue; doing away with both rival Seleucid princes, he made Syria into a Roman province.
And so, the little horn that had waxed great, would now, as prophesied, give way to the 4th beast, Rome.
So now, Nebuchadnezzar’s image of man who’s belly and thighs (thighs pointing to the upper part of a man’s legs, from belly to knee) made of bronze were about to make the transition from thighs of bronze to legs of iron.
The Two knee joints on Nebuchadnezzar’s image joined the thigh or upper legs, Greece, to the two legs of iron, Rome. Greece was allowed to continue as a nation, but was to pay homage to Rome.
The knees of men are modified hinge joints, which permits flexion and extension as well as slight internal and external rotation of the upper part of the leg to the lower part. And so, we can make this comparison of the Greek and Roman transfer of authority, the flexibility that occurred in this takeover, and Rome’s future extension of territory went well enough to keep Greece in prophesy.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com