'Appreciating God's Love'
A) Third Beast - Leopard
Dan 7:6 "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it."
Alexander the Great from Macedonia, which is West of Babylon, started the Grecian Empire (male goat) by defeating the mighty Mede-Persian Empire (ram with 2 horns) in his youth. Just like a leopard known for its speed, Alexander with the help of his four generals (4 wings) conquered the whole of the middle East and even North India within a short time.
He died at a young age of 33 in Babylon, and his Empire was split into four kingdoms (4 heads), one for each general.
Dan 8:5-8 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand. Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.
Note from history, we know that:-
1st Beast - Babylonian
2nd Beast - Mede-Persian
3rd Beast - Grecian Empire
and this is in agreement with the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream.
B) Fighting Against Princes
Dan 10:1,20 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.. Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come."
During the reign of King Cyrus the Persian, the angel of the Lord told Daniel that he was opposing the prince (angel) of Persia. Why?
Angels were sent by God to ensure that His will upon every individual Jew be fulfilled. They would oppose any Persian who dared to harm or hurt any devout Jew against God's will.
Note God cares for everyone's welfare for He is our Father, who loves us beyond our understanding.
When the Lord allowed a devout Jew to be chastised for his refinement, the angels would ensure that only the approved amount of chastisement and nothing more.
Psa 91:11-12 For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Deliverance of the Righteous
2 Pet 2:7-9 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
Thank God for His love, care compassion, concern and deliverance for everyone of us who loves Him.
After the Greeks had displaced the Persians, the angel would come to oppose the prince of Greece.
C) Division of Grecian Kingdom
Dan 11:2-4 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.
At the death of Alexander the Great, his Empire was divided into four kingdoms under the rule of each of his generals.
1. Greece and Macedonia
Gen. Cassander took control of Greece and Macedonia;
2. Turkey
Gen. Lysimachus took control of Thrace and most of Asia Minor;
3. Southern kingdom
Gen. Ptolemy took control of Egypt, Israel and Petra.
4. Northern kingdom
Gen. Seleucus took control of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon (former Persian Empire).
Only the Northern and Southern kingdoms were of significance. The prophecies concerning these two kingdoms in the book of Daniel were fulfilled in such great accuracy during the Grecian Empire that sceptics and professed believers alike, subscribed to the theory that the book of Daniel was a history record written after the events.
Wikipedia – The Book of Daniel is a biblical apocalypse, combining a prophecy of history with an eschatology (the study of last things) which is both cosmic in scope and political in its focus. ... In the Hebrew Bible it is found in the Ketuvim (writings or history), while in Christian Bibles it is grouped with the Major Prophets.
