Archive for Alexander the Great

Unfailing Prophecy… Joshua of Ghana

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Joshua Ghana, Prophecy with tags , , , , on March 2, 2021 by paulthepoke

TEXT: DANIEL 8:1-12

Key Verse: Daniel 8:12 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 practiced, and prospered.

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On March 21, 1969, Time magazine of the United States conducted an investigative report that concluded that 1,220 out of the country’s 1,750 dailies had columns running forecasts about the unknown tomorrow. The stargazers failed miserably with their prophecies the same way a religious group has been forced to revise its predictions about the date of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ severally.

On the other hand, the true prophets of God have always proclaimed unfailing prophecies. Daniel was one such men of God. Two years after the Lord revealed the prophecy of the four kingdoms that would shape the world up to the rapture and the millennial rule and beyond, Daniel received more visions, this time of both long and short scopes. God, using domestic animals to represent the kingdoms unlike the wild creatures of the previous chapter, revealed that world powers would rise and fall. Daniel prophesied that “a notable… horn” would emerge.

Historians have identified this “horn” as Alexander the Great of the Greek Empire, who, as predicted died prematurely in 323 BC: “the great horn was broken.” The prophecy was made about 300 years earlier. Daniel also predicted that after Alexander’s death, the Greek Empire would collapse and give birth to four new ones. And so it happened.

Only He who knows the future reveals it to His genuine servants and to sincere seekers of the truth. Man is needlessly anxious about the years ahead, turning to idols and charlatans to untie the knot about the unknown. He will rope himself into more snares if he does not run to the God who, thousands of years ago, predicted what we are witnessing today: “the time of the end… shall be a time of trouble… many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased”.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Do not seek to know the future without first knowing its Owner.

The Bible IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 21 – 23

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Daniel’s 2nd Vision With Gabriel’s Understanding

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Antichrist/Beast, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 1, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 8:3-14 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 

Daniel 8:20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.

I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground.

Daniel 8:21a And the goat is the king of Greece.

And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 

Daniel 8:21b And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken…

Daniel 8:22a As for the horn that was broken…

…and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

Daniel 8:22b …in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

Out of one of them came a little horn…

Daniel 8:23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.

…which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. 

It became great…

Daniel 8:24-25 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many.

…even as great as the Prince of the host.

Daniel 8:25a And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes…

And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. 

Daniel 8:25b and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. 

Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

Daniel 8:26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

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The Greek Empire

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , on July 5, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 8:21 And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

Javan is a son of Japheth. Javan is Noah’s grandson. History shows this group of people as Ionians or the Greeks. His name means effervescing, hot, and active. This gives insight into Javan’s character. (Strong’s Concordance).

Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

Gabriel describes the goat as “shaggy” or sa’iyr. The term is also translated as hairy. Esau was reported to be sa’iyr.

Genesis 27:11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

Sa’iyr can also be translated as devil.

The Bible views the goat as a leader in other verses. Some translations will use the term “he goat“. Noted are a couple of examples below.

Jeremiah 50:8 Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as male goats before the flock.

A goat is equated with a king in Proverbs.

Proverbs 30:31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.

Daniel’s vision included a goat who was a great leader. He needed assistance in understanding the nature of the goat and his origin.

Daniel 8:5 As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.

And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

In the Bible, horns are equated with kings and leaders. Horns demonstrate strength, power, and honor.

Luke 1:69 …and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David…

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Historically, there is only one great leader from Greece that fits the description of Daniel 8:5. He conquered the known world at a break neck pace. Greece would replace the Persians as the dominant military power as prophesied by Daniel.

alex323

From the time of the given unveiling, about 230 years later in 323 BC, Alexander the Great would conquer the known world and fulfill this prophecy. Alexander is the large horn. He succeeded his father Philip at age 20. Alexander never lost on the battlefield.

Alexander the Great died at age 32 in Babylon. History suggests he was an alcoholic and could not control himself. Moderation was not in his make up. Alexander was the expression of his fore father Javan (effervescing, hot, and active).

photo: Wikipedia

Daniel 8:22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

Gabriel continued his interpretation of prophecy with Daniel regarding the future Greek Empire. As history records, when Alexander the Great died and the horn of the goat was broken.

Alexander’s kingdom was divided into his four generals. Cassander would rule Macedonia and Greece. Lysimachus would preside over Thrace, Bithynia, and the majority of Asia Minor. Seleucus would take over Syria and the land to the east including Babylon. Ptolemy would be in charge of Egypt, the Holy Land, and the Sinai Peninsula. And they would war and fight…

And as the prophecy states, none of the generals or four horns would assume control of Alexander’s vast empire.

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Revelation: Historical Smyrna

Posted in Prophecy, Revelation with tags , , , , , on December 11, 2016 by paulthepoke

Revelation 2:8a And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write…

Ancient Smyrna today is Izmir, Turkey. It is located about 35 miles north of Ephesus. Smyrna was founded by the Greeks approximately 3,000 years ago. The city was rebuilt by Alexander the Great in roughly 340 BC. Later, the Romans were given control of the city in 133 BC as a part of Eumenes III will and testament.

Ancient Smyrna was a port city and relied on commercial trade.

The martyr Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna. He was killed in 155 AD.

Smyrna became a territory in the eastern leg of the Roman Empire. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 178 AD.

Eventually, Smyrna became part of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century.

Today, Izmir is the most populous Aegean port city in Turkey. The city is predominantly Muslim. It is the third most populous city in Turkey. Izmir is home to Turkey’s second largest Jewish community of about 2,500. (Wikipedia)

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Antichrist, Greek Empire Roots, Part 2

Posted in Antichrist/Beast, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , on December 28, 2014 by paulthepoke

Daniel 8:23-25 “In the latter period of their rule, when the transgressors have run their course, a king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will; he will destroy mighty men and the holy people. And through his shrewdness he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence…

Little Horn of Daniel 8

This king will be insolent and skilled in intrigue. Other adjectives in the original Hebrew could describe him as strong, mighty, and fierce. He will understand and be able to teach and communicate riddles, difficult questions, parables, enigmatic and perplexing sayings or questions. (Hebrew definitions provided by Strong’s Concordance)

His power will be mighty, but not by his own power… His strength and power will be exceedingly great. It will be given to him. Revelation 13:2b, 4 tells us from where the man draws his power. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”

…and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will… The Hebrew grammar states he is the source and cause of destruction. He will destroy physical property to the point of ruination. He corrupts morally and is perverted. The destruction would appear to be beyond one’s power and difficult to do. The level of destruction will be extraordinary and difficult to comprehend. In a bizarre twist, his destruction will result in prosperity. In our vernacular, he will do whatever the hell he wants.

…he will destroy mighty men and the holy people… The Hebrew word for mighty is `atsuwm. Per Strong’s, it means: mighty, vast, numerous, countless, and strong (in number). Lots of people are going to perish at the antichrist’s hands. God’s people will also suffer at his hands. Revelation 13:7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them…

And through his shrewdness he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence…He will demonstrate shrewdness or sekel in the original Hebrew. Sekel can be defined as: cunning or crafty in a bad sense. The antichrist is going to be one slick-talking, smooth liar. And he is going to be able to sell.

 

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Antichrist, Greek Empire Roots, Part 1

Posted in Antichrist/Beast, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , on December 14, 2014 by paulthepoke

Daniel 8:23-25 “In the latter period of their rule, when the transgressors have run their course, a king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will; he will destroy mighty men and the holy people. And through his shrewdness he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; and he will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human agency”.

Daniel 8:23-25 is a description of the future antichrist. The prophet Daniel is given clarification and comprehension from the angel Gabriel of a vision he had previously received. The time point in history is clearly stated on three occasions. Gabriel specifically tells Daniel, in 8:17 “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.” The angel Gabriel restates again in 8:19 “Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.” A third time in Daniel 8:26 we are told of the period in history. “The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but keep the vision secret, for it pertains to many days in the future.” So I take it these passages have to do with the end times…

Daniel 8:22 tells where this character will emerge from, the area of the Greek Empire. The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king.  The broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power. The prophet Daniel was in Babylon from approximately 606 BC to approximately 530 BC. Over 200 years later in 323 BC, Alexander the Great would conquer the known world and fulfill this prophecy. Alexander is the large horn. His kingdom was divided into four kingdoms (Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy). Notice in the map below, Rome or modern day Italy was not part of the Greek Empire. Modern day Greece is the country furthest west. This is suggestive the antichrist will not come from western Europe.

alex323

Historically, there has been a pause of over 2,300 years since Alexander the Great. History is running its course. And we continue to wait for a king who will arise…not a nice guy.

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