The empire of Alexander the Great was established with lightning rapidity. This could be why the next beast is a fast animal like a leopard. Like other beasts in this unhloy list, this beast proceeds from the forces of chaos (the sea) that are opposed to creation. The animal itself is unnatural, having four wings on its back. These wings may illustrate the increased speed when compared to the winged lion, but may also refer to the four subsequent, Greek kingdoms that grew from the conquests of Alexander the Great. Generals and family faught to be rulers and they are collectively known as the Diadochi. Four of the Diadochi formed empires that lasted.
Many people have heard of Cleopatra, but they do not realise that she was the last in a line of Greek rulers of Egypt. The line of Greek rulers in Egypt were part of the Ptolemy line. Below you see images pulled from coins minted by the Ptolemies.
The Seleucid empire was founded by Seleucus who was a great administrator. He literally organised his way to power by rallying the administrators of the Persian heartland and also forming an army that combined the strengths of Greek infantry and Persian cavalry. The extent of Seleucus’ empire is shown on the map below:
The final two large sections of the Greek Empire were divided between Cassander in mainland Greece and Lysimachus in Macedonia and around the Aegean. Although the following map is in German it shows the ‘four wings’ of the third beast.
The accuracy of the prophecy is one of the causes that skeptics say the book of Daniel was written after these kingdoms were stablished. Of course, the other position is that God knew what would transpire. Even though the murder and intrigue of the hellenistic period was worth the bloodshed to those fighting for power, to God it was the rise of another beast who would leave the stage when the right time arose.
Daniel 7:6
6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
Questions
- How is the third beats described?
- Why is that appropriate for the Greek empire?
- Why would God allow the hellenization of the Ancient Near East?
- What empires in history have risen quickly and then disappeared?
- How do people worship speed and power today?
Plymothian 
1. How is the third beats described?
As a leopard with 4 wings
2. Why is that appropriate for the Greek empire?
Because it grew fast and had four different areas
3. Why would God allow the hellenization of the Ancient Near East?
So that the Christian empire could grow quickly too!
4. What empires in history have risen quickly and then disappeared?
Germany, Frace, (a lot of Europe), America. These are all still around, but mere shadows of what they once were. America is on its way out.
5. How do people worship speed and power today?
They get the fastest computer, take the fastest track in college. Efficiency is the 13th fruit of the spirit.
1. It is described as a leopard with four wings on its back.
2. It is appropriate because the Greek empire was eventually divided into four different empires that are represented by the four wings.
3. It prepared the way for Jesus to come and for the Gospel to be preached. Hellenization brought all the conquered peoples under one culture and one language.
4. Alot of the European nations used to be big empires and are no longer as big as they used to be.
5. Our society worships speed in big ways. Everything has to be fast for us: fast food, fast internet, etc. If something is not fast, it is often considered not as good as the faster thing. Our worship of power is seen in the ways that we treat each other. Our society is filled with people who are trying to gain the upper hand over those around them. They think that if they only had more power and more control, they would be happy.
1. As a leopard with four wings like a bird.
2. Becuase of it’s fast rise to power and its four different areas.
3. For the spread of the Gospel later on as Greek became the Universal language, by which Christians could communicate the truth with others.
4. The Roman empire, The German empire, some would say that America is the next to be an empire of the past.
5. People worship speed and power today by striving after fame and wealth. We seek speed at the tap of an iphone, and we strive for the power we think the wealthy have, or those who have a greater status.
1. The third beast looked like a leopard. It had four wings and four heads.
2. It is appropriate because the leopard symbolizes the speed or swiftness of the Grecian conquests, led by Alexander the Greek.
3. It helped prepare the advancement of Christianity.
4. European countries.
5. Through technology. There are always advancements for faster and more efficient technology.
How is the third beats described? like a leopard. has four wings
Why is that appropriate for the Greek empire? the empire grew fast and strong(leopard) Four of the Diadochi formed empires that lasted, Four different areas(four wings)
Why would God allow the hellenization of the Ancient Near East? Even though it had bloodshed, to God it was the rise of another beast who would leave the stage when the right time arose
What empires in history have risen quickly and then disappeared?…. Germany?
How do people worship speed and power today? People today prefer quick movement and speed. we can find that trend in our churches as well; people like quick and impactful sermon. worship time is getting shorter.
1.It looked like a leopard but with four wings and four heads.
2.There were four separate conquests that grew out of Alexander’s huge empire.
3.Perhaps to pave the way for Christ.
4.Napolean.
5.It gives us a place higher than God.
1) It looked like a leopard, and it had four wings and four heads.
2) It’s appropriate because the Greek empire grew rapidly, similiar to the speed associated with a leopard, and the empire was eventually divided into 4 regions.
3) He allowed it to teach his people the consequences of not being obedient to him, and the Greek culture helped prepare the way for the spead of Christianity, with a universal language, advanced road system, ect.
4) Many empires have risen quickly and fallen, like the Romans and Germans.
5) They worship it through constantly buying and creating faster technology, never satisfied with the current speed of the thier computer or phone.
1. A leopard with four wings and four heads.
2. It expanded fast, and there were eight parts.
3. So that the gospel could spread quickly and easily because everyone spoke the same language and had the same cultural understanding.
4. Germany.
5. Through cars, computers, phones, physical races, communication.
1.How is the third beats described?
It looked like a leopard.
2.Why is that appropriate for the Greek empire?
It was established really quickly just like a leopard and divided into four area.
3.Why would God allow the hellenization of the Ancient Near East?
Because Hellenization made it easy for gospel to be spread out.
4.What empires in history have risen quickly and then disappeared?
Germany.
5.How do people worship speed and power today?
Through all different kinds of media.
1. a leopard with four wings
2. just like a leopard is quick, so did Greece expand
3. the gospel was spread quickly that way
5. America worships power, and it also worships making things and events efficient which only means making the fast