Scripture to Read: Daniel 7:2–14
The third empire Daniel saw was Greece, represented by a leopard. God reveals it is Greece in Daniel 10:20. Nebuchadnezzar saw this same time period as the belly and thighs of bronze in the statue. The leopard had four wings, possibly representing the rapid conquest of Alexander the Great as he led the Grecian Empire to power, conquering Persia in the process. This happened between the Old and New Testaments (between Malachi and Matthew). God revealed His plan for the arrival of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Daniel 7:6 refers to four heads. Alexander the Great died young, around 30–33 years of age. His empire went to his four generals: Cassander, who controlled Macedonia; Lysimachus, who controlled Thrace and Asia Minor; Seleucus, who controlled Syria; and Ptolemy, who controlled Egypt. Read Daniel 7:7. The fourth beast was the empire of Rome. These were the legs of iron that Nebuchadnezzar saw in Daniel 2. In 63 B.C., General Pompeii came into Israel and trampled it down until A.D. 70 when the Romans killed over a million Jews. Josephus, the historian, records that the Romans tore open the wombs of pregnant Jewish women to kill their babies, seeking to wipe the Jewish race off the face of the earth. That’s why Daniel says, “It devoured and crushed and trampled down.” Rome was one of the most wicked empires ever. God allowed this empire to come into existence to crucify our Lord so our sin would be paid for (Colossians 1:13–14 and Colossians 2:13–14) and we could have life through Christ.
Challenge & Application
• What sticks out to you about these empires that God used to bring about His perfect plan through Christ?
• Why did God allow our Jesus to be crucified by one of the cruelest nations ever? (See Colossians 1:13–14 & Colossians 2:13–14 for help.)
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!