24. Four winds and others and those of
Alexander's Empire

24.  -Daniel Chapter 11, Verse 4.

"Four Winds and Others" and those of Alexander's - "Empire". 

FOR HIS KINGDOM SHALL BE PLUCKED UP, EVEN FOR OTHERS BESIDE THOSE". Or- Remember, we read of the "beast" which was a leopard, with fowls wings, in Daniel 7:6? When those "wings" lived off the back of the leopard and the fowl's wings left the leopard at his death and became contenders in their own right, for a piece of the meat of those dominions and Alexander's conquests were "plucked" or taken apart and torn out of that empire. Remember also reader the 4 heads, which eventually in history took the ruling power of those dominions.

Daniel now gives us 3 more words to note, - "OTHERS BESIDES THOSE". Some of these "other" person's names desiring power we glean from secular history and they were, Seleuces, Perdiccas, Polyperchon, Cassander, Demetrius, Eumenes, Ptolemy Ceraunus, Antigonus, Gonatas. The names we have had earlier on when unravelling Alexander's successors, also come under the heading of Daniel's words called - "besides those"-. "Those" is a reference to the "ones" who took the dominions of Alexander and divided it into 4 eventual kingdoms of the 4 winds more than 50 years after the founding of his empire. They were the Ptolemies of Egypt, the Seleucids of Syria and Mesopotamia, the Antigonids in Macedonia and Euthydemus of Bactria and Greek-India. "Those" are also the 4 heads. The tug of war over and of, that empire began between the "other" Grecians, which included Antigonus Monophthalmus, Lysimachus, Craterus and Antipater.

We must not forget the murderers of Alexander's "POSTERITY," seen in Daniel 11:4 who were Alexander's mother Olympias, his son Alexander IV and his wife Roxana. Also, the dead King Philip's epileptic son Arrhidaeus who became Philip III and his mother Eurydice.

So "many" people were fighting for power, who "all" were called by Daniel as "others", "beside those" and "Alexander's posterity"!

Four Fowls Wings - Four Heads
"Others Besides Those".
Here we will have a very quick look at those people's power struggles for Greek possessions after the death of Alexander which will give one an insight into Daniel's expression "others besides those".

We have seen before how Alexander left his faithful representative Antipater in charge of affairs in Macedon, whilst on his campaigns elsewhere. Alexander never saw his son by Roxana, because Alexander died before he was born. Afterwards Craterus was made guardian of the 2 boy kings, (Alexander IV and Arrhidaeus or Philip III) which position Antipater took over in 321 BC Perdiccas who had been made Grand Vizier in Asia usurped that position of "guardian of the kings", after a coalition of hostile satraps against Perdiccas, he was assassinated in Egypt in 321 BC. Alexander's secretary named Eumenes was closely linked with Perdiccas, and before his assignation found himself in a drive against him, which failed and brought about the death of Craterus. So, the role of "guardian of the kings" fell to Antipater. One of Perdiccas's murderers was Seleuces, and he was assigned to Babylonia. Eumenes who took over Cappadocia and Paphlagonia, once more was aligned with Polyperchon, who had been named regent of Greece at the death of Antipater in (319 BC) instead of Antipater's son Cassander. An organised coalition with a garrison of fighting men were a force to be reckoned with, who stifled opposition of any one in Athens. Polyperchon was expelled to Macedonia, through this coalition.

Eumenes being given the generalship of Asia, in 318 BC fought several campaigns. Eumenes took some of his united enemy's possessions, in Asia Minor, Phoenicia, Babylon and Persia. In 316 BC, in Persia however he was betrayed to Antigonus and executed.

Antigonus pursued his idea of unity of the empire, by taking in the satrapy of Iran (Persia), therefore, he controlled the whole area from Asia Minor to Iran. Then he turned his attention in 315 BC towards Babylonia, where Seleuces had governed, who was now a refugee in Egypt. Antigonus took southern Syria, then on to Bithynia and Caria. He allied himself with Polyperchon, who was now general of the Peloponnese. Antigonus published a condemnation against Cassander for the murder of Olympias the Queen mother and the seizure of Alexander IV and his mother Roxana. Antigonus stressed his guardianship of the surviving king, leaving his son Demetrius to guard Phoenicia against Ptolemy of Egypt, whilst he went to attack Cassander in Macedonia and Lysimachus in Thrace.

Seleuces was no party to the peace alliance between the others, nor did it concern the general Polyperchon, so they remained on a war footing with Antigonus. In 310 BC Cassander assassinated Alexander IV and his mother, thereby removing any alliance upon himself, which Alexander's family might put on him. The next 10 years from 311 BC to 301 BC was to reveal a more complicated story of intrigue between each other, especially against Antigonus by the other generals. Meanwhile, Seleuces recovered some satrapies, and inflicted a defeat on Antigonus. In 306 BC Antigonus took the title of King for himself and his son Demetrius, thereby starting a flush of others calling themselves Kings, which was Ptolemy, Cassander, Lysimachus and Seleuces. (Though Seleuces regal years date from 305-304 BC).

Demetrius, it seems was now master of Athens, with both he and Antigonus as presidents of the Greek confederacy. Polyperchon now disappears from Greek records as if dead. Antigonus and his son Demetrius now confronted a new coalition against them of Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy and Seleuces, fighting them at Ipsus in Phrygia in 301 BC, where Antigonus lost and was killed. Demetrius however escaped to fight another day.

After Antigonus death Lysimachus took almost all Asia Minor, Seleuces made claim to Syria, Cassander had his European possessions and Ptolemy had Egypt, with land as far as Damascus, parts of Lycia and Pisidia in Asia Minor. Between 301-286 BC Demetrius, Antigonus son, still possessed some Greek islands and cities. Cassander died in 297 or 298 BC whereupon Demetrius retook some of Cassander's Greek possessions until 288 BC but he lost his Asian possessions (Cyprus) to Ptolemy. He lost Cilicia to Seleuces and his cities of Iona to Lysimachus. Nevertheless Demetrius was made King of Macedonia by the army in 294 BC after killing one of Cassander's sons. By 287 Demetrius had lost all the Aegean islands to Ptolemy. In 288 BC Lysimachus and Pyrrhus King of Epirus fell upon Macedonia and expelled Demetrius, who eventually died of drink in 283.

Between 286 and 276 BC Lysimachus made a challenge for the Macedonian throne, after holding territories both sides of the straits and he seized Thessaly along with Macedonia. Lysimachus third wife was Ptolemy's daughter Arsinoe. After more intrigue in the family of the Greeks, which stirred up Seleuces, the last of "Alexander the Great's" generals, crossed into Europe and was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, (Who was Ptolemy I, son by an earlier marriage). Seleuces son called Antiochus I had reigned as co-monarch with his father, so Seleuces possessions were held firm under his son.

Ptolemy Ceraunus was now accepted as king of Macedonia also, but it was a short violent reign after much family intrigue. Macedonia became invaded by the Celts who were migrating across Europe, they killed Ptolemy Ceraunus in 279 BC. Antigonus Gonatas who was Demetrius's son had now come into the fight for the succession of Alexander's realm. After the deaths of Seleuces and Lysimachus, he married the half-sister of Antiochus I of Syria, thereby striking an alliance with Antiochus. Antigonus Gonatas returned to Europe to defeat the Celts and become master and King of Macedonia in 276 BC. So, he settled the lineage of the Kings, which were to be known in history as the Antigonids of Greece-Macedonia. So, this is a quick resume of the fighting for Alexander's Empire by many people, of "others, besides those" of which Daniel speaks.

For those bible students who do not understand these 4 winds of Alexander's Empire I will reaffirm them now. The West wind was the Antigonids of Macedonia, the ruling house from 277 BC to 168 BC. The Antigonid dynasty was established when Antigonus II Gonatas, -son of Demetrius I.- routed a band of migrating people known also as Celts, who had invaded Macedonia. -As I said earlier on. The people declared Gonatas as king in 276-77 BC. Gonatas's son Demetrius II ruled 239-229 BC. Antigonus III was guardian of the child heir known as Philip V who reigned 221-179 BC, Perseus succeeded Philip 179-168 BC, then ended the Antigonid dynasty which fell to the Roman "horn".

The founder of the dynastic dream of the "west" began with Antigonus Monophthalmus (the one eyed) at the death of Alexander, 323 BC. The Antigonids of Macedonia were to be labelled "the heroic monarchy", whose power was solidified eventually as such through Antigonus II Gonatas.

The "South Wind" was the Ptolemaic Egypt, the ruling house from 323 to 30 BC foundered by Ptolemy I Soter. The Hellenisation (Greek) of Egypt settled down as the Greeks poured into Egypt as mercenaries and traders, especially into the Greek cities of Alexandria, Naukratis and Ptolemais. From 200 BC onwards however, Egyptian traditions began to take over those of the Greek and prevailed in all spheres of life. Nevertheless as long as the Ptolemaic dynasty endured, Greek culture gave an incentive towards higher learning and living standards.

Southern Syria which Ptolemy seized in 301 BC remained theirs until 200 B.C, so did Cyprus. They still held outposts of islands in the Aegean Sea around Greece. These lands led to conflicts time and time again between, Seleuces in Mesopotamia and the Antigonids in Macedonia. Egypt was the last of the Greek states to be annexed by Rome.

The "North Wind" was the Seleucid kingdom the ruling house from 321 BC until the years 123-83 BC when these years witnessed the final dissolution of Seleucid Syria, which was rent with dynastic strife.

Tigranes of Armenia seized the remnants of that Seleucid kingdom in AD 83, which was then ripe for Roman annexation. In 64 BC Gnaeus Pompius (Pompey) entered Syria and made it a province of Rome. The last Seleucid Antiochus XIII was murdered by an Arab.

Judea in the South was then part of Syria, where civil war raged over the succession of Judean kings in 76 BC. Pompey gave his support to John Hyrcanus II of Judea and expelled his brother Aristobulus. Judea became a tributary to Rome however and Hyrcanus was styled tetrarch.

Now the dusk of the Greek world fell over the Mediterranean and it gradually dawned on those peoples that world was now Roman!

We have seen the independent kingdom of the Ptolemies of Egypt falling 50 years after the Seleucids.

The history of these kingdoms is spelled out in detail from Daniel 11:5-16, especially that of the history of Egypt.

The "East Wind" was the kingdoms in Bactria and India, first set up in 250 BC - 239 BC until 130 BC? About 250-239 BC Diodotus satrap of Bactria set up an independent kingdom, -a Greek-Macedonian kingdom- who took advantage of the fighting and weakness in the Seleucid ruling. His neighbours Sogdiana, Margiana also the Iranians supported his cause.

Diodotus son, however, was overthrown after a siege by Euthydemus -208-206 BC whom Antiochus III of the Seleucid kingdom recognised as king of Bactria. Eventually, Euthydemus son Demetrius annexed Asia, Arachosia and perhaps Gedrosia, Carmania being Southern Persia and Gedrosia on the border with India. By 187 BC another Demetrius of Bactria reached also into the Punjab of India, (Gandhian). In 135 BC King Heliocles of Bactria was defeated by nomadic peoples yet! Much later on in history there were still Greek princes popping up on the Indus and Hellenic tradition still documented in Indian stories of the Far East.

The dates I have written for the ruling of the Greeks in the East wind are questionable, so I have fixed different dates from the different history books I have read in the past, hoping to cover the important period for Greek ruling. Bactria was an ancient country between the Hindu Kush Mountains and the Amu Darya River, -which is now Afghanistan and the Uzbek and Tadzhik Soviet Republics.- It was a place very important between 600 BC and 600 AD as a trade route between East and West. The capital of Bactria was Bactra-Zariaspa, this was a fertile country when the region was subdued by Cyrus II the Great of Persia, being renamed a province of the Archenemids of Persia for 200 years.

After Alexander the Great took it and the Bactrian satrap killed Darius III and after the death of Alexander in 323 BC, Bactria was ruled by Seleuces Nicator. The usurper Euthydemus taking the Kingdom from Diodotus about 250 BC and so was established the Greek "East Wind".

We shall go back to Daniel's chapters again, for some more "exacting" data on the continuing historical saga of Alexander's possessions and what became of them, which eventually turned the tide of history away from the Greeks. Therefore, we must turn to Daniel 8:8,9. "THEREFORE THE HE GOAT (Philip of Macedon and Alexander) WAXED VERY GREAT; AND WHEN HE WAS STRONG, (The Greek and Macedonian empire) THE GREAT HORN WAS BROKEN; (Alexander's death) AND FOR IT (Or- all things Greek) CAME UP (Or- for eventual rise to progress) FOUR NOTABLE ONES (Or- four famous and individual men of distinction, Ptolemy, Antigonus, Perdiccas and Lysimachus). TOWARD (Or- "towards" means expressing in what direction they were going) THE FOUR WINDS OF HEAVEN". (Which blow North, South, East and West).
Verse 9:- "AND OUT OF ONE OF THEM CAME FORTH (Or- from out of one of these winds blowing, came forward into public view and onward in time), A LITTLE HORN, (Or- king of a kingdom) WHICH WAXED EXCEEDING GREAT, (Or-to grow and increase in size and to pass from one state to another. Or grow from a Kingdom into an empire). TOWARD THE SOUTH, (Egypt) AND TOWARD THE EAST, (into Armenia, Mesopotamia and Asia Minor) AND TOWARD THE PLEASANT LAND". (Palestine, which was where all the tribes of Israel once dwelt and was the "pleasant land" referred to in Psalm 106:24 and Jeremiah 3:19). Also, when the "House of Israel" finally came to rest, after going through the Gentiles in punishment, they took up residence in the British Isles, which is also called a "pleasant place". Hosea 9:13). You should have noted reader, that 2 of the winds of heaven in Daniel chapter 8 verse 9 are left out, namely North and West winds.

This chapter 8 of Daniel, began by speaking of the Western part of the Greek Kingdom namely Macedon and Greece and this part of Europe was called the West Wind. So, the prophecy is speaking from that "standpoint" in the vision and out of the West Wind of Greece. We are then left with North wind, who has not been included in this prophecy. The North Wind in other Greek prophecies was the Seleucid Kingdom of Syria etc; who sometimes ruled Judea.

Daniel chapter 11 in many verses gives us the history in detail of the South (Egypt) and of the pleasant land (Palestine). Chapter 11 however, does not give us details of the history of the East (India etc;), because its particular history does not clash or interfere with or against, the history set for all the tribes of Israel, which is the crux of Daniel's visions!

Daniel 8:9 is taking us into the history of the "dragon" Rome, instead. Here it is Rome who is of the "North" of Palestine. They, then become that "North" wind who blew towards the South, towards the east and towards Palestine. So, because we are speaking of the North wind Rome, which blew on these land's, it is "not" the Syrian or Egyptian kingdoms to whom Judea was joined, but further North again of Palestine. Here you must remember reader Judea of Palestine of that "pleasant land", was annexed in history by Roman influence either to Syria of the North, or South to Egypt. This land which is the "pivot" upon which North and South rests in the first half of Daniel chapter 11 history, is of course Palestine! Daniel's history in chapter 11 tells us so, Daniel 11:1-18.

Many biblical scholars say that Daniel 8:9, is the prophecy pointing the way to Antiochus Epiphanes, the King who came out of the Seleucid Kingdom of Syria and this prophecy is fulfilled in him during 175 BC. He profaned the temple at Jerusalem and terribly persecuted the Jews. They then go on to say, "that he is not to be confounded with the "little horn" of Daniel chapter 7 however, who is yet to come and will dominate the earth during the great tribulation.

Well! I just don't know what bible students would have done without Antiochus Epiphanes, to fulfil so many important verses of prophecy? Whereas in history the Roman "dragon" stands, dripping Jewish blood by the bucket full and history continues to tell us of far greater murders and carnage than Antiochus could have achieved in his 12-year reign! Rome made a forest of crucified Jews, it decimated and closed the temple, plus the city of Jerusalem. It also murdered and enslaved much of the House of Israel in the British Isles, etc; Almost 2,000 years later one of the blackest pages of history for the Jews was under Nazi Germany when 6 million of them were driven to despair and death, in an atrocious manner under Germany's Hitler. Again, this infamous man also went to war with the House of Israel in the Isles and the Commonwealth of Israel's children. Could Antiochus Epiphanes achieve all this?

Both the prophecies for the "little horn" in Daniel's chapters are telling the same story that of Rome. Both prophecies are telling one how Rome had its beginnings and how "great" it was to become in prophecy. Even spilling its story of plunder over into the Roman Papacy, who magnifying its position in earth and heaven became the so-called Vicar of God.

I have explained further reader when unravelling the four beasts in Daniel's vision in Daniel 7:7,8, that the 10 horns of that beast were "within" the iron of the Roman empire that was and not "outside" it! Again, bible students say that the 10 horns are to come! The "little horn" of Daniel 8:9, continues its story of its power into the following verses up to verse 14 and it covers Rome's march in history for 2,300 days or years, as Daniel 8:14 says.

My Scofield Bible reference says. "VERSES 10 TO 14 OF CHAPTER 8, IS CONFESSED THE MOST DIFFICULT IN PROPHECY, A DIFFICULTY INCREASED BY THE PRESENT STATE OF THE TEXT. HISTORICALLY THIS WAS FULFILLED IN AND BY ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES, BUT IN A MORE INTENSE AND FINAL SENSE. ANTIOCHUS BUT ADUMBRATES (Or- faint resemblance of) THE AWFUL BLASPHEMY OF THE LITTLE HORN OF DANIEL 7- 8,24,29, etc." This interpretation is difficult for the scholars, because they are trying to squeeze Antiochus to fit the Bible, when it doesn't!

Let us go back to Daniel 8:9 which says:- "AND OUT OF "ONE OF THEM" CAME FORTH THE "LITTLE HORN". For argument's sake we shall say, Antiochus Epiphanes "did" come out of "one of them". Or the winds of the Greek Seleucid-. But by no stretch of the imagination did he possibly "wax great to the host of heaven" as verse 10 explains! Antiochus was a believer in Greek mythology if he was anything at all, his belief was in the power of his own arm. He had no truth of heaven in him to be "stamped into the ground" as verse 10 explains! -The "West Wind" of the Greeks that Rome held or "came forth out of", -was the West wind of Greece itself, or the territories of Macedonia.

Let us recap a little on that Greek history we have already done, so we may get the picture fixed in the mind.

Let us go back to 300 BC and Antigonus II Gonatas who ruled and established the West wind's dynasty, of the Antigonids of Macedonia. Much fighting went on from Alexander's death in this region between Macedonia, Athens, Sparta, or Ptolemy II etc; During this time and later, the growing power of Rome was felt in this region. For in Pergamum in Asia Minor and Rhodes they gladly embraced Roman favour (between 238 BC and 133 BC). Gonatas's son Demetrius II (239-229) made an alliance with Epirus and married their princess, because of which, a war broke out between Macedonia and the league of Acheo-Aetolia. The Achaean league was of 10 cities, with a federal centre formed, which introduced an anti- Macedonian policy. It had a representative council in its assembly, who decided peace or alliances, which heard communications from the Roman Senate. Through the Hellenic alliance most of Greece was drawn into conflict between Rome and Macedonia and a limited peace was signed in 205 BC between these parties. The 2nd Macedonian war flared in 200 BC between Philip V and Rome, Philip resisted them for 3 years until 197 BC against the Roman Titus Quintus Flamininus, who forced Philip back into Macedonia and was decisively beaten in Thessaly. The Aetolians who were in the league with the Romans, helped greatly in Philips collapse. In 194 BC the Roman legions left Greece expecting full collaboration from Greece.

Meanwhile, Antiochus III of the Seleucid Kingdom and father of Antiochus Epiphanes, had been marching East into Medo-Persian territory and West into Europe. So powerful were the Romans in the West, that they ordered Antiochus to stay out of Europe and Greece, otherwise they would intervene in Asia. Nevertheless, Antiochus crossed the Hellespont between Asia and Greece in defiance of Rome and this time Philip of Macedonia fought with the Romans and Achaea joining them. In 191-90 BC Antiochus III was defeated, the Romans returned him to Asia and by the terms of the peace treaty he was obliged to pay an enormous tribute and send 20 hostages to Rome, which included his son Antiochus Epiphanes who spent 15 years of his life as a hostage of Rome. After 188 BC Antiochus III had his boundary fixed by Rome and his realm from then on was centred in Syria. Roman forces at this time gained command of the sea and in 189 BC the Aetolians were given terms in a treaty to "preserve the majesty of Rome".

The intrigues within the Greek states, with Philip of Macedon and Rome continued however, but Philip died in 179 BC and his son Perseus succeeded him. In 172 the Greek Eumenes visited Rome and there accused Perseus of Macedonia of hostility to Rome, thereupon Rome resolved to eliminate Perseus. The 3rd Macedonian war broke out in 172-71 BC and it went on for 3 years. Sympathy in Greece lay with Perseus, but he was defeated in 168 BC bringing the Antigonid dynasty in the West to an end. Rome was now complete master of the "West Wind" and divided Macedonia into 4 separate tribute republics and the rest of Greece became more and more uneasy. Some citizens of Greece in the cities and states were crushed hard, others enslaved, many were deported to Rome. After another attempt of an uprising in 148 BC Macedonia was made a province of Rome and after 146 BC and more uprisings in Greece, Rome firmly established itself in the Greek possessions of the Balkan's in Europe, thus, bringing Greek political freedom to an abrupt end. The lineage of Eumenes in Pergamum, through their king Attalus III bequeathed his domains to Rome upon his death in 133 BC and Rome organised the kingdom into a province of Asia and so the West wind Greece/Macedonia fell to the "little horn" -or- Kingdom of Rome. So you see reader what role Rome played in the power struggles of the 4 winds of Greece, who were fighting for Alexander's possessions? When we unravelled Daniel 11:4 and the words, "FOR HIS (Alexander) KINGDOM SHALL BE PLUCKED UP, EVEN FOR "OTHERS" BESIDES "THOSE". This exact prophecy was not only speaking of all Alexander's generals fighting for power, or other satraps of states and cities fighting for power or even Alexander's family! It also included Rome, in those "others", because that Kingdom of Rome at that time, was powerful enough to dictate to some of those Greeks and tell them how far they could go in their fight for power! That "little horn" that dwelt amongst them of the "North Wind" blew on Palestine. Rome eventually swallowed and annexed them all, in the stamping feet of its legions! Under these conditions, of Rome's power Antiochus Epiphanes after being released from being a hostage of Rome, couldn't possibly be the "little horn" that waxed exceeding great towards the south and towards the east and towards the pleasant land as Daniel 8:9 prophesies, because "Rome" in its growing power at that time would not have allowed this to happen to Antiochus.

 His father before him was limited by Rome and Epiphanes himself was boxed into the lands which Syria governed, which included the Jews at Judah's kingdom. The South/Egypt- was more or less firmly held by the Ptolemaic dynasty. Antiochus Epiphanes couldn't have unseated that Egyptian South, because it was to be greedily sort after by many powerful Romans and swallowed later by Octavian Augustus of Imperial Rome, approx; 30 BC, when it too became a province of Rome, -as did the West wind of Macedonia Greece- in 146 BC. Secular history that has been played out on the stages of the world cannot have errors from biblical prophetic judgements, because it cannot be altered. Bible prophecy is fixed as "absolute", just as history is "absolute", they are two hands clasped together, finger interlocking finger. If there are errors in our understanding either of these things, it lies fair and square with the person that is trying to understand and unravel it! So ends a brilliant, yet sorry chapter of Alexander's life and history and according to "each word" that Daniel "saw" in his visions so many years ago! I hope you have noted reader, how "careful" one must be with each "exacting word" Daniel uses? We therefore must be no less exacting when unravelling those words to obtain a correct picture, no matter how it offends our own niceties!