Wait, He’s not Greek?!

Sometimes I find the answers to questions I wrestle with in the most unexpected places.

This time, my answer came from a resilient and independent source—from a video that had nothing to do with what I’m about to discuss.

I know God works in mysterious ways isn’t in the Bible, but it gave me a clincher to a theological perspective I have.

I’m part of a minority of believers who believe the prophecies of Daniel were not fulfilled in the past, but will be in the far future, barring Daniel 9’s timeline of the Messiah coming in the first century.

I’ve mentioned this many times before, so I won’t go too far into it here.

Alexander the Great wasn’t Greek. He was Macedonian. His empire was Macedonian; Macedon was not a city-state of Greece, but distinct from it.

Monarchy was the name of the game, not democracy.

His conquest of ancient Persia used Macedonian resources and Greek allies.

So, Macedon was the culprit and victor, not Greece, though Alexander the Great worshiped Greek gods and was culturally influenced by Greece.

When the angel Gabriel mentions Daniel’s vision in Daniel 8 is about the End Times, he mentions it will be based around the kings of Persia (modern day Iran or some other nation that arises in the End Days) versus the first king of Javan/Greece.

Already Alexander is disqualified from this, because his father, Philip II of Macedon, was before him, meaning Alexander was not the first king of Macedon, yet the prophecy mentions Greece, so that may be a moot point.

If this logic is correct, then the ancient historical view of Daniel 11 has nothing to stand on. Similarity in events does not equal exact events.

We are nowhere near this happening in our generation as Greece and Iran are not even close to war with each other.

Besides that, it might be new nations that spring up over hundreds to thousands of years.

God likes to use biblical names for landmasses.

Take Gog of Magog from Ezekiel 38 and 39, for example.

That slaughter (because it really isn’t a war since God destroys the enemy like nothing) happens after the Millennial Reign of Christ according to Revelation 20.

This happens over 1,000 years in our future, yet God still uses the ancient names of the landmasses.

I believe this is to prevent confusion on the topic after many generations pass.

Alexander was never the first king of Greece, and many people in Greece didn’t even consider him to be Greek, as Macedon was separate from them.

This further solidifies the notion of Daniel 8 and 11 being entirely future even to us.

Which means most Christians are incorrect to assume we are anywhere near the last of the last days.

I had never considered the Macedonian angle to this whole debate until that one-off comment from a random video I had watched that had nothing to do with anything of the sort.

God is funny like that, though.

He uses mundane things to teach us spiritual truths.

Even if you don’t study prophetic events in the Bible, I hope this gets you thinking that God is ultimately in control over history.

May you be blessed and have a life full of wonderful days.