A Better Basis for Belief - SOME STRIKING FULFILLMENTS OF PROPHECY- Conclusion

 Jehovah's prophetic view of the rise and fall of human governments continues. While Babylon was still the third world power and seemingly impregnable in that position, Daniel identified the fourth and fifth world powers to come, and showed how they would themselves  fall in time.  We read: "I raised my eyes and looked, and lo! standing  in front of the stream there was a ram with two horns both of  them high, though one was higher than the other, and the higher came up behind the other. I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward; none of the beasts could stand before him, or could anyone rescue  from his power, he did as he pleased, and accomplished great exploits.  As I was considering the matter, lo! a he-goat from the west advance ov erth whole face of the earth, without touching the earth; and the goat has a conspicious  horn between his eyes. When he cam to the ram with two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the stream, he ran at him in the impetus of his might. As I saw him come close to the ram, hw was moved by fierce rage against him, and he smote the ram, and broke his two horns; and as the ram had no power to stand before him; he cast him down to the ground, and trampled upon him, there being none to rescue the ram from his power. Thenthe he-goat accomplished very great exploits; but when he had reached the heightof his power, the great horn was broken, and in its place there came up foru other horns facing the  four winds of the heavens." - "DAN 8:308, AT.

We are not left in doubt as to ther correct interpretaton of these things: "The ram which you saw, with the two horns, is the king of Media and Persia.  The he-goat is the king of Greece; and the great horn between his eyes is the first king. As the horn was broken, and four other rose in its place, so for kingdoms shall arise from his nation, though not with a power like his." (Dan 8:20-22, AT) Some years after Daniel was used to  predict these momentous events the dual nation of Medo-Persia did overthrow Babylon to become the fourth world power. It is well symbolized  by the two-horned ram, hte higher horn coming up last, because the Median power came first, but the Persian power that followed surpassed it in strength. More than two centuries after Daniel recorded this prophecy  Alexander the Great rose  to power and cast down Medo-Persia, and upon his death in 323 B.C. the fifth world power of Greece  was divided into four parts, each part ruled by one of Alexander's four generals: Ptolemy in Egypt, Seleucus in Asia, Lysimachus in Asia Minor, and Cassander  in Macedonia.  Thus did four little horns follow the breakage of the big horn of the he-goat.  How utterly impossible for man to make such amazing predictions, and how strikingly does it confirm the Bible as God's inspired Word!

Next time: A Better Basis for Belief - FULFILLMENTS IN OUR DAY

From the jw.org publication