And so we move on into Daniel 8 last month we looked in depth at the fourth kingdom, now we go back a step and look at the 2nd and 3rd kingdoms in more detail. In this chapter we also learn about events that are yet to happen, but you'll have to come back next month for a indepth look at those.

So let us look at the first 8 verses of our chapter. You will see from verse 1 that we are still between chapters 4 and 5 chronologically speaking. Daniel sees a ram which comes in from the east charging north, west and south. Persia (roughly where Iran is today) is to the east of Babylon (roughly where Iraq is) and so geographically fits in with this. We have it confirmed verse 20 that it is Media and Persia. With prophecy we have to remember that no verse is completely independent and that often the answer to our questions be found elsewhere in the Bible, so while we have in past months seen similarities with the Medo-Persian empire and the 2nd kingdom, we now have it confirmed.

Likewise the 3rd kingdom, this time comes from the west, which geographically Greece would be. We see the great speed with which it comes in, not even touching the ground, just as Alexander the Great and the Greeks came and conquered and great speed. Also in verse 8 we see it split in four just as the Greek empire was split suddenly when Alexander unexpectedly died. All this is confirmed for us in verses 21-22.

So this month we have been able to confirm that the 2nd and 3rd kingdoms are indeed Medo-Persia and Greece. Next month we get our first glimpse of things that even today have yet to be fulfilled.

If you have any comments or questions about this article then please e-mail me at a.wood@assemblyyouth.net

Spending time in the Scriptures Haggai	Next month: The new leader.	Wilderness years daughters of Zelophehad
	Dare to be a Daniel
	Last month: The fourth kingdom.

All quotes are from the English Standard version of the Bible unless otherwise specified.