America and the Middle East

The ancient Middle East

Nearly 2,600 years ago, the ancient Hebrew prophet Daniel received an incredible prophetic vision from God concerning the end times. (Daniel 8)

Daniel received that vision while he and his fellow Israelites were languishing in captivity in ancient Persia. What were they doing there? They had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. when King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem.

The Persians later succeeded the Babylonians and the Jews remained in captivity until about 445 B.C. when Persian King Artaxerxes Longimanus signed the decree to allow them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their city and Temple.

Daniel received several visions from God during his time in captivity, including those that revealed specific events concerning the end times.

One of those visions involved the kingdoms of Media and Persia along with a nation that he described as Greece. According to Daniel, Media and Persia would reign supreme in the world for a time until "the King of Greece" invaded those nations and conquered them. (Daniel 8:5-7)

Biblical scholars have long believed that Daniel's prophecy was fulfilled in 331 B.C. when Alexander the Great invaded and conquered Persia. 

But if that's true, then we have some problems. The arch-angel Gabriel, who revealed this vision to Daniel, told the prophet that it concerned "the time of the end." (Daniel 8:19) Alexander's invasion of Persia occurred over three centuries before Christ appeared in the world. So that couldn't have fulfilled Daniel's prophecy.

Secondly, Media and Persia no longer exist. Although Greece still exists, it's a weak nation mired in economic debt with no real military to speak of. It has no power to invade and conquer any nation.

Then how do we interpret Daniel's vision? Is it false? Certainly not. In order to understand this vision, we have to understand that the prophet wasn't talking about the literal nation of Greece, but another nation. In fact, Daniel revealed that this nation traveled to Media and Persia from a distant land, "crossing the whole earth without touching the ground." (Daniel 8:5) That couldn't have been Greece because that nation exists just to the northwest of Media and Persia.

Then why did Daniel refer to this nation as Greece? And who was he referring to? Keep in mind that the Greeks were the most prominent gentile people that existed in the ancient world. And so the gentiles were often referred to as "Greeks." In fact, the apostle Paul often referred to gentiles as Greeks in his epistles to the early churches. (Colossians 3:11, Galatians 3:28)

And so, Paul was referring to a powerful western nation, not literal Greece. I believe that he was referring to the United States. Why? Because consider the nations that now occupy the territory that was once known as Media and Persia.

They are Iraq and Iran. In 1991, the U.S. invaded Iraq (Media) and then returned there in 2003 to finish the job by disposing of its dictator Saddam Hussein. And now, the Iranians (Persia) are developing nuclear weapons for the purpose of destroying Israel and conquering the entire world for Islam.

But Daniel's prophecy reveals that they will be thwarted. If the United States is in fact the nation that conquers Iran, then America's days as a superpower are numbered because Daniel also revealed that after this powerful nation defeats Persia (Iran), it will be "broken off." (Daniel 8:8)

What does that mean? It means that this nation will fall from its status as a superpower, to be replaced by other nations.

And so, the events currently taking place in the Middle East between the U.S., Syria and Iran tell us that we are getting close to the end and the return of Jesus Christ.