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Alexander the Great and Bible SymbolismThe Watchtower—1977 | May 15
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life, four ‘horns’ or rulers gained control of portions of Alexander’s vast dominions.
About twenty-two years after the “great horn” Alexander was “broken” in death, four of his generals were fully established in power. Seleucus Nicator ruled Mesopotamia and Syria. Cassander had control over Macedonia and Greece. Egypt and Palestine made up the domain of Ptolemy Lagus. Lysimachus had dominion over Thrace and Asia Minor. Thus the mighty empire that had been built up by Alexander the Great took on the appearance of a four-headed leopard, as described at Daniel 7:6: “After this I kept on beholding, and, see there! another beast, one like a leopard, but it had four wings of a flying creature on its back. And the beast had four heads, and there was given to it rulership indeed.”
Truly Daniel’s prophecy concerning the Grecian Empire, especially in connection with Alexander the Great, had a remarkable fulfillment. This has long been recognized. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus reports that Alexander was at Jerusalem and had Daniel’s prophecy shown to him. As to the conqueror’s reaction, Josephus writes: “When the book of Daniel was shown to him, in which he had declared that one of the Greeks would destroy the empire of the Persians, he believed himself to be the one indicated.” While many today doubt that this occurred, the fact that Josephus mentions this tradition confirms that Alexander the Great was viewed as having fulfilled prophecy.
The Bible is indeed accurate in depicting developments in the Grecian Empire under the figure of a goat and a winged four-headed leopard. This is but one of numerous examples illustrating the way in which the Scriptures use symbols. A study of such prophetic symbolism can be both rewarding and faith-strengthening. If you would like help in this, Jehovah’s Witnesses in your area would be pleased to assist you in a study of the Bible.
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What Did the Wise Man Mean?The Watchtower—1977 | May 15
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What Did the Wise Man Mean?
The Vanity of Pursuing Riches
Wise King Solomon noted that the piling up of material possessions brings no real satisfaction. He wrote: “A mere lover of silver will not be satisfied with silver, neither any lover of wealth with income. This too is vanity. When good things become many, those eating them certainly become many. And what advantage is there to the grand owner of them, except looking at them with his eyes?”—Eccl. 5:10, 11.
The person who has much is not satisfied but wants still more. As his “good
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