Rescue Ministries International
Chapter 3 Study — The Division of Greece and the Emergence of the Little Horn
(Continuation of Chapter 2 — The Rise of Greece)
30 Questions & Answers with Full Supporting Text
30 Questions & Answers with Full Supporting Text
Introduction to Chapter 3
This chapter is a continuation of Chapter 2 and focuses on the division of the Greek Empire, the four kingdoms that emerged, and the transition point where the little horn appears in the prophecy.
This is the bridge between the biblical sequence and the historical identification of the little horn. Daniel 8 does not leave the reader guessing. It shows the breaking of the great horn, the rise of four kingdoms, and then the emergence of the little horn out of one of them. This chapter lays that foundation carefully.
Section 1 — The Breaking of the Great Horn
1. What happened to the great horn when it was strong?
Answer: It was broken.
Daniel 8:8
“Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.”
2. What does this indicate about the first king?
Answer: He fell suddenly at the height of power.
Daniel 8:8
“Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.”
3. What replaced the great horn?
Answer: Four notable horns.
Daniel 8:8
“Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.”
4. Toward where did these four horns arise?
Answer: Toward the four winds of heaven.
Daniel 8:8
“Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.”
Section 2 — The Meaning of the Four Horns
5. What do the four horns represent?
Answer: Four kingdoms.
Daniel 8:22
“Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
6. Did these kingdoms arise from the same empire?
Answer: Yes, they arose out of the same nation.
Daniel 8:22
“Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
7. Did they have the same power as the first king?
Answer: No.
Daniel 8:22
“Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
8. What does this suggest about the strength of the four kingdoms?
Answer: They were weaker than the original empire under the first king.
Daniel 8:22
“Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
Section 3 — Historical Alignment
9. How many divisions followed the Greek Empire?
Answer: Four.
Daniel 8:8
“Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.”
10. Were these divisions equal to the power of the first king?
Answer: No.
Daniel 8:22
“Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
11. Did these divisions extend in different directions?
Answer: Yes, toward the four winds of heaven.
Daniel 8:8
“Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.”
12. Why are the four divisions important in prophecy?
Answer: Because they are the source out of which the little horn arises.
Daniel 8:8–9
“Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
Section 4 — The Emergence of the Little Horn
13. What comes after the four horns in the prophecy?
Answer: The little horn.
Daniel 8:9
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
14. From where exactly does the little horn arise?
Answer: From one of the four horns.
Daniel 8:9
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
15. What does “one of them” refer to?
Answer: One of the four Greek kingdoms.
Daniel 8:8–9
“Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
16. What does this prove about the little horn’s origin?
Answer: It comes from Greece.
Daniel 8:22–9
“Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
Section 5 — Growth of the Little Horn
17. In what directions did the little horn grow?
Answer: Toward the south, toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.
Daniel 8:9
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
18. What is the “pleasant land” in the context of biblical prophecy?
Answer: It refers to the land of Israel.
Daniel 8:9
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
19. Does this indicate geographic expansion?
Answer: Yes.
Daniel 8:9
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
20. Does the little horn begin large or small?
Answer: It begins as a little horn and then grows exceedingly great.
Daniel 8:9
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
Section 6 — Connection to the Sanctuary
21. What does the little horn eventually affect?
Answer: The sanctuary.
Daniel 8:11
“Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.”
22. What happens to the daily sacrifice?
Answer: It is taken away.
Daniel 8:11
“Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.”
23. Does this involve literal worship and sanctuary service?
Answer: Yes, the text is dealing with sacrifice and sanctuary.
Daniel 8:11
“Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.”
24. Does the prophecy remain centered in the land connected with the sanctuary?
Answer: Yes, it remains centered in the pleasant land and sanctuary context.
Daniel 8:9, 11
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
“Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.”
Section 7 — Logical Flow of the Prophecy
25. What is the sequence leading to the little horn?
Answer: Medo-Persia, then Greece, then the division of Greece, then the little horn.
Daniel 8:20–22; 8:9
“The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
26. Does the prophecy skip kingdoms before introducing the little horn?
Answer: No.
Daniel 8:20–22; 8:9
“The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
27. Can the little horn be separated from the Greek divisions?
Answer: No.
Daniel 8:8–9
“Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
28. Does the Bible allow the little horn to come from outside Greece?
Answer: No, it must come from one of the four Greek kingdoms.
Daniel 8:22–9
“Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
29. Why is this sequence so important?
Answer: Because it identifies the origin of the little horn and governs the interpretation of the prophecy.
Daniel 8:20–22; 8:9
“The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
30. What is the key conclusion of Chapter 3?
Answer: The little horn arises directly from one of the four Greek kingdoms, making its origin unmistakably Greek.
Daniel 8:22–9
“Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.”
Conclusion of Chapter 3
This chapter establishes the bridge between prophecy and history. The Bible shows that Greece divides into four kingdoms, that the little horn arises from one of them, and that it grows toward the pleasant land while affecting the sanctuary and sacrifice.
The key truth of this chapter is this: the little horn is inseparably connected to the Greek divisions and cannot originate elsewhere.
Closing Thought
At this stage, the biblical sequence is already clear. The empire has been named, its division has been shown, and the origin of the little horn has been identified. The next step is to move from this prophetic framework to the historical ruler who fulfills it.
| Back to Series Untangling Daniel 8:14: Antiochus Epiphanes, the Little Horn, and the Cleansing of the Sanctuary Chapter Topics 1. The Bible’s Own Explanation of the Little Horn This chapter lays the foundation by showing that Daniel 8 itself identifies the kingdoms, sequence, and setting of the little horn. 2. The Ram, the Goat, and the Rise of Greece This chapter focuses on Medo-Persia, Greece, and the great horn, showing that the prophecy moves directly into the Greek world. 3. The Division of Greece and the Emergence of the Little Horn This chapter shows that the little horn arises from one of the four divisions of Alexander’s empire, making its Greek origin unmistakable. 4. The Historical Fulfillment: Antiochus Epiphanes and the Little Horn This chapter demonstrates from Daniel and the books of Maccabees that Antiochus fulfills the little horn in origin, action, and outcome. 5. The Cleansing of the Sanctuary, Hanukkah, and Jesus’ Recognition This chapter shows that Daniel 8:14 was fulfilled in the cleansing of the temple, preserved in Hanukkah, and acknowledged in the time of Jesus. 6. Jewish History and Early Testimony: Confirming the Little Horn This chapter uses Jewish historical witness, especially Josephus, to confirm the temple desecration, the stopping of sacrifice, and the later cleansing. 7. Early Church Fathers and the Historical Understanding of the Little Horn This chapter shows that early Christian interpreters recognized Antiochus as the historical fulfillment of Daniel 8, even when some also saw him as a foreshadowing of later evil powers. 8. Modern Churches, Scholars, and the Debate Over Daniel 8:14 This chapter compares the broader historical interpretation of Daniel 8 with later views, especially the Adventist 1844 interpretation, and asks whether the evidence supports history or later tradition. |