After Alexander the Great died at age 33, his Greek kingdom was divided among four generals, just as Daniel 8:22 predicts.
Les Feldick points out that Alexander had just completed his conquest when he died, and the empire was immediately split among four generals. This fulfilled Daniel's prophecy that the great horn would be broken and four kingdoms would stand up in its place. The division also changed the pattern of world empire: instead of one absolute ruler, four generals now shared authority.
Daniel 8:21-22 — The angel identifies the goat as Greece and the great horn as its first king; after that horn is broken, four kingdoms stand up.
Daniel 2:39 — Places Greece as the third kingdom of brass following Babylon in the sequence of world empires.
Daniel 7:6 — Pictures the Greek phase of the Gentiles as a leopard with four wings and four heads, matching the fourfold division.
Daniel 8:21-22 explicitly identifies the symbols: "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." This plainly states that after the first king of Greece was broken, four kingdoms would arise from his empire. Daniel 2:39 had earlier placed Greece in the sequence of world empires: "And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth." Daniel 7:6 adds the same truth in symbolic language: "After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it."
Les Feldick teaches that Alexander the Great is the "great horn" of Daniel's Grecian goat. He completed his conquest by age 33, then died, and his empire was immediately divided among four of his generals. In Daniel 8, the angel plainly says the rough goat is the king of Grecia and the great horn is Alexander, so the four kingdoms that stand up after the horn is broken are the four generals' divisions. Les connects Daniel 7's leopard with four wings and four heads to that same fourfold division. Instead of one great dictator like Nebuchadnezzar, the third empire was divided into four. He also emphasizes the political progression: Babylon was ruled by one absolute dictator, the Medo-Persian Empire required two kings to agree, and after Alexander's death the Greek phase needed four generals to share authority. Les further notes that the four divisions stood up out of Alexander's nation but not in his power, and from the latter time of those four kingdoms a fierce king would arise.
Daniel 7:6 describes a leopard with four wings and four heads. Les Feldick says this is exactly what the Greek empire looked like after Alexander: when Greece conquered the known world, Alexander died and four generals took over. The four wings and four heads are the same picture—the third empire divided into four rather than ruled by one great dictator like Nebuchadnezzar.
Les contrasts the empires: Babylon had one absolute totalitarian dictator who consulted no one. The Medo-Persian Empire had two kings, Darius and Cyrus, who had to agree before any military, economic, or political decision. When Greece succeeded them, Alexander's death brought four generals into the picture, requiring agreement among four—a continuing shift away from one-man rule.
In Daniel 8:22, the angel tells Daniel that the broken horn means "four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Les explains that the four divisions stood up out of Alexander's nation but no longer in Alexander's power. He then notes that verse 23 shows a fierce king arising "in the latter time of their kingdom"—a figure who persecuted Israel and mattered greatly in God's prophetic plan.
Nebuchadnezzar's Absolute Rule
Les shows Nebuchadnezzar ruled as an absolute totalitarian dictator who did not consult anyone, providing the contrast for the later four-generals division.
Alexander's Kingdom Divided Among Four Generals
Les directly answers the question: Alexander completed his conquest at 33 and died, and his kingdom was divided between four generals; this moved the world-power system from one ruler to four.
Alexander as the Great Horn of Daniel 8
Les identifies the great horn of the Grecian goat as Alexander, says he died at 33, and that his empire was immediately divided among four generals—a quadrangle of four kingdoms.
Leopard's Four Wings and Four Heads
Les ties Daniel's leopard vision to Alexander's conquest: after Alexander died, four generals took over, so the four wings and four heads picture the empire divided into four rather than one great dictator.
Leopard Vision Revisited
In a parallel lesson, Les repeats that when Greece conquered the known world Alexander died, four generals took over, and the four wings and four heads show the third empire divided into four.
Alexander's Swift Conquest
Les describes Alexander as a lone conqueror who moved with unmatched speed, overran the Mede and Persian Empire, and reached the Ganges River by age 33.
Four Divisions "Not in His Power"
Les explains Daniel 8:22-23 to mean the four divisions arose out of Alexander's nation but not in his power, and from their latter time a fierce king would arise.
What the Bible Really Says About the Antichrist — Daniel 8 & 11
Now, he was also known in history as a general who was conquering with such swiftness. He would move his armies with a speed that the then known world knew nothing of. He would take chances. He was almost reckless in the chances that he would take, but he always seemed to come out, and he never really lost an army. And so it was unique to Alexander the Great's military campaign.
Daniel 2:39: And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
Places Greece as the third kingdom in the sequence of Gentile world powers.
Daniel 7:6: After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
Symbolically presents the Greek empire with four wings and four heads, matching its fourfold division.
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.
Describes the breaking of the great horn and the emergence of four notable ones in its place.
Daniel 8:21: And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Directly identifies the goat as Greece and the great horn as Alexander the Great.
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.
Directly predicts that four kingdoms will arise after Alexander's horn is broken.
Daniel 8:23: And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Shows that a fierce king arises from the latter time of the four kingdoms.
Les Feldick teaches that after Alexander completed his conquest at age 33 and died, his empire was divided among four of his generals instead of being kept under one ruler. Daniel 8:22 describes this as the great horn being broken and four kingdoms standing up in its place.
Daniel 8:22 says the great horn was broken and four kingdoms stood up out of the nation. Les also connects Daniel 7's leopard with four wings and four heads to those four generals, showing the Greek empire was divided into four.
Les shows that Babylon had one absolute dictator, the Medo-Persian Empire had two kings who had to agree, and the Greek phase had four generals sharing authority. This was a continuing movement away from one-man rule.
Watch the Teaching: Why Is Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Still Relevant Today? Daniel 2