Alexander the Great in Bible Prophecy

By Leonides V. Landicho

This book aims to offer a biblical perspective on Alexander's story. As John Calvin wrote, “That He presides over all wars, and gives victory to whomsoever he pleases, that none may think that it happens by chance”. His conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire in just over a decade is impressive, but what were the chances of winning all the battles in this massive campaign? Military schools have analyzed Alexander's biography and military strategies, trying to decipher his "winning formula”. Is there really a winning formula in war? Historians and writers attribute Alexander’s successes to his boldness, adaptability, charisma, and strategic vision. Then, AW Pink wrote, “To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is “The Governor among nations” (Psalm 22:28), setting up a kingdom, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best”. This book is about ancient history pre-written before the beginning of time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664299115

Leonides V. Landicho

Leonides V. Landicho graduated from De La Salle University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. He has also completed several graduate-level courses at La Salle Business School and Asian Theological Seminary. He enjoys traveling and recently toured the Holy Land. He is married with three adult children.

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Scripture quotations marked ASV are taken from the American Standard Version Bible. (Public Domain)

Scripture quotations marked CEV are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-9913-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-9912-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-9911-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023908264

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/27/2023

DEDICATION

To my wife, Fely, and my children Joshua, Abigail Rose, and Ruth Anne.

Of course, to Cheska, the joy of the family.

The Christian looks upon the Old Testament as preparatory,

looking toward the fulfillment of its hopes and promises

in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is interested in the history

of the centuries preceding the coming of Christ, for he sees

in them a preparation for the advent, and a progress toward

that period of history termed the fulness of time (Gal. 4:4).

—Part Seven, Old Testament History by Charles F. Pfeiffer

There is no document of civilization

that is not at the same time a document of barbarism.

—Walter Benjamin

That He presides over all wars,

and gives victory to whomsoever he pleases,

that none may think that it happens by chance.

—John Calvin

CONTENTS

Timeline

Wars of Alexander the Great

Introduction

CHAPTER 1 Origins

CHAPTER 2 The Son of Zeus

CHAPTER 3 Prince of the Kingdom of Persia

CHAPTER 4 Thebes, O Athens!

CHAPTER 5 The World Is Yours! Take It.

CHAPTER 6 Siege of Tyre

CHAPTER 7 Siege of Gaza

CHAPTER 8 Alexander Visits Jerusalem

CHAPTER 9 Four Winds

CHAPTER 10 Alexander and Bucephalus

CHAPTER 11 Ancient of Days

CHAPTER 12 God’s Sovereignty in History

Names and Places

Endnotes

About the Author

TIMELINE

WARS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT

00.jpg

Alexander the Great. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great

01.jpg

[Macedon Empire by Generic Mapping Tools. This image was marked with a CC BY-SA 3.0 license]

As for the prophet who prophesies peace,

when the word of that prophet comes to pass,

then it will be known that the Lord

has truly sent the prophet.

—Jeremiah 28:9 ESV

In the future,

whenever you communicate with me,

send to me as the King of Asia—

do not write to me as an equal.

—Alexander to Darius

INTRODUCTION

In his foreword to the book, The Timetable of History by Bernard Grun (the New Third Revised Edition), Daniel J. Boorstin wrote, "But the historian is the scientist of hindsight. Since he knows (or thinks he knows) how it all turned out, he is preoccupied with the question: What chain of events made it come out that way? On the other hand, we, the people, live in a world of contemporary. We see ourselves dominated by the events that happen at one time—in our time. We are charmed, enticed, and threatened by the uncertainties of the future. The historian in his library and at his leisure can focus in turn on one kind of event after another—the political, the economic, the intellectual. He could sort out origins and consequences."

Cambridge Dictionary defines hindsight as the ability to understand, after something has happened, why or how it was done and how it might have been done better. The study of the life of Alexander the Great would certainly provide the opportunity to do just that, to study the why or how it was done and, for Darius III, how it might have been done better. Why did Alexander III of Macedon invade the Achaemenid Persian Empire? For one, he inherited this desire from his father, King Philip II. But it was not to be, for Philip II (the Hegemon of League of Corinth) was assassinated by his personal guard, Pausanias of Orestis; it was to be his son, Alexander III. As it says in Daniel 8:21, And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

In hindsight, what would have happened if Darius III had his armed forces ready from the beginning and prevented the Macedonian army from crossing through the Hellespont (when they were most vulnerable), from Europe to Asia Minor? Darius III had the advantage in the numbers by at least two to one, yet he lost and fled the battlefields of Issus and Gaugamela. What would have happened if he did not flee? Would it change the results of the battles?

This book is about the biblical prophecy on the life of Alexander III of Macedon (356–323 BC) as recorded in the Old Testament, as it was written in Isaiah 14:24 ESV:

The Lord of hosts has sworn:

"As I have planned, so shall it be,

and as I have purposed, so shall it stand."

Centuries ago, in one of the most amazing prophecies of the Bible, the Lord revealed to Isaiah Cyrus’s decree to free the Jews. One hundred fifty years before Cyrus lived, the prophet called him by name and gave details of Cyrus’ benevolence to the Jews: This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him … ‘I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me’ (Isaiah 45:1, 4). Demonstrating His sovereignty over all nations, God says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please (Isaiah 44:28).¹

Isaiah 44:28 ESV says, Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’’

Unlike Cyrus the Great, however, Alexander III was not mentioned by name, but as recorded in the book of Daniel was the first king.

And the goat is the king of Greece.

And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. (Daniel 8:21 ESV)

According to Calvin’s Commentaries, Hence it ought to be inferred, that men have no courage but when the Lord imparts to them his power and strength, that neither weapons nor any military force can do anything unless he assists, and, in a word, that he presides over all wars, and gives victory to whomsoever he pleases, that none may think that it happens by chance.²

This book is not only about the life and times of Alexander III, the history of the Macedonian Empire, and his conquest of the Persian Empire, as there are many resources written by biographers and historians during and after his time. To a serious student of ancient history, "there are at least five primary translated sources, and they are: Arrian of Nicomedia (Anabasis Alexandri, The Campaigns of Alexander in Greek), Plutarch (Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans), Diodorus (Library of World History), Curtius (Histories of Alexander the Great), Histories by Herodotus and Justin (Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus)." From these historians, we can read their accounts of what happened and then purposely compare these events to the prophecies written by the prophets several centuries back in time.

For purposes of chronology, the wars of Alexander the Great are