DANIEL 8:5E TOUCHED NOT THE GROUND
Updated: Nov 25, 2022
CHAPTER 5 - E
Alexander the Great, king of Greece conquered the world in only thirteen years with a speed that was like birds who fly swift and straight to their target destinations versus using foot paths or roads. In the same way, Satan is described as “Prince of the power over the air” in the war against God and His saints.
Daniel 8:5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground..... https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-8/
The phrase "touched not the ground" is otherwise translated: “none touched him in the earth”.
Was Alexander the Great really great?
A great conqueror, in 13 short years he amassed the largest empire in the entire ancient world — an empire that covered 3,000 miles. And he did this without the benefit of modern technology and weaponry. In his day, troop movements were primarily on foot, and communications were face to face. Not bad for a kid who became the King of Macedon at the age of 20. https://www.ushistory.org/civ/5g.asp
Comparatively, it is beneficial to look back in the book of Daniel at other representations of Greece which also refer to the idea of flying or moving without being touched by any in the earth.
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.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-7/
In Daniel 8, Greece is flying; and in Daniel 7 the leopard or prophetic symbol for the kingdom of Greece has the wings of a fowl. From creation a fowl was given wings to be in the air as opposed to creatures that creep on the earth.
Genesis 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven….
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Genesis-Chapter-1/
But here in Daniel 8, we have an He-goat or King of the Grecia which is really a creature that "creepeth on the earth" flying in the air.
Isaiah 14:9 tells us that he-goats can represent figuratively leaders of the world or kings or chief ones of the people.
Isaiah 14:9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Isaiah-Chapter-14/
The Hebrew word attuwd translated "Chief ones" is the same word used for he-goats in Hebrew as seen by the Strong’s concordance.
CHIEF ONES H6260
H6260 ʻattûwd, at-tood'; or עַתֻּד ʻattud; from H6257; prepared, i.e. full grown; spoken only (in plural) of he-goats, or (figuratively) leaders of the people:—chief one, (he) goat, ram https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H6260&t=KJV
But where do we see flying “he-goats” or “chiefs” or “leaders of the people” in the Bible who rule the world and what are their significance?
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ephesians-Chapter-6/
The Greek word epouranios in Ephesians 6:12 translated “high” means above the sky, celestial, or in heaven as seen from the Strong’s Concordance.
HIGH G2032
ἐπουράνιος epouránios, ep-oo-ran'-ee-os; from G1909 and G3772; above the sky:—celestial, (in) heaven(-ly), high.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2032/kjv/tr/0-1/
In Ephesians 2:2 the “prince of the power of the air” is defined as “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” referring to Satan or evil.
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ephesians-Chapter-2/
In Ephesians 2 the Greek word translated “air” means the lower denser atmosphere around our earth as seen below.
AIR G109
ἀήρ, ἀέρος, ὁ (ἄημι, ἄω (cf. ἄνεμος, at the beginning)), the air (particularly the lower and denser, as distinguished from the higher and rarer ὁ αἰθήρ, cf. Homer, Iliad 14, 288), the atmospheric region: Acts 22:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 9:2; Revelation 16:17; ὁ ἄρχων τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος in Ephesians 2:2 signifies 'the ruler of the powers (spirits, see ἐξουσία 4 c. ββ.) in the air,' i. e. the devil, the prince of the demons that according to Jewish opinion fill the realm of air (cf. Meyer at the passage; (B. D. American edition under the word ; Stuart in Bib. Sacr. for 1843, p. 139f)). Sometimes indeed, ἀήρ denotes a hazy, obscure atmosphere (Homer, Iliad 17, 644; 3, 381; 5, 356, etc.; Polybius 18, 3, 7), but is nowhere quite equiv, to σκότος — the sense which many injudiciously assign it in Ephesians, the passage cited ἀέρα δέρειν, (cf.verberat ictibus auras, VergilAen. 5, 377, of pugilists who miss their aim) i. e. to contend in vain, 1 Corinthians 9:26; εἰς ἀέρα λαλεῖν (verba ventis profundere, Lucr. 4, 929 (932)) 'to speak into the air' i. e. without effect, used of those who speak what is not understood by the hearers, 1 Corinthians 14:9. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G109&t=KJV
In Revelation 9 we see Satan (Abaddon, or Apollyon meaning Destroyer), as king or prince having power to darken the air with smoke and flying locusts prepared and running to battle.
Revelation 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Revelation-Chapter-9/
In Revelation 13:2,4 & 7 we find that the dragon or Satan is the power who rules the world through an earthly Leopard-like beast whose character prophetically is Greek in nature since he is described as a leopard just like the kingdom of Greece is described in Daniel 7 as a leopard.
Revelation 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority….
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? ...
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Revelation-Chapter-13/
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.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Daniel-Chapter-7/
Yes, we did make the spiritual "flying" leap from goat to Satan. And we will continue to make it because the Bible argument for it is strong. Alexander the Great and Satan as represented by the he-goat continue to mirror each other in character, even when it comes to flying.