8 The male goat magnified himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable [horns] toward the four winds of the sky.
the large horn was broken – Alexander the Great died unexpectedly.
in place of it, four notable ones – described in Dan 8:22 as “four kingdoms…but not with its power.” In Dan 7:6, we saw Alexander’s Kingdom was divided to his four generals: Macedonia under Antipater; Egypt under Ptolemy; Syria under Seleucus; and Asia under Antigonus.
came up toward the four winds of heaven – see also Dan 11:4: meaning four directions, and also up to the spiritual world, see Zech 6:5-8. As we mentioned, wind and spirit are the same Hebrew word, and used metaphorically to demonstrate the interaction with the spiritual world.
In Dan 11:21-30, Antiochus of the Seleucus line of kings (below), makes a covenant with Satan, see Dan 11:23, and is moved against the holy Covenant, see Dan 11:28. This is the interaction with the spiritual world. Dan 11:31 goes on to say that, after Antiochus, Satan will then work through the Romans, “the people of the Ruler to come” (Dan 9:26), who shall “destroy the City and the Sanctuary.” And “bring an end to sacrifice and offering.”
