Today's Scripture Reading (September 24, 2023): Daniel 11
Antiochus IV Epiphanes was born in 215 B.C.E. He was
the son of the Seleucid King, Antiochus III the Great. As was common practice then
and the result of various treaties, the young prince Antiochus IV was
surrendered to Rome as a political hostage to ensure peace between the Romans
and the Greek Seleucid Empire. Antiochus III died on July 3, 187 B.C.E., and
was succeeded by Seleucus IV Philopator, the brother of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
At that time, Antiochus Epiphanes was returned by Rome to Athens in exchange
for Demetrius I Soter, the son and heir of Seleucis IV Philopator. Political
intrigue continued in the Seleucid empire, and the King was assassinated.
Because the King's rightful heir was a captive in Rome, Antiochus IV Epiphanes
claimed the throne of the Seleucid Empire. Later, Antiochus IV had the young Demetrius
assassinated, solidifying his claim to be the Seleucid Empire's King.
I know it is a long story, but Antiochus and how he
came to the throne is important. It is at this moment that some believe the
prophecies of Daniel could be explained. Antiochus Epiphanes has become one of
the prime villains of the Jews. His ascension to the Seleucid Throne changed
everything. Antiochus would stop the practice of the Seleucids from honoring
the Jewish people and their religion. Until his reign, the Greeks were
benevolent overseers of the nation, allowing the Jews to practice their
religion without interference. But Antiochus Epiphanes ended that practice and
set up the conditions which would facilitate the following Jewish rebellion. He
started by forbidding many of the daily practices the Jews followed, an action
that was foretold by Daniel, saying that he "will abolish the daily
sacrifice." But then he began to sacrifice pigs at various places in the
Temple, including the altar, and the stakes were raised by sprinkling the pig
blood throughout the Temple. The significance of Antiochus IV's action was that
pigs were unclean animals according to Jewish Law; therefore, their blood made
the Temple unclean. But he didn't stop there. He also forced the High Priest
and various other high-ranking Jews to eat the pig flesh, something that went
against the Jewish food laws. The sacrifice of the pigs and the sprinkling of
the blood throughout the Temple made Jewish worship there impossible. And ever
since Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Great Swine he sacrificed at the Altar of the
Temple, has been called the "abomination that causes desolation." It
was the sacrifice that made the Temple area unclean.
But is it? Is the "abomination that causes
desolation" Antiochus Epiphanes's Great Swine? Was the Great Swine the
reason why Daniel was written? It might surprise some to know that Jesus says
no. Antiochus IV Epiphanes may fit the prophecy well, but Jesus makes this
remark almost two centuries after the time of the Seleucid King.
"So when you see standing in the holy
place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of
through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to
the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go
down to take anything out of the house. Let no one
in the field go back to get their cloak. How
dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the
Sabbath. For then there will be great distress,
unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled
again (Matthew 24:15-20).
The Abomination that causes Desolation is still
in our future and will be much worse than the Great Swine sacrificed in the
Temple. But the Abomination will arrive; the question is simply when it will finally
appear.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 12
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