“His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle. – Daniel 11:20

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 7, 2017): Daniel 11

In 225 B.C.E., Seleucus II was killed after he fell off of his horse. His oldest son, Alexander, was proclaimed to be the King of the Seleucid Empire. Alexander decided to take the regnal name of Seleucus III Soter, with Soter meaning “Savior.” But during his short reign, Seleucus was king for only three short years, he earned the nickname Seleucus Ceraunus or Seleucus the Thunderbolt.

Seleucus III needed to raise money in order to provide himself with the lifestyle that he believed that he deserved. And so he decided to place a massive tax on the Seleucid Kingdom, which included Israel. He also made plans to raid the Temple in Jerusalem of its gold and treasure. This scheme to raid the Temple came to an abrupt halt when one of his administrators was visited by an angel-like person with a warning for the king. All of Seleucus plans came to an abrupt end when the King was assassinated on the battlefield. He would be replaced by his younger brother, Antiochus III, who was only eighteen at the time of his ascension to the throne. Antiochus inherited a disorganized Kingdom in rebellion and is best remembered for being able to put the Seleucid Kingdom somehow back together again.

Daniel’s taxman would seem to match the career of Seleucus III. He was remembered for his taxation demands, which caused many of the fringe states to break away from the Seleucid Kingdom, to add to his personal comforts. And while Seleucus III was at war with Attalus I of Pergamon at the time of his death, he was not killed in the battle just as Daniel had predicted. Instead, he was assassinated by members of his own army, most likely as a necessary precaution to save the Seleucid Kingdom from meeting its ultimate defeat and disappearing from the pages of history. The Kingdom needed a Savior, one that they would find in Antiochus III. What they didn’t need was the thunderbolt, who showed up with a great display of power but only lasted for a moment.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Daniel 12