The Message of Daniel by Dale Ralph Davis

Author:Dale Ralph Davis [Davis, Dale Ralph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2013-08-04T16:00:00+00:00

d. A brief bio and more

If this vision reached its fulfilment in the career of Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), what did the fulfilment look like? We should provide some historical filler.

After the death of Alexander the Great, Judah came under Egyptian (Ptolemaic) control for roughly a century (ca. 300–200 BC). That changed in 198 when Antiochus III (the Great) shattered the Egyptians at Baniyas and Palestine passed into Seleucid (Syrian) hands. Antiochus III for all his success was humiliated by the Romans in 190 at Magnesia and met his end shortly afterwards in 187. By 175 Antiochus IV had wormed his way into power.13

Psycho-history, of course, can be a perilous enterprise, but Antiochus was, apparently, a bit quirky, able to slide easily on the scale from warmly gregarious to terribly tyrannical. On his coins he placed the self-descriptive logo ‘Epiphanes’ (which was an abbreviation for ‘god manifest/revealed’ – the god in question being Olympian Zeus); some, however, opined that ‘Epimanes’ (‘Madman’) would have been more accurate. Antiochus IV seems to have been an able soldier and administrator, but he was always strapped for cash, primarily because he was always fighting wars and owing tribute to Rome, both very expensive propositions. Like a suave politician, Antiochus never met a substantial contributor he didn’t like. His need to be a perennial fund-raiser partly explains his behaviour toward Jerusalem in 169 BC.

Antiochus had invaded Egypt at that time and on his way home he came to Jerusalem, where his lackey Menelaus (the highest bidder for the high priesthood) handed over a horde of temple treasures (including sacred furniture) to him (1 Macc. 1:20–23), so that he carted off, so it was said, 1,800 talents (2 Macc. 5:15–16, 21). This was only the half of it. For while Antiochus had still been in Egypt, Jason, a previously ousted high priest and Menelaus’ rival, suddenly attacked Jerusalem but with only temporary success. Antiochus, however, saw this as a revolt – hence on his 169 visit he looted the temple but also carried out a horrific blood bath.14

Worse was on its way. The next year Antiochus invaded Egypt again. His success was frustrated by the appearance of the Roman general Popillius Laenas, who told Antiochus he could finish his Egyptian conquest if he also wanted to fight Rome. Otherwise, he should go home. And he must make up his mind on the spot. It may be that Rome’s bullying stirred up Antiochus’ rage against Jerusalem (cf. Dan. 11:30). However, what Antiochus did matters more than why he did it. In 167 BC he sent his chief tax collector, Apollonius, to Jerusalem, and pillage, massacre and ruin were the orders of the day (see 1 Macc. 1:29–40). Now Antiochus insisted on a forced paganization programme,15 meant to corrupt and decimate every aspect of Israel’s faith and practice. This scheme called for

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.