Daniel Study Notes - Lesson 39

>> 11:21-35 Career of Antiochus Epiphanes. His impact on Israel.

Note: What we see here with A/E prefigures what will occur with the "coming man of sin" the Antichrist during the Tribulation period.

> 11:21 Rise of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

> 11:22 A/E's Early Military conquests

> 11:23 A/E offered friendship to Egypt;

> 11:24-28 A/E seeks to expand his power.

- In vs:25-27 we see some of the expansion; success against Egypt.

- In vs:28 we find that although he didn't conquer all of Egypt as he planned, but he did take much plunder from those cities he did conquer. He left rich!

- This enraged A/E to the degree that he had many Jews enslaved, and many slaughtered, (reports as many as 80,000); looted the Temple and carried off its treasures to his palace in Antioch.

> 11:29 A/E decides to go and make another attempt to conquer Egypt.

- The time is 168 BC. we are just around the corner from when Rome would conquer the region; they are already a formidable power.

- The picture here is of a very self-centered arrogant man who has been totally thwarted in his objective in Egypt.

- But as always rejection of truth, and ones relationship with God; you can count on it, its going to cause you grief; there are always consequences for that.

> 11:31 The Abomination - systematic desecration of the Temple.

- Antiochus ordered his general, Apolloninus, to occupy Jerusalem with his Syrian troops (22,000); purpose of stamping out every trace of Judaism and replacing it with Hellenism.

- An edict was made that all nationalities in Antiochus' kingdom were to be fused into one people.

- Under this program a number of things were to be done: (formalized)

1. Regular Temple sacrifices to YHWH were to be stopped.

2. Pagan Greek rites were performed in the Temple.

3. Pigs were sacrificed to Greek gods in the Temple. (pagan altar)

4. Those Jews who were caught offering a sacrifice to God, practice circumcision, observe the Sabbath or the feast days; were put to death.

5. Any copies of the OT scrolls found were to be destroyed.

6. The Temple was rededicated to the god Zeus; an image was erected on the altar of burnt offering;

- This was done on Dec 16, 167 BC.

- This fulfills the last phrase; "And they will set up the abomination of desolation."

> 11:32 We see A/E's continuing opposition to the Jews and their faith.

- "By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant,"

- But those Jews who were like Daniel, who thru faith knew the God of Israel personally, took a strong stand for Him, they made up their mind and acted in obedience to God's covenant with them.

1 Macc 1:62-63

- This abomination, that desolates or pollutes the temple is not the first time that this has occurred nor will it be the last.

As severe as this was; the abomination that this prefigures that was spoken of by Christ in Mt 24:15 is the most extensive; this will come in the middle of the Tribulation period Dan 9:27.

> 11:33 The Maccabean revolt.

> 11:34

- From time to time there were small groups of men who joined the Maccabees to help them in the revolt who did so for expediency sake; it was not from conviction; they were not there because they were committed to the Covenant.