Daniel 8:23-25
"And in the latter time of their kingdom,When the transgressors have reached their fullness,A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,Who understands sinister schemes.
His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully,And shall prosper and thrive;He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. "Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart.He shall destroy many in their prosperity.He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.
Daniel 8:9-14 "Antiochus Epiphanes"- A "type" of "Antichrist"
And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?" And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed." (NKJV)
"And in the latter time of their kingdom,When the transgressors have reached their fullness,A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,Who understands sinister schemes.
His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully,And shall prosper and thrive;He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. "Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart.He shall destroy many in their prosperity.He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.
Daniel 8:9-14 "Antiochus Epiphanes"- A "type" of "Antichrist"
And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?" And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed." (NKJV)
Antiochus IV succeeded his brother, Seleucus IV, as king of Syria who was murdered by his minister, Heliodorus around 175 B.C. Ruling for 11 years, (175- 164 B.C.) Antiochus IV was by nature a despot; eccentric and unreliable. Polybius tells us that his eccentric ideas caused some to speak of him as a man of pure motive and humble character, while others hinted at insanity. Daniel referred to him as the "persecutor of Israel" and "the little horn." Daniel wrote this prophetically concerning Antiochus, the prosecutor: "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. (Daniel 8:23-25) (NIV)
In Daniel's prophecy, he also called him "the little horn." Thus he wrote:" Out of one of them there came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. Because of rebellion, the host [of the saints] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground." Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled - the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be re-consecrated." (Daniel 8:9-14) NIV
To secure his ascension to the Syrian throne, there are some that believe Seleucus IV was poisoned by Heliodorus, and others who were prime candidates except his younger brother Demetrius, who was imprisoned in Rome were murdered along the way. Accordingly as Dr. John F. Walvoord stated in his book, (Walvoord, 1991) " Daniel described him as "a contemptible person" who had not been given the honor of royalty."
According to Dr. Walvoord, Antiochus took the name "Epiphanes" which means "the glorious one." His enemies in derision to the title modified the spelling and changed it to "Epimanes" which meant "madman." In the book "Promises and Blessings, Author Michael A. Harbin said the actual title he took was "Theo Epiphanes" meaning "god manifest." (Harbin, 2005)
It's with this name that Harbin introduced, we can easily see how Daniel made a "double reference" to the name Antiochus and associated it with the Antichrist, who like Antiochus in future prophecy will become a madman and seek to force the Jews to worship him as god as well as desecrate the temple and set up an "abominable image", demanding the people to take the image of the beast or be killed.. Comparing the both men with each other: both will be men of fierce countenance and cunning. Both are self -serving, vicious and self willed and partial to heathen images.
In order to compare Antiochus IV to the future Antichrist, we must compare what Daniel was inspired to write by the Holy Spirit with what the Apostle John wrote while Jesus instructed him concerning those thing that were shortly to come to past.
In the prophecy concerning found in Daniel 8:9-14, Michael A. Harbin wrote: "Antiochus Epiphanes attempted a strong program of "Hellenization" to unite the kingdom. A critical aspect of this Hellenistic program was an effort to force the Jews to worship the Greek god Zeus, his favorite god. During the early part of his reign, First, Antiochus contented himself with playing Jewish factions against each other. (even those factions that existed in the priesthood as there existed Pro-Ptolemy and Pro- Seleucid parties).then, he attacked Ptolemy VI in Egypt. While in Egypt, trouble broke out in Jerusalem. Perceiving this internal struggle to be rebellion against his reign, Antiochus desecrated the temple by first, being a Gentile entering in it, then by plundering it. Next, to ensure that Judea would remain loyal, for the next 2 years, Antiochus accelerated his Hellenization program and started his quest to eradicate the Jewish religion all together. He replaced the "monotheistic" belief of Judaism with the "polytheistic" belief of Hellenism. He viewed Judaism as a cult that must be destroyed"
Dr. Frank Hirsch (Hirsch, 2006) writes, "Antiochus made the following declarations: The observance of all Jewish laws, especially those relating to the Sabbath and to circumcision, were forbidden under pain of death. The Jewish "cult" was set aside, and in all cities of Judaea, sacrifices must be brought to the pagan deities. Representatives of the crown everywhere enforced the edict. Once a month a search was instituted, and whoever had secreted a copy of the Law or had observed the rite of circumcision was condemned to death. In Jerusalem on the 15th of Chislev of the year 145 aet Sel, i.e. in December 168 B.C., a pagan altar was built on the Great Altar of Burnt Sacrifices, and on the 25th of Chislev, sacrifice was brought on this altar for the first time (1 Maccabees 1:54,59). This evidently was the "abomination of desolation." The sacrifice, according to 2 Maccabees was brought to the Olympian Zeus, to whom the temple of Jerusalem had been dedicated. At the feast of Dionysus, the Jews were obliged to march in the Bacchanalian procession, crowned with laurel leaves. This diabolical act in 167 BC. Triggered the Maccabean Revolt and ultimately resulted in independence for Judea, for in 163 BC., Antiochus died and Lysias, his general established a truce with the Jews.
Jesus Christ applies the phrase in Matthew 24:15 to what was to take place at the advance of the Romans against Jerusalem. They who would behold the "abomination of desolation" standing in the holy place, He bids flee to the mountains, which probably refers to the advance of the Roman army into the city and temple, carrying standards which bore images of the Roman gods and were the objects of pagan worship.
Finally, In reference to the Antichrist, Daniel was told to seal up his prophecy because it pertained to the future . In the future, both Daniel passages will pertain to the Antichrist as well. In Revelation 13, the Antichrist, like Antiochus comes out of obscurity as the beast that comes out of the sea and will also be a king of fierce countenance.. Once he establishes his reign and break the covenant, the daily sacrifices will be taken away after the Antichrist breaks the 7-year peace treaty he signed with Israel after 3and ½ years. The sanctuary will be cast down. (Revelation 11:2) The altar where the sacrifices were offered will be destroyed and taken away. According to Revelation 13:11-18, the Image of the beast will be set up to be worshipped and a great many people against the daily sacrifice will be given over to the antichrist because of abounding sin, thus, the antichrist will cast down the truth to the ground and prosper in all his plans for a time, times and half a time.
When Jesus Christ comes back in the "Revelation" stage of His second coming, both the false prophet and the Antichrist will be destroyed with the sword of the Lord's mouth and cast alive in the Lake of Fire that burn with brimstone..
In Daniel's prophecy, he also called him "the little horn." Thus he wrote:" Out of one of them there came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. Because of rebellion, the host [of the saints] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground." Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled - the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be re-consecrated." (Daniel 8:9-14) NIV
To secure his ascension to the Syrian throne, there are some that believe Seleucus IV was poisoned by Heliodorus, and others who were prime candidates except his younger brother Demetrius, who was imprisoned in Rome were murdered along the way. Accordingly as Dr. John F. Walvoord stated in his book, (Walvoord, 1991) " Daniel described him as "a contemptible person" who had not been given the honor of royalty."
According to Dr. Walvoord, Antiochus took the name "Epiphanes" which means "the glorious one." His enemies in derision to the title modified the spelling and changed it to "Epimanes" which meant "madman." In the book "Promises and Blessings, Author Michael A. Harbin said the actual title he took was "Theo Epiphanes" meaning "god manifest." (Harbin, 2005)
It's with this name that Harbin introduced, we can easily see how Daniel made a "double reference" to the name Antiochus and associated it with the Antichrist, who like Antiochus in future prophecy will become a madman and seek to force the Jews to worship him as god as well as desecrate the temple and set up an "abominable image", demanding the people to take the image of the beast or be killed.. Comparing the both men with each other: both will be men of fierce countenance and cunning. Both are self -serving, vicious and self willed and partial to heathen images.
In order to compare Antiochus IV to the future Antichrist, we must compare what Daniel was inspired to write by the Holy Spirit with what the Apostle John wrote while Jesus instructed him concerning those thing that were shortly to come to past.
In the prophecy concerning found in Daniel 8:9-14, Michael A. Harbin wrote: "Antiochus Epiphanes attempted a strong program of "Hellenization" to unite the kingdom. A critical aspect of this Hellenistic program was an effort to force the Jews to worship the Greek god Zeus, his favorite god. During the early part of his reign, First, Antiochus contented himself with playing Jewish factions against each other. (even those factions that existed in the priesthood as there existed Pro-Ptolemy and Pro- Seleucid parties).then, he attacked Ptolemy VI in Egypt. While in Egypt, trouble broke out in Jerusalem. Perceiving this internal struggle to be rebellion against his reign, Antiochus desecrated the temple by first, being a Gentile entering in it, then by plundering it. Next, to ensure that Judea would remain loyal, for the next 2 years, Antiochus accelerated his Hellenization program and started his quest to eradicate the Jewish religion all together. He replaced the "monotheistic" belief of Judaism with the "polytheistic" belief of Hellenism. He viewed Judaism as a cult that must be destroyed"
Dr. Frank Hirsch (Hirsch, 2006) writes, "Antiochus made the following declarations: The observance of all Jewish laws, especially those relating to the Sabbath and to circumcision, were forbidden under pain of death. The Jewish "cult" was set aside, and in all cities of Judaea, sacrifices must be brought to the pagan deities. Representatives of the crown everywhere enforced the edict. Once a month a search was instituted, and whoever had secreted a copy of the Law or had observed the rite of circumcision was condemned to death. In Jerusalem on the 15th of Chislev of the year 145 aet Sel, i.e. in December 168 B.C., a pagan altar was built on the Great Altar of Burnt Sacrifices, and on the 25th of Chislev, sacrifice was brought on this altar for the first time (1 Maccabees 1:54,59). This evidently was the "abomination of desolation." The sacrifice, according to 2 Maccabees was brought to the Olympian Zeus, to whom the temple of Jerusalem had been dedicated. At the feast of Dionysus, the Jews were obliged to march in the Bacchanalian procession, crowned with laurel leaves. This diabolical act in 167 BC. Triggered the Maccabean Revolt and ultimately resulted in independence for Judea, for in 163 BC., Antiochus died and Lysias, his general established a truce with the Jews.
Jesus Christ applies the phrase in Matthew 24:15 to what was to take place at the advance of the Romans against Jerusalem. They who would behold the "abomination of desolation" standing in the holy place, He bids flee to the mountains, which probably refers to the advance of the Roman army into the city and temple, carrying standards which bore images of the Roman gods and were the objects of pagan worship.
Finally, In reference to the Antichrist, Daniel was told to seal up his prophecy because it pertained to the future . In the future, both Daniel passages will pertain to the Antichrist as well. In Revelation 13, the Antichrist, like Antiochus comes out of obscurity as the beast that comes out of the sea and will also be a king of fierce countenance.. Once he establishes his reign and break the covenant, the daily sacrifices will be taken away after the Antichrist breaks the 7-year peace treaty he signed with Israel after 3and ½ years. The sanctuary will be cast down. (Revelation 11:2) The altar where the sacrifices were offered will be destroyed and taken away. According to Revelation 13:11-18, the Image of the beast will be set up to be worshipped and a great many people against the daily sacrifice will be given over to the antichrist because of abounding sin, thus, the antichrist will cast down the truth to the ground and prosper in all his plans for a time, times and half a time.
When Jesus Christ comes back in the "Revelation" stage of His second coming, both the false prophet and the Antichrist will be destroyed with the sword of the Lord's mouth and cast alive in the Lake of Fire that burn with brimstone..
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