Introduction
It is perhaps a name that you haven’t heard of before. Nevertheless, he was an important Greek ruler in the ancient world of the second century BC.1 He was an evil ruler or king eighth in line from the Seleucid Empire. In 168 BC he committed sacrilege by setting up an image to the Greek god Zeus in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and he sacrificed a pig on the altar (an unclean and abhorrent animal to the Jews).
Antiochus IV was a madman and the reason that he is important is that he goes down in Bible history as a type of Antichrist. He gives us a picture of what the future Antichrist or beast of the last seven years will be like.
Historical context
Antiochus obtained the throne by guile. The true heir to the throne was a boy named Demetrius Soter. Antiochus claimed to be his protector but he seized the throne. He was very successful in his military campaigns and he knew how to combine strategy with brute force. This is what Adolf Hitler was like as the ruler of the seventh kingdom.2 The future eighth king (Antichrist) will be the same. In his first military campaign, Antiochus sat down at the bargaining table with the Egyptian leaders but he never kept any of the agreements and never intended to. He truly was a deceiver.
Antiochus turned his attention to Israel and the wealth of the temple. He defiled the temple, abolished the sacrifices, and killed many Jews. A couple of years later in 168 BC, he, with the help of Jewish traitors whom he promised to reward, came and defiled the temple.3 He desecrated the temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and by offering a pig as a sacrifice. Gabriel in Dan. 11:31 calls this the abomination that caused desolation. And we see that the future Antichrist will put his image in the Jewish temple when he breaks the OT covenant halfway during the seven year period. This is what is known as the 70th week prophecy. The link between the two comes when we read that the future Antichrist will also set up another “Abomination of Desolation” at the halfway point of the last seven years.
Antiochus was trying his best to eliminate the Jewish people and their religion from the earth just like Hitler did in 1932-1945 and just like the future Antichrist will try to do again.
Judas the Hammer
In the book of Daniel we learn that there was a small group of faithful Jews who opposed Antiochus.4 History tells us that a Jewish priest named Mattathias with his 5 sons gathered an army and they fought back. Judas Maccabeus (Judas the Hammer) led a rebellion and later recaptured Jerusalem and reconsecrated the temple and altar 1150 days (just over 3 years) later in 165 BC. On December 14th, 165 BC, 2300 evenings and mornings later, the temple was purified. This is celebrated in Israel at the Feast of Hanukkah (Lights) every year. It is my understanding that Christ will return in glory on the Day of Atonement and defeat the devil and his minions and the consecration of the holy place will take place before the Feast of Tabernacles just as in the days of King Solomon when he dedicated the first Jewish temple.5 See my timeline.
Dual fulfillment
In the book of Daniel, both Antiochus IV and the end times beast are called the “King of the North.” They have many similarities. One is Bible history, the other Bible prophecy. You are probably asking yourself, “How can the Bible be talking about two men at the same time?” That is a good question. The Bible often has what scholars call, “dual fulfillment.” One fulfillment would be the primary fulfillment and the other, the secondary fulfillment. In this case, we see one fulfillment as history and the other as prophecy. History is simply prophecy revealed. Prophecy is simply future history. It’s all the same to God. He sees the beginning from the end.
Why do we have dual fulfillments in Scripture? The reason for this is so that we can be prepared and have a picture of what is to come. Antiochus Epiphanes IV was a madman and extremely evil in what he did to the Jews and at their temple. The final evil Satanic ruler will be just as evil. Daniel says of this final King of the North that he will be a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue and that he will succeed in whatever he does.6
Learn to travel light
The last 3 ½ years will be Satan’s time and it’s a good thing that we don’t have to be there if we so choose. We can choose to flee like the Bible says and be protected in the shadow of the Most High. That place is a place of safety in the desert. Make sure you are listening when the call comes. Don’t let the anxieties of life weigh you down and distract you. As Max Lucado says, “Learn to travel light.”
2 Responses
What will the message to flee be?
We already have the message to flee by Jesus in Luke 21:36 which says to be on the watch for the signs of when to flee and to pray that you may be able to escape or flee all that is about to happen. What is the sign to flee? Matt. 24:15 gives us that sign and it says that when you (the disciples and the church) see standing in the holy place (the temple) the abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel (Dan. 9:27) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (these are the mountains of Jordan). So we have the timing (half way during the 7 years), we have the place to flee to (Jordan) and we have the sign (the Antichrist performing the blasphemous act in the temple). The only question I guess is when do we get the message to first go to Judea/Jerusalem in Israel? That no one knows. Possibly the Two Witnesses will tell us that during the first half and when the country becomes open to immigrants. That certainly is not possible now unless you are already a Jew trying to return to Israel under their national Aliyah program. My best current guess is that there might be some type of nuclear war between Iran and Israel which means that Syria and northern part of Israel might be affected and it becomes open to people to come to help restore the country. This is the prophesied Psalm 83/Isaiah 17 destruction of Damascus/northern Israel. See Isaiah 17:1-2.