DANIEL 11
29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. 30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. 33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. – Daniel 11:29-35
DANIEL 11 ABOMINATIONS AGAINST GOD AND HIS PEOPLE
Dr. Constable’s commentary narrates the story behind verse 29 when Antiochus decided to attack Egypt. He didn’t successfully invade Egypt because the Roman consul, Poppillius Laenas met him in Alexandria and stopped him from invading Egypt. In verse 30, the ships from Kittim (Cyprus) that came against him belonged to Popillius Laenas and Rome. Antiochus had to return home, since it would have meant declaring war on Rome, an enemy he won’t win over. He went back to Syria upset. Again, he took out his frustration on the Jews in Jerusalem who observed the “holy covenant”. He preferred the renegade Jews who had abandoned the Mosaic Law according to the book of Macabees. Menelaus and his collaborators willingly abandoned their religious scruples, rather than oppose Antiochus who had put them in power. In verse 31, Antiochus commanded his general, Apollonius, and 22,000 soldiers to sneak in to invade Jerusalem under the guise of a peaceful mission. They attacked the Jews on a Sabbath, when they were hesitant to exercise defense. Apollonius killed many Jews, took their women and children as slaves, plundered the temple, and burned the city. Antiochus’ goal was to eliminate Judaism and to Hellenize Palestine. Later, he prohibited the Jews from following the Mosaic Law, and got rid of Jewish sacrifices, festivals, and circumcision. He even burned copies of their law. He put up an image of Zeus, his Greek god, in the temple and erected an altar to Zeus on the altar of burnt offerings. The Jews referred to this act as “the abomination that causes desolation” (Daniel 12:11), since it polluted their altar and made sacrifices to Yahweh on it impossible (Daniel 8:23-25). Antiochus further ordered his Jewish subjects to celebrate his ensuing birthdays by offering a pig to Zeus on this altar. Verse 32 refers to Antiochus as the great flatterer and deceived the Jews to participate in the worship of Zeus. Antiochus was a master manipulator who divided the loyalties of the Jewish leaders, winning them over to his cause by promises of reward. This most repulsive of all insults to the Jews precipitated the Maccabean revolt, in which thousands of Jews rebelled against Antiochus. This revolt was initiated by a priest named Mattathias from Ephraim, and led by three of his sons, Judas, Jonathan, and Simon. They killed Antiochus’ general, Apollonius, in battle and later achieved many important victories that freed the Jews. They overthrew the Seleucids in Palestine.
REFLECTION
- What do you think drove Antiochus to do these abominations against God and the Jews?
