Daniel 8

Two years after Daniel’s vision in chapter 7, he is shown another vision that covers the history of Alexander the Great’s conquests over Medo-Persia some 300 years in Daniel’s future and what happens to Alexander’s kingdom when he dies. It shows the historic split of Alexander’s kingdom upon his death and the subsequent rise of a ruler from the Syrian Seleucid Empire, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who is a foreshadow of the future man of sin, the antichrist.

Excerpts from The Persian Wars:

“The ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire. The longer horn that grew up later was the Persian side. The Medes were originally the dominant force but Cyrus quickly turned things around so that the Persians overwhelmed the Medes and claimed the Empire through shrewd political maneuvering.”

“The goat, representing the Greek Empire (also known as the Macedonian Empire) under Alexander, moved so fast it literally flew eastward. Alexander conquered the known world in just 11 years. The Persian king Xerxes had built a huge army numbering 2 million men whom he had trained for four years. Yet Alexander’s small army decimated the powerful Persian might with ferocity and innovative military tactics. The Persians were powerless to stand against the Greeks. Alexander died at the height of his power, of a sudden fever following a drunken party in Babylon at the age of 33. There were rumors that he was actually poisoned by Cassander, one of his generals. He was eventually succeeded by his four key generals [“four notable horns” - Daniel 8:8] who divided the kingdom among them after 22 years of infighting, murder, bribery and political chicanery.”

“In 330BC, Jaddua the high priest showed Alexander the Great Daniel chapter 8. Alexander was so impressed as he saw his military conquest of Persia laid out before him in a 200-year-old account that he not only spared the city but granted the Jews many concessions.”

I believe the vision of the ram and goat in Daniel 8 is clearly laying out history, in the future for Daniel, but for us verifiable in looking back at both Bible prophecy and history. This is one of those prophesies that validates the Truth of the Bible.

The story of Chanukkah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs and the dress of the Greeks, in much the same way that Jews in America today blend into the secular American society.

More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. -Link

I believe this was a foreshadow of the same kind of war on religious fundamentalism based on generalizing that any religion which doesn’t conform to common standards is an “enemy of the state” on a world-wide level. This could be implemented through the Alliance of Civilizations. With Antiochus, he attempted to get rid of Judaism just like it will be in the end-times with the war on religious fundamentalism. What I mean by fundamentalism is unwavering belief based on the core writings of whatever religion.

We’re already seeing this kind of animosity being built up against fundamentalist believers by the mainstream media, Hollywood and politics. If one is unwilling to adjust their beliefs to be more inclusive, thereby diluting and destroying the original belief, then they are considered unreasonable and eventually will be labeled as dangerous. Fundamentalist Islam has been one key in demonstrating how religious fundamentalism can be dangerous, it’s just another few steps to applying generalizations for an ignorant society to grab hold of and run with.

If Daniel 8:25 is actually talking about Antiochus IV, then as an antichrist himself and operating under the same spirit, I would expect the latter days antichrist to act much the same way, deceitful and ruthless in the end.

“During the latter part of the Seleucid dynasty, Antiochus III was succeeded by his son Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175 BC). In order to collect tributes, Seleucus IV sent his tax collector, Heliodorus, to rob the Jerusalem temple, however, Heliodorus engineered a conspiracy against Seleucus IV, killed him, and assumed interim Syrian leadership

Shortly before the death of Seleucus IV, his son Demetrius was sent to Rome, in a hostage trade for Antiochus IV, brother of Seleucus IV, who was previously captured by the Romans in a war with Antiochus III. Upon release from Rome, Antiochus IV traveled to Athens and secretly negotiated with the Romans, for the Seleucid throne. He convinced the Romans to keep Demetrius, the rightful heir to the throne in Rome, as a permanent hostage, in return for monetary tributes. As a part of the deal, the king of Pergamus, who was given a portion of the kingdom of Antiochus III by the Romans for assisting them in war against the Seleucid dynasty, expelled Heliodorus by force and placed Antiochus IV on the throne.

With the stoic face of a master poker player, and with his trickery, lies, and charlatanism, Antiochus IV Epiphanes finagled his way into control as ruler of the powerful kingdom of Syria and reigned from 175 BC to 164 BC. Taken for a mad man, Antiochus IV stole from the palace treasury and Jewish temples, rambled around in Roman officer disguise, and drank and caroused with people of the lowest rank.

In 170 BC, with relative ease, Antiochus IV attacked and overtook the Egyptian army, and then, he defeated the Egyptian navy. At one point, capable of destroying the commanders of the Egyptian army and masses of the population, Antiochus IV spared them and befriended several Egyptian cities in a blatant gesture of sycophancy, with the hope of persuading the young Egyptian king Ptolemy VI Philometer, who became his captured ward, to politically assist in the battle against the young king’s brother who headed the remainder of the uncaptured Egyptian forces stationed in the city of Alexandria.

Having risen to power after Seleucus IV, who was known for his consideration toward the Jews offering them many freedoms, Antiochus IV was absolutely ruthless in his treatment of the Jews, committing unfathomable abuse of the Jews. He deposed Onias the High-Priest and sold the priesthood to Jason, the younger brother of Onias for 440 talents of silver. Onias was subsequently killed by Andronicus, deputy to Antiochus IV in Antioch. In two incredible acts of viciousness, Antiochus IV became known throughout all future Jewish history for blatantly killing an old priest, Eleazar, on the torture wheel because he would not eat pork, and, for methodically dismembering to death, seven sons in the presence of their mother, and then the mother, for not eating pork sacrificed to Zeus Jupiter. Once while Antiochus IV was away at battle in Egypt, a false rumor spread that he was dead, sending Judea into revolt. Angered at his disloyal Jewish subjects, Antiochus IV returned to Jerusalem with his vast army and he indiscriminately killed 80,000 Jews from young to old, and sold another 40,000 Jews into slavery. He was a very evil human being.

As recorded in the Second Book of Maccabees, Chapter 9, God struck Antiochus IV down with an incurable pain in his bowels. Arrogantly acting as though unfazed by his illness, Antiochus IV was riding in a chariot when he fell out and his body was racked throughout. Living for a brief period, his body became so infected that flesh fell off his bones and produced an intolerable stench. Humbled by God, Antiochus IV died without dignity.” - Link broken