In this insightful session, we explore the rise and revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes, whose actions laid the groundwork for understanding the Antichrist. Through the lens of Daniel 11, we witness the struggle between sacred covenants and tyranny. Gain insight into how these ancient events resound within the frameworks of current world affairs. With expert analysis from David Hawking, be prepared to see why the prophecies of old may be closer to fulfillment than ever before.
In the midst of this terrible abomination, Antiochus declared himself to be God manifest in the flesh. And when he erected the idol Zeus Olympus on the burnt offering, when he erected that, and that is the abomination of desolation, he in fact asked all of the Jews to worship him as the ultimate God of all. He said, I am Theos Epiphanes, which of course would be an abomination to the Jewish people. That’s exactly what the Antichrist is going to do. Like Antiochus, he’ll be crafty, deceitful, a powerful force in this world. He’s a counterfeit Christ all the way.
SPEAKER 02 :
Welcome to a new week of Bible study on Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking. On today’s program, we’re diving deeper into one of the most explosive prophetic passages in the book of Daniel. Antiochus Epiphanes, he didn’t just wage war against God. He was a blueprint for the Antichrist to come. Antiochus Epiphanes In Daniel 11, he corrupts with flattery, outlaws God’s word, and slaughters those who stand firm. But in the midst of the chaos, in the midst of the chaos, a remnant rises. Those who know their God and refuse to compromise. And as we get into the word, David’s going to share why he believes we are very close to seeing these prophecies fulfilled. This is day two of Antiochus and the Revolt, and I think you’re going to be glad you tuned in. Stay with us. First, let me tell you about our Hope for Today newsletter. We’ve recently revamped this with a bright, beautiful format, full color, and it’s packed with the same great content you’ve come to expect in a more concise format. We have encouraging articles, prophetic insights, ministry updates, and special Bible study resources to strengthen your walk with the Lord. It’s a powerful way to, well, stay connected. And it’s our gift to you as part of the Hope for Today listening family. To subscribe to the Hope for Today monthly letter, call 1-800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And of course, you can send a message to us and request a subscription when you visit us online at davidhawking.org. Now here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let’s look at five things. First, his attitude toward the Holy Covenant. Verse 28. While returning to his land with great riches, after his defeat of Egypt, his heart shall be moved against the Holy Covenant. So he shall do damage and return to his own land. Number two, notice not only his attitude toward the Holy Covenant, but his attempt to invade Egypt again. Verse 29 says at the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south, but it shall not be like the former or the latter time. The third thing I want you to notice is his anger against Israel in verse 30. It says ships from Cyprus shall come against him. Therefore he shall be grieved. Who are these ships from Cyprus? Interesting that history records that the Romans are the ones who came. Roman ships. The Roman Republic has now got Cyprus. Very interesting. Ships from Cyprus shall come against him. Imagine the Bible predicting that when long before at the time of Daniel, when it was written, you didn’t even have such a situation existing. And now the Bible says, predicting several hundred years ahead of time, 400 years ahead of time, that there are going to be ships from Cyprus. Nobody even knew there would be ships on Cyprus, much less coming from Cyprus. And it says, therefore, he’ll be grieved and return in rage against the Holy Covenant and do damage. So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the Holy Covenant. In other words, he would pay attention to them, but he would plunder those that will be faithful to God’s law. The Roman Republic began in 705 B.C. So they’re well on their way. They’ve been involved. They know about Antiochus Epiphanes. And frankly, he was not held in high regard by the Romans. But they didn’t know what to do with him because he’s very powerful and strong. The Empire of Rome did not start until 30 B.C. under Octavian, who became Augustus Caesar. But these two Ptolemies sought the aid of the Romans, and they responded by sending a fleet to contact Antiochus at the siege of Alexandria, Egypt. Popilius Lanus commanded the Roman ships, and he delivered to Antiochus the demand of the Roman Senate that he stop any further aggression. Popelius drew a circle in the sand in his confrontation with Antiochus. He met him. And before they went at it, Antiochus was a little bit concerned, naturally, because he didn’t want to bring the wrath of Rome on him. Popelius drew a circle in the sand around Antiochus and commanded him to reach his decision before he stepped out of the circle. Well, Antiochus unwillingly agreed. And he then returned home by way of Judea, and gathered information concerning those Jews who would support him. Did you read verse 30 carefully? So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. He knew that Rome’s telling him, you stop plundering people, stop hurting those Jewish people there, which is kind of interesting in the light of Rome’s eventual takeover. Stop hurting them. This all started, Rome’s involvement, right here at Antiochus Epiphanes. And when we pick up our New Testaments and start reading, we’ve got Rome in total power and control of the land of Israel. But it all started right here, and you’re back 175 to 164 B.C. So it didn’t take long, within 150 years, maximum, Rome was in total charge of the land of Israel. Why did Herod try to restore and rebuild the temple beginning in 18 BC and finishing it in 64 AD? At the time of Jesus, Jesus said 46 years he’d been building it. Why did he begin to build it and restore it? Because Antiochus Epiphanes had ruined it. Very interesting. So about 150 years after Antiochus desecrated the place, Herod the Great, who’s under Roman authority now, who was an Edomian, by the way, but kind of a half-breed in terms of Jewish life, and he began to rebuild the temple to appease the Jews. The Romans were always trying to keep the Jews quiet, to suppress any revolts. They tried to appease them in a lot of ways. Well, they were sympathetic, you can understand, because the Roman ships are now coming and saying with their power and authority, the Roman Senate says, Antiochus, stop it. Stop it. Draw a circle around him. Make your decision now. He does. But when he returns, he goes into the land of Israel and finds out who will stand with him if he decides to take Rome on. Very interesting when you’re reading this. Now let’s come to the fourth thing about his desolation of Israel. We looked at his attitude toward the Holy Covenant, his attempt to invade Egypt, his anger against Israel. Now look at his abomination. Verse 31 says, Forces shall be mustered by him. They shall defile the sanctuary fortress. Then they shall take away the daily sacrifices and place there the abomination of desolation. You know, I read this, and it amazes me. If you would like to read this, by the way, it’s in the book of Maccabees. You have 1 and 2 Maccabees. It’s a very interesting history found in the Apocrypha. It’s very exciting, and it’s all filled with revolt. His abomination. First, the armed forces of Antiochus decided to become guards at the temple area. Their next step was to discontinue regular worship. They chose the Sabbath day. to attack because they knew the Jews would not be prepared in the Sabbath day. Isn’t it interesting in Egypt’s war against Israel that they choose either the Sabbath day or in 1973, the Yom Kippur war on the Day of Atonement. And the Jews had to actually have a rabbinical interpretation as to whether they can do anything on the Sabbath day. They don’t want to get slaughtered. But when their enemies decide to attack, they know exactly what day to attack on. So Antiochus on the Sabbath day attacks the city and kills multitudes of these Jews who are worshiping at the temple because he figured that if they worship at the temple, they’re still loyal to God’s law. His army then occupied the citadel that overlooks the temple area. He then made heathen idolatry mandatory. He made Hellenistic culture absolutely required by all the Jewish people. In order to enforce this, he had pigs sacrificed regularly to pagan gods right in the temple. And he made the Jews do it. Can you imagine, if you’re Jewish, picking up a pig alone, even touching the blooming thing? You can’t hardly do it. And he made them pick up the pig, kill the pig themselves, and sacrifice their blood to heathen gods on the temple equipment. That’s what they made the Jews do. Oh, it didn’t end there. He got really hot. He decided, we’ll show them. All the Jews that refused to do that were threatened with death, or they could participate in a drunken orgy in honor of Bacchus, the god of wine. The point of the whole celebration is to get as drunk as you can and to do as much evil as you can. And Antiochus forced the godly Jews to be drunk, pouring wine and drink down their throats until they’re absolutely intoxicated, made them fornicate with pagans, and he did everything he could to destroy the back of those who were going to be faithful to the Lord. It’s an incredible story. The climax of all climaxes. was that he decided as one final blow to the whole system which God had ordained, he erected the image of Zeus Olympias in the Jewish temple right on top of the altar of burnt offering. The Jews were screaming and howling and begging him not to do it. They didn’t know what to do. They were filled with rage and anger and tears and grief, and he slaughtered them by the thousands, just killed them, got rid of them. They either come his way or they would suffer death. Well, let me continue. The fifth thing we want you to notice is the attack on the Jewish people in verses 32 to 35. It says, those who do wickedly against the covenant, he shall corrupt with flattery. So some Jews compromised. I want to ask you, when the Antichrist comes, do you think some Jews are going to go along with it? You bet, they sure are. They’re going to be deceived. The Bible speaks of the majority being deceived. Secular Israel is prepared for it today. The pressure for negotiation is incredible, and I believe they’re going to compromise. But there’s a godly remnant who won’t compromise. And it’s interesting, as you look at this text, the exact same thing that happened in the day of Antiochus is going to be the exact same atmosphere in the tribulation period in the land of Israel. And it’s already set up for that. Very interesting. So let me give you a little history on verses 32 to 35 as you watch your Bible. Some Jews, according to history, yielded to the purposes of Antiochus. But those who remained true to God refused to eat unclean things, refused to participate in any of his orgies, and many of them died for the faith. A group of godly Jews called Hasidians stood for the law and taught the people of Israel God’s law. Judas Maccabeus, who was one of the five sons of Mattathias, refused to forsake the covenant of God. They were going to stand for the Lord till the death. Judas Maccabeus is one of the most famous people in Jewish history, and he’s the foundation of all the celebration of Hanukkah. He led, believe it or not, with just a handful of Orthodox Jews, he led a successful revolt against all those Syrians. And he brought relief from the persecution. And in one of the most intense battles in the temple area, there’s a tradition which the Jewish people have which affects Hanukkah. They say that the lights in the temple were supernaturally sustained by God for eight straight days so they could finish off and win the victory. At the Feast of Hanukkah, contrast to a menorah with its seven-branched candlestick, the Hanukkah has eight branches. Each day represents eight days. In a Hanukkah celebration, the Jewish home, eight days before the last day, you will light the first candle. The next day, you will light candle number one and candle number two. On the third day, candle one, two, three. Fourth day, one, two, three, four. All the way through the eighth, it’s a celebration. It goes on for eight days in a Jewish home. Also, you give gifts, and you start out with something that’s not very expensive. And each day you get a more expensive gift. And by the end, you get a real terrific deal. And that’s Hanukkah. And what are they celebrating? The victory of the Maccabean revolt over Antiochus Epiphanes. And it’s a reminder to the Jewish people of the ultimate victory God will have over all of Antichrist and all of the opposition forces against the land of Israel. Folks, that is true. There’s going to be an ultimate victory. The Lord of glory will fight for his people Israel and will establish his kingdom in Israel. So everything that happened then is the historical foundation for what is also going to take place at the end of the time of Daniel’s whole vision, which started in Daniel 10 and goes to Daniel chapter 12. It covers the whole period of time known as the times of the Gentiles. By the way, the successes of the Maccabeans were not permanent. But you have to understand what these Orthodox people felt. Judas Maccabeus treated with bloody severity all of the apostate Jews. And he did it because he believed he was exercising the vengeance of God Almighty against the apostate Jews, which the Bible predicts. Very interesting. Now, he made one mistake. That’s to be the Lord’s job, not his. But do you know at the end of the tribulation, that’s exactly what the Lord is going to do. He’s going to exercise His vengeance against all apostate Jews, as well as Gentile nations that have come against the people of Israel. The Bible tells us that only one-third of the nation of Israel is going to be spared. Two-thirds of it are rebellious and will be destroyed. That’s in Zechariah 13, 8 and 9. Very interesting. Well, it didn’t last. And before long, you’re going to find Rome taking over. When I look at this whole passage, I think of 2 Thessalonians 2 again. Will you turn back there, please? In the midst of this terrible abomination, Antiochus declared himself to be God manifest in the flesh. And when he erected the idol Zeus Olympus on the burnt offering, he in fact asked all of the Jews to worship him as the ultimate God of all. He said, I am Theos Epiphanes, which of course would be an abomination to the Jewish people. Now friends, that’s exactly what the Antichrist is going to do. Like Antiochus, he’ll be crafty, deceitful, And by political intrigue and maneuvering, he will work up to be a powerful force in this world. He’s a counterfeit Christ all the way. He’s going to break his covenant with the people of Israel, and he’s going to desecrate their temple, which is a rebuilt temple, not the Messianic temple, but one they’re going to rebuild, one they’re making plans for right now. 2 Thessalonians 2, please. You can’t help but see the connection. Verse 3, let no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, the apostasy. And the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, he’s the Antichrist, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worship, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. That’s exactly what Antiochus Epiphanes did. Well, his end is coming. Verse 8, I guess what really struck me as I was reading through this passage is not simply the historical accuracy, which is certainly an amazing testimony to the inspiration of the Bible, What hit me was not simply the parallelism between Antiochus and the Antichrist, which is certainly clear, but what really hit me as I was reading to this passage is how near we are in our time to this whole scenario. I studied prophecy in seminary, took a course in prophecy, also in Revelation, took a course in many of the Old Testament books, And I studied prophecy with a great zeal. I had a great interest in it, and I loved it. And I can remember in class thinking about all of this, reading over these passages. It didn’t seem to me at that time, but you know, about 10 years ago. Sure. But anyway, it didn’t seem to me at the time that the world fit what I read. Can you imagine studying this many years ago? And now, seeing what’s happening and what you feel about it, I feel sorry for some of you that are part of this generation in one sense. You have not had a historical perspective. I can hardly believe what has happened. And I think a lot of older Christians here would agree with me. It is almost incredible. We just can’t hardly believe it. And I’m saying to you with a great deal of confidence in the Word of God and with some hesitation about date setting, but I am thoroughly convinced by what I read in the Bible, by what I see in our world at the present time, that we are really on the threshold of the return of Jesus Christ. I just cannot believe it is very long. The Lord Jesus is coming. If I were you, I wouldn’t mess around with my commitment to Jesus Christ. If you’re walking away from the Lord now, it’s time to get right with God. If you don’t know the Lord, you’ve not made a commitment to Jesus Christ. Man, don’t wait. Don’t wait.
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, one of our strong objectives here at Hope for Today is to proclaim the gospel, to make it so clear that people listening to our broadcast want to know, how do you get born again? How do you get saved, as we often hear it said? Well, folks, the first thing I would recommend is to repent of your sin. Confession of sin is a part of getting right with God. And I don’t know what’s going on in your life, but don’t try to hide. Come clean with the Lord. Secondly, understand that a church, an organization, doesn’t save you. Hope for Today can’t save you. Now, we can tell you how to get saved, but the only one who can save you is our Lord. The Bible says, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by me. The one who paid for your sin and will deliver you from sin, death, and hell is our Lord Jesus Christ. And right now might be a good time for you to just open your heart to Him. Lord, I know I’m a sinner, and I need to confess my sin to You and to trust what Your Son has done for me. He’s my Savior. I receive him as my Lord and my King, and thank you for loving me as you do, and I give my heart to you, and I want to see you in heaven.
SPEAKER 02 :
God bless you. And Fred, if you prayed that prayer, or if you’re still searching for what it really means to follow Jesus Christ, what it means to have a relationship with him, well, we have two free resources we’d love to send you. The first is a booklet by David called What Is Christianity?, What is Christianity is a straightforward biblical explanation, an explanation from the Bible, what it means to know Jesus and walk in faith with Him throughout your life. The second is a free Bible study by mail, and this is designed to help new believers get rooted in the Word of God and grow strong in their relationship with Him. And again, if you’re a new believer, or if you’d like to know more about a relationship with Jesus Christ, call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S. Or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible is 24253. And we’ll send these free gifts your way. And just before David returns to close out our time in the Word, Matt’s here and we’re going to tell you about a powerful study resource.
SPEAKER 01 :
Matt? Our Lord tells us that whoever reads the words of Revelation and heeds the message will be blessed. So let’s study Revelation. Amen?
SPEAKER 02 :
We’re going to do just that coming up soon on Hope for Today. Stay tuned for David’s radio series in Revelation.
SPEAKER 01 :
And number two, get the Revelation study guide, handbook, commentary titled The Book of Revelation, Understanding the Future. It’s normally $25, but just $20 this month. And third?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, we have David’s original sermon outlines and notes. Matt, these are the sermon outlines and notes that he drafted to preach each message in the series. And they’re wonderful for following along through the series and then into the future when you want to review or share the teaching with others.
SPEAKER 01 :
Discover and experience Revelation in a deeper, more encouraging fashion with our Revelation Radio series and these resources. Get the Revelation series sermon notes ahead of time for just $10.
SPEAKER 02 :
And you can purchase and download at davidhawking.org.
SPEAKER 01 :
Or receive them by PDF CD when you call us. And again, the book, Revelation, Understanding the Future, is just $20 this month. In Canada, call 1-888-75-BIBLE. In the U.S., call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE. And Bible by the Numbers is 242-53.
SPEAKER 02 :
And David will be back in just a moment with his final comments, his wrap-up for today’s lesson. And just ahead of that, if you’d like to share your testimony, or maybe a prayer request, or if you’d like to send in a financial gift to help support this ministry, well, you can drop a note to us by writing to Hope for Today, Box 3927. Tustin, California, 92781. That’s in the U.S. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO, Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S, 8P1. Or call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, this revolt of Antiochus Epiphanes, well, the revolt of Judas Maccabeus and his friends against Antiochus in Daniel chapter 11 is really a crucial prophecy. And, of course, is the basis, as we have said, of the great festival of lights called Hanukkah. And it is a great dedication and celebrated with lights. The giant candelabra in the Court of the Women, or often called the Court of the Treasury, were lit up so brilliantly that some people said you could see it all the way to Amman, Jordan. It was quite a festival. Many people believe the lights that are used at Christmastime come in their historical tradition off of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Jesus went to a Hanukkah. The Bible says so in the Gospel of John. And He is the light of the world, and we need to understand that. And a lot of us are in darkness, frankly. We still are. Our minds are closed, are blinded. The Bible says that if we are blinded, we’re blinded by the God of this world, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine into our hearts. And I’m afraid a lot of us don’t realize that Satan is blinding us to seeing the truth of God’s Word. In this great 11th chapter of Daniel, there’s an accuracy that’s unprecedented in all of literature, ancient literature before the time of Christ. It’s remarkable in its details. We are excited because we know the Word of God is true and we can trust it. And you put your faith and confidence in what the Word says, it’ll change your life. We need to renew our minds daily as believers in the Word and be constantly transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit as we look into God’s Word. It’s a mirror. We see the glory of the Lord there. We see ourselves, too, the sinners that we are and in need of God’s forgiveness and His redemption. God bless you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thanks, David. Well, on our next broadcast, the mask comes off. You know, we’ve seen tyrants before, but the willful king in Daniel chapter 11, verses 36 to 45, he is something else entirely. He doesn’t just seek power. He demands worship. He wages war on truth. He exalts himself above God, and he marches toward a final showdown only God can stop. Now, is he alive today and is the world being set up for his rise? David Hocking impacts it all next time on Hope for Today.
