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Daniel 8 and Antiochus Epiphanes
Daniel 8 and Antiochus Epiphanes
There was a great kingdom of the Medes and Persians (a Ram pictured as having 2 horns, 3-4 & vs. 20). A goat quickly appears (Alexander the Great) and destroys that kingdom. Alexander's kingdom breaks into four parts when he dies. Out of those four generals that fought for control of the empire, one was particularly evil against the Jews. He wore the name was Antiochus Epiphanes (God is manifest) but the Jews called him "Epimanes" (madman).
He tried with all his might to destroy Judaism and the Jews. In 167 BC he desecrated the temple and its altar. Thus he (for a time) put an end to burnt offerings (8:11b-12). This however was a temporary situation (described as 2,300 evenings and mornings in vs. 13-14). After that the sanctuary was restored. It is hard to deal with the meaning of numbers in such visions but we know that with the Maccabean wars they were able to restore the temple, the priesthood, and the sacrifices so that when Jesus arrived all was pretty much back to normal.
In Gabriel's interpretation (8:19-26) we also learn that this man was 'broken but not by human hands' (vs. 25). According to history, Antiochus suddenly died of disease in 164 BC.
In Daniel's day, the temple in Jerusalem WAS destroyed and the offerings were stopped because there was no temple. The temple was then rebuilt under Ezra and Nehemiah during the Medio-Persian empire. THEN it was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes. He offered a sow on the altar and sprinkled the temple with the wine that had been used to boil the pig. He closed the temple and forbade the Jews to practice their traditional way of life and religion.
Brother Shane Scott noted: "Josephus interpreted the vision of Daniel 8 as a reference to Antiochus. “The springing up of four horns upon its falling off, and the conversion of every one of them to the four quarters of the earth, signified the successors that should arise after the death of the first king, and the partition of the kingdom among them, and that they should be neither his children, nor of his kindred, that should reign over the habitable earth for many years; and that from among them there should arise a certain king that should overcome our nation and their laws, and should take away their political government, and should spoil the temple, and forbid the sacrifices to be offered for three years’ time. And indeed it so came to pass, that our nation suffered these things under Antiochus Epiphanes, according to Daniel’s vision, and what he wrote many years before they came to pass.” Antiquities, 10.11.7." (from Shane's web page: http://www.shanescottonline.com/).
Although God didn't use names in this vision, it is fairly easy to look at history and see who is who and what they did. All of this was paving the way for the coming of Jesus in the days of the Roman Empire. God rules in the kingdoms of men! Let us let Him rule over OUR lives.
Hugh DeLong
