Hello Friends!
Welcome back to our Encouraging Concepts Bible study series focused on the powerfully PROPHETIC picture portrayed in the Old Testament book of Daniel painted as a panoramic landscape of World History in FIVE successions “written” in ardent ADVANCE some 2,600 years ago… “The Book of Daniel: Prophecy PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE!”
The Book of Daniel: Prophecy PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE (Chapter 11: Verses 32-35)
32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. 33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed – Daniel 11:32-35
OPENING POINTS TO PONDER: The little known Maccabean Revolt was a just “Jewish” rank REBELLION led by the mighty Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire of the “north” within Syria and the Greek Hellenistic insatiable influence on “Hebrew” life languished at the hands of Antiochus Epiphanes the menacing MADMAN himself. This juried “Jewish” relished resistance soundly SUCCEEDED and the subsequent Judean sovereignty would LATER distinctly develop into the independent “Hebrew” family of rulers HISTORICALY known as the honorary – Hasmonean Dynasty!
This proclaimed PROPHECY concerning the Maccabees was mightily led by the military-minded Mattathias along with his “Hebrew” helping sons John, Simon, Judas, Eleazer & Jonathan as they did many explosive “exploits” during their tremendous “time appointed” of righteous REVOLT through the yearning years – 168 B.C. – 135 B.C.
As a part of his atrocities applied, Antiochus Epiphanes had belligerently built an alluring ALTAR to the pagan pompous Jupiter upon “God’s” appropriate ALTAR and offered swine in the true “temple” trusted. He and his satanic soldiers pined PROSTITUTES in this tyrannical tempest specifically sent to deeply DEFILE it in full. By so flagrantly DEFACING the Creator’s righteous religion, this looming “little horn” sternly “stood up” avidly AGAINST the only “God of heaven” Himself.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed – Daniel 8:9-14
However, “he” was boldly “broken without hand” by the RIGHTEOUS hand of Holiness. HOW? Through the godly man named Judas Maccabeus the great LEADER opted over with – Maccabean MIGHT!
The Maccabees!
Not long after Antiochus Epiphanes had defiantly DEFILED the tremendous “temple of God” in the “city” of jostled “Jerusalem” journaled, the first stirrings of a righteous REVOLT seriously surfaced in an UNEXPECTED part of the Greek Empire led by a relatively unknown jaded “Jewish” family. This rendered REBELLION would soon grow into a BLODDY struggle for “Hebrew” instigated INDEPENDENCE of which has come to be known within the halls HISTORY as the mighty – Maccabean Revolt!
HISTORICAL HINTS: These mindful men organized themselves into a large POWERFUL guerrilla-warfare “army” and soon began to launch ridged RAIDS against the towns and villages throughout the land, tearing down the PAGAN altars, killing the officials of Antiochus Epiphanes and also executing those fellow “Jews” who were WORSHIPPING the pagan gods. The aged “Hebrew” priest Mattathias was growing much too OLD for such a rigorous lifestyle and just as the REBELLION was gaining momentum, he died in the year – 166 B.C.
The CORRUPTED vs The COMMITTED!
“And” there were TWO fallowed factions within “Israel” that would aptly appear on the scene. One of them was foolishly FRIENDLY towards the antagonist Antiochus Epiphanes and the other was completely committed to his utter DESTRUCTION deemed:
And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits – Daniel 11:32
HISTORICAL HINTS: The APOSTATE jaundice “Jews” lived “wickedly” and were completely “corrupt by flatteries” founded. And as a rank result they were adamantly set “against the covenant” of the “God of heaven” Himself. They were MANIPULATED by the antagonistic Antiochus Epiphanes for his OWN personal ends. Conversely, the FAITHFUL few courageous “Jews” stood soundly “strong” for their great “God” and did excellent “exploits” for Him. This Hasmonean family (meaning “From Hasmon”) was wholly headed by their paternal father and heralded “Hebrew” priest named Mattathias and his FIVE accomplished sons. Their nickname “The Maccabees” was first applied to the eldest son and perhaps one of the greatest MILITARY minds that “Israel” has even known name Judas (meaning “Hammer of God”) and then eventually toward – Them ALL!
In the year 167 B.C. the madman Antiochus Epiphanes sent some of his ranking officers to the village of Modein to fatally FORCE the faithful “Jews” living there to offer satanic SACRIFICES to the pathetic PAGAN gods being espoused by the madman himself. And as a leader in the “city” of jaded “Jerusalem” itself, Mattathias was caustically COMMANDED by the Greek officers to be the FIRST person to solidify a sordid “sacrifice” as an extreme example of woeful WARNING unto the observant – OTHER People!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: However, Mattathias rightly REFUSED this dastardly DECRRE of the antagonist Antiochus deliberately delivering a superb solemn SPEECH righteously reminiscent of the words of Joshua as an Old Testament reminder…
Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord – Joshua 24:14-15
The mighty man Mattathias and his sons along with a number of “Jewish” followers had FLED to the mega mountains of the “Judean” wilderness. The extempore “exploits” of the greatly OUTNUMBERED mindful Maccabees are indeed excellent “exploits” of much passionate ZEAL and deeply DIVINE blessing. This fascinating family and their descendants had righteously RULED insolent “Israel” as legitimate leader-priests for a total of 130 years from – 167 B.C. until 37 B.C.
Faithful UNDERSTANDING and INSTRUCTION!
“And” the fully FAITHFUL mind trust of the Maccabees along with others like them “among the people” had ultimate “understanding” to intently “instruct many” abroad. However, MANY of them were utterly DESTOYED by various maniacal means such as the sordid “sword” and fiery “flame” and corrupt “captivity” and solemn “spoil” spurned. And this menacing MAYHEM would ensue for “many days” to come:
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days – Daniel 11:33
HISTORICAL HINTS: The mighty Mattathias as the fighting father of the Hasmonean family was a pious PRIEST and faithful “Jewish” man “shall instruct” and TEACH the total TRUTH of their great “God” told. Their Maccabean corrupt CONFLICT was very difficult due to their over-all nigh numbers and personal armaments, thus they sadly SUFFERED immensely. In fact, the HISTORICAL narrative of the ninety year old “Hebrew” scribe named Eleazar and his righteous REFUSAL to eat pork was an excellent – Encouraging EXAMPLE!
Foolish FLATTERIES!
“Now” in their waning WAR waged against their Seleucid foes, the Maccabean mindful would fatally “fall” with very “little help” found from within their ranks. Albeit, the “many” would PRAGMATICALLY come to “cleave to them” with fickle “flatteries” foisted:
Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries – Daniel 11:34
HISTORICAL HINTS: The Maccabees and other “people” sympathetic to their just cause of whom REVOLTED against Antiochus Epiphanes were quite SUCCESSFUL with relatively small numbers. However, there were insidious imposters, adamant apostates and seditious slander amongst the “Jews” and were eagerly engaged in an ultimate – Unified UNDERMINING!
The APPOINTED Time!
“And” some of the Maccabees of such ultimate “understanding” along with others like them would “fall” as valiant VICTIMS to very violent deaths. Their opposing OPPRESSORS would traitorously “try” and purposely “purge” them permanently. WHY? Because this Sovereign aptly “appointed” serious struggle would magnificently “make them white” and spiritually CLEAN until their “time of the end” approached:
And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed – Daniel 11:35
HISTORICAL HINTS: These Hasmonean heroes sorely SUFFERED surely in their fantastic efforts to outwardly OPPOSE the perverted pagans parading throughout “Israel” proper. The horrible PERSECUTION of these particular “people” had powerfully PERFECTED them through mass martyrdom as they dully DECLINED into the rancid Roman reign of tyranny TRANSFERRED to the cunning King Herod himself. In fact, one of his first points of POLITICAL business was to mindfully MURDER his brother-in-law Aristobulus the sitting “Jewish” high priest – KILLER King!
PROPHETIC PROMISE: The “time of the end” eluded to here by the prophet “Daniel” in these poignant “passages” is pointing to the “appointed” duration of PROPHETIC promise concerning the Maccabean rule and their severe suffering ensued beginning with Mattathias in the year 167 B.C. until the heading of Herod as the “king of Judea” rightly representing the ferocious “fourth beast” frightfully FORTHCOMING in the year 37 B.C. heralded – Holy HISTORY!
For Further Personal Study:
Please refer to the links below to satisfy and stimulate your serious “study” of the “Word of God” faithfully fulfilling this wonderful PROPHECY picture promised within the HISTORY of humanity. The meditative material found within these PURPOSED pages points to merely an outline sketch. Every detailed clause of these perfect PROMISES can be vehemently VERIFIED from a poised plethora of sincere sources with as much illumined EVIDENCE as a fair person could ever want – At the CLICK of a Mouse!
There is NO other heralded HISTORY with as much detail and accuracy as this powerful PROPHECY given by “Gabriel” unto the devoted “Daniel” a full 10 - 520 years BEFORE these specified events had occurred – HISTORY Held!
Our great “God” has CHALLENGED all of whom solemnly seek to confidently “consider” His TRUTH terrifically told…
Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you – Isaiah 41:21-24
The short & reliable HISTORY concerning the Maccabees mightily led by Mattathias with his sons John, Simon, Judas, Eleazer & Jonathan and their righteous REVOLT through the years 168 B.C. – 135 B.C. is ominously outlined here ~ http://www.zianet.com/maxey/Inter3.htm
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Shane K. Morin <><
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"
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