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Heliodorus, through Judea. But he
reigned only 11 years, when Helio–
dorus poisoned him.
Verse 2 1- he left no heir. But
his brother, a younger son of Anti–
ochus the Great, named Epiphanes
(Antiochus IV), a contemptible
reprobate, carne by surprise and
through fl attery took the kingdom.
To his aid carne his assistant ,
Eumenes. Rawlinson says, page
255, "Antiochus [Epiphanes], as–
sisted by Eumenes, drives out
Heliodorus, and obtains the throne,
B.C. 176. He astonishes his sub–
jects by an affectation of Roman
manners" and "good-natured pro–
fuseness [flattery]."
Antlochus Eplphanes
Verse 22- "the prince of the cove–
nant" does not refer lo Christ. This
was the attempt of Antiochus to
replace the J ewish high priest by
another who would be subservient
to hirn .
Verses 23-24- although only a
few were with him at first, yet by
this " Rornan manner," by deceit
and flattery , he crept into power
and prospered. He also invaded
Galilee a nd Lower Egypt. His
fathers, the former kings of Syria,
had favored the Jews, but says
Rawlinson, page 255, they "were
driven to desperation by the mad
project of this self-wi ll ed mon–
arch."
Verse 25- Rawlinson , pagcs
255-256, says, " Threatened with
war by the ministers of Ptolemy
Phil o rnetor [now king of t he
south], who claim Coele-Syria and
Palestine as the dowry of C leopa–
t ra, the late queen-mother, Antia–
chus marches against Egypt
... B.C. 171 " (pp. 277-278). But
he was met by his nephew, Ptolemy
Philometor, king of the south, with
another immense army. But the
Egypt ia n kin g was defeated
through the treachery of his own
officers and was outwitted by Anti–
ochus.
Verses 26-27- continuing in
Rawlinson, page 278: "After his
victory at Pelusium, Antiochus
advanced to Memphis, and having
obtained possession of the young
king's person [Ptolemy Phi1ometor,
king of the south], endeavored to
use him as a too! for effecting the
entire reduction of the country." In
September 1983
174 B.C., the uncle of the king of
the south sat at a banquet. Antia–
chus pretended to ally himse1f with
the young Ptolemy, against his
brother, Euergetes JI , but each was
trying to deceive the other.
The Abomlnatlo n of Desolatlon
Verse 28- in 168 B.C., returning
from Egypt with great plunde r,
Antiochus set himself against the
J ews, massacred many, and then
returned to Antioch with golden
vessels from the Temple at J erusa–
lem.
Verse 29-the sarne year, he
again invaded Egypt, but with none
of bis former success, because Phi–
lometor, king of the south, got help
from Rome.
Verse 30- the Roman fleet
carne against Antiochus, he was
forced to surrender to the terms of
Popillius, commander of the Ro–
roan fleet, and retire from Egypt
a nd restare Cyprus to Egypt.
Returning through Judea, smarting
under the defeat, he vented his
exasperat ion against the J ews, and
extended special favors to those
Jews who would turn from their
religion.
Verse 31-then, 167 B.C., the
next year, carne the clímax of the
horror. Ant iochus sent t roops to
the Holy Land, who desecrated the
Temple and sanctuary, abolished
the daily sacrifice (see also Daniel
8:1 1, 24) and (Kislev 15, Hebrew
calendar) placed the abominat ion–
an image- in the Holy of Hol ies,
making it desolate (Rawlinson,
p. 255) . Many who claim to teach
the Bible try to apply the prophecy
of this verse to Mos1ems in the 7th
century A.D., building th e Dome
of the Rock on the supposed site of
the ancient Temple at J erusa1em!
But every verse of this prophecy,
step by step, verse by verse,
unfolded in actual history, just as
here recounted, so there can be not
the slightest shadow of doubt as to
this a bomination that " maketh
desolate"-it was an idol set in the
Holy of Hol ies, 167 B.C., by Anti–
ochus Epiphanes.
The Prophecy Comes to Chrlst
and the Apostles
Verse 32-Antiocbus tried to end
the religion of tbe J ews. He took
away the dai ly sacrifice, forbade
the ministration at the Temple. He
perverted by flatteries the Jews
who were willing to forsake their
religion.
But-right here, the prophecy
cuts off from the continuation of
events in the history of those
ancient north and soutb kingdoms.
Up to this point, the prophecy was
unfo1ded, step by s tep, in the actual
history of the northern kingdom of
the Seleucidae, or Syria, and the
southern kingdom of Egypt. But,
says the
Exposition of the Bible,
"all accurate details seem suddenly
to stop short" with this verse.
Now Jet us notice verse 32 in
detail, and particularly the last
part:
"And such as do wickedly
against the covenant shall he cor–
rupt by flatteries." This, Antiochus
Epiphanes did do. But now notice
the las t part of the verse: "but the
people that do know thei r God shall
be strong, and do exploits."
So our question now is, when,
beginning with, and following, 167
B.C., did people begin to know
God, and to be spiritually st rong,
and to do exploits in the Lord's
service? The answer is, at the time
of the Maccabees, beginning in 166
B.C., and, two centuries later, at
tbe fi rst appearing of Jesus Christ
and in the days of the apostles!
Verse 33-"And they t hat
understand arnong the people shall
instruct many: yet they shal l fall by
the sword, and by flarne, by captiv–
ity, and by spoi1, many days."
Jesus and the apost1es did
instruct many. But J esus was put to
death , and history indicates that all
the early apostles were martyred,
except John. And this continued,
many days, even into the Middle
Ages, when millions were martyred
for their faith.
Verse 34- "Now when they
shall fall, they shal l be holpen with
a litt le help: but many shall cleave
to them with flatteries. And [verse
35] sorne of them of understanding
shall fall, to t ry them, and to purge,
and to make them white, even to
the time of the end: because it is
yet for a time appointed."
Here is described in general the
whole course of God 's people, from
the days of Christ to the present.
Compare with such passages as
Rev. 12:6, 11 , 13-17 . And notice
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