The temple defiled Then it happened: On the fifteenth day of the month Kislev in the year 145 (verse 54, TEV), which corresponds to 167 B.C., they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar of the temple (verse 54, KJV). This was apparently a pagan altar with an image of the Greek chief god Zeus set up atop the temple altar. After all, to the Greek mind the God of the Hebrews simply equated to the chief god in the Greeks pantheon. We are further told: Pagan sacrifices were offered in front of houses and in the streets. Any books of the Law which were found were torn up and burned, and anyone who was caught with a copy of the sacred books or who obeyed the Law was put to death by order of the king. Month after month these wicked people used their power against the Israelites caught in the towns. On the twenty-fifth of the month, these same evil people offered sacrifices on the pagan altar erected on top of the altar in the Temple (verses 55-59, TEV). Indeed, pigs, declared unclean in Gods law (Deuteronomy:14:8), were offered over His own altar. The account in 1 Maccabees continues: Mothers who had allowed their babies to be circumcised were put to death in accordance with the kings decree. Their babies were hung around their necks, and their families and those who had circumcised them were put to death (1:60, TEV). Yet, as horrible as this was, some still resisted. In fact, 1 Maccabees reports: But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Very great wrath came upon Israel (1 Maccabees:1:62-63, New Revised Standard Version). Yet many in the resistance lived. The account continues with the rise of the Hasmonean priestly family of Mattathias, including his son and successor Judas Maccabeus, who would not compromise with paganism. In the end, the efforts of these patriots and their followers were in large measure responsible for eventually pushing the Syrians out. Later prophetic fulfillment Now, with all of that as history, consider Christs warning about the abomination of desolation. When He gave it, hadnt this part of Daniels prophecy been fulfilled almost 200 years earlier, as weve seen? Certainly. So Daniels prophecy, according to Jesus, must have a dual fulfillment. Jesus revealed to us the time for this prophecys ultimate fulfillment in Matthew 24 when He explained what would immediately follow it: For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive]; but for the elects sake those days will be shortened (verses 21-22, emphasis added throughout). This recalls another part of Daniels prophecy, which says that in the end time there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered . . . And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake . . . (Daniel:12:1-2 ). So this awful period of tribulation occurs at the end of this present age, just before Christs return when He will resurrect His faithful followers (1 Thessalonians:4:15-16 ). Indeed, Daniel was told that from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, 1,290 days—a little more than 3 1/2 years—would elapse until, apparently, the resurrection of Daniel and the rest of the saints would occur (Daniel:12:11, 13). Lessons from the first fulfillment We can learn a great deal about this end-time prophecy from the original abomination of desolation Daniel predicted. Antiochus Epiphanes was a forerunner of the end-time king of the North (see The North-South Struggle for the Middle East, page 7), the world dictator the book of Revelation refers to as the beast. No doubt this end-time ruler will employ the same deceit and underhanded methods that marked the reign of Antiochus and many of his successors, such as Hitler. Furthermore, it appears from what weve seen and other scriptural indications that the end-time ruler, to accomplish his ends, will feign overtures of peace to the Jews of the modern nation of Israel. This might help explain why the end-time king of the South, evidently an Islamic Arab power, will act against the final beast power (Daniel:11:40). What other parallels do we see? Part of the abomination of Antiochus involved the cessation of the daily temple sacrifices (verse 31). Yet Daniels prophecy makes it clear that sacrifices will again be ended in conjunction with the abomination of desolation to come (Daniel:12:9-13 ). For this prophecy to be fulfilled, it appears that sacrifices will again be instituted and an altar rebuilt before the return of Jesus the Messiah. In another parallel, Antiochus defiled the ancient holy temple when he erected an idol of the pagan god Zeus and sacrificed swine there. The end-time abomination may also involve an idolatrous image at a new temple. What we know for certain is that within the temple of God there will be an actual person who claims to be God in the flesh. The apostle Paul, in 2 Thessalonians:2:1-12 , foretold this son of perdition. Notice verses 3-4: Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [of Christs return] will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (emphasis added). Christ will destroy this religious leader at His second coming (verses 5-8), but not before he has deceived many with power, signs, and lying wonders (verses 9-12). Also, just as the original abomination of desolation marked the beginning of a period of unparalleled horror and misery, so will the final one begin the time of the greatest horror ever, the coming Great Tribulation. We can be thankful that God promises to send His Son back to earth to save mankind from self-annihilation in this coming horrible time of mass deceit and destruction. We can also thank God for the wonderful example of those who stood fast—who would not compromise with Gods way—and the awesome hope of the return of Christ, of resurrection to eternal life and of the establishment of His glorious Kingdom on earth. Indeed, as world events march ever closer to the fulfillment of these prophecies, let us draw closer to God in faith, trusting Him to see us through even the worst of times, knowing that we arent left without foreknowledge to help us better understand end-time events. GN
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 03:46:25 +0000
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