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[Daniel
Ch.11: Pre-Written History of Kings]
VIII.
The Illustrious Madman (11:29-35)
DAN
11:29 He shall return, and come toward the south
With the sudden withdrawal of Antiochus Epiphanes from Egypt, his two
Egyptian nephew-kings agreed to reign cojointly for the sake of
solidarity. Roman support was also sought. Antiochus Epiphanes, enraged by
his nephews' machinations, again invaded Egypt in the Third Egyptian
Expedition (168).
DAN
11:29 But it shall not be as the former
This time, however,
Antiochus Epiphanes (called "the Madman" by the Jews) was not as
unopposed as before.
DAN
11:30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him:
Antiochus Epiphanes was besieging Alexandria when the Roman C. Popillius
Laenus confronted him. Refusing his hand of greetings, the Roman general
gave Antiochus a letter from the Roman senate which peremptorily forbade
war with the Ptolemies. Then with a vine stick, the Roman drew a circle
around the Syrian with the curt command: "Decide there!"
DAN
11:30 He shall be grieved...and have indignation against the holy
covenant
Furious and frustrated,
Antiochus Epiphanes stumped back to Palestine and vent his venomous fury
on the Jews.
DAN
11:31 Shall pollute the sanctuary...take away the daily
sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
Amidst the carnage created by him and his lieutenant Apollonius in
Jerusalem, Antiochus erected the idol Zeus Olympus inside the temple.
Hellenization with its concomitant idolatrous worship was foisted on the
hapless Jews. A blood bath ensured.
DAN
11:34 They shall be holpen with a little help
As the madman stiffened in his diabolical works, the militant Maccabees
and the religious Asidaeans rose in defense of their faith. Their action,
though helpful, was never totally successful.
DAN
11:35 Even to the time of the end
That is, to the time of the appointed end of the Jews' sufferings.
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