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The Intertestamental Period:
Daniel's Prophecies Come to Pass
by Mario Seiglie
This series has traced the history of the
Old Testament from Genesis through the captivity of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah,
describing archaeological finds and historical accounts that have confirmed and illuminated
the biblical account. In this issue we show more evidence that confirms the accuracy
of the Bible accounts by picking up the story with the Intertestamental period: the
time between the testaments, when the events described in the books of the Old Testament
were completed but before the events that introduced the four Gospels.
During this 420 years several crucial prophecies were fulfilled, dramatizing the
authenticity of God's Word and setting the stage for another prophesied event: the
appearance of the Messiah.
The Old Testament comes to a close shortly after the events in the books of Daniel,
Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. However, Daniel's prophecies continue to forecast events
within the Intertestamental period.
Alexander the Great in Prophecy
In a vision, God revealed to Daniel that the kingdom to rise after the Persians would
be the Greeks under Alexander the Great. Gabriel, the angelic messenger from God,
explained to Daniel: "The ram which you saw, having the two hornsñthey are the kings
of Media and Persia. And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that
is between its eyes is the first king. As for the broken horn and the four that stood
up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power"
(Daniel 8:20-21).
The Persian kingdom rapidly came to an end in 333 B.C. when Alexander the Great defeated
the armies of Darius III at Issus. Yet, 10 years later, true to the prophecy in Daniel 8, Alexander unexpectedly died and the Greek Empire divided into four parts, each
headed by one of his four generals.
God's people were miraculously saved and liberated when, according to Josephus, Cyrus
saw his name and feats prophesied in the Bible. The writings of Josephus also include
an account of Alexander the Great sparing Jerusalem from destruction after he saw
his exploits prophesied in Scripture.
When Alexander descended on the Middle East, it was natural that almost everyone
resisted him. Those who did were mercilessly trampled before him. Neighboring Phoenicia
felt Alexander's wrath when he utterly destroyed Tyre. It seemed the same fate awaited
rebellious Jerusalem, which had backed the hapless Persians crushed by Alexander
at Issus.
Surprising Showdown at Jerusalem
Josephus recounts how Alexander's troops surrounded the city and readied themselves
to attack. Suddenly the city gates swung open, and out came the high priest with
his entourage.
Josephus writes: ". . . For Alexander, when he saw the multitude at a distance,
in white garments, while the priests stood clothed with fine linen, and the high
priest in purple and scarlet clothing, with his mitre on his head, having the golden
plate whereon the name of God was engraved, he approached by himself, and adored
that name, and first saluted the high priest . . . whereupon the kings
of Syria and the rest were surprised at what Alexander had done, and supposed him
disordered in his mind. However, Parmenio alone went up to him, and asked him how
it came to pass that, when all others adored him, he should adore the high priest
of the Jews?
"To whom he replied, 'I did not adore him, but that God who hath honoured him with
his high priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit (clothing),
when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who . . . exhorted me to make no delay,
but boldly to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army, and would
give me the dominion over the Persians; whence . . . now seeing this person
in it, and remembering that vision . . . I believe that I bring this army
under the divine conduct . . .'
". . . And when the book of Daniel was shewed him, wherein Daniel declared
that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that
himself was the person intended; and as he was then glad, he . . . bade
them ask what favours they pleased of him; whereupon the high priest desired that
they . . . might pay no tribute on the seventh year. He granted all they
desired . . ." (Antiquities of the Jews, XI, viii, 5).
Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Abomination of Desolation
Thus began the Greek reign over Judea, which would last 150 years. In chapter 11,
Daniel prophesied the changes in fortune the Jews would know under the Greeks. After
Alexander died Judea became part of the realm of General Ptolemy, who governed from
Egypt. By and large the period was peaceful for the Jews.
However, the intermittent wars between the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of
Syria for complete control of the Greek Empire came to a head in 198 B.C. In that
year the Ptolemies saw defeat. Judea then came under the dominion of the Seleucids.
Shortly after the Seleucid line of the Greek Empire began governing Judea, a king
arose who was to fulfill several dire prophecies recorded in Daniel. According to
historians, Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the ruler who set up the first "abomination
of desolation" mentioned in Daniel 8 and 11.
Daniel 8:8-13 describes this time: "Therefore the male goat (the Greek Empire) grew
very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken (Alexander the Great
suddenly died at the apex of his power), and in place of it four notable ones came
up toward the four winds of heaven (Alexander's kingdom was divided among his four
top generals)" (verse 8).
"And out of one of them came a little horn (Antiochus IV Epiphanes) which grew exceedingly
great toward the south (Egypt), toward the east (Mesopotamia), and toward the Glorious
Land (Judea) . . . He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the
host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary
(the temple at Jerusalem) was cast down . . . Then I heard a holy one speaking
. . . 'How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and
the transgression of desolation . . .?'" (verses 9-13).
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says of Antiochus Epiphanes: "His career
with respect to Palestine is recorded in 1 and 2 Maccabees, and remarkably predicted
in (Daniel) 11:21-35" (Vol. I, p. 145, "Antiochus IV Epiphanes"). The books of 1
and 2 Maccabees are not included in the traditional Hebrew canon of Scripture but
are valuable as historical accounts. Both books were written before the birth of
Christ.
Antiochus's Cruel Reign
A brief history of the three years of the "abomination of desolation" under Antiochus
Epiphanes is to be found in The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
"This part of the vision anticipated the rise of a ruler in the Greek Empire who
subjugated the people and land of Israel, desecrated her temple, interrupted her
worship, and demanded for himself the authority and worship that belongs to God.
He desecrated the temple and abolished the daily sacrifice.
"Antiochus sent his general Apollonius with 22,000 soldiers into Jerusalem on what
was purported to be a peace mission. But they attacked Jerusalem on the Sabbath,
killed many people, took many women and children as slaves, and plundered and burned
the city. In seeking to exterminate Judaism and to Hellenize the Jews, he forbade
the Jews to follow their religious practices (including their festivals and circumcision),
and commanded that copies of the Law be burned. Then he set up the abomination
that causes desolation.
"In this culminating act he erected on December 16, 167 BC an altar to Zeus on
the altar of burnt offering outside the temple, and had a pig offered on the altar.
The Jews were compelled to offer a pig on the 25th of each month to celebrate Antiochus
Epiphanes' birthday. Antiochus promised apostate Jews great reward if they would
set aside the God of Israel and worship Zeus, the god of Greece. Many in Israel were
persuaded by his promises and worshiped the false god. However, a small remnant remained
faithful to God, refusing to engage in those abominable practices. Antiochus
IV died insane in Persia in 163 BC" (Logos Library System, 1997).
The precision of Daniel's description of events of this period (given more than 300
years earlier) have led many Bible
critics to redate the book of Daniel to after these events took place. They would
not admit that the events had been prophesied. However, thanks to the discovery in
1948 of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which include parts of every Old Testament book except
Esther, the traditional date of Daniel has gained additional support.
Explains Gleason Archer, professor of Old Testament and Semitic studies at Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School: "In order to avoid the impact of the decisive evidence
of supernatural inspiration with which Daniel so notably abounds, it was necessary
for rationalistic scholarship to find some later period in Jewish history when all
the 'predictions' had already been fulfilled, such as the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes
(175-164 BC) . . . With the wealth of new data from the manuscripts
of the Dead Sea caves, it is possible to settle this question once and for all" (Encyclopedia
of Bible Difficulties, 1982, p. 282).
Thanks to this new linguistic evidence, Dr. Archer proceeds to show the accuracy
of the traditional dating of Daniel (around 530 B.C.).
Jews lose their independence to Rome
In 164 B.C., with the heroic leadership of the Maccabean family, the Jews overthrew
their Syrian oppressors. For a
century they enjoyed their Jewish independence under the rule of the Maccabean descendants.
However, in 63 B.C. the Roman general Pompey conquered Judea, making it Roman territory.
Several decades later the Jews would suffer greatly when the Romans chose Herod the
Great as king of Judea. He reigned from 37 to 4 B.C. His last years bring the Intertestamental
period to a close and usher in the New Testament era.
Continue reading The Good News for other articles in this series examining how archaeological
evidence confirms the authenticity of God's Word.
If you would like to learn more about Bible prophecy, including the many prophecies
of Daniel that remain to be fulfilled, be sure to request your free copies of the
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Keywords: Alexander Daniel Antiochus
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