Search
The Israelites in captivity can be divided into two main groups. The majority were scattered among the nations from the times of the kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Media, Greece, and the Roman Empire until the present day. They dwelt first in the neighboring nations and gradually moved to other parts of the world. They established themselves in their respective countries of residence, followed the local customs, and over time actually became native inhabitants of those lands. There was also the minority, the remnant, who after being taken captive remembered their old country. They were reluctant to give up their ancestry and way of life; even the more, they were unwilling to forsake the God whom they served and worshipped. Seventy years after the captivity, in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the Israelites obtained permission to return to their homeland to rebuild the temple and to reinstate the offering of sacrifices. These events are recorded in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
After they returned to their own country, they were under the rule of the Persian Empire for another two centuries. For the most part, the various kings of Persia adopted a lenient policy concerning the people of Israel, granting them broad rights and allowing them to worship and serve God.
Judea was situated between the two strong nations of that day, Persia and Egypt, and whenever war would erupt between those two countries, it inevitably became the battle ground. For example, during the years of Artaxerxes II (404-358 B.C.), Evagoras, king of Salamis, in Cyprus, aided by Athens and Egypt, broke his relationship with Persia. Soon after that, he besieged Tyre in order to war against Persia. To support him, Egypt sent its armies northward through Judea, imposing taxation and military draft upon the remnant along the way and inflicting a loss of life and property beyond measure.
After Persia, the Grecian Empire established by Alexander the Great of Macedonia prevailed. Following his conquest of Tyre and Gaza the young Alexander stormed toward Judea with rage because the Israelites had failed to furnish him with military supplies and conciliatory tributes. When he drew near to the holy city, the high priest Jaddua led a company of priests and Levites to welcome him. He entered the city happily and even read the book of Daniel in the temple, only to discover that two hundred years earlier the prophets had already prophesied concerning him (Dan. 8:5-8). The young emperor was both astonished and moved and immediately ordered the retreat of his troops. After that, he dealt favorably with the holy people, granting them protection in the great Grecian Empire, waiving a portion of their taxes, and allowing them freedom of worship.
After the death of Alexander there were several years of civil war, after which his empire was subdivided into four parts: the kingdoms of Ptolemy (Egypt), of Cassander (Macedonia), of Lysimachus (Asia Minor), and of Seleucus (Syria). Located between Syria and Egypt, the land of Judea once again became a point of contention between the two powers. Although Judea had belonged to Syria, Ptolemy I seized it when he defeated Syria (320 B.C.). Under the rule of Ptolemy and his successors, the Jews in both Egypt and Judea gained considerable religious freedom and protection. The high priest in Jerusalem was not only the religious leader but also the political leader, and the priests and Levites were exempt from property taxes.
In 198 B.C., Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, defeated Egypt and recaptured Judea as his own domain. He then negotiated with Egypt under the terms that Ptolemy V, king of Egypt, would marry his daughter Cleopatra and the son she was to bear would become the heir to the throne of Egypt. He further pledged the land of Palestine as a dowry, promising an equal share in the tax revenues from the land for the two countries. Antiochus the Great, however, was not wholly faithful to his word. Instead of leaving Judea, the Syrian troops stayed there with the Egyptian troops. The Jews, who had managed to survive under foreign domination, now had a much more difficult time under the two co-rulers. There were factions and striving, with some suggesting closer ties with Egypt, and others, with Syria. During the winter between 190 B.C. and 189 B.C., the decisive encounter known as the Battle of Magnesia took place between Antiochus the Great and the Roman army. Magnesia was situated on the southern bank of the river Hermus, north of Ephesus and west of Sardis. Antiochus the Great, with 70,000 troops under him, was defeated by his opponent who had only 30,000. He was forced to concede territory as payment to Rome, and his son Antiochus (Epiphanes) was given as a hostage to the Romans. In paying the war indemnity, he drained the nation’s treasury and brought about the decline of his country. Eventually he was killed in a revolt in 187 B.C. This fulfilled the word in Daniel 11:15-19. Antiochus’ son Seleucus Philopator succeeded him for twelve years and was murdered by his own subordinate.
In Lesson Twelve, volume one, which covered the captivity and the prophets in captivity, the great image in Daniel 2 and the visions in chapters seven through twelve were mentioned. Daniel 2 describes the great image in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream; chapter seven covers the vision of the four beasts emerging from the sea; chapter eight speaks of the clash between the ram and the he-goat; chapter eleven cites the things related to the southern and northern kings. What the little horn did in Daniel 8:9-14 and what the king from the north performed in 11:21-32a both refer to the same thing.
The great image in chapter two is of four parts: the head, the breast and the arms, the belly and the thighs, and the legs (including the ten toes). The fourth part is first divided into two legs and then into ten toes. The following are the ages signified by the first three parts as well as the two legs: the head refers to the Babylonian Empire (605-539 B.C.); the breast and the arms represent the Median and Persian Empire (549-330 B.C.), which, although Media and Persia are likened to the two arms, was one kingdom; the belly and the thighs symbolize the Greek Empire established by the Macedonians (336-323 B.C.); the two legs of the great image allude to the eastern and western Roman Empires (30 B.C.-474 A.D.). All of these, except that which is typified by the ten toes, have been fulfilled in history.
The four beasts in chapter seven are equivalent to the four sections of the great image in chapter two. The first beast corresponds to the head of the image; the second, to its breast and arms; the third, to its belly and thighs; and the fourth, to its legs and ten toes. The ram and the he-goat in chapter eight parallel the second and third beasts in chapter seven. Thus, the he-goat equals the third beast as well as the third part of the great image. This he-goat has four horns, and out of one of them comes forth a little horn. According to history, the ram signifies Persia and the he-goat symbolizes Greece. G. H. Pember, in his writings on the prophecies, says that signs of a ram could be found everywhere in Persia, especially in its capital. Ancient Greece also abounded with signs of a goat. The Bible symbolizes Persia by a ram and Greece by a he-goat. In this chapter, the he-goat refers to Alexander the Great. It is recorded in history that when he marched into Macedonia, he wore a crown with a he-goat’s horn. After a twelve year reign, he died suddenly before the age of thirty-three.
Daniel 8:8 says that “the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones towards the four winds of heaven.” The four generals under Alexander the Great carved up the empire, and each established his own kingdom. The Grecian Empire of Macedonia thus became four nations at the death of Alexander. Since these prophecies were written long before Alexander’s time, in reading them one cannot but believe in the divine inspiration of the holy Scriptures.
Daniel 8:9 continues, “And out of one of them came forth a little horn.” This little horn refers to Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria, that is, the king of the north mentioned in Daniel 11:21-35.
Antiochus Epiphanes was the son of Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, and the younger brother of Seleucus Philopator. He was sent to Rome as a hostage when his father was defeated in the Battle of Magnesia. His older brother, unwilling to see his continuous detainment, exchanged him for his own son Demetrius. Upon his release, Epiphanes went on to Athens. When his brother was murdered by Heliodorus, Epiphanes, with the help of the king of Pergamum, killed Heliodorus and regained power. Since Epiphanes fought on his nephew’s behalf, the throne should have been inherited by Demetrius. Yet instead of returning to Rome as a hostage and thereby relieving Demetrius to become king, he claimed the throne for himself. Hence, Daniel 11:21 says that he was a vile person, obtaining the kingdom by flatteries.
After Antiochus Epiphanes obtained the kingdom, he entered into war with the Egyptians, regained Judea, and mistreated the Jews severely. In 170 B.C., returning from his expedition to Egypt, he entered Jerusalem and allowed his soldiers to carry on a three day massacre. Approximately one hundred thousand Jews, including men and women, old and young, were slaughtered, and some tens of thousands were captured and sold into slavery. Moreover, he robbed the temple of its precious vessels.
In 168 B.C., he again led his army to invade Egypt and met with apparent success. The surprise intervention of Rome forced him to evacuate, as depicted in Daniel 11:30, where it says, “He shall be grieved, and return.” Disappointed, he turned his indignation toward the holy people, who were to experience a much greater persecution than before. Countless were seized and slaughtered. Sacrifices, circumcision, and keeping of the Sabbath were absolutely forbidden, and violators received capital punishment. The books of the law were burned and their preaching prohibited. On December 25 of the same year he erected another altar to Zeus on the altar of burnt offering in the temple, the very abomination mentioned by Daniel. He set up his own image in the temple, sacrificed a sow on that altar, and sprinkled its blood in the temple. He forced the holy people to worship the idol and to eat pork, and he seduced young men to commit fornication in the temple and to sell their priesthood. This Antiochus Epiphanes is the “little horn” in Daniel 8:9-12. It was he who took away the daily sacrifice, cast down the sanctuary, trod on the holy people, and attacked the true God. He is a type of Antichrist who is “the abomination of desolation” as prophesied by the Lord Himself (Matt. 24:15). At that time, confronted with such unprecedented calamity, God’s people called upon Him night and day for deliverance.
As in the age of the judges, God again heard the cry of His people, raising up for them an old priest named Mattathias to resist Syria’s persecution. His age preventing him from serving in the temple, Mattathias had long moved back to his hometown Modin northwest of Jerusalem with his five sons—John, Simon, Judas (Maccabaeus), Eleazar, and Jonathan. Witnessing the desecration of Jerusalem and Judea, he sighed, “Alas! Why was I born to see this, the ruin of my people, the ruin of the holy city, and to dwell there when it was given over to the enemy, the sanctuary given over to aliens?” Mattathias and his sons rent their garments, put on sack cloth, and wept bitterly. When King Antiochus’ commissioner came to Modin to force all the Jews to worship idols, Mattathias steadfastly refused, declaring, “Even if all nations that live under rule of the king obey him...I and my sons will live by the covenant of our fathers.” As he finished speaking, a Jew was about to make an offering at the altar according to the king’s decree before the rest of the people. When he saw this, his heart now burning in him with indignation, Mattathias rushed forward and slew the man. Following this, the old man and his sons dashed recklessly toward the commissioner and his aids, killing all of them. While destroying the heathen altar he cried, “Let everyone who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!” He then organized a kind of guerrilla force to attack the Syrian troops everywhere, burning the idols and doing away with traitors. Patriotic Jews in all the places soon rose up in bands to respond to the cause.
Mattathias died of old age in 167 B.C. Before his death, he repeatedly charged his sons to continue his resolve to be zealous for God’s law and to die for their ancestors’ covenant. His son Judas, also named Maccabaeus, later rose up to take his place.
Judas Maccabaeus was of huge stature and possessed both wisdom and courage. He loved God and his own country, leading a company of people and fighters who were faithful to God’s law to resist foreign invasion. He engaged the Syrian armies in several dozen battles and managed to win almost every time. Renowned Syrian generals such as Apollonius, Lysias, Gorgias, and Nicanor, with troops many times more than the Jews, were defeated by him. His famous proverb was, “It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from heaven.” Between 166 B.C. and 165 B.C., he won three major battles known in history as the Battle of Beth-Horon, the Battle of Emmaus, and the Battle of Beth-Zur.
After the victory at Beth-Zur, Judas Maccabaeus told his brothers, “Behold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.” He then prepared his entire army and went up to Mount Zion to cleanse the temple, hew down the idols, rebuild the altar, and drive out the priests who had purchased their offices. On December 25, 165 B.C., the people rose up early to offer sacrifices to God on the rebuilt altar according to the ancient ordinances. That particular day was selected to sanctify the altar because it was on the very same day and month when the Gentiles first defiled it. They rejoiced for eight straight days, and that period became the origin of “the feast of Dedication” (John 10:22) of the Jews.
Antiochus Epiphanes began to persecute the holy people and defiled the temple in 170 B.C., and Judas Maccabaeus purified the temple in 165 B.C. The entire period was about six years and four months, thereby fulfilling the prophecy in Daniel 8:13-14: “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.”
The money in his treasury being lacking, Antiochus Epiphanes set off to Persia to collect tribute. While he was staying in Babylon, a report came to him that the armies sent to conquer Judah had been defeated, and Lysias’ bravest had suffered tremendous setback and shame. Moreover, the Jews had destroyed Zeus’ altar on the altar in Jerusalem, and they had built high walls around the sanctuary and restored it to its former state. When he heard this, he was astounded and badly shaken, and he took to his bed and became sick from grief. He stayed there for many days and soon realized that his end was near. Before he died, he was regretful of the evil doings in Jerusalem which resulted in his final distress. In 164 B.C., two years after the cleansing of the temple, Antiochus finally succumbed in a foreign land, thus concluding a sinful life.
Besides defeating Syria, Judas Maccabaeus also conquered the Edomites, the Philistines, and the Amorites, and recovered many lost territories. Unfortunately, in order to consolidate his victories, he sought man’s assistance to subdue his enemies. He sent emissaries to Rome in 161 B.C. to seek a war alliance with the Romans. The Romans consented, yet even before the signed treaty was announced, this folk hero was slain in battle.
After Judas Maccabaeus died, his brothers Jonathan (161-143 B.C.) and Simon (142-135 B.C.) continued successively to fight for the Israelites. When the four brothers of Judas Maccabaeus had all passed away one after another, John Hyrcanus, the son of Simon, became the high priest and leader. Following that, there were no more glorious events of history or courageous acts worthy of record, but only internal power struggles, in-fighting, and civil war. The Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem in 63 B.C. and finally ended the Maccabees’ war for independence.
The father of Antipater the Idumaean and governor of Idumaea (a Jewish territory) had long been absolutely loyal to Judea. Antipater assumed his father’s office upon his death. In 63 B.C., when the great Roman general Pompey overran Jerusalem, Antipater immediately changed with the wind and subjected himself to Rome. Because he served the Romans unequivocally under all circumstances, he was highly regarded by the Roman government. When Pompey and Julius Caesar were engaged in a civil war in 48 B.C., Antipater, realizing the certain victory of Caesar, fought for him in Egypt. At the end of the war, Caesar, having obtained power, first made him governor of the provinces of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, and later appointed his son Herod as the tetrarch of Galilee.
Antipater died in 43 B.C., and his territories were partitioned by his first and second sons, Phasael and Herod. The time coincided with the establishment of the Second Triumvirate, according to which the eastern countries were under the domination of Antony. When Antony came to Antioch of Syria in 41 B.C., he appointed the two brothers governors, Phasael and Herod ruling the south and the north, respectively. In 40 B.C., when the Parthians invaded, Herod escaped to Rome and was welcomed by Octavius Caesar and Antony. With the Senate’s approval, Caesar promoted him to be king of Judea. He officially ascended to the throne in 37 B.C., and died in 4 A.D. This was the same Herod who wanted to kill the baby Jesus (Matt. 2:16).
When Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 B.C., Octavius Caesar, who was first his grand nephew and then his adopted son, succeeded him. This Octavius Caesar was later called Augustus (Luke 2:1). At the age of eighteen, when he was studying in Greece, Octavian was advised by friends and relatives to flee eastward for his life. Instead, he hurried back to Rome to work with Antony and Lepidus, Caesar’s generals, who wielded the real power. In the next year (43 B.C.), at nineteen, he was chosen as one of two chief rulers, whereupon he gave immediate orders to exile the assassins of his adoptive father. Simultaneously the Second Triumvirate was formed between him and Antony and Lepidus.
In the winter of 34 B.C., Antony married Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, in Antioch of Syria. He further distributed the eastern provinces to her sons as rulers. When the Triumvirate ended in 32 B.C., Octavian declared war against Antony in the name of quelling rebellion and prevailed. He returned to Rome in 29 B.C. for a triumphal procession. Octavian thus became the owner of the Roman Empire. The Senate designated him the imperator (or the supreme commander) and conferred upon him the title of “princeps” (or “first citizen”). In January of 27 B.C. he was named “Augustus,” which means supreme and divine. Later he was named “Caesar” and officially became Caesar Augustus. It was during his reign that the Lord Jesus was born (Luke 2:1-7).
When the Israelites returned to their own country to rebuild the temple and the holy city, they were still under the rule of the Persian Empire for another two centuries. They were occupied by the Grecian Empire after Alexander the Great overthrew Persia. After Alexander died, they fell under the rule of the kingdom (including Syria) established by one of his generals, Seleucus. Judea, being situated between Syria to the north and Egypt to the south, was often caught in the wars between the two powers. When Antiochus Epiphanes became king of Syria, he occupied the holy land, slaughtered the Israelites, and defiled the temple. The Maccabees, led by Judas Maccabaeus, later rose up to defeat and expel the Syrians, and the temple was cleansed as a result. Following the Roman conquest of Syria and Egypt, the Israelites came under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was in the reign of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus that John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus were born, thus concluding the Old Testament era and bringing in the New Testament age.
