In the third year of King Belshazzar, Daniel had a vision. To recapitulate, from Daniel 7, the presentation takes on the genre of apocalyptic literature. Such a presentation is the product of an oppressed society; the grotesque pictures of evil and the anguished cries for salvation are often encountered in apocalyptic literature but hope is at the distant future. This often involves eschatology, and the hope is one that is sure of God’s final judgement and deliverance.
We need to note that prophecy in the Bible by God’s prophets can be characterised by ‘peaks’ or ‘telescopic’ features. For instance, the prophecy of an Antichrist figure who would commit ‘blasphemy’ and desecration of God’s temple is fulfilled firstly by Antiochus IV of the Seleucid empire in 167BC, then by the Romans in AD70 (as prophesied by Jesus in Matt. 24) and subsequently further in time by the eschatological Antichrist during the great tribulation in the end-times. Antiochus IV can be said to be a prototype or antitype of the actual Antichrist (the ultimate symbol of human rebellion) who shall appear at the end times. Taking note of this, we can then understand that at times, description of Antiochus in some passages may actually be referring to the eschatological Antichrist, and then back again to Antiochus.
Going back to Daniel 8, Daniel’s vision of the ram and the male goat was interpreted by angel Gabriel, the ram referring to the kings of the Medo-persian empire whilst the male goat refers to the king of Greece.
Cyrus built an empire that lasted for approximately two centuries. Persian power gradually declined and the Greeks, led by Alexander in 333, encountered the Persian arm under the leadership of Darius III in the battle of Issus in Asia Minor. The Persians were no match for Alexander’s army, and Darius fled. The end result subsequently was the Greek forces overran the Persians, and Darius himself was assassinated after the battle. However, at the age of 33, Alexander, after establishing and empire of unprecedented proportions, died in Babylon and his kingdom was divided into four under his generals – the resulting kingdoms were Thrace, Macedonia, Ptolemaia, and Seleucid,
The Ptolemies and the Seleucid rulers fought for centuries over Palestine until finally, at the battle of Paneion in 200 BC, Antiochus III defeated the Ptolemaic general Scorpus and inherited Palestine. Antiochus IV, the seventh ruler of the Seleucid empire, was known as the ‘master of intrigue” – he is described in Daniel 8:23-25 and he is he object of the prophecy in Daniel 11:21-45. Antiochus IV, as a result of a bribe, manipulated the high priesthood by inserting Jason in that office, hence replacing the legitimate occupant Onias. Allied with the powerful Tobiad family, Antiochus IV aggressively promoted Hellenistic culture. Even Jason turned out to be too traditional for the Tobiads and Antiochus and was finally replaced as high priest by one Menelaus who was an ardent Hellenist. In 170 B.C., though, Jason returned with an army of a thousand men, while Antiochus was concluding a successful war against the Ptolemies in Egypt. When he returned in 169, he devastated Jerusalem and the temple. He then systematically tried to purge native religious customs out of Judah. In 167 he put an altar dedicated to Zeus in the temple – an act that was known in Daniel 11:31 as the ‘abomination of desolation”. At this point, the Maccabean revolt began and subsequently, Lysias, the regent of Antiochus (who was away at war with the Parthians) had to conclude peace with Judas of the Maccabees and withdraw the abominable decrees in 165BC. Judas marched to Jerusalem, the temple was solemnly cleansed and worship of God restored – an event commemorated by the Feast of Hanukkah. However. the Maccabean success was followed by persecution of Jewish minorities in cities of mixed population. The so-called war of the Maccabees or Maccabean revolt resulted in much sufferings and death among the Jews and lasted for about three and a half years (1260 days or 42 months), This figure quoted in Revelation denotes an intense period of persecution and suffering for God’s people.
What is remarkable is the detailed accuracy of prophecies recorded in Daniel that matches the historical accounts. Daniel saw the vision; it was interpreted to him but he was not in a position to understand all the details but God revealed accurately to Daniel what would take place.
The arrogant, God-denying sovereignty of man will be overturned so that God might reign The people of God will eventually prevail despite all apparent evidence to the contrary.