| Antiochus and Antichrist From my notes taken while reading Rosenthal's THE PRE-WRATH RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH: pp. 199-206 The Antichrist apostasy is presaged and paralled by the Antiochus apostasy, who [Antiochus] first conquered and then attempted to assimilate the Jews. 1. Both enter into a covenant with Israel. 1 Macc. 1:11-12 / Dan. 9:27a [ca. 172/1 BC for Antiochus] 2. Covenants made with "many." 1 Macc. 1:11, 43,52 / Dan. 9:27a 3. Both covenants referred to as "the apostasy." 1 M. 2:15 / 2 Thes. 2:3 4. Both break their covenant... 1 M. 1:20-21 / Dan. 9:27b 5. ... and set up an abomination in the Temple. 1 M. 1:54-56; 2 M. 6:1-2; Dan. 11:31 / Dan. 9:27c; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thes. 2:4 6. After the AD, great affliction upon faithful Jews. 1 M. 1:62-63 / Matt. 24:9 7. Faithful flee to mountains. 1 M. 2:27-29 [vs. 28: "[Matthias] and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the city.] / Matt. 24:16-20 [vss. 16-17: "...let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains...[neither] come down to take anything out of the house..."] 8. Many die keeping the Sabbath. 1 M. 29-37 / Matt. 24:20 9. Women and children killed. 1 M. 1:60-61 / Matt. 24:19 (p. 272) 10. Many made white and refined. Dan. 11:35 / Dan. 12:10 ---------------------------------------------- Later on (p. 256f.), when arguing that Daniel 12:1 speaks of Michael "standing aside (or still)," Rosenthal equates 12:1's "time of trouble such as never was" to be the Great Tribulation of Matt. 24:21, which immediately follows the Abomination of Desolation of 24:15. And, the Abomination of Desolation equates to Daniel 11:45's King of the North 'planting his palace' on the Temple Mount ("glorious holy mountain"). Now, Daniel 11:45 and 12:1 culminate events that began in 11:40, when, "at the TIME OF THE END," the King of the North invades and "overflows" the South with a great fleet and army. Now for my questions: I've brought up this passage of Daniel 11:40 - 12:2 a number of times and ways on this site. My views about it have been either stonily ignored or derided. But at no time has anyone ever put forth their own understanding of how this clearly End Times passage fits into their understanding of the Pre-Wrath doctrine. (Ron, HL, Dave B., Gary, whad'ya say? Ron, I've done long searches on biblefragrances.com, and as far as I can tell, you never quote this passage.) Far be it from me to try to nail jello to the wall :), but would some of you please answer the following questions: 1. Does the "time of trouble such as never was" in Dan. 12:1 = the Great Trib? 2. Likewise, does the preceding event in Dan. 11:45 = the Abomination of Desolation? If your answers to questions 1 & 2 are yes, then 3. Does the King of the North = the AC; and 4. (whether or not he does), doesn't Daniel 11:40-43 clearly indicate that the AD and GT MUST BE PRECEDED BY an invasion, conquering, and/or occupation of a great part of the Middle East -- including Israel, Egypt, Libya, and Sudan (or Ethiopia), but NOT Jordan? and if so, then 5. Would not such events be a clear sign that, whether or not the covenant of Daniel 9:27 is secret, the AD and GT are immanent? As I have shown earlier, there is nothing in verses 36-37 that cannot apply to Antiochus Epiphanes, who believed he was God Manifest: the type of and forerunner to the Antichrist in every significant way. He too feigned friendship with the Jews; made and broke a covenant with them; exalted himself above all ["The pride of Antiochus passed all bounds." -- 2 Macc. 5:17]; erected an abomination of desolation in the Temple; and thereafter massacred Jews without mercy. The idol-abomination of Jupiter/Zeus Olympus erected in the Temple quite likely bore the image of Antiochus himself. Such was the custom of the ancients, who believed Jupiter incarnated in men from time to time. (As when, in Lystra, the Greeks believed Barnabus was Jupiter, Acts 14:12.) The same practice was followed in statues of Augustus Caesar. The End Times king of the north might be the AC, but could perhaps be his forerunner. For example, many scholars (including Church Fathers) believe that the "restrainer" of 2 Thes. 2:6-7 is the last world ruler to precede the AC. Only after he is removed will the AC be revealed. |