The Rise and Reign of the Despicable One

It's great to see all of you here, and I want to invite you to turn in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 11. for our time of study in the word, this morning, Daniel, chapter 11. For those of you visiting with us, we're doing a verse by verse study through the book of Daniel, and as we continue in our study of this book, we come this morning to Daniel chapter 11, verse 21. And my goal this morning is to cover verses 21 through 35. And the title of the message is The Rise and Reign of the Despicable One. The rise and reign of the Despicable one, and we'll learn who that is, in just a moment. Before we get into the message for this morning, I just wanna share with you that one of the commentaries that I have been using as we have been going through the book of Daniel is this commentary by HC Loopold. It's an excellent, commentary, and at the end of each chapter, at the end of each commentary that he provides on each chapter of Daniel, he has a section entitled Homiletical Suggestions. In which he provides guidance for pastors and preaching through the chapter that he has just provided commentary on. And so you can imagine how interested I was in reading what his guidance might be for Daniel chapter 11. Well, at the end of his commentary on Daniel 11, he wrote these words and imagine my dismay in reading them. He says this chapter might be treated in Bible classes. We do not see how it could be used for a sermon or sermons. Honestly, when I read those words from HC Loophole, my first thought was, sir, you don't know the Cornerstone congregation. Though I said those words in my head, though, I'll admit to you that I was still a little bit worried when I preached to you last week from Daniel chapter 11 verses 2 through 21, but your response To last week's message confirmed two things to me. First, it confirmed to me that all scripture, including Daniel chapter 11, is profitable for teaching and for training in righteousness so that the people of God might be equipped for every good work. And secondly, your response to last Sunday's message showed me that my confidence in the Lord concerning you was well founded because you showed me that you are a congregation that can handle sermons being preached to you from even Daniel chapter 11, leaving me freshly grateful to be At a church like this. Where I can feel the liberty to preach the Bible verse by verse, no matter what chapter we are in, knowing that you will receive the word of God with an open and an eager heart, and I cannot tell you how much that means to me. And it is in this spirit of gratefulness and confidence in the Lord concerning you that I'm going to preach to you a second sermon. From Daniel 11 and we'll be looking at verses 21 through 35. By way of review, you might wanna look back in Daniel chapter 10 verse 14. We have seen in Daniel 10, how an angel has appeared to Daniel. And in Daniel 10:14, this angel says to Daniel, now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future. Daniel already knows that. His fellow Jews are beginning to return from exile to the land of promise, and Daniel has already learned in Daniel chapter 9 that the Messiah is going to be coming in about 483 years. But what is going to happen to the people of God in the meantime? Daniel wants to know. It's what he has spent 3 weeks praying for, and the angel has now appeared to give Daniel this insight and knowledge. Now, a quick review, we saw last Sunday, how the angel reveals to Daniel that the Persian kingdom is gonna give way to the divided kingdom of Greece. Which will then be divided into four smaller kingdoms and you see that reflected on the map behind me. The angel then reveals to Daniel how the kingdom of the North and the South are going to duke it out. For quite some time and how the land of Israel. is going to get pulled back and forth between these kingdoms until it finally ends up in the hands of the kingdom of the north during the reign of Antiochus the Third in about 198 BC. We saw in verse 17 of chapter 11, you might wanna look at that verse, how Antiochus the 3rd is going to give his daughter, whose name is Cleopatra, to Ptolemy the 5th down in Egypt as a wife, hoping that she will serve as a secret agent who will work against the interest of the Egyptian kingdom. But at the very end of verse 17, the angel tells Daniel, hundreds of years in advance that she will not take a stand for him, in other words, for her father, or be on his side. Instead, Cleopatra is going to join her husband in his efforts to make Egypt great again. And in working against the interest of her father's kingdom in the north. We saw last week how Antiochus the 3rd overreached in the West, just as the angel predicts in verse 18, hundreds of years in advance, and how Antiochus the 3rd ran into a buzz saw that was Rome. which left him with a crushing debt to pay to Rome. He died a short time later while trying to plunder a temple to pay on his debt that he owed to Rome. In verse 20, the angel says to Daniel, then in his place, one will arise, and this one was Antiochus the 3rd's son, Seleucus the 4th. Who will send an oppressor, or this could be translated, an exactor of taxes through the jewel of his kingdom, referring to the temple, yet within a few days he will be shattered, though not in anger or in battle. And we saw last Sunday that this is exactly what happened under the crushing load of the debt that he and his empire still owe to Rome. Seleucus the 4th tried to loot the Jerusalem temple through one of his men named Heliodorus, yet he failed in that effort. And a few months later, Heliodorus poisoned and killed Seleucus the 4th, leaving an opening on the throne that will soon be filled by the infamous Antiochus the 4th Epiphanes. And this is where we left off. Last Sunday. If you have a hard copy of the notes with you this morning, you'll maybe better be able to follow along. The way we're gonna break down our study of the passage we're looking at today is we will observe four developments in the prophetic foretelling of the ruthless reign of the despicable Antiochus the 4th. Four developments in the prophetic foretelling hundreds of years in advance of the ruthless reign of the despicable Antiochus the 4th Epiphanes. Development number 1, you can fill in the blank. He will come to power through intrigue and deception. He will come to power through intrigue and deception. So we've seen in verse 20 how Seleucus the 4th is left shattered. And killed. Observe what happens next in verse 21. In his place, a despicable person will arise on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. We know from history that Antiochus the 4th. Gave him the name Antiochus Epiphanes, which means Antiochus the illustrious one, or the glorious one. If you're looking for a nickname to give yourself, this is, and you've got a real high self-esteem, this is a great name. The Jews called him Antiochus Epimenes. Which means Antiochus the madman. But here in verse 21, the angel describes Antiochus the 4th as a despicable person, speaking of him as a horrible human being, a horrible monster of a man due to his deplorable character and his hideous behavior that we will see in the coming verses. Now we know from history that Antiochus the 4th was in Athens, Greece at the time that his brother Seleucus the 4th was killed by Heliodorus. But as soon as he heard the news of his brother's death, Antiochus the 4th rushed to the capital city of the Seleucid Empire, which was the city of Antioch. The rightful heir to the throne of Seleucus the 4th would have been his son Demetrius, but Demetrius was a hostage in Rome at the time of his father's death. So the second in line would have been the youngest son of Seleucus the 4th, whose name happened to be Antiochus. The problem was, he was just a baby at the moment. So, historical accounts of this vary, but according to the book, 2 Maccabees, Antiochus the 4th exploited the opportunity and came into Antioch and presented himself as someone who would hold the throne until young Antiochus was old enough to become king. And so Antiochus IV did that. He assumed the throne, but after he gained the throne, It just so happened that one of Antiochus the Force's high ranking officials murders baby Antiochus. Antiochus the 4th acted all outraged and executed this official for his horrible crime of murdering young Antiochus, and then Antiochus the 4th, after that execution, resigned himself to being the ruler. Of the Seleucid Empire. Fascinating how that all worked out, right? Consistent with what history tells us, the angel tells Daniel that Antiochus the 4th will come to the throne through intrigue, which speaks literally of slippery actions involving crafty schemes and flattery and manipulation, bribery and deceit. Antiochus was quick to use all these means to ingratiate himself to some powerful people in the kingdom and even in Rome in order to win their support for him to be accepted as the rightful king of the Seleucid Empire. As for how he will establish himself once he is in power in verse 22, the angel says the overflowing forces. Will be flooded away before him and shattered and also the prince of the covenant. This language describes how Antiochus the 4th is going to be unstoppable and how he will swiftly remove all leaders and armies who might have stood in his way. Whether that opposition might come from Heliodorus, who actually tried to assume the throne after he had killed Seleucus the 4th. Or whether that opposition might come from elsewhere, even outside of his kingdom. According to verse 22, Antiochus the 3rd will also shatter or break the prince of the covenant. Which is almost certainly a reference to the high priest of Israel during this time whose name was Oneas the 3rd, a righteous man who was the high priest of Israel. Antiochus the 4th was very passionate about getting all the people under his domain to embrace Grecian ways, and everyone pretty much under his rule cooperated with that agenda except for the Jews, whose spiritual leader was Oneaus III. So Antiochus the 4th removed Oneaus the 3rd from power and put in his place a man named Jason, who had offered him money if he would just make him high priest in the place of Ones. Sometime thereafter, another apostate Jew named Menelaus offered Antiochus even more money than Jason had offered him. So Antiochus removed Jason and appointed Menelaus, the high priest in his place. And it was Menelaus who shortly thereafter had Oneus the 3rd killed. In verse 23, the angel says, after an alliance is made with him, speaking of Antiochus the 4th, he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. Backtracking just a bit into last Sunday. History reveals that when Antiochus the 3rd gave Cleopatra to Ptolemy the 5th, About 20 years prior to this moment here in the text. he promised Ptolemy the 5th that he would give to him Palestine and the surrounding regions as part of the dowry. Yet he never carried through on this promise, and neither did his son Seleucus the 4th. That's what we know from history, not from The text of Daniel. But here we are about 20 years after that promise was made and Ptolemy the 5th is on the throne down in the kingdom of the South, and Cleopatra is now the queen mother. History tells us that Antiochus the 4th, when he became king, And he was trying to get his legs underneath him as he ruled, he offered friendship to Ptolemy the 6th at this point, probably promising to him that he would carry through on his father's promise to give the land of Palestine. To the kingdom of the South as part of that dowry from 20 years prior. But once Antiochus the 4th had become more firmly established, Asking and feeling more secure in his position, he went back on his promise and decided after all to keep the whole region for himself. This is generally how Antiochus the 4th rolled. He would create space for himself to grow strong through political alliances based on false promises. He pretended to be an ally of those that he would make alliances with, but then secretly he would work against them and sometimes outright attack them later when they were least expecting it. As for how Antiochus the 4th rose in power over his kingdom. The angel speaking to Daniel predicts that he will do that with a small force of dedicated supporters who helped him to go up and gain power. In other words, to move upwards and establish himself in power. In verse 24, the angel continues and says, look at the text. In a time of tranquility, he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors. He will distribute plunder, booty, and possessions among them. And this is what history tells us that Antiochus the 4th did. When people least expected it, he would come into the richest or literally the fattest parts of his realm. And he would loot their wealth and then use that wealth to bribe the people whose support he wanted for himself, thus securing their allegiance and consolidating his power over his realm. At the end of verse 24, the angel tells Daniel that Antiochus the 4th will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. History tells us that Antiochus the 4th was a strategic thinker who plotted against powerful cities and fortresses, even in other nations, with a plan to loot their wealth so that he could transfer that wealth to others whose loyalty he wanted to buy. His schemes against strongholds were effective. But the angel foretells here that he will be able to scheme like this only for a time, meaning only for the amount of time that God is going to allow him to do so, and not a day longer. But scheme he will until his time is up, and this brings us to the 2nd development in the prophetic foretelling of the ruthless reign of the despicable Antiochus Epiphanes. Number 2, he will partially prevail against the king of the South and then act against the holy covenant. He will partially prevail against the king of the South and then act against the holy covenant. In verse 25, the angel speaks of Antiochus the 4th and says to Daniel, look at the text in verse 25, he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the south with a large army, so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war, but he will not stand for schemes will be devised against him. And history tells us that this is exactly what happened in around 170 BC. Ptolemy the VI came up from Egypt with a very large army and tried to lay claim to the land of Palestine. And the surrounding area which had been promised to him two decades prior. Antiochus the 4th responded to this action by launching a military campaign against Egypt. And even though Antiochus's army was not quite the size of Egypt's army, Antiochus the 4th prevailed. And he prevailed because he didn't just rely on brute military might but use manipulation and bribery. And he exploited the internal divisions within Egypt itself in order to weaken Ptolemy the Sixth's rule. Antiochus the 4th marched against, we know from history, marched against Ptolemy the 6th and defeated him at the Battle of Pellusium just east of the Nile Delta. This defeat was so decisive that he actually succeeded in taking Ptolemy the 6th captive. Speaking of Ptolemy the 6th, the angel says to Daniel in verse 26, those who eat his choice food will destroy or literally break him. In the end, history reveals that Ptolemy VII was betrayed by his own government officials within his own court who ate food from his very own table because they gave him bad counsel, and some of them were seduced into doing so by Antiochus the 4th. That's the way Antiochus rolled. In the second half of verse 26, the angel says, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain. And this is exactly what happened to Ptolemy the 6th army at the hand of Antiochus the 4th. So, so far so good for Antiochus the 4th, but unfortunately for Antiochus, after Ptolemy the 6th was defeated, the people of Egypt didn't just give their allegiance to Antiochus the 4th. What happened was that the people of Alexandria and other parts of Egypt chose not to submit to Antiochus, and instead they installed Ptolemy the VIII. Who was the brother to Ptolemy the 6th. They installed him as king. Which caused Antiochus significant concern and forced him to quickly change his strategy. Antiochus the 4th realized that After all, I guess I need Ptolemy the 6th and his friendship in order to gain his assistance against Ptolemy the 7th, who is now a threat to Antiochus' ambitions and Ptolemy the 6th ambitions. Antiochus the 4th wanted to control all of Egypt for himself. And Ptolemy the 6th wanted desperately to reestablish himself as ruler over all of Egypt, and the threat to both of them. Was this Ptolemy the 7th. You guys tracking? OK. So Antiochus the 4th and Ptolemy the 6th, we know from history, plan together. Regarding how Ptolemy the 6th could take back his entire rule over Egypt, and Antiochus the 4th was OK with this because he figured that Ptolemy the 6th would be a good puppet king. That he could control and basically rule over the kingdom of Egypt through Ptolemy the 6th. In verse 17 or verse 27, the angel continues and says, as for both kings, this is now Antiochus the 4th and Ptolemy the 6th, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table. As they scheme about the path ahead. And history reveals that Antiochus the 4th pretended to Be a friend to Ptolemy the 6th and to support him as the rightful ruler of Egypt. But we know that his true goal was to control all of Egypt. Ptolemy the 6th meanwhile was secretly plotting now with his brother Ptolemy the 7th and other Egyptian leaders to resist Antiochus the 4th. So they're lying to each other at the same table. But what will come of all of this conniving, the angel says, but it will not succeed. Neither king is going to achieve everything that he wanted, and Tchus the 4th will fail. And his goal of gaining full control over Egypt, and Ptolemy the 6th is going to fail to regain full control over Egypt. In the end, Ptolemy the 6th. And Ptolemy the 7th are gonna work out a very tense. Fragile plan for a shared rule over the land of Egypt going forward. With Ptolemy the 6th ruling as a puppet king over his portion of the kingdom, ruling now from Memphis under the control of Antiochus the 4th, and Ptolemy the 7th ruling over his portion of the kingdom of the south from the city of Cyrene. With a lot of tension now between these two Ptolemies, the 6th and the 7th. Why will neither Antiochus the 4th or Ptolemy the 6th succeed in their plans? The angel says at the end of verse 27. Because the end is still to come at the appointed time. God allows neither of them to achieve their ambition for full power over the kingdom of the South because God has another outcome to be reached at the appointed time of his choosing. And we see a little bit of what God has appointed in the verses to come. Observe how the angel. Say that Antiochus the 4th is going to respond. T is in complete victory in verse 28. Then he, Antiochus the 4th, will return to his land with much plunder, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land. During his invasion of Egypt, Antiochus the 4th looted Egyptian temples. And treasuries, and he is now bringing those treasures back with him to his capital city of Antioch. But as he's traveling from Egypt up to Antioch, as you see on the map behind me, he Give some attention to the land of Israel, to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, and the angel predicts here in verse 28 that Antiochus's heart will be set against the holy covenant. In other words, against the religion of Israel and the people of Israel. He always hated the Jews, but something shifts in his heart in God's providence at this point, and his heart becomes set against the people of God and their holy covenant. That was keeping them from adopting Grecian ways like Antiochus wanted. We learn from history that on his return to his capital city, Antiochus the 4th entered the city of Jerusalem with his troops. And typical of his style, he looted the temple. He stole the golden altar. And the lampstand and other valuable items of gold and silver that were in the temple, and he killed many Jews, and he reaffirmed the apostate Menelaus as the high priest over the people of Israel. Speaking of Antiochus the 4th, the angel says in verse 28 that he will take action and then return to his own land. And the actions he took against the Jews that I just mentioned. We're merely a harbinger of awful things to come. Which brings us to the 3rd development in the prophetic foretelling of the ruthless reign of the despicable Antiochus Epiphanes. And let's word it this way, he will be rebuffed in the South and then take more action against the holy covenant. He will be rebuffed in the South and then take more action against the holy covenant. Continuing to speak about Antiochus the Fourth, the angel moves ahead two years and speaks about something that happens now around 168 BC, saying to Daniel in verses 29 and 30, look at the verse, beginning of verse 29, at the appointed time, he Antiochus the 4th will return and come into the south, and his agenda we know from history is he wants all of Egypt now. He will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before, for ships of Kaim will come against him. I would encourage you to underline the words at the appointed time. It's not the only time we're going to see essentially these words in Daniel 11. This language reminds us that God is in control of history. And it reminds us that whenever leaders act in some way on the world stage, they are merely fulfilling appointments. On God's calendar, whether they intend to or not, God is in control. As to how this 2nd invasion of the kingdom of the South is going to go, the angel says that this invasion is not gonna turn out the way it did before, for the ships of Kaim will come against him. Kaim was an ancient term referring to Cyprus, literally, but it was later used more generally for Western Mediterranean powers, which at this time was Rome. Which is why the Greek Septuagint translators translate the expression ships of Kaim simply as the Romans. So the ships of Kaim are Roman ships which history tells us came to Egypt's aid against Antiochus the 4th and this assault. And on one of those ships, was a diplomat we know from history named Gaius Papilius Lainus. Who landed In Alexandria at this time and then traveled by foot to meet up with Antiochus the 4th, who was now encamped with his army about 4 miles. East of Alexandria. And upon meeting Antiochus the 4th, Gaius, this Roman diplomat, handed him a letter from the Roman Senate. Ordering him to leave Egypt or face war with Rome. After Antiochus the 4th read the letter, Gaius asked him, what is your response that I can take back with me to the Roman Senate, and Antiochus delayed. In giving his reply. So this Roman diplomat Gaius literally took his walking stick that he had with him and walked around Antiochus the 4th and drew a circle in the sand around him. And basically said, take your time. But do not leave this circle until you have given me your decision. In that moment, Antiochus the 4th knew that to continue on his path to make war against Egypt would result in war against Rome. And he did not want that. He's remembering his dad was defeated by Rome 20 years prior. So after a few moments of what historians call a humiliating silence. Antiochus responded and said that he would not attack Alexandria and that he would return home with his army. And as a result, the angel says, who sees all of this hundreds of years in advance, the angel says in verse 30, therefore, he and Tiachus the 4th will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action. And this is exactly what ended up happening, shaken by his humiliating encounter with. The Roman diplomat. Down in Egypt and Tiachus the 4th turned around to head back up to his capital city with his army, but while on the way, he turned his fury against someone that he could pick on. And that's the Jews. And what follows is one of the darkest periods in the history of the Jews. Part of the reason for Antiochus' anger, we know from history. Is that while Antiochus the 4th was down in Egypt. The rumor had spread throughout Jerusalem that he had died down in Egypt. And in the strength of that rumor, the Jews mounted an insurrection against Menelaus, the high priest that Antiochus had appointed. Upon catching wind of this insurrection as he was returning from Egypt, Antiochus the 4th sacked Jerusalem and massacred as many as 80,000 Jews, including women and children, and he squashed this rebellion. And he did more. And what made these days so dark for the Jews was not just that he was going to persecute and slaughter many faithful Jews, but that he does what is described at the end of verse 30, where the angel says to Daniel, look at the text, so he will come back and show regard for those who abandon the holy covenant. We know from history that Antiochus. Handsomely rewarded Jews who compromised their faith and were willing to be Hellenized and adopt Greek customs and culture and religion. And then he used their help in exposing the faithful Jews so that they could be identified and singled out for punishment. The angel continues and says in verse 31, forces from him, from Antiochus the 4th will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress and do away with the regular sacrifice. The temple is called the sanctuary fortress because it was both a sacred place of worship and a stronghold of Jewish culture and identity. And we know from history that Antiochus the 4th used this opportunity to loot the temple once again and defile it in ways that we're gonna see unfolding in the coming verses. And the first layer of this desecration. Is that Antiochus the 4th forces will look at the text, do away with the regular sacrifice. And history tells us that this is exactly what he did, bringing an end to the morning and the evening burnt offerings commanded in the law of Moses. As one commentator says, at this point, all Jewish religious practices such as circumcision, possessing the scriptures, sacrifices, and feast days were forbidden on penalty of death, and the worship of the god Zeus was introduced and demanded of the people of Judah. And in the greatest sacrilege of all during this awful time. The angel says at the end of verse 31, and they will set up the abomination of desolation. And this is exactly what happened. On December 15th of 167 BC, Antiochus the Fourth's men set up an idol of the Greek god Zeus in the holy of holies, and shortly thereafter they offered sacrifices of swine. Which were unclean animals to the Jews. On that altar. They then sprinkled the blood of the swine throughout the sanctuary, thereby rendering the temple unclean and completely unusable to the Jews. This is why this act is called the abomination of desolation, because it was the abomination that left the temple unclean. And completely unusable. By worshippers of the true God of Israel. This is absolutely awful. These days are going to be dark and awful for the Jews. But as awful as these days. Ended up being they did yield the benefit of revealing hearts. And this brings us to the 4th development in the prophetic foretelling of the ruthless reign of the despicable Antiochus Epiphanes. Number 4, he will lead many astray, but the wise will show themselves faithful and brave. He will lead many astray, but the wise will show themselves faithful and brave. Turns out that the actions of Antiochus the 4th. And his forces will serve to expose the wicked for who they really are, and at the same time reveal those who truly know their God. In verse 32, the angel says, by smooth words, he, Antiochus the 4th will turn to godlessness, those who act wickedly toward the covenant. And this is exactly what history tells us that Antiochus did. He was able to seduce many wicked Jews into apostasy by using bribery and threat of death, causing many Jews to abandon the ways of God and obedience to the law and to accept Greek customs and to betray the God of Israel. Sadly, many Jews were happy to cast off the worship of the true God in order to curry the favor of Antiochus the 4th and his forces. Even to the point we learned from history that some Jewish men, adult men underwent surgical procedures to undo their circumcision. And their quest to adapt. To Grecian ways. And notice the wording of verse 32. This is very important. Antiochus the 4th will not turn the godly to godlessness. He will turn the wicked. To godlessness. And his ability to turn them toward godlessness merely reveals them for the wicked souls that they were all along. Thankfully, not all Jews will be wicked during these days. At the end of verse 32, the angel says to Daniel, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. These are the Jews who stood up to Antiochus at the risk of their lives and thankfully there were many of them who did this. In the historically reliable book of first Maccabees in chapter one, it says many in Israel were fully resolved and confirmed in themselves not to eat any unclean thing. Wherefore they chose rather to die than to profane the holy covenant. These faithful Jews refused to worship the gods of Greece. And the secret to their strength is that they knew their God. They knew the truth about the God of Israel. They knew him personally, and they knew his law, which commanded them to serve no other gods other than the true God of Israel, so that when their moment of decision came, they were the ones who took a stand. And displayed strength and took decisive action for God rather than against him. In verse 33, the angel continues and says, those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many, yet they will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. Those who have insight here are the ones who will walk in God's wisdom revealed in his word and history tells us that there were indeed many faithful Jews who walked in God's wisdom during these dark days. And these Very ones took the opportunity to teach God's wisdom to others, educating their fellow Jews in God's ways and encouraging them to take a stand and remain steadfast in their devotion to the God of Israel. And these givers of understanding will do this at the cost of their lives, for the angel says that these faithful souls, look again at the text, will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. And history tells us that many faithful Jews were killed by the sword. Many were burned to death during these awful days. Many were imprisoned and had all of their possessions confiscated and many thousands, 10s of thousands of them were sold into slavery. During these awful days, Antiochus the 4th. We know from history burned every copy of the scriptures that he could find. He also killed. The parents, any parent who would have their child circumcised, he killed whoever it was that performed the circumcision, and then he took the babies that had been circumcised and hung them. In public places. And 2nd, Maccabe's chapter 7. Not an inspired book, but there's a lot of good history in this resource describing the events of these days. We learned about a mother and her seven sons who were all tortured and then burned for refusing. To eat. The flesh of swine. History tells us about a priest, a faithful priest named Mattathias Maccabeus, who was the father of 5 sons. In an epic showdown. An officer of Antiochus the 4th commanded Mattathias to offer a sacrifice to the Greek gods in front of a crowd of Jews from that city who all admired Mattathias and held him in high regard. The officer promised Mattathias that if you sacrifice to the Greek gods right now. In front of these people, wealth and status will be given to you. To his credit, Mattathias. Refused. Frustrated by his refusal. A fellow Jew. In the crowd stepped forward and volunteered. To offer the sacrifice. To the Greek gods. And to the amazement of everyone watching, Mattathias responded by killing this apostate Jew. And then killing the king's officer. And then tearing down the pagan altar. And then stopping and taking a breath and realizing what he just did, he realized my life is never going to be the same. From this day forward, and so he and his sons fled to the mountains and began the revolt that is known today as the Maccabean. Revolt Many of those involved in this revolt ended up dying. But they stood up to Antiochus the 4th. They fought many battles against Antiochus' forces. And after 3 years of ups and downs and setbacks and advances, after 3 years of fighting, they ultimately succeeded in reclaiming the temple of Jerusalem, and then they cleansed the temple and rededicated it to the God of Israel, and eventually they succeeded in casting off the oppression of Antiochus the 4th. Describing these challenging days. The angel continues in verse 34 and he says, look at the text, now when they fall, they will be granted a little help. The falling that the angel speaks about here is the suffering that the faithful Jews are going to experience during these days. Yet these Jews will receive a little help, at least through the victories. Of the Maccabean revolutionaries against Antiochus the 4th. However, as for the faithful rebels who will join this revolution, as they gain momentum, the angel warns, look at the text, many will join with them in hypocrisy. Meaning that many are going to join with these Maccabean forces with a hypocritical and an evil heart. And history tells us that this is exactly what ended up happening. The Maccabeans started off as a small band of faithful Jewish warriors, but as their success in battle grew, and word of their victories began to spread, some Jews joined the cause out of a desire for personal gain or political ambition rather than out of a motive to be faithful to the true God. And we know from history, I gotta put this out there, that sometimes the Maccabean rebels killed Jews in some cities who had sided with Antiochus the 4th. So it's likely that some Jews chose to side with these Maccabean revolutionaries just so they wouldn't be killed by them. In the end, the challenges that these faithful Jews are going to face in these days fighting against Antiochus the 4th is the same challenge faced by the faithful in any age. The challenge of persecution from without and the challenge of faithless hypocrites joining. Their ranks from within. Nonetheless, in verse 35, the angel says, look at the text, some of those who have insight will fall in order to refine, purge, and make them pure until the end time because it is still to come at the appointed time. And I would encourage you to underline those words, the appointed time. Those who have insight are the wise and the faithful believers who understand and walk in God's ways. These faithful ones will fall in the sense that they will suffer imprisonment, persecution, and even death. But all of this hardship, guys, is not going to be without purpose. God will allow even appoint this time of suffering in order, look at the text to refine, purge, and make them pure until the end of time. In other words, the suffering will be appointed by God for the good purpose of separating the faithful from the unfaithful, and then actually purifying the faithful. Just as a goldsmith uses fire. To refine gold This purification will not only happen during this time period in Israel's history, but it will happen, look at the end of verse 35, until the end of time. Because it, this suffering is still to come at the appointed time. This language from the angel serves as an indicator that from this point forward, he will not just be talking to Daniel merely about the time period of Antiochus the 4th. But he will be layering on another time that comes even later on God's calendar. And this appointed time to come is what we know as a tribulation period that is still to come upon the world at some point in the future, a time in which another despicable man will arise who is even more evil. Than Antiochus the 4th, but who will do many of the same things. And we know this coming ruler as the Anti-Christ. And we will pick up here and learn more about him the next time. That we are in Daniel As we talked about last week, just some closing thoughts, as we talked about last week, all of these prophecies spoken to Daniel in verses 2 through 35. We spoken to him by the angel in 536 BC. Hundreds of years before they came to pass. And all of these ended up coming true, which is absolutely remarkable. John Walford, the commentator, counts up a total of 135 specific prophetic statements in verses 2 through 35, which have already been fulfilled in history, showing us God's absolute knowledge of the future. Before it happens. From what has been revealed in these verses, Daniel would know that the kingdom of God is not going to be arriving in its fullness after the Jews returned from exile back to their land of promise, but Daniel would know that God is still in charge and God is moving history towards its ultimate end. And Daniel will know that there will still be a faithful remnant of Jews. Who know their God and who take a stand for God in the dark days to come. And Daniel would know from the revelation of chapter 9 that somehow, some way, after all of the mess that has now been foretold here in chapter 11, the Messiah will still be coming in about 483 years. Daniel will know that none of the mess and the hardship of the coming centuries will be able to stop the coming of the Messiah. But we'll merely move history toward that coming. And I want to remind you this morning that all of the mess that's happening in our world today will do nothing. To stop the second coming of our Messiah. But is merely moving history towards that epic moment. Our passage this morning. Not only reveals that God knows the future before it happens, but appoints. The future before it happens. And I had you guys underline the word appoint in verse 27 and verse 35. Meaning that the painful events described in our passage today were not just permitted, they were not just allowed by God, but appointed by God. In every era of human history, including today, God doesn't just allow bad things to happen, he appoints them. And having said that, that makes our brains short circuit, right? There is profound mystery here that cannot be explained in a way that fits inside our little brains. But what we do know is that man is completely responsible for his sinful choices. We also know that God is not the author of sin, yet we also know that God is sovereign. And he knows how to harness the evil hearts and actions of wicked people to bring about situations that accomplish his greater purposes. He did exactly this. Did he not? In predestining the crucifixion of His Son by the hands of wicked men in order to bring salvation. To the world. God didn't just allow his Son to be crucified by wicked people, he appointed that. And in his divinely appointed times, God providentially allows evil men to do their evil deeds in order to accomplish a greater purpose that he intends, one of which is to reveal hearts. To purify his people. And for the purpose of providing a stage on which his faithful people can display his grace at work in them as they stand firm and take action bravely in his name. Notice again how verse 35 ends. Some of those who have insight will fall in order to refine, purge, and make them pure until the end time. God's purpose and every hardship that he ever allows. In your life As well which may include seasons of persecution. But could extend to any hardship. His purpose is to refine. And to purge his people, including the church, to separate the true from the false believers and to refine and purify those who are true believers. Write down the reference 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 6 and 7. Peter is speaking to believers who are undergoing the fires of affliction, and they're hurting, and he says, at the end of verse 6, you have been distressed by various trials, so that The proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I hope you hear what Peter is saying here. That the proof. of your faith is more precious than gold. He's not merely saying that your faith is more precious than gold, but that the proof of your faith is more precious than gold. And if we believe that, you and I will embrace the trials and the temptations. And the hardships that God appoints for us to experience, even when we are wronged by others. Knowing that God intends to use all of it to prove And to purify our faith. And with this mindset, I think we're able to embrace our hardships. Rather than resent them. In verse 32 of our passage today, the angel says to Daniel that the people who know their God will display strength and take action, and it raised this question in me. I wanna pose it to you. How will you respond when your moment of trial or even persecution comes? Will you prove faithful to God? Or will you compromise? The best way to ensure that you will remain faithful to God in such a moment. is to simply know your God. Not just know about him, but know him relationally. And the only way to know God relationally is through His Son, Jesus, right? If me, Jesus says in John 14:7, you, the Father. So look to Jesus and keep your eyes fixed on him. Jesus was the embodiment of all the wonderful things that are described in this chapter of the faithful. He was the wisest man of insight to ever live. He gave understanding to others. He knew his God, he knew his father. And took action for the glory of his father. And when his final hour of testing came, he did not compromise or back down. Instead, he remained faithful to his father and ended up suffering and dying at the hands of his enemies on the cross just as his father appointed. Yet we all know that he was raised from the dead. Amen. And through his death, he provides redemption for us who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Through his death, he provides atonement for all those times that you and I have not been faithful in our moments of trial and temptation. And it is this amazing love. That he shows to us who are sinners that creates within us a longing and a greater readiness to be faithful to Him on the road ahead. If you are here this morning and you have never put your trust in Jesus Christ as the ultimate man of wisdom, who stood firm and took action at the cross for you to be saved, I urge you. To put your trust in him today. For if Jesus, You will know your God. And if your God, You will display strength. And you will take action for him. Just like Jesus did. Let's pray and ask God to help us. To live this way Father, we thank you for Attacks like this. And all that you leave us to ponder, to be convicted and encouraged by and For the ways, Lord, that A passage like this leaves us gazing. At the beauty of our Lord Jesus. Help us, Lord, here at Cornerstone to Be a people who know our God. Such that we display strength and take action. Day by day and in those moments of trial and testing and persecution. Every Father's Day and Mother's Day, when I pray for the dads and moms, I draw from verse 32 of Daniel 11, praying that you would help us as parents to raise our children to know their God. Such that they as they grow up. And enter into this world. That they will display strength. And do great exploits in the name of Jesus. So help us as parents to invest in our children that they too would know their God. And resist the influence of this world. And be completely pliable in your hand, Lord, as you shape them after your beautiful image. And I thank you for all the parents that are doing this. I thank you for all the brothers and sisters in this congregation who do know their God and day by day they are knowing Him better and they're sharing with one another in various settings what it is that they know about their God. That makes us the congregation that we are. Thank you, Lord, for your goodness to us. As recipients of these blessings here at Cornerstone. Help us to go out this week, Lord. And share with others the truth about our God that they too might believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And be saved And join us in displaying strength. And taking action for you. We ask all of these things, Lord, in the name of Jesus, and all God's people said.