Torah and New Testament Foundations-The False Messiah-Part 29

We are continuing in our profile of the False Messiah, and we will pick up in Dan 11.35-36, where it says, “And some of those who have insight will fall in order to refine, purge, and make them pure until the time of the end because it is still to come at the appointed time.” So, this is telling us it is going to happen again. The story of Antiochus is giving us a profile about the False Messiah. It continues, “Then the king (Antiochus/False Messiah) will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god (2 Thes 2, and he is an “apostate”-Mic 2.4), and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished (the end of the Birth-pains).” We are told in 2 Thes 2 that he will sit in the Temple of God, claiming he is God.

Dan 11.37-38 tells us that “he will show no regard for the God of his fathers (he is Jewish) or for the desire of women (Song of Songs 1.8 and 5.9 says that Israel is the “most beautiful among women (or the nations; this is seen in 11.41 also).” The King James Version also has “the desire of women” but in Hebrew it is “the most desirable of women” meaning that Israel was most desired of the nations by God. The False Messiah will have no regard for the God of his fathers or for Israel. The verse goes on to say that “nor will he show regard for any god; for he will magnify himself above all. But instead, he will honor a god of fortresses (a “fortress” can refer to a church, sanctuary or a cathedral just like the Temple was referred to as a fortress in verse 31. This is Replacement Theology Christian cathedrals, sanctuaries and churches. What is the main religion of Europe?), a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures.”

Dan 11.39 says, “And he will develop for the strongest fortresses (cathedrals, sanctuaries, churches an apostate, lawless religion and spiritual things) with idols a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge (so they will get along and prosper) and he will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price (Replacement Theology Christianity will also be a political power and rule over Israel in the Birth-pains, just as it always has).”

Dan 11.40-45 tells us that “And at the end time (this tells us it is still to come) the king of the South (Egypt, African nations) will collide with him, and the king of the North (also known as the armies of the East. Assyria and Babylon were seen as coming from the north-Jer 1.13; Joel 2.20) will storm against him (make war on the False Messiah) with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter many countries, overflow and pass through. He will also enter the Beautiful Land (Israel, as seen in verse 37= “most desirable of nations”), and many (Torah observant Jews) will fall, but these will be rescued out of his hand; Edom (South Jordan), Moab (Jordan) and the foremost of the sons of Ammon (this is probably the Royal Family of Jordan-Isa 16.1-5; Isa 63.1-6; Isa 42.10-12; Isa 21.13-15; Jer 48.28).”

“Then he will stretch out his hand against countries, and the land of Egypt (the African alliance) will not escape. But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and Ethiopians at this heels (will be trampled). But rumors from the East (Orient-Rev 16.12) and from the North will disturb him and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many, and he will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion (falling back for a defense) between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain (Temple Mount), yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him (Num 24.24; Zech 11.15-17; Ezek 30.21; Rev 17.8, 19.20).” The False Messiah will roll over countries at first, but like Hitler, will retreat because he will be losing the battles until he is defeated in the end.

Now we are going to take a closer look at the Abomination of Desolation. We will be using information taken from the “Tyndale’s Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible.” The Hebrew uses the term “Sikuts Somem.” The word “Sikutz” refers to idols and to customs derived from idolatry (1 Kings 11.5; Jer 16.18). The phrase “desolating sacrilege” is “abomination of desolation” in the KJV. The phrase “sikutz somem” occurs first in Dan 12.11, with variants in Dan 9.27 and 11.31. Sikutz is an offensive object, due to uncleanness, then an idol as offensive to God; Sikutz Somem probably represents a contemptuous equivalent for Ba’al Samem, “Lord of Heaven; the “Lord” is a mere idol and he is not from “heaven” (Samem) but he “desolates” (somem). The name appears to have in view the action of Antiochus Epiphanes as we have seen, who placed on the altar in the Temple a small, idolatrous altar, which is described for us in 1 Macc 1.54, and called the desolating sacrilege. According to Jewish tradition, along with it came an image of Zeus most likely, the “Lord of Heaven” which had the face of Antiochus on it. This act created “desolation” not “destruction” but it carried the idea of a “desolating horror.” It could also be alluding to the fact that this act “desolated” the temple, emptied of God and his true worshipers.

So we want to catch something here. There is a concept here that was presented that we do not want you to miss. The concept said that the name appears to have in view the action of Antiochus Epiphanes (previous paragraph) who placed on the altar in the Temple a small, idolatrous altar. But the article also said an image of Zeus, bearing the likeness of Antiochus, was also placed along with it. Zeus is the “Lord of Heaven” in Greek thought, so what happened here? Antiochus is Hellenistic and he worshiped Zeus, the chief of the gods. Antiochus makes himself “god” over Zeus and changes the image on the idol to look like him! That is exactly what the False Messiah will do. Here is an interesting fact. The statues of Zeus that have been found in the Middle East have the actual image of Antiochus Epiphanes on them. Once that was done, it became the standard “face” for all the other images that were made of Zeus. They all bore the image of the face of Antiochus Epiphanes, who is a picture of the False Messiah in the Scriptures. Not only do we have an image that is set up that is called the “Abomination of Desolation” but it is going to be called “god.” We are told this explicitly in the Scriptures.

In Part 30 we will pick up in Rev 13.1.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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