The Church of Jesus Christ

While reading Thomas Cahills’s Desire of the Everlasting Hills, I took great thought from his section on the oppression of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes. Too many times, Modalists/Oneness believers, while refuting nearly all the doctrine of the Protestants, hold dearly to the canon established by Calvin, Luther, and others of the Reformation. We have to remember that if it was up to Luther, we would have discarded Hebrews, James, and Revelation as well. I have attempted to give the books a fair shake and along with Wisdom and Sirach, I thoroughly enjoy the Maccabees. To me, they were a wealth of historical value (while Wisdom is theological), but upon reading Mr. Cahill’s use and treatment, it seems that Maccabees might do well to serve some eschatological needs as well, among something else. As I review Mr. Cahill’s book, I will try to post various things and insights that I gain from it, or even those things that make me take notice.

In 1st Maccabees, we read,

After Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated Darius, king of the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king. (He had previously become king of Greece.) He fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and put to death the kings of the earth. He advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered many nations. When the earth became quiet before him, he was exalted, and his heart was lifted up. He gathered a very strong army and ruled over countries, nations, and princes, and they became tributary to him. After this he fell sick and perceived that he was dying. So he summoned his most honored officers, who had been brought up with him from youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive. And after Alexander had reigned twelve years, he died. Then his officers began to rule, each in his own place. They all put on crowns after his death, and so did their sons after them for many years; and they caused many evils on the earth.
(1Ma 1:1-9 RSVA)

We know the story of Antiochus, whom Daniel prophesied concerning and we also know that some 200 years later, it was still in the mind of the Jews whom the Lord spoke, saying,

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
(Mat 24:15 KJVA)

In referring to the Prophet Daniel, who said,

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
(Dan 9:27 ESV)

The Septuagint reads ‘abomination of desolation’. The issue is the great horror that will come upon the world and the Church. One has to take note that what happens to the world will effect the Church to some extent. When Antoichus established his kingdom, like a good Greek king, he went about trying to ensure a populace that was united, right down to the religion. (Like the False Prophet will in the Last Day). He sought to have one people with one culture. Thus he built the ancient gymnasium on request of the Jews.

And some of the people eagerly went to the king. He authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.
(1Ma 1:13-15 RSVA)

Once Antiochus had begun to subdue the Jews with Greek hedonism, he left to invade Egpyt. Once that war was one, he returned to complete his task against Jerusalem,

After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one hundred and forty-third year. He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force. He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils. He took also the table for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple; he stripped it all off. He took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures which he found. Taking them all, he departed to his own land. He committed deeds of murder, and spoke with great arrogance.
(1Ma 1:20-24 RSVA)

Some the Jews, wishing to fit in, trusted in the flesh, and thus sold the birthright of Israel. The Greeks, and later Romans, desired a very public and diluted religious worship. They cared very little who you worshiped because all was the same. Zeus, Jupiter, Baal. The same god of gods for the Greeks. When the Jews stood against Antiochus, it was because of their God. When the Christians stood, it was because of their God. Had they succumbed to the idea that each can have his own god, because they are all the same, then Judaism and Christianity would have ceased to exist. We see that Israel suffered because of the attempt to melt Judaism into Greek Paganism.

Therefore there was a great mourning in Israel, in every place where they were; So that the princes and elders mourned, the virgins and young men were made feeble, and the beauty of women faded. Every bridegroom took up lamentation, and she that sat in the marriage chamber was in heaviness, The land also was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the house of Jacob was covered with confusion.
(1Ma 1:25-28 KJVA)

What other cultures had experienced had now been bestowed up the Jews and the land of Israel. Israel, whom the promise of Christ had been given was now faced with destruction of everything that had kept it separate. The False Prophet of the Last Day will attempt the do the same thing, and indeed, we can see that the spirit of antichrist is moving the entire world in that direction. Not just the globalization of money or markets, but the globalization of culture - music, dress, literature, media - and religion - the great ecumenical councils that now extend into various religions, not just denominations.

If you will refer back to verse 9 where the evils were multiplied upon the face the earth. We, especially Americans, would like to thing that the evil that is coming upon the face of the earth is limited to the third world (poverty, war, natural disasters) or to Europe (loss of the Christian heritage), but we have actually been facing the same things since the very beginning of this country. Yet, people seem to think that the Church will suddenly escape the things, or somehow be immune to the ways and wickedness of the false prophet.

John writes,

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
(Rev 13:5-7 KJVA)

Like Antiochus, the False Prophet wil raise his voice against God and all those that dwell heaven. He will, again like the ancient ruler, make war with the saints (the Church) and beyond the little root, he will begin to overcome the saints. The False Prophet will not prevail against the Church Triumphant, and will not win on the eternal scene, thus we are constantly cautioned not to place our faith or hope in the things of this world, but always keep looking up. The power and wickedness of this False Prophet is not limited to the Saints, but also over the entire earth, just as Antiochus sought.

Returning to Maccabees, we read that when Antiochus invaded Jerusalem, he,

And spake peaceable words unto them, but all was deceit: for when they had given him credence, he fell suddenly upon the city, and smote it very sore, and destroyed much people of Israel. And when he had taken the spoils of the city, he set it on fire, and pulled down the houses and walls thereof on every side. But the women and children took they captive, and possessed the cattle. Then builded they the city of David with a great and strong wall, and with mighty towers, and made it a strong hold for them. And they put therein a sinful nation, wicked men, and fortified themselves therein. They stored it also with armour and victuals, and when they had gathered together the spoils of Jerusalem, they laid them up there, and so they became a sore snare: For it was a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an evil adversary to Israel. Thus they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled it: Insomuch that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: whereupon the city was made an habitation of strangers, and became strange to those that were born in her; and her own children left her. Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness, her feasts were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach her honour into contempt. As had been her glory, so was her dishonour increased, and her excellency was turned into mourning.
(1Ma 1:30-40 KJVA)

What a graphic picture this writer has detailed for us. We can Jerusalem lain waste, with nothing of her former glory to be seen, so much so that people fled her. The same can be said for Alexander’s march to the ends of the earth where he destroyed city and city in his own name and the name of his kingdom. Antiochus was ruthless and brutal against those that opposed him. The Jews had sought to ally themselves with the little emperor, but in the end, it became apparent that no amount of half measures would soft him to their position; he wanted Judaism to cease.

Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people, And every one should leave his laws: so all the heathen agreed according to the commandment of the king. Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his religion, and sacrificed unto idols, and profaned the sabbath. For the king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Juda that they should follow the strange laws of the land, And forbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings, in the temple; and that they should profane the sabbaths and festival days: And pollute the sanctuary and holy people: Set up altars, and groves, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine’s flesh, and unclean beasts: That they should also leave their children uncircumcised, and make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation: To the end they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances.
(1Ma 1:41-49 KJVA)

What a terrible thought to have so many of Israel turn and consent to his religion, and yet it did nothing to stop the onslaught against the Jewish people.

And whosoever would not do according to the commandment of the king, he said, he should die. In the selfsame manner wrote he to his whole kingdom, and appointed overseers over all the people, commanding the cities of Juda to sacrifice, city by city. Then many of the people were gathered unto them, to wit every one that forsook the law; and so they committed evils in the land; And drove the Israelites into secret places, even wheresoever they could flee for succour. Now the fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Juda on every side; And burnt incense at the doors of their houses, and in the streets. And when they had rent in pieces the books of the law which they found, they burnt them with fire. And whosoever was found with any the book of the covenant, or if any committed to the law, the king’s commandment was, that they should put him to death. Thus did they by their authority unto the Israelites every month, to as many as were found in the cities. Now the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God. At which time according to the commandment they put to death certain women, that had caused their children to be circumcised. And they hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled their houses, and slew them that had circumcised them. Howbeit many in Israel were fully resolved and confirmed in themselves not to eat any unclean thing. Wherefore the rather to die, that they might not be defiled with meats, and that they might not profane the holy covenant: so then they died. And there was very great wrath upon Israel.
(1Ma 1:50-64 KJVA)

The striking picture of this is that what had so long strangled the world, from the time of Alexander, that is the forced culturalization and the wars the followed, had finally hit Jerusalem. While other cultures were allowed to mesh into the paganism of ancient Greece, Judaism could not. The God of Judaism had long ago leveled the charge against paganism and multiculturalism when He had declared that He was alone God and that He would have no other god before Him. He had demanded that the place where He would place His name would not be shared with any others and that the sanctuary must be kept holy. If the Jews were to remain Jews, they could not give up their God, not even under duress and grief. They would have to withstand what the world have caved into so many times.

The Church is facing some awful times ahead of her. Everywhere she looks she is met with forced retirement of her standards and doctrines. No more do people want to hear about the differences of Christianity and everything else that is false. As a matter of fact, many, even so-called Christians, would have us erase the name of Jesus Christ and merge into one religion that uplifts man and attempts to solve the problems of the world ourselves. The Church is not a heritage or a tradition, but a divine institution given by God to humanity for the saving of the soul. The world’s religions are merging, perhaps not seamless, but to point where Buddhists, and some ‘Christians’, readily call Christ an Avatar in the Buddhist system. There is the two-messiah theory that attempts to unite Judaism and Christianity.

As the Church marches on, she will assuredly face those things that others have faced before, even what the Jews faced in Germany in the 1930’s and 40’s. She will be attacked, slaughtered, and overcome, but never will death prevail against her. We have to remember that what effects the world, past and present, will effect the Church. We are not immune from gas prices or plagues or famines. We have to be strong and compromise not the very thing that makes us the Church of Jesus Christ.

Let the Church stand and gain from Mattathias, father of Judas Maccabeus, who said,

Then Mattathias answered and spake with a loud voice, Though all the nations that are under the king’s dominion obey him, and fall away every one from the religion of their fathers, and give consent to his commandments: Yet will I and my sons and my brethren walk in the covenant of our fathers. God forbid that we should forsake the law and the ordinances. We will not hearken to the king’s words, to go from our religion, either on the right hand, or the left.
(1Ma 2:19-22 KJVA)

Or his son, the great general Judah the Hammer (Maccabeus), who said,

It is no hard matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few; and with the God of heaven it is all one, to deliver with a great multitude, or a small company: For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from heaven. They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil us: But we fight for our lives and our laws. Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid of them.
(1Ma 3:17-22 KJVA)